Author Archives: sunshineandsanddollars

Disney – My First RunDisney Marathon 2022

“Follow your dreams, they know the way.” Kobi Yamada I signed up for my first Disney Marathon in 2022! I have referred to myself as a runner for over twenty years, but believe it or not, I have never signed up for a full marathon. I’ve decided to take on that frightening but exciting challenge inContinue reading “Disney – My First RunDisney Marathon 2022”

Disney – December Disney World Trip 2021

By now you know that we are Disney obsessed! But believe it or not, this was our first time back since the 50th Anniversary Celebration, which began on October 1st, 2021.That’s because as much as we love Disney we really dislike heavy crowds, so we decided to wait out the excitement a little bit and just enjoy it in January when Mark runs his first Disney Marathon.  Well, then life kept kicking us around, sadness leaked in and a bit of a rut took over so as any great husband does – he got on the My Disney Experience App and started making reservations!

St Pete – Favorite Brunch Spots – Noble Crust

Another favorite brunch spot! If you have ever driven down 4th Street in St Pete – you have likely passed by a very busy looking establishment called Noble Crust – and if you are like us – you are intrigued, but intimidated by what looks like a long wait, especially when you are hungry! Well… let me assure you – it is worth the wait and we can’t wait to go back!

Tampa – Dinosaur World Florida

This is a fun one! When you often pass an epic looking place on I-4 near Tampa, FL that has giant dinosaur statues along the highway and looks a bit like a vintage tourist trap… plus you have friends that are as obsessed with Dinosaurs as you are – Dinosaur World is a must stop adventure!

Tampa – Straz Center – CATS

Sometimes in life, a thoughtful act of kindness comes along, and the impact is deeper than you realize.  When a very lovely friend of ours discovered she wasn’t going to be able to attend a show she had tickets for, and offered them to us, the emotions it brought forth were immense.  Mark and I had the pleasure of attending the second to last night of the Broadway musical CATS at the Straz Center in Tampa last weekend, and we are still feeling the effects. Dinner, a show, and a Memory.

St Pete – Favorite Brunch Spots – Stella’s

We love a good brunch spot, especially one with outdoor seating and a good drink selection. So when we heard that Stella’s in Gulfport, Florida had a Bloody Mary Flight, we just had to check it out!

About us – October in Northern Ohio 2021

Mark and I were both born and raised in Ohio but we high tailed it out of there in 2015 and swore we would never look back at cold dreary weather. Each of us have made small trips back, but mostly for sad reasons (losses in the family) and not at all since the pandemic started. I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t seen my in-laws in over 4 years and had never even met my sweet little nephew – it was weighing on me… then my family experienced two more sudden losses this year – so I said enough was enough, life is too short, and we bought Allegiant non-stops flights to Toledo to spend a couple of days with Mark’s family before it truly gets Northern Ohio cold!

Florida Travel – Christmas in the Keys 2020

Here’s another #FlashbackFriday for you! Last year we had an amazing trip to the Florida Keys for Christmas 2020 and enjoyed unplugging for a few days. Like everyone in the world, the year 2020 proved to be an extremely tiring year with too many changes and hurdles to count. That’s why we, along with our favorite travel buddies, decided to escape for a long weekend to celebrate Christmas in the Florida Keys.  While this year has also proved to be equally difficult if not more so… I thought it was time for some reminiscing…