July City Life VLOG 2023: The Summer Romance | Monthly Re-cap | Visits to the Arts Club, Trader Joe's Finds | Collaborations, Hauls, Fitness, & Gluten Free Home Cooked Meals

Oh July.

You know I was feeling so good coming back from my vacation in rhe Dominican Repulic and the Bahamas and that little bubble of happiness burst with a quickness. Hubs was sick for almost a month! This was unrealated to that trip, but yes, sick for almost a month and I was taking full on care of him all up in our three story home. Running up and down stairs every five minutes all that, and you know I would do it over and over again right, but legit I was having flashbacks of the Summer he had surgery and I was also sick and we were here alone and sick with not a lick of help or support from my family and they were fully aware of the situation. 

As sad as it is, same thing happened last Summer too when we both got sick after he caught Covid at work. So you know, this is how Summer behaves in my life. It just brings these things that happen in life and it just by design makes me stronger and I work through its all in my time and I have made sure to keep on living and thriving and surviving. Now, hubs got sick and was sick for 2 weeks; Boy this was so stressful. Then he got sick again 2 or 3 days after he got better he hurt his back. When your spouse is sick it does take a mental toll on you too and in our case, for me, also it is hard because I am usually the one who is always sick being that I have autoimmune diseases.

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 I think I probably walked up and down the stairs about 30 times a day getting things for him when he was sick and living with these stairs it isn't for everyone, but luckily, we are both young and in shape!

At this point in the Summer, I have insane insomnia because I had been getting up all kinds of times of day giving him medicines and making breakfast, lunch and dinner and getting him whatever he needed. I lost weight on the cruise in June! (This I will address in the vacay recap). Then when he got sick the 1st and 2nd time I lost more weight because I really am not looking after myself as best as I should be. I am talking about probably 8 to 9 pounds total; Nothing too noticeable and nothing that put me under weight.

My lack of work out posts this Summer are summed up to the fact that I have been practicing yoga when I get time (which is late at night) and when I have time I am not getting out a camera.

Literally, in July, I felt like I was fighting for my life and my sanity. I needed to get the heck up out of this house after 4 weeks of taking care of my hubs and there is no need to get into a ton of detail, but another vacation was NEEDED because as soon as we got back home it was more of the same Summer drama!

Our anniversary is in July so I was looking forward to that and the fact that he hurt his back a week before was threatening the whole aspect of celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary! I was not sure he would be better at all by the time we would be leaving because these things usually just heal in their own time.

Now, something I did that was hella fun this Summer that I showed some pics of in June also was these comedy shows at the Tampa Edition Arts Club. The Arts Club has a comedy show on Thursday twice a month and it is 25$ a ticket. This is in a small intimate space that they used to hold other events in. If you love comedy like we do this is the perfect date night! It is inexpensive, but the drinks run 18$ and up. We actually missed our first show because he was sick and luckily, we were not charged for the tickets. We went to the next show and the comedian was lit. 

I was so glad we got to see him perform because he was in fact funny.. 

So, July basically July'ed and I was fighting for my life, but I made it through by the skin of my teeth and we celebrated our wedding anniversary and I will share all of those posts soon!

I really mean it when I say I do not like idea hands. I keep busy all the time so I just have so much content to share because I share my life with you all. I love photography, food, fashion, fitness and travel. I share it all and it isn't work to me. I do it because I love it, but it takes time to edit things, plan things and post things in a timely organized fashion so please bear with me. Although I gwt so stressed during Summer wirh good reason, I end up having epic Summer's always.

If I can come out on the other side it is worth it. In July I did have like 2 weeks of depression where everything was so heavy I felt the weight of it all just pulling me under. When I am like this, I cant deal with people. I can't deal with people and their antics and lies. 

I am talking about things I would overlook or let slide when I am good I can't even deal with when I feel like this because my feelings are so raw. So, for me, I have to take a big step back, I have to think and I have to assess where I am, where I want to be and where I want to go and PROTECT MY ENERGY. 

I meditated, I prayed, I did yoga, I used my adult coloring book, I embraced my husband, we talked I gardener, I sang and I danced and I drank my drank. But when you ate depressed ultimately its time and healing and you that can pull yourself out of it.

For me, when that dark cloud lifts,  it is like 1,000 pounds coming off my head, my mind, my soul.

That is why I experienced a very real writers block from June to August. It is the end of August now and I am just now writing this in retrospect because I didn't have the words in June and July all I had was all the above and more.

I came out of this month embracing the chaos and giving all I had to give. I am someone's wife and a wife and a husband do very much make a family even if we do not have a child or baby. We are a family and we as a family unit deserve respect and to be respected. 

XOXO

My anniversary vlogs will probably be posted at the very end of Summer. I have been super busy with my food tour. I didn't plan for this food tour to take this long to post, but it is. I hope you all ate enjoying that though!

 Some of these restaurants are true gems a day deserves the shoutout and spotlight for sure; cosigned from a Tampa native.

HAULS & BRAND AMBASSADOR STUFF

SHOWN:

Feel Better Hyaluronic

Acid Moisturizing Cream

1.7 oz

I Mask Hydrating

Hydrogel Sheet Mask - 5

Pack

Image MD Restoring

Defense Moisturizer

SPF50 2oz

IMAGE MD Restoring

Power-C Serum 1 oz

Image MD Youth Serum

1oz

Ormedic Balancing Anti

Oxidant Serum 1oz

Prevention + Daily

Ultimate Protection

Moisturizer SPF50 3.2oz

TRADER JOE'S FINDS

DATE NIGHTS

Food Tour

Indigenous 

Sarasota

Food Tour

Bulla Gastro Pub

Soho Tampa

Predalina

Water Street

Lona

Downtown

Water Street

Bulla Gastrobar

Soho Tampa

The Arts Club

The Tampa Edition

Thee Treehouse

Soho

INFLUENCER EVENTS AND MEDIA EVENTS

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GLUTEN FREE HOME COOKED MEALS:

Horiatiki Salad

Village salad or Greek salad

• Cherry tomatoes

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• sea salt to taste

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced (Optional)

• ½ medium cucumber, sliced (Optional)

• ¼ cup Kalmata olives & black olives

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 (8 ounce) package feta cheese

1. -Cut tomatoes into wedges over a large serving bowl so that any extra juices land in the bowl with tomato wedges. Add onion slices and oregano, then season liberally with salt; mix to combine. Allow tomatoes to sit at room temperature until juices have released, at least 20 to 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

   -Mix in bell pepper, cucumber, and olives just before serving. Top with feta cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Peri Peri chicken with black beans & Portuguese rice

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

• 1 Red Onion, chopped
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Jar of Roasted Red Peppers, drained
• 2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped
• 1-3 Jalapeños, chopped (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 2 cups of Cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1 TB Dijon
• 2 Limes, juiced and zested
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup of Olive Oil

For the Chicken and Hot Sauce

• 8 Chicken Thighs, Bone-in (or any other cut of chicken you prefer)
• 2 Limes
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a pan to medium low heat with some olive oil.
2. Sweat down the red onion for a couple minutes until it has softened.
3. Combine the red onion and all of the marinade ingredients, other than the olive oil, to a blender.
4. Blend ingredients together and then slowly drizzle in olive oil.
5. Add chicken to a large container and pour enough marinade over to generously coat the chicken.
6. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours to overnight.
7. Season the leftover marinade with salt to taste and extra limes - this is now your hot sauce for the chicken.
8. Once the chicken has marinated, preheat your oven to 425F (450F if you have a weaker oven)
9. Season the chicken with salt and place on a tin foil lined baking sheet.
10. Roast the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165F. (about 30 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs).
11. If your chicken doesn't have crispy skin at this point, turn on the broiler and carefully broil the chicken until crispy.
12. Serve chicken with the hot sauce (this goes great with some rice and beans)

Portugese rice

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

2 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

Directions

1. In a 4-quart medium saucepan heat the oil over high heat until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic, salt, red pepper, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the water, parsley and cilantro and bring to a boil. 
5. Add the rice and stir well. When the liquid returns to a boil, stir again, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. 
6. Cook the rice undisturbed for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is dissolved and the rice is tender.
7. Let rice stand for 5 minutes undisturbed before fluffing with a fork. Serve immediately.