Official Foodie: My Day Trip To Baltimore, in Food

Sometimes a short vacation away is the perfect remedy when you feeling down. My invitation to spend the Sunday in Baltimore could not have come at a better time. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece were visiting my brother in Baltimore and the rest of my family and myself decided to make the trip down to spend all together.  It was a beautiful day that I was able to spend with my family, as well as enjoy some delicious food at two local spots in Baltimore!We met for brunch at City Cafe in Baltimore. Not only was the venue amazing, the food was to die for! I ordered what they called a “Local Vegetable Egg White Omelette”.  A side of fresh berries and a lavender green tea complemented the meal perfectly and was a great way to start the day off!

That afternoon we headed to a restaurant/bar called the Ropewalk Tavern in Federal Hill. Enjoying drinks and football, we ordered snacks to curve our appetite. My favorite were the grilled chicken lettuce wraps. Chicken wrapped in lettuce and topped with carrots, onions and peanut sauce. This was a healthy snack to munch on while watching football.

After a long, yet fun day my boyfriend and I still had to make the drive back to school. While driving back I snacked on one of my favorites, a dark chocolate cherry cashew KIND bar. SO DELICIOUS!

What is Important?

Just this past week an article was published on Mashable on how teens may be losing interest in Facebook and how it may effect this company. Yet, how important is it for teens to remain loyal users of Facebook?

In terms of social advertising are teens really that important? The article states that most Facebook advertisers are focusing more of their attention on the users who fall in the 25-40 age range. Why? They have jobs, they have money, therefore they have the purchasing power.

Either way I am sure it is quite obvious that many of us have noticed that the popularity among Facebook has indeed shifted to a older demographic. I have asked my 15 year old brother several times why he never gets back to me on Facebook and he simply replies that Facebook is ‘lame’. All he and his middle school mates take time to care about is Instagram and Twitter. For the longest time I have been referred to by parents and grandparents as the one on top of trends and the latest social media, yet why is my brother, who is a freshman in high school, making me feel like I am not keeping up with the latest social media trends?

In interesting point that I was able to take from Mashable article was the idea that when Facebook was at its prime, and was beginning to be adopted by many, the demand for social media sites and outlets was high. We all had Myspace and then came along Facebook. What was going to be next? What indeed followed Facebook were social media sites that were one of the most ideal forms of target marketing. We saw social sites emerge that were simple, yet still specific to what Facebook tried to put all together in one outlet.  The article states that teens ages 14-18 have a low attention span and it is this point that could be why other social media sites are thriving among the teen demographic; they are most concentrated and focused on just one aspect. (Twitter- short tweets, Instagram- a photo)

About five years ago when Facebook was literally on the rise it was indeed common to say, “ There is no way I would accept my mom’s friend request” or “I don’t want my dad seeing what is on my wall”. Oh boy have times changed. In the year 2014 I think it is safe to say that many of us are not just friends with our parents on Facebook, but our grandparents!

In retrospect, I am up to date with the social media trends, however, I unlike my younger brother, was a bit more reluctant to let go of the site that started it all. I am present and active on almost every social media outlet; Twitter, Instagram, G+, Pinterest, Vine, Tumblr, Linked In and even Facebook.

While Mashable makes many valid points about the position teens have on Facebook and where the company may go from here, Facebook seems to be right on point in terms of their target and where they are headed. With stock prices for the company up 120% in the last six months it looks very hopeful. The proof of the shift in demographics for Facebook is valid, all the right people are actively participating in Facebook activities in order for it to continue to grow.

For The Love of A Macaron.

Oh for the love of a macaron. The week before Christmas I made a trip to Washington DC for my two year anniversary with my boyfriend, Taylor. It was a wonderful weekend of shopping, dining and celebrating two fabulous years together. While I enjoyed and loved all the extraordinary touches that Taylor made throughout my time in DC, I have to admit I was a genuine lover o a small and spontaneous mid-day date that he took me on.

The first day we spent together was a Thursday and we spent the entire afternoon on M Street in Georgetown.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the shopping and the lovely day we spent together, it was this afternoon date he planned that made it extra special.

Ironically, the past few weeks I have been talking about how excited I have been to try a macaron for the very first time. Thanks to my carefully manipulated Instagram following, macarons are posted almost daily on my feed and I have heard so much about how delicious they are.  So, of course, I was eager to try one.

Expecting nothing less, Taylor, who is always listening to me, even when I think he isn’t,  took note and bought me my very first macaron to enjoy with him.

Olivia Macaron is a small shop in an alley right off M Street in Georgetown. We purchased a dozen, from vanilla, chocolate mint, gingerbread, chocolate, and my favorite, cassis.  I indulged in the dedicate cassis and Taylor, what seemed to be a seasonal favorite, gingerbread. Both were to die for and boy was I truly missing out! They really are all that they were talked up to be and were precisely the perfect size.

While the taste and texture made the bite size treat scrumptious, it was the special date and time that Taylor and I spent together that made this break in our day a memory I will never forget. Not to mention a splendid way to discover my new favorite sweet treat!