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What’s up y’all!

I partnered with the lovely people over at What Taylor Likes  to bring you guys some last minute affordable gift ideas. If you were like me and had an unbelievably hectic-busy-crazy week leading up to Christmas and still have some shopping to do, do not fret! According to the Post Office,  any gifts shipped by 12/22 will make it by Christmas!! We’re good y’all!! I’m going to post a bit of an update on where I’m at with life soon because my course has changed yet again, but being on a tight budget is something that is especially prevalent these days (although it’s always prevalent living in NYC, let’s be honest.)  Taylor and I did a blogger gift swap where we bought each other several items for $50 total which is super affordable!  If you want to check out the things I got her (which tbh, I was super excited about my finds) you should definitely check out her post here. But…without further ado…let’s jump into my items!!

So Taylor and I met in college as two student-athletes, but we are both originally from Dallas which is absolutely insane! For her set of gifts, she had the brilliant idea to make a snow day survival kit, which is absolutely necessary as a Texas transplant. For those of you out there who have never experienced a full-fledged snow day, there are really two components to make it successful: food and comfort. The weekend that I received Taylor’s survival kit we actually had a full-fledged snow day and I must say that my supplies came in clutch. Let me show you what I got!

1) By Nature Peppermint Essential Oil

So if you aren’t diffusing essential oils on the reg yet, you are seriously missing out! I’ve had this diffuser that I got on amazon (for like maybe $20?) for the past year and it has changed my life (only being somewhat dramatic.) I can’t tell you how amazing it has been to be able to diffuse different oils to help me fall asleep, wake up, or improve both my mental and physical health! It’s also a huge bonus in the winter time to have some moisture put back into the air. This is just all around a self-care/wellness must have. When it comes to peppermint oil, it’s not only festive for this time of year, but you can also diffuse it for an energy boost and help with allergies! Both of these things are helpful during a snow storm when you are often sniffly and sleepy.

2) Aromatherapy Happiness Body Cream 

Having a good lotion that is actually moisturizing is crucial in the winter time. I also am obsessed with smelling good and things that smell good so I fell in love with this lotion immediately!! The Bergamot and Mandarin combo is so bright and beautiful and different than anything else I have!

3) Cup4Cup Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle Mix

Y’all, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was when I saw this in my survival kit. In the unwritten rule book of Snow Days, there’s a rule about hearty breakfasts so you have the energy and sustenance to go out and play in the snow all day (or hibernate and sleep forever, if you are me.) Out of all the gluten free pancake and waffle mixes I’ve tried, I have yet to try Cup4Cup so I’m very excited.

4) White Lion Assorted Teas

When it comes to Team Coffee vs Team Tea, I will hands down always be #TEAmTEA. I’ve recently been looking into trying some new teas and I’m so excited for these to be the first ones I try as I build my collection! The sachet’s are all so beautiful and fragrant and they came in a cute drawstring bag that I plan on reusing to store jewelry (I’m #teamreuserecycle too.)

5) Starbucks Hot Cocoa Mix, Ghiradelli Chocolates, Monogrammed A Golden Mug

Okay, let’s be honest, you don’t need a snow day to OD on chocolate but it’s a pretty good excuse right?? There’s nothing like coming in from a good play in the snow (or waking up from a great nap, no judgement) and having a nice warm mug of hot cocoa! I’ve actually been wanting to pick up some cuter mugs recently so I was so excited when I saw this one in my kit because it is #aesthetics for real.

6) Miscellaneous Crunchy Snacks

I was so excited to see 3 new crunchy snacks in my kit that I had never tried before! Having a variety of snacks is a snow day MUST since you’re trapped inside and can’t go to the store.

And that’s it!! This was so incredibly fun and I hope we can do this again next year (what do you think Tay, new tradition?!) and I hope this maybe gave you some affordable gift ideas!

If you came from Taylor’s blog, then welcome!! I’m a New York Lifestyle blogger that shares my adventures as well as tips on how to stay healthy, inspired, and mindful while living a busy life!

To all my readers, be sure to follow Taylor on instagram and facebook! She’s a colorful vegan lifestyle blogger who spends a lot of time traveling and doing other adventuring to make her life amazing!!

If you were interested in any of my gifts in this post, I’ve put some similar items down below! If you end up buying them, I will make a small profit from affiliate links, but I’m only suggesting them because I think it’s dope stuff you’ll like!

Until next time, stay inspired and get active!

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What a whirlwind. I’m currently sitting at my gate at the Detroit Airport trying to wrap my mind around the past few days, playing one song on repeat on my iPod to act as a sort of soundtrack to the marathon of memories I’m playing over and over in my head. Funerals are pretty bittersweet; you try to navigate the simultaneous but conflicting emotions of grief and celebration of a loved one leaving behind the constraints of this world, while also enjoying the gift of having all of your family together in one place for the sole purpose of grieving a mutual loss. It results in this foggy, wet, exhausting, constantly shifting state of existence that I haven’t quite shaken yet. I feel like there are few times when someone is prepared for the death of a loved one, so it feels a bit cliché to say that I wasn’t prepared for this weekend; but this particular loss has impacted me and changed me forever.

My auntie was one of the most incredible people I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I always knew this, but I didn’t know the extent to how incredible she truly was until I got the chance to hear about all the things she did and the lives she impacted. A long time ago she was in a major car accident with my dad, another one of my aunts, and two of my cousins. This ultimately resulted in the death of one of those cousins and my aunt becoming paralyzed from the neck down. She was given a life expectancy that she had long surpassed and dedicated her life to helping people manage their disabilities and adjust to daily life and its requirements. A lot of these people came to her funeral and spoke of the things she did and who she was to them and I was just in complete awe. I knew she was very active in her wheelchair basketball league but I had no idea that she created it! I also didn’t know that she was a killer ping-pong player and was on the boards of multiple organizations for disability advocacy working so hard every day to make people feel acknowledged and understood.


So many people spoke about how she inspired them to do something or helped them become better versions of themselves. She had a way of empowering you and making you feel loved that was so special. I’ll never forget how she led me to finally share my musical abilities with my family (that is filled with musical geniuses.. forreal y’all it’s so intimidating) after years of being too scared to do so and having it come full circle with them asking me to play my music and complimenting me at various points throughout our time of gathering this weekend.

As the events of the weekend concluded, I began to see so much of myself in my aunt. Whether it was how much she cared about her appearance (she ALWAYS made sure she looked her best and would always compliment me on my accessories) or her ambition and drive to spark change, spread love, and influence lives. She did so much and helped so many while defying all the odds; and now, more than ever, I am determined to carry on her legacy and do the same.

Love you auntie, you’re forever in my heart

 

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I dont think I could tell you the last time I’ve been to an aquarium. It was this fact, in addition to my niece’s current obsession with “Finding Dory,” that made me jump on the opportunity to go with my family! Initially I was a little wary after hearing we would be going to the new Grapevine Aquarium. Grapevine is great for a lot of reasons; but I wasn’t sure how the aquarium would stack up, especially since it’s a part of the mall. However, I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised!

We moved through all the exhibits fairly quickly (the nature of attending an aquarium with a two year old) but I was impressed with the variety of creatures that we saw! There were so many things I had never seen or heard of before!! I also really appreciated that they shared information about how and what they were breeding in addition to sharing their other rescue and conservation efforts. I think things like aquariums and zoos are beautiful and fun to visit but I often wonder about the quality of life of the animals. These signs let me know that the Grapevine aquarium is doing their part to educate and conserve.

We didn’t stay for any of the shows they were putting on, but the aquarium offered many other ways to interact with the animals. There were many toddler only entrances and viewing points that my niece gladly took advantage of while identifying all the Dory’s and Nemo’s. We also made sure to stop by the special touch pools that give you the opportunity to touch different types of starfish and other sea life!

The aquarium didn’t allow flash photography and an excited 2 year old is very hard to keep up with, but I enjoyed getting a few practice shots in with my new 50mm lens I got for Christmas! I am obsessed, to say the least, and can’t wait to start taking more cool pictures!!

When was the last time you went to the aquarium? Where was it? I feel like I need to spend more time understanding marine life, my name IS Ariel after all.