I am thrilled to report that I was able to enjoy my first Starbucks in nearly 3 weeks, and without going off of my restaurant diet! I owe this great delight to my sister Carrie who came into town for a visit. She and I went out to lunch yesterday and I treated using what was left over from my restaurant gift card. The lunch at Maggiano’s Little Italy – lasagna with meat sauce – was fantastic! Sorry, no photo to share.
Sisters and Starbucks
I was finally able to enjoy a Starbucks on my staycation!
But the true highlight of my day came later in the afternoon. My sister bought me a tall mocha frappuccino as a treat. Let me tell you, it was one hell of a pick me up and a great way to end my vacation. Way to go sista friend! I drank the frozen concoction very slowly, savoring every drip. It tasted every bit as good as I remember.
Always room for dessert
After my tasty frap, I was so incredibly full that I wanted very little dinner. But, after eating a slight dinner, I had room left for the yummy chocolate banana swirl cake I made yesterday. By the way, my husband pointed out that the cake is actually labeled coffee cake, so it could be considered a breakfast item. Yes!
Chocolate banana swirl cake - delicious!
So, as I mentioned, today is my last day of vacation. As an update to my previous post 10 Ideas for a Great Staycation, I decided to share with you how many of my favorite vacation activities I was able to enjoy.
Jen’s Checklist of Vacation Activities:
- Relaxing by the pool or at the beach – YES, but only 1 day
- Listening to live beach-type music (a la Jimmy Buffet) – NO
- Exploring historical or cultural sites – Not unless you count the zoo
- Going out to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (ie. eating vacation food) – YES!
- Perusing eclectic shops – The Gap? JCrew? I guess my answer is NO
- Walking around outside at night – NO, too many mosquitos
- Getting a massage or having my nails done – I guess doing my own nails counts as a partial activity fulfilled
- Wearing vacation clothes – like sundresses, etc. – YES
- Taking a drive or walk by the water – NO
- Enjoying many frozen drinks with little umbrellas – YES, 2 frozen drinks but no umbrellas
- Getting up late and taking a nap whenever I want to – A big fat NO! I really have to work on this for next vacation
Although I did not do all of my fave vacation activities, I had a very nice time puttering around the city at my own pace and a great time visiting with my sis and her family.
Of course, having a Starbucks didn’t hurt either!
Hi there!
I somehow stumbled across your blog a couple of days ago. I really like your simple approaches to living the good life. All the better if with a little European flair 😉
I’m a few days into my own staycation, too (complete with iced coffees and trips to the spa)–and totally reveling in all the simple pleasures available to me without having to hop on a plane. In fact, my most recent blog post is all about savoring that staycation feeling. I’m at http://www.goodkarmahousekeeping.com.
Cheers!
Holly
It sounds like you are having a VERY nice staycation. I tried to do that last week but was not able to reach my full expectations for the break. But now that I’m on a business trip, I’m trying to “live it up” a little to make up for it! Have a great staycation!