With the start of Summer right around the corner, I’ve been need to some Summer clothes shopping and freshen up my Summer wardrobe. A few months ago, I did a deep purge on my entire closet after we installed our IKEA PAX system. Hasani recently volunteered at Avery’s school as a Field Day Parent and I took the day off work early so we could mix up our typical date night and do Happy Hour and Summer Shopping. We decided to make our Date Day at the Palladio in Folsom, its the perfect mix of good eats at every corner, shopping and even two upscale move theaters. We kicked off our day with a visit to Mas Tacos, it recently opened at the Palladio and we were excited to check it out! The atmosphere is fun and vibrant and the taco combinations amazing. We ordered Mas Fries, Mexican Corn and a Plate Full of Tacos. Everything is served family style which adds to the fun. Since we were enjoying Happy Hour, we also ordered two drinks.

Oder Tip: When visiting have fun and order a mixture of taco combinations to try!

After Happy Hour, we headed to H&M, I love shopping there for affordable Summer clothes for myself and kids. I found some really cute kids clothes for Avery. After H&M I stopped at Apricot Lane and looking for some Summer clothes for myself. I love their selection of dresses and rompers perfect for Summer.

One of my favorite outdoor areas at the Palladio, is the courtyard there’s a fountain at lots of benches to sit on and relax. I love outdoor shopping venues.

Next Hasani and I headed to Barnes and Noble, I’m a huge fan of shopping for books in person. As much as I love shopping online, there’s nothing better then seeing the pages of a book in person. While there I picked up a few Summer reads and of course a home decor book! I brought home, Restoration House by Kennesha Buycks **I’m a huge fan of her blog and Instagram and loved the book from the moment I opened it! I almost Forgot About You, by Terri McMillan and The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeny.

It was so much fun mixing up our typical date night with an afternoon of Happy Hour and Shopping for Summer at the Palladio. *Please note thus is a sponsored post and all words and opinions shared are my own.

Last year, I swapped my lattes made with milk to lattes made with almond milk. Both digestive reasons and dietary reasons, hello less calories! I’m lactose intolerant and now that I’ve gotten older, I’m noticing the songs much more, for a while I swore I outgrew it!

I love making lattes at home, but when I tried making almond lattes at home they came out super watery and didn’t taste good! After talking with a few baristas from my favorite local coffee shop, I realized that I needed to use Barista Blend almond milk, a special formulated to get creamy rich milk in my lattes. I tired a few different Barista Blend Almond milk brands, and through trial and error found my favorite. Along the way, I started making Almond Lattes two ways, depending on my mood. I’m still trying to slowly teach myself latte art, but until then my lattes taste amazing, just without the pretty art.

Almond Latte with Barista Blend Almond Milk

I have a Nespresso and love it, they can be a bit of an investment but if you love really coffee, lattes are a must. Plus, instead of running out for lattes, I can easily make one at home and save my coins! My Nespresso came with a Milk Frother and I use it every single time I make a latte or tea latte, they are a must!

The Milk Frother helps transform a simple latte in a cafe experience at home, you can buy the Milk Frother separate from the machine. and just use it with your existing espresso or pod coffee system. How to make a Almond Latte at Home. I use a lungo shot on my Nespresso and favorite coffee pod, add one Splenda in my cup for a little sweetness without the sugar calories and froth the Califia Barista Almond milk and then pour into my cup. Perfection every time. Califia Farms makes the best Barista Blend Almond milk, so good and creamy. Locally, I’ve found the Califia Farms Barista Blend Almond Milk at The Nugget Markets and Whole Foods, depending on the store it will be in the cold milk/creamer section or in the aisle milk section. For best results the milk should be refrigerated prior to using.

ALMOND LATTE WITH ALMOND CREAMER

When I want a creamy sweeter latte, I use Silk Almond Vanilla Milk creamer. The creamer creates a rich layer of creamy foam. Use your favorite coffee pod, no sweetner needed and then froth your milk and pour into your cup. Again perfection every single time.

Both lattes taste so good and so simple and both are easy on my tummy! I’m going to next Oatmilk on my next visit to The Nugget and see how that tastes. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve tried a few different versions of Barista Blend Almond milk and this one is my favorite. Same with the Almond creamer, I’m not a fan of coconut milk and most of the Almond creamers I've come across are 1/2 Almond Milk and 1/2 Coconut milk, which is no for my taste buds. The coconut milk is so overpowering to me in lattes and there’s zero almond flavor left.