Welcome Home Taylor

Organize Your Life // Pt. 1

Lots of people make New Year's Resolutions of being more organized. I am quite an organized person myself, so I thought I'd give a few tips! To begin, you can't be organized without a planner. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites below. The planner that I use is the A Beautiful Mess Planner, which is unfortunately sold out. It has been my most favorite planner I've ever used though with it's bright colors and clean look. There are still a lot out there that are wonderful though so take a peek!

Do you have any favorite planners and organizers?

Planners:

1. Colorful // 2. Portable // 3. Floral // 4. Modern // 5. Nerdy

 

Here are a few others that I really love to keep your blogging plans and numbers organized and to even keep track of your health and fitness.

Blogger Planners: Favorite // Clean

Health & Fitness Planners: Editable // Modern

 

A Carry On

Yesterday, David and I left for a trip to California to see his sister get married. I haven't flown since I was in ninth grade and, although I'm pretty positive that I made a very specific and in-depth list of things to pack, I don't really remember it at all. I was thrilled to be able to pack up my carry on and plan what I wanted to bring.

Entertainment was a priority for me (I think it is for anyone flying) so I packed up my favorite magazines, a new book, a big book of sudoku, and some movies. David brought the laptop in his carry on for us to watch the movies, but I got the headphone splitters and an external battery charger for our phones.

Snack things! Food is important. We got some mini babybel cheeses, chips, and chocolate hazelnut biscotti. I ordered some of these Bobble water bottles so that we could fill them up after security with water from anywhere (they have filters built in!). Not pictured: apples. We picked them up on the way to the airport. I know that this isn't probably the best food to take on an airplane as they're not all full of water, but I wanted some snacks that will make me comfortable and happy. These did the trick!

What would you bring on your carry on? xoxo

My Book Wishlist

I am the queen of putting books into my Amazon shopping cart and letting them wait there until I'm ready to read them all. I'm just finishing up Love Medicine right now and am looking forward to the next book (but not because I'm not enjoying the one I'm reading!). Here are a few books on my current waitlist/wishlist.

1. Gone Girl. I keep hearing really wonderful things about this. After seeing a reader's review in an issue of Real Simple, I was sure I wanted this on my list of books to read ASAP. It's not something I typically would read, but lately I'm not sure what my usual genre of books is and so I'm willing to dive into anything and everything.

2. The Happiness of Pursuit. I love working toward goals and so I can definitely predict that this book will be my jam (yep, I just said that). Elise wrote about it on her blog one day and I immediatly became excited and have been waiting for it to be released (it finally is and I can't wait!)

3. This is Where I Leave You. The movie version of this is coming out soon with Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, and Adam Driver (just to mention a few of the awesome cast members) and it looks hilarious. Before I knew the movie was coming out, I came across it while at Barnes & Noble and I used my trick to figure out if it would be good and it passed! (Which, by the way, my trick to figuring out if I'm going to read a book is to read the description, then read the first couple sentences, and then read the last sentence. If I'm still interested, then it passes the test).

4. Dinner: The Playbook. I absolutely loved Jenny's first book and was so pumped when I heard her second book was coming out! I don't have a kid myself (which was her own inspiration and theme behind the book) but I absolutely love her recipes and the way she writes. Her first one is a personal story gone cookbook type thing and I have a feeling that's how this one will be as well and I can't wait!

5. Yes Please. Yes please!!! I can't wait for Amy Poehler's book to come out! She is my idol. From what I know about her from reading things in Tina Fey's book, Mindy Kaling's book, and from watching interviews with her, she is an incredible woman. She is hilarious, strong, and really kind. Not anything that society gives women credit for and that's why I love that she is who she is. I can't even express how excited I am for this!

My Netflix Favorites (Shows)

Who doesn't have a Netflix account nowadays? I wanted to share some of my favorites with you so that you can enjoy them with me! David and I don't have cable, so I depend on Netflix for a good show buzz. I love watching a good television episode before bedtime to unwind and sometimes we leave some comedies running in the background of a party. Honestly, who doesn't like a good show? I know most of these won't be groundbreaking, but they're still my favorites!

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1. Firefly. Unfortunately, this show was only on for one season in 2002-2003. It was too early and I know that if it were on now, it would last quite a while. Firefly is a scifi type show that takes place well into the future after people have left Earth. It focuses on a particular ship called Serenity run by an awesome captain who (almost) always does the right thing while being a total badass. Mal and his four crew members play host to a brother and sister duo who are going through some trouble, a shepherd (or Pastor) who has a secret badass background, and a companion (which is basically a very well-respected and endeared prostitute, but classier). A few years after the show ended, they made a spin-off movie called Serenity which wraps up the story and is equally awesome.

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2. Sherlock. This is one of my hands-down favorite job not only because it's a wonderful story or because Martin Freeman is my secret crush, but mostly because it is such a beautifully done show. It's not that uncommon to see a beautifully done movie, but for a show to put as much effort as they do in their asthetic is very rare. I really enjoy the way they incorporate electronics into it as well. Most films and shows that are beautiful tend to stay away from technology because it's just not pretty. Looking at a phone or computer screen takes awayf rom the feel and so the way they play it into the show is fantastic. I could go on all day about how gorgeous this show is. And how much I love Martin Freeman. hehe.

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3. Torchwood. Most people have heard of the show Doctor Who, which is a fantastically wonderful scifi show and one of my most favorites. Torchwood is a really great spin-off of it. There is a reoccuring character during David Tennants time on the show, Captain Jack Harkness. He was one of my favorite characters on Doctor Who because he was very charistmatic, hilarious, and he also had an awesome back story with his weird curse/blessing of being immortal. His team is always quick with jokes while battling crazy aliens.

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4. 30 Rock. I just recently read Tina Fey's book, Bossypants, and fell head over heals with her style of comedy. I had never really watched 30 Rock before and obviously after reading her book I just had to. I'm in love! I relate to Elizabeth Lemon a lot. Not because she's a middle age woman with no husband or because she's the boss of a really awesome comedy show, but her jokes are totally my style. No one understands how much I really love food except for Liz Lemon. In fact, there have been time since watching this when David refers to me as Tina Fey because of my jokes/weird behavior.

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5. Bob's Burgers. I only just started watching this. I mean, seriously, I just started watching this on Tuesday. I think I fell in love with it so quickly because (as my sister kept trying to explain to me before I hopped on the Bob's Burgers bandwagon) it reminds me so much of my own family and my siblings. My sister, brother and I are all really goofy and when you put us together we're just...well, you have to see it. I'm only on season one of this show, but I'm quickly flying through it and I rarely go through an episode without busting out in laughter every five minutes. It's great, really.

What are some of your favorite t.v. shows on Netflix lately?

 

Sister Sleepover Must-Haves

This weekend David is headed out for a boy's getaway (or is that weird to call it that?) and so I'm having a party of my own. All three of my sister's are coming over for a sleepover at my apartment. I'm so excited for the party that we're going to have, that I've been scheming up things to do and have already. Here are some of my must-haves for an awesome sister sleepover!

one. Super comfy pajamas that are appropriate to wear in front of your sisters (I'd be lying if I said I didn't normally just sleep in a tee and my undies). These ones from Gap are adorable!

two. Obviously, you need some yummy treats. I love these super easy chocolate lava cookies. The recipe makes a pretty small batch, which is perfect since there are only four of us.

three. An awesome movie! We are big Grease fans over here! Whenever there is karaoke around (which is often in my family) we are all ove that soundtrack like white on rice.

four. Face masks! I can't tell you the last time I used a face mask (junior high?) but they seem so alluring and relaxing now. Plus, this one smells like pomagranate!

five. We need a good breakfast to look forward to in the morning! Despite my six-year-old sister rooting for what she calls "Snap, crackle, pop" (Rice Krispy cereal) I'm planning on making a good ol' waffle. Or french toast. I haven't yet decided, but these snickerdoodle waffles sound delicious!

six. Guests need some fluffy pillows and cozy blankets (even if they are just your sisters). I am coveting this gorgeous and super comfy-looking bedspread from Anthropolgie. Although, if I owned it, I'd probably claim it as my own and give the ratty blankets to my sisters. ;)

 

What kinds of things would be on your sleepover must-haves list?

5 Weekend Breakfast Ideas

1. Lemon Pancakes! Add some blueberries to the mix as well because it will make you happy. Unless you don't like blueberries, in which case, ignore that suggestion.

2. Cook up a big batch of waffles for you to eat for breakfast & then freeze the rest for a quick weekday breakfast!

3. I love French toast and this blueberry syrup makes it even better. Don't forget to make a batch of brown sugar bacon to go with it too! You'll thank me later. ;)

4. It might not be autumn yet, but any season is a good season for pumpkin waffles in my eyes.

5. Want a healthier option? Try out these super fluffy whole-wheat, Greek yogurt pancakes. They're so delicious! In fact, make a large batch of these and freeze some for the weekday as well. You can never have too many homemade frozen breakfast foods.

 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

foodie pinspiration

Since David and I are moving out this month, we've both been daydreaming about cooking together. It's something we love to do and to be able to plan out meals and cook them together seems awesome. Although, I also know the reality will feel not-as-awesome when it's a day we're both exhausted and the last thing we wanna do is get up from the couch, let alone cook. I know we'll do our best though and I can't wait to be in charge of my own fridge. haha. And I'm sure my mom will be thrilled to not hear me say, "Is there anything in the house to eat?!"

I'm super excited to make:

• Greek chicken
• Mac n' Cheese (with Greek yogurt!)
• Tortellini soup (I love making soup that will last us all week!)
• Foccacia bread rolls
• And to top it off: Pumpkin ice cream & Snickerdoodle sandwiches

Is there anything that you love/hate about cooking? Any quick and delicious recipes out there that you like?

 

xoxo

Taylor

things I learned about taking a road trip

1. Find Creative Things for Souveniers. My biggest regret was what I had planned for souveniers. I have BIG family, so not only is it hard to find gifts for all of them, but it also ends up being pretty expensive. Unfortunately, I didn't think of this idea until my last day: send postcards! I wish I would have done it from the start, but it would have meant a lot more for my family members and friends, and I could have saved A LOT of money. Not only that, but I spent so much time just looking for gifts for people. It was not a fun way to spend the trip.

2. Plan Ahead Places to See/Eat: This will save you SO MUCH TIME! Seriously. If you don't do anything else, at least do this. There are a lot of really neat websites and apps that help with this. My favorites are: Urbanspoon, RoadTrippers, TripAdvisor, and TVFoodMaps (all of which are also apps).

3. Stop and Smell the Roses: If you're on a road trip, trust me, you shouldn't be in a hurry. One of the biggest dissapointments was that some of my companions were always in a rush to get from one place to the next and would be upset if we stopped. This puts a damper on the whole "road trip" thing since, in my opinion, that's the whole point of a road trip. You wanna stop and see the odd things and the signs that lead you to find "The World's Biggest Clam". Don't worry about time because this will be so much more memorable and relaxing.

4. Lay Out Your Expecations Beforehand: Especially if you're travelling with other people that you haven't ever before, lay out what you expect for the trip. Are you the type of person who wants to lay out at the beach all day long, or the type that wants to see museums and learn new things? Either way, you want everyone to know what to expect that way no one is disappointed. Also, talk about your budget. How much do you willing/planning to spend on gas, places to stay, and activities you want to do? Talking about this beforehand will leave people less disappointed and more comfortable.

5. Don't expect things to go as planned. For example: our a/c broke three hours into our trip. It was hot. Just remind yourself that things could probably always be worse. As long as you're safe and healthy, then you're okay. I kept reminding myself that I was just grateful to be on a roadtrip to distract my mind from the sweat dripping down my back. Also, making up car games really helps. David and I played a game called "water tower" and whenever we saw one, we would scream it out. Whoever had the most water towers at the end of the trip won. (note: keep count on a piece of scrap paper, otherwise people who lost -- David -- might think they won...which they didn't).

 

Just remember to have fun, whatever you do!

xoxo

Taylor

3 things to remember before vacation.

Everyone loves going on vacation. However, not everyone loves planning vacation, but I sure do! I think planning a vacation is almost just as important as taking one. Without planning anything you usually spend too much money and end up not even knowing what to do once you get to your destination. So, here are a few tips I follow when planning my vacations, whether I'm going with just David, a group of friends, or my entire family.

1. Get to know the area. Even if all you want to do is sit on a beach, you're gonna want to find out where things are (such as the best beaches). David and I love finding cool and yummy places to eat in different areas so we research a lot of restaurants. Even if you don't end up going to all of them, it's good to have some options. It also can help you enjoy your stay even more.

2. Plan a budget. This is one of the most imporant things. Without a budget, you usually overspend A LOT! If you plan on taking a roadtrip, figure out how much money you'll need for gas depending on how many miles per gallon your car takes. Choose what kind of place you wanna stay and how much you're willing to spend on it. I like to stay cheap and explore more, but if you want to splurge on a fancy hotel, then by all means do it, just be sure to figure it into your budget.

3. Make a packing list. Trust me, you're going to forget things either way, but you'll forget much less if you write it down. I try not to overpack though because most things that are on your "might need" list you won't end up using and you can usually find somewhere near where you're staying anyway. I'm always sure to pack three things: my camera, clean underwear, and a good book.

wall art love

I have been searching for some good wall art lately. I have a lot of stuff up on my walls now, but not many prints, they're mostly pictures, so I wanted some pretty art up on the walls to look at. I've bought a few new ones lately and these are some others that I'm really digging on. It's really unlimited what you can do with words and art; it even has me really wanting to try out screen printing so I can make some myself.

 

make tea, not war // be silly, be honest, be kind // never half ass two things, whole ass one thing // write drunk, edit sober // not all those who wander are lost