7am – Set up Time

Brett and my brother get there first, a little bit before 7am to start unloading everything and carrying it to our spot. There’s a lot of supplies! Then it’s time to pop up the tent and set up their station so they are are ready to start cooking when the timer starts.

8:30am – Time to Cook!

After the chef’s meeting, the Chili Cooks are off to the race to begin cooking their chili. It’s all cooked right there on site!

The kids came this year and they were so excited to help out. We came later and arrived around 9:30am to start setting up the table and display for handing out chili.

10am – Let the tasting begin!

By 10am in the morning, people are lining up, ready to get some chili tasting going! This chili cook-off competition raises funds for Kicking Kids’ Cancer Foundation and is hosted by such a great group of people that we’ve got to know throughout the years. We love contributing to this amazing cause!

Before we start serving, Brett gives everyone a taste of our masterpiece with a little run down about how to describe it to our guests. It was amazing!

11am – Judge Tasting Begins

By 11am, we need to turn in our chili to the judges for the official tasting. There are several ways you can win some hardware to take home, for ultimate bragging rights.

This chili competition awards the chefs’ for

• Traditional Red Chili (no beans or fillers)
• Homestyle Chili (anything goes)
• People’s Choice Chili (which is where the people vote on their favorite chili. When you purchase your ticket, you receive a coin, and this is what you use to vote on your favorites)

From then on, it’s serve up that chili to guests, and sell anything you can to raise money for the fundraiser. We usually sell candy, sodas, water and chips to help raise money.

In addition to the chili cook-off competition awards, there are some other super fun contests that we compete for. Rylee was such an amazing help when it came to the Fundraising Competition, and pretty much handled that piece all on her own! There’s also Best-Spirited Team, Best Decorated Booth, and a Cornhole Tournament that starts at 10:30am.

3pm – Awards ceremony

Then it’s time for the awards ceremony! We all gathered by the stage to listen to the announcers talk about the great fundraiser and how it helps children in our community. Once the votes were tallied it was time for the big moment!

And we crushed it! We were first called up for 2nd Place Team Spirit, which was such an amazing surprise! It really goes to show how our team impacts the experience and what an amazing team we have!

Then the big one came, and as they announced that “First Place for Homestyle Chili”, was “Brett’s Rockin’ Chili” we all screamed and cheered and went up to the stage for a second time. We were so excited.

Next came the People’s Choice, which we had won first in last year, and the announcer said, “It looks like a trifecta” as he called back up Brett’s Rockin’ Chili! We went up for a third time to accept the 2nd Place People’s Choice award!

I’m so proud of everyone who put their heart and soul into this competition, namely my brother, Will, who drove up from South Florida to be there and smoked a brisket, which is one of our show stopping ingredients. And of course my Husband, Brett, who always works so hard to perfect the recipe and make it better year after year, dedicating his own resources and time to make it a success.

And to our entire team who made it out there, Garret and Lindsey, who get there just as early to help cook the chili, Darius and Jessica who couldn’t have been more exciting to watch serve chili to our amazing guests, Ariana, Mari, Tony, Tiffany, Rand, Chris, Maggie, and everyone else to contributed to the fundraiser but couldn’t be there. Even Rylee and Reece played a part! All the effort and time we put into it really meant something and we couldn’t have done it without you!

The post What happens at a chili cook-off competition? appeared first on Jane Erica.

My brother came up Wednesday night in time to hang out with the family and play some board games. Which was so nice because usually he has to get in super late, so this was a fun treat to kick us off.

Thursday

Thursday started off with the curation of a delicious charcuterie board with the help of Rylee. The best cheese was the Cambozola we got from Costco. So delicious.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so throughout the day the kids played outside, we practiced our chipping in the backyard, helped cook and watched football.

We laughed at the dinner table at how long it takes to make Thanksgiving dinner and then how fast it goes when you eat it!

The food was so amazing this year it was the best! We played some more games with the family like Telestrations that the kids enjoyed, once we got the hang of it!

Friday

Friday was the girls’ day to hit the shops! We planned to go to the outlet mall, which was a huge mistake. It was just too crazy, we should have known.

So we went to the Mall at Millenia instead and it was way more enjoyable. It got busy later in the day, but we still had a blast.

We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I always used to love going there as a kid with my family and this was Rylee’s first time, so it was an experience.

Once we got home, the guys were still watching football, so we relaxed our feet, enjoyed some leftovers for dinner and laid low that evening.

Saturday

Brett and my brother, Will, had plans to golf Saturday morning, so they were off really early. Ariana and I decided to take the kids into town to walk the farmer’s market and hang out for a bit. And enjoy a delicious and spicy Bloody Mary.

We met everyone else down there for lunch before heading back home.

That night we planned to go see the new Hunger Games movie. And you know how obsessed I am about the Hunger Games series. I loved all three of Suzanne Collins’ books, but I have to say this storyline was so hard for me to get invested in. The story follows the villain President Snow’s backstory and how he came to be the president. But I think it missed the mark. I thought that the movie was going to be better, but it fell just as flat. Would love to hear your thoughts on this if you have an opinion!

Sunday

Sunday brunch is a tradition during Thanksgiving weekend, and it’s like the send off for Will and Ariana to head back home. We never want them to leave, but ending on a high note always helps. And this brunch was definitely a show stopper. We had brunch at The Boheme in downtown Orlando, and it was absolutely amazing. Our favorite items were the fresh crab legs and the dessert crepes. They were so delicious we had to go back for seconds.

We had such an amazing weekend with the family, one we’ll always remember. I love this time of year, not only is the food great, and the company even better, but it gives us time to slow down a bit and enjoy each other’s company. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! Share some of your favorites moments with me in the comments below!

The post Thanksgiving Recap 2023 appeared first on Jane Erica.

I started this bucket list last year on my 26th (woops typo—36th) birthday. It was originally supposed to be 36 things I wanted to do that year in honor of my age. So when my birthday came around this year, I was excited to see how much I was actually able to do, and how I was going to update it this year, which I finally got around to doing.

I was so excited to go through my list and realized I did a pretty awesome job, completing 16 things last year! It was a lot of fun reliving those experiences, so I decided to keep an ongoing bucket list, adding things and adjusting what I started last year. It’s a great way for me to keep track of some of the things I’ve been wanting to accomplish, and an opportunity to share those experiences here on the blog.

To check out what I completed on my 36th year bucket list, click here!

Bucket List

Here is what’s on this year’s list:

1. Go Skiing for the first time
2. Visit my brother’s new place
3. Take a trip to Charleston
4. Rent a house on the beach
5. Visit my cousins in GA
6. Start a book cub
7. Have a staycation
8. Try a new gym/workout
9. Go to the spa
10. Play mini golf with the family
11. Go to a concert with the kids
12. Watch live music at Lakeridge Winery (Clermont, FL)
13. Go to the beach
14. Go to the springs with the kids
15. Visit the Museum of illusions
16. Go to an event at Leu Gardens
17. Run in a race
18. Go to Gatorland
19. Play a round of golf
20. Take a tennis lesson
21. Have a date night during Magical Dining Month
22. Visit Southern Hill Farm
23. Feed the goats at Wildflower Farms
24. Spend a day without spending money
25. Visit Oakland Nature Preserve
26. Check out some stops on the Florida Murals Statewide Trail
27. Visit a new park like Water Front park in Clermont
28. Take a self defense class
29. Chaperone one of my kid’s field trips for the first time
30. Check out Boxi Park in Lake Nona
31. Take the kids to a Disney Water Park
32. Visit Universal Studios with the Kids
33. Go to brunch at The Hampton Social
34. Do an Escape Room
35. Renovate our Laundry Room + Pantry
36. Take Rylee on a shopping spree birthday party
37. Plan a staycation

The post 37 at 37 Bucket List appeared first on Jane Erica.

ATHLETA – Up to 60% off sales styles

Valid 11/21 through 11/23. You know I love Athleta, their leggins are my absolute fave. Here are some top items catching my eye this week:

MACY’S – Up to 70% off

On everything plus daily deals + extra 20% off with code BLKFRI. Valid 11/20 through 11/26. Great time to stock up on winter items for the kids.

WALMART – 40% off toys

Valid for a limited time. Seems like they have so many good deals coming up on electronics and kitchen too!

COLUMBIA – Up to 50% off doorbuster styles

Valid now through 11/29. So many cute winter styles for women.

TORY BURCH – 50% off sale styles

Valid 11/21 through 11/29. I have not seen this price on items like this except for at the outlet!

Those are my top, but these retailers have some good snags too if you can find them.

TARTE COSMETICS

30% off sitewide + free shipping with code CYBERSZN

Valid 11/20 through 11/27

NFL SHOP

Up to 65% off clearance + free shipping with code NFLFS29

Valid for a limited time

Other Notable Retailers

Other notable sales are below. Happy shopping!

The post Shop My Favorite Retailers Now with Early Black Friday Sales appeared first on Jane Erica.

I saw another blogger doing a blog post similar to this and it seemed like such a fun one, so I’m giving it a shot. It’s a currently things post and a quick rundown of what’s going on in our lives this month. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy it and I could keep it up every month.

Currently looking forward to.

We are so looking forward to this holiday season. We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house, just like every year, and we love having my brother and his girlfriend come up from South Florida to spend the holiday with us. We’re also really looking forward to our traditional Christmas, which we missed last year due to a positive case of covid in the family.

Currently planning.

I was trying to plan ahead this year for the family’s gifts and capitalizing on some deals for Black Friday. And it seems like I’m getting sucked into the shopping frenzy because I’ve been seeing all the early black friday ads on tv! But I do like having a plan going into the shopping season so I can stay focused and not get distracted buying things we really don’t need! Stay tuned for some updated gift guides for this year!

Currently excited about.

I have never done family photos before, and I finally pulled the trigger and found a photographer that I liked. My original time slot was on the beach a few weeks ago, but it got cancelled because of Hurricane Ian. Since then, we’ve also had another hit from Nicole and the beaches are not the same. I refused to get a refund after finally finding a photographer and making the commitment, so instead we decided to reschedule at a lake nearby for more of a field look, which I also really love. I’m really looking forward to finally getting professional photos taken of the family, and I’ll be sharing our experience on the blog for sure!

Currently talking about.

I can tell you right now that the kids are currently talking about pets. On the other hand, mom and dad are talking a lot about responsibility. Specifically about our children taking care of themselves before taking care of another living thing. There are a few things we definitely expect of them, like brushing their teeth in the morning without being asked, so we’ll see how they do with taking some of this on before asking for a pet. I just hope Reece realizes that Santa does not deliver animals under the tree.

Currently reading.

I just finished The Guest List by Lucy Foley and it was really good. I was recommended to read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides next, and it was interesting, but I guessed the ending. Ha! My next book is in the mail from the library and I am really looking forward to it because it’s a new book from an author that I fell in love with this year—reading almost all of her books within a couple months! It’s called Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. I’m so excited to get it!

Currently thinking about.

This month I got to spend some real quality time with both of the kids and I can’t stop smiling thinking about it. We went to our first school-hosted mother and son dance and Reece and I spent the whole night together. It even spread into the next morning when we went on a morning bike ride into town for coffees and bagels.

And I took Rylee to her first concert ever to see the All-American Rejects at Hard Rock Live. She had such a blast and I had so much fun just watching her jam out. She’s a rockstar!

I absolutely love spending time with the kids individually. They are so different when they are not together and I really get a chance to know them even deeper and enjoy their personalities so much.

Currently working out at.

I’m still working out at HitFit, but recently found out that Crooked Can has brought back their Yoga and Beer event on the lawn every third Sunday of the month. It’s $20 for an hour long yoga class hosted by Central Florida Power Yoga, and a beer from the Can. I’m looking forward to going again next weekend! It’s a nice switch up from the usual and last month I walked there while reading my book for some extra me time. I might do that again this time, if my book gets here in time, otherwise I’ll pick up the cardio and take a run into town.

Currently listening to.

Ever since the When We Were Young Festival, my love for punk rock music has been revived! Part of the reason I went to go see the AAR again here in Orlando. I’ve been loving this Alternative channel on Spotify and been going back to the 2000’s punk rock bands that we used to listen to, plus some I’ve never heard before. So much fun!

Currently in my shopping cart.

Currently in my shopping cart are some refills for some of my fav products, including MyChelle tinted liquid SPF, Garden of Life Probiotics and BeautyCounter Serum. And this cute Plaid Flannel Jacket from Amazon.

This post was so much fun! I hope you enjoyed this currently in November blog post. Thank you for stopping by!

The post Currently this month: November 2022 appeared first on Jane Erica.

There is one good thing about getting older. Getting wiser. I was getting ready the other day, and starting thinking about what it was like in my twenties, versus now in my thirties, and there were some really funny differences. I thought I’d share my thoughts and get some of your opinions as well! Check out some things we do in our thirties that we didn’t do in our twenties:

Things we do in our thirties that we didn’t do in our twenties

Save money. Or at least spend it on beauty products rather than “club” clothes at Forever 21.

Order a great drink at the bar. Versus the cheapest, house liquor special. We enjoy one great $12 glass of wine much more.

ID’d. Nowadays, we’re actually bummed when we’re not carded.

Travel Splurges. When it comes to flights, we will pay more for direct flights at reasonable times.

Drinking prep. We start thinking about our hangover before we start drinking.

Shorter workouts. We spend 20-30 minutes at the gym instead of an hour and a half.

Night owls. We enjoy a night in more than a night out.

Weekend plans. Usually spent at a kid’s birthday or a baby shower.

Assistance please. We learned that tipping the bellman is actually a great idea.

Day drinking is where it’s at. We are in bed by 10pm.

Feeling it. We groan and say “I’m getting old” every time we stand up from tying our kid’s shoes.

We know what we want and how to get it. We’ve learned what we like, and what we don’t. We don’t give into the pressure of trying to be like someone else. We’ve learned who we are and who are friends are. We’re in our prime, baby.

Looking back at my twenties, it was great. But I’ve learned so much since then, and it’s been a trip! These kids also teach me so much everyday. There is so much more excitement to come and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

What’s something you remember doing in your twenties? What do you do now? Would love to hear from you in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this, stick around and check out some recent posts below:

• Fab Five Friday #99
• How This Simple Phone Contract for Kids Saved Our Sanity as Parents
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• Fab Five Friday #98
• Factor vs. Nutré: Here’s My Honest Take on the Best Meal Delivery Service

The post Things we do in our thirties that we didn’t do in our twenties appeared first on Jane Erica.

Every year we get a little bit older, and now that I’m in my 30’s, it’s not the most exciting part of the day. But I came across a super fun idea from Valerie at Wellness and Wanderlust for a birthday bucket list and loved it.

What a great way to make the year more exciting and adventurous by thinking of some fun things to do throughout the year. 36 things to be exact. I know this is a lot for a year, and I’m not going to put any pressure on myself to accomplish every single thing, but it’s really exciting that I have a full list of ideas of things I have always wanted to do when I am feeling a little lost or stir crazy. I’m going to use this throughout the year whenever I ask myself, “What should we do this weekend?”

So in honor of my birthday month, here is my 36 for year 36 bucket list.

1. Visit the LunaSea Alpaca Farm (Clermont, FL)
2. Watch live music at Lakeridge Winery (Clermont, FL)
3. Take a dance class
4. Go to the beach
5. Go to the springs with the kids
6. Go to a hockey game with the kids
7. Visit the Museum of illusions
8. Visit the Pirate Museum in St. Augustine
9. Take a Ballroom Dancing Class
10. Go to an event at Leu Gardens
11. Take the kids to the Orlando Science Center
12. Run in a race
13. Plan my annual girls trip
14. Take the kids on a cruise
15. Go to Gatorland
16. Play a round of golf
17. Take a tennis lesson
18. Make up for Anniversary trip last year
19. Have a date night during Magical Dining Month
20. Have a staycation
21. Visit Southern Hill Farm
22. Feed the goats at Wildflower Farms
23. Visit Farmer’s Market during Arts in April in Winter Garden
24. Check out the Chalk It Up art contest
25. Take family photos
26. Run in a race with the Kids
27. Participate in the Golf Cart Parade in Winter Garden
28. Try a new restaurant in town
29. Spend a day without spending money
30. Try a new fitness class
31. Visit Oakland Nature Preserve
32. Go to more concerts
33. Check out some stops on the Florida Murals Statewide Trail
34. Take a boat ride with the kids
35. Visit a new park like Water Front park in Clermont
36. Take a self defense class

Follow along with me as I progress on my bucket list here.

What’s on your bucket list this year?

The post 36 at 36 Bucket List appeared first on Jane Erica.

Not only did we compete in the chili cook-off, but our team rallied together to participate in the fundraising competition as well. We sold items at our booth like to raise money for AdventHealth for Children Pediatric Oncology—the main reason for this amazing event.

Florida Chili Cook-off Team

Thankfully the sun was shining so brightly, with not a cloud in the sky. And that made the cold not so bad. Especially with a spoonful of chili just an inch away.

My brother has a competitive spirit and loves to cook, so he came up from South Florida to be a part of the fun. And he smoked a delicious brisket to the top off our chili—one of our special ingredients.

The guys got to the park super early to prep and start cooking the chili right on site. And Ariana and I met them there after I got the kids settled at home with my parents. We finished setting up the booth and got ready to serve to the hungry patrons.

Trending

Dunedin Family Weekend

Let the Competition Begin

When it was time to serve, we had such an amazing team helping with everything. We figured out the assembly line so we could serve hot and fresh chili every time, with all the toppings—smoked brisket, fritos and a homemade cilantro crema. It was an impressive team effort.

We were rocking Brett’s Rockin’ Chili and everyone knew exactly what to do, from refilling the crockpots with fresh chili, adding the toppings, selling items and cheering on the team.

It was so amazing every time someone voted for our chili as their favorite by giving us their token they received as part of the entry fee.

Everyone would cheer and make noise, and it made the experience so much fun!

We were almost out of brisket when they came around to collect our tokens and money raised. But more and more people kept coming back to our booth to give us their tokens. So we had to run up several times to the judges to hand them in, which was such a rush of adrenaline.

Then, it was time to head down to the stage as a team and wait for the awards ceremony in anxious anticipation.

Awards Ceremony

When they called our name for second place in fundraising, we were thrilled! We all went up to accept our trophy from Knightro and could not stop smiling.

After they announced the judges top three picks for Red Chili and Homestyle Chili, neither of which we placed, we weren’t sure if we’d place for People’s Choice—which was best overall chili voted by all the attendees of the event.

Finally, they called the winner of First Place People’s Choice… and we were all so surprised and honored to hear, “Brett’s Rockin’ Chili!”

What an amazing feeling it was to win First Place! Now we must know how Tom Brady feels when he wins the Super Bowl. All that hard work and team work that makes it happen.

My brother is the best. When he saw the first place trophy, looking like a perfect vessel for a Busch Light, he decided to chug one out of the trophy. It was hilarious and the perfect ending to the perfect Florida chili cookoff.

Follow the Fire in the Park Chili Cook Off to Cure on Facebook to learn more about the event, who it benefits, and updates for next year’s events. You know we’ll be there defending our First Place title!

The post The Perfect Day for a Florida Chili Cook-off appeared first on Jane Erica.