Bite of Seattle 2013

One of Seattle's favorite summer weekends just passed.  The Bite of Seattle which happens every July is a showcase of delicious Seattle cuisine.  I try to go every year and try something new!  It's a fun atmosphere with music, local vendors, amazing food, and beautiful summer weather (usually) at Seattle Center.  This year was different for me because I noticed all of the different social media opportunities restaurants and companies took advantage of during this event.  I was excited when I saw that eSurance had a Twitter photo contest using hashtag #tweetwhatyoueat!  The most exciting part was that I WON!!!

Every booth had a sign promoting the contest along with the food vendor's twitter handle.  What a great way to promote local restaurants and start following them for food specials and updates!

First stop- .@Dumplingtzar Russian dumplings! #TweetWhatYouEat #BiteofSeattle

2nd stop- Trophy Spice! Elk burrito #tweetwhatyoueat #biteofseattle

Finally! 3rd stop- @iwantsomebigboys!! Pork adobo tacos and longanesa breakfast sandwich

 

 

 

 

 

 

My prize! Worth $200!

Other than eSurance's contest, I loved the Groupon and PhotobombNW booth! You get a free photo and a chance to share what your favorite local spot is.  It can be a restaurant, park, etc. just anything local that "you heart beats for."  If you Instagram your photo and hashtag #lovelocal, you will be entered to win $200 from American Express.

My heart beats for #Vivace! #lovelocal #seattle #biteofseattle Thanks @photobombnw and @grouponseattle!

We made it on the Wall of Fame!

 

 

I really enjoyed the way the Bite used different social media channels to share what was happening at the Bite this year.  Other than food, I also loved watching Dock Dogs!  It's a distance jumping contest for dogs!  Dogs willingly jump from a dock to fetch their toy in the water.   It was so impressive and cute to watch the dogs! 

I hope all you Seattleites were able explore the Bite this year.  It was a great day to enjoy our amazing summer weather with good eats.  If you missed it, be sure to mark your calendars for next year!

Pride Parade 2013 with UBER Seattle!

Ride With Pride- UBER Seattle

It was a blast dancing and marching with the UBER Seattle crew during the Pride Parade on Sunday!  (UBER is "Everyone's Private Driver" and you can find a ride any time and anywhere by downloading the app on iPhone or Android device.  Find out more details here!) The scorching sun didn't stop this parade veteran!  I was super energized and excited to lead the pack (which included 3 UBER vehicles) the whole way down from 4th & Seneca to Seattle Center where confetti, drinks, and cookies awaited.  I met a bunch of cool people and we rocked it! We danced, blew bubbles, handed out beads and candy, jumped, ran, and shouted RIDE WITH PRIDE and anything else UBER.  I waved my sign like crazy so the crowd could cheer and recognize UBER and take advantage of the Pride special it was offering for first time Uber users. 

Bring it on!

How did I get a chance to join the party?! Simply tweeted and volunteered via email! I also received a free UBER tank which are quite a hit I must say.  I was getting tons of compliments while walking around the Seattle Center Pride Fest searching for a post-parade meal.

Pumped that we got to do this together!

Bird's eye POV. See that black hair in the front? That's me!

If you haven't tried UBER then do it! It will save you time and a parking headache!

Thank you UBER Seattle for having me!  My sore calves and I will never forget.

Bodyguardz iPhone Screen Protector Review

As a finance rep in the wireless industry, you get to be the first to see all the new goodies the store gets to sell!  This ultra-thin tempered glass screen protector by BodyGuardz is hands-down the best screen protector I've ever used.  If you're the type that doesn't care for anti-glare/anti-fingerprint screen protectors because you want to use your phone as mirror (is that just me or is at least one other person out there uses their phone for that too?) then this is the one. Okay that might not be the sole reason for this screen protector but if you're looking for something that protects and actually feels like your screen as if you don't have a screen protector on then this is the one!

I've tried $30 Zagg Invisishields plenty of times in the past and they did not work for me because they'd always bubble or peel at the edges because of my case or hot weather.  The cheap $10-15  film-like screen protectors that come with 2-3 a pack did the job for me except that they scratched easily.  What's a girl to do? Go screen protectorless?! I think not.

Thank you BodyGuardz for creating something different.  Like I said earlier, it doesn't even feel like I have a screen protector on my phone, it just feels like the screen!  If there is one thing I didn't like about it, it's the round-raised sticker used for the home button.  It's provided so you can access the home button easier since the screen protector adds extra depth.  I put mine on wrong, so the square in the middle of the circle home button is now a diamond.

$35 for an awesome screen protector!  DO IT.

White River Rafting

This is my second time going white river rafting in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  The first time was with my bests on the Tieton River when the first LivingSocial deal was offered for it and of course my adventurous side got super excited and immediately texted them "we have to do this!" I am so glad that LivingSocial and Groupon continue to offer deals for activities like this because it's so much fun! And this time I was able to buy it for mine and my boyfriend's one year anniversary!  We both love doing outdoor activities and this was PERFECT, especially with the beautiful weather we've been getting early this year!

The deal I bought was through Orion and our leader Xander was awesome!  It's a great group and they provide transportation the river, paddles, the raft, water boots, and a wetsuit.  They just recommend wearing non-cotton clothing and extra clothes for afterwards.  You travel with 3-4 rafts with 4-6 people each and go along the Wenatchee River, play games and survive the rapids. Your leader will shout out commands to help make sure you stay afloat!

I sat in the front of the raft!  It was SO MUCH FUN! I'd highly recommend sitting in the front for a great white river rafting experience. You get to lead and get the most wet! It's such a rush.

Alright, well I'm going to be a little ghetto and post a screen shot of one of our photos from the photographers site (riverbooty.com) because I haven't received the hard copy yet.

(Photo credit: riverbooty.com)

Thai-cation

April 6-20 I'll be backpacking through Thailand with Aleks (my boyfriend), Paul, and Nate!  Words cannot even express how anxious and excited I am to explore!  I've only been to the Philippines in that part of the world so I'm very interested to see how it compares.  We booked our tickets at the end of November last year and I can't believe that the day is finally here!  I am so proud that I was able to fit all of my things in my cool new Osprey backpack from REI.  I'm notorious for over packing and at first I was like: are you kidding me? Two weeks in Thailand with only THIS much space?! *gulp. Alright, DONE! 

Peace out America because we're going to Thailand! First stop Seoul, Korea for our layover! [insert airplane emoji here]

25 Years Young

I  am a quarter of a century old as of November 7!  Thank you to all my family and friends who celebrated and/or greeted me a happy birthday!

Now that I am a year wiser I plan to be smarter about money saving, filter my apartment and stop being a hoarder, and really push to pursue my dreams/career.

I am learning more about myself and the world as I get older.  I value every experience and interaction and try to take something away that I know will help me grow.

HELLO 25, I'm ready for you!

I Kissed a Dolphin And I Liked It

Aloha! August is family vacation for us and this year we went to Hawaii to visit my cousin who is stationed there for the Army!