Thank you Freebie app! Alright, so you've seen all those annoying sponsored/suggested apps on Facebook that come in between your newsfeed posts right? (Not that we even care about half of what we see on there anyway, amirite?)


















Some time two weeks ago one of them actually captured my attention. You can't really blame me though. The app had the word free in it! Freebie promised free offers in my area and I was instantly intrigued. After having downloaded it, all I had to do was sign up with an e-mail and I started off with what they call a "social capital score". The more social media accounts that you connect to the app, the higher your score gets! And of course, your follower count DOES affect the score.

Summer C term is finally over at my university and I'm just really happy I get a few days off before I'm back at it and I'm off to Scandinavia! Two weeks of well-deserved rest before going back to school. To celebrate, here are a few of my YPW picks of the weekend.

YPW contains my personal hand-picked bunch of FREE events throughout the weekend around Miami. Click on each event to learn more information.

Saturday, August 1: 

Virginia Key Beach Anniversary Party:

11AM - 7PM
4020 Virginia Key Beach Dr. Rickenbacker Cswy
Key Biscayne, FL 33149

It's Virginia Key Beach's 70th birthday! Back in the 1940s, this beach was a major hot spot and guess what... it still is! Join locals and famous artists such as Jimmy Bo Horne, Maryel Epps and Tito Puente Jr.

Expect a classic car show, music performances, prize giveaways, free carousel and train rides for the children, and tons of food at RETRO prices. RETRO! Although the parking fee is $8, all the entertainment and endless fun is 100% free. You really don't wanna miss out!

The Falls Back to School Party:

12PM - 6PM
8888 SW 136th St.
Miami, FL 33176

Definitely click on this event link because it is incredibly packed with activities, giveaway prizes and more! The Falls' second annual back to school party celebrates education and fun all at once. Participate in everything and don't miss out on those awesome ticket giveaways and even a $200 American Express gift card!

Bayfront Park Yoga:

9AM - 10:15AM
301 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132

Join certified yoga instructors as they take on Miami every Saturday for a free yoga session.

All participants must be at least 18 years old and will have to sign a waiver. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis and the instructor will determine when the class is "full." Everyone must bring their own yoga mat, water, and towel.

Adrienne Arsht Center Tour:

12PM - 1PM
1300 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132

The Arsht Center, the largest performing arts center built in the United States in the last three decades, now offers free tours twice a week.

Tour the beautiful buildings and maybe catch a rehearsal or two of a broadway show if you're lucky! These tours are also available every Monday.

Sunday, August 2:

Wynwood Graffiti Mural Bike Tour:

The Falls Back to School Party:

12PM - 6PM
8888 SW 136th St.
Miami, FL 33176

Definitely click on this event link because it is incredibly packed with activities, giveaway prizes and more! The Falls' second annual back to school party celebrates education and fun all at once. Participate in everything and don't miss out on those awesome ticket giveaways and even a $200 American Express gift card!

Free Yoga at Miami Beach:

7AM - 8AM & 5PM - 6PM
3rd St 

Miami Beach, FL 33139

Join certified yoga instructors as they begin and/or end your days with relaxing, muscle-strengthening yoga and meditation. This event occurs 7 days a week and is 100% free/by donation. Please keep in mind that these yoga instructors do NOT get paid and do it for the sake of being in love with such an empowering exercise. Make sure to be equipped with some water, a blanket/towel and some sunscreen.

That's it for this weekend! Not sure if I'll take part in anything this weekend, I am seriously pooped from my Java final yesterday. However, I highly recommend you go out with your family or special someone and enjoy the last few summer weekends before the fall semester rolls in.

Follow me on my journey... and thanks for reading xx

To view the monthly calendar click here.

I made it to FIU's fourth annual Summerfest this year! Last year was a party filled with paint and glow powder. This year... glow foam! While I didn't dare get too close to the stage with fear that it would burn my eyes out, I did keep a decent distance and had fun nonetheless (and people DID irritate their eyes pretty badly).

This year, an amazing company by the name of Light Up the Night was able to sponsor this event and provide FIU's Summerfest with FREE LED entertainment. Check out my video below for a snippet of what turned out to be a pretty frickin' awesome EDM-filled night.



Surprisingly, this event doesn't have an age minimum requirement but you won't really see anyone younger than say... 16. For FIU students, this event is 100% free. For the lame-o outsiders (seriously come to FIU), $30 online and $35 at the door.

If I'm not wrong, I believe no other university in Florida does anything similar to what FIU's been doing for the past four summers. It's such a treat for us, especially those of us who've been toughing it out during the summer school terms. This event gives us five hours of pure musical ecstasy and a special surprise at the end!

Every year after Summerfest, FIU's Homecoming committee plans to reveal the artists who will be performing at that year's Homecoming Panthermonium concert. This year: Flosstradamus and Rae Sremmurd.

A photo posted by FIU Homecoming (@fiuhc) on Jul 16, 2015 at 8:26pm PDT

Will I be going? Not too sure yet... I pretty much died when I saw Tiesto last year live especially because I'd been wanting to see him for years. I'm not a huge fan of Flosstradamus and have NO idea who Rae Sremmurd is/are, but for the sake of the blog I may just attend, and I may just enjoy myself :) Follow me on my journey... and thanks for reading xx

Amount spent: $0

Do you have any events like this at your school? Lmk!

Here's the first of many "In a Day" series posts! Last Sunday, I traveled from Miami Beach to Coconut Grove and made the most of my time there. My goal with this series is to help and inspire you to successfully fill up your day with activities without hurting your wallet. Don't forget to check out both of my galleries down below!



My first destination: Washington Dog Park. After having volunteered at the Mango Festival it was time to meet Miami Beach's most valued citizens... their dogs! Miami Beach's Parks and Recreation Department are celebrating "Let's Get Physical Month" this July, and they kicked off their celebration with a wonderful doggie luau.

With a photo booth, free doggie treats and toys, and leis for pups and their owners, I knew it was to be a great afternoon for those doggies. The first place I hit up was the Litter Sitter table, where they gave out treats in cute containers for my pup back home. I also got a delicious cupcake with their adorable logo decoration. Check out their site! If you're in the Miami Beach area and need a dog sitter, they'll be happy to do it for you. I highly recommend the Litter Sitter and I commend them for their dedication.


The photo booth was a great touch to this event and I hope everyone got the chance to do it! With cute add-ons and funny thought clouds, the photo booth guaranteed the immortalization of this amazing event in those pictures.
One organization that made me really happy with their presence was Miami-Dade County Animal Services. As a high kill shelter, it's refreshing to see that they really care about getting animals off the streets and into new homes. At the doggie luau, they brought along several pups that were occasionally kept in cages, but eventually set free to roam the park. I met many new dogs that were yearning for a new family, and whether they found one or not that day, I was so ecstatic that they were able to get a taste of what a normal day at the park felt like.


I am a huge advocate for animal rights and the hashtag and belief of #adoptdontshop. While it's great that we can (seldom) afford to buy a pure-breed dog, it hurts more to be aware of the perfectly adoptable dogs in shelters that are up for adoption at a much lower and affordable price. It's quite rewarding to know that you'll be giving a home to a dog in need. No dog belongs at a high kill shelter.

If you're ever interested in adopting and meeting your new doggie soulmate, go here for more information.

After an amazing lunch at TGI Fridays ($13) located on Ocean Drive, and visiting the infamous DASH retail store, I decided I'd go and pay a visit to one of Coconut Grove's beautiful and historic hot spots: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.

While there are several ways to get in for free/cheap, I spent $10 on a ticket after receiving the student discount with my student ID. Hey, it was very last minute! After the day was over, I felt satisfied and felt like those $10 were worth it.

How to get into Vizcaya for free/cheap:

• MDPLS Free Museum Passes
• CultureShock Discounted Tix
• Being 5 years or younger

Saturday, July 18: 

Float Swim Week Pool Party:

2PM - 7PM
2727 Indian Creek Dr Miami Beach, FL 33140

No need to watch fashion shows to enjoy this year's Swim Week! Freehand Miami is hosting an amazing pool party filled with music, fashion, food and cocktails. No age limit required and no RSVP. Just show up! After 7PM, join them at the after party right upstairs. More DJs and more food.

Mohini Swimwear Debut Party:

4PM - 6PM
Shelborne Hotel, 1801 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33139

Welcome Mohini to our city! Established in 2015, this company will be premiering its first collection of swim wear this Saturday. With cocktails and a fashion representation, Mohini is bound to catch the eyes of fashion gurus. The only catch? You must e-mail your RSVP to mohini@thepattongroupinc.com.

*Bird Road Art Walk:

Nikki Beach Yoga & Party:

Play Day at Deering Estate:

Summer Splash Bike Ride:

Every second Saturday of the month, the Wynwood Walls are open to the public and visitors from all places come to celebrate Miami's rich, artistic culture. Expect to immerse yourself in the world of beautiful murals, EDM music, puppies, food trucks and pure Miami vibes. While the food trucks can occasionally pick at your wallet, the best part of this event... the rest is all free!

Contrary to popular belief, the Wynwood Art Walk does not only pertain to talented graffiti artists. When people hear about Wynwood, they assume all they'll be seeing are bubble letters on a wall and silly name tags that deface private property. And if we're being honest... so did I! For a long time, I thought I'd ONLY be seeing spray paint cans and New York style art.

This past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who attended and the variety of art I was welcomed with. It was astounding the amount of homemade crafts and clothing that was available for sale. One particular artist did in fact, specialize in graffiti art and he was only just getting started. The atmosphere of this event was so relaxing, welcoming and this guy made it 10x better with his freebies and his crazy 1980's boombox.



As I walked around, a lot of foods were fighting to dominate the air. Foodies welcome! Arepas, gyros, mangos, corn dogs and ice cream were a few of the hundreds of foods available for purchase. What did I end up buying? A mango and some water. As I tried to stay true to my blog goal of spending the least amount of money, I became quite parched and the mango just looked so irresistible. Amount spent: $7 (which is totally and 100% avoidable, I swear!)

One thing that really caught my eye after having discovered it was the street art... literally.

Does this kind of art have a specific name? Let me know!

It can be quite the hidden treasure if your attention is constantly being grabbed by the murals, the galleries, and by the fact that you won't stop bumping into people in those crowded sidewalks, so make sure to look down! Totally worth it. Art just makes you think, and I'm so glad that Wynwood has allowed people to come together and choose a night like this to get cultured and switch up what could be a routine Saturday night out.

If you'd like to know what else you can do on each second Saturday of the month, you can visit my Events page for a constantly updated calendar OR you can click on "Second Saturday" on my tags column on the right!

Have you visited the Wynwood Walls or gone to the Wynwood Art Walk yet? Would you like to? Leave a comment down below and feel free to share! Follow me on my journey... and thanks for reading xx
                                                                                                          
     

To view the monthly calendar for more events click here.

As the new week rolls in, more events are ready for action. YPW contains my personal hand-picked bunch of FREE events throughout the weekend around Miami. Click on each event to learn more information.

The first of many YPW posts is finally here! YPW contains my personal hand-picked bunch of FREE events throughout the weekend around Miami.

Two weekends ago, I had the privilege and the pleasure to work alongside many passionate volunteers at this year's Florida Supercon in Miami Beach. I remember scrolling through Facebook back in April and having seen the call for help from the Supercon page itself. I've had such rewarding experiences volunteering around Miami, but this one takes the cake.