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Every week I share highlights from my week including restaurants I have tried, new things happening in my life, new ideas, books, and more with the hopes that something resonates with you.

1. Brunch at Cafe Strudel

Location: 300 State St, West Columbia, SC 29169

Cafe Strudel is a restaurant located in West Columbia I have been wanting to visit for a while. The first time I tried to visit there, it was an hour wait and now that I have eaten there I can see why. The food was delicious. I got the Brisket Hash and substituted the brisket with short rib and got a strawberry lemonade to drink. The gouda on the top of the hash brown was chef’s kiss and it’s a great portion side so I had enough to take home. All it needed was a little salt and pepper. My mom got the Hangover Hash brown and she was impressed. It did not come with meat and she said that was the only thing it was missing.

2. Creating a Gift Box to Celebrate a Friend Buying a House

My friend just closed on her first home which is such an amazing accomplishment so I wanted to get her something to celebrate. I was trying to figure out what would be the best things to get her since I didn’t know what she already owned. That’s how I ended up at Walmart and these are the items I decided on: 

1. Epsom salt – Eucalyptus 
   1. My friend spends 6 days out of the week working so I wanted to get her something that could help her to relax after a busy day. 
2. Candle – Citrus
   1. You can never go wrong with a candle because everyone likes their place to smell good. Initially, I wanted to get her an aromatherapy scent (i.e. lavender, eucalyptus, etc.), but I settled on this citrus one and it smells perfect. 
3. Black Girl Magic wine – Rose blend
   1. The name of this brand is the epitome of my friend. She has excelled in her career and she reached another milestone by purchasing her first home. This was a no-brainer. It serves as a reminder that she is black girl magic. 

If you prefer sweeter wines, I would choose the Rose blend over their other options.

4. Wine Glasses 
   1. I bought her wine glasses to complement the wine. Walmart has a good selection of glasses for very reasonable prices. These glasses are similar to the West Elm glasses I bought for around $10 a piece.
5. Plastic storage container
   1. To store her gift I bought a plastic storage container to hold all the items but she can also use it for storage around her house when she takes all the items out of it. 

3. Brunch at Breakfast at Ruiz 

Location: 116 State St, West Columbia, SC 29169

My family and I tried Breakfast at Ruiz in West Columbia. We enjoyed all the food we ordered. The chicken and waffles were well seasoned and left me wanting more of the chicken strips. The churro french toast is a French toast I would recommend because it wasn’t soggy and actually tasted like churros. Then if you want mimosas, try the Ruiz mimosa flight. My favorite flavors were the dragon fruit and strawberry. If you try it, let me know what yours are. 

4. New Idea: Prayer Board

As we enter the new year, I came across this Youtube video that gave me the idea to do a prayer board as a way to include God in my goals for the new year. My friends and I are planning to host a prayer board party where we can come together to create our goals, pray, worship, and have a good time. I am excited to do this because I am giving my goals to God and keep him involved in the direction of my life.

It has been so nice spending time with my family and friends eating good food over these past weeks. I hope these are restaurants that you can check out with yours.