Planning an Epic Summer Road Trip

Hello friends! My family and I love to take road trips in the summer, and this year is shaping up to be the best one yet. Not only is it the four of us, it's also my cousin and her parents - when all of us are together, it's like being in a bad comedy, and it makes for hilarious stories. I'll write up a post at the end of the summer sharing our experiences, but for now, here's everything we're planning for our epic road trip, complete with tips, fun ideas, and more.

1. Pick a New Destination When we started talking about where we are going to go, we all
    decided that a new place is always more fun. The powers that be (the parents) gave us
    a set radius to travel in, and they pretty much let my cousin, my brother, and me pick
    the destination. We settled on a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains. None of us
    have ever been there, and there are a surprising number of things to do there, making
    sure there's something for everyone.
2. Have a Trip Theme This is probably the lamest thing anyone could ever do, but having a
    theme for your trip makes it so much more fun. We have a theme song (John Denver's
    amazingly ironic "Rocky Mountain High," also the official name of the trip), code names
    (all bean-based, i.e. Jelly Bean, Frijole, Bean Sprout, etc., and particularly fun if the
    theme for the names has absolutely nothing to do with the trip), trip hats (custom with
    a logo and our code names), and playlists to fit the theme.
3. Rent a House, Not a Hotel Room With seven adult-size people, renting a few hotel
    rooms costs as much, if not more, than renting a whole house, especially if it's split
    between a few families. Our house has plenty of room for everyone, multiple
    bathrooms, and a full kitchen, which means we can do some grocery shopping when we
    arrive and save a whole lot on food expenses because we'll be eating at the house more
    than eating out.
4. Plan Activities for Everyone Where we are staying, obviously the main attraction is
    the mountains, with lots of trails and activities, but there are also hot springs, gondola
    tours, golf courses, an amusement park, little shops, and nearby ski resorts to scope
    out during the off-season. With a little of everything, you ensure everyone leaves
    happy.
5. Don't Spend All Your Energy During the Day Some of my favorite vacation memories
    aren't even of the actual trip and the things I saw, but of the time my family spent
    together at the end of the day. We absolutely love board games and card games, and
    the seven of us always manage to make it so by the end, nobody is playing and
    everyone is in tears laughing. It's especially fun if you bring new games, because
    nobody reads directions and it just adds another level of hilarity. These nights are
    also the perfect occasions to sit around a fire with a whole bunch of s'mores and
    hot dogs, which just scream summer and make for great memories.
6. Leave Wiggle Room The great thing about going somewhere that doesn't need tickets
    like an amusement park is that you can go without a detailed itinerary and decide what
    you want to do as the days come.

I wish you all the best and safe, fun travels,
Erin

November Favorites

Hello friends! The end of the month is once again upon us... Let's jump right in!

• Favorite Store: Bath & Body Works Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and Bath & Body has all my favorite scents of the season.
• Favorite Article of Clothing: Sweater Leggings These are new for me, but I adore them. They are the coziest things and are essentially socially acceptable, chic pajamas.
• Favorite Shoes: Boots 'Tis the season for boots all the time, and it's a trend I will happily wear.
• Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lipbalm (Vanilla) & Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara I'm obsessed with anything that makes my lips soft, and the Carmex lipbalm is a long time favorite. The mascara is just great at adding volume and length without getting clumpy, which is always a plus.
• Favorite Smelly Item: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Perfume I recently ordered a perfume sampler from Sephora, and this is my favorite. It smells incredible.
• Favorite Music: Pentatonix's "That's Christmas to Me" Delux Album / "Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical" Soundtrack Christmas being my favorite season and Pentatonix being my favorite artists, this was a match made in heaven. And I recently saw a production of "Beauty and the Beast" and fell in love with the music.
• Favorite App: Disney World I'm going to Disney in a few weeks, and this app gives wait times for rides, where to find characters, get FastPasses, order tickets, make restaurant reservations, and so much more.
• Favorite Activity: Seeing "Beauty and the Beast" I went with a friend back to our high school to see the show, and it was great.
• Favorite Food & Drink: Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers & Starbucks Chestnut Praline Hot Chocolate I love all cracker snacks and these are tops; I'm sure my love of Starbucks is apparent by now, and I wait all year for the holiday flavors (I put them all in hot chocolate because I don't do hot coffee).
• Bonus Favorite: Thanksgiving & Decorating for Christmas I love the holiday season. My family came over for Thanksgiving (I'd like to add all that food to my favorites, as well), which is always fun, and it's tradition that my immediate family stay home on Black Friday to decorate for Christmas. And then watch "Elf" because it's a classic.

*Again, I  apologize for the lack of pictures, but rest assured that I have some fun picture-filled posts coming up.

I wish you all the best,
Erin

October Favorites

Hello friends! It's that time of the month again... Favorites time! Let's get into it!

• Favorite Store: Kohls I love Kohls. That's it. They have everything and there's always some kind of coupon circulating or Kohls Cash going on. Everybody wins.
• Favorite Article of Clothing: Target Military Jacket Because fall is upon us in the Midwest, I have officially broken out all the cold weather clothing. This jacket is perfect for those days where it's cold in the morning but a little warmer in the afternoon. I also love how it adds a little something extra to any outfit.
• Favorite Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots (with inserts) I've loved my Hunters for a long time, but I recently got the inserts (fleece sock-type things that stick out the top of the boots), and they gave my classic favorites new life.
• Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation & Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes (Chamomile & White Tea) This foundation give nice coverage and looks very natural, and the wipes do a good job of taking it off at the end of a long day. They also smell incredible.
• Favorite Smelly Item: Bath & Body Works A Thousand Wishes Lotion Holy cow, this stuff just smells great. It's a little warm, a little sweet, but not too much. It'll be even better around Christmas.
• Favorite Music: Shawn Mendes' "Handwritten" Album (specifically "Stitches," "Never Be Alone," "Kid in Love," and "Aftertaste") / Kelly Clarkson "The Sun Will Rise" / James Bay "Let It Go" I'm a music junkie, and this was a great music month full of good finds. I also bought the new Pentatonix album, but haven't given it the time to fall in love with it yet because I'm so obsessed with the others.
• Favorite App: Township This is one of those games that sucks you in immediately but has no real point. I don't know why I find it so enjoyable, but I can't stop. If you've ever played HayDay, this is that on steroids.
• Favorite Activity: Getting Ready for Halloween That time of year is upon us at last! I love all things festive, and to me, the holiday season starts with Halloween. I love decorating, planning my costume, baking spooky treats, etc. (Stay tuned for a Halloween post) I'm so excited.
• Favorite Food & Drink: Scones & Starbucks Iced Salted Caramel Mocha Two weeks ago, I posted a recipe for scones, and I'm obsessed. I've been making them all month for everyone I know, and they're delicious. I also love Starbucks all the time, but I recently discovered iced coffee (super late on that bandwagon, I know) and I'm obsessed with this, too.
• Bonus Favorite: Dancing with the Stars The past few season haven't been very good in my opinion, but I'm loving this season. They have some good stars on and, once again, I'm obsessed. My favorites are Alek, Hayes, and Alexa, just in case you were wondering.

*I apologize for the lack of pictures on this post; I landed myself in urgent care this week to get stitches, and long story short, haven't done a whole lot since. Stay tuned for a monster (get it?) Halloween post next week! 

I wish you all the best,
Erin

September Favorites

Hello friends! This week marks the end of September, and I thought I'd do a favorites post. I chose some categories that encompass things across the board, so let's get into it!

• Favorite Store: Forever 21 Because I went to private schools up until this point in my life and wore uniforms, I never realized how much clothing a person goes through in a week. Needless to say, I was slightly underprepared for the real world where people wear actual clothes, and I turned to Forever 21 to fix that problem. (Haul post coming soon)
• Favorite Article of Clothing: Infinity Scarves & Statement Necklaces Because I'm in the Midwest, weather is crazy unpredictable, so I need to dress for any possible weather changes. Scarves and necklaces are great ways to dress up my wardrobe of basics, and allow for more outfit options and versatility.
• Favorite Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots & Target Sandals  It's been raining like crazy here, so my black Hunters have been lifesavers, and for the warmer days, my Target gold sandals are my go-to shoes.
• Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Simple Micellar Water & NYX Butter Glosses The Simple Micellar Water is an absolute must for me- I use it to wash my face in the morning, and to take off my makeup at night (it takes off waterproof mascara, which is huge for me), and the NYX Butter Glosses add a nice pop of color to pull together a simple makeup look.
• Favorite Smelly Item: Bath & Body Works Cinnamon Sugar Donut Candle This smells like the warm, cinnamon roasted nuts you can get at amusement parks and pumpkin patches, and I love it.
• Favorite Music: Charlie Puth feat. Meghan Trainor "Marvin Gaye" / Madilyn Bailey "Coffee" / Pentatonix "Cheerleader" I love music, and these three have been on repeat all month long.
• Favorite App: Color Pop This app lets you turn a picture black and white and then choose the element you'd like to still be in color. I may be late to the bandwagon on this trend, but I'm obsessed regardless.
• Favorite Activity: Starting a Blog This may be cheesy, but I find myself constantly wanting to write and plan new posts, and once again, I'm obsessed.
• Favorite Food & Drink: Quesadillas & Apple White Grape Juice Don't ask me why, but these have been my go-to munchies.
• Bonus Favorite: Free Birthday Treats & Things My birthday was this month, and so many stores and companies will give you great deals or free items for your birthday when you sign up for their email lists. Some of the best included a free Jamba Juice, a free bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes, and $10 off from Pink/Victoria's Secret.



I wish you all the best,
Erin