Talk about dinner with a view! It had been years since I’d dined at @baleen_naples —back when I was still a tourist visiting Southwest Florida—so September’s @sizzledining was the perfect excuse to finally return.
Located right on the Gulf at @laplayanaples Beach & Golf Resort, BALEEN is one of those Naples restaurants where you definitely want to time dinner with sunset. 🌴🥂 We enjoyed the limited time Sizzle Dining menu benefiting @blessingsswfl while watching the sun disappear over the water, and I was reminded why this spot has been a Naples favorite for so long.
Dont wait as long as I did to check out this @paradisecoast gem again 💎
📍 BALEEN Naples | LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort
#NaplesFL #NaplesFlorida #sunset #dinnerwithaview #SizzleDining
🌴 Moving from New Jersey to Florida came with a few surprises... and not the ones I expected 😂
Here are 10 unexpected things I learned after moving to Babcock Ranch, Florida:
1️⃣ You don’t go to the beach nearly as much as you think you will. We spend way more time enjoying our neighborhood than driving to the coast.
2️⃣ Gators and snakes are here... but honestly, you barely see them.
3️⃣ Florida gets a bad rap for education, but we’ve found there are way more school options than we had up north, from charter and hybrid homeschools to scholarship programs.
4️⃣ There *is* good Italian food—you just have to know where to find it. 🇮🇹
5️⃣ I-75 drivers are no joke. Somehow they make the Jersey Turnpike seem like child’s play. 😅
6️⃣ There are basically only two seasons: ☀️ dry season and 🌧️ rainy season.
7️⃣ Our electric bill is actually a fraction of what we paid in up north—even running the AC.
8️⃣ I finally understand why it’s called “The Free State of Florida” in more ways than one.
9️⃣ The heat gets easier. Your body adjusts, and you learn how to work with the weather instead of against it.
🔟 Grocery stores still have plastic bags. 😂 It shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it does.
Would I make the move again? Without a doubt!!
👉🏼Follow me @laurasellsbabcock for all things home and lifestyle in Southwest Florida
💬 Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you my free Relocating to Babcock Ranch Guide with everything you need to know before making your move.
@laurasellsbabcock
@laurasellsbabcock
@laurasellsbabcock
—Laura Rodriguez, Realtor
Your Babcock Ranch Relocation Expert
Team John Garuti brokered by eXp Realty
941-401-4648
#babcockranchflorida #babcockranchrealtor #babcockranch #movingtobabcockranch #babcockranchlife
Pool days are a way of life in Naples, and Southwest Florida is building more of them than anywhere else in the state. Through the second quarter of 2026, Home Builders Weekly counted 4,798 new pool permits across the region, a 13 percent rise over the same point last year and the fastest growth of any region in Florida. Statewide the figure was 15,008. In June alone, Southwest Florida pulled 911 permits, roughly 37 percent of every pool permitted in the state that month. Collier recorded 200 in January 2025 and 123 that October.
Getting one approved takes more than a hole and a pump. The City of Naples pool application requires a barrier plan showing the location and dimensions of whatever will keep a child out, and it counts fences, child mesh barriers, pool covers, screen enclosures and alarms. The fence contractor, the aluminum screen enclosure contractor, the electrician and the gas contractor each pull their own sub-permit.
The state rule underneath all of it is Chapter 515, the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, passed in 2000. A new residential pool cannot pass final inspection without one of five features. A barrier isolating the pool from the house. An approved safety cover. Exit alarms on every door and window with direct access, rated 85 decibels at ten feet. Self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors with the release no lower than 54 inches. Or an alarm in the water that sounds when something enters.
The barrier spec is exact. Four feet high measured from the outside. No gap a young child could crawl under, squeeze through or climb. It runs the pool perimeter, and a yard fence counts only if it sits on that perimeter and meets the same standard. It has to stand far enough back that a child who gets past it does not fall straight in. Gates swing outward and self-latch, with the release on the pool side.
So the screen cage most people think of as bug control is doing a second job. It is on the approved barrier list. And in Naples, the electrical and barrier inspections both have to pass before anyone is allowed to put water in the pool.
#Naples #NaplesFlorida #CollierCounty #PoolSafety #SouthwestFlorida
President @realdonaldtrump just shared a message from the Oval Office for the families of Florida’s 16th District. I am grateful for his trust and proud to have his support. He knows what is at stake for our country, and he knows I will fight every day to lower costs, secure our border, and deliver real results for Southwest Florida families.
Early voting starts Saturday, August 8, and our primary is Tuesday, August 18. I would be grateful for your support as we work to build a stronger Southwest Florida together.
Two coaches. @cosmoalexandre one of the best strikers ever in the game. @danielgracie one of the best mma coaches of nowadays.
Two journeys.
One conversatio???
What do you think, could we build the best MMA team of Southwest Florida?
@cosmoalexandre FOR SURE WE COULD MAKE SOME NOISE 😂😂😂! What do you guys think?
Dois treinadores.
Duas jornadas.
Uma conversa…
O que vocês acham? Será que poderíamos construir o melhor time de MMA do Sudoeste da Flórida?
@cosmoalexandre — COM CERTEZA, A GENTE PODERIA FAZER BARULHO! 😂😂😂
I que vocês acham?
POV: You’re in Cape Coral and spot the BOAT you want 🚤😍
Then you see the boat you could actually afford 😂😭
The dream boat vs. the budget boat is a little too relatable! 😂
We were hanging out at Slip Away Marina, enjoying the food trucks, waterfront views and all the things that make the Cape Coral lifestyle so much fun 🌴☀️🚤
As a SWFL Realtor, I’m here to show you more than just houses. I want to show you what living in Southwest Florida can actually look like! 🏡🌊
Be honest… which boat are you taking? 👀
#CapeCoral #CapeCoralFlorida #SWFLRealtor #FloridaLifestyle #BoatLife
Patriots in Southwest Florida are fired up. We are coming up on the election in 32 days and the momentum is with us. Make a plan to vote and let’s win this thing!
If you could live near one of these Southwest Florida beaches, which would you choose? 🏖️
Want the link to browse these homes for yourself? Comment “BEACH” and I’ll send it to you. 💬
And because peace of mind matters most when living near the coast, these homes are built with features designed for added resilience — including higher elevations, concrete block construction, and hurricane impact windows.
8/10/26 UPDATE- SOPHIA COVER FOUND SAFE!
C0mment “STORY” and I’ll send you the full story on why we decided to do this!!! But…
SURPRISE!!!! I can’t believe we finally get to share this with you guys!!
We moved from Minnesota to southwest Florida, and we are so excited for this new adventure as a family!! ☀️🏝️
Did you guess it right??
Also oops 🤣 I meant to post our announcement this afternoon, but I accidentally posted the other video last night so I’m reposting it in just a bit 🙃
If you commented “story” on the last post but didn’t get the link, please comment “story” again below and I’ll send it your way. 🤍
#hannahandregal #couple #moving #surprise #florida
I definitely don’t remember it being THIS deep last year. 😳😂
Back for year two of the Wet Walk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers, and this year was a whole different experience!
You literally walk through the preserve with a guide and depending on the rain, the water can get pretty deep. And yes… I somehow ended up on my tippy toes in a gator hole with water almost to my ears. 😂🐊
Wet Walks are happening now and are such a unique way to experience one of my favorite nature spots in Southwest Florida.
📍 Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve | Fort Myers, FL @friendsofsixmilecypress
🌿 Wet Walk Season 2026
🎟️ Registration required | Ages 12+
Would you do it?!
Paid partnership with @visitfortmyers
#myFortMyers #VisitFortMyers #SWFL #ThingsToDoInFortMyers #SixMileCypressSlough
Lucky lady who collected that big empty horse conch!🐚🧡 This was a shelling tour with @everwater.charters in the 10k islands (Southwest Florida). Use code letsgoshelling for $5 off 🫶
#shelling #beachfinds #swfl #10kislands