If you haven’t, check out the new Wild Manatee Cams at Blue Springs State Park for a birds-eye view of the gentle giants in their natural habitat.

The Save the Manatee Club was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Buffet (who knew?!) to protect the state’s official marine mammal (again, who knew?!).

For a mere $25 you can adopt-a-manatee, but for the price of your email address, you can check out the Manatee Cams for free!

The restaurant is really cute, albeit small … with maybe 10-12 tables between the inside and outdoor dining. They share something in common with their counterpart, The Milk Bar, an incredible beer selection. I’m not sure it’s someplace I’d go if I was in a hurry, though, as there only appeared to be a single server the night we were there. Service not slow enough to keep you away, but not exactly super-attentive either.

Overall, I thought the place was really cute, the food was good and the beer selection was vast.  I’d definitely go back. Check out The Social Chameleon for yourself at 2406 E. Robinson Street, but don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Photo Credit: Marie Claire

“Clueless” actress and environmentalist Alicia Silverstone is scheduled to speak tomorrow, February 3, at the University of Central Florida.

Alicia Silverstone might be best-known for her acting chops, but she’s also a published author and runs the website, The Kind Life.

The presentation: “An Afternoon with Alicia Silverstone on the Environment” will be held in the Pegasus Ballroom on the main campus of UCF at 3 p.m. The event, hosted by UCF’s Office of Global Perspectives, is free and open to the public.

Similar to Dechoes is Etoile, a cute vintage boutique on the outskirts of downtown O-town. They are a bit pricey, as well, and more of a resell shop than a thrift shop, but they do have some great finds if you’ve got the moolah. Best of all, they have an Etsy shop set up, so you can snag stuff online withing having to make the trip, like this darling 60′s glasses case for $15. But I mean, come on, you might as well get down there and see all the cool stuff they have, or at least keep up with new items via their blog! Etoile (which means ‘star’ in French) is located here: 2424 E Robinson St.

There’s also Orlando Vintage, on Fairbanks in Winter Park. They are DEFINITELY the priciest place I’ve seen. However, I have found some excellent quality vintage mens shirts for like $15. They are also a rental place, so if you want to get some retro outfits for one night, you can rent them here! They have an online store, too. Fun fact: Orlando Vintage is actually one of the stores used to furnish the outfits on Bravo’s hit TV series MadMen. Seriously!

Oh, also check out Other People’s Property, a vintage clothing shop on Orange (3222 North Orange Avenue). They are too rich for my wallet, but their Etsy shop gives you a glimpse of their awesome items.

Enough about clothes. There’s more to life than clothes! I buy a lot of boardgames and furniture and always end up finding what I want in one of 2 places: Thriftko (Semoran/Howell Branch plaza, but moved to Mills), or the Community Thrift store on Edgewater Drive, beyond College Park.

Got that 50′s kitchen, stepstool for $5 at Flo’s! The handmixer was $3, the glass sundae cups were .69 cents and the records were $1 each at Deja Vu on Orange Avenue.

Pssst! Want to see a couple of my latest thrift shopping adventures and scores? Click here and here!

Orlando is a lot of things. Cultural hub, it is not (we’re trying to get there). Close to the beach, it is not (but still somewhat convenient for a day trip). However, land of thrifting stores? It is!

That is definitely one of my favorite things about this town: the abundance of thrift stores. And, it’s very cool, too, because there are all kinds of thrifty avenues you can explore: thrift stores, consignment shops, resell stores, and of course the ever present yard/garage/estate sales. You have to remember that Florida is not a native state. What I mean by that is that by and large, Florida is a state that is mostly comprised of people who have moved from abroad, or settled in from out of state. So there are people constantly looking to move out and move in and they all have one thing in common: getting rid of stuff!

It also has a high concentration of elderly and retired people. Now, let me tell you, going to a yard sale or estate sale here in Orlando is a major cha-ching! Old people take great care of their things and you’re bound to find some very awesome vintage treasures- from records to boardgames, flatwear, furniture, pictures frames and retro-packaged household items (like old band-aid tins!).

I got the above teal chair at a local antique and thrift furniture store called…Antique Furniture?..Hmm.. I don’t recall! Anyway, it’s in the big plaza on Semoran and Howell Branch Road, the one with the Big Lots in it. The ship painting was a $5 steal at a yard sale.

We’ve got the big names like Goodwill and the Salvation Army (which is annoyingly closed on Sundays and makes me go into a rant that can only be calmed by Chik-Fil-A…WHICH IS ALSO CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!). Err- anyway, Orlando also has its own chains, like Community Thrift Store. Community Thrift stores are part of the AMVETS program, so proceeds benefit our veterans. And, if you read my latest Veterans’ Day post, you’ll know how important that is for me!

Other chains of of thrift awesomeness are Dechoes (a more vintage, retro clothing store), Plato’s Closet (a resale shop of trendy, current wear) and Habit for Humanity ReStore (which is awesome for home-type stuff).

Habitat Stores located here. Go there and click on the $5 of $20 coupon!! The Habitat store is awesome for things like sofas, sinks, light fixtures, dressers and armoires. You can even stalk their Facebook page for current items up for grabs!

Dechoes can be pricey, but they are really careful about what they sell. Everything is in great shape and worth what you pay. They are even social media savvy and have a Facebook. Like! Like! Like!

Like what you’re heard so far? More to come! Stay tuned for Part II of this post….

Location deets:

Z E Tours, Inc.
5483 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy (A/K/A the 192)
Kissimmee, FL 34746
863.512.0256

That sign–accompanied by a couple of others–is located closer to the store than other parking spots. Think same location (distance wise) as handicap spots.

Pretty cool, huh? Next time you’re at your local Central Florida Best Buy be sure to look out for these….

I especially like the option for MP3, Cellphone & Ink Cartridge recycling!  Thanks for stepping up, Target!

As part of a global movement, Starbucks is encouraging people to convert from paper cups to travel mugs. “One person can save trees. Together we can save forests.” Pretty powerful words from the coffee giant.

So, get your Tax Day off to a good start by enjoying a free java … Don’t forget your mug!

Find a Central Florida Starbucks.