- Author: Melissa -

Hi there! I'm Melissa & I am a firm believer in taking cookies out of the oven 2 minutes under the recommended cooking time. I also love to travel, cook, shop, craft, and live an all around positive lifestyle. Come say hi!
Drinks, Recipe Box

Skinny Citrus Peach Cooler

Skinny Citrus Peach Cooler

Oh summertime, won't you please just stay forever? I love everything about the summer. Going to the ocean, the sun being so hot you feel it tanning your skin, Pimms cocktails, rooftop bars, weekend getaways to other cities, meeting your friends at the pool, sun-kissed cheeks so that you no longer need blush, going on much needed vacays, salt water hair, a new lighter Starbucks order... I could go on and on and on. Recently, my family rented a beach house for a long week in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. My brother's girl friend brought some blue tequila and we had some peaches that were at the peak of ripeness so I decided to create a new skinny cocktail with ingredients we already had on hand! I've mentioned before [like in this skinny…

21 Day FIx, Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Sides, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Homemade Spicy Guacamole

Homemade Spicy Guacamole

Confession hour: I have a huge- giant - massive - obsession with all things avocado. And by that, 90% revolves around guacamole [the other 10% I leave to this avocado goat cheese toast.] Since getting involved with BeachBody and the 21 Day Fix, it was brought to my attention that, while avocados are a healthy fat, they (along with most things in life) should be enjoyed in moderation. Recipe: skinny breakfast pizza Throughout the years, I've made a fair share of homemade guac. Honestly, I prefer the homemade kind compared to the restaurant version, but that's probably because I jam pack it with other ingredients to lighten it up a bit. See, when you add different veggies into the guacamole, it packs it with lighter ingredients, making it lower in calories, as well as…

Blogging, Link Love

Feel Good Friday; vol. 21

7 Blogs I Read Every Day

From the post, My Top 10 Songs to Listen to While Relaxing TGIF! Can you believe it's the last weekend of July? I know I can't. I don't know what it is, but lately time + subsequently life, is seeming to fly by. It might be because this summer has been so go-go-go for me. From spending an extended night in Charlotte, NC, then directly flying to Cancun with Dj + my best friends, to exploring Mayan ruins, to going up north to DC, NJ, + MD for a spur of the moment trip, this past week in OBX, to having friends come and visit any weekend we're home, I haven't had a chance to pause this summer. Don't get me wrong, I love always having friends visiting, going on trips, and having things…

Drinks, Holiday Eats, Recipe Box

Classic English Pimms Recipe

Classic English Pimms Recipe

For 3 1/2 years, I spent the winter + summer seasons living abroad in London. It was definitely one of the best parts of my 25 years of life and I loved soaking up all the culture that encompasses that city. One thing my friends + I would love to do was head over to one of the outside patios  and split a pitcher of Pimms. Pimms is lower in abv than most mixed drinks, so it's perfect to bring to a daytime bbq or event where you'll be sipping for an extended period of time. It's very light, not too sweet, and it's packed with fresh ingredients to make it light and just scream right in your face: it's summertime! This past week, my family + some of our friends headed to the Outerbanks in…

Friends & Family, My Life, Travel Adventures

What to do with 24 Hours in Washington DC

What to do with 24 Hours in Washington DC

When I was 11 years old, my family packed up and moved from Southern California to our new home in Northern Virginia, about 15 miles outside of Washington DC. I was young enough to be up for the move without caring too much about leaving the only home I'd ever known. I ended up falling in love with the city, and the older I grew, the more I came to appreciate the history and all DC has to offer. After that, I caught the traveling bug and love to take advantage of trips, no matter the length, whenever possible. (Like my latest trip to Cancun, Mexico!) This past 4th of July, Dj and I decided to do a northern trip. We hit 3 different states in 4 days (DC -> New Jersey -> Maryland…

21 Day FIx, Breakfast, Recipe Box, Snacking, Sweet Tooth

Banana Nut Bread Protein Bites

Banana Nut Bread Protein Bites

I'm not really sure why, but for the loooongest time I stayed far away from no-bake snacks and desserts. I was kind of intimidated by them because when I heard "...then use a food processor.." I would stop there. I love baking/cooking/inventing, but when it comes to messing with appliances, I'm kind of the worst. I've messed with food processors before, (like when I made this super tasty creamy roasted garlic hummus), which worked out great, but then the next time it just started smoking?? I don't know. I blame my previous clean up skills. There are just SO many parts, I'm sure I put one back wrong. So, just as I was accepting my basic appliance fate, everything changed + I was shown the light. My saint of a mom got me this super…

Blogging, Link Love

Feel Good Friday, vol. 20

7 Blogs I Read Every Day

From the post, 3 Books to Read this October Happy Friday, little loves! Today, Dj and I area headed to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to meet up with my family for my mom's birthday week. We're taking the full week (Friday-Friday) and I am SO excited to get away for some much needed R+R. This summer has been very go-go-go for us, so I'm looking forward to pouring myself a glass of skinny fruit sangria, munching on some creamy roasted garlic hummus, and curling up with a good book on the beach. What are you getting into this week? Whatever it is, I hope it's a great one! Enjoy the rest of your Friday and procrastinate a little with some of my favorite reads this week! xx   If you’ve ever thought…

Accessories, Drinks, Eating Out, Fashion, My Life, Personal Look Book, Recipe Box

How To Order the Starbucks Purple Drink

how to order the starbucks purple drink

When it comes to coffee, I'm not too much of a snob. As long as it has caffeine and it doesn't taste burnt, I'm good to go. I've also been drinking coffee since the ripe old age of 5 (blame my grandparents) so I just generally love the taste of it. I love coffee so much that whenever I go to Starbucks, or any coffee shop for that matter, I don't even think to look at the other menu items. I'm also definitely one of those people that just neeeeeeds their morning cup of joe before I can function, and not to be completely dramatic here, but I'm pretty sure part of my blood type consists of coffee to a certain degree. ;) So when Starbucks launched their secret rainbow drink line, I wasn't…