Hey there friends, it’s Lauren. Since my birthday was this past weekend, it’s my turn to give you a run down on all of my favorite things!
First things first, there is little I love more than all things pink and sparkly and sprinkles. There is just something so happy about that combination, that a birthday without them just seems wrong. A majority of my everyday accessories are pink, and I’m always looking for more ways to incorporate pink into every aspect of my life. Going along with the pink theme and the arrival of warmer weather, I am all about Rosé these days! Right now my favorite is Whispering Angel, but I am new to the rosé trend so always looking for more suggestions on what to try!
Wine and Cheese and other Treats!
Of course, wine and cheese make the favorites list – we do have a whole blog about this after all. When I first started drinking wine, I was definitely a fan of Pinot Noir and not much else. But luckily, I now have broadened my horizons and am for sure a Cabernet Sauvignon girl now! I have lots of favorite cabs, and have definitely not tried all of the amazing ones out there. Right now, I buy mostly Educated Guess, Decoy, and anything else that will give me bottle club points at Goody Goody. You heard it from Julia a few weeks ago, and some people give us a hard time for being basically the same person, so naturally our favorite cheese is the same. You can’t ever go wrong with the Trader Joe’s Cheddar Gruyere Cheese and their pita crackers. I am also a sucker for the Boursin cheese that you can find at just about any grocery store. Another favorite wine and cheese combo is a good glass of any red wine, pepperoni pizza, and of course, ranch dressing. We have a tradition at our house that we have wine and pizza every Sunday night for dinner. Makes for a super easy dinner with limited dishes to wash and smiles all around! Other snacks that you will always find in our pantry or fridge – Goldfish (been my favorite snack since I was a little girl and I don’t think that will ever change), Dr. Pepper, and cookie dough!
Houston and Dallas
Being a Dallas native I was skeptical of the restaurant scene and really everything about Houston before I moved here, but wow I have fallen head over heels for this city! There are too many amazing places to eat and go to happy hour that it makes it very hard to pick a few favorites. I will have to agree with Julia that my favorite happy hour in Houston is Heights Biergarten. It is just really hard to beat the great deals, amazing atmosphere, and proximity to home! A close second on happy hour spots, and maybe my favorite spot for date night is Harold’s. My dad actually recommended it to us right when I moved to Houston a few years ago because he knew the owner, Ali. They have great happy hour deals and INCREDIBLE food. My favorite thing to order there is the Butterhead Salad and the Shrimp & Grits.
Since this is a post about my favorite things, I think it would be wrong not to mention my favorite things in Dallas that I make sure to get every time I go back to visit. First thing, Mi Cocina. This Dallas staple had a brief stint in Houston, but is now only in the Big D and a few other places north of Houston. I always order a Mambo Taxi and the Rico Salad with beef. So if you find yourself in Dallas make sure to stop by one of their many locations – my favorite one is in Highland Park Village though. I also love going to Wild About Harry’s on Knox. Ever since I was little I ordered the same thing – vanilla custard with M&M’s. Sounds so simple, but wow is it good! Also in Dallas, I always enjoy shopping and seeing old friends, but mostly just spending time with the fam.
Other Favorite Things
I love traveling to any body of water – lakes, rivers, oceans – you name it! Weekend road trips to the lake or floating the river are some of my favorite summer weekends. I also LOVE going to the beach. Recent trips have been to Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Cancun, and Jamaica. Last year we went on a big group trip to the Dominican and it was one of my favorite trips ever! I also love Texas A&M football games, sitting by a pool, being outside, playing tennis, going on walks, Rangers baseball, Dallas Cowboys football, Grey’s Anatomy, and monograms.
My Absolute Faves
While all the above definitely make the list, I would be wrong if I didn’t mention my most favorite person, Austin, and our new furry family member, Dixie! All of the above are best enjoyed with these two.
That’s all for now! Hope y’all enjoyed learning more about the pals! Now we want to get to know you! Let us know what some of your favorite things are!
Peace & Pinot,
The Other Pal
Perfectly Paired 