Park Winters | Dreamy Summerland

I recently spent a magical day at Park Winters, enjoying the Summerland Influencer event. The moment I stepped out of my car, I was welcomed with a fantastic Mimosa bar in front of the most gorgeous 1865 Victorian Mansion. The Mansion has been transformed into a bed & breakfast, each room with a distinct personality and incredible views of the olive trees and grounds. Park Winters is located just outside the picturesque small farming community of Winters, California about 30 miles from Sacramento, California. 

Now is the perfect time to visit Winters, surrounding the town are the most incredible sunflower fields as far as the eye can see. On the drive from Sacramento to Park Winters, Lauren (my photographer and friend!) and I pulled over to take the view in and of course take pictures and selfies! Winters is more than just a small town, the town has a vibrant food scene with embracing Farm-to-Fork cuisine, local wineries that grow and produce their own wine and lots of outdoor activities. Winters was recently voted Best Small Town Food Scene by, USA Today.

Park Winters invited a group of creative Bloggers, Influencers, and Instagrammers to their first annual Park Winters Summerland, to kick off Summer, build community, share inspiration, collaborate and spend a dreamy day experiencing country elegance.  

Simply, put the day was incredible and I’m so excited to share my day at Park Winters, you’ll quickly see how magical my day spent here was and how hard it was to leave. 

Parking Winters is a wedding and event venue estate, their mission to share Simple Country Luxury. It's so much more than an award-winning Wedding Venue, it's a dreamy backdrop to host private and corporate events and monthly Farm Dinners. Each month Park Winters hosts an amazing dining experience, sharing the seasonal flavors with Farm-to-Fork emphasis from local farms including their own. Yes, Park Winters is also a working farm! 

Park Winters Summerland 2018

The dreamiest, doughnut wall I've ever seen in my life. Each doughnut was amazing iced and decorated! I must have gazed for several minutes before selecting a pretty pink doughnut filled to the brim with pink, gold pearls. As a doughnut connoisseur, I can truthfully state this were amazing! 

Discovering Park Winters 

Loved the map of Park Winters, highlighting the day's events, what do and best spots for taking pictures. The map was such a fantastic and creative way to see the grounds of Park Winters. 

Rose All Day!

Rose all Day? Why not! We loved the Frose, at the amzing picture perfect Rose Bar. The Frose was the perfect way to keep cool on a Northern California Day.

Picture Perfect Vignettes Everywhere. 

The Prettiest Doorway to the Lounge & Pool Area

I loved meeting FlowerMama and learning how to make a flower boutonniere, like for real I think it's going to become my new thing! Love the how the little burst of flowers on my shirt looked! Cool Fact, Katie of FlowerMama grows all her own flowers! 

Quick outfit change, yellow top in front of an amazing flower wheel created with real flowers! Google and Riot was on hand to take fun photobooth style photos! #BlogBesties

Lunch was catered by Nugget Markets, an amazing spread of sandwiches, grilled veggies and fruit galore and deserts! 

Lunch photos by Crystal Lynn Photography

After lunch we enjoyed wine tasting from local Wineries, Chocolate tasting with Ginger Elizabeth and lounging by the pool and exploring the grounds of Park Winters. Just when I thought the afternoon coldn't get any better, The Melted Icecream Truck rolled up! 

Farm to Fork Dinner at Park Winters

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The day was amazing, to see more images from Park Winters Summerland, on Social Media is the #PWSummerland

Below is the complete vendor list & Social Media handle for all amazingness they created! 

WINE TASTING AND FOOD // Bailarin Cellars Wine Tasting @bailarincellars Berryessa Gap Wine Tasting @berryessagapvineyards Ginger Elizabeth Chocolate Chocolate Tasting @gingerelizabeth Honig Vineyard & Winery Wine Tasting @honigwine Insight Coffee Roasters Coffee @insightcoffee Nugget Markets Lunch Caterer @nuggetmarkets PURE Honey Honey Stand @purehoneyca Sun & Soil Juice Juice Bar @sunandsoiljuice The Melt Down Ice Cream Truck Ice Cream @themeltdownicecreamtruck Turkovich Family Wines Wine Tasting @turkovichwines Wente Vineyard Wine Tasting @wente

POOL PARTY // Dixon Florist Eyeconic Booth @dixonflorist DJ Z Rokk DJ @zrokk Eyeconic Sunglass Bar @shopeyeconic Made In the Shade Tent Rentals Cabana Tents @madeshade_com Standard Party Rentals Arbor, Cabana Furniture @standardpartyrentals The Plant Library Plants @theplantlibrary Tres Fabu Events Cabana Designer @tresfabuevents Wild Flower Linen Linens and Decor @wildflowerlinen

VIGNETTES // Alluring Events Vignette Designer @alluring.events Blossom Farm Vintage Rentals Furniture Rentals @blossomfarmvintagerentals Celebrations Party Rentals Rentals @cprandtents CL Decor Rentals @cldecordesign Debra DeAngelo Tarot Reader @debradeangelo Dixon Florist Florals @dixonflorist FlowerMama Boutonniere Bar @flowermama323 Found Rentals Rentals @foundrentals KMK Design Company Vignette Designer @kmkdesignco La Tavola Fine Linen Linen Rentals @latovolalinen Lemonee on the Hills Gratitude Journals @lemoneeonthehills Nicole Ha Designs Florals @nicolehadesign Paper Heart Patisserie Dessert @paperheartpatisserie Poppy & Oak Vignette Designer @poppyandoakgoods Sacramento City Signs Sign Fabrication @sacramento_city_signs Standard Party Rentals Furniture Rentals @standardpartyrentals Swoonable Rentals @swoonable Tan Weddings and Events Vignette Designer @tanweddingsandevents Tres Fabu Events Cabana Designer @tresfabuevents With Grace & Love Events Vignette Designer @withgraceandloveevents

DINNER// Function45 DJ Lighting @function45dj Celebrations Party Rentals Chair Rentals @cprandtents Dixon Florist Florals @dixonflorist La Tavola Fine Linen Linen Rentals @latovolalinen Theoni Collection Table Settings & Decor @theonicollection

OTHER// 5 Star Limo Transportation www.fivestarls.com Ashley Baumgartner Calligrapher @ashbaumgartner Blackfield Media Videographer @blackfieldmedia Chris Howard Photography Photographer @chrishowardimagery Creative Excursion Glamping Tents @creativeexcursion Crystal Lynn Photographer @crystallynnphotography Giggle and Riot Photobooth @giggleandriot Hannah Muller (Full Belly Farms) Photobooth Backdrop @farmerhands

My 11 Weeks on Weight Watchers Freestyle

Friends, I've been holding back a secret from you 11 weeks ago, I've joined Weight Watchers Freestyle program, and as of last Friday, I’m down 22.5 pounds. Opening up and losing weight is super personal and at first, I wasn't sure I was going to talk about losing weight.

Honestly, I'm feeling good, and I'm pumped at my and being a natural born sharer I decided to. Getting personal, this isn't my first time on the diet rodeo, I've gained and lost weight before. However, now that I'm older in my late 30's. I realize I need to get this whole food thing under control, plus I haven't been feeling like Katrina. My goal isn’t to lose weight quickly, although that would be awesome, I’m looking at this long term and focusing on being at a healthy weight that looks best of me! I'm not losing weight to look good on my birthday, or for a vacation, it is about me feeling my best and being active. Like most women, I have two goal weights; they’re within 5 pounds of each other! Lol. 

Why I Joined Weight Watchers

I want to be at a weight that I feel my best at, and beyond that, I want to be more present in my daily life, no more not wanting to take a family picture or snapping a million selfies and still not feeling my best. After hearing weekly success updates from one of my dearest friends Lauren, it prompted me to want to join. I must have asked her so many questions, like how does it work? Do you feel hella restricted? Are you still able to enjoy lattes and lose weight? In the past I’ve been on super restricted diets, counting every single carb or counting every single calorie that went into my mouth. I’m at a point in my life where I do enjoy food, and I want to be able to enjoy a bowl of fruit in fear that it will be too many carbs. I’ve been there and done that. Long-term success for me is being able to maintain a healthy weight and still be able to have that slice of cake, not every day but being able to ‘budget’ that slice of cake into my day. 

Driving a little deeper into my why towards the beginning of the year I tried the whole low-carb thing and lost of a tiny amount of weight and began to feel like my weight isn't budging and I was annoyed with all the limitations. Again long-term for me, if I want a little pasta or avocado on my taco, I should be able to do that without guilt and fear. 

Joining Weight Watchers has allowed me the freedom & empowerment to enjoy foods I love, and I’m still able to lose weight! The freestyle program has so many Free items that are Zero points for example Strawberries Free! Grilled Chicken Free! Bananas and even corn are both Free! Oranges are Free! The list goes on and goes makes me happy! 

Daily Points & Keeping Track

I’m allowed 23 points a day, and I easily stay within those points, when I do go over, I have activity points that help off-set my heavier food days. I keep track of everything I eat even zero snacks, which helps remind me I’ve eaten a lot of food! While this is a still tracking system like counting calories, it's not hard since there are so many free items! 

On average I’ve been losing 2 pounds each week, sometimes it's less, sometimes none and sometimes it's nothing, my weekly weigh-in day is Friday. Its annoying with the scale isn’t moving, but a friend reminded me, that your body doesn’t realize its weigh-in day! That little nugget helped me not side-eye the scale. #JustKeepGoing There are two ways to join WW, you can join use the App and Go to weekly meetings. I prefer just using the app; I can log in both on my computer and on my phone. I’m paying $ 3.30 a week, less than the cost of a Grande Latte at Starbuck! Hello budget friendly!

The App allows me to plan out meals and find recipes easily. I love that I can pre-check a food item before eating it. It’s empowering deciding how I want to use my points. That part has been the game changer for me, for example, sometimes specific food is packaged and worded in a way that it sounds healthy, but it's really a crazy amount of points. Knowing what the points are ahead of time helps me make better decisions and decide how I want to use my points. 

My Go-To Meals & Snacks

Now that I’ve been on Weight Watchers Freestyle for several weeks, it's gotten so much easier! Fact, I can still eat out, and yes I can still in enjoy my latte. I swapped cows milk for almond milk in my latte for two reasons: Digestively Milk doesn't agree with my system, I’m lactose intolerant.  Secondly, its Almond milk is fewer points, and it tastes better! 

Typically for breakfast, I eat light, sometimes it's just a latte. Other mornings I’ll have my favorite Wasa Cracker, Topped with Avocado Spread and Hard Boiled Egg. Oh, Hard Boiled Eggs are Free! I’m not an egg person, but this combo works for me and its filling. 

For lunch, I typically make Tuna Fish Wrap using, Flat-out Wraps. The Flatout wraps amazing and only 2 points. I also love having Fancy Toast two ways; again it's super filling makes yummy lunch or brunch. 

Avocado Toast with Radish

Oroweat Toast with 1/4 of Avocado, sliced radish and sprinkle of sea salt and pepper - 4 Points 

Avocado Toast with Cherry Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, and Hard-boiled Egg

Oroweat bread, topped with 1/4 of avocado, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, a sprinkle of reduced fat Feta cheese topped with a Hard-boiled egg and dash of sea salt and pepper. I love this little egg slicer each time it makes the most perfect slices. 

Snackwise, I love apples dipped in Fage yogurt. The key is using Fage zero (zero points) mixing in Cinnamon and a Splenda natural. My girlfriend came up with this genius zero snack, and I indulge in it daily! I also love creating a little cheese and fruit platter: sliced low-fat cheese, apples, strawberries and seven almonds. It’s a quick, easy low point snack. 

Using the App, I’m also able to find recipes for meals. Possibly my favorite gem in the app is the ability to scan items! I’m the girl at in the grocery aisle with her phone out and scanning items to see how many points they are! 

Fast food happens, but you can make it work with planning! For example, at Subway I’ll have rotisserie chicken sandwich on wheat without mayo and cheese. These days I only eat cheese if its delicious like goat cheese, feta or blue. I also love the black bean chicken bowl from El Pollo Loco, just six points! 

Hitting My Goal 

I’m so happy I’ve been losing weight without having so many restrictions, it makes this whole thing so much easier for me. As for as working out, I haven't been! I’ve just been much more active, walking a lot more, being more active around my house, and doing more yard work. I bought a Fitbit Flex 2 (I love its small size), to help keep track of my steps and create goals daily steps and mileage goals for myself. I'm not a huge fan of the band it came with, so I swapped my brand out for a gold bangle, I get so many compliments on it and unless I share it's my Fitbit band no one knows!  

I plan on adding the gym, but only two days a week. Mostly just for added cardio and circuit weights. I want to hit my goal weight toned, happy and without depriving myself or losing myself in the process. One thing that’s excited about losing weight is clothing; I’ve been fitting into jeans I haven't worn in ages. But honestly, I plan to wait on buying new clothes until I get closer to my goal weight. Please let me know if you Weight Watchers! I’d be happy to answer them. Interested in Joining? 

Let’s both save or loose together! Use my THIS LINK and get one Month Free, Plus I get one month Free! And if one of your friends Join use your link, and then you get a month free, loving this whole pay-it-forward option. Link not working feel free to email me and I’ll send you an invite so you can get a month free! 

I want to hear from you, what have you personally done to successfully maintain your weight? Have you tried Weight Watchers? What system or program has helped you shed unwanted pounds?