All posts by Beth Berger

About Beth Berger

Hi there! Finding Delight is a lifestyle and lifelong learning blog written and curated by me in Alabama. Along the way, I attempt to tackle the rough real world with books, budget-livin', brainpower and all the beautiful stuff you can find when you really look. Won't you join me? The true delight is in the finding out. View all posts by Beth Berger →

Shopping my closet!

September 28, 2015Fashion, Style and Designaccessories, clothes, dressing for normal, outfits, playing dress up, simple lookbook, style rut, wardrobeBeth Berger

There’s a few reasons I’ve felt less than inspired by clothes the last month. 1) I’ve been working from home. 2) Florida is HOTTTT! The less clothes the better, HEY-OOO! 3) Buying a bunch of new pieces really hasn’t been in my budget. So, just for fun I decided to have a nose-around through the ol’ closet and dresser drawers and see if I could come up with a few outfits to be excited about. My goal was to put together 4 looks for ME. 4 looks that would meet my day-to-day needs, so I’ll actually wear them, and made up of 4 components, so I can get out of the shorts + top look I’ve been over-wearing as of late. I’m not saying these ensembles are on trend by any means or advocating for you to replicate them. (I realize it’s actually Fall in MOST of the U.S. and not a million degrees like these pieces would have you believe, lol.) However! I DO recommend a rifle through clothes you already own if you’re stuck in a bit of style rut. You no doubt have WAY more options than you think. And if nothing else, it’s kinda fun to play dress-up!

Look #1

: graphic tee + floral skirt + strappy sandals + bangles

Look #2

stripes + denim shorts + long necklace + silver slides

Look #3

chambray dress + grey sneakers + colorful bag + classic watch

Look #4

: plaid + cuffed jeans + black handbag + dainty necklace; Whatcha think? Do you suffer from wardrobe boredom? How do you usually curtail the symptoms? Do you go on a shopping spree? Turn to Pinterest? Let me know!

8 tips for settling into a new home.

September 25, 2015How to'sapartment life, decorating, life stressors, moving house, organizing, take gentle care, tips and tricks, turning a house into a homeBeth Berger

8 tips for settling into a new home

At this stage of my life, I’m a veteran of the whole moving thing. I’ve moved around from crappy apartments to shared homes. From house-sitting gigs to back home with my mom. From sketchy neighborhoods to enviable ones. I’ve been moving, like a lot of folks in my peer group, for all my adult life.

Over the years, my approach to these moves has varied. There were times I left boxes packed, stacks of possessions strewn about with no dedicated area to call their home for the whole span of my lease. Moves met with detailed sketches of furniture floor plans drawn days before the moving truck showed up. Houses left stark and undecorated. Apartments with pieces of art hung on every wall.

It’s easy to forget that moving to a new home is actually considered one of the top life-stressors that can trigger anxiety. With this in mind, I knew for my most recent move I wanted to take gentle care and a few precautions for settling into our new home with ease. Here are a few of the things I learned during the process of making our new house a HOME…

home collage 1

1. Start with the bathroom. There’s no way you can get your house looking exactly as you want it in 24 hours. There’s furniture to fuss with, frames to hang, and no doubt some bits and bobs need to be bought. However, getting one room to completion can boost your morale! You’ll no doubt need to *ahem* use your bathroom right from the start. So, focus your first purchasing and decorating efforts here. Once we arrived in Miami I immediately purchased a new shower curtain, bath mat, and waste-basket. My mom mailed me a bright new set of towels as a house-warming present. I then arranged all my necessities on the sink vanity and bingo-bango my bathroom was done!

2. Focus on areas where you’ll spend the most time. After the bathroom, direct your next efforts on the spots in your home that will see the most use. The bed is an easy one. Set it up. Make it! But maybe the rest of your bedroom isn’t as much a priority right now. Is sitting down to a table for dinner important to you? Need a cozy nook for knitting? Maybe you’re a fashion blogger who needs an organized closet and a full length mirror. For us, home work spaces were top of the list. We brought a lot of the necessities, furniture-wise, with us. Think: bed and kitchen table. But no desks. We focused our early attentions on these areas because, not only do we spend a lot of time at our computers, our jobs depend on it.

3. Cook dinner at home. It can be REALLY tempting while you’re in transition to eat out at restaurants a whole bunch. Resist the urge!!! Knowing you need to cook your own meals will force you to unpack those boxes of pots & pans and utensils, get them washed, and up in the cupboards. No need to reinvent the wheel. No shame if you must balance your plate on a moving box for a picnic on the floor. Focus on simple ingredients that come together easily. Nothing feels like home quite like where the FOOD is. Especially when that food is chicken soup, meatloaf, taco bowls, or spaghetti. *get in my belly*

4. Give everything a proper place. The sooner you start unpacking all the, what I call- littles, the sooner you’ll be able to start chucking cardboard boxes in the dumpster. The sooner you start chucking cardboard boxes in the dumpster, the sooner you’ll start to feel like you don’t LIVE in a dumpster. Plan your storage solutions and start putting them to use. Stack your towels and extra bed sheets in the linen closet. Stow your basket of hair items in the cabinet under the sink. Put your vitamins in a neat little row in the medicine cabinet. And place your spatulas, spoons, and tongs in a kitchen drawer. Now I know, moving is EXPENSIVE. There may be furniture pieces you can’t buy right away; like a chest of drawers or your desk or TV stand. There may be littles that need to get tucked away into one of these eventual purchases. If that’s the case, stack them where you intend the new piece to go. They can hang out for awhile until you get the funds!

5. Let go of what doesn’t work. Sometimes you cart an item over MANY state lines only to realize it doesn’t have a place in your new abode. Chuck it! (Like donate it or give it to someone who might be able to use it.) I brought along an over the door shoe rack with me to Miami that I’ve had since my VERY first apartment only to find out my closet closed by way of a pocket door. I’m not gonna hold onto the shoe rack for potentially years just because SOME DAY I might be able to use it again. It was time to let it go.

6. Shop your belongings before shopping a store. This is where you can start to get creative! Just because you used something one way at your old home doesn’t mean you need to replicate in your new home. Perhaps something is better fitted to a different room’s decor this time. Maybe that nightstand needs to take on a new life as a TV stand. Perhaps your cute coat hooks can become a place to hang pot holders by the stove. My old bathroom (straight out of the 50’s) had one of those built in toothbrush holders by the sink. Here, not so much. Not to worry. I dug out a gorgeous pottery cup that held fake flowers in my past living room and put it to work doing its new job.

7. Invest in consumables. I’m of the belief that unless you’re a MILLIONAIRE you should go about decorating and furnishing your home slowly. If not, you’ll blink and whoops your house looks fantastic but you’re flat broke. Find other (read: cheaper) ways to beautify your place through investing in meaningful consumables. Think: candles, fresh flowers, post cards, even STRIPEY STRAWS! They’ll make your home pretty without breaking the bank.

8. Create simple routines around doing things that make you happy. Once you start developing sweet rituals inside your new homestead it will be that much easier to associate what started out as some walls, windows, and a front door into a place you associate with comfort, family, and joy. For me this means; reading a chapter of a book each night after dinner, unrolling my yoga mat during breaks from work, and splashing around in the pool in the late afternoon each weekend. Your house will definitely feel like home in those moments you find time to do the things you love.

Anything you’d add to the list? Leave it below…

Let the sunshine in!

September 24, 2015Every day lifeautumn rainstorms, candle addict, glow, happiness advice, music, sunshine, tips and tricks, yogaBeth Berger

I’ve always associated thunderstorms with Autumn. Even though the sunlight casts a beautiful, warm hue in September and the temperature gives a reprieve, there’s always that looming possibility of a dark cloud rolling in. Never has this been more true than in South Florida. Out of no where the sky turns black as night and the cracks of thunder shake the furniture. Suddenly my sunny, cheerful, and PRODUCTIVE day comes to screeching halt. I’m all like, “Oh don’t mind me just gonna put my comfies back on at 2 in the afternoon. I’ll be in my bed watching YouTube videos on my laptop for the next 8 hours if anyone needs me! K, thanks!” Gloomy weather, dark skies, no chance of popping outside for a breath of fresh air to clear your head…it can be daunting. The only way through it – is to combat it! You’ve gotta radiate from within! This is when the idea of creating your OWN sunshine really rings true.

I’ve developed some tricks for creating my own sunshine. Of course, I love rolling out my mat and busting out a few yoga poses. I find heart-openers to be especially helpful on gloomy days. It’s almost like you can feel sunbeams shooting right out of your chest! I also enjoy going upside down. Something about all that blood flow to my brain gets me back in a creative and productive mood. Grabbing a little snack is another go-to. Lately, Chet and I have been having a goldfish cracker moment which always takes me back to Vacation Bible School days. And I can’t get enough of those cotton candy grapes. Grabbing a handful of either of these snacks puts an instant smile on my face. I also welcome other’s cheery dispositions to brighten my day by calling a friend or family member. There’s always the promise of an inside joke on the other end of the line. Finally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE lighting candles. My current favorites include Pomelo Paradise triple-wick from Bath & Body Works and the gorgeous new marble line from Target. Sunshine success!!!

But these tactics may not work forever, dear reader, so I’d love to know…How do YOU create sunshine? How do you turn the tables on Mother Nature?

Of course, you could always just listen to this song –

(Top image via here.)

mid-week round-up

September 23, 2015Wednesday Linkscooking, debate, education, history, instagram, interior design, made me laugh, millennial food waste movement, news, opinions, round-up, simple wedding ceremony, sports, television, tiny home, useful infoBeth Berger

What are you up to, my loves? This past weekend Chet and I explored Coconut Grove. The temperature felt quite mild due to it’s proximity to the water but the humidity was still as gnarly and tropical as ever! Chet vlogged the whole adventure if you’d like to take a look HERE. Yesterday was a really productive day for me job-wise and I hope that work flow continues the rest of the week. I think this was due in large part to Chet fixing our internet which had been super spotty and annoying for the last week. Finally, we watched the movie Faults last night. Have you seen it? I love anything about cults so I was a huge fan. Have a great week, guys! And here’s a little reading material…

An adorable storage container cabin.

The secret to a perfectly fried egg.

What’s going on beyond the crop?

My gut reaction to refugees being housed on the grounds of former concentration camp, Dachau, was horror, but now I’m not sure. Thoughts?

Don’t waste it, plate it!

An unlikely debate round.

This historian couple loved the Victorian Era so much they decided to live in it.

The changes one middle school classroom has made since implementing Common Core. Sounds awesome to me but I know Common Core has been quite divisive.

OMG. Wedding goals.

Jimmy Carter on the kiss cam (!) at a recent Braves game.

Is nursing a talent? HECK YES!

Why is reality TV experiencing a boom in blurred genitalia?

An Afternoon of Art – Frost Art Museum

September 21, 2015Every day life, Style and Designart, art exhibits, college campus, Cuban artist, Cultural Enrichment Saturday, FIU, Florida, free activities, free entrance, Miami, museum, paintings, The EvergladesBeth Berger

Just because Chet works at Florida International University doesn’t mean we can’t play there too! Universities and colleges are a great resource for finding fun (and usually affordable) experiences and activities. On a recent rainy afternoon we headed to campus to check out the Frost Art Museum. There was no entrance fee and the staff at the desk explained what exhibits were up and where they were located within the museum. We set off down the hallway and were greeted by this installation by Pawel Nowak featuring Polish passport photos.

Upstairs were the main exhibits. The rooms were gorgeously kept, with shiny wooden floors and the occasional skylight letting in peaks of natural light, and the art expertly displayed. Here’s what we saw —

Cartographies of Water by Rufina Santana

Santana’s art was deeply inspired by her homeland–The Canary Islands. The rugged volcanic rock shaping the islands, the exotic plant life, and of course the ocean are all expertly depicted in her work. It’s the endlessness of the sea, she says, which captivates her imagination. Just like a wide stretch of dark ocean waters, the paintings felt bold and expansive while also fearless.

There Are No Other Everglades in the World by Jim Couper

Couper’s paintings highlight the characteristics unique to the Everglades, a distinct and fragile environment located no where else in the world. He utilizes a bright palette of colors to play with the various ways the sub-tropical light changes and transforms the magnificent waters. His brushstrokes reminded me of an Impressionist painter’s, like Claude Monet. I found myself wanting to jump into the canvas and live in one of these serene waterscapes.

Green Machine by Carlos Luna

Luna is one of the foremost contemporary Cuban artists. He represents a generation of Cubans who embrace their heritage but also reinvent and adapt themselves to new trends and techniques. The exhibit featured a multitude of artistic media styles, including; painted canvas, mixed media work on paper, ceramics, and fine art tapestries. Luna is clearly a multi-talented artist. Working in Puebla, Mexico for 13 years after leaving Cuba, Luna now resides in Miami, and it was interesting to see the strong influences of those three places coalescing in his various pieces.

Behind the museum is a lovely little lake watched over by this guy. Oh, Florida!

We topped off our afternoon with iced coffees and a stroll through campus. The student union was buzzing with weekend activity. The space between buildings is full of great outdoor seating, including some contraptions which I feel are called gondolas but I really have no idea if they have a name. They’re essentially a picnic table…with a canopy for shade…and the whole thing swings back and forth. I. Want. One. Anywho, I can’t wait to go back to the museum as the exhibits change over the coming months! And I’m excited to discover what else FIU has to offer us. Perhaps a dance performance or a concert!?

Do you scope out activities at your local college campus? Would you? Do you have a favorite art museum? Let me know in the comments below!

Recipe: No-Boil Pasta Bake

September 18, 2015Foodbatch cooking, dinner tonight, Italian night, no boil, noodles, pasta, simple dinner dishes, use up leftoversBeth Berger

It may not look like much but if you’re looking for a ridiculously easy dinner recipe that will allow you to tastily use up some leftovers, this one is for you. How easy? You don’t even have to BOIL the pasta. Just chuck a baking dish in the oven and you’ll be gobbling up some tasty noodles in less than an hour. Now I mentioned using leftovers….this bake can be customized based on what’s been hanging out in your fridge for too long. Got any cooked or roasted veggies from earlier in the week? Toss ’em in! I added in some leftover roasted sweet potatoes (delicious!) but I would love to try it with broccoli. You can also mix in fresh greens that may be soon to go off. Think: those big bags of spinach and kale that you always promise yourself you’ll go through before they go bad but never do. The finished product reminded me of the made-to-order pasta we used to get in the “Pasta Line” at Western Kentucky University. They would always have the most random vegetable additions on deck and once your dish was complete the ladies working the station would bark “Which cheese?” All of them. Give me allll of the cheese.

What you’ll need…

– 1 jar (24 oz) of pasta sauce

– 1 box (12 oz) of medium sized noodles (like rigatoni, penne, or rotini)

– 24 oz water

– 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

– Basil and oregano, to taste

– Any roasted veggies or fresh greens you have on hand, 1-2 cups

and how it all comes together…

– Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

– Combine uncooked pasta, tomato sauce, water, seasonings, and leftover veggies in a large bowl.

– Grease a large casserole dish (9 x 13) or 2 small baking dishes (6 x 6). Note: I know those 2 dimensions don’t seem to add up but I’ve found they both work for these ingredient amounts so I’m goin’ with it. If you’re cooking for 1 or 2, I recommend using the 2 smaller dishes as you can eat one and save one for later. Feed that freezer!

– Pour your pasta mixture into greased baking pans.

– Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

– Uncover and give everything a good stir. Top with the mozzarella cheese and throw it back in the oven (uncovered) for another 10 minutes or until the cheese looks ooey-gooey!

– Add Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to serve.

BRB, off to heat up some leftovers! Do you have a favorite way of re-purposing veggies from earlier in the week? Would you add them to pasta? It’s so cheap and easy!

A Reflection Reflection (or Why I Look at Myself in the Mirror So Much)

September 17, 2015Every day lifeballet, confidence, habits, mirrors, my reflection, reassurance, your best version of yourselfBeth Berger

In Frances Ha, the titular character’s best friend Sophie remarks on Frances’ thing. You know, that thing we all do that’s unique to us but also a little weird to other people. Frances’ thing was a not so sneaky habit of stealing peeks of herself in anything that cast a reflection. I found this film hugely relatable as I’m sure it was for any “creative-type” ladies inching towards 30. And for more reasons than 20-something poverty and a past full of refusing adulthood’s responsibilities. As my sister so kindly pointed out as we left the theater, finding my reflection is sorta MY thing, too. It’s a little strange to admit this but…I look in the mirror. A lot. I check my reflection many times a day. Sometimes bouncing between two or even three mirrors before I feel satisfied. And for no real reason either. Just to…look. I always notice when I’m around something that offers a view of myself. A car window, a storefront, a television screen gone black, the face of my iPhone. Sometimes when the creeping feeling of social anxiety bubbles to the surface and I can feel a negative emotion, like anger or embarrassment, hot on my cheeks, I want to see myself. I feel calmer if I’m able to.

I’m not sure when this practice started. I know my sister has teased me for years about checking my reflection in car windows. Usually in those impatient seconds before the unlock button is hit on a keyless entry remote. Perhaps my reflection relationship began as a toddler when I was enrolled in my very first ballet class. My whole childhood was spent learning complicated and unnatural positions through careful speculation of my own bodies’ curves and contortions. In dance, the mirror is there to help you. You catch a glimpse of a sickled foot in your tendu derriere. You point your toes harder. You notice a leg that could be in a more attractive line. So you correct it. You realize you aren’t as high off the ground in your changements as the two ballerinas flanking you. And you jump like hell until you are. The reward for this self-correction felt great to me. The reward was art and not just any art. Art that I created. Later, when I started competitive speech and debate, I would try to use the mirror as a tool in a similar way. And even found new ways to use it, too. To help the memorization process when learning speeches, I would recite the words in front of a mirror, careful to pay attention to the shape my mouth made when pronouncing each sound. Confident that once I learned the shapes they would be easier to recreate again and again.

These practical uses for my reflection are why I don’t think my need to look at myself is born entirely of vanity. Everyone uses the mirror in attempt to make themselves look better or hotter, more presentable or more professional. And I’m certainly no different. I use it as I twist my hair over and over until I’ve created what I hope will, ironically, look like an effortless and messy top knot. I use it to see if my outfit is flattering, showcasing parts I like and hiding those I don’t. I use it to verify a pair of heels’ ability to make my calves look bangin’. But I also use it, frankly, just to make sure I’m still there. Like when I’ve been lost inside my own thoughts and imagination for too many hours. Or when someone has made me feel unimaginably small and unimportant. Or when a task seems insurmountable. Something about that tiny glance into my own eyes tells me, “Yep, you’re still you. You’re in this amazing world and this wonderful life you have is REAL. Own it. Go live it. You’re beautiful and confident and that thing you don’t think you can do because you think you’re not good enough…what’s the harm in trying?” I’m cringing at how cheesy that sounds but there ya go. Honesty!

It’s a long standing practice in the world of retail to place mirrors behind counters where patrons are likely to get a little incensed. When angry customers approach a mirror the likelihood of irrational behavior lowers drastically. Why? Because no one wants to see themselves act like that. And the mirrors behind the bar in your favorite seedy joint? No one wants to look at a belligerent and sloppy-drunk fool and think, “Whoa, that’s ME.” So maybe what this reflection on reflections boils down to is this — We all want to see the best version of ourselves. I don’t want to see someone who is meek and boring so, just like I did at the barre in my ballet classes, I find those parts I need to change in my reflection and alter them. Perhaps that’s done physically, cracking a smile or fixing a rogue strand of hair, or perhaps it’s an alteration more mental than physical. Either way, I create the person I see looking back at me. The person the world will see, too.

Author’s Note: This is my personal relationship with mirrors and is not necessarily a practice I think everyone should strive for. I know many struggle daily to LIKE the person they see looking back at them in the mirror let alone use their reflection as a confidence booster or a tool for healthy self -correction. For those of you walking that difficult path, please keep fighting. I think you are beautiful!

mid-week round-up

September 16, 2015Wednesday Linksarticles, made me laugh, Netflix recommendations, news, nostalgia, of note, recipes, round-up, travel, videos, want to purchase, YoutubeBeth Berger

How is everyone doing this week? Not loving all these rainy days we’ve been getting! It’s definitely warm enough for the pool so why can’t the sun just peek out a little bit! Oh well, I guess this is what Fall in Florida is like. Anyways, the threat of rain inspired us to go to the art museum the other day so I can’t complain TOO much. The exhibits were beautiful! Also, did anyone watch the So You Think You Can Dance finale? This was such a good season!!! I think I’ve successfully convinced Chet that we will be replacing it in our weekly line-up with Dancing With the Stars (which just started on Monday). I’ve only caught bits and pieces of this show over the years but I’m ready to dive in. The “stars” this year look nuts! Hope the rest of your week brings you lots of happiness, and here are a few links for you to enjoy today…

Joni Mitchell’s breakfast of champions.

I’m a Samantha with a touch of Molly. You?

I suddenly want to add a cute kitten to my desk set-up.

Traveling abroad on a budget.

The business of funerals is no longer a male-dominated industry.

I can’t stop watching Casey Neistat movies.

And speaking of movies, here’s an enthralling Vice News piece on schoolgirls for sale in Japan.

I would very happily eat these school lunches.

Netlix recommendations so you can curl up and watch when the weather turns yucky.

BRB, off to convince Chet that we need to make mini no-knead pizzas for Pizza Friday.

Hand-written notes.

September 15, 2015Style and Designcorrespondence, mail, Minted, pen pals, stationery, writing lettersBeth Berger

Do you send hand-written notes? My mother and grandmother instilled in me from a young age the power of jotting down a few lines and sending them out in the post. They’re always so fun to receive. Such a simple glimpse into someone’s daily life but somehow so much more intimate than what we see when we scroll through Instagram or Facebook feeds. And so much more permanent! A few months ago I was looking through some old letters I received as a kid. I couldn’t believe my mom wrote me a letter from the public pool (!) while I was at sleep-away camp. Or that my grandma saved all her quarters in a jar so we could use them when we came up for the state fair. What sweet things to remember all these years later! I try my best these days to always send Thank You notes and I love mailing Christmas cards…sometimes birthday cards. But I’d like to do better with the “just because” notes. For inspiration I’ve been clicking around the stationery on Minted. Here are 6 (personalized) sets that might spark the need to put pen to paper!

They each definitely have their own little personalities, don’t you think? I love the sunny cheerfulness of Beaded Swag but there’s something so sophisticated and bold about Gilt Agate. I would feel super classy sending that out to someone, haha! Which would YOU choose?

Five free things to do in Coral Gables.

September 14, 2015Every day life, Travelboutiques, Coral Gables, explore, Florida, free fun, Miami, sightseeing, tourist, weekend adventuresBeth Berger

In an effort to get to know our new surroundings in South Florida, Chet and I have been setting off on a new adventure each weekend. Exploring Coral Gables was near the top of our list for a couple reasons. 1. Bourdain recommends doing so in the Miami episode of The Layover. 2. We live super close to this little hamlet! We spent the afternoon driving and walking around and taking in all the sites “the city beautiful” had to offer us. And we ended up not spending a dime! A welcome situation because SPOILER ALERT: moving and setting up a new home is expensive! It struck me that others may want to check out Coral Gables (or “the gables” as the locals refer to it) on a similar budget. So, here are a few ways you could spend your afternoon…

1. Take a drive under the canopied arches of the Banyan trees. This is the activity recommended by Bourdain and I’ll echo his suggestion. You’ll feel like you’re on a magical amusement park ride underneath the shade of these natural tree tunnels. The way the knobby trunks grow all twisted together is a site to behold. You may even want to climb out of your car at one of the center medians and get a closer look (or have a photo shoot…perfect Insta-worthy moment). But the real reason you’re going to love driving these scenic roads is the HOUSES! There are tons of stunning Mediterranean Revival homes with grand entryways, palatial courtyards, and spectacular fountains.

2. Pretend you belong at the Biltmore. Coral Gables has been home to this luxury hotel since 1926. It’s had a pretty notable history since then, including being used as a hospital during World War II. The Wikipedia page is worth a read as you wander around the circumference of the vast grounds. Perhaps pretending along the way that you’re staying in one of their suites for the weekend and only popped out to get a bit of fresh air. Maybe if you’re feeling bold you can zip on into the lobby and have a poke around there, too!

3. Walk the Miracle Mile. The Miracle Mile is a stretch of road that bifurcates the city center. It was designed in order to make all the businesses in the downtown commercial district no more than a two-block walk from each other. The result? An extremely pedestrian friendly city! You can amble up and down the stretch, popping in and out of quaint boutiques along the way, and check out the cool architectural details on some of the more historic buildings.

4. Enjoy a free film at the Miracle Theater. Along the Miracle Mile you’ll find the Miracle Theater which comes complete with an old school marquis and a vintage vibe. Amazingly, the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theater sponsors a free film series! Check the calendar and plan your trip accordingly. They do a showing about once a month usually with a Saturday evening time and a Sunday matinee.

5. Do a little wedding window shopping. Not sure why but there are a TON of bridal and wedding shops in Coral Gables. As someone who is newly engaged, I didn’t mind at all! You could definitely find a few dream dresses while taking in all the different window displays. You can also find some ensembles you wouldn’t be caught dead in…and a particularly horrid few shops that feature crazy looking bridesmaid gowns and Mother of the Bride atrocities. And if weddings aren’t your thing…try home decor or records or art prints. There’s something for everyone!

Bonus: Sick of walking? The Gables also provides a FREE trolley service, with a trolley running a continuous circuit up and down Ponce de Leon Boulevard throughout the day.