There’s something about velvet that makes me feel like royalty. The soft smooth fabric makes me want to attend a royal function in England, or simply walk around with a tiara like Duchess Kate.
If you’re anything like me, you have this perception that velvet is a fabric that is too expensive to add to your closet when on a budget, but I promise you it’s not!
Happy Travel Tuesday! I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since we returned home from Curaçao. In that short time, we’ve had three birthday celebrations, multiple work events and a gala, a few home projects as well as a doggy sitting weekend (more on that topic to come!) It’s crazy to me that I just now have time to reflect on our trip and share with you our experience at Sunscape Resort and Casino!
There were so many great elements of our trip, and some not so great. To share our experience, I’ve broken the resort out into four categories: Room and Facility, Resort Accommodations, Food and Beverage, and Entertainment. I’ll also give you our total experience score for our stay. Side note: my friends who know me all too well are probably rolling their eyes because this judging criteria comes straight from the TLC show, Four Weddings! I know, I’m shaking my head too.
Are you staring at your dining room table littered with colorful wrappers of candy, candy, candy! Before you throw it all away, transform your leftover chocolate candy into the world’s sweetest cookie!
Whether you are trying to get rid of excess candy you purchased for Trick or Treaters, or trying to minimize your child’s loot bag, Candy Cookie Bars are the tastiest and easiest way to reduce your candy supply before it goes to waste.
These cookie bars are basically the Halloween kitchen sink of cookies. It doesn’t matter what chocolate candy you throw into the batter, it will always taste good. Imagine the ooey gooey-ness of Snickers caramel, the creaminess of Reese’s Peanut Butter and the crunch from M&M’s. Each bite is a taste of your favorite candy bar surrounded by a soft cookie shell.
October has come and gone, and I am officially starting November with a sugar/alcohol hangover. As shocking as this may seem, this was my FIRST Halloween being on the receiving end of trick or treaters. Growing up in a rural area, our house was never a destination for trick or treaters, but instead the popular street for the school’s haunted hayride and mischief night. Nick and I were warned that our townhouse would receive anywhere from 200-300 kids and sure enough, we did! 400+ pieces of candy later, we’re left with a few M&M’s, a handful of Reese’s and some lone KitKat bars.
What did I love most about Halloween? Of course I loved the kids in their costumes (especially the little girls in Poodle Skirts!) but I loved the atmosphere of the night. All the neighbors grabbed chairs, fire pits and alcoholic beverages and spent the night hanging out. It wasn’t just kids night out, but also the adults night out! Here’s to hoping we have more block parties before the weather turns cold and frozen.
Let’s talk about… SQUASH! Personally, I’m a huge fan of squash all year round. Spaghetti squash with homemade sauce, zucchini squash boats stuffed with taco filling, creamy butternut squash soup… you name it and I’ll eat it! Of all the different kinds of squash each season, my favorite by far is delicata squash (and not because of the fun zebra striped skin!)
Delicata squash, also known as sweet potato squash, is a winter squash commonly known for its creamy texture and sweet taste. It’s also one of the easiest squash to prepare and cook, with zero peeling necessary and short cook times in either the oven, microwave or on the stovetop. Not only delicious, delicata squash is a good source of dietary fiber and potassium, and also provides small amounts of magnesium, manganese, vitamins C and B.
Let me preface with this – Skincare isn’t something to take lightly and it’s one of those #adulting things I do take seriously. As we get older, especially women, we take great care of our hair and the skin on our face through moisturizing masks, cleansing, toning etc… so that we will continue looking great as we mature. We’re trying to look younger and do everything we can to avoid wrinkles, sun damage spots and any signs of aging. Yet why do so many of us forgo practicing responsible skincare? We go to tanning beds, we lay out in the sun without sunscreen, or we put sunscreen on once and assume we’re golden for the remainder of the day. Yeah, we’re golden all right – Golden brown and crispy burnt.
Nick and I are off on an adventure! As we speak, we are boarding a plane heading to…. Drum roll please… Curaçao! For those who don’t know about Curaçao, this Dutch-Caribbean island is part of the A-B-C islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) located just above Venezuela. It’s known for its beautiful beaches, coral reefs and perfectly pastel buildings.
Why Curaçao ? To be honest, we selected the A-B-C islands because they are known for being hurricane free. This cluster of islands is farther south than other popular Caribbean destinations that typically reside in the hurricane belt. We knew we would be taking our main vacation in October, and didn’t want to take any tropical storm chances. Once I saw the colorful city and crystal clear waters, I was instantly sold.
I pride myself on being an avid traveler. Before I could walk, my parents had me on a plane jet setting around the country. Little did they know they were creating a travel bug! As more adventures came and went, I began mastering the skill of packing a suitcase, carry-on bag or backpack – whatever space that trip allowed – all the while still overpacking and bringing more than enough clothing options.
I feel like I have been saying this for weeks, but I swear in one weekend, summer has officially gone and fall has permanently moved in for the season. The temperature has finally dropped, the leaves are starting to change and it’s time to officially transition my closet from maxi dresses and sandals to sweaters and corduroy. Brands have been rolling out their fall and winter capsules for months but I am just now appreciating all the rich and colorful pieces – burgundy, emerald green, burnt orange, dusty rose and my new personal favorite, mustard.
I’m naming mustard the unofficial color of fall 2018. Everywhere I look – magazines, clothing stores, random strangers in the Lehigh Valley – I’m seeing pops of this color in light yellow to dark rust-yellow and to be honest, I’m LOVING IT. As a redhead, I always thought I needed to steer clear of yellows, oranges and reds, but I’m throwing my wardrobe rules out the window and embracing these warm, fiery tones.
Let’s face it. Not all shows are created equal – and they aren’t supposed to be! Comedy. Mystery. Sports. Talk. Sci-Fi. Musical. Romantic. There’s many genres to choose from that don’t always suit both genders. While there have been a few arguments and fist fights over the remote in our household (Nick usually for football or UFC and me anything on Food Network and HGTV), we’ve found a way to compromise and keep the peace in our family room.
Ever since we started dating, Nick and I always tried to find one show that we both wanted to watch. When we lived separately, we always found time during the week or weekend to have a tv show date night where we binge watched a few episode. The only rule was we have to watch the show together. No skipping ahead allowed and no looking up spoilers. As time has passed, we’ve come to learn what we like, don’t like, and how to find that perfect balance between masculine and feminine.
Life Domestikated 