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I've been trying to avoid even saying this out loud but, our time in North Carolina is pretty limited.

Daniel and I have been thinking of the best ways to say goodbye to our second home. What better way then enjoying the wonderful food found in Durham?!

Durham is known as the foodie capital of the South and always ranked amongst the tastiest towns. If you don't believe me, check it out:
http://nypost.com/2016/06/14/go-to-durham-the-foodie-capital-of-the-south/
http://www.southernliving.com/travel/tastiest-town-durham-north-carolina

So before we head out West, Daniel and I are going to go to the tastiest spots in town!

First stop:
Elmo's Diner!

Elmo's Diner is on 9th street - the location is an experience on its own! This place has won loads of awards! It's a true diner experience. No reservations, very casual and pretty quick service.

We said our goodbye's to Elmo's Diner in the most delicious way.

I ordered the Salmon Cake and Eggs (local favorite) and Daniel ordered the Cheesy Baked Spaghetti (another popular choice).

You can't forget about the Southern style Grits and warm biscuit. I'm still in a food coma...

If you're ever in the area, definitely check it out!
http://elmosdiner.com/


Next Stop:
Randy's Pizza

Randy's Pizza is one of the best Pizza places in Durham. It's true New York style and the "Largest Slice in the Triangle!"

They sell their pizza whole or by the slice. One slice is huge! Daniel and I typically go for their famous Combo #1 which is two slices +1 topping each and a drink for only $6.99. Talk about cheap date night!

Their outdoor patio is really nice and they often have live music. Oh and did I mention their slices are huge???

If you haven't tried Randy's Pizza, definitely stop by and get yourself a slice! Cheap, delicious and authentic? Yes please!
http://randys-pizza.com/


Up next:
Guglhupf

Guglhupf is bakery/cafe/restaurant that is primarily German Cuisine. We've actually never been here before but have been dying to try it! I'm really glad we did.

It's like a hidden gem when you walk in. 

Check this place out!!!

You place your order at the kitchen counter and they bring your food to you. You can sit outside on their cute little patio or in their gorgeous dining room.

I had one of their brunch specials - a plate full of eggs, fresh fruit and a baguette. Yes, I'm a sucker for eggs! 

Our dear friends Hope and Kirk Joined us for lunch and they got the Steak Sandwich. I think next time I will have to get that!

Daniel got this tasty plate.

Anyone who knows him, knows he loves French Dips! Two thumbs up from Daniel!

Guglhupf's upscale menu is more mid priced - we're talking about $7 - $15 a meal - but oh so yummy!! No wonder this place has won loads of awards, it did not disappoint!

Check it out their menu and all their awards!

http://guglhupf.com/

Let's head over to....
Pizzeria Toro

 We went to Downtown Durham to enjoy arguably the best Pizza Durham has to offer (and probably the most popular too!). We were lucky enough to share this meal with two more amazing friends, Luke & Katie! Great food and great friends? Count us in!

Daniel and I ordered the sweet fennel sausage, roasted pepper, provolone Pizza and we shared an appetizer.

So remember how Randy's Pizza was cheap and tasty New York style Pizza? Well Pizzeria Toro is not the cheapest but definitely doable. We're talking about $15-$19 per pizza and one pizza can feed 1 to 2 people.  But it's so worth it. They have mastered the art of pizza. The flavors are unreal. They have pretty thin crust but it's probably the best crust I've ever had (I love crust!). All their pizza's are made to order in their fancy wood fire oven. Seriously some of the best pizza out there!!

Check them out!
http://pizzeriatoro.com/

Up next....

Fast, tasty, cheap and southern:

Bojangles

I mean, we had to. Bojangles was founded right here in North Carolina not too far from Durham. Now I know it's not exclusive to Durham but we don't have Bojangles out West and that's a shame. Southern Fried Chicken and tasty "fixins" are the reason why we had to add Bojangles to this list.

My absolute favorite thing at Bojangles are their made from scratch - every two hours - fluffy biscuits! MOUTHWATERING!

I will miss you dearly, Bojangles!
https://www.bojangles.com/


Chill vibe, delicious food:

Saladelia Cafe

We had a follow up with Kirk and Hope to continue planning our upcoming European Grad trip! What better spot than a cafe with delicious food? Fun fact: When we moved into our house, we didn't have solid internet for a few weeks so I would either go to the Durham Library or Saladelia Cafe to get work. This is also the place where our Duke PA friend group became a legit friend group. We came to see one of our friends preform here! Over all this place is great - and I haven't even shown you the food yet!

Most of their plates cost between $6-$13. Daniel got the Gyro and I got the famous Chicken Salad Wrap. These babies did not disappoint! And can we talk about their house chips?? Seriously so good! Probably the best I've had in Durham!
 http://www.saladelia.com/home/


Eclectic and hella good:

Nosh

Meet up #3 with Hope and Kirk was at Nosh! We stayed well past closing time but they didn't kick us out! So kind! Everyone always seems happy at Nosh. Maybe because the food and atmosphere are so great.

Daniel got the Robinson Burger and I had the BENJI BURGER! My little brother is named Benji so I absolutely had to get it.

It even looks like Benji!! Haha! Check out Daniel's juicy burger below! 

Most of the meals here are between $7-$13 so its a great date night. Do yourself a favor and try this place!!

http://noshfood.com/menu/lunch-dinner/


Tonight's date night was made possible by:

Happy China

We have been craving Chinese food for a few days now. You know, the American Chinese food that is totally not authentic. But that stuff is so good! The best Chinese Restaurant in Durham is Happy China Sichuan Cuisine. It's not the cheapest, but its the tastiest. They also have a ton of authentic options too, so it's a legit place. So legit that have of the menu is in Chinese.

Daniel got the General Tso's Chicken (spicy) and I got my absolute favorite, Sesame Chicken.

Plan on spending between $8-$18 for your meal. Most entrees are either $10 or $13. Again, not the cheapest Chinese food in Durham but the tastiest!!

Check it out: http://www.happychinasushi.com/


Stay tuned! More Durham tasty spots to come!

Xo - Andie

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LimpiaTotal #CollectiveBias

As a Latina, I was raised in a household where everyone helps with the cleaning. It isn't just mom's job. So growing up, Saturday mornings pretty much looked like this:

8:00AM - Mami wakes up

8:15AM - Mami blasts her latin hits playlist think: Shakira, Thalia, Selena, Marc Anthony, etc.

8:20AM - "Despiertense, Enter made up name here!" Examples include: "Despiertense, Ratas de dos patas!" and "Despiertense, Pollitos!"... You get the picture. (Translation: Wake up!!)

8:30AM - Cleaning begins whether the kids like it or not. Mami leads by example while singing and dancing at the same time.

Sleeping in just isn't allowed in most Hispanic households.

Now that I have my own little family, I see myself doing almost exactly what my mami did. Well, that is with the exception of sleeping in. It is so hard to get out of bed when you're snuggled next to the World's best husband and puppy. But as far as cleaning goes, I've adopted my mami's style, her singing and her dance moves...

When it comes to cleaning, my mami taught me to just do it right the first time. That's why its worth getting the good stuff. So let's take a quick trip to Walmart!

Our neighborhood Walmart is so close and convenient! They always have what I'm looking for and the prices are unbeatable! Milo and Daniel love when I go to Walmart because I always bring them home a treat.

 Here is what we're using today:

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

Clorox Liquid Bleach

Pine-Sol Lavender

I wanted to focus on the following: Clean. Disinfect. Aromatize.

Here are some tips, tricks and hacks that my mami taught me!

#1 - Mami taught me to start early and never forget the music. Today we're listening to Juanes!

#2 - Mami taught me to wipe things down first. It makes a big improvement and makes you feel accomplished right from the start. 

#3 - Mami taught me that a house that smells like lavender is a clean house.

#4 - Mami taught me that the best way to get kids involved was to make cleaning fun. Include incentives like sticker charts! I had my little siblings help out by promising ice cream afterwards.

#5 - Mami taught me to wipe down doorknobs as often as possible. Its one easy way to stop the spread of germs.

#6 - Mami taught me to always use an apron. A cute apron, of course.

#7 - Mami taught me to always use bleach to keep my whites looking their best. Clorox for the win!

#8 - Mami taught me that cleaning was a family affair. Milo is helping by looking adorable...

#9 - Mami taught me the concept of cleaning in layers for the best results. Clorox helped me with this one too ;)

#10 - Mami taught me to always wear flip flops while cleaning to avoid leaving marks on the ground.

#11 - Mami taught me that a clean home was a happy home.

 #12 - But mami also taught me that more important that a clean house, is a close family! Well actually, Ann Voskamp said that but mami decided to borrow it.

All done!

I can always count on Clorox to be on my team for a total clean! These products kill 99.9% of household bacteria in your home and work together to clean, disinfect and aromatize! Learn more at http://cbi.as/2464c

Xo - Andie 

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Wether its your kid, a sibling, neice/nephew, friend or whoever - teens can be difficult to shop for...

So I  enlisted the help of my three teen siblings, Natalia, Jeffrey and Benji to give us some ideas for gifts that they would want. They are all have very different personalities and it definitely shows in their gift guides.

Meet my sister, Natalia. 

She's creative and bright. She loves swimming, cheerleading and taking care of others. Check out her gift guide below!  

1. A pink wand - I absolutely love curling my hair and wands are the best!  

here

2. Sports Tickets. But if we're talking about me, then Utah Jazz tickets! I'm a HUGE fan of course!

3. Jersey. Again if its for me then a Gordan Hayward jersey! Cause when you have Jazz tickets you NEED a jazz jersey!

here

4. Jewlery! Cute long & layered necklaces and statement earrings.

here

5. Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Extreme - an eyelash extension kit 

here

6. Red High Top converse- I'm a converse girl. End of story. 

here

7. Faux fur vest - They are so adorable and totally in right now! 

here

8. A mid-length striped dress

here

9. Warm Pastel colored sweaters - if you live in Utah, then you'll understand the need for these.

here

10. Celebrity crush poster. For me? SHAWN MENDES!

here

11. Emoji pillows! They're super fun and cute! 

here

12. A neoprene bikini. Never to early for a cute bikini! 

here

13. Pure seduction shimmer gift set! 

here

Up next:

Meet my little Brother, Benji. 

He is an all around athlete and entrepreneur in the making. He'll be a millionaire someday.

This is what was on his radar:

1. Hoverboard 

here   

             

2. Joggers

here

3. Star Wars Vans

here

4. Basketball Shooting sleeve

here

5. Fpv quadcopter

here

6. Phone charging case

here

7. Chacos

here

And finally...
Meet my little brother, Jeffrey. 

He will be 14 in March and enjoys science and the arts. I'm pretty sure he's a genius.
Here is his list.

No joke - these are the 5 things he wants for Christmas. Keep in mind he wrote these himself... (Brb. Dying) 

1. Objects that provide elevated entertainment levels for extended periods of time, multiple times. Like a gaming console or computer.

2. Peer approval. To achieve this, it is likely you need to buy something expensive, dazzling, or uncommon, to invoke emotions from others.

3. Currency. This gives children the illusion of choice /of course, it is an illusion thanks to first world commercialism./ currency makes them feel powerful, and safe, because they have a safe garde and entertainment key all in one.

4. Potential. Give them the ability to make themselves popular, or give them the tools to gain their own money. A camera, or sewing machine, or microscope.

5. Love, security, happiness. Give this gift by spending time with them, or showing that you care.

Yup. Thats Jeffrey. 

Hope these three (two, really) gift guides gave you some last minutes ideas on what to get the special teen in your life!

Xoxo, Andrea

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