Atlanta Review

This year for Memorial Day I took my first adult trip! I have a friend interning in Atlanta, to two of us flew out to spend the long weekend with er and explore all Atlanta has to offer! I decided to fly in late Friday night so that I could maximize my my time in the city!

First thing Saturday morning, we woke up and went to have breakfast at The Dwarf House also known as the original Chick-Fil-A! Those of you who know me, know I can’t eat fried food, but I totally made an exception this day (and regretted it later). I have Chick-Fil-A chicken and waffles and waffle fries. My taste buds were so happy!

Next we went to the Porch experience center where my friend is interning. She gave us a tour of her summer home and we watched as people drove Porches on the track and toured the museum filled with vintage Porche cars.

We then went to the Jimmy Carter presidential library. This was such a cool experience to be able to learn a bit of our nation’s history. I have now been to two of the 12 presidential libraries, who wants to go traveling to visit the next one???

We grabbed lunch at the Ponce City Market and took a stroll down the Beltline. Ponce City Market is full of cute little lunch spots and bakeries and sweet treats. We left here and went to The Varsity, the oldest diner in town. We didn’t eat here, it was just an excuse for a photo shoot!

By this point we were exhausted, so we picked up a few things at the grocery store for dinner, took a walk around the neighborhood and curled up to watch a movie!

Sunday morning we went to the shops at Buckhead early, before they were open. We didn’t want to shop, so this way we got to see the beautiful area and take photos without all of the crowds! We went to church at Buckhead Christ Covenant where some other friends go, and I even got to see my friend lead worship! It was such a special moment to see her using her talents to share the Gospel. Then the five of us went to lunch at Holler and Dash Biscuit House.

For the rest of the afternoon, we started taking advantage of our CityPass. The CityPass lets you see multiple museums at a discount! We started at the Civil Rights museum. Not only does the Civil Rights museum go through the Civil Rights time period, but it also brings it into the modern era and shows how the fight for civil rights is still alive today.

Our last stop of the day was the Georgia Aquarium. I absolutely love aquariums and zoos! This aquarium is the number 1 in the world. There were some great exhibits, we stood with the penguins, saw shark, and watched the most incredible dolphin show!

Monday started with a tour of CNN, it was arguably the coolest activity we did and the one I was looking forward to the least! Our next stop was the Coca-Cola Museum. Here we saw their happiness project, the polar bear, the history of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola marketing through the years, and the tour ends in a room where you taste different Coke products from all over the world!

Our last museum was the Natural History Museum, and we spent the rest of the day driving around the city and taking pictures with the city skyline and other fun locations!

I had the best time hanging out with two of my best girls! I am excited for my next trip!

Month in Review: MAY

Today I am bring you a new series for the blog! I am sharing my month in review. Through these posts, you will be able to see a little piece of me and my life in a different way. I’ll be sharing all of my favorite things from throughout the previous month. I’d love to hear what your favorites are too!

MUSIC: I have been all over the place with my music feels lately! Waving Through a Window is from the broadway hit – Dear Even Hansen, its super repetitive, which makes listening to it on a loop just too easy! Cherry Hill Park is from the 60’s! It came on the radio in my dad’s car one day and I knew I had it on a CD at home. Lol if had to figure out how to get my ancient CD player to work to listen to this song! I discovered Radio in my Head just by chance on Spotify one day. Aaron Tveit performs covers of a bunch of hit songs, he’s gorgeous, a talented actor, and can sing too. *Swoon*

Activity: You can read my post about my mom and I getting to have brunch with Katey McFarlan of Chronicles of Frivolity here. It was definitely a highlight for me, I’ll probably still be talking about it in 6 months! I had the best time in Atlanta for Memorial Day Weekend with two of my besties! Be on the lookout for my trip review next week! May is the time for season finales. I loved watching how all of my shows ended. The one that disappointed me: Grey’s Anatomy. The one that left me hanging: Station 19.

Books: I have definitely been slacking in the book department lately. Especially since I said I wanted to read 48 books this year!!! BUT I downloaded Otto Radio and did my free trial. I didn’t finish my book, so of course I subscribed. That a week ago. I’ve listened to three books since! I’ve been wanted to read Big Little Lies since it started growing media attention. (I’m a believer in reading before watching!)

Fashion: I have been living the these J.Crew Drapey Pants. They are so comfortable! I contemplating getting them in bubblegum pink. Thoughts? My mom surprised me with this ruffle sleeved dress from target and I adore it. Expect to see it all the time. I got these leggings over Easter Weekend, and I love them. They looked polished enough to wear to work and casual enough to travel! This bamboo purse is serious the cutest, and surprising hold SO much stuff!

Television: This month I’ve been watching Smallville. I loved this growing up, but didn’t really remember it clearly. I watched the first 7 seasons in college and then I lost interest.(Binge watching will do that) But now I’m back, and totally sucked into the storyline!

Favorite Blog Posts: Here are my favorite blog posts this month from the bloggers I follow. Did you see these, or any others you really liked? I’d love to check them out!

Chronicles of Frivolity in this post Katey talks about a subscription clothing service called Trunk Club – Sign me up!

Kin and Kodachrome in this post Megan shares 4 ways to spring clean your life.

The Teacher Diva in this post Ashley talks about a jade roller and it’s benefits. If you’re like me you’ve seen these everywhere. Have any of you tried it?

 

 

Summer Must Haves!

This past weekend it officially began to feel like summer! So today I’m bringing you my summer must-haves to get you through the hot weather and all of the vacay opportunities!

How cute is this white dress from Anthropologie? It is perfect for wearing on a picnic, or out shopping and lunching with girlfriends, or eating breakfast on the beach! I am in love! Hopefully it’s coming to a closet near me soon!!!

I actually ordered this purse a few weeks ago and I am dying for an opportunity to use it! I have been seeing it around since LAST summer, but you know what, it is still so trendy! Don’t feel like you have missed out just because something isn’t the “latest and greatest”.

I found these sandals at Target the other day and thought they were absolutely dreamy! I have a super similar pair in black (also from Target!) And they are my favorite throw on and go shoes! The pale tan of these makes them feel so fresh and summery! I love that you can wear them with a dress for dinner, or cut-off shorts at the zoo!

I am really into vintage style sunnies right now, and I thought these white ones were so refreshing! (I don’t have white!) Tie a scarf around my hear and put in a convertible and I will be movie ready with these on my eyes!

The Fujifilm Insta Mini 9 has caught my eye. Polaroids were so fun as a kid. I was at brunch and someone took a photo with this and I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to get the photo instantly! I think it will be so fun for vacay photos!

Lastly, I have gotten really into drinking bubbly water. It makes me feel so sophisticated when I’m out to dinner (I don’t drink alcohol all that much). This watermelon flavor is the essence of summer in a can and there is zero calories and zero sugar! What more could you want!

What’s on your summer must-have list?

My Segway Experience!

You may have seen me mention before that this is the “Year of Experiences” for my family! Rather than buy gifts, we are focusing on creating memories through activities together as a family. One of these experiences, was a Segway tour through Cowtown (Fort Worth)!

If you have ever wondered what Paul Blart, Mall Cop felt like, then you should definitely take a Segway ride! They were surprisingly easy to get accustomed to and drive. Segway are totally based on balance. They move when you move, and how you move. The way you lean directs where the Segway goes. It’s startling at first when you step on, but we all got the hang of it in nothing flat!

Fort Worth was such a fun city to tour around in! We got to see some of the historical areas of the city, and ride along the the Trinity Trails path. By the end of our afternoon trip, we felt like professional Segway rider/drivers! Can I take one of these home with me???

Have you ever gone on a Segway tour? What do you think?

Questions for Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there! I am so happy to be spending Mother’s Day with my mom. Being with my mom has always been so important to me, sometimes I would meet my parents half way between college and school to grab dinner! I am excited to be celebrating Mother’s Day without all of the stress of finals, and summer internships!

Today I’m sharing some table topics for your mom!

• What is your favotite thing about being a Mom?

• What do you feel was a mistake you made as a Mom?

• What “Moms” did you look to for advice?

• What has been your favorite stage of Motherhood?

• What has been your greatest joy of being a Mom?

• What advice would you give today to a new Mom?

• What part of you do you see in your kids?

• What has been the hardest phase of Motherhood?

• Is there anything you wish you had learned from your Mom?

Brunch with Katey McFarlan

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet and brunch with my favorite blogger, Katey McFarlan of Chronicles of Frivolity. She hosted a Mother’s Day brunch, and so I treated my mom for Mother’s Day. This has been the “year of experiences” for my family, so this Mother’s Day experience was the perfect fit! I have followed Katey’s blog for YEARS now, and I talk about her with my mom like I know her personally!

The brunch was hosted in Highland Park Village of Dallas at Bistro 31. There were 30 moms and daughters there so it was such a sweet intimate event. Katey was so open with all of us and shared her story with TULA Skincare, who co-hosted the event. We spent the morning chatting with one another, learning about the TULA Skincare history and how their company is run.

TULA treated everyone at the event to a goodie bag. It was filled with several items from their skin care line, and they are all SO good! I highly encourage you look into the brand! Everything is chalk full of probiotics which are so good for your skin health and overall health. All of their products are great for sensitive skin (living testimate). I have been using TULA for a month and a half and I don’t think I have ever gotten so many compliments on my skin! It’s one thing when someone tells you that you look pretty or beautiful, but for someone to tell you that you have beautiful skin is a whole other level of feeling good about yourself and have body confidence!

This is Julia, the CEO of TULA. She and her team were great! They are so passionate to be working in the beauty industry. As a three year old company, they are still growing. They are dedicated to ever single one of their customers. If you have a skin question, they will find you an answer! A huge thanks to all of them who came to Dallas for the brunch and helped make it such a special event!

Katey took the time during brunch to come around and talk with all of us and her precious daughter, Maxi, joined her throughout the event, and her mom and sister were there too! We had a fun time celebrating the moms in the room, Every person wrote down the best advice they had received from their mom, and what superpower they would give their child. We then each reach one another’s cards aloud. Let me tell ya, those momma’s had some pretty great advice!

It was such a dream come true to brunch with my favorite blogger, and now when I talk about Katey with my mom, it’s not just someone typing on her computer, it’s a real life person we met together!

 

 

5 Ways to Maintain Friendships

Keeping in touch with people has never really been a strong suit of mine. I have typically relied on people to reach out to me to catch and be apart of each others lives, even if we weren’t physically apart of each other’s lives. Today I’m sharing 5 ways I keep in touch with friends post college (undergrad and now grad!). Now more than ever, it’s important that I work to maintain the friendships I have, while beginning new relationships.

1. Pick up the phone!

As a Millenial, I know how much my generation texts people over calling them. Giving someone a phone call is so rare, which makes it such a valuable conversation! I commute an hour+ each way to work, and on the way home, I have a list of people I rotate through calling. Sometimes I have to just leave a voicemail, but 9 times out of 10 my friend calls me back at another time. It helps me feel so connected to those I am closest to, but not able to be near or spend time with regularly.

2. Comment on Social Media

Our lives are consumed by social media these days. I love seeing the places people are visiting or the activities they are doing. Commenting on their posts or their stories is a fun way to learn about what’s going on in the moment. Your conversation is housed in one place a long with the photo that started it all!

3. Pick two people a day to text

I reach out to two people every day for how I can pray for them. Praying for people can be so intimate, and it has allowed me to get close to some of those phone contacts that sometimes get lost in the shuffle. It has been a great way for me to keep up with and keep in touch with sorority sisters, and friends from organizations.

4. Take a 3 day weekend

As a new employee, I know people are cautious about the time they take off work or if they take any. Then how much will a vacation cost them. I have friends that live all over the US now. And as hard as it is because I don’t see them as often as I want, we can make time to invest in our friendships. I can go to some pretty great places, and have free housing, there are some pretty great ways to find cheap flights. Or if you can split the difference, drive and meet each other half way and split the cost of a hotel room.

5. Send Snail Mail

I know, I know, I already talked about the old fashioned art of phone called and now I’m moving on to the antiquated art of writing a letter. When was the last letter you received? How did it make you feel? It’s so easy to make someone else feel the same way! Go to Target, and buy your self some cute stationary. Sit down on Sunday night and write to people who have birthdays or anniversaries that week!

 

 

My Skydiving Experince

My mom turned 60 in March. Being a milestone birthday, we wanted to share an experience as a family to celebrate. Skydiving has been on my bucket list for years. I even put it on my 1,001 in 101 list. But I eventually realized that I didn’t think I would be able to go through with the actual jumping out of the plane part. That’s when I learned about Indoor Skydiving!

We booked our indoor skydiving experience through iFLY. We got there early and were able to watch several people go before us. There is a large vertical wind tunnel in the middle of the room. It was so fun to watch people float and then fly high. Some of the instructors even performed tricks!

After our mini training class, we were fitted with jumpsuits, goggles, and helmets. Don’t we look adorable???

Twelve people go in a flight group. When it’s your turn, you just lean into the tunnel and the wind keeps you up. An instructor is in the tunnel with you and makes sure you keep the proper form. The instructor even guides you through some simple air tricks.

It is such fun feeling! Your head is forced up because of the wind. So don’t worry about heights, because you really don’t notice at all. You feel like you floating, and the wind is so powerful you can’t even tell the instructor is in the tunnel with you.

I would HIGHLY recommend the experience to anyone desiring to skydive, but not sure if  they want to take the plunge (no pun intended!) out of plane. We had so much fun, we are going to go back for my Dad’s birthday later this year!

Would you ever go indoor skydiving???

 

 

How I spent my first paycheck

| Platter: Mackenzie Childs |

| Necklace: Starfish Project | Vest: J.Crew | Sweater: Old |

  | Jeans: J.Crew | Shoes: Tory Burch |

This year, I got my first ever adult paycheck! I was so excited, and I really wanted to spend it (well part of it) in a way that would serve as a forever reminder of the first paycheck I received.

I put a lot of thought into what would be best for me. I quickly dismissed an experience because I wanted something more tangible. What type of item I could get that I would have forever and be able to pass along to my children one day.

I received my first piece of Mackenzie Childs for Christmas in 2015 from my Great Aunt. From that moment on, I fell completely in love with courtly check! My collection has grown ever the years as she has given me items and my mom has as well. My mom and I work hard to not duplicate items between us. That way our collection is actually bigger :).

I stopped in Neiman Marcus the day I received my first paycheck determined to purchase a piece I would love and be able to use for many years to come. I found this scalloped tray and I thought it was just perfect! I could picture myself putting freshly baked cookies on it when having guests over, or making a cheese tray to take to a party.

I am so excited about my newest addition to my collection and all of the use I will get out of it, and the opportunity to pass it along.

My first two weeks on the job

In case you didn’t see my overly excited social media posts last week, I began my job with UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Marketing Coordinator. Since sophomore year of college, it has been my dream to be working in healthcare, and I am praising the Lord for the opportunity to work at one of the most incredible healthcare institutions in the country!

Since it’s only the second week, I still have lots to figure out and learn about my role! February began Heart Month, so all of my time so far has been working on the stories and content we are sharing each day! It has been such a fun project to start on, and be able to so people practically instantly what I’m getting to work on at the office! I’m also getting to learn a lot throughout the process, especially a lot of medical terms! I feel like I’m in med school! (Without all of the pressure of making good grades on exams!)

This is also the 75th anniversary of the UT Southwestern Hospital so a lot of the projects I work on this year will revolve around that celebration! Stay tuned for updates on what happens!

Since it’s been two weeks, I have begun to settle into a routine and figure out what will work best for me. I wake up at 5 each day. I spend 30 minutes doing Bible study and then I get ready for the day. I don’t pick out my outfits the night before, which I really thought I would do. I do try to think about what I’m going to wear throughout the week on Sunday though so I’m more prepared! We have a nice business casual environment, so I plan on just rotating through pants and tops and sprinkling dresses in every once in a while!

I eat breakfast at 6:20, and leave the house by 6:55 at the latest. This puts me arriving to work between 7:45 and 8, where I begin my office day! I leave at 4:30 most days and am back home by 5:30. The hour commute is my least favorite thing about the job, but it won’t last forever! (And the job totally outweighs the commute!) As for now, it’s really special time that I’m getting to spend with my mom and dad!

Do you have any tips for starting a new job?