Macarons in Washington DC

If you have been reading my blog you know that I am anti-trendy. That doesn't mean that I ignore all trends. Macarons have become quite trendy here in the US and perhaps the most amazing thing about them, at least to me, is how beautiful they are!

After a full day of shopping with a friend, we decided it was time for a little treat. We stopped into Olivia Macaron to explore and see what they had to offer. When you walk in you are greeted with a full wall of blown up macarons to admire. The shop is beautiful.

How about this for your kitchen backsplash?

Prior to entering the shop we were curious about the pricing. It appears that their website is under construction, which was a little frustrating because until we entered the shop and got a little further in line, the price was a mystery. When we got closer we were able to see the menu. Each macaron is $2.20, which I found reasonable for an expensive sweet treat. I chose to get two, the Salted Caramel and Coconut. Both were really good, but the Coconut was definitely my favorite. They're just so small!

I'm not one for splurging on tiny food, so this was a "one off."

Final verdict: worth trying, but not worth adding into my "Must Have" list.

Things I Love Lately

This winter has been brutal the last couple weeks!

Snow, cold, ice. I know they are all expectations of winter in the northeast, but that does not stop me from feeling the effects of a miserable indoor existence!

With that being said, there have been many things I am LOVING lately.
Blogging, making YouTube videos, TV watching, cooking yummy food, snuggling with the best blanket EVER that my momma made me, and lighting candles.

This post is a peek into the MANY things I love today and expect I will continue loving right into sunny Spring. Grab a cup of coffee because I have quite a bit to share. Are you ready?!

CANDLES

I love burning candles in the winter. They make your house smell amazing and offer a warm glow to a room. These two have been rocking my world lately! The Frosted Cranberry is from Bath & Body works and is a present from last Christmas. I just took it out a few weeks ago and quickly realized what I had been missing! It burns evenly the entire way, adding the perfect warm and slightly sweet fragrance to the air. The Succulent Garden candle was a find at Target. This little gem smells like Spring! It is the epitome of what you are hit with when you walk into the Philadelphia Flower Show. . .bright, fresh, beautiful flowers. It isn't overly floral. If anything, it smells like the best perfume. If I could bottle this and spritz it on my body daily, I would!

NAILS

I don't believe in waiting for Spring to wear "Spring colors" because I'm anti-trendy. Don't know what that is? Read here! One thing that always brightens up a dreary winter day is light, bright, colorful nail polish. Each of these colors just makes me feel like I deserve a large ice cold glass of homemade iced tea and a cozy seat on a balcony.

FOOD!

Pancakes are becoming a snow day favorite. I tend to be a purist when it comes to pancakes. Hands down the best pancakes I have ever had and crave more than anything are from IHOP. There is a reason they are so popular! Whatever their recipe is. . .wow is all I can say. Love, love, love! These bad boys over here to the left are "homemade", out of the box, "just add water" pancakes with chocolate chips dotted beneath the surface. So delicious and yummy year round!

One of the things I have always struggled with is keeping a routine about what I eat. I get bored easily and need to change it up regularly. However, for at least two months I have had the same breakfast 5-6 times a week: Special K Red Berries with a sliced banana and Silk Soymilk. It is so good! The perfect meal after a workout. I crave a bowl of this good stuff all day. So far it hasn't gotten old at all. If anything, I have yet to be this successful meal planning.

Special K? Check!
Bananas? Check!
Soymilk? Check!
Breakfast for the week? Done!

Hot chocolate, coffee, and tea are all perfect mugs of happiness. It all depends on the mood. On the hot chocolate front, Nutella has been all I can think about. If you haven't tried Kandee Johnson's Nutella Hot Chocolate recipe. . . well, you're missing out. Don't wait. It is the most indulgent cup of creamy chocolate hazelnut goodness I have ever encountered. But I'm warning you it is addictive. I drank a huge mug three days in a row and then promptly went on a 12-step program. . .called me telling myself to "Get over it already!!!"

It's good to treat yourself to your own afternoon tea when the mood strikes.

Remind me to go back to HomeGoods and pick these up, please!

My Valentine's Day plans included a weekend of celebrations with my best friend. There was movie watching, cereal eating, makeup shopping, and of course a lovely romantic dinner.

SUSHI!!! Really. . . need I say more?

 MORNING WORKOUTS








Do you know about Blogilates? If you are looking for a new workout, check out Cassey Ho and her workouts here. They have been kicking my butt. It is amazing how such small movements can burn so intensely. She creates calendars you can follow with playlists for daily workouts and has a really great community of people working hard to change their bodies.

 I've fallen off the band wagon the last couple weeks and hopped back on today. Oh man. . . burns so good!

BLOGGING & YOUTUBING

I have had so much fun creating blog posts and YouTube videos. I love watching YouTube videos and reading blogs and if I'm not spending time with another human being, you can bet that I'm watching, writing, or filming. Joining Instagram and Twitter have also been a lot of fun. Many of the YouTubers I follow are from the UK so it's always fun to wake up and see what they have gotten up to for the day as I'm dragging my sleepy self out of bed. It's almost a peek into what my day could have in store, seeing as they are 5 hours ahead. A little inspiration in the morning never hurt anybody! 

Thanks for reading and hanging with me! Make sure you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I'm also on Bloglovin!

Food is Beauty #1

Food is the fuel of our bodies. . .and man, is it beautiful!

There are so many hashtags and Instagram posts about what people eat and I find it really inspirational.

At times though, it just makes me hungry! So. . . I'm going to warn you ahead of time:

This post is all about food!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese. . . yum!

Sweet Italian Sausage, Ricotta & Sundried Tomato Frittata

Teriyaki Salmon with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I primarily will blog about beauty products, but there are times that I will also blog about other beauties in the world, whether it be nature, fashion, adventures, or yummy food.

I made a little cooking video for you the other day on what I am currently referring to as, "The Best Saturday in a Long Time" and I hope you enjoy it.

Pasta dinner with "semi-homemade" sauce

Here is the ingredient list for my Pasta Sauce (semi-homemade) and Quick Garlic Bread.

Pasta Sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium size onion- chopped
• 2 cloves garlic- chopped
• sea salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• crushed red pepper flake (to taste)
• Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (to taste)
• Italian Seasoning (to taste)
• ***Seasoning is "to taste" because everyone has their own preferences and I don't measure it***
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 jars of sauce (whatever you like) I'm using a combination of Trader Joe's Traditional Marinara and Francesco Rinaldi Tomato, Garlic & Onion

Pasta:

I used Ronzoni Garden Delight Fettucine but you can use whatever pasta you like.  :)

Garlic Bread

• 1/2 small loaf of French bread *Target's Market Pantry French Bread is really good!
• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• dash of salt
• 1 clove minced garlic
• dash of Italian Seasoning

Let me know if you want videos or recipes for any of the other photos I posted. Happy eating!