I am changing what I allow and who I allow into my life.
But most of all . . . I am no longer changing myself for others.
I am creating a revolution in my own self care.
Can can be beautiful and scary all at the same time. How have you changed in the past 8 months? It’s been a roller coaster for most of us. Are you . . .
getting stronger? more confident? more knowledgable? more self-aware? more worldly more respectful of others? more in touch with your soul? more selfless?
I’d love to glean a little aspirin insight and gain a little positive hope into what others are or have been going on this crazy evolving path to new normal. Drop a comment here!
P.S. gorgeous sunflower field and portrait brought to you by the ever amazing Rachael Serra Photography.
P.S.S. All of my outfit details can be found and are linked in the SHOP section of my site! Or, but downloading the LiketoKnow.itapp and following my page, @brittanyleighxo for shopping finds and updates!
This past New Year’s Eve, we decided to celebrate a little ‘less’ traditionally: we planned a trip to Ambergris Caye, Belize!!
Some of you may know this trip was our second time visiting Belize; our first adventure being on our honeymoon! Throughout our first visit, we realized quickly we loved the country, the scenery, the water, and especially the people and culture so much so that we simply couldn’t get enough. We knew we wanted (and needed) to go back and, after this most recent trip, we still haven’t gotten our fill!
If you’re looking for a new spot to add to your travel bucket list, please do yourself the favor in adding this gorgeous destination to your vision board. While it’s relatively affordable and easier to get to than other exotic options, there are a few tips and pieces of advice I’m sharing here to get the smoothest experience out of your travel, and start building your list of MUST sees!!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Southwest flies here! This makes booking travel super easy and fairly affordable to most. Even better – get yourself a Southwest credit card! I was able to hook us up with free flights using points from my everyday purchases. While I haven’t been able to find a direct flight via any airline just yet, most layovers are a mere hour or so.
Arriving Checklist: – You’ll fly into the mainland (BZE airport). From there, you will have needed to arrange travel in advance for getting from the mainland to the island, Mon! Options are by air or by sea. OPTION 1: There’s a water ferry that transports guests to the island for about $40-$50/way, but PSA: it does take a little over 2 hours from point A to point B, not including the time it takes to get to the boat port from the airport. OPTION 2: Personally, our preference is to save a few extra pennies and splurge for the puddle jumper plane to and from San Pedro. Thankfully, there are only (2) airline options, so it makes your decision easy between Tropic Air & Maya Island Air. While this option is a tad more expensive alternative, est. $170/pp/way, you’re there in only 20 minutes, and you get to see the gorgeous clearwater views on your final stretch.
– Once you’ve landed on the island, there isn’t much, if any, public transit available. You will want to pre-schedule some variation of pickup of yourself and your luggage with your resort/staying accommodations from the San Pedro airport.
FUN FACT: There are little to no cars on the island! The most common method of transportation is via gas-powered golf carts, which you’ll want to be sure you reserve in advance for getting around town/around the island. Last visit, we used Sam’s Golf Cart Rentals and couldn’t have had a better experience! They even were super flexible with us in extending our golf cart rental at the last second for a few additional days. 🙂
YOU’VE ARRIVED! …. now what?
While everyone has different vacation agendas, here’s a list of my favorite spots compiled from both visits! While there’s still a ton to see on this little gem of an island, I sure my list barely even scratches the surface in regards to unique finds 😉 I hope to be able to update and/or add a new entry the next time we make it back. The island is full of new business development, so there’s always new shops and concepts emerging as well as restaurants popping up. If you happen to stumble on a favorite or two, please comment at the bottom of this article so I can keep adding to my “MUST-see list” !!
Estel’s Dine By the Sea THE breakfast spot in Ambergris Caye! It’s downtown on Front Street/right on the beach front. You’ll want to arrive early, or earlier than starvation mode as this spot is always packed, but the food is 100% worth the wait!
Crocs Sunset Sports Bar In town during football season? This is the coolest spot to post up for any sports game watching on the island. If you’re sweet to the staff, they’ll ensure the game you’re there to watch is streamed on the nearest TV to your seat 😉 PLUS – don’t miss the stunning views of the lagoon side of the island at sunset!
Matachica – Mambo Restaurant Incredible dinner spot on the Matachica Resort! While it’s a little further out from town – think 20 minutes or so of golf cart riding, it’s worth the hike. You may want to head this direction before the sun sets though, as this restaurant is well past where the more formal road paving ends and there’s limited lighted streets. You can’t go wrong with the menu! It’s MUCH larger and filled with more seafood options when you arrive in person versus what’s noted on their site. We enjoyed the authentic Italian bruschetta, tenderloin carpaccio, calamari fritti, and spicy gazpacho from the app section! I don’t see the fresh seafood entrees we went with on here, but everything we had was mouth watering.
Secret Beach – Maruba Beach Klub We actually missed going to this spot the first time we made it to Ambergris Caye and man was I bummed once we did made it!! It’s quite a drive (about 4 mi north of the downtown bridge, and then west another 3.5 mi), but a really unique area filled with restaurants, beach chairs, bars, massage and pedicure options – IN THE WATER! (does it get any better than that?!), colorful swings, local shops and more. P.S. While it’s called ‘secret beach,’ it’s far from a secret anymore, as it’s likely one of the most touristy spots on the island, but totally worth the visit 😉 Maruba Beach Klub was my favorite place we saw with great service, yummy drinks, tasty food, and comfy adjustable lounge chairs for posting up in right on the water . Although we really wanted to make it back a second day to explore the other spots!!
Rain Rooftop Restaurant Beautiful view! We spent our New Year’s Eve dinner here, before heading down town and enjoyed the vibrant decor, live music and friendly staff. Also a really great location, as part of The Grand Caribe Resort – you don’t have to go far!
PUR Boutique Cabanas & Taco Bar Loved this little gem! Really great tacos! PUR Boutique Cabanas is new since we last had been to Ambergris Caye. A cozy & tranquil spot just south of The Grand Caribe resort, this boutique hotel is adorned with 6 queen & king suites – some even with their own private plunge pools! While we didn’t stay here (maybe next time!), we enjoyed dinner al fresco adjacent the multicolor LED lit pool. They had both vegan, low-card and gluten free options available!
Carambo Restaurant & Bar THIS. PLACE. WAS. THE. BOMB. !!! We had no idea what we were getting into at Carambo. We stumbled on this as a local recommendation by one of the bartenders we befriended at Crocs Sunset Bar and it absolutely was NOT one to miss.
The decor and family heritage made me feel similarly to if I had stepped into an island version of the legacy Tio Pepe Baltimore restaurant. After being greeted by our server, we were prompted escorted outside – yes, outside – to pick out our dinner!
Lining the front of the restaurant was an open, market-like spread of all the fresh caught seafood you could imagine: lobster tail, shrimp, red snapper, yellow snapper, scallops… enough to make your stomach full just by looking at the spread!! How to order you ask? By simply walking with your server down the line to hand pick exactly what you’d like prepared on your plate to perfection! Seriously one of the coolest spots we’ve found to date on the island!!
Palapa Bar Into night life? Palapa bar is a fun, happening spot in the center of downtown in you’re looking for a little post-sunset fun! While most places tend to wind down earlier on the island (think 9-10PM), this is a great option for keeping the fun going. There’s typically a live DJ every night and a lively crowd. If you visit during the day, they have inner tubes tied by the dock that you can float on in the crystal clear water while you enjoy your snacks and bevvies 🙂 PPSSSTT… there’s also a buy 1, get one FREE drink coupon on their website!
I think that wraps it up!
Got questions? Reach out to me! I have even more photos over on my instagram and ove connecting with my readers!
Recently, I was surprised & delighted to win the pre-launch/kick off contest held by The Infuzed Bottle and I couldn’t’ have been more thrilled! (Lizzie was pretty intrigued as well 🙂 )
I’ve had on my radar to check these little ‘infuser’ guys out, read reviews and find the best one for me, but in typical fashion, I kept putting it off. While I’m not much of an adventurer of anything outside of drinking water, I do love to mix up my water – from a fizzy sparkling water to a variety of fruit infused water blends. Having these combination options helps me to not get bored of my water, while keeping up my hydration consumption!
Today, I’m sharing my review of The Infuzed Bottle and why you
should or why you shouldn’t invest in one.
It’s So Pretty!
How could you NOT want to strut around the office, the gym, your daily errands, etc. without this little beauty in your hands? From day one when I started using the chic, gold topped, fashionable glass bottle, E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E I saw wanted to know where I got it from. It’s a show-stopper!
It’s Easy to Clean! (AND – It’s good for the environment)
With an elegant glass structure, you have to be delicate.
BUT – I personally always feel I’m able to get glass clean or sanitized versus
plastic. Plastic harbors Bisphenol-A, a chemical known as BPA, which can mimic
naturally occurring hormones in the body like estrogens, androgens, and thyroid
hormones. A.K.A. TOSS/RECYCLE YOUR PLASTIC BOTTLES FROM YOUR KITCHEN CABINET. As
quotes by The Infuzed Bottle, “Friends don’t let friends use plastic!” Exposure
to BPA is a concern because it creates possible health effects on the brain, can
have a direct correlation to high blood pressure, as well as health effects
related to behavior and prostate glands. Yikes!
For Infuzed Bottle, you can get it sparkling clean by simply
hand washing your bottle in warm soapy water. AND – know you’re being socially
responsible!
It’s Easy to Keep Tabs on Your Hydration!
The Infuzed bottle holds 500 ML of water, equivalent to
approximately 17 fluid Oz, so if you’re one to aim for the ideal of eight
8-once glasses of water in a day, you only need four full helpings to exceed
your goal.
It’s Healthy!
I know what you’re thinking … of course it’s healthy, Brittany, it’s W-A-T-E-R for goodness sake! But, I mean even more than that – Don’t fall for flavored waters, vitamin waters, etc. that can be filled with artificial sugars and sweeteners! Maintain your nutrients and vitamins by using FRESH fruits and veggies. PLUS – they’re a great snack afterwards J
There are SO Many Ways to Use it!
Not in the mood for cold infuzed water? Try a hot mixture! The
Infuzed Bottle has both hot and cold functionality. Don’t worry – whatever you
decide to mix it with will get caught in the stainless steel strainer. That
means so extra seeds, chunks or tea leaves for you! Not sure where to start? Here’s
a few of my favorites combos for you to try:
Strawberry + Cucumber + Mint
Lemon + Lime + Splash of Ginger
Grapefruit + Pineapple
Raspberry + Lemon (tastes like pink lemonade!)
HINT HINT: It’s always best to chop, slice or dice your fruit into bite sized chunks before adding to your Infuzed Bottle. It helps to get the natural juices released and flowing! If you’re adventuring into berries, you can even try muddling them before you add them in for some extra bold flavor!
Still need some convincing? Try it for yourself! They’re on sale for a limited time – just $39! PLUS – if you use code BRIT10 you can get an added 10% OFF! I promise you that you will fall in love <3 <3
Okay, okay, okay, so there’s technically no “buffalo” in this recipe outside of the sauce (although there mayyyy be a recipe on that coming soon . . . 😉 ) BUT – in the meantime,who says you have to dine out to enjoy delicious cauli buffalo bites?! Now, you make them in 30 minutes – right from home!!
They’re the perfect 30-minute prep snack you can grab and go all week long, OR an awesome munchable addition to your Super Bowl spread in the coming weeks!
I’ve grown to LOVE what some call the “ghost” version of broccoli, see hilarious meme below. There’s so many ways to get creative using this low carb potato substitute – even in place of noodles/rice. There are only 2.9 grams of net carbs in an entire cup of this clean veggie, making it a clear winner on a Keto diet!
Keto Brown Butter Buffalo Bites
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower (approx. 3 cups of florets)
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot
2 tbsp. Butter
2 garlic cloves OR the equivalent minced
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400F
Melt butter in a small skillet on medium heat
Bring to a simmer until browned. Meanwhile, cut your cauliflower into florets.
Pour florets into a large bowl
Add minced garlic to your melted butter and let simmer
Remove the butter and garlic mixture and pour it over the cauliflower
Add in the hot sauce and gently toss to coat thoroughly throughout
Move the florets to a sheet pan
Bake the cauliflower for 20 minutes
Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with remaining sauce.
Garnish with crispy bacon and serve with ranch or accompanying sauce of your choice for dunking
