TSA Pre Check for Germaphobes

Good Morning!

I love having TSA Pre Check. Mostly because it cuts down on wait times. It's crazy how busy those lines at security get and having Pre Check has probably saved me hours of my life that would be spent in an airport security line. My other reason for loving it- the fact that I hate germs and airport security feels like an incubator for germs. Seriously. It feels like a room filled with germs and I hate it. Here is how having that handy little emblem on your boarding pass helps if you're even just a little bit grossed out by germs:

You can leave your shoes on. In summer shoes I hate being even slightly barefoot at security. It's a pain to throw on socks JUST for security and if I put those socks inside shoes I want to Lysol the socks and the insides of the shoes. In winter in boots- forget it. Ten minutes of your life are spent removing and putting back on your boots.

You don't have to take out your quart sized bag. Putting that bag into that plastic bin is gross. That bin has seen thousands of shoes too and bottom which means who knows what has touched those bins. Putting a bag filled with stuff you out on your face into that bin is disgusting. I Lysol that bag.

Putting anything in that plastic bin. So gross. Putting my coat in there feels wrong and even having the bottom of my purse (which is somewhat questionable anyway) still feels disgusting.

In conclusion, if you travel even a few times a year through busy airports and hate germs- get TSA Pre Check. It will save you time and germs. And if you travel internationally, get Global Entry. It's only $15 more and it's good for five years.

Monday Must Haves

Mondays require coffee.

Seriously, Mondays require COFFEE.

My close friend, Lara got me the most awesome Christmas present ever- a Vietnamese coffee kit. She and I like all the same things so when she started obsessing, she knew I would too (and she was right). I've never been a huge coffee drinker (with the exception of a short-lived coffee addiction as a teen thanks to Gilmore Girls) and only started drinking it more in the last six months. That said, coffee has more than just the energizing properties for me- it's long been thought to help ease asthma symptoms. For that reason, we always keep some on hand. I really like the flavor of Vietnamese coffee and the strength. I love how cute the brewing is over a cute glass mug (which Lara supplied as well) and it is just as delicious iced! I also have a French press (it was a random white elephant gift at a company party that I never though I would use) that works really well for brewing a larger quantity (or enough for two if you're feeling like sharing).

This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

HeirloomVietnamese Coffee Kit

Glass Coffee Mug

French Press Coffee Maker

Fun Things on Friday

Happy Friday, everyone!

So I have not been shopping a lot lately since I'm saving up for a couple upcoming trips but this week I just couldn't help it. I broke down and some of these shoes I've seen around and I wanted to share them today!

These March Fishers have been circulating the internet and while the price is reasonable, I typically don't spend more than $100 on shoes unless they're some sort of all weather boot. Still, I've been "window shopping" them for weeks and searching for something that I would actually be okay spending and I found a great pair of "dupes". I say dupe kind of loosely because they're actually also by March Fisher! They come in black and nude and I found the, on 6PM. 

Marc Fisher Hunny Wedges
This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

Recovering From Travel

As much as I love traveling I often think after a trip, I could use a break! Getting to travel and experience new places is such a blessing but when you're checking places off your list, eating everything you can get your hands on, and just going going going from morning to night, it's really exhausting! 

Long hours, stress, and that horrible airplane air (not to mention a change in climates) is absolute hell on the skin and often the immune system too. I can't count the number of times I've come home from a trip sick! Or the amount of times I've gotten sick just from the jet lag on the way to my destination. It sucks! Here's how I reset my skin and health a little after a trip:

This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

A soothing bubble bath- not the Mr. Bubble kind. Epsom Salts, a Bath Bomb or two, and a relaxing scented bubble bath or bath gel go a long way to unwinding your body after a flight. The salts help any aches and pains from uncomfortable airplane seats and combat swelling. Good Beth bombs rehydrate your tired skin. And who doesn't love bubbles??!

An face mask- I love my Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask (I'm scraping the bottom of the Travel size jar before I bite the bullet and buy it) because it always leaves my skin feeling refreshed. I usually just use it in my T-zone.

A great moisturizer- no matter what your skin type, chances are your skin hates you when you get off a plane (unless you moisturizer constantly throughout and even then...). Whatever your favorite moisturizer is- slather it on before bed. Give your face a little break from vacation makeup and let it breathe and reset. Right now I'm really enjoying Caudalie's Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet. It's really light so I don't feel like it's going to clog my skin (I got a great sample from one of my beauty box subscriptions and it's wonderful). 

A hair mask- my hair takes a beating on vacation. A lot of times it suffers more product than usual or more styling and I know it's not happy when I get home. A great leave-in conditioner or hair mask helps combat some of the damage! I like Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Nightcap.

What's your favorite way to unwind after a day of travel?

Peach Biscuit Bake

Happy Friday!

So last Sunday for Super Bowl, I made a fun little peach biscuit bake for dessert. I had an idea in my head that I wanted to try out and since my hometown team (Atlanta Falcons) was playing, I figured peaches were perfect for a fun dessert!

Peach Biscuit Bake

1 can - Peach Pie Filling

1 large roll - Refrigerated Biscuit Dough

1/2 cup - Peach Flavored Liquor (I used Old Camp Whiskey)

1/2 cup - Cinnamon Whiskey (I used Fireball)

Cinnamon

Sugar

6 tsp - Melted Butter

First I melted the butter and then added in a large dash of the peach liquor and a large dash of the cinnamon whiskey along with about 2 tsp sugar. I whisked this together in a bowl to make a paste and then I opened the tube of biscuit dough. Start rolling the biscuit dough into balls and then dip them into the paste making sure to evenly coat the balls before placing them loosely in a medium sized glass baking dish (make sure the dish is greased and don't pack the balls in too much so they have space to grow in the oven). 

After all the dough has been rolled into balls, take the remaining paste and add a little water and about 1/4 cup of the peach liquor and 1/4 cup of the cinnamon whiskey. Add some cinnamon and the gel part of the peach pie filling. Scatter the peaches around the pan between the dough balls. Whisk the peach gel with the paste until it forms a bit of a syrup and pour evenly over the dough balls. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops of the dough are golden brown.

Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

Monday Must Haves

Monday already again???

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I just got home from a little weekend getaway. I'll be posting about it soon with a couple pics and then a full travel guide to come!

Today I'm just going to obsess a little over patterned pumps. I have so much black in my closet that I'm really enjoying the look of shoes with more than just a pop of solid color. It definitely breaks the monochromatic boredom of my wardrobe! 

I'm more than a little in love with the Who What Wear partnership at Target. Is it just me or has Target really upped the ante this year with all these amazing collaborations? It's definitely making it way easier (and way less expensive) to be stylish. I'm really really loving these green floral pumps because:

1. The heel isn't so high that my poor clumsy self will break/roll/twist/sprain an ankle.

2. I love this shade of green.

3. The toe isn't crazy pointy so I won't feel like I'm in The Witches (Does anyone else remember this movie? I love Roald Dahl).

4. Under $40. 

Who What Wear Ally Satin Pumps
This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

My Favorite Carry-On Bag

I have been flying cheap a lot as of late. 

I have never loved spending a ton of money on flights even though I did enjoy first class a lot as a child (OMG those hot fudge sundaes in seat 1A). The influx of budget airlines has made it so much cheaper to get around and honestly, I never really need any of the extras. I'm small so I never need a ton of legroom so I never need to pay for larger seats or more space. Also, the idea of spending more on one business/first class flight than I would spend on three cheaper flights is not something I see myself doing. I'm a pretty frugal flyer because I'd rather spend the extra money on food or or activities or save it for the next trip. I even hate checking bags unless it's international or a trip that's longer than five days. I am a fair overpacker so this is always a bit of a challenge. I do have to say, I've gotten better in recent years and actually wear almost everything I pack so it's not so bad but even then, I do stuff a lot into my small carry-on bags. 

Today, I wanted to share my favorite carry-on bag. It's tiny and still cute while fitting in even the smallest underseat spaces. It has saved me a ton on my Frontier and Spirit flights when I travel for two to three days. It's well structured and easy to wipe down if it gets dirty and it's a great brand. There are tons of compartments and there's plenty of space to separate out toiletries and undergarments. Unlike a lot of other carry-on bags, the side pockets have a ton of smaller sections and compartments as well so it's really easy to stay organized and find a little spot for each individual item. I've used this bag a lot in the past year and I absolutely love it. It even comes with a great "back-up bag" that's got a full zipper and works great as a shopping bag for traveling. 

This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

Travelon Wheeled Underseat Carry-On With Back-Up Bag

My Five Favorite Bloggers

Good morning!

Today I'm sharing some of my favorite blogs with you guys. I have a handful that I absolutely love- these are blogs I read a lot of when I first discovered them. I love looking at clothes and travel and these blogs have all of that. 

Southern Curls & Pearls- This is one of the first blogs I ever followed. I love how girly it is and I adore the colors. The clothes are always gorgeous and Caitlin writes in a great way that makes you feel like you've been friends for years. Plus her trip pictures! So jealous!

The Sweetest Thing- I love to see what Emily wears when she travels and her recent pregnancy posts are adorable and so super honest! Her travel outfits are always awesome. Plus her dog is just so stinking cute!

Bows & Sequins- I totally binge read this blog when I discovered it. Jessica travels so much and she has some really great city guides! When I plot getaways to big cities I consult her page for places to eat and drink. Her Snapchat is also a fave- she's super realistic and funny. 

Visions of Vogue- I love Jenna Colgrove's blog; it's super fashionable and fun without being scary for my wallet. Her pics are always awesome and her fashion finds won't break my bank account. 

Pink Peonies- Okay Rachel Parcell has one gorgeous home. Seriously, so beautiful. I love her designs and her outfit posts but I especially love the pics she posts of her house, most definitely during the holidays. Plus- her office. So much pink and just the cutest office space ever!

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Monday Must Haves

Ugh, it's Monday and I have a doctor's appointment. Fun!

So the weather in Vegas this winter has been pretty unpredictable. Needless to say, my skin hasn't been loving it. I'm way too lazy to be using crazy moisturizers constantly or exfoliating as often as I should, so I thought I would share one of my favorite winter skincare products. 

I've been using Frank Body's coffee scrubs for almost a year now and I absolutely love them. They're really great at keeping your skin smooth and soft and they smell so yummy. Seriously, my shower always smells like a fresh cup of coffee afterwards! They're very natural and they actually help with a ton of skincare issues. I have a little bit of eczema and the scrubs don't irritate the situation at all, it actually helps. Some of the other scrubs I've used have been way too harsh but Frank's coffee grounds really feel like a spa treatment without leaving my skin feeling like it was stripped of a few layers. The oils in the scrub also leave a nice hydration that lasts for a while. Frank Body is also really affordable; one pack has lasted months and months and it's under $20! So much cheaper than the spa!

I also have the Frank Body Lip Duo with the lip scrub and lip balm and I have to say, their balm is one of my favorite balms ever. So hydrating and it smells delicious! I'm addicted.

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Yelp Elite Gold- Milk Bar Las Vegas

Good morning guys! 

At the end of December, I had a really cool opportunity through Yelp to attend a really amazing even. Milk Bar Las Vegas just opened up at the Cosmopolitan and Yelp Elites were invited to an intimate event to try out the new goodies, hear about what's been planned out. And best of all- meet and listen to Chef Christina Tosi tell us everything herself!

I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Milk Bar for months and months and months. I originally had my fingers crossed that them and Momofuku would open before my birthday but they got delayed. Before the Las Vegas locations were even announced, I had these on my "Must Try" list for my next New York trip. 

It was a really small party but one of the coolest ones yet. Yelp Elite always has some really amazing events and this has to be one of my favorite ones yet. We got the most awesome swag bags (a signed Milk Bar cookbook, crack pie mix, and a gorgeous Milk Bar scarf inside the exclusive Milk Bar tote bag) and upon walking in, we were greeted by a bar filled with the most amazing sweets I've ever seen. Cake truffles, assorted cookies (I tried all but one and they were delicious omg omg omg), crack pies, and the most gorgeous birthday cake ever. I don't think I have to tell you just how yummy everything was! 

After we were properly sugared up, Christina Tosi came out and did a big Q & A session. She told us all about the amazing desserts they're going to be serving including some Las Vegas exclusive items that I cannot wait to try! She was absolutely the sweetest, super friendly and funny and a joy to listen to as she talked about the most awesome sweets. They cut up the giant birthday cake and we all got a slice- it was pure heaven. So good! 

Cannot wait to try my hand at some of the goodies in this book!

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Monday Must Haves

Good grief, it's already Monday again.

Today I wanted to share my favorite pants. I know, that sounds weird. I keep seeing bloggers with the cutest distressed jeans in black and white and all shades of denim and these jeans from Old Navy I've been wearing since fall. They're the most comfortable and they come in a variety of lengths so I don't have to do that awkward tacky cuffing thing on the bottom that I have to do with so many of my other pairs. They're also perfect for stuffing into tall boots and the distressing is nice and not too crazy. These are seriously my go-to pants for just about everything. 

Mid-Rise Raw Edge Rockstar Jeans
The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

Valentine's Day Looks for Less

I'm not too great at planning out things to wear and doing the actual shopping for outfits. Especially when it comes to holidays. Usually I throw things together but I'm trying to get better at that.

Today I'm sharing some outfits I found from some of my favorite shops that would be cute and easy to pull together for Valentine's Day. A couple are a bit more casual and a couple are a bit dressier but I love that they're easy to accessorize as well. I'm all about fast and easy shopping so I wanted to share finds that are inexpensive, easy to wear, and easy to accessorize.

Charming Charlie's

Pom Pom Trim Tunic

Sarah Faceted Necklace Set

Francesca's

Krista Cold Shoulder Flutter Dress

Cupid's Pave Heart Studs

Old Navy

Relaxed Ruffle Sleeve Tee

Layered Crystal Pendant Necklace

Forever 21

Crushed Velvet Wrap Dress

Layered Iridescent Necklace Set

This year we have two sets of plans- a slightly fancy Italian restaurant (it has that big cheese wheel) where I will likely need to dress up (probably gonna go with that black option to avoid getting red sauce on a pink dress) and an action movie where I will be rocking this super cute monogrammed top I got from my I Love Jewelry Monobox (more on that to come). I finally ordered Corey's present after slacking for a couple weeks. It's not as imaginative as I would have liked but I know he will love it.

BaubleBar + Target = Sugarfix

Hey guys!

Have you seen the new collab that BaubleBar is doing with Target? It's adorable! The line is called Sugarfix and has the same look as the traditional BaubleBar pieces with a Target price tag. So many cute pieces! I love Bauble Bar but when it comes to earrings and rings I don't like spending more than $15 on pieces because I tend to misplace them. The price point on these pieces is perfect because for about $13 you can get super cute jewelry without spending a lot! I think these tassel earrings are going to be my first purchase since I've had my eye on the ones on BaubleBar for a while! Plus I think they'd look super cute with the tops I got at last year's Lily Pullitzer After Party Sale!

The links in this post contain affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. As always, all opinions are my own.

Sugarfix Beaded Tassel Earrings

These pink statement earrings also very closely resemble a pair I saw on the Bauble Bar site and are perfect for the color scheme I plotted for one of my upcoming trips!

Sugarfix Statement Drop Earrings

Blizzard at Mount Charleston

This winter has been interesting! 

About a week or so ago, Corey and I finally made our way up to Mount Charleston. We were so excited because it was snowy and cold and we were really looking forward to playing in the snow. It didn't quite go how we expected!

It was a Sunday afternoon so everyone else had the same idea. It was rainy down in Vegas so we knew it would be legitimately snowing when we got towards the mountain. Corey's Audi is pretty spectacular- while everyone was putting chains on their tires, we were able to just drive on through on the summer tires. Pretty impressive! Even better, when we left the parking lot after we had lunch, a full size pick-up truck was having trouble getting out (he almost slid backwards into our car like three times) and he was blocking our car. When he realized we were ready to leave, he kind of snidely said "Did you want to try and get out?" and Corey was like "Yeah". As soon as the truck was out of the way, Corey backed up and took off like nothing! Gotta love that all weather Audi!

The roads up to the lodge were closed so we ended up grabbing lunch at the resort at the bottom of the mountain. It was insanely crowded since everyone was getting turned around. We didn't stay long and while the meal was good, the service was so bad I don't even want to talk about it. Corey was worried about the blizzard conditions so we didn't stick around to take a lot of photos and honestly, the snow was so wet we weren't having the best time outdoors. 

Still pretty, though!