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Las Vegas Dining: Wing Lei at Wynn (Birthday Dinner)

Watermelon martini and melon hor d’oeuvre.

After dinner, walking to the south valet.

Those are the doors to the south valet behind me.

Hi guys! I’m so excited to share my Wing Lei review with you all. I wasn’t planning on writing a review so I didn’t take too many pictures, none of our entrees. However, this immediately became one of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas so I have to share it with you. My birthday was 2 weeks ago. As I mentioned on my Instagram, we kept it low-key with a nice, quiet, fancy dinner. I’ve been wanting to dine at Wing Lei for quite some time now but it didn’t seem like a place you’d want to take an infant, so I decided to wait for the right time to try it out. My mom flew in for my birthday and offered to watch Athena so Marc could take me out to a nice dinner. I immediately thought of Wing Lei.

If you’re not familiar with Wing Lei, here’s a little overview from their website: “Wing Lei, the first Chinese restaurant in the country to be awarded a Michelin Star and the only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award-winning Chinese restaurant in North America, combines Chinese flavors with Western technique to create an exceptional dining experience at Wynn. A lavish gold and jewel-toned dining space draws inspiration from elements of classical Chinese architecture and design to create contemporary rooms that are rich and eclectic. Wing Lei features a view of a private garden that harbors century-old pomegranate trees and a gleaming golden dragon. The elegant surroundings pair perfectly with Chef Ming Yu’s menu—a masterful mix of Cantonese, Shanghai and Szechuan flavors—featuring delicacies like tableside-carved Imperial Peking duck, mu shu pork and wok-fried Maine lobster.”

The Ambiance

This dining room is beautiful. It feels very open and equally private. There are beautiful wall sculptures, walls draped in luxe fabrics, traditional Chinese architecture, gorgeous flower arrangements, and touches of gold that dazzle the eye. The entire space is elegant and lends a relaxing vibe. We sat next to the private garden that holds century-old pomegranate trees.

The Service

We made a reservation for 8:30 but got there closer to 9. It wasn’t until we arrived that I realized they close a 10. I got a little anxious because I like to take my time during dinner, well, during any meal. But especially for dinner I like to sit and relax, converse, and maybe have a cocktail or some wine. When we arrived the hostess greeted us with a smile and we were shown to our table. The restaurant was about a third full. Our waiter came out to take our drink order and he also had a smile on his face. Already, my anxiety started melting away. By the time he came back with my drink, about 5 min later, I completely forgot about my anxiety. The entire staff was really nice and professional throughout the entire night. We were never made to feel rushed even though we left close to 11. We let him know we are vegan and he pointed out some good options.

The Food

We, of course, skipped the animal products, instead opting for their vegan options and it.was.fantastic! Did you know that every single restaurant inside the Wynn has a vegan and vegetarian options? It’s true! That’s because Mr. Steve Wynn, himself, is vegan. Wing Lei doesn’t have a separate vegan menu but there are vegan options on the main menu. They started off our meal with a complimentary melon and vinaigrette hor d’oeuvre. Marc immediately said it was the best melon he’s ever had. I have to agree, it was soooo good and we were left wanting a bowl full of it, lol.

Garden Dim Sum

We started with the garden dim sum. This dish is meant to resemble a garden and the presentation is just beautiful. These delicious little dumplings are colored with vegetable juices like, red beet, corn, and spinach. They are filled with a savory veggie filling with a texture similar to a traditional dumpling. Topped with pea tendrils and edible flowers to add a bit of whimsy and color.

Chilled Vegetable Roll

This chilled vegetable roll is filled with mango, carrot, cucumber, mint, wrapped in rice paper and topped with a chili vinaigrette and micro greens. It was delicious, so refreshing and light but filling.

Vegetable Fried Rice

I was so happy to see this on the menu. Fried rice is typically made with egg so I asked if they could make it vegan and they said absolutely. I was so excited because I love fried rice. I could have used a bit more flavor but it was still really good and perfectly complimented the Gardein chick’n dish.

Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

Bell peppers, mushrooms, choy sum, baby bok choy, and broccoli in a black bean sauce. This dish was so flavorful and cooked to perfection.

Tai Chin Gardein Chick’n

Gardein chick’n with scallions and garlic in a black bean-chili sauce. This was amazing! It was so packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. I highly recommend getting this when you visit.

Tips

Wing Lei is located near the south valet entrance. We left our car at the north valet entrance and when we asked for directions to the restaurant, the nice gentleman that checked our car informed us that we could pick up our car at the south valet; so convenient!

The restaurant is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.

There is a dress code. Business casual attire is required; shorts are not permitted and gentlemen must wear a collared shirt.

Children under five are not permitted.

To make a reservation by phone, call (702) 770-3388.

Have any of you been here? If so, how did you like it? I’m dying to go back!

Style

Midi Skirt and Crop Top Look | Makeup Giveaway Winner Announced

Top: Forever 21 | Jacket: H&M (from last year, similar here and here) | Skirt: James Perse | Shoes: Target (old, similar here and here) | Purse: Forever 21

I totally cheated at wearing this crop top, lol. This is how to wear a crop tops without baring your midsection. I love a crop top paired with a midi skirt. The trick to not baring your midsection is choosing a high-waisted skirt or even high waisted jeans. This knit top is so soft, lightweight, and the fabric has a nice swing to it. It feels luxe but it was under $10 from Forever21! I’m also loving this woven straw purse. It’s so cute and perfect for spring/summer outfits. I swear it goes with everything and its faux leather so it’s cruelty free! I’ve been wearing it non stop. It looks small but it can hold quite a bit.

Thank you all who entered my makeup giveaway! I wish you all could win! I will be doing more giveaways so stay tuned for that. Feel free to leave me a comment on any of my Instagram posts and let me know what beauty or fashion items you’d like to see in a giveaway, I love hearing your ideas! Ok so for this latest giveaway the winner is @angelicato95. I’ll be contacting you shortly via Instagram so check your DMs!

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Style

Cat-Eye Heart Shaped Sunglasses Trend | The Blog is Back

Ok, first things first, how cute are these cat-eye heart shaped sunglasses??? I’m obsessed with them and I want to wear them with everything! This cat-eye heart shaped sunglasses trend started mid-late 2017 and seems to be trending even more now. I’m not surprised. The cat-eye shape just screams SUMMERTIME and this silhouette creates a slimming effect for the face. Plus the heart shaped frames are just so cute and fun! I love heart shapes on clothing and heart shaped accessories (ie: my heart baseball hat, my newest t-shirt ), so I’m loving this trend and kind of hoping it never ends.

The ones I’m wearing are dupes of the Saint Laurent version which retail for $420! Even with the higher price point, the Saint Laurent Lou Lou sunglasses are still selling out. I’ve linked the dupe sunglasses here and they come in a 2 pack, one red and one white; the white ones really do go with everything. To purchase these sunglasses on Amazon, click here.

Next order of business. The blog is back! Duh. Obvi. If you follow me on Instagram and see my stories, you already know about this. If you’re new here, hello *waves*, and welcome! To recap, I decided to bring back my blog because I really missed sharing all my favorite things with you guys! I get a lot of DM’s about the things I use, especially for Athena, and I saw that having the blog was really the best way to connect with you guys to answer your questions and share all about the fashion, beauty, baby, and lifestyle items I love. I missed my blog. When I decided to close it, it was overwhelming me at the time but I’ve learned how to better manage the overwhelming aspects and how to blog in a manner that keeps me sane, happy, and producing great content for you guys. There is SO much to come!!! If you haven’t already, go see my most recent Instagram post and enter my #makeupgiveaway! If you already did, awesome, I hope you win! I’m having so much fun reading your comments and chatting with you guys. I think I’m going to be doing many more giveaways often because this is just too much fun! To see and enter my makeup giveaway on Instagram, click here.

Baby Gift Ideas for Christmas 2017

We spent this past Saturday wrapping presents and keeping Athena away from the Christmas tree, lol. I can’t wait to see her open her presents on Christmas morning! We bought her some toys and a LOT of books. She’s had a natural love of books for a long time, since she was born really. Although, lately when we try to read to her she has a slightly shorter attention span and she crawls away to the nearest toy. I think it’s totally normal though. She’s learning so quickly and now, at nine months old (tomorrow!), she LOVES more interactive toys and those with a variety of textures.

I’m linking the exact items we bought for her. I feel so confident your little one will absolutely love any one of these items because Marc and I played with all these books and toys ourselves and we love them! They’re all made really well and are of high-quality materials. We even let Athena play with them for a few minutes before I wrapped them up and she was in HEAVEN. These toys range in ages from 3 months to 3 years old. We generally try to stick to age recommendations for toys. However, oftentimes, we feel like Athena becomes bored and uninterested in toys for her age group so we move up. We always evaluate toys above her age group for safety. Side note: if you’d like to evaluate toys that may be a chocking hazard, use this choke tester designed by the CPSC, Consumer Product Safety Commission. Read more about each toy below and click the item title to shop.

Melissa & Doug Classic Bead Maze

This toy is a classic. I used to think the bead maze toy was overrated but I’m not a baby and babies sure do love it. Athena played with this maze almost the entire time we were in the store and then some more when I went to wrap it. It’s made really well, no chipping or paint peeling, and has a sturdy wooden base. The exact dimensions are 11.75″ x 11.75″ x 12.5″. In case you don’t have a ruler in front of you, it fits on my lap. Teach your baby movement, shapes, colors, and more! This toy is recommended for ages 12 months and up.

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze

There’s also a smaller version with four suction cups on the bottom, perfect for setting on highchair trays. I’m thinking of getting this one as well for traveling with. Every time we go out to eat, Athena immediately starts grabbing at anything she can get her hands as soon as we scoot her highchair in. This suction cup-based bead maze would be perfect for keeping your little occupied in such scenarios. This one is also recommended for ages 12 months and up.

Squigz Starter Set

How cute are these little suction cup toys?! Athena currently loves suction cup toys; she’s going to go bananas for these! They’re stackable so your little one can make all sorts of fun shapes with them. They’re made of smooth silicone, which means they’re super easy to clean. These would be perfect for traveling with since you can stick them on baby’s highchair tray, stroller tray, or table top while your dining out. The starter set comes with 24 pieces in a variety of colors and are recommended for ages 3 months and up.

Mirari Pop Pop Piano

This toy is so, much, fun! Athena loves pressing the piano keys and seeing the colorful jacks fly! The music is also not annoying— a very important selling point for me— lol. I read reviews on all of these toys and for this particular one, many people were concerned about the jacks being a choking hazard. The clear cover can be pulled off by strong toddler hands BUT, the jacks are too big to be a chocking hazard according to this device designed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This is probably my favorite toy thus far, it’s so cute and fun! This child’s piano is recommended for ages 12 months and up.

Learning Resources Snap-N-Learn Alphabet Alligators

Fun fact about me and my sister. I taught my sister how to read and do basic math by the age of 2 (I was 5). I had a little chalkboard that I would take outside everyday and we would have alphabet and numbers lessons everyday, al fresco, lol. We would have loved these toys when we were little. These letter matching pieces will make learning so much fun! And it I love that they come in cute little alligator shapes! The container is also sturdy and can be used for storing and traveling, so useful. This toy is recommend for age 2 years old and up.

BeginAgain Color N’ Eggs Matching Puzzle

I’ve talked before about the importance of Athena learning both English and Spanish. I love finding cute and fun toys that help her do just that. These little egg puzzles are adorable! We currently only have one set of bilingual flash cards. I’ve been looking for more bilingual toys and these are perfect! I can’t stress enough the importance of teaching your child a second language. I feel so lucky to have Spanish as my first language, it’s been so helpful in understanding and learning other languages. This bilingual matching puzzle toy is recommend for ages 2 years and up.

Janod Zigolos Pull Along Drum Elk

I’m so excited for Athena to open this pull along toy. You can see her playing with it in the 7th photo from the top. She already loves dragging along her pink bunny (or any other toy, really) while she crawls around the house so I’m fairly certain she’s going to love this pull along toy. This toy is recommended for ages 18 months and up.

That’s Not My Puppy Book

We got her so many books for Christmas, including these touchy-feely books from the “that’s not my” series. She loves these books because they come with all sorts of fun textures to touch. The first one we bought her when she was 4 months old (I think) was the That’s Not My Dragon book. It’s one of her favorite books. She quickly learned where all the textured spots are and she goes right to them as soon as I turn the page, lol. Make sure to see the other “that’s not my” books in the widget below. I read through them before wrapping them and they’re so cute! This book is suitable for all ages.

Other fun books pictured above:

That’s Not My Panda

This is another touchy-feely book from the same series. It’s got cute pandas! This book is suitable for all ages.

Toot

I have to admit, the name of this book is what drew me too it. I thought it was so funny. The illustrations are simple but really cute. It’s about, you guessed it, tooting. Such a cute book. Your little ones will definitely get a giggle out of reading this. It’s part of a series, see the others in the widget below. The book is recommend for grade levels preschool and up.

Ice is Nice: All about the North and South Poles

I love this book and the one below. It’s never too early to start teaching our little ones about how the earth functions and the importance of taking of our planet. This book teaches kids about the different poles and how animals stay warm in different temperatures. It’s filled with busy colorful images that are candy for the eyes! This book is recommend for ages 4-8 years old and grade levels preschool-3.

If I Ran the Rain Forest: All About Tropical Rain Forests

This book is one of my favorites and while, like the one above, it’s recommended for ages 4-8 years old, I firmly believe it’s never too early to start teaching kids about the importance of taking care of our planet and being respectful to nature. This book teaches kids all about the trees, animals, insects, plants, and native people that inhabit the rainforest. This book is recommend for ages 4-8 years old and grade levels preschool-3.

Radio Flyer Wagon with Canopy

Last but not least, this adorable Radio Flyer wagon with canopy! I mean, how cute would your baby look sitting in this? I can’t wait to see Athena and Grayson sitting in this wagon as Lexi and I pull them along in the park. Oh the cuteness! I can’t even!

Food

Las Vegas Dining | Violette’s Vegan Organic Cafe & Juice Bar

Did you know November is World Vegan Month? I only learned about this last year and had completely forgotten about it this time around. Luckily, the girls over at Vegas Lifestyle Influencers reminded me by putting together a dinner at Violette’s Vegan. If you’re not familiar with Violette’s Vegan, it’s an all plant-based restaurant located in the corner of Desert Inn and Durango in the northwest part of Las Vegas. I used to live right around the corner when I first moved to Las Vegas but I only discovered this restaurant about 2 years ago.

If you’re looking for a healthy, casual, low-key place for dinner or lunch, Violette’s Vegan is a great spot. The walls are brightly decorated with paintings saturated in all the colors of the rainbow, just like the food. The ambiance is relaxing and the staff is friendly. Our dinner that night was awesome. We started off with nachos, buffalo cauliflower wings and “sassy” wings, breaded cauliflower wings tossed in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce. These two dishes alone were worth the 40 minute drive across town. The breading was crispy and the sauces on both were so flavor packed. They were hands down my favorites of the night. When I got home that evening, I told Marc that we had to go back that same week so he could try them.

Then came the main dishes. There was SO. MUCH. FOOD. We had salads, pad thai, eggplant parmesan, crispy tempeh & tofu cutlets with mashed potatoes and gravy, mac n’ cheese, beef & broccoli, chili cheese fries, and a tofu teriyaki bowl. The eggplant parmesan, the mac n’ cheese, and the pad thai stand out the most to me. I really enjoyed the pad thai because it’s not as sweet as other places make it. The eggplant parmesan was also really good, I ordered this when we went back 2 days later. I also ordered a German chocolate cake smoothie. It didn’t taste like a German chocolate cake smoothie but it was good. My only issue with it was that it got thicker the longer it was in the cup. I think they may put flax seed meal or something similar in it that make it thicker and more gelatinous as time goes on.

The dinner with Vegas Lifestyle Influences was on a Tuesdays, I decided to go back 2 days later on Thursday, with Marc. We were so excited to try out both the buffalo cauliflower and sassy wings. However, when we got there we were told those two items weren’t available yet but would be really soon. I guess they were still testing them out. So we got other food. The quality wasn’t as good as the previous time but the service was. The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and plant-based foods so overall I would recommend you give it a try. I can confirm that they have started serving the cauliflower buffalo wings and the cauliflower sassy wings now, so if you go, try both of those. They’re delicious!

A Five Year Relationship, A Break Up, & A Pregnancy

One month old Athena. She peed all over this setup about 15 minutes after I took this photo, lol.

Ever since Athena was born I feel like I’ve been going nonstop. Her 8 month birthday is coming up soon and I can’t even begin to tell you guys how much I’ve learned. There are SO many things that I want to share, but I don’t even know where to start. Ive been sitting here giving it some thought and I realized that I haven’t shared much personal information with you guys, so I should probably start with that. I should preface this by saying, I’m really private when I comes to my personal life and sharing personal details doesn’t come easily, so bear with me. That being said, let’s dig right in.

A five year relationship, a break up, & a pregnancy

That’s how I would sum up the following in less than 10 words. But for the sake of being more open, let me expand on this title. Marc and I were in a romantic relationship for 5 years, we broke up, I moved out of the house we shared, and two months later, I found out I was pregnant. We decided we would co-parent and live together again for the baby’s first year to lean on each other as we navigated through life as new parents. We moved into a bigger house and a few months later Athena was born.

Fast forward nearly 8 months and everything is going well. When it comes to parenting, we’ve had some bumps in the road but that’s perfectly natural since this is a new experience for all three of us. I can’t speak for Marc but I can say that I’ve personally learned a lot from this experience. Like I said in the beginning, there’s so much I want to share, about pregnancy, about being a vegan mom, raising a vegan baby, breastfeeding, parenting, baby products, etc. So this is where I ask for your help. Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram, what you’d like me to share about first. Thank you all in advance and I wish you all a happy weekend!

Style

Animal Print Dress & Over the Knee Boots

Dress: Rebecca Minkoff | Boots: Steve Madden | Bag: Target | Tights: Revolve | Lipstick: Nars (in Damned)

We’ve had some kooky weather here in Las Vegas this past month. It’s mostly been warm with a few super cold days sprinkled in. We shot this look on one of those cold days when the temperature fell below 75. Last time I shared this dress, it was a warm weather look and here it is again completely restyled for cool weather. My boots are from last year but they’re back this year! I love them because they stretch and stay up really well (they also come in brown). Also, these over the knee boots are perfect for wide calves.

On another note, tomorrow is Halloween! Wow, the year has really flown by! Athena is almost 8 months old. I can’t believe she’s already going to experience her first Halloween. Seeing her in that chicken costume almost made me tear up. But looking at her adorable little face in that costume made me realize how quickly she’s growing up and that I need to treasure every single day with her. We did two costumes this year because we couldn’t decide on just one. In case you missed it, Athena and I dressed up as black cats in my last post. We haven’t decided which costumes we’ll use for tomorrow’s festivities but one thing is for sure, you’ll see it on my Instagram, lol. Have a safe and happy Halloween, everyone!

Baby’s first Halloween: Mommy & Baby Easy Costume Idea

We are SO excited for Halloween this year because it’s Athena’s first! The search for Halloween costumes for babies is tough though. We had a hard time finding costumes in her size, 6-9 months old. We checked online, 2 Target stores, Marshalls, and a nearby Halloween store. Finally, we landed on a chicken costume and a black cat. The chicken costume we found at the Halloween store for like, 19.99, I believe. The cat costume, we couldn’t find so I decided I was going to make it. But then I realized I don’t have the time or the energy to make a costume that she’s only going to wear for 1 day so my mommy brain kicked on, “I’ll just put her in a Kickee Pants onesie and her Janie and Jack headband. Done!” (high-fives self).

Easy Halloween Costume for Babies

I’m obsessed with Kickee Pants. They’re soft, high-quality, comfortable, durable and they’re super cute! When I was thinking about Athena’s black cat costume I looked for black separates but couldn’t find any. You’d think it’d be easy to find a black pair of pants and a black top for a baby, but nope. She wears Kickee Pants all the time so I thought why not just buy her an all black Kickee Pants onesie that she can also wear after Halloween? I bought the version with the footies but there’s also a version without the footies. Her cat ears headband I found while perusing one of my favorite children’s clothing stores, Janie and Jack. It’s so cute and she can wear it any time just for fun! For a super quick and easy kids Halloween costume, you could also use Kickee Pants in other solid colors such as light green, dark green, pink, purple, or brown to dress your little ones as a dinosaur, unicorn, or a teddy bear. Just add a little bit of makeup from and fun headband or beanie. I’ve linked a few fun headpieces below.

Easy Halloween Costume for Women

My costume was super easy to put together as well. I used my favorite faux-leather leggings from Spanx that I purchased during Nordstrom’s anniversary sale. They’re so comfortable, they go with everything, and they make your tummy look flat, I LOVE them. You can shop them here. My top is from Target, it’s super soft, comfortable, and it’s like $10. MY boots are from last year but they’re back this year and they are some of the best over the knee boots ever. If you have wide calves, these are the boots for you! FYI, I couldn’t find my exact headband to link but I purchased it at Target from the $1 bin at the entrance. I did, however, link a similar headband that’s about $5. I also linked several other options below.

Style

Faux-Leather Leggings Casual Weekday Outfit

Top: H&M (similar) | Leggings: Spanx | Shoes: Steve Madden (similar) | Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (similar)

I’m channeling my inner Olivia Newton John in these faux leather leggings. Her outfit in the last scene of Grease is still on of my favorites to this day. She just looks so damn cool and that’s just how these leggings make you feel. These faux leather leggings are by Spanx and they’re quite comfortable; it kind of just feels like I’m wearing yoga pants. I love the faux leather look of these, they’re the perfect addition to my fall wardrobe. I love how high they come up on the waist and they stay there! They smooth you out and I swear they go with just about everything. Completely obsessed with these!

Style

Black & Gray Outfit

Top: James Perse | Jeans: Kut from the Kloth | Sweater: Nordstrom (similar) | Boots: Target (similar) | Purse: Target

On the first day the temperature hit below 80, I immediately pulled out my boots and cardigans. We’ve been getting a few cold days here and there but its still mainly in the high 80’s here in Las Vegas. I don’t care though, I’m going to wear my boots, cardigans, and all my other fall pieces now even if it means sitting in my living room blasting the A/C. O

On another note, how nice is this double strap, gray satchel? It’s a Givenchy antigona dupe! It comes with a detachable cross body strap, just like the Givenchy version, except this one is made of vegan leather. Since switching to a vegan diet, I’ve also started switching all my shoes, handbags, and accessories to cruelty-free versions. I especially love finding vegan versions of popular designer handbags. If you know of any, leave your suggestions in the comments below. 🙂