Tag: blog

Friday Favorites

Leave a comment

H E L L O   M A R C H!!  Does anyone else love March and the beginning of springtime? For me, March has always been a favorite month, not only because it’s my birthday month, but because it is the start of many exciting events and seasons. Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and the celebration of Easter are just a few gatherings to look forward to (and parties to host!!)

For me, this March is filled with adventure, travel and friendship. I already have three weekend getaways planned this month to visit friends and family, plus plenty of weeknight events to keep me busy. As a way to stay connected with my friends, family, and the random strangers who are reading about my life (hi new friends!), I wanted to start a new series every Friday that shares a few of my favorite things I’ve used, watched, or been coveting over the last seven days. I often share random Amazon Prime finds or YouTube videos with my friends and family, and I asked myself why I’m not sharing my finds, inspirations, or simply a good laugh with all of my digital friends and followers too.

Continue reading →

Decorating our Half Bathroom with Command Strips

Leave a comment

This past weekend, Nick and I celebrated one year living together in our townhouse! Over the last 365 days, we have had fun finding and curating pieces of furniture and decor to make our house a home, but like other millennial renters, we faced our share of challenges.

As renters, it’s great to have a landlord and handy man at your beckoned call to fix issues such as broken garbage disposals, running toilets and garage doors. In return though, we lose the creative freedom to decorate and transform the space how we may truly want to. With three years of renting under my belt plus four years of college housing decorating hacks, I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade on how to make your rented space a home.

Continue reading →

How I Survived “No Spend” January

2 Comments

 

4CDB2F41-6BCB-46BB-B725-6889D584D1FF

Spoiler alert: I did it! I made it one month on a spending freeze!

If you read my goals for 2019, you know that I am trying to accomplish (3) “No Spend” months this year. After a hectic and expensive December full of gifting, hosting and attending multiple events, my wallet needed a time out. I vowed not to step foot into a Target, Home Goods, and clothing store for the entire month of January, plus stop eating out for lunch and no more weekly coffees. I stopped being #Basic for the month and here’s what happened.

Continue reading →

10 Ways to Make New Friends in a New Year

Leave a comment

friends

The saying goes, New year, same friends, but what about New Year, New Friends?

For some reason, we get into this mindset that we don’t need new friends. Assuming that my readers are also millennials in their 20s, we have our friend group(s) that we’ve curated over the years, from recess at elementary school to roommates in college. These friends are there for us through thick and thin and we can’t imagine anyone else by our side. But let’s face it – friends move apart in distance thanks to job opportunities, families, significant others, you name it. Technology keeps us together and weekend gatherings are a no brainer, but who do you call when you just want to go to grab a coffee or head to the gym?

I’m not suggesting we replace our O.G friends (if they have put up with us for this long, they aren’t going anywhere), but why do we have a hard time expanding our horizons and opening ourselves up to new people?

Continue reading →

How to Paint a Wood Fireplace for Under $50

2 Comments

Let’s face it – as young adults, we don’t have millions (not even hundreds!) of dollars to spend on our home decor and furnishings. We’re 20-something year olds most likely in entry level positions learning how to navigate bills and budgets with our newly acquired paychecks. Thanks to the help from the three main F’s – family, friends, and Facebook Marketplace – we are able to curate a hodge podge of furniture from different generations, in different textures and colors, for our first home or apartment. While nothing matches or looks like something Joanna Gaines would have styled, it was free or cheap furniture so you can spend your hard earned cash on food (and beer and wine) instead of  on overpriced furniture.

But what if beautiful furniture didn’t have to break the bank? What if you could have the style you want at a fraction of the cost. Spoiler alert: You can!

Continue reading →

My Goals for 2019

1 Comment

2019 Plan.png

Is anyone else having a hard time believing that 2019 starts tomorrow? On one hand, I feel like I just celebrated the 2018 New Year, yet on the other, 2017 and the start of 2018 honestly seems like it was ages ago! Usually I am excited about ringing in a new year. It means more opportunities, advancements, adventures and growing older (if you haven’t learned this about me yet, I always want to be older than I am… I wonder at what age these feelings will change!) However, this year I am a bit nervous and scared to see what the new year brings. For the first time, I am not looking forward to the clock striking 12AM on January 1, 2019 because it means a new year without my mom. A full 365 days without her supporting me, pushing me, loving me, believing in me.

Before anyone messages me, I do realize that my fear is irrational. I can’t be afraid of a new year. And I have to know by now that my mom is with me in spirit every day.  She sends me so many signs that I know she’s by my side every step of the way. But a new year means more firsts without her, and that’s my fear. It means more moments I can’t share with her, more envy I feel towards friends and complete strangers who get to build relationships with their moms, and more moments of feeling lost and alone. Each day I am learning the intricacies of grief and how to move forward each day. 

The best way I move forward and push myself is through goals.

Continue reading →

A Christmas Eve Tradition

Leave a comment

It’s no secret from my family and friends that I love traditions. For me, traditions create memories that last a lifetime, and also brings families and friends together to celebrate, reminisce or experience a certain thing. Traditions are a memory, a moment of reflection on the family members before you who created this ritual, but also a glimpse at the future and the excitement that you can pass on these moments to future generations. 

Unfortunately, in today’s day in age, traditions do come and go. Families separate, new families form, and life gets too busy or in the way and we lose track of those moments that were once so important to us. Coming from a divorced family, many of my childhood traditions disappeared. And I won’t lie – it was heartbreaking. But as I got older, new traditions formed and the dream of passing down family traditions to my future family kept my spirit alive. In my 24 years of living, there is one family tradition that never faded. There was one magical tradition that my mom kept alive, and passed on to my friends and boyfriends as I got older. Whether we were together on Christmas Eve or not, my mom never let me down with my longstanding family tradition: Christmas Eve Pajamas. 

Continue reading →

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Comment

You know what they say – Chicken Noodle Soup, it’s good for the soul! I firmly believe chicken noodle soup is one of those staple foods that everyone should learn how to make. It’s hearty, healthy, and let’s be honest, it’s the best cure for the common cold. Yet, for some reason, everyone is more willing to go grab a can of salty soup from the grocery store instead of making a pot from scratch. Why? What is so intimidating about making homemade soup? Your grandparents did it and so can you.

I’m one of those people who can eat soup all year round, but it’s not until the temperature drops below 30 degrees that I am in the “soup making” mood. This past week my friend whipped up a pot of chicken noodle soup and ever since she mentioned it, I’ve been CRAVING it. I threw my apron on and made my own this past weekend, some to freeze and some for lunch this week. Soup is one of the simplest meal prep menu items you can make for lunch or busy weeknight dinners. Paired with a side salad, you’ll get a punch of vitamins and antioxidants that will power you through the day, while boosting your immune system!

If you have a secret soup recipe passed down from grandma, grab a pot and start cooking. If you don’t have a recipe in your back pocket, follow these easy steps to make homemade chicken noodle soup even grandma would love!

Continue reading →

10 Tips for Saving Money While Decorating for the Holidays

2 Comments

Our house is finally decorated for the holidays, making it hard to leave our little wonderland each morning for work. At night when we get home from work, I love to turn on all the twinkling lights and sit in our cozy home with a fire. There’s nothing more peaceful to me. Since moving into our house in February, we have heavily relied on hand me down decorations, and just recently started sourcing new holiday items of our own. I think the perfect balance of old + new is what creates the best holiday spirit and cheer!

For those new to the holiday decorating game, like we are, I’m here with a PSA: Decorations can get expensive! I won’t forget the mile long receipt from my first holiday run to Target. Needless to say I returned a few things and started investing time and money into the items I truly wanted and needed, rather than those I coveted or saw on display. Let’s not forget about the cost of the electric bill during the month of December due to a surplus of outdoor lights! I wanted to share my top tips for saving money during the holiday season, without giving up on design and style!

Continue reading →

DIY Advent Calendar

Ad Cal 2

Advent calendars have always been a special part of my holiday season ever since I was a little girl. And no, I’m not referring to those chocolate advent boxes you can buy at the grocery store. I’m talking authentic, homemade advent calendar that is a true countdown to Christmas.

Growing up, my advent calendar was special to our family. It was a handmade fabric calendar my mom made in a previous, crafty life of hers that featured a Christmas tree with a decoration for each day of the month. Each day was a small wooden ornament that I was always so eager to place on the tree (and see what the surprise was that day!) I didn’t need chocolate and my favorite cartoon characters to countdown the holiday. I just needed the spirit of Christmas.

When I studied abroad in Denmark, I was fortunate to stay with an incredible family who took me in as their own daughter for the five months. My host mom was both compassionate and crafty, and gifted me my very own custom made advent calendar that she and her husband designed for me.

Continue reading →