Mardi Gras is a fun tradition in Louisiana and around other parts of the US.



Mardi Gras is French for FAT TUESDAY. It is the last day of Carnival Season where people party, eat, drink and celebrate with fun parades.



Mardi Gras is a Catholic tradition that marks the time between Advent and Lent. Thus why people from Louisiana can't start a diet in January. We get to eat all we want until Lent when we give up something for 40 days.

Many people think of parades when they think of Mardi Gras but the fun actually begins before the parades with parties thrown by the kings and queens of each krewe.

During Mardi Gras you may notice lots of purples, greens and golds. They all mean something...
Green faith
Gold power
Purple justice



King Cake refers back to the three kings and Epiphany. The baby found in the king cake is Jesus.

Mardi Gras doesn't just happen primarily in New Orleans. It is celebrated in Brazil, Mexico, and Italy just to name a few places.

You cannot ride on a float without a mask.

What is your favorite part of Mardi Gras? Do you celebrate where you live?



My favorite thing is king cake and hot cocca!!!

Well the Super Bowl has now come and gone and we hosted our first Super Bowl party in our new house in TX. We invited our small group over with kiddos and everybody had a blast.

We ordered pizza in advance to be ready by 6 o clock and it was so yummy! You can't go wrong with pizza and some fun little sides. We had chips, fruit, veggies and a cauliflower buffalo dish. Then for dessert king-cake (more to come on that in a second) and cupcakes.



 I set up a kids table with footballs and kid crafts. It was so funny because all the little girls went outside and were throwing the football around. The boys wanted to play in the house, watch the game and play our Pac-Man machine. The best part was it wasn't really working they just thought they were playing it. Greg got it working eventually but they had more fun I think just pushing the buttons!!


We did a Super Bowl square pool and Greg won quarter 3-4. We didn't play for money just fun. I went to FEDEX to get the squares enlarged and wholly BATMAN their printer wasn't working so they could only print on the banner printer meaning our squares were 3ft x 5ft. HAHA it was huge!!


We enjoyed watching the game, playing games, and just being with friends! It is these moments I know I will look back on in years to come and be thankful for these friends!

After the game, one couple stayed and we watched This Is Us. OMG cue the tears!!


Later this week tune in for Mardi Gras traditions, king cake and fun!

Happy FRIYAY! Today I am linking up with Andrea, Narci and Erika for Friday Favorites.



If you haven't visited their blogs you SHOULD! Andrea is a school teacher and has great recipes, and fashion/home ideas. Narci is a photographer in the Dallas area and also a fellow Stella and Dot stylist and Erika share a lot about everything from fashion to football, babies and just life in general.

I can hardly believe that January is almost over but I am so excited about February! January is all about fresh starts, losing weight, and organizing but February is all about football and love. The two things make this girl super happy.

We are back to hosting our annual SUPERBOWL Sunday at our house and I cannot wait. While I love football, I truly don't care about who wins. I enjoy the food, company and commercials of SUPERBOWL Sunday.


Having lived in Louisiana for several years we always celebrated Mardi Gras and have a King Cake at our party. OMG this yummy cinnamon goodness is what keeps people in Louisiana happy among many things. Mardi Gras is huge in Louisiana, there are Mardi Gras balls and parade throughout the whole month. It is truly something everybody should experience.

Whoever finds the baby in their slice of King Cake is supposed to bring the King Cake the following year!!

I am also looking forward to our annual skiing trip in Vail, CO. My husband grew up skiing Vail and we have returned every year for the last 6 years. I am now skiing moguls and black runs right along with him. The hubby has been skiing since he was 2 years old off and on. This past year he even invested in his own pair of boots.


 We have stayed several places in Vail, but our favorite is the Tivoli lodge. It is only 5 stories and the local mascot puppy is always there to greet us!



I just love the town and all the wonderful restaurants. I have already begun talk of where to eat for Valentine's Day and throughout our trip. We typically make reservations on Open Table because it is easy and we get a reminder of where we are eating each day. Reservations book up quickly during Valentine's Day and the President's Day weekend.

What are you Valentines' Day plans? Do you prefer an evening at home or to go out?