fort worth foodie review | the woodshed smokehouse

One of my favorite haunts when the Texas temps reach what I call "patio weather" [aka 85 degrees or so] is the Woodshed in Fort Worth. This rustic-cool restaurant headed by Chef Tim Love sits right on the Trinity River with the coolest outdoor/indoor dining concept I've seen. The food is outrageously good, the atmosphere is perfect for a both casual date night and a group of your closest friends. On the weekends you will find live music to kick back and enjoy while sipping on any one of their selections of beer, wine, margaritas or cocktails. I highly recommend this joint if you're looking for a great atmosphere to soak in the beautiful spring weather. xo.

Where: 3201 Riverfront Drive, Fort Worth

Hours: Sun-Thurs, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. / Fri-Sat, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

What to try: Smoked hummus, smoked white fish dip, pulled pork sandwich, brisket stuffed piquillo peppers, burger, and ribs. For the more adventurous, my hubs and friends have testified that smoked red fish, bowl of ramen, and rattlesnake sausage are awesome.

crockett street bottle shop review

I'm not sure if I will post Fort Worth business reviews often, but this little gem was too good to keep to myself. Located in an older retail building that's nestled in the booming West 7th District, Crockett Street Bottle Shop is a laid-back liquor store that perfectly fits the Fort Worth vibe. It blends so well in its surroundings it took me a year to realize it existed.

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I wandered inside one Friday evening after some fantastic sushi and proceeding cocktails at MK's Sushi and Hacienda San Miguel to search for my hubby's favorite whiskey as a "just because" gift. I was greeted warmly upon entering and felt immediately comfortable. The soft lighting and exposed brick walls created a cozy ambiance, making this little shop stand out way above the chain stores. I had a great experience there and definitely plan to go back for future alcohol purchases.

Things to know:  1) According to the owner [Jim, if I remember correctly...], they allow pets inside! That's pretty darn awesome. Now, I can't say I would volunteer to bring my rambunctious, people-obsessed -loving yellow lab, but I still think that says a lot about this establishment being an inviting place.

2) There is a wine tasting room/cellar, which I did not get a chance to check out during my visit. It was a really neat little nook in the shop and I definitely plan to go back for some tastings.

3) They also have a beer room and offer "Make Your Own Six-Pack." I've done this at World Market plenty of times, but it's neat that they do this as well. Basically, you can get a cardboard bottle carrier and fill it with 6 beers of your choice for a perfect custom gift for friends or family [or yourself, if you just like variety!]

4) From 1-7 p.m. every Saturday, they offer tastings to explore their variety of liquor selections. Pretty awesome!

If you live in Fort Worth or plan to visit anytime, you should definitely visit Crockett Street Bottle Shop! xo.

fort worth happy hour :: mk's sushi

I'm thinking of starting a new weekly-ish series that focuses on the happy hour hot spots in Fort Worth. After starting my full-time big girl job last month, I've really come to appreciate a good happy hour special from time to time.

This past Friday my friend and I decided a cocktail was calling our names after work! We knew we wanted sushi and a good happy hour, so MK Sushi in the West 7th district fit the bill. There are lots of great sushi places around Fort Worth and I'm sure this will be the first of many I write about.

Anyway, appetizers were very inexpensive [hello, $3 edamame!], drinks were very affordable, and there was a limited selection of rolls for $5! We split an order of edamame, each got our own roll, and had a drink or two. At $2 each it's not a bad deal! I tried a vodka soda with a splash of cranberry juice and it was perfect. Refreshing for a warm May afternoon. Did I mention MK has a patio? That was also a major factor in our happy hour selection. Gotta soak in these wonderful Texas spring afternoons while we can before it gets too unbearably hot.

Overall, MK Sushi gets about 4.5 stars out of 5. I only dock them points because the service wasn't great when we first arrived [I want my server to greet me and at least take my drink order instead of making us sit and wait for 10 minutes--and trust me, it wasn't overly busy at 6 pm] but it did get better.

Cheers! xo.

leave-in conditioner review

Although I limit my heat styling, get frequent hair trims, and shampoo my hair every other day, it seems like my hair is perpetually on the dry side, especially the ends. I've tried many many hair treatments to correct this problem but to no avail.

Enter John Frieda Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner.


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I used this several months ago and remember having success, but after it was gone I never bought a replacement. I guess I wanted to try out other products to compare it to. Well, I recently bought another bottle at ULTA and after one use, my hair was noticeably softer. I can't stop touching it!

The scent is fabulous, too. Just spritz liberally on clean, damp hair and once your hair dries it will be good as new. I can't say enough good things about this product and wish I hadn't wasted the past few months exploring other products. This is definitely going to be a staple in my haircare routine.

Have you tried John Frieda Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner? Do you have another favorite hair product that keeps your hair healthy and soft? Let me know! xo.

*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

lip balm review

I'm a big lip balm fan so when I heard about Maybelline's new Baby Lips tinted lip balm I was so excited to try it out! I bought the purple one called "Grape Vine," which is a delicious, non-medicinal grape scent. Even though the balm is purple, it leaves a lovely berry flush on your lips--perfect for fall! Other flavors include Cherry Me, Pink Punch, and Peach Kiss, which would be lovely spring/summer hues [Peppermint and Quenched are both clear.] I definitely recommend checking this product out if you haven't already--it's amazing!

I also recently purchased the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter in "Raspberry Pie" and am seriously loving it! It is not as balmy as the Maybelline Baby Lips is, but the product still glides on smoothly and the color is gorgeous. It is extremely pigmented so I usually dab it on and finish with my Baby Lips on top to blend it together and get the balmy effect.

Overall, both products are excellent but Maybelline's Baby Lips is much more of a lip balm than Revlon's Lip Butters. I think the Baby Lips keeps my lips softer longer during the day, but I've got my eye on a few more tinted lip balms to try before reaching a final conclusion on my favorite.


Let me know if you have tried either of these products out or have any different recommendations for tinted lip balms! xo.

face wash review

I'm by no means a product hoarder. I try to use up what I have before going out to buy something new. So when I recently ran out of my Clean & Clear Morning Burst cleanser, I felt it was time to try out something different. I knew I wanted a product with as many natural ingredients as possible.

I considered Aveeno [which I have tried before and liked], Yes to Carrots, and Simple. Ultimately, I  chose Neutrogena Naturals, which I hadn't heard of before but stumbled upon while looking at the other cleansers.

I've been using it for a week now and love it! There are very few ingredients and I like that the back label explains where each is derived from. The scent is heavenly--very subtle and herbal. I noticed right away that my skin did not feel dried out like it does when I use other cleansers.** The price was right which was also a plus. Overall, this one is a keeper!

What skin cleanser do you use? Do you have any recommendations for natural skin care products?

**Note: I would describe my skin as "normal", meaning it is somewhere in between oily and dry. Everyone has different preferences to skin cleansers so I am not sure how this cleanser would work on a different skin type.

I am not being paid to endorse this product. I purchased this product on my own and my opinions are my own.