The Holidays

The holidays can surly be a time to get busy wrapping presents, cooking, friends, family, and studying for exams if you're like me. The crazy holiday times are also a time to reflect on those most important to you. Whether it be that friend or family member, forgiving and forgetting is something to remember during the holiday season. As we come into the new year something I want to remind all of you is to surround yourself with people you love and to not take anything less. One of my favorite quotes to keep in the back of your mind is "In life, you will meet two types of people. The ones who build you up and the ones who tear you down." So please, my one piece of advice during this amazing holiday season, surround yourself with those who build you up and make me the best you. 

Mini rant over, these are the things that I have been loving during this holiday season. I promise to be back and better. 

Have an amazing holiday season and new year! 

xx

Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Mini-Muffins

With School in full swing and college applications coming together, the start of October is no better time to get out Pumpkin deserts. The Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Mini-Muffins are something that can easily be pulled out any time during fall and mine will defiantly be made during Thanksgiving. They are so easy to make and so light and fluffy, having just one isn't good enough. 

Ingredients:

The Muffins:

1 cup and 2 Tbst. All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

pinch of salt (optional to taste)

3/4 granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/3 cup coconut oil (could use vegetable oil- I did)

1/4 cup Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (could use other milks)

2 Tbsp mild or medium molasses

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

*This was plenty for me for, even a half portion could be used

Directions:

1. Set oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and set aside your mini-muffin tin, sprayed with baking spray. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and optional salt. 

3. In another large bowl, combine the sugars, pumpkin, oil, milk molasses, and vanilla until combined

4. Pour the wet pumpkin mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until combined, dont' over mix.

5. Divide batter equally among the tray and fill 3/4 of the way. 

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes but be careful, these cook quite quickly and you don't want them to overcook. At 10 minutes, stick a toothpick in the middle and if no batter comes out, pull them out.

7. While still baking, combine the sugar and cinnamon to create the cinnamon-sugar mix. 

8. After the mini-muffins cool, roll each one in the cinnamon-sugar mix and set aside. 

9. Enjoy!

RMS Beauty

When I popped onto J. Crew and saw there was a sale, I couldn't resist throwing a RMS Beauty product into my cart. I had heard about the brand from my beauty-inclined friend, Lili over at Parisian To Be, and decided to try out the lip and skin balm in simple vanilla. A brand that is prided by their organic lifestyle and their organic materials, this brand was not a disappointment. As a sucker for a good lip product, this product in its sleek and chic packaging didn't disappoint. Although the product is quite hard and compact and the price of the .20 ounces of product is tough, this tiny little pot will last you ages. I tried putting it onto my lips before bed and when I woke up, my lips were delightfully smooth. 

As for more RMS Beauty products, I can't wait to try out more of these little gems!

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

xx

My Music Ep. 7

With the end of summer coming and new music being realsed constantly, my favorites in music are quickly expanding for the better. With that, here are some of my new music favorites:

Troye Sivan- Happy Little Pill

Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj- Bang Bang

Beyonce- XO

Demi Lovato- Really Don't Care

The Vamps- Somebody to You

*New guilty pleasure*

My Normal Workout Routine

When it comes to working out, I am not the type of person that does it every day, yet alone every week but when I am feeling motivated, I love that after workout feeling and feel good about myself. The feeling during the workout, I don't love as much though :). Since the school year is about to start and a more normal fitness routine for me will kick in, for those of you who don't have a normal routine, here is what I do to stay fit. 

The Clothes:

Don't get me wrong, though the workout is the main focus, the clothes that you wear can definitely effect your workout. Here is what I would were on a normal day working out:

Hair ties // Workout Tank // Water Bottle // Nike Shorts // Tennis Shoes

The Playlist:

For me, the music can either make or break a workout. You definitely need a playlist that will keep you moving at a fast pace. I normally either use the Pandora app on my phone and listen to the "Pop Fitness" Station or to ignore all of the adds, I create a workout playlist that will keep my going. 

*Picture Credit

The Workout:

The hardest part of the actual workout is forcing myself to actually do it. Though the after feeling is worth it, during the actually working out, I'm dying on the inside. My normal workout either comes from my Pinterest or I basically invent it in my head. I am no expert trainer so this is just what I have done and it is what has made me feel great but do whatever you're comfortable with and make sure to have plenty of water!

Here is what I do normally:

45 minutes on the treadmill: a mix of walking and running; intervals are my best friend here.

30 minutes on the elliptical: I keep it at a steady rate and don't push myself too hard.

10- 15 minutes of abs: I will either force myself to plank (normally not gonna happen) or I will look up some Youtube tutorials where I can actually be watching something and entertain myself. My favorite channel is Blogilates, she keeps it fun and entertaining (something I definitely need after working out.)

And to finnish: 5-10 minutes of stretching: possibly the most rewarding part

So that's my normal workout! Though that is the basis of what I do, the times differ constantly. I love to mix it up in the workout and love to add in a bit of yoga if I'm feeling steady!

Enjoy!

xx

Europe Exploring

Well, the past six weeks have been absolutely breathtaking and amazing and now that I'm finally home for the start of the school year, I can't wait to go back. All of you have seen the past five weeks of what I've been up too, but you haven't seen the last (and possibly most exciting) part of my journey.Here is what I got up too for the past week:

Geneva, Switzerland 

Lake Como, Italy

Scotland Part Four // London Exploring

With my time in Scotland done and an amazing time behind me, what came next was a couple of days visiting London. Though I had never been to London before (yes- it's true) the time that I spent there was absolutely amazing (and the weather wasn't half- bad either!) With five days in London done, here's what I got up too:

Though I got up too so much more, all of the exciting-ness got to me and pictures became scarce. 

What is next you may ask? The best has yet to come.

xx

Scotland Part Three

As my final week approaches, what can I say? I have had an amazing time and cannot wait to come back sometime down the road. But for the mean time, I can enjoy my last week and see what has to come afterwards.
Here's what happened this week:

Dundee:

RSS Discovery

Falkland Palace:

East Lomond Hill:

Dewar's Distillery:

Cheers to week four!!

xx

Scotland Part Two

Once again this amazing place has amazed me for the second week in a row. With now only two weeks left here, I cannot wait to see what else is in store for me. In the mean time, here's what a got up to this week:

Glamis Castle: 

Edinburgh:

We spent a day in the city shopping and eating (mainly eating)

JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter here!

Dundee vs. Manchester City Soccer Match:

Definitely an experience

Can't wait for week three!

xx

City Spotlight: Scotland Part One

With my first week of Scotland life done, I have already seen so much of this beautiful country and cannot wait to experience more! Week one was definitely colder than expected but fun-filled none the less. With a week full of experimentation and relaxation and cannot wait to spend three more weeks here!

Week One Entailed:

Stirling Castle

Gorgeous look into life hundreds of years ago for the Scottish Royals!

The King and Queen

The amazing ceilings! 

Wallace Monument:

Amazing views, what more can I say!

ps. We climbed 246 spiral stairs to get to the top!

Random Excusions:

The beautiful beach!

Treehouse overlooking a zoo exhibit 

Get ready for more to come!
xx