Travel Tuesday: Cabo San Lucas

Seeing as my 30th birthday was coming up, we wanted to go somewhere and really celebrate my entering a new decade. We started planning back in July/August and made the calls to get our trip planned. One of our friends is a travel agent so the whole process was super affordable and we just had to pick the dates and the airport. We planned the trip to work around the holidays and found ourselves going to Cabo San Lucas for 8 days for my birthday and Thanksgiving. All we had to do was count down the days, weeks, months until vacation. 

Finally, we were on our way. We wanted a direct flight so it was easiest to go to Phoenix since flying out of El Paso would have just made is wait in Phoenix for 8-12 hours anyways. The day before we spent the morning at the Airplane Boneyard (Pima Air and Space Museum) and then spent the evening at Saguaro National Park, but i'll save those for another blog. The next morning we hit the airport bright and early and made our way to Cabo. It was a quick flight. Next thing you know we are getting our checked bags and waiting for our resort van to drive us to the resort. We were recommended by our agent to stay at the Riu Palace because she has stayed there plenty of times and it is the nicest "adults only" resort. It certainly did not disappoint. It was an extremely beautiful resort. We got checked in and escorted to our room by the friendly bellboy. He pointed out everything including making sure to tell us do not drink the water from the sink. Our room was stocked full of all the alcohol. We don't typically drink but this was our vacation and we were going to enjoy ourselves. 

Both of us were starving so after we checked in and showered (dirty airplane clothes) we  made our way to one of the resort restaurants. We went to the buffet option just because we wanted a little bit of everything. It also, did not disappoint! We had a smorgasbord of everything you could think of. Seeing as I recently have been able to eat shrimp again without having an allergic reaction, I was ready to tackle all of it. Fried shrimp, sauteed shrimp, grilled shrimp, shrimp pizza. You name it, they had it. 

   

        

      

Backstreet Boys Larger Than Life Residency

      

 

Months ago, my husband did something totally amazing and probably what will go down in history as one of the best nights of my life; he bought us tickets to go see Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas. Being born on the brink of the 90s, it's no surprise that I was one of those teeny boppers that had an obsession with Backstreet Boys, or BSB as those of us still know them as. So you can imagine the freak out I had when I found out we were seeing them in concert. Not only were we seeing them in concert, but we were seeing them on our anniversary which just so happens to be opening night. Did you hear me?  WE WERE GOING TO SEE BACKSTREET BOYS ON OPENING NIGHT!! I mean, what more could a girl who grew up in the 90's ask for?

 

 

The time had finally arrived and we were hitting the road for Las Vegas. It wasn't our first rodeo. We got married in Vegas and had been many other times just for trips or stops along the way for our road trips. But this time around we planned for a longer stay as we were there for almost a week. We hooked up the travel trailer and made the 12 hour drive 15 hour drive. Thanks to the Good Sam membership we got with the trailer, we found a pretty awesome RV resort just off the strip for way cheaper than one night at a hotel. The best thing about this hotel... an adults only pool AND hot tub. If you know me, you know how big of a deal this is. But i'll go into that more on another post. Regardless, the time had arrived and we headed to Planet Hollywood where the Axis Theatre is located. Skip ahead and there was the massively long line to enter the theatre followed by the short line for us to get to our seats. We didn't want pit tickets because previous experiences from other concerts we have been to meant we want to see the entire show and enjoy it. Our tickets were central to the stage and just a handful of rows from the main catwalk. It was awesome!

 

Since it was opening night, nobody was sure on what was going to happen and how they were going to come out. It was all a big surprise but oh was it worth it. They played a bunch of 90's music while we waited and then a screen started playing with this really cool remix of all the popular BSB songs (you can find my video of it HERE) That went on for a good 10 minutes or so before the lights went out and the curtains went down! I don't know how to explain the shear excitement that went through me right then and there but I was a kid in a candy store with a theatre full of others feeling the same way. They opened with Larger than Life which makes sense due to it being the name of the "tour".

    

They played through song after song with some skits in between. Of course, they are older now then they were when I was younger so the moves have slowed down a bit but they still did a hell of a job in keeping the crowd entertained. AJ was on top of it with a big welcome to Vegas and the opening night of the residency speech. The guys all joined in with their own input making everyone laugh before they moved into other songs like The Call, Drowning, and Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely, just to name a few. They all made fun of themselves a little bit with their age. But as far as the dancing goes, Kevin has not lost his moves. There was one point in the show where they ballroom/swing dance and he was really the best one out of the group. So age hasn't slowed them down too much. Brian talked about how soon they would be singing "Oh My God, they're still here"... or "Backstreet Men". They made it entertaining that's for sure. It was pretty amazing being at opening night though because not only did we get to say it was the first show, but we were the first ones to see it and hear what they were saying. And they can't say opening night at any of the other shows!

 

I think the entire crowd stood up for the full show. Not a single seat was sitting except for the occasional husband or boyfriend who bought tickets just to make their spouses happy. My husband on the other hand was standing up with me. He may not have been singing along but he did say it was entertaining. I'll take it since that is coming out of the mouth of a 40 year old who makes fun of me for getting excited just hearing BSB on the radio. They had a few wardrobe changes in the show which is expected. While they changed (rather quickly) they had their backup dancers putting on a nice little routine in between. Chicks in provocative clothing and guys dancing around them. It is Vegas so it was expected as well.  

    

 

    

 Halfway during the show, in one of the wardrobe changes, we went photo crazy. Ok, I went photo crazy. But I was having the time of my life and I was going to enjoy every second of it. The only thing I found a little distracting was the girls who were there who didn't know any of the words to their songs. I think daddy paid for their tickets to go out or something. It didn't seem like they were actually fans? But the other thing about that was there were so many people who DID! I was actually amazed at the variety of people attending the show. From the teeny-boppers who are now grown up (so other late 20 year olds like me) to 30 somethings at their bachelorette party. And let's not forget the OLD guy who brought an 18 year old escort to the show. Totally not joking about that one.

         

 The other really cool thing was that at one point, they disappeared and ended up coming into the crowd. Nick was on the left of us and Kevin was just about in front of us. All the lighting made taking photos a little difficult since the spotlight was on him but you can tell that he was close to us. They stayed there for the entire song singing and dancing like it was the 1990's all over again. I know a couple years back Brian had talked about how he had vocal problems but you couldn't tell at all from the high notes he was hitting. You can tell it was coming straight from the heart still. And he was always my favorite growing up, so I'm not bias AT all!

    

    

 

After 18 songs (21 if you can the 3 songs that were combined into a medley) it was time to call it a night. They finished the song and then the lights went out. Of course, we all knew they were not leaving without singing "Everybody" because why not have the excuse to say "Oh My God We're Back Again" one more time. The music queued back up again and sure enough, there they were. They finished up the song, said some thank yous and shot out confetti. I was hoping for another 3 hours but unfortunately the set was over and it was time to go.  I seriously had the best time and can't even really put into words how much fun it was.

 

 

 

Although this was a lot of words and was very photo heavy, so apparently I can do something with it. But if you had any liking of the Backstreet Boys, I highly recommend going to the show if you get a chance. The only thing I regret is not going to the after party. The only reason we didn't get to was because of a) they said there wasn't going to be one for opening night and then b) they decided to have one and sell tickets 2 days before the show which is when we were driving to Vegas. Had they not announced it so quickly, we would have totally gone because the videos from the after party looked so fun! Maybe I can convince hubby to take another trip to Vegas this summer for a second show? Wink wink? I wish, but we have too much going on this summer for that!

 Backstreet Boys Las Vegas Residency Set List

 

“Larger Than Life”
“The One”
“Get Down”
“Drowning”
“Incomplete”
“Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”
“Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely”
“I’ll Never Break Your Heart”
“Anywhere For You/Darlin’/Undone Medley”
“As Long As You Love Me”
“The Call”
“We’ve Got It Going On”
“Get Another Boyfriend”
“More Than That”
“All I Have To Give”
“Shape Of My Heart”
“I Want It That Way”
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”

Check out my Youtube Channel and watch the rest of my videos from the show!

Feel free to subscribe while you are there as I make a bit of money from your subscriptions! 

Why Just One Day For Love?

It's Valentine's Day and husbands, fiancés, boyfriends all over the country and running around trying to get together the last minute flowers, chocolates, and jewelry that they forget to get prior. The total spending for the holiday is expected to top $18.2 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. That's an average of $136.57 per person according (ABC News). That may be the case for most but that isn't what happens in our home. Today was just like any other Tuesday...

 

 

 

 

There is a reason why we don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Not only do I think the idea of love being commercialized is ridiculous, but you shouldn't have to celebrate "love" one day a year. Instead of going out to a fancy dinner, my husband grilled us chipotle cheddar sausage dogs. We had chips and pineapple jalapeno pickles (probably the best pickle I have ever eaten). We drank water and ate on paper plates. There was absolutely no make-up, my hair was greasy and probably smelled like sweat since I didn't wash it after hot yoga earlier. It doesn't get anymore simple than that.

But that is only because I am loved every day of the year. Knowing that people buy flowers just one day a year seems odd to me. It doesn't take much to tell someone that you love them. For my husband, I am blessed to get flowers pretty frequently. Sometimes he will surprise me with roses or lilies, but most times, it's the cheap colorful carnation bouquet that lasts far longer than the expensive roses. Even better than that are the days when he surprises me with something even more simple, like a Starbucks Frappuccino, a croissant, and a single flower. When we are out shopping and I hadn't had flowers in a while, he will ask me if I want to get some when we pass by.  And then there are times when I really haven't had flowers in a while and I make a comment about "man, I would love to get some flowers..." and then he can't get them for me for a couple more days because I already ruined it but saying something about not getting flowers.

 



   

Just a handful of the flowers I have received...

   

 

Okay, you get a lot of flowers. Does that really mean he loves you? You're right, it doesn't. But it is just one of the many gestures that proves his love for me. And I know there are some people that don't like flowers. That's fine and dandy if that's the case. But does your significant other show you that he loves you every day of the year or do you only get spoiled on holidays? We both had the same expectations when it came to holidays and celebrations. We made it clear towards the beginning of our relationship. Both of us coming from families that the word family is far from what comes to mind, we spend time together and going on adventures instead of spending money on each other. We don't do gifts for Christmas. Birthday's come and go like a normal day. Occasionally we will do something like go to a paint class or go out to a nice dinner, but for the most part, the money we would spend on those holiday's are spent throughout the year.

 

While scrolling on Facebook earlier at the "On This Day", I saw our memories from Valentine's Day last year. We drove down to New Mexico because it fell on the long weekend and went to visit 5 different national parks. We packed our lunches and hiked around ancient ruins and climbing up wooden ladders to see original petroglyphs up close. It was so much fun! During the rest of the year, we will do things together and decide on it being for our anniversary or our birthdays. Yes, I basically said there are some times on our anniversary that we don't do anything at all. Last year, we went to the Newsies on Broadway. This year, we are spending it watching Backstreet Boys (Yes, you can squeal when you read that too!) 2 years ago, we stayed home and cooked dinner together because we had just gotten back from another trip to a bunch of parks.

 

 

Okay, okay. What if you don't have the money to do the trips that you do? That's easy! You spend your time doing just what we are doing at this very moment. I am typing up this blog while my husband sits beside me rubbing my leg. Not a massage rub, but a soft and gentle rub that relaxes you down to the core. Almost every day he spends at least half an hour (sometimes HOURS) rubbing my back and rubbing my legs or side. We will watch our favorite shows on tv or Netflix (don't get me started on how we are currently binge watching Shameless in between Grey's Anatomy, Vikings, and Walking Dead). He goes to eat dinner outside of the house when I am sick because the smell will make me vomit. I bring him pain relief cream to rub on his back when his day is long.

We cuddle and drink hot tea together. We work on puzzles or go for walks in the evenings. He will even paint my toes and fingers without me asking. Yes, I know that I have gushed about him for the entire post but and haven't said how I have shown him my love, but I do just as much for him from grilling his lunches for the week for work, bringing him lunch to work to eat with him, or watching shows for him even if I have zero interest in it. Just like on our anniversary, since we will be seeing Backstreet Boys, I have already planned on going to the Shelby Mustang museum even though it's not full of 57' Chevy's (that's my car of choice).

In every relationship, there has to be a level of love which includes romance, being silly, and friendship. I am lucky that not only have I fallen in love with an amazing man who treats me like his queen. But he also treats me like his best friend. He doesn't go out and drink at bars. He doesn't leave me on the weekends to hang with friends. If someone invites him out, he asks if wives are coming. If not, we do something else. Not because I don't want him to but because he cares about me and we love spending time together. When I am invited to something or want to go somewhere, I always ask his opinion on it. There are many times he will do something even though he has little interest in it, but it's a give and take. I don't know whether it is because we have been through so much together (cancer, lost jobs, stress *LOTS of stress at times*, and moving among many other things) or if it is just because we really do love each other without needing anything in return. But when you can be lovers and best friends at the same time, you don't have to care about getting flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day. I would have been completely happy if we sat together tonight at dinner eating peanut butter and jelly. I know people who have told me that they have to go out to dinner once a week because they never see each other. Or they have to buy brand new shoes worth tons of money instead of putting it towards something they both want. It's not about the things.

 

Next time a holiday approaches, think about whether you truly need this or if there are other ways to show ones love and affection. Long story short, be happy with the ones who love you. Those flowers will die and the gifts will depreciate in value, but you can never put a price on love...



Sortly App Review

Sortly helps you organize your stuff into one simple to use app. Create a visual inventory of your stuff and easily search, manage, and categorize them. Plus, Sortly stores and syncs your data through a secure cloud backup.

AWESOME FEATURES! 

* 15-SEC VIDEOS & PHOTOS: Add 15-sec video or up to 8 photos to visually document your folders and items.

* QR LABELS: Add QR labels to your items and boxes to quickly scan and search for their location. 

* PRECISE LOCATIONS: Keep track of your things in a precise way, with 5 levels of folders for a flexible hierarchy. 

* AUTOSAVE TO EVERNOTE: Save all your data in your Evernote account automatically. 

* PHOTOS, HIGHLIGHTING, & ARROWS: Add multiple photos for EACH folder and item...up to 8!! Save them to your Camera Roll, too. And customize photos with highlights and resizable arrows that pinpoint specific areas. 

* TAGS, NOTES, PRODUCT INFORMATION & REMINDERS: Add searchable tags and notes to folders and items. Add details of your items like SKU number, serial number, purchase date, warranty date etc. Schedule reminders to alert you on purchase date returns or warranty expirations.

* TRACK LENDING: Track who you are lending your favorite items and schedule reminders to get them back. 

* STAY UP TO DATE: Move your things in real life? No problem — it’s easy to update their folders in the app! 

* EASY BACKUP, RESTORE, AND EXPORT: Automatic backup, and sync to multiple devices with our cloud storage (sign up to Sortly Account required). Prefer working with spreadsheets? Export data to CSV files for spreadsheet use! Export your data to PDF & Dropbox with Sortly Premium Account.

NOTE: Video and QR labels are offered as premium features.

 

I was given the chance to review the Sortly app (Premium) and I couldn't be more impressed. We have moved 7 times in almost 5 years of being together and it doesn't seem to get any easier no matter what system you use. This app on the other hand is a life saver. I've actually used it just to sort boxes that we keep in the storage unit as well as boxes we have packed away in our outdoor closets. We are also moving in the next 2 months so I can say I will be using this again for that move. My favorite part of this app is the QR labels. I no longer have to spend hours opening boxes and sorting to figure out where they belong or writing in stinky permanent market what is in them. This app makes it a piece of cake to move! I am no longer thinking that we will have a stressful move coming up and will be glad to have this app on hands! I highly recommend it for anyone moving or even just anyone who wants to have an easy to way "spring clean". Plus, even if you pay for the app, it is well worth it! It just makes moving that much easier.

 

*I received this product for free in exchange for an honest opinion*

 

You can purchase this in the ITUNES Store

 

Bilt Women's Racer Full-Face Motorcycle Helmet Review

Track-inspired design and graphics compliment this feature-packed helmet. Look like a pro without dropping major coin. Uses the BiLT BLH 2/3 Helmet Faceshield.

Features and Benefits

• Hi-tech injection molded polycarbonate shell
• High quality paint shell with ultra-fine decal graphics and double lacquer finish
• Full-face solid shell
• Double D-ring safety fastening
• Quick release clear visor fitted as standard
• Surface mounted airflow ventilation system
• Chin and forehead vents
• Metal mesh exhaust vents
• Removable air-flow comfort padded lining
• Meets or exceeds DOT and ECE 22.05 standards
• Replacement visors available
• Cycle Gear exclusive
• 5-Year Guarantee

 

Women's Racer Full-Face Motorcycle Helmet

 

 I needed a new helmet and I was looking for something cheap since I was on a budget. I purchased this helmet from Cycle Gear and it turned out to be an excellent helmet. First off, it is very stylish. I don't like solid colors and want to feel "girly" while I am riding so that's the biggest plus for me as a twenty something who goes out riding frequently. The next great quality is that it is really comfortable. The ventilation is really good since I don't have to complain about the wind being too loud or it getting too cold. It also doesn't overheat or make me sweaty and we have been riding in pretty warm temperatures so far. But it also seals tightly to keep the cold air out for when we are riding in the bitter temperatures. The vents are easy to open with gloves on. We will never ride with the minimum: hat, gloves, jacket & boots so I have to be able to open my visor without taking my gloves off. I also like that you can buy replacement visors easily. Sometimes, my husband who has an Arai, even has a problem finding new ones and I found my replacement quicker than his. I only replaced it because I wanted a visor that was tinted so the sun wouldn't be in my eyes but I can say that even with the non-tinted visor, I could still fit my sunglasses comfortably underneath. Also, I am comfortable wearing my helmet for hours at a time since we travel so much. We pack a bag and ride for the day stopping to visit parks or just take a long ride when the weather is nice. My helmet is an Extra Small and you can get all of the sizes easily in Cycle Gear or online.

 

I highly recommend this helmet for any female who is on a budget but wants a good quality one!

 

You can purchase this helmet on Cycle Gear's WEBSITE

 

Pho-nomenal Vietnamese Restaraunt Review

 

I am branching out and starting to review restaurants in addition to products I receive. I usually review on TripAdvisor so this isn't really anything new to me but I figured I might as well put these on my blog too. Yesterday was my husband's birthday so he chose Pho for his birthday dinner. We already have our "go-to" Pho place which I will blog about another day but we decided to try out a new one because you never know unless you try it. Unfortunately, this was a negative experience and we won't be going back again. We usually give a restaurant 2 tries before we say we won't go back but there just wasn't anything special about this to go back a second time. So I'll begin with the good:

 

The only positive thing about this restaurant was their spring rolls. For $4 you receive 2 adequately sized spring rolls with a side of peanut sauce. Compared to our usual Pho restaurant, the peanut sauce served here was pretty dang good. Had more of a liquid like texture and tasted like a peanut/soy mix. I was impressed with the sauce so we thought that this meant the rest of the food was going to be great. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

 

The prices are just ok. You can choose between a small, medium, or large bowl. I ordered a small pho ga while my husband ordered a medium pho ga. That's chicken for anyone who isn't familiar with the Vietnamese soup. I usually order shrimp pho but since it costs $3 extra for 3 shrimp, I wasn't very thrilled. Compared to our usual, they give you the bowl of soup for one solid price and you can have whatever you wish. From chicken, steak, shrimp, fishball, or a variety of the 3, the choice is yours. So when our server brought out 2 small chicken pho's, we had a feeling that it wasn't going to be the best of service. I mentioned he ordered a medium and he tried to make it right asking if he wanted to go change it to a medium but my husband said that was alright and stuck with the small. We asked for the sweet chili garlic paste and he brought out two very small sides of it for us. I'm used to having it right there on the table so was disappointed in the lack of sauce available. I didn't let this bring me down but what did suck was the ring of grease on the bowl and in my spoon every time I took a sip.

 

 

We have lived in so many places (California, Connecticut, Missouri, Virginia, DC, Nebraska..) and everywhere we go, the broth tastes the same; except for this broth. It just had a different taste not even counting the grease. The noodles tasted fine and I am not a big fan of shredded chicken so I didn't even finish my bowl. My husband ate as much as he could but even the man who could eat anything didn't finish his. The price was pretty much unacceptable as well since we are used to bigger (tastier) servings for a cheaper price including egg rolls, spring rolls, or cream cheese won tons. Even when our server asked us how our meal was and my husband just hastily said "it was ok", the serve didn't even ask why not. Especially seeing as there was still a full bowl in mine and half of a bowl in his. That probably would have been a sign to ask what was wrong with it. We were so disappointed in our meal that we left, drove next door to McDonalds, and ordered French fries just to give us something to stomach. McDonalds shouldn't taste better than pho.

 

 

Cleanliness: A+

Service: B

Taste: C

Portion Size: B

Price: B

 

It is safe to say that we won't be giving this a second try.

 

 

 

http://phonomenalrestaurant.com/

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pho-nomenal-Restaurant/417886208250454

 

Phở is a Vietnamese noodle soup originated in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam. The specific place of origin of Phở can be traced to Nam Dinh province, southeast of Hanoi, then a substantial textile market. It was a popular street and night food for the people at the time. Almost a century later, Phở is still a popular street and night food that is enjoyed around the world.

At Phở-nomenal, we bring you the same Phở recipe that was passed down for generations. Some of our ingredients are still imported from half way around the world. Whether you like the original rare steak Phở or other popular Phở such as seafood or vegetarian,  we have one that is right for you. We also have several classic foods such as Cơm (rice plate with grilled meat) and Bún (vermicelli noodle bowl) as well as modern twists like our Soft Shell Crabs and Baked Mussels. If you have never tried Vietnamese food or eat it every day, we have something for you.