Melissa

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide – Under $40!

December 17, 2015 by Melissa

I have a pretty big love for Amazon Prime. Free 2 day shipping is great all year around, but when considering that Christmas is 8 very short days away, it can be a life savor this time of the year. If you're like me and have procrastinated a few last gifts on your list, read below for my Procrastinator's List for Last Minute Christmas Gifts. :) Homemade 1. Ho Ho Ho-liday Wine Bottles These simple DIY bottles are perfect for your everyday wine lover. A few Christmas's ago, I was right in the middle of finals and needed some last minute crunch gifts. I made them for DJ's sister, as well as my siblings. They're so cute but also great to share! 2. Warm Vanilla Brown Sugar & Peppermint Sugar Body Scrubs You can't…

Thanksgiving 2015 Recap

December 15, 2015 by Melissa

When I was younger, Thanksgiving was my least favorite holiday. I wasn't that much of a fan of turkey, I wasn't big on sitting at a table for hours, and I definitely wasn't favoring holidays that didn't include presents. ;) Since then, my preferences have changed. I am now a huge fan of Thanksgiving- especially since I live so far away from my family & it allows me to travel to visit them at least this time of the year. This past Thanksgiving, I saved up enough time from work to fly out to California and visit my family. :) Love my family! We had a few wine nights... Candid shots are the best! Sisters are great. I love my brothers too, of course, but this break we only had the girls. We decided…

Easy Winter Vegan Soup

December 10, 2015 by Melissa

Occasionally, without intention, I'll whip up something random for dinner and it turns out amazing. This just causes one little problem for me (fellow bloggers, I'm sure you'll feel my pain), but since the recipe wasn't planned, I don't take pictures of the process- oops! With today's post, the outcome picture will just have to do. ;) I've been trying to follow a vegetarian diet for about 2 months now. For those reasons, I intentionally made this quick dish vegetarian, accidentally vegan, and it's also oil free! If you're like me and love quick dinners you can whip up, try out this soup. It reminds me a lot of my Zesty Fiesta Soup, just with a much simpler ingredient list. Here's what you need: 2 cans of corn [not drained] 1 can of black…

Avocado English Muffins; Simple Breakfast Ideas

December 4, 2015 by Melissa

If you're one of those people that are able to wake up before work or class, shower, get ready, and eat breakfast all before leaving your house, PLEASE teach me your ways! I am the absolute worst at it. To help myself with my morning laziness (or as I prefer, just prioritizing my beautiful bed), I've started incorporating quick meals I can make at my house before heading out the door. My latest obsession: avocado toast/English muffin From start to finish, this dish takes about 5 minutes total. It's composed of healthy fats & carbs to keep you full throughout the morning with healthy energy! Not to mention, it's amazingly tasty. Here's what you need: 1 whole wheat English muffin [I use the light 100 calorie ones] 1/2 avocado 1/8 fresh lemon Black pepper…

Lemon Drop Cloud Cookies

December 2, 2015 by Melissa

I'm one of those people who seem to be in the Christmas spirit all year around. No offense to Thanksgiving (I love you, I do) but Christmas is so great, I feel that it needs almost 2 months of prep. Peanut Butter Blossoms One thing I overdo every year (if that's even possible) are Christmas cookies. I don't limit myself to just the classics either; I tend to experiment and go with what I'm feeling at the moment. Last year, I pinned this recipe that had an interesting concept of making cookies using cool whip. I've made tons of recipes with modifications that have a similar approach (take these 3 ingredient Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Muffins, for example), so I decided to experiment a bit and make my own tweaks. Guys. These cookies have…

With All Things in Life, There is a Season

November 13, 2015 by Melissa

With all things in life, there is a season. When I was about 7 years old, I took on conquering piano, but quickly changed my mind when the instructor tried to get me to move my hand position around the keys. (To be perfectly honest, music was never my forte, I'll leave that gift to my brother, Chris.) Then there's a season for more serious things in life, such as break ups, graduating college, moving down south when not knowing a soul, and that little thing known as picking a career path to stick with. I'm a pretty impulsive person. When I set my mind to something, it's happening. I decided on a whim to pursue grad school for education a little over a year ago, put in countless hours and dollars into pre req courses,…

Orzo & Veggie Bowl: Easy Dinner Idea

November 5, 2015 by Melissa

Last night Dj & I watched the documentary, Forks Over Knives. It's a look into our dietary health and how our diets as humans and nations has changed over time. It was SO interesting and I highly recommend checking it out if you're interested in health and food. The diet centers around more plant-based, whole foods, which I know is very important. They made the argument that if you do have meat in your diet, you should look at it more as a condiment rather than the focal point of your plate. I decided to try out this lifestyle for a few days so I can make a more personal decision if this is something I would want to try and pursue. Tonight, I made a quick meal that ended up being DELICIOUS. After…

Florida Georgia Game & Halloween Weekend

November 3, 2015 by Melissa

Justin, Dj, myself, Brian, and Mel Halloween is probably the holiday that most makes me miss the innocence of being a kid. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and those family based holidays you never outgrow, but Halloween is one of those that you can actually be considered "too grown up for". [I don't think I'll ever be one of those people though!] I so vividly remember being 7 years old, dressed as a witch and comparing our candy hauls on the living room floor. Bargaining away my Butterfingers and Milk Duds for Reeses and Almond Joys. I have not yet hit the stage of too old to go out and enjoy myself on this festive holiday, but seeing all the cute trick-or-treaters just gives me all those nostalgic feels. Every year on Halloween, Florida plays Georgia in…

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Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide – Under $40!

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Thanksgiving 2015 Recap

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Easy Winter Vegan Soup

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Avocado English Muffins; Simple Breakfast Ideas

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Lemon Drop Cloud Cookies

Read more

With All Things in Life, There is a Season

Read more

Orzo & Veggie Bowl: Easy Dinner Idea

Read more

Florida Georgia Game & Halloween Weekend

Read more