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12/2/2023 0 Comments 162) Merry Vlogmas 2023 Day One - A Very Humid & Wet Evening Stroll thru Neptune Beach Florida Hey Holiday Dreamers!! Merry Vlogmas Day One! Join me and my Shetland Sheepdog LIVE in Neptune Beach, Florida this evening as we take a leisurely stroll searching for Christmas decorations! We also had two cups of hot chocolate and marshmallows to keep us ‘warm’ - in the Florida humidity, of course. The night was foggy and very humid, with a cloudy mist in the air and a low fog out on the horizon line. Ahhhh - These are my favorite types of evenings at the Beach. We were driving around Neptune Beach trying to find any decorated houses that we could, and we stumbled upon a little ‘Christmas Village’ type scene and knew we wanted to walk through it. Then we walked out to the dark and desolate and wet beach of the Atlantic Ocean. The waves were intense - still! Not another soul was around. We had the beach to ourselves, and it was a lovely way to end the evening. Thank you for joining me as we celebrate the start of Vlogmas 2023. Please go ahead and SHARE out my content for others to enjoy all the festivities of this magical season! SUBSCRIBE - if you’re new here - WELCOME! And hit the LIKE button which will really help out this channel full of Dreamers. And - Thanks for joining me in a cup of good cheer! Love you, Christine This was filmed LIVE on Friday, December 2, 2023 in Neptune Beach, Florida. Livestream number 40. #vlogmas2023 #vlogmas #neptunebeach ___  
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11/23/2023 0 Comments 155) A Very Happy Thanksgiving Morning Walk in Neptune Beach, Florida - I Am Thankful For You!! Hey Dreamers!! A Very Happy Thanksgiving 2023 to YOU!! On this special day of thanksgiving, I cannot celebrate if I could not celebrate with you. Because YOU are who I am grateful for today. I could not be who I am without you, so I need you to know that personally. This is my way of expressing my gratitude and eternal thankfulness for our community of Dreamers. I want you to know that if you are alone today, or are feeling lonely, I am here for you. If you don’t have people to celebrate with today, you can celebrate with me. I have more than three years of content up on my channel, if you’re just looking for something silly or ridiculous to watch. Or you can leave me a comment - I read all my comments and I will hear your message to me. If you are struggling, I hear ya. If you are in chronic pain, I hear ya. Please know that you are not alone. And that we have to get through things one moment at a time. One step at a time. One minute at a time. One hour into the future. One day ahead. Two weeks at a time. So go ahead and take that hard first step. March before you feel like it… with me by your side. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I Love You, Christine Thank you for drinking your coffee with me today. My coffee was from Southern Grounds! Southern Grounds & Co. Coffee Shop is located in Beaches Town Center at: 200 First Street Neptune Beach, Florida 32266 Further information can be found at: https://www.southerngrounds.com/ ‘Petesgiving’ is the annual outdoor Thanksgiving morning party in Neptune Beach, Florida. Pete’s Bar is located in Beaches Town Center at: 117 First Street Neptune Beach, Florida 32266 Further information can be found at: https://www.petesbar.com/ Tony’s Turkey Trot takes place at Beaches Town Center on Thanksgiving Morning each year. Further information can be found at: https://www.tbifundinc.com/turkey-trot This was filmed LIVE in Neptune Beach, Florida on Thanksgiving Day - Thursday, November 23, 2023. Livestream number 35. #thanksgiving #neptunebeach #southerngrounds ____         Two words to sum up this total and complete gem of a place: Go. There. I personally have zero bad things to say about this place - ever. It’s fabulous. End of story. Well, not end of story. But it can be that simple. Hawkers is - simply - amazing.  Hawkers was born in Florida. In 2011 their first restaurant opened in Orlando. And since its early successes, this sit-down, yet casual, eatery has now spread to a variety of other locations throughout the state. Plus a few openings in other locales within the country as well, such as North Carolina and Georgia, with both a Tennessee and Maryland location opening very soon. And while any night of the week is a good night indeed to visit Hawkers, I had the pleasure of dining there most recently on the same evening my husband and I browsed all around Beaches Town Center to take in all the holiday goodness out on display. Walking around town, seeing the gingerbread house at One Ocean Resort, visiting the Holiday Palms where Atlantic Boulevard meets the ocean, all of it, after a delicious meal at Hawkers. Walking inside Hawkers, I always immediately take notice of the Edison style lighting throughout the large dining room and bar area. I absolutely adore any Edison lighting whatsoever, and I desperately dream of it placed throughout every room in my entire apartment. To me, the lighting gives off a warm and very inviting and homey atmosphere. Not too bright, and perfect for an evening dining establishment.  And while the restaurant is a sit-down eatery, and a great place for a leisurely and peaceful meal, it never feels too formal either. The menu at Hawkers is set up similar to tapas style. Smaller sized dishes that are meant for sharing around the table. And this works exceptionally well the larger the party one has with them. While it’s usually just my husband and I dining out, we had the opportunity to dine at Hawkers with my in-laws well over a year and a half ago now. And at that meal having a party of eight, we were able to try and share amongst us a large variety of dishes from the menu. Much more choice than our usual table for two can reasonable order.  While sometimes hubby and I do tapas and share a few things, this time I simply ordered my own entree and so did he. And I had no problem devouring my entire bowl. To drink I had club soda with lime, which they kindly kept refilling for me. And hubby had the ‘Margari-Thai’ to start. The drinks were swell. Not watered down at all, and made just right.   We split the pork skewers as an appetizer, which comes as a set of three skewers. They were delicious. Flavorful, and yet not too over-seasoned. And the perfect amount for sharing amongst two people. Just. Perfect.  For my entree, I ordered the same dish the I ALWAYS order. The Beef Haw Fun. A noodle dish. It’s a fabulous dish for anyone who is currently counting calories or trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. At 687 calories, it’s the perfect size entree for me. Anything else would have been simply too many calories, or needing a box for leftovers.  Hubby ordered from the rice bowl section of the menu - choosing the Kimchi Fried Rice. Served with steak, eggs, and onions. Both our dishes were excellent.  The atmosphere at Hawkers is very casual. Which is another reason I love it so much. It’s loud, but it’s not too loud by any means - it’s good loud. It’s family friendly, birthday-dinner-outing-loud, and kid-friendly loud. And the large indoor dining room and combined bar area are set up very open and easy-flowing, with lots of large windows letting in all that fabulous natural sunlight during the day. And with views out to Atlantic Boulevard into both Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach during the evenings, it’s a lovely location for dinner out right on the coast. Plus, when the weather is right the windows and doors are open so that you feel you are eating outside, even if you’re dining inside.  And if you do want to eat directly outside, you can do just that as well. Hawkers offers two different areas of outdoor seating. There’s an absolutely beautiful little courtyard area, tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of Atlantic Boulevard, and nestled between the Surf Shop next door. The other outdoor seating is set directly in front of the restaurant on the sidewalk area, and is a great vantage point for lots of people-watching as you dine. This time of year they also have heat lamps out on the patios, so it’s almost never really too cold to dine outside at Hawkers.    The other great thing I love about Hawkers is the menu selection. Besides tapas style dishes, they also have a variety of dishes for both vegans and vegetarians. When I try to eat vegan, this place makes it super easy for me. I order the Edamame, and/or the Spring Rolls. And I’ve saved the best for last… even though it’s traditionally served first. The Roti Canai... I can’t even express to you how good the Roti Canai really is. The Roti Canai is on the appetizer portion of the menu - it’s a Malaysian flatbread, and is a savory break-apart-piece of heaven, a type of hot bread. Calling all dough lovers. This is the dough for you. What a treat. And it is just that, a treat. Which is why we didn’t get it on this particular visit... But I can’t talk about Hawkers without talking about the Roti Canai. It’s a must-do, a must-try. Especially on your first visit. One bite, and you’ll be in love with Hawkers and want to come back whenever you can. On our first visit, when we were very unfamiliar with Hawkers and the menu offerings, our server recommended this dish. I’m so glad she did, because we’ve been ordering it ever since and every time it is pure perfection on a plate. The reason we don’t order the Roti Canai all the time though is that I know for a fact this dish is a calorie-counting nightmare. Well, maybe not a nightmare, I just know it has too many calories for my tummy to process all at once. With one small piece clocking in at roughly 318 calories, that’s about half a dinner for me. All in a single slice of bread. And I’d personally rather spend my calories on protein - and anything that will keep me fuller, longer. And thus I treat this bread as the deserving treat that it is. It’s just such a TREAT that we don’t need to get it every time. So even though it’s my very favorite item on the entire menu, I resist all temptation and I don't order it every visit. But every time we do get it, it's absolutely divine. I do highly recommend trying the Roti Canai. If you are looking for something a little bit different, a little bit out of the norm when eating the standard American diet every day. This is THE dish to try. The curry dips that are served alongside it gives one a sampling of some flavors that I personally don’t have all the time. And I love trying different things. So get the bread. You won’t be sorry. And one more quick piece of good news at Hawkers - they have a new menu item that I am VERY excited to try on my next visit. On that next visit I can then plan the needed and many allotted calories into my day so that I can try this dish with zero guilt. It’s a dessert…. And yes, it’s DONUTS! Yummm. They sound fantastic. And fried. The Jo-He Bag of Donuts. Next Time, My Friends, Next Time. I’m fairly certain there will be a photo of fried donuts showing up on my Instagram sometime in the near future. Overall, Hawkers is super. Simple as that. If you have a Hawkers by you, definitely give it a try. And if you don’t have a Hawkers by you, maybe, and hopefully, one will be on its way to you soon. ~ 
 While I both love and live in Jacksonville Beach, FL, there’s only one other town around I love just as very much…well, two towns actually - it’s where Atlantic Boulevard meets the ocean - it’s Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach… its Beaches Town Center.    Beaches Town Center is all-encompassing of the downtown areas of both Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. The two downtowns meet together for one, central, and grand downtown area on the Beaches - with Atlantic Beach to the north, and Neptune Beach to the south - and Atlantic Boulevard as the border line. It is there that the two towns touch and meet, becoming one. If you weren’t familiar with the area, you wouldn’t really even know that they are two separate towns. They really blend well aesthetically and flow and function nicely as one downton. And while the two towns share this single and lovely downtown, they share a whole lot more as well… including Christmas!         Beaches Town Center comes together for one official Christmas tree area at the center of town, and just steps off the beach. Where Atlantic Boulevard ends and the ocean begins. At the roundabout. The trees - including evergreen, and palm, of course - are lit up beautifully. Signature candy cane stripes going up the trunks of the palms, with green tip lit leaves. And this year they added another evergreen to the display, having two total, one on each side of the palms. With a large red seating area, positioned perfectly for Santa Claus to sit, there is never a dull moment in the round-a-bout. With children and families both coming up to get their photo taken sitting in the enormous chair. Sometimes even a line of people waiting. And with the palm trees lit all up and down the sidewalks on 1st Street and beyond, in a rainbow of holiday colors, the setting is a beautiful, beachy holiday, instantly.    If you find yourself in town, and checking out all things holiday while you’re here, there’s a few other not to be missed seasonal and very festive events which I highly recommend. Check out the St. Augustine Nights of Lights if you have time for a short drive. And be sure to visit Deck The Chairs, just one town south, in my very own Jax Beach. Deck The Chairs is free, it’s walk-through, and open to the public nightly through the end of the month. And only a couple miles south of Beaches Town Center, it’s a quick hop on over if you are out exploring all the lights and all the beautiful sights around Jacksonville. Our first Christmas living in Florida, back in 2017, we were browsing around Beaches Town Center. It was wonderful - we knew it would become an instant new tradition added to our list of holiday festivities. And while strolling through town that first Floridian holiday, we came upon One Ocean at the center of town, and decided we needed to check it out.  We walked into their grand lobby, for the first time. Fountain in the center, just inside the door. Well, the inside is just gorgeous. And it turns out that every year, for Christmas and the entire holiday season, they put a large gingerbread house on display just off to the side in the lobby area. Naturally stumbling onto this find was so exciting. And it’s those finds, that I didn’t know about in advance of a visit somewhere, completely unplanned, and spur-of-the-moment, that are sometimes the very best moments. And we’ve been back every year. I’ve included photos of this year’s 2019 gingerbread house. And let me tell you, that lobby smelled of gingerbread - and smelled of heaven. It was fabulous to see, and to breathe in. It’s a quick stop in to check out, and puts one in the holiday spirit right away. The baked house is different every year, and all of it - the sign - the house itself, and all the details presented, reminded me immediately of my many travels to Walt Disney World at Christmastime and doing some Resort Hopping...checking out all the resort lobby gingerbread houses - each themed to that specific Disney resort. So I definitely recommend stopping in One Ocean on your Beaches Town Center holiday adventure. They’ve got a bar and restaurant on site too - it’s on the pricey side so we haven’t been there to eat just yet, but we have been to the lounge a few times and it’s just lovely. The ocean views are priceless.      And a visit to Beaches Town Center is never, ever complete without a visit to Southern Grounds Coffee Shop. I love coffee almost as much as life itself. So we strolled on down to Southern Grounds to get a hot drink on a cool Florida evening. but to our surprise it was the one night ever that I’ve come across them closed. Usually open until 9pm, we went on a Monday night, and there was a sign on the door apologizing for the closure. They were out celebrating for the staff holiday party. No, I’m not complaining… the fact that we were so very sad that they were closed is only a compliment to them - as their shop simply rocks. So no Southern Grounds for us that particular evening, but soooo very glad for their employees that they had a night out away from work to celebrate.              Beaches Town Center knows how to throw a Beachy Christmas… On a Monday night, or any night of the week. I’d highly recommend stopping by for a visit, short or long. Coffee or no coffee. It’s a wonderful sight, with a lot of wonderful lights. ~   ‘Jelly Dots’ 14 x 11 x 0.75 Acrylic On Canvas
 The Beaches Green Market is a local farmer’s market in Neptune Beach, Florida. The market takes place every Saturday, year round, and is centrally located in the small beach town at Jarboe Park.    Always from 2pm-5pm, it’s a fabulous place to pull over on a Saturday while out running errands, or to grab some bakery, maybe even flowers, to bring along to a gathering. If you’re out for your weekend grocery shopping, I’d recommend stopping here for fresh, local produce, before heading to the grocer for the rest of your needs.      Some of the vendors tend to be the same each week, and yet there are always some different booths each time as well, or maybe even a food truck. There’s always a surprise or two each visit, which makes return visits likely and more enticing. Once you go to the Green Market - you tend to come back on the regular.      In the past, we’ve purchased fresh and delicious produce, gifts for family, as well as some lovely seagrass scented candles from Eden’s Leaf Naturals; all depending on what our needs are for that week. This week, while we didn’t make any purchases, we still enjoyed the visit.    And with the added bonus of the market being pet friendly, your dog can come along with you and enjoy the park afterward. With ample parking surrounding the entire large property, it’s an easy stop to add into your Saturday activities.  And I was especially excited for this Saturday’s Market because I knew it was their official holiday market! There was jewelry for sale, coastal ornaments, and lots of reusable gift bags available for purchase. There was also a holiday craft table set up for children to make their own candles. And they even had a local band playing. Wearing red and white Santa hats… THIS was most definitely my favorite part!       Beaches Green Market can be a quick stop, or a leisurely part of your weekend activities. Its location in Jarboe Park is a very popular local park in the Beaches community, and this setting allows the Market the perk of being surrounded by walking paths, a lovely maintained community garden, fountains, and tables and chairs for picnics. All under a clear blue and bright and sunny sky.    Basketball courts and full sand volleyball courts are a nice addition as well. There also is a small, old, historic house on site, and children really like wandering up to it and explore. I noticed the old home was decorated for the holidays and looking quite adorable. And then I found out that’s where Santa and Mrs. Claus sit on the porch, to greet children and ask what the want for Christmas. The little house is just across from the Jarboe Park official decorated Christmas tree.     I highly encourage an outing to the Beaches Green Market. It’s a great way to shop local - including always having a variety of local produce and other products available. I believe one of the real goals of any Farmer’s Market seems to be to help bring the local community together, and that’s exactly what this one does. So get on out to your market, look for Santa while you’re there, and be sure to bring along your list to give him. ~ 
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