Cold Weather Basics

Greetings from chilly Kansas City! Since arriving here a few days ago I’ve discovered that no article of clothing will ever be warm enough for this place. Looking ahead at the week’s weather, 30 degrees isn’t anything compared to a low of 9 degrees! Unfortunately, I left most of my cold weather clothes back home in Maryland. Not even these adorable Aerosoles slippers my boyfriend’s mom gave me can keep me warm enough out here!

Moving to Kansas City is like my life is coming full circle, and when I say my life I mean mine, my dad’s, and his ancestors. My dad was born in a little town just outside of Columbia, MO and his dad, grandparents, great grandparents, and so forth were all from this area. You could say my dad’s family helped settle the prairie way back when.

Cold Weather Must-Haves

I’ve been warned by many people that the cold people experience here is going to be intense to my Maryland blood. My sweet boyfriend walked outside this morning and was surprised by the ice on his windshield. Having slipped and skidded on ice many times, I’ve decided to jot down a list of things I’ll need to deal with this winter weather. Take notes!

• Salt- melts down the ice
• Kitty Litter- helps with traction for your tires (no idea why)
• Ice Scraper- Do I need to explain this?
• Hot Hands- These little packs are the best things to have in your gloves!
• Snow Boots- My favorite is the LL Bean duck boot. It’s a classic!
• Cera Ve Lotion- A dermatologist recommended it to me because it’s for sensitive skin but it also helps with windburn.
• Layered Gloves- Leather on the outside and wool on the inside for double insulation.
• EOS Lip Balm- The adorable shape of this product made me try, the results of it are making me keep it.

If you’re from a cold weather state, leave a comment with your cold weather must-haves! Stay warm!

 

Road Trip Survival Bag

Happy hump day lovelies! I’m glad it’s half-way through the week because, well, I like weekends. It’s just that simple. I’m willing to bet that most of you do too. Luckily for me, my weekend starts a little earlier. I’m leaving tomorrow for Massachusetts with my family. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to seeing the turning leaves up there!

The last time I was in Massachusetts for a vacation was when I was about 5. My parents took me whale watching and to a little historical town called Sturbridge Village. I don’t remember much of the trip so it’s like seeing it all over again for the first time.

Since the family and I will be road tripping from Maryland, we have about 8 hours of nothing to look at so I’ve come up with a few things to put in my road trip survival bag. Throughout my short little life, the family and I have been on many road trips and we’ve exhausted the games “Guess the person” and “Eye spy with my little eye”. I’m just so done. Here’s what’s going in my survival bag.

• Latest issue of Vogue
• Bubble gum (so I don’t eat a million potato chips)
• Travel mug
• Eos lip balm
• Sunglasses (they double as a way to trick people into thinking you’re asleep)
• Ear buds and a travel charger
• Neck pillow
• iPhone loaded with new music
• Trail mix (with lots of M&Ms in it!)
• Portable cooler for carrying chopped up fruit and water bottles

Tell me if I’m forgetting something. Leave me a comment!

Gift Guide for Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful mama! She’s the biggest encouragement to me and she’s worked so hard to make me into the girl I am today. I absolutely adore her and consider her one of my best friends. I really lucked out when I was born to her and my dad. Some people didn’t get half as lucky as I did!

For her Mother’s Day gift, I found some cute Sperry’s on sale. I got her hooked on those a few years ago. If I were a millionaire, I would have taken her to Paris but seeing as how I’m not I new shoes would be almost as good.

I’m writing this post predominantly for the gentlemen who may have come across it that’s panicking because he forgot today was Mother’s Day. Guys, click on the image above for details on each of the items I included in my Mother’s Day gift guide. Perfume, flowers, jewelry, candles, and stationary are some of my favorite gifts to give! Good luck gents!

My Christmas To-Do List

Do you ever just have those days where all you want to do is sit at home and relax? With the Christmas season upon us, I feel like this is all the time! Between homework and my part-time job, I don’t have the time to sit around and do nothing. I haven’t had time to bake any cookies or decorate my little tree. Life just gets away from me!

In an effort to enjoy these next few festive weeks, I’m making a promise to myself that I’ll take one day out of every week to enjoy the season and relax at home. I’ll drink my latte, decorate my tree, bake some sugar cookies, wrap gifts, light a candle, cuddle up under a blanket, and just enjoy the festive nature of December.

Be sure to check off these to-do’s over the next few weeks!

• Decorate a tree
• String lights on bushes outside
• Try new cocoa recipe
• Bake cookies
• Have a Christmas movie marathon
• Cut out paper snowflakes
• Hang mistletoe
• Listen to Christmas music
• Enjoy a roaring fire
• Lounge in warm Christmassy pajamas