Young & Engaged...

I am young, and in love. 

I am young, and engaged. 

I am 22 years old, and with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, so who's to say I am too young to know this? 

What is the worst part of being young and getting married you may ask? 

Everyone on the outside's reaction. Strangers, Acquaintances, even some family members. There is always the question of, why? Don't you want to wait a little longer, make sure he is the one? Why are you rushing? 

Here's my take or my response to everyone, if you're in the same situation, if your thinking to yourself that we are to young, here's my side of the story. 

In my opinion, the ultimate goal in life, is to live it to the the fullest, experience amazing things, travel, start a family, have a career that I love, and a home that I find solace in, make amazing friendships and change people's lives for the better. Leave this Earth with a sense that I lived my life fully and wholly and true to myself. Why would I not want to spend all of those moments with Philip by my side? 

Philip is my very best friend. I can laugh with him, I can cry with him, I can go to him for advice, I can fight with him, he is my person. He is the first person I want to call when I have good news, and the first person I reach out to for help after a bad day. He pushes me to try my best and strive for the best and motivates me to try new things. He doesn't hinder me from having a life outside of him with friends and hobbies and an identity aside from a couple. 

I have not lost myself in our relationship, I have found myself, and who I want to be. 

Philip and I have had our amazing days and we have had our dark days. We fight, all couples do, but we don't let those fights define us. We have experienced life together as children and as adults and have dealt with hardships that life can throw at you. We have seem death, loss, money problems, and I am not saying we are fully equipped to handle anything from left field, but I am saying that together we are stronger. 

There is no age limit to finding your soul mate, you can be 15 or 50. 

I found it quite interesting a couple of years ago when I would hang out with single friends and go out and have fun and what not, you know, girls night! I would go out expecting an all girls night, just fun times with my girlfriends. I would leave Philip at home and go out and realize that all my single friends were searching for what I had at home waiting for me. Everyone would get glamoured up and look absolutely stunning in the hopes of meeting a nice/attractive guy that you could find a connection with. 

If I have my perfect person already, why would I want to continue testing the water, trying to see if the grass is greener. 

Philip is the one for me, I have known that since I was 14 years old. There is something about love, that when it's real and it's right, you'll just know. You'll feel it from the moment you meet. There is an electricity between the two of us that just draws us towards each other and connects us on a level that only we can reach.

Being 22 does not mean I am rushing things, being together for 8+ years means I am ready to commit myself and my life to one man, until death do us part. 

I guess my point of this post, was just to spread the word, that not all people that get married or fall in love young are crazy or have a lack of reality. If anything, I think I have grasped reality, grasped what I want out of life, and someone just for me to share it with. 

XO

Holy Guacamole! Step by Step

Philip and I were really craving Guacamole one day, and he just decided to kind of improvise in the kitchen and it turned out to be the most delicious guac I have ever had! Now it's something our friends and family ask him to make all the time! If you're looking for a fairly simple yet delicious way to make your own Guacamole, here is our take.

You will need the following:

- Cilantro

- Avocados - for our recipe for just the two of us we use 2 but feel free to add more if you have a larger group

-Red Onion

-Lime

-Tomato

-Salt

First start my cutting your avocados and pitting them.

We like to use a spoon and just scoop the avocado into a large mixing bowl.

Then Mash, we use a potato masher, it is a lot quicker than using a fork.

Next, you are going to prep the rest of your ingredients. We used about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, half a tomato, half a red onion, a handful of cilantro, and half a lime. Then... Chop! 

Next, a little tip on how to store your cilantro. I love cilantro, its a staple in my house but figuring out how to store it is crucial for keeping it well. If you leave it out of the bag it will shrivel up and dry out, but if you leave it in the grocery bag it gets brown and mushy. 

The trick is to place the cilantro in a zip loc bag with a damp paper towel. 

Add your ingredients and MIX! 

Finally top it off with some fresh lime juice! 

That's it, you are done! Serve up with some fresh chips and add a little extra salt as desired. 

Bon Appétit 

Stay tuned for more of my personal Chef's creations! 

XO

January Birchbox (and a couple other things)

It's here! It finally came! My very first Birchbox! 

So for my first month, I got...

- Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm 

- Harvey Prince Sample Perfume in the scent "Sincerely"

- Sumita Eyeliner in a goldish hunter green color (excited to try!!)

- Whish Body Butter in the scent Lavender 

- Vasanti Brighten Up Face Rejuvenator - this I have to say so far is AMAZING! I tried it and my face felt so fresh like I had just had a facial, it hasn't been this soft since I was a baby! I might end up having to buy this in the full size! According to their website the full size should last you about 4-6 months so that is worth the $34.00. 

So far, I am really pleased with Birchbox and excited to see what the rest of the year holds! I have been kind of obsessed with this idea of monthly subscriptions ever since my fiancé Philip started receiving Sock Panda. Now we do Sock Panda, Birchbox, Myster TackleBox, Tackle Grab, HelloFresh, and LoveYourFood. I'll do a review or reveal on more later as they come. 

XO.

It's about time I did another DIY!

So, I have been looking for just the thing to add a little spice to my laundry room, considering, well it's a laundry room... I'm already bored. I spend a lot of time in there though, and it's right off of the kitchen and we tend to keep the door open most of the time. 

So, with that being said, I saw a couple cute signs and what not on Pinterest and Etsy, but people were selling these things for like $60-125 (no, I am not kidding). I figured I would see what I could do on my own, for just about $20. 

TaDa!

I started by venturing to Lowe's and purchasing a board that was 1x8x8 and then had them cut it into 4 - 2' pieces. That cost be about $7.00 total. 

I was also able to find the stain I was looking for at Lowe's and paid about $4.00 for the can. I went with "Driftwood" because I wanted something really natural and beautiful, of course, pick whatever color works for you and your space! 

From there, I went to Michaels and purchased Letter stencils ($4.00 - and I can reuse them again!) , White Acrylic Paint (69 cents), and Foam brushes that they call "Foam Pouncers" ($5.00 roughly). 

When I got home, I had some extra sand paper laying around and lightly sanded the edges to avoid getting splinters in this process. 

Next, go ahead and stain your board. This is probably the most tedious part of the process just because you have to let the stain sit, wipe it off, let it sit, wipe it off, you get my drift.

Once you have reached the stain color you want, make sure to give it time to dry of course and then assemble your stencils. 

I went with simple, the word Laundry, and taped the stencils to the board to avoid them shifting and making a mess! Then I got out two different foam pouncers, the big one, and the little one. The big one was perfect for the middle of the stencil and the little was perfect for around the edges and the details. 

Peel off your stencils and let it dry. (I let mine dry overnight just to be safe).

That's it, you're done! To top it all off, you still have 3 boards left to do whatever you want with, more DIY projects and home decor, I think I might use these in our living room but will do a post on those when the time comes! Simple, Cheap, and Cute DIY for your Laundry Room!

XO

#SisterTag

Hello everybody, 

So, my sister, Isabella, is such a cool kid! She is so outgoing and has such a courageous personality that I admire so. She even had the courage to put herself out there and start her own YouTube Channel! She likes to participate in trending Tag topics and when one of her friends suggested a #SisterTag she asked if I wouldn't mind joining her for one of her videos! Of course I said sure, and well... 

Here ya go! 

Check out her other video's too! She's pretty awesome <3

XO

Tea Tree Oil, aka Your New Best Friend

Meet Tea Tree Oil, like it says, get ready to get personal, because you two are about to become best friends.

(I purchased mine at a local health food store)

I discovered the uses for tea tree oil awhile ago, and it's not a very pretty story either. At the time I was working at a day care facility and it seemed like everywhere I turned, kids were scratching their heads! If you don't know where I am going with this then you have obviously never had head lice. Just thinking about it makes me itch! 

I read that Tea Tree was a great ingredient in keeping those horrible monsters far away because they could not stand the smell!

From there I started doing weekly washes with...

Then, I got a little curious...

Tea Tree Oil sounded pretty powerful, so I did some digging and I found so many other uses for it that I now use daily. It felt to awesome to keep just to myself. 

I found that not only is it awesome for ridding critters like lice, but also fleas on dogs! Just a little drop on their collars and it is supposed to work like a flea collar that the fleas avoid like the plague. 

Then I realized that Tea Tree Oil can also do wonders for my skin and that is where I lead you today...

Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleanser! 

I use this before I put on my make up in the morning, after I wash my face at night, and I spray some on our pillows before we go to sleep! To give you a little background information, Tea Tree Oil has been used for YEARS as a disinfectant/bacteria killer and has been proven to help with acne/blemishes and redness. Just make sure to use it in small amounts! In large amounts it can really irritate and dry out your skin. 

& It's probably the easiest thing in the world to put together.

You will need...

• Travel Sized Spray Bottle (I got mine in the travel section at Target)
• Bottle of Distilled Water
• Tea Tree Oil

I know, crazy, think you can handle it?! Basically, all you are doing is diluting the oil because it is so strong. 

Fill your spray bottle about 95% with water, add about 3-5 drops of tea tree oil, screw the lid on and shake! Thats it! You are done. Trust me, 3-5 drops is all you need because tea tree oil is extremely potent and powerful. 

Don't worry about the smell, you'll get used to it and it fades quickly. 

I have heard some people putting the oil directly onto a cotton ball and wiping down their face, but I have sensitive skin and am hesitant to try this one. 

Do some research of your own if interested, I am sure Tea Tree Oil has many other capabilities! 

XO

A weekend of dating!

Philip and I have kind of been moving in fast forward the past couple weeks and haven't really had a chance to spend any alone time together. 

This weekend we decided to catch up on relaxing, and quality time together.

Friday night after work we decided to go out to dinner. Philip told me to pick the place but I was coming up blank! So he decided to pick for me, and I am so glad he did! 

Frenchy's Rockaway Grille!

If you are a local around the Tampa/Clearwater area, you know what Frenchy's is. There is no doubt in my mind. If not, and you are ever in the area this is a must stop for lunch or dinner. Its a beautiful restaurant literally on the beach in Clearwater, FL. Their she-crab soup is to die for! 

Luckily because Florida got a blast of cold weather this week there was also no wait and we got to eat immediately, normally we wait about 20-30 minutes at least because it is just so full! 

Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to do some browsing so we headed over to our local Flea Market and went thrifting! I didn't end up finding anything thrift worthy haha but did come home with some goodies!

How did I go to the flea market and leave with this... I don't know hah 

Excited though to try my Malbec wine and my new hair products "Big Sexy Hair" and...

It's paraben free!

If you don't know much about paraben's and what not you can find a ton on the internet, but I have slowly been working on cutting paraben's out of my routine. Parabens are basically a form of preservative inside products that prevent them from growing bacteria. While that might sound great, (if you plan on buying in bulk or something and keeping things in your closet for years at a time...) it also has been linked to have a harmful affect, specifically on women. Parabens are usually found inside tumor cells from breast cancer. Parabens somehow have the capability to mimic estrogen, and is recognized by your body as extra estrogen production and seems to build up in your lymph nodes. 

You can do more research on your own if interested, but it has become something I try to eliminate from my life. 

Anywho, moving on,

Philip and I went and had lunch at Cuban Breezes! 

Talk about the best cuban sandwich you can find in the Tampa Bay area!

After stuffing ourselves to the BRIM we had extra movie tickets so we decided to catch the new Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1

I really loved the movie and am excited for Part 2. I read the book and feel like they did a great job at portraying it. 

After the movie, Philip and I did a little more shopping and FINALLY found the perfect margarita glasses for our bar cart and we got them for such a steal from Home Goods! We finished the night off relaxing at home sipping on Margaritas. 

Tomorrow, I plan on doing zip, zero, nada, I am going to lay in bed and watch Sex and the City all day while Phil goes fishing haha

XO

Date Night - The Key to Keeping Your Spark Alive!

What is the key to success in relationships and marriage? Philip and I have been together for over 8 years now and while I am not saying we have a perfect relationship, I do feel like we have a once in a lifetime love. 

Now, don't get me wrong, with the wrong person, if it is not meant to be, it just won't work. 

On the other hand, with the right person, and a lack of work, it can feel wrong. I used to wonder how people can go from being head over heels in love, to absolutely hating each other in a matter of a lifetime. 

I think, at least Philip and I's philosophy is dating! You should always date your significant other. I don't care if you've been together for 6 months or 6 years, love is a verb. Love is something you do to another person. It is not a noun, a tangible thing, it is an active feeling that should be shown, through small gestures, kind words, precious moments. 

If you think of your love as a verb, and not a noun, you could have one of the most important key's to a happy and healthy relationship! 

Over the years though, the old dinner and a movie can become quite repetitive, so I thought I would share with you some dates we have been on, some that are on the to do list, and more to give you inspiration to actively date your S.O. and show them your love!

Feeling Adventurous?:

- Get outdoors! Go for a walk, a jog, a nature trail, a hike. Pack a backpack with some waters and snacks and explore a local nature preserve. 

- Kayaking and Canoeing! If you don't have your own, you can find local places that typically rent them for the day. 

- Fishing! Philip is the definition of a fisherman, he lives, sleeps, eats, and breaths, fishing! Even if it's not really your thing, it's a great way to bond, and there is typically a lot of down time that leaves time for talking.

-Have animals? Take your pups to a local dog park. Not only is this a great place to make friends and get outside and spend QT with your other half, but your pups can get out and make friends too! 

- Go camping! Search in your area for local campsites and pack your bags for a night. If you're lucky maybe you could also do a bonfire and some s'mores! 

-Go sight seeing, does your town have a city life? A downtown area of sorts? Go for a walk in downtown and see the sights. Most downtown areas also have some awesome quick lunch spots, grab lunch while you're out. 

-Go ATV/4 Wheeling.

-Rock Climbing! Many places have indoor rock climbing centers where you pay for the day and can rock climb as long as you'd like! (This is one of the dates on our to-do list)

-Work out together! Hit the gym!!! Races can be really fun and bonding! We have done a couple 5K's together and each have been great.

-Do you two have bikes? Go for a bike ride! If not, you can typically find a place locally that rents them. 

-Go Rafting or Tubing!

-Rent some jet ski's (Another on my bucket list)

-We have something pretty awesome here called Treeumph! Its a tree top obstacle course! Incredible! Check your area and see what unique things you have. 

- How adventurous are you feeling? Feel like going a little crazy? Skydiving, Bungee Jumping, talk about a bonding experience and an adrenaline rush! 

Feeling Romantic?:

- Go out for a romantic dinner for two, take turns picking the place, that way you can both enjoy different foods! Philip is a big lover of a hearty meal, and I love me some sushi! It's fun to switch it up often.

- Fondue can be super fun and romantic! It is one of my favorite ways to celebrate, but tends to typically be expensive! Have your own fondue night at home (we did this for our recent anniversary to enjoy some alone time and save money - maybe we will have a repeat and I will blog some recipes!)

- Massages! Whether you want to go to a spa and get a couples massage or offer them to each other it can be a great bonding experience. Philip and I tend to switch off 20 minute massages weekly. 

-Cooking can be one of the most romantic things you do together. Help each other and make it an equal job, set the mood with some light music! Once your done, have a candlelit dinner for two!

-Spend some time swimming or in the Jacuzzi! 

-Have a low key night in, snuggle up and watch a movie! Redbox is a great option for new movies and it is super cheap! They come out with new releases every Tuesday! 

Places to go, Things to see:

-Movie Theatre, once again, take turns picking the movie so they interest you both.

-Local theatre to go see a play, musical, or comedian! We have had some of the best times at the Performing Arts center and the tickets usually aren't too crazy! 

-Go to a concert! Whether its one of your favorite performers, or a concert in the park, music is one thing that can really set the tone for an amazing time! 

- Gun Range! Shooting is one thing that intrigued me but also frightened me, it turned out to make one hell of a date night! 

- Go out together! Going out to bars, lounges, and clubs doesn't have to just be for single people! Go out and have a drink with your significant other. One of my favorite movie scenes is from "Four Christmases" when Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn go out to a club together and pretend not to know each other and he has to win her over all over again - so cute!

-Hit up the library together! Whether you like to read, need to study, or just want to browse, the library usually has private rooms where you can go in together to read, talk, rent movies and what not. 

-Are you religious? Faith is one thing that two people can really bond on, and going to church together for me always felt like something that bonded us. 

-Does your town have a local brewery or winery? Maybe a tasting? Go and try some local brew. 

-Spend the day together at the beach! 

-Do you have a local flea market? Phil and I love spending weekends at the flea market looking for odds and ends and rare finds that we can restore and make beautiful again!

-Go to the zoo! Most zoo's have some really fun behind the scenes things you can do as well like animal encounters and what not!

-Do you have a local amusement park? We have a ton near us, from Busch Gardens/Adventure Island to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure! Spend a day there riding the rides and trying new things!

-Go grocery shopping together, somehow Phil and I tend to have some of the funniest moments in the isles of Target.

-Shop together, pick things out for each other. 

-Murder Mystery Dinner's are so much fun! Our area has one on a train and is such an amazing experience. 

- Go to a local festival, here we have some pretty awesome ones from the Strawberry & Blueberry Festival, to the Renaissance Festival.

-Do you have any local museums! We have a ton around us from MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) to the Photography Museum, the Dali, and so many more! 

-Go to a car show, Phil loves the exotics and I love the antiques, we go fairly often! 

-Go on a dessert date, ice cream, froyo, just get whatever feels right.

-Drive In Movie theaters can be so fun and are usually cheaper than the theater - plus you can bring your own food and drink! 

-Ikea! Hear me out on this one! Ikea can be such a fun date day, especially if you already live together. Philip and I love to go there and spend the day "shopping" for our future home. Taking pictures of things we like, dreaming out our future house, and they have a cafeteria where you can get lunch! 

Holiday Seasons? Get Festive!

- Spend New Years together, watching the fireworks, or the Ball Drop. Share your New Year Resolutions and a midnight kiss!

-Color Easter Eggs together!

-Carve/Paint pumpkins together while watching a scary movie!

-Go to a costume party together. 

-Corn Maze's can be super fun, check your area in the Fall!

-Go to a local Haunted House!

-Pick out a Christmas tree together and decorate it.

-Decorate your own stockings or ornaments.

-Is it snowing in your area? Get outside and let your inner child shine! Make snowmen, snow angels, have a snow ball fight! 

-Have a Christmas Scavenger Hunt! I'll do a post on this as the season gets closer!

-Make a gingerbread house together! Or make two and have a competition for who can make the better one. 

Games & Sports?

-Play video games together!

-Play a board game!

-Go to a sports game together, there are so many choices - Football, Soccer, Hockey, Baseball, watch the game at a sports bar with some delicious food and a beer! 

-Play pool together.

-Go bowling

-Mini Golf!

-Go Carting! 

If you can, go on vacation together! Whether its for a week or just the weekend! 

At the end of this post, my point here is, it doesn't matter what you do. Just do it together!

Never, Ever, stop falling in love with each other. <3

XO

Koo Koo for CoCo-nut Oil

I know I am not the first, and I am definitely not the last, but I have fallen into the craze that is Coconut Oil! 

Coconut Oil is a staple in our house, but not necessarily for the kitchen like one would think. While its great to use when making dessert, I find I use it much more in the bathroom.

1. Coconut Oil is the BEST eye makeup remover! Mascara, Eye Shadow, Eye Liner, you name it. Coconut Oil gets it off completely and doesn't sting your eyes or have harsh chemicals in it that will affect your skin. 

2. Speaking of skin, Coconut Oil works wonders! I use it sometimes as a facial moisturizer after a good cleaning, body lotion to make your skin silky smooth, and once again like I said is not riddled with harsh chemicals. 

3. Lip Balm! I love to put a little Coconut Oil on my lips before bed and it works as the perfect Chapstick! 

4. Oil pulling! I have tried oil pulling for a little while now, as bad teeth is something that just runs in my family. Essentially you take about a tablespoon of Coconut Oil and swish it around your mouth, kinda like mouth wash for 10-20 minutes. I know, I know that sounds like an awfully long time... but I just do it while I am in the shower and don't seem to notice the time anymore. Since starting oil pulling my dental hygiene has improved greatly, my teeth are less sensitive, and my 6 month check up of usual fillings has turned into positive meetings of a healthy mouth! 

5. Hair mask! I have really tricky hair. You know how some people have combination skin, that can be oily and dry, well I think I have combination hair! My hair can get extremely oily in the matter of a day, where it looks like my roots haven't seen a shower in months, but the ends of my hair can be so dry at the same time. One thing I have noticed that helps is Coconut Oil hair masks! Like I said, about every two weeks or so I will lather my hair up with a decent amount, put it up in a high bun, and go to sleep like that on a towel. The next morning and a deep shampooing later and my hair is perfectly moisturized. 

One thing I do not recommend Coconut Oil for is Shaving Cream!! I tried that one time and ended up with possibly the world's WORST case of razor burn, that hurt for days! It might work for some, but that is something I would never try again. 

In a nutshell, Coconut Oil is the bee's knees. If you haven't discovered the power of its majesty, just give one of these things a shot, I'm sure you will be impressed! 

2015 Goals, Hopes & Dreams

When I sat down and thought about jotting down some "New Years Resolutions" the idea just seemed silly. It's kinda human nature to want to do the things you are restricted from doing, so why limit yourself. Think about it like this, if I were to say to you, "Whatever you do, DO NOT think about pumpkin pie..." what did you just think about? Did I get ya? The more I feel that we restrain ourselves from not doing things, the more they become desirable. So, no I am not going to say no Fast Food, or Soda, whatsoever, because it just is not realistic. Rather than setting resolutions that limit me, I thought I would jot down some dreams and goals for this year.

- I hope to further my education. I only need two more subjects of classes to finish my AA but the thought of them completely haunts me. I have Math and Science credits left, which are not necessarily the areas where I excel. Regardless of that fact, I hope that by the end of this year I can say I completed at least one of those two if not both! ;) While my education has taken a much slower course than I would have thought, I haven't given up and that is part of the process. 

- Another goal I have this year is to build my credit and put some money away. Philip and I are about to resign our lease to last until March of 2016 but are hoping to buy our first home after our lease expires. We are hoping to find a starter home, local to where we live now, we really are loving Oldsmar/Palm Harbor something with at least two bedrooms so that we have enough space for ourselves and the pups and a one day family. We are looking for a home that has a backyard that is either fenced in or an area that we could have fenced in so the dogs can run freely and get out all of their energy and exercise, and something with a garage. I have this dream of owning a house with a garage and making that Philip's Man Cave of sorts so he can have a place to work on his car, and store all of his tools. I pin things on Pinterest all the time of what I would make if he had a Man Cave... (am I weird or what). 

I have slowly been working on building my credit and putting small increments of money away but those things take time, and something always seems to come up. I found this pretty cool money saving guide I might give a shot...

I found this chart on www.freshandorganized.com

Essentially you put a certain amount of money away each week for a year, the dollar amount corresponds to that week in the year, by the time your done, you should have saved $1,378.

-Another facet of my life that I am going to continue working on is my fitness! I just got a FitBit for Christmas and I am so excited to get back into the swing of things and put it to good use. Like I mentioned before, I am part of the Tone It Up Community, or as I like to call it the Tone It Up Movement.  Every season for the most part, the girls host a challenge, currently I am a part of the "Love Your Body Challenge". The challenge is full of daily motivation, tips, tricks, workout videos, healthy meal ideas, weekly prizes and more! One of my goals this year is to stay on top of it within TIU and continue being an active part of their community! Each challenge they usually host a 100 mile challenge where you run 100 miles over the course of the challenge. I have yet been able to finish one so this year that is one of my goals! 100 miles during a challenge! 

Work Hard, Play Hard! 

-Lastly, and very importantly, one of my goals is to continue dating my fiance. To me, relationships fail because people become complacent. They assume their partner knows they love them and don't need to show it often. I am going to use this year to get even closer to Philip and enjoy our time as an engaged couple. As much as he continues to court me, I will continue to woo him :) We have a lot of wedding planning ahead of us and I am excited to spend more quality time together and grow as a couple. We have the ceremony and venue location set in stone and I have my dress so the next step is Engagement Photo's! I have been saving some pretty cute ideas but am trying to workout the style we are going for that is kind of like, Classic, Timeless, Old Romance. Hopefully we can pull it off!  

Here Here, to a New Year!

XO