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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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I am crossing my fingers that all of the claims people are making about this mild New York winter are true, because I am so not ready for the miserable cold and snow.  This week I have one last catch-up post from sunnier (happier) times when I was so shocked that it was still so warm in September.  Me, Mav, and some of his best friends went to Greenport for a September Beach Getaway.  Me and one of his friends, CKF, had recently began our full-time adult jobs, the Mav was beginning his adult job soon, and his other friend AG was beginning some classes before going to the Coast Guard.  So to say we were clinging on to the last bits of summer would be an understatement.

 

CKF’s grandma owns a shack of sorts that used to be used for fishing back in the day and is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.  It’s right on the water and has docks on either side for boats and other fun water activities. The inside has a kitchen and a ton of beds for everyone to sleep and is completely decked out in typical beach house decor.  I  took the time to lay out one last time and spend some time on the water and just really relax and unwind.  AG has a temporary job with EMS so he was able to rent two paddle boards for us to play around on which was super fun.  He also brought his GoPro so we were able to get some really cool footage of us hanging out.  Guys, it was so hard to leave!!!  Beach life is definitely where it’s at.

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If anyone reading this happens to live in or has been to Greenport, leave me comments about other things I need to do there!! I want to go back and we didn’t make it into the city at all.

 

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So I have some really incredible friends y’all.  Like, I am so extremely blessed to have such wise, beautiful, talented people in my life that help me and push me to continue to grow and follow my dreams.  Something that has really become apparent to me since graduating is the fact that I am now at a point in my life where I’m supposed to experiment and do crazy things that I might not be so sure about while I don’t have any kind of responsibilities holding me down.  This makes perfect sense when you say it out loud and there are days that I’m totally down and psyched to take on the world, but…there are also days when I am terrified out of my mind thinking about how I literally have a world of possibilities in front of me.  There are some friends of mine (4 in particular) that I have been watching go after their dreams and embrace that scary unknown and it has been super inspiring for me, so I want to give them a lil shout out.  I think it’s super important to really support the people you love and create a cycle of promotion and encouragement.  In my personal opinion, it’s so cool that my best friends have these passions that are completely different from mine because I get to learn some new stuff and then have my mind blown at how great they are at things that I couldn’t even imagine doing.  It’s also great for networking and makes those times when you have to do self promotion or ask for favors a little less awkward and horrible because everyone is spreading the love anyways!  So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my bffs…

 


    

The Stand-Up Comic

As a performer who is comfortable singing, acting, and even just talking in front of people, I can tell you without wasting a breath that I would never be able to do stand-up comedy because it is (arguably) the hardest, most terrifying kind of performance anyone could ever do.  The nuanced dance you have to do with your audience is something that has to be so perfectly timed and requires so much skill very few are able to actually do it successfully, which is why I’m so incredibly proud of my best friend Abe.  He’s been out of school for a year now and has been doing stand-ups around New York City, but frequently performs at the well-renowned and very famous Comic Strip.  Probably any comedian that you can think of off the top of your head got his/her start here; but in case you’re drawing a blank, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, and more all have performed here. SO COOL RIGHT???  So to already be doing something so brave and be on the right track in such a short period of time is just remarkable and so so inspiring.  Abe is going to be gone for a while because he’s working at Camp for the Summer, BUT.  Come August (or even before then if you’d like to see some good stand-up) if you’re in the city, head over to The Comic Strip at 6 every Friday to watch him do his thang.  It’s a $14 cover but you get a free drink of your choice. Yum.  Learn more about The Comic Strip here and check out Abe on Twitter here.

 


  

The Professional Soccer Player

Growing up I always knew Tate was destined for greatness.  She was always traveling for ODP and National Camp and I remember being so incredibly excited to see which college she chose from the ridiculous amount that were courting her.  It came as no surprise to me that she very quickly played a huge role in Stanford’s success and was able  to make it to the final four of the NCAA’s multiple times.  She has a million accomplishments so it would be silly of me to try to list them all but her most recent was signing a contract and joining the ranks of the Arsenal Ladies.  I’m so incredibly proud of her because she has already been extremely successful, but also for the fact that she has just been so brave to move across the country to do what she loves. I’m so excited to see what’s next for her, because I know she’s only going up from here. If you ever get the opportunity, you have to see her play, she’s so fun to watch. Chi has been writing blog posts about her time overseas and also other soccer related things, and you can follow those here. She also has a twitter that you can follow here.

 

    
The Floral Arranger 

Casey has been like a big sister to me since I’ve known her, as she is the big sister of my best friend (also sister) Cati. I remember being younger and always looking up to her for her creative flair. I was incredibly excited when I found out a few years ago that she would be relocating with her husband to Albany, which was fairly close to where I live! I remember upon her moving, Casey pursued a lot of cool activities to keep her busy including picking up photography and starting a blog, as well as volunteering at this super cool cat sanctuary. Later on she decided to start working as a nurse again in an oncology unit and also became a clinical instructor for a local college. Although these activities consumed her time, she still felt as though she had a void in her life that she wasn’t able to fulfill until she pursued her dream of floral arrangement. I remember one post of hers that was particularly striking to me:

 

“Lately I have been disheartened with my job. I often come home feeling as if I’ve survived some war. I often Feel like I have talents that are being stifled by something that I should do, rather than what I want to do. I’ve always had dreams of working for myself in creative aspects. But alas, as the bills must be paid, therefore I will continue to clock in and out until I find the courage to pursue the road less traveled.”

 

This was particularly touching to me also being a creative that has found herself in the medical world but GUYS HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU FELT THIS WAY?? Sitting at your desk at your job that you hate and/or knowing that your heart is in some other place while you’re on the clock? I’m extremely fortunate and blessed to be young with limited responsibilities and have my entire future ahead of me to pursue my dreams; however; I am a huge believer and advocate for following your dreams in some capacity no matter where you’re at in your life. Casey, a woman with a job and a husband and responsibilities, is living proof that you can make it work! Seeing how incredibly talented Casey is in floral arranging has inspired me beyond belief and you can really see her passion through her work. It would be such a shame for you to not shine and share your passion with the world because you’re scared to take a chance! You can see all of Casey’s beautiful work here and request for her to make you things here. If you’re into alliteration and heartfelt talks with good friends you should read and follow her blog that I mentioned earlier here.

 

    
The Semi-Professional Basketball Player

LAST AND MOST CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…The Maverick!!! Okay first before I even start, I’m going to say up front that I’m going to try to not be too mushy and proud girlfriend while I write this, but guys I AM SUCH A PROUD GIRLFRIEND. I love this guy for an infinite amount of reasons but one of the main ones is he is so great at inspiring me to be a better person and teaching me new things about love and life. A little over a year ago he made the decision to move to England to attend the University of Nottingham and play basketball while getting his Masters. Naturally I cried about a billion tears over this, but I knew it was the best next step for him and I was so excited and proud of him for taking the leap and following his dreams to play basketball at a high level. He quickly became a standout on his university team and was eventually named MVP and was the lead scorer in the most important game of the year. He also was invited to play for a semi-pro team and greatly contributed to the team’s success, allowing them to move into a higher division for the next season. To have been watching him work so hard for the past few years and see all of it pay off is just… indescribable for me. Watching him play is one of my most favorite things because I can see the amount of passion and dedication he has for this sport (passion and dedication on a man are probably some of the most sexiest things ever. Basketball muscles aren’t too bad either I guess..)

The amount of love that I have for these people is so immense and overflowing and never-ending. It’s so so important to surround yourself with people who inspire you and help you grow and teach you things. Life’s too short to keep people around that keep you down or make you feel bad about yourself. It could seem hard in the moment but cut them loose and power on to your happiest most empowered self! So believe in love. Believe in magic. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don’t, who will? (Jon Bon Jovi said that. Genius right? I know.)

 

Please tell me about the people who inspire you and what they’re doing and what you’re doing! I love go-getters.

 

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