Nuts for DoNuts! In search of Las Vegas’ best donuts.
Now in the spirit of the new year and in honor of our collective resolutions to eat better…to be better; I am going to take one for the team and taste test one of Vegas’ best doughnut shops…you are welcome!
Yes I wear glasses and no, I don’t have a lazy eye even though it looks like I do in this pic. Not that there is anything wrong with a lazy eye… oh never mind, lol
We will be taste testing donuts from Las Vegas Donut Bar. They are hugely popular in San Diego and now making waves in Las Vegas. They have great social media buzz; we are going to see what all the buzz is about and we’ll let you know if you should spend the calories and your hard earned cash there.
They are located at 124 S 6th St. #140, which is in the heart of downtown. Having been told that they open early and stay open until they run out of donuts, we made sure to get there early. We arrived and were busy eating before the crowds showed up, so yay us!
My brave volunteers tasters today are Lynn and Olivia.
Lynn and Olivia, up for the donut eating challenge!
Today’s special was a French toast donut and a grilled cheese donut. I am a lover of grilled cheeses, so I am currently kicking myself for not trying it, but it’s because I was swayed by the pretty colors and sprinkles of the other donuts.
(OK side note!! Canadians spell doughnut like this, not like “donut” this, lol. I am using the American spelling because I thought “DoNuts” in my title was cute and Las Vegas Donut Bar spell it “donut”. Now we can continue, just needed that out of the way, lol.)
Sooooo many choices
The staff were super friendly and welcoming; we chose three donuts and Olivia got one free, she’s just that cute.
We chose the unicorn donut…how could we not??? The strawberry shortcake and the crème brûlée, that’s the smaller one in bottom left, in the image above. BTW the crème brûlée donut is not baby sized, the strawberry shortcakes and unicorn donuts are just extra big. Olivia got the purple spider.
The reason why I didn’t get the grilled cheese donut was because I thought it would be too sweet. But their actual donut isn’t sweet, it’s very light and fluffy. Even though this donut was massive it didn’t feel heavy, the cream was light, the powdered sugar on top was really the only sweet thing. It was yummy! I should have tried the grilled cheese one though, not doing so is clearly a donut mistake! But the strawberry was delish, will just need to go back to try the grilled cheese.
Lynn’s crème brûlée donut had a hard sugar coating on top and a beautiful custard inside, mmm!
Olivia’s purple spider donut was a hit too. Her white shirt wasn’t so white when done, lol.
Being the team player that I am, I gave the unicorn a taste even though I was already full and found it fresh, light, fluffy and yummy!
We are giving Las Vegas Donut Bar, 4 Timbits out of 5! Which is an amazing score, my Canadian friends will get the reference, lol. Their store was clean, staff friendly and the donuts looked and tasted expensive and bougie, but we’re very reasonably priced.
If you are a local, give them a try; if visiting from away, check them out!! They would probably be great after a festive night of out…if you know what I mean?
If anyone knows of another donut hot spots in Vegas that I should try, let me know! And let me know what your favorite flavor is?
Thanks for reading!! Be sweet and share or like…do you!! lol
I picked this as my main image because I think it gives off a cool Flight Attendant vibe. lol
Since I fly the “friendly” skies…a lot; I thought I would share some of the things I have discovered over the years that make flying a bit more enjoyable. I am also friends with a lot of frequent flyers and have added some of their helpful hints in this post too.
Full disclosure, I usually check my suitcase because I hate lugging too many things around. And my #1 traveling pet peeve are those people who try to shove their too big carry on suitcases in the overhead compartment….you know who you are!! But I did recently go to Paris for a week with just a carry on. I will share my carry on suitcase packing tips in a future post.
Here’s what I pack in my bag.
The Bag
I have spent a small fortune so far in search of the perfect carry on bag. Some come close, but none are perfect; I feel that I could probably design the perfect carry on bag at this point.
The most important thing I look for are enough pockets and dividers…oh and it needs to have a zipper! You don’t want to lose your stuff under the seat in front of you, trust me.
This is my latest bag, it’s stylish and pretty functional. One thing that is missing is a slit on the back that you can slide over the handle of your suitcase. I have found bags with such a slit, but they didn’t have all the compartments and zippers I like. So it’s not perfect, but it comes pretty close…for now.
Oh fun fact, I bought a super duper expensive red designer leather tote bag that I thought would be so chic for flying; it turned out to be the worst!! This red canvas bag above was $49; so the cost of the bag doesn’t always reflect its level of functionality.
My secret weapon
It’s super important that your bag is organized. Unless you fly first class, you will find that there is zero room for error in the limited leg room space available to you. My secret to keeping my bag organized is Ziploc bags!!
I use the bigger freezer bags and sandwich sized bags; you can buy fancy bags, but really why would you? Lol
Baby It’s Cold On Board!
I dress in layers, because I guarantee that you will be hot and then cold at some point during your flight.
I keep a pair of fuzzy socks and a wrap in my bag.
Added a cute sleep mask for red eye flights.
Here is a helpful hint; don’t wear flip flops on a plane, even in the summer! Your feet will freeze once you get in the air, especially if you have the window seat. Having cold feet is the worst, that’s why I keep a pair of comfy socks in my bag.
For really long flights, I take my shoes off and put my extra pair of socks on. The floors in airplanes are filthy BTW, so if you do put your socks on during the flight. Zip them back up in your baggie and wash them when you get home.
And if you go to the washroom, put your shoes back on!! One of my flight attendant friends shared, that if the floor is wet it isn’t water!!!!
Here is another helpful hint from another flight attendant friend; if you would wear an outfit to a club, then it’s not a good flying outfit!! I now live in Las Vegas and I see so many people boarding flights to Vegas in shorts and tank tops. It gets cold at 42,000 feet in the air, put some clothes on!!
I always, always travel with a stylish wrap that I use as a blanket. And guess what, if you get cold in your short shorts, I’m not sharing my blanket!! Sorry…not sorry.
These all fit in a freezer size bag.
Let me entertain you!
Don’t count on the airlines to keep you entertained, I have been on flights where the entertainment systems are down. Here are my go to items:
iPad or tablet and make certain to download your new fav Netflix shows or e-books
charger, for long flights you may need to juice up your phone or tablet. Some flights don’t have charging plugs on board…Air Canada Rouge I am talking to you; so I bring my own charger (not to self, make sure your charger is charged!)
headphones, I keep a pair in my bag at all times. I once spent $38 at the airport for ear buds because I forgot mine.
Book or magazine, sometimes it’s good to kick it old school. You never know if you are going to be delayed or stuck on the runway for hours. Having a low tech options is a smart idea.
I upgraded from my plastic bag to this mess bag for my charger and cords.
In case of emergencies
My emergency stash is kept in a surprise, surprise, plastic baggie, lol. Having things in clear bags helps when you need to find something.
You really don’t want to have to buy stuff at the airport, it’s so expensive. Customize your items accordingly. I keep my emergency baggie in my travel bag at all times, I don’t unpack it; just remember to re-stock after each trip if needed.
It’s amazing what you can fit into a sandwich size bag. Take your pills out of the boxes, you will be able to fit more stuff.
band aids: I keep a variety of different sizes
lady things: tampons & pads
hand wipes
pills, pills, pills: Ibuprofen, something for cold and flu, a decongestant, Imodium and Benadryl are part of my stash.
Don’t get me hangry!
I always bring my own snacks, not that those buttery mini pretzels aren’t amazing! lol. Here is what I normally carry:
Water, I buy a bottle once through security. I don’t drink the water on the plane if I can help it. On bigger planes the water comes from a big holding tank. I actually don’t drink anything once on board except for my bottled water.
Something sweet and something salty is a must.
My new thing is brie, grapes and crackers, so yummy.
You’re So Vain
My vanity in a baggie includes a lip gloss, lipstick, hand cream and pressed powder. Keep in mind that the air on airplanes is very dry, so lotion up! Pack these in an easy access pocket so you can whip them out quickly when you go through security. Anything in a liquid form needs to fit in a small see through bag and be taken out of your carry on when you go through security…still.
Added floss, nail files and hair ties just in case.
Your Papers
I saved the most important for last. Don’t forget your Passport/ID! You won’t get far without them. You need a cute holder that can hold your passport and your travel loyalty cards. Keep your passport holder in it’s very own special zipper pocket!!
I make certain to zip them back up as soon as I am done flashing them. You don’t want them free balling around in your bag. And trust me, there is nothing that will make you freak out faster than not being able to find your passport in your bag.
Having things bagged and not roaming lose in your bag will help keep you on schedule!!
My #1 Fav Thing!
This is my #1 favorite find that I don’t leave home without; it’s a 10’ charger cord. Why? Because when your phone is charging at night and you are in bed and want to be on your phone surfing, you can, even if the plug is like 8′ away! Hey small things make me happy, what can I say? Oh and it’s rose gold; functional and pretty.
Next!
I am working on a funny post called Airport Chic or Airport Shock; I will have pictures of cute airport outfits and not so cute get ups. Stay tuned for that one.
Thanks!
Thanks for reading all the way to the end. Is there anything that you always travel with that I didn’t mention? Do you have any personal pet traveling peeves? Please share!
Bon voyage! Muah!
Liette
Fun fact this pic was taken in a bus not an airplane, lol. Did anyone notice before I pointed it out??
A Mad for Plaid Christmas! Easy tips on how to pull off a plaid theme!!
This year I decided that it would be fun if our Christmas Eve Dinner had a theme; and since plaid seems to be the latest new hip trend, why not make it a plaid theme? If you are Canadian, it’s been hip forever, lol; plaid and Christmas are a natural fit so I thought it would be easy to pull off.
I did find that finding the perfect plaid item to wear was, well hard to find, lol. What I envisioned wearing wasn’t available at the local mall and I waited too long to order something online. But I am no quitter! Plus all but my guests are pumped and on board; so full steam ahead with my Mad for Plaid theme!
What to wear?
This was my initial vision…yeah, I didn’t find anything this chic!! 😳
Can you have a plaid theme dinner without asking your guest to dress up? Probably, will it be as fun? No! No, it won’t. (teasing, feel free to skip to my pictures of plaid dinner table ideas if you don’t want to deal with my plaid shenanigans)
My Christmas Eve guests have been asked to wear some sort of plaid. I left it open to interpretation; I am looking forward to seeing everyone plaided up! (yes I know plaided isn’t a real word, but it should be!).
I finally found something I like, it’s a beautiful red and black plaid shawl that I will for sure wear again; it’s basically a huge blanket. My mom has a funky pair of red plaid pants that I am sort of lusting after. She’s the most stylish woman I know! My dad will wear a red and black buffalo pattern shirt so he and I will match.
This would have also worked; there is nothing more Canadian than plaid and jean on jean, right?!
Decor
When it comes to decor, concentrate on your dinner table. I always make that my focal point. I think most people associate plaid with rustic and homey comfort; I personally think of a tall rugged Canadian lumberjack named Alex or Jean-Guy…..lol, ok moving on; the point I was trying to make before I got distracted by visions of lumberjacks dancing in my head is that it’s so easy to pull off a plaid themed dinner table. All you need is a plaid tablecloth or piece of fabric, mason jars, pine cones and a pop of something green and red.
This was not a staged photo. This is a real live Canadian male wearing plaid, holding an axe, while standing in the snow, lol. Is he an actual lumberjack? Sure, why not? (No he isn’t).
Last year I filled mason jars with cranberries and floating candles. Some green branches, fairy lights and red balls. So easy, yet so pretty!!
We picked the pine cones ourselves; combined with the greenery my table smelled like Christmas!!I added a few shiny red balls.A few mason jars with cranberries and floating candles, instant cool mood lighting.This is my pallet for this year’s tables, i will add some greenery, floating candles and some mini lights. I think it’s going to look soooo pretty!
This year I will have gray and black table clothes with red napkins. I will repeat the other same items from last year; hey, if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it!
Pro Planner Tip
Here is a super helpful tip for any and all parties, big or small; the key to creating a cool vibe for your guests is lighting! So please dim the damn lights!!!
Light some candles or load up on fairy lights, nothing ruins the mood like bright overhead lights…you’re welcome!!
This is my cozy plaid wrap. Apparently this red and black pattern is called Buffalo… who knew? Photo creds to my nephew Jack!!
I wanted to post this before Christmas in case someone is looking for ideas on how to dress up their dinner table. I will share pictures of my Christmas Eve Dinner on my Facebook page, oui-liette.
Enjoy these last few days before the big day. I know they can be stressful; it may seem that everything I do has to be perfect. That’s actually not the case. I pre plan as much as I can and then the day of any of my personal parties or huge corporate events, I am pretty chill and roll with the punches. Don’t let the idea of perfection ruin the moment. Life is messy not perfect! Lol, enjoyez-vous!
At first glance this post looks like it’s about baking cookies; and it sort of is. But as you read you will discovered that it’s more about spending time with loved ones. That being said, these two recipes kick ass!!
Our 2017 cookie crew.
In this post I will share our grandmother DesRoches’ super simple and yummy Scotch Cookie recipe. Full disclosure, there is no Scotch in them; nor was she Scottish, lol.
We also always make peanut butter balls, they aren’t always pretty, but they are always super delish! I guarantee that you will love our balls. Scroll all the way down for both recipes.
Our two best ballers!!
This family cookie baking tradition started a few years ago. I invited all the ladies on my moms side of the family over on a Sunday afternoon to bake Christmas cookies; because baking cookies alone is depressing, so the more the merrier!
Now lots of people bake cookies during the holiday, which is awesome, but we had to take it to the next level. Because that’s what we do…ok, that’s what I do, but they always follow me willingly!
How do you take it to the next level? Matching aprons, that’s how. I had custom aprons made for all of us; and you can too! I think this was the key to making this an annual event; because now that we have aprons, like it or not, we are kinda committed.
Just a bunch of Ho! Ho! Ho’s!
Having matching aprons or hats will make you feel like team; I promise, you will have more fun if you match!
Our sassy aprons have our names on them, but you could also just do matching aprons. Or get blank ones at a craft store and bedazzle them. You have lots of apron options. I am used to ordering in bulk because of my job, but I also do it for my personal parties. I always use Kadopromo, if you are buying in bulk, go with a company who does this for a living, the prices are better!! They often have a minimum number of items you need to order in order to get the best price. Here is who I use, but the internet is full of suppliers, there is no excuse not to match! lol: https://kadopromo.net/
We must have been really good this year because Santa gave us an early Christmas gift, that will help us mix it up!! See below.
What you could do, is have a group fund, where everyone gives $20 and the head elf buys the group gift; either an apron or spatula? We have had our aprons for years now, we just order more as our family expands. It’s a one time expense, so it isn’t so bad at all.
We ordered monogrammed spatules from Kadopromo!! Full disclosure, Kadopromo are not paying me to promote them. I really do use them because they rock!!Ok now I am just showing off, look how pretty they are with their tiny bows!
For our cookie baking, each ma tante and cousine (aunts & cousin) bring an ingredient; it’s not fair to expect the hostess to provide all the ingredients. And don’t forget your empty container to bring some back home.
This is our official invitation for this year’s party. This may actually be our 4th event, not our 3rd? Oops!! Lol
We take lots of pictures, it’s fun to look back over the years. Because we are such a big family, some of us are scattered all over the place; it’s nice to have memories of those who can’t be with us this year.
We miss you Evangeline! We hope you are back for a Canadian Christmas next year!
Mémère DesRoches’ Scotch Cookies
Ingredients
2bls of Butter
1 cup of Brown Sugar
4 cups of Flour. Yup only 3 ingredients!!
Well 5 if you add the frosting and cherry for the tops.
Directions
Combine brown sugar and butter, mix till smooth and creamy.
Add flour
Once the mixture is creamy, make into small balls, a little bigger than a quarter. Take a fork and gently press them down (don’t smush, just lightly press so the fork leaves horizontal marks).
Bake 350F for 18 minutes
Add pre-made frosting, I like cream cheese, but you can do vanila.
Cut up bottled red cherries and place on top
EAT!
This is how they should look!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
1/2 cup of butter
2 cups peanut butter (creamy)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
3 cups or rice krispies
2 ounces of paraffin wax
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Melt butter and while it’s hot stir in the peanut butter
Mix well and add vanilla, powdered sugar and rice krispies
Melt chocolate chips and paraffin wax
Dip balls into melted chocolate
Cool on wax paper or parchment paper
Don’t forget the parchment paper!!Our 2018 crew of Ho! Ho! Ho’s! lol
Giving Thanks
I am thankful to you for reading and I am also so thankful for my family! There is something about belonging to a tribe that tightens around you in hard times and makes you laugh, but also let’s you cry if you need to! They say you can’t pick your family; if I could, I wouldn’t swap a single one!!!
So what is your ultimate Christmas cookie?
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you from me and the fam!!!
If you haven’t noticed yet I’m kind of into the color pink at the moment; it’s my second fav color, after black. If you think Christmas needs to be all about green and red, think again. Here are a few ways to go rogue and introduce another color to the holidays. I chose pink, but you can chose any color you like!!
Christmas Tree
You can go all the way or just some of the way, lol. Christmas trees are now available in lots of different colors. Here’s a small pink tree; I would put it in my bedroom…just because.
If an all pink three is a bit too much pinkyness; you could just do pink balls or a pink ribbon to your traditional green tree.
The tree above isn’t my tree…yet! But it will be, maybe next year? I am going to load up on pink balls after Christmas when everything is on sale.
I also love this wreath, again super simple; really love, love, love the pink and green!
Gifts Galore have this stunning pink and silver garland in their entrance. The metallic bells make it very rustic chic!!
BTW, Gifts Galore on Main St in Moncton, is the best pink store in town…ok, it may be the only pink store? Either way, you should check them out.
So this tree isn’t pink, but look how pretty it is against the pink window!!
I couldn’t resist taking a picture in front of Gift Galore’s pink door!!
Wrap It Up…in Pink!
I always try to pick a color or theme for my gift wrapping. Last year, everything had cute moose on them. This year I am using a touch of pink.
Pink can be cheesy, which isn’t necessarily bad, lol; but I think it can also be sophisticated. Here is my attempt at a bit of sophistication, lol.
I was inspired by the green tree in front of the pink door in the picture above.
For my wrapping paper, I went with brown craft paper from the Dollar Store. Instead of a store bought bows, I added some green Holley leaves and pink sparkly berries. I think these look cuter in person than in the pic.
I am also using hot pink tissue paper in my gift boxes and bags.
This is my way of keeping things fresh. I tend to change my Christmas color pallet every few years; but I always find a special place for my sentimental family favorites. Thanks for reading!! I hope your getting to enjoy the hustle and bustle of this time of year!!
I would like to know if you are you more of a Christmas traditionalist or do you like none-traditional colors?
Pink not your thing? What are your Christmas colors??
Muah! Merry Christmas!!! And Happy Holidays to all!
On an early…really early morning in October, my friend Sean and I ventured into the Las Vegas desert to take a few Christmas photos. Sean is a great landscape photographer and wanted to practice portraits. I needed a few shots for my upcoming Christmas card, so off we went. Here are some of the pics.
It’s always best to take pictures at dawn, dusk or when it’s overcast. Sean and I are both from the East Coast of Canada; we didn’t realize how quickly the sun rises in Vegas. Because Las Vegas is in a valley surrounded by mountains, the sun doesn’t slowly rise, it just pops up.
Sean wanted to try a few shots with the sunlight behind me. I clicked away with my iPhone while he set up.
The sun peaking out from behind me, makes me look like I am glowing…like an angel! lol. That’s not what he was looking for though.
This is the shot he was looking for. It looks like it was taken at sunset, but it was taken just a few minutes after the previous pictures above. I think it looks really cool! My head is blocking the sun, making the rest look dark. Well done Sean…well done, lol.
This is a classic Sean landscape shot. Different photographers have different ways of working. I am used to moving and the photographer taking shot after shot in quick succession. For most of these, I needed to stand still for longer periods of time…without talking, lol.
My prop for the day was a large Christmas wreath. I still think it’s odd that Christmas happens in places without snow…that seems very unnatural to me.
These shots in front of the Seven Magic Mountain sculptures were the first shots we took, before the sun popped up, hence no squinting and shadows. These sculptures are 15 minutes off the strip. There were two other photographers taking pictures while we were there. It’s a popular spot!
I have discovered that it’s hard to maintain a natural smile when standing still.
The picture below is of a Joshua trees; there are lots in and around Las Vegas.
Trying to be artistic with my wreath.
Here is Sean and his big lens! He now thinks he needs a new camera to go with his big zoom lens. I took all of these with my iPhone; not to brag, but I am a fairly good photographer as well, lol.
And that’s a wrap!! Thanks Sean!
I will use some of these pictures for future blog stuff. Just wanted to share.
Just a quick post to wish you all a Happy Halloween!!!
I hope you have had some spooky fun this month. If you haven’t, it’s not too late!! You still have a few days, so get cracking! Carve some pumpkins, make some scary cookies, dress up for a party, you really only live once…I think?
I didn’t exactly carve a pumpkin this year, but this works. We had our annual work pumpkin throw down.
My October has been very busy, but I got my spook on. I visited a Haunted Museum and survived zombies in Vegas. In Paris, I visited the Catacombs and saw lots of real skulls & bones…it was freaky. And today I went to see a ballet at the Smith Center in downtown Vegas. You’re probably wondering, what makes a ballet an acceptable Halloween themed activity? Well it was a Gothic ballet based on Dracula. Nothing screams Halloween more than skulls, zombies and Dracula!!
I am not a big ballet person, but when I saw this one was a Dracula theme, I knew I had to attend. It was beautiful! I loved it!
I am finishing off the month back in Canada; where I have a girls dinner party planned on the 30th. It’s a Trick or Treat theme, each person has been instructed to bring one gift and we will swap. I thought it would be fun, plus I love gifts, lol, giving and getting.
Then Trick or Treating on the 31st! Ok I may be too old for that? But I am certain I will find something to do.
For those who have read my October posts, I hope you were inspired to enjoy some fall fun.
The scariest thing is how quickly the month has flown by!!!
What’s next? Christmas!!!!! The only holiday that I love more than Halloween is Christmas; I have some fun posts coming up in November and December.
Thanks for reading friends!!!
Let me know if there is something you would like to see me write a post on or if you have any questions? I love hearing what you think.
