A Few Favs

Happy Tuesday! I love Tuesdays because there are new episodes of my favorite podcast, “What We Said.” I thought I’d share a few of my latest favorites with y’all.

1. Glowrecipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask: I love this mask for many reasons. First, it makes my skin feel so soft. It is super low maintenance. I put it on after I shower, sleep with it on, and then wash my face in the morning. Finally, it’s adorable and smells great. The watermelon scent is so fresh, and isn’t too strong where it’s annoying.

2. Fresh orange juice: This might be a favorite because I was sick over the weekend and had SO much orange juice, but it’s so yummy. We don’t make our juice (probably should start), but we grab the fresh squeezed bottles from the produce section at the grocery store. It is way better than the stuff we were getting on the juice aisle.

3. Blackout podcast: I heard ads for this podcast while listening to another podcast. It’s not my typical podcast choice, but I like that is a bit more exciting and tells a story. Also, the audio is really nice. I feel like I’m part of the story. Today when I was listening, I heard people laughing and I thought it was a group down the street. It was actually the podcast haha.

4. Overnight oats: I have been having these for breakfast for a couple months now. I use rolled oats, cinnamon, frozen blueberries, and almond milk in a container over night. In the morning, I heat them up and then add a spoonful of peanut butter! So tasty and so filling! The more blueberries the better in my opinion.

5. Gossip Girl: I started this when I was sick over the weekend. I did absolutely nothing all weekend, so started Gossip Girl. I am almost to season 3 already (that is concerning haha), but the drama in the show is just too funny to me that I can’t stop watching. I think Jenny is my favorite character as of right now.

What are some of your favorites right now? Let me know in the comments, I am always looking for new foods, podcasts, shows, books, activities, etc. to try out!

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My Go-To Desserts

Happy Monday! To start the week off on a sweet note, I thought it would be fun to do a quick post about my favorite desserts. I’m not a big dessert person these days. I usually prefer savory foods, but when I am craving something sweet, these are my favorites!

Blueberries: I love fresh blueberries, but sometimes they are just too pricey, so I also have frozen ones! A little bowl of these after dinner always takes care of my sweet tooth.

Banana Babies: Frozen bananas dipped in chocolate AKA Banana Babies are a decently healthy dessert option. I’m pretty sure you can find these at most grocery stores in the ice cream section. Most recently, I got them at Aldi.

Blue Bunny “Mini Swirls”: These are basically mini ice cream cones. They aren’t the healthiest, but they definitely hit the spot. I like that they are little because then I’m not eating a giant serving of ice cream. Plus, they are so cute and come in a bunch of flavors. I think the all chocolate ones are my favorite.

Hot Cocoa: It has definitely been a favorite for me this winter. It makes for a yummy dessert you can really enjoy since I will sip it while reading, blogging, or watching TV. I haven’t found a favorite brand yet, so leave some recommendations.

Dove Chocolate: I think this is my all-time favorite. I prefer the milk chocolate, but all of the different kinds are so good. I will have a few of these for dessert if I’m craving sweets. I also love the cute messages inside each wrapper.

A Spoonful of Peanut Butter: I know I’m not the only one who will have a spoonful of peanut butter every now and then. It makes for a good dessert because it’s a little sweet. I like to have a couple different kinds on hand. I always have a natural, creamy option, and then something sweeter with a hint of white or dark chocolate. I love Peanut Butter & Co. for a fun flavor!

What are some of your go-to desserts? I feel like a lot of mine were kind of simple, but I really just like ice cream and chocolate haha!Have a great week!

Questions For You!!

I was thinking about this post while I was making a bagel for Connor today. I thought about how I always talk about my thoughts, my weekend, etc. in my blog posts. I would love to learn more about all of you, so I thought it would be fun to put some questions together for you to answer in the comments, or even in your own post!

1. What are some of your hobbies?

2. How long have you been blogging or reading blogs?

3. If you could only eat one thing everyday, what would it be?

4. Favorite vacation spot?

5. Dream vacation spot?

6. What is one thing that always makes you happy?

7. What is your go-to coffee/tea order?

8. What is your biggest goal right now?

9. What motivates you the most?

10. What is your favorite way to relax?

11. If you could move anywhere, where would you move?

12. What is the best advice you have ever been given?

Feel free to answer all of the questions or some of the questions! I will share my answers in my next post.

Thanks for following along with all of my random posts– blogging is one of my favorite things that I do each week. I look forward to posting and reading all of your posts. I hope you all have the best day!

Current Favorites

I usually do these at the beginning or end of the month, but here we are in the middle of February with a favorites post. I got a few gifts for my birthday and Christmas that I have been loving. There are also some other random things thrown in here. I linked most of the clothing/products within the post if you want to check out any of the things I mentioned!

1. Outdoor Voices leggings: I ordered a pair of these leggings on Black Friday. They were really discounted and I heard great things about them! I got them in the color Scarlett and I love them. The red color is fun and reminds me of IU. The fabric is super comfy and I like that the waist can be adjusted so they aren’t falling down during a run. They are a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. Outdoor voices has other clothes too, and I want to get the matching workout top to the pants sometime!

2. Quip toothbrush: My dad got me this toothbrush for Christmas. I have the gold metal one. I decided shortly before Christmas that I really wanted an electric toothbrush, so I was pretty excited. I love that it times out brushing to 2 minutes, so you make sure you are brushing long enough. I also like how clean my teeth feel after using it. The toothbrushes are pretty affordable and come in many different colors!

3. Trader Joe’s Rose Face Mask: This mask came in a set of three and I have mentioned the trio in a previous post. I think I paid 6 or 7 dollars for all three masks, and this is my favorite. I love the rose scent and the way it makes my face feel so clean and hydrated. It’s very affordable, so if you are looking to try out face masks, this could be a good starter. I don’t see it online for the price I paid, but keep an eye out for it in stores!

4. Velvet SPANX leggings: I got these for my birthday back in December. I had heard a bit about SPANX leggings from influencers I follow on Instagram. They are a bit pricy, but look great with a lot of different outfits. I like that they are velvet because they can make a plain, casual outfit look more fun! I wear them with sweaters and boots mainly, but I have worn them with a sweatshirt and sneakers, too!

5. Little hoop earrings: I have been wearing my small hoop earrings for the past two months or so. I got a pack at Target last spring and I love them. I have a gold pair and a silver pair. I usually stick to silver, but prefer the gold. They make you look more put together and add a little sparkle to even the plainest outfits. I linked a similar pair here in gold.

6. Running: I have been pretty good about running lately. It has been fun and relaxing to run after work. I haven’t gone this week, mostly because it has been so cold, but I am making sure to prioritize it more. I find myself smiling on the treadmill and wanting to run longer, so I’d say it’s been going well.

7. Cottage cheese: My love for cottage cheese is back. I have been putting it on my cauliflower rice and just eating it as a side for lunch. I love putting pepper on it to add a little spice. It’s so filling and full of protein. I usually get the Friendly Farms brand at Aldi, but if you are near a Kroger, their cottage cheese is much better.

8. “Just for a Moment” by Gryffin: This is my favorite song right now. I love running to it and honestly smile walking through the city when I listen to it. You gotta love a song that gets you pumped up to workout or just generally excited about life.

9. Peet’s Coffee: Peet’s is on track to be my favorite chain coffee shop ever. I go way too often. I love that they have matcha because other coffee shops nearby don’t. They even have a golden matcha right now, which is good too. The people are nice and know my order. There is also an app to get rewards and it just feels a lot better in the actual shop than places like Dunkin’ (still love Dunkin’) or a Starbucks (not a Starbucks fan though).

What were some of your favorites right now? Any song or podcast recommendations? I am trying to listen to more music because I am always listening to podcasts.

Five Traits + Six Favorites

I saw a fellow blogger, Becky Turner, post this on her blog and thought it looked fun! You can find her posts here. Basically, I’m going to share five traits I have and six of my favorites. If you read this and want to share your traits and favorites, I’d love to read your post! Or comment some of them on this post!

Five Traits

1. Conscientious: I have always been very aware of what I need to do and make sure to get it done. I make sure I am doing the right thing in everything I do. I think this was helpful for me throughout school, sports, and my job now.

2. Reliable: I always follow through on things I say I am going to do. I don’t like letting people down and want to make sure people can count on me! This definitely ties in with being conscientious.

3. Outgoing: I am a pretty extroverted and energized person. I am a huge morning person and try to have a smile on my face as much as possible. I love talking and I think that plays into me being outgoing as well.

4. Creative: I have been a pretty creative, imaginative person since I was little. I have always loved making up ideas and then bringing them to life. Right now, I try to be creative with my blog and instagram. Hopefully some new ventures will come to life this year!

5. Timely: This one is kind of random, but I love being early and am almost always on time (unless something stops be from being on time).

Six Favorites

1. My favorite genre of music is podcasts haha (not sure if that counts).

2. My favorite foods are ramen, cottage cheese, and blueberries.

3. I love traveling, so my favorite vacation spot is Miami.

4. My favorite animal is a cow.

5. My favorite color is green.

6. My favorite show of all time is “The Fosters.” I am watching the spin-off show, “Good Trouble,” now because I loved “The Fosters” so much growing up.

My Top Favorites from 2018

As 2018 comes to an end, I want to highlight some of my favorites from the year. You have probably already seen me mention many of these things because that’s how much I love them!

1. Kombucha: I started drinking kombucha over a year ago. Since then, it became a staple in my diet and now it’s more of a special treat (just because it can be expensive). I tried so many different brands and flavors during 2018. My favorites are GT’s and an indy local, Circle City Kombucha. I love the Trilogy flavor, anything with ginger, and lemon flavors. I am hoping to find some local kombucha brewers in Illinois, but also throughout my 2019 travels.

2. Podcasts: I think podcasts might be my all time favorite part of 2018. Once again, I started listening to podcasts at the end of 2017, so they were a major part of 2018 for me. I started out with sales and business podcasts, and have discovered a bunch of cool ones throughout the year. Special shout outs to: In The Arena, The Advanced Selling Podcast, Travelogue, Gals On The Go, and What We Said (my favorite of them all).

3. Glossier: My boyfriend’s younger sister, Emilee, was the first person I ever heard talk about Glossier. It sounded interesting and I definitely wanted to try it out once I heard about it. When I decided to move to Chicago, I saw that a pop-up would be opening during the summer. I decided to wait to get anything until I could go to the store. I ended up making 3 trips to the pop-up shop and placing one online order. It’s safe to say, I am hooked on Glossier. I love their skincare items. I use the cleanser every day and the green mask in rotation with other masks I like. I even like some of the make-up items! The packaging and cute products are hard to resist. I’m looking forward to trying out more products in 2019.

Matcha: I have matcha multiple times each week. I love getting matcha lattes in the mornings before work. I pretty much get one at any coffee shop I go to unless they don’t have matcha. I also make my own at home, but they are never as good. Some of my favorite places I have gotten matcha lattes at are Coat Check Coffee in Indy, Provider in Indy, Monon Coffee Co in Indy, Peet’s before work, Goddess & The Baker in Chicago, and The Coffee Studio in Chicago.

I’d say the four things above sum up 2018 pretty well. What is one of your favorites from 2018?

Favorite Food in Chicago (So Far)

Here with a food post! I have tried a lot of different restaurants, coffee shops, and dessert places since moving to Chicago. I discovered a few favorites last summer that are still my favorites, but also some new places that I know I will keep going to many times. I have already been back to a couple of these places. Here are my favorite spots in Chicago for a meal, a latte, or a little treat:

Eli’s Ark

I saw this place on Instagram back when I first moved here. A foodie I follow kept posting these adorable gelatos. I love animals, gelatos, and anything cute, so I knew I needed to go here. There are a ton of different flavors and I really want to try all of them some day. So basically the process is, pick a flavor or 2, and then choose what animal or animals you would like your cone to look like. There are bears, bunnies, pigs, dogs, cats, etc. 1. It makes for a fun experience. 2. The gelato is so good!

Ramen San

I started going to Ramen San last summer after my friend, Emi got me hooked on ramen. I have tried quite a few places since last summer, including ramen places in other states, and Ramen San is my favorite. I usually get the shiitake ramen and have seen my friends try many other flavors that they have enjoyed. It is around 15 to 17 dollars a bowl, but it is definitely worth the money if you are looking for a good bowl of ramen.

Big Star

I have been to Big Star twice since moving to Chicago in August. I seriously love the tacos. There are about 4 vegetarian options and all of them are so good. My favorite is the tofu one, but the potato one is also so flavorful. I don’t even like potatoes and I love that taco. The paloma is definitely the best drink there. It’s probably the only drink I really like at Big Star. I don’t recommend a lot of the drinks because they aren’t the greatest and they are relatively expensive. If I were you, I would skip the drink and order another taco.

Goddess and The Baker

I have included Goddess in like 5 blog posts and it deserves to be in every one of those posts. First, it is an adorable coffee shop. It make for cute photos for Instagram, but also just puts you in a good mood. There are breakfast options and little desserts. I want to try the rainbow cake there and still haven’t, so I need to do that sometime soon! The drink menu is my favorite part. There are multiple matcha latte options and coffee drinks. I usually go for matcha but the Mayan Mocha is too good there. I love when coffee shops have fun drinks rather than just the classic drinks.

Komorebi

This sushi spot may have made an appearance in a recent blog post. Every time I want sushi, this is where I want to go. Connor and I went here for the first time about a month ago for a dinner with some friends. The next day, we went again with his family. It’s BYOB which is alway fun. The garlic edamame is delicious. And there are so many great sushi combinations. I like that there are a lot of vegetarian options beyond the avocado or shiitake rolls. I usually get one of the more specialty rolls and then a simpler roll, like the one I included a photo of.

bopNgrill

My all time favorite restaurant in Chicago is bopNgrill. I went here for the first time my sophomore year of college with my friend, Emi. Once I moved here for the summer last year, I went almost every week or every other week. The bibimbap is satisfying, flavorful, and inexpensive. It comes with so many toppings including kimchi which gives such good flavor. I also love the egg on there! Connor and I went for the first time since moving here the other night and he loved the burger he got, so there are other menu options for those of you who might want something other than bibimbap.

Which of the restaurants mentioned would you want to try? What is your favorite restaurant or coffee shop? What do you order there?