See the World from the Woods

My summers are always jam packed with adventures. This summer I've spent a grand total of ten days at home. 

This was a big year for me. I finished my first year at my big girl job and I got a house. What all this means is that my budget was MUCH smaller than usual. So in an effort to be adaptable I decided to stay in North America and see the world like I never have before....by hiking it. The trip plan was to start in Vancouver then hike all the national parks along our route. We started in Garibaldi Provincial Park, then Deception Pass State Park, Seattle (to be touristy), Olympic National Park, and finished off with Mount Rainier. 

After 10 days of miles, mountains, and ocean shores I've learned a few things.

1. Take a chance and go off the beaten path. My favorite part of the entire trip wasn't even supposed to happen. We got into town a little early on that day so we did some exploring and stumbled upon some of the most beautiful bays I've ever seen.

2. Dont under estimate what you can accomplish. Climbing mountains is something I thought I'd never do. With the help of my companions and lots of bribery I made it up two mountains!

This is what it felt like.

3. You need to "wing-it" at least once in your life. Except for our first two nights, hotels came when and where we could find them. There was panic definitely more than once, but it all worked out.

4. Stop and look at the trees. You can take this metaphorically or literally. Either way, I promise you won't be disappointed.

5. Always appreciate the little things. They're what you remember the most.

P.s. Excuse all the different picture sizes. This post is brought to you from my iPad.

Travel Tip: Change Your Seat

So you've planned a trip. You've booked the hotel, the transportation, and you got those very important tickets to that special thing you wanted to see. You may have even already booked your plane tickets. Then you find out they aren't the seats you wanted. Now your trip is ruined. Here's a helpful tip.... Change your seats at the gate. 

Once you've gone through airport security and hit every checkpoint imaginable you'll have to sit there for several tedious hours waiting to board anyway. Why not make the most of it?

Usually everyone has checked in an hour before the flight, so this is an optimal time to change. Luckily most flights do not book up completely so there is usually some wiggle room for finding open seats. All you have to do is walk up to the desk, tell them your seat number, show them your boarding pass, and ask if there are any other open seats.

The best part is that if the only other open seats are in fact worse than your previously purchased seats you can politely tell them "that's okay" and walk away no worse for wear.

One example of this travel tip coming in handy is my recent trip to England. Unfortunately the only seats my travel companion and I could secure on such late notice were the very middle seats in the middle of the plane next to other passengers who were inevitably dreading seats next to us as well. (Not because we smelled or anything, but I'm not the most social on 10 hour flights.)

While waiting at our gate we went up to the desk and asked if there was any way we could change seats. Boy did we get lucky. There were two open seats at the back, next to the bathrooms in their own row.

The flight attendant warned us that these were not preferential seats because of their proximity to the bathroom but honestly that wasn't a con it was a pro.

We had our own row, we had extra room because of the awkward placement of the seats, we were some of the first people served because we were close to the attendants which means they were always nearby for help, AND we never had to wait for the bathroom. A quick glance over our shoulders always informed us if there was a line or an opening for the bathroom.

Wait a second...This turned into a post trying to convince you to love the back seats of the plane. That's not what I meant to convey. Instead I'm telling you not to stress about your seats on a flight. You can change them, and they will probably work out better than the original seats anyway.

Do you have any travel tips? We're all friends here. Go ahead and share.

A Nashville Room-tine's Day

Valentine's day has so many names. Valentine's Day, Singles' Awareness Day, and Gal-entines Day just to name a few. As a career single woman I usually spend the day alone or on rare occasion with good friends celebrating in style.

This year was probably one of the best Valentine's Days I've had. Lucky for me I have beautiful single friends who (shockingly) choose to spend the day with me instead of chasing off their many admirers with clubs. This year my former roommate and I took Nashville in style.

One of my life goals was to visit the wonderfully hilarious Olan Roger's soda parlor. Cleverly named...The Soda Parlor. It's a beautiful place, and this year for Valentine's Day Olan had a special "I Vow to Like You" float for anyone who knew the secret code (it was on Instagram.)

The Soda Parlor is housed in a renovated Marathon Car factory. Along with being a hipster mecca we were lucky enough to visit on the exact day they were having a one day only gathering of local Handmade Small Business owners. Simply put, it was the right place at the right time.

We had gourmet food truck tacos for lunch and really, REALLY good floats from The Soda Parlor for dessert. Keep scrolling if you want to see my picture story from the day.

After such an awesome day it was great to come home and relax BUT THEN THIS HAPPENED!

Thanks to Emily for spending the day with me so I wouldn't be in a ball of depression on my floor lamenting my fleeting youth. It was definitely much better this way.

Lush Collection Review

It has come to my attention recently that I may indeed have a bit of an addiction. At least it's a healthy one...for now.

I am addicted to Lush Cosmetics. I love everything about their products. Our introduction was made while abroad last summer. I blame my very lovely travel companion and my favorite beauty YouTubers for all of their influence.

You can check out Lush Cosmetics here and learn about all of the great things they are doing through their products. Hint: It's not just making you feel good.

This post is a complete list of my current collection, and what's to come. I'll give you a review of each product and if I loved or hated it. I hope to inspire the same enjoyment in others.

Note: This is a completely unsponsored post. I bought all of these products or got them as gifts. They're all worth it.

1. Tender is the Night: Massage Bar 

I bought this one in my local Lush (Nashville) store. After going through and smell testing each massage bar individually, the scent of this bar was undeniable. Although meant to be used by more than one person I use my massage bar on my arms and legs after a hard day. This massage bar melts instantly on contact with skin and glides on like butter. It's so nice to fall asleep smelling wonderful.

2. Sympathy for the Skin: Hand and Body Lotion

This is probably my favorite Lush product. It came in a gift set that I got for Christmas. If you're anything like me your hands start to fall apart during cold months. They're probably really dry and rough, or in extreme cases cracked. This lotion can fix that. It smells wonderful (like bananas) and magically turns any dehydrated skin into silky smooth baby skin. I can't say enough good things about it.

Although I have the smallest pot, I have used it almost every night on my hands. So far I haven't even made a dent in the product. It lasts a long time.

3. Sparkly Pumpkin: Bubble Bar

In case you can't tell, mine is chopped in half. I believe in getting as much as you can for your money. This bubble bar is soft and sparkly. It will turn your bath water orange and cover every inch of your tub in bubbles.

 

4. Yog Nog: Soap

As you can see this one is still in the wrapping. (Not for long.) This soap is next on the chopping block. Lush does not disappoint with their soaps. Every one smells uniquely different and equally as yummy. Their soaps have a wonderful lather without dissolving quickly. My last soap bar was Honey I Washed the Kids and it lasted for over a month.

5. Honey Trap: Lip Balm

Granted Honey Trap is a little pricy for a lip balm, but when I say it's worth it believe me. I have used this lip balm for just under a month and barely any product is gone. It's very moisturizing and it lasts. You won't feel the need to keep re-applying.

6. Butterball: Bath Bomb

I've been saving this bath bomb for a special occasion. It smells like a vanilla-y heaven and I can't wait to use it on a relaxing Sunday in the future. Word of caution: Bath bombs are not bubble bars. I know that seems pretty self explanatory but just learn from my mistakes. If you want a bath that's bubbly and smells great go ahead and combine them with a bubble bar.

7. Butterbear: Bath Bomb

Unfortunately this little guy came beheaded in the package. He's very similar in smell to the Butterball bath bomb but with a Christmas-y flair. He's reserved for a very special "extra relaxing" day.

8. Jumping Juniper: Shampoo Bar

Can you be physically in love with a shampoo? No? Well I'm pretty close. I started at the end of last year trying to use more organic products on my hair. That's when I decided to try the Shampoo Bars from Lush. Jumping Juniper is a re-purchase. I loved it so much the first time, it's become my go-to shampoo. My last bar lasted over two-months on my medium length hair and the lather is something from fairy tales. Just rub it a few times over your hair and you have more lather than a handful of regular shampoo.

9. The Sunblock: Solid Sunscreen Wash

For my American readers this one is a little unfortunate. This product is only available in the UK. Due to Lush's refusal to test on animals it doesn't meet US standards and is not available in the US.

However, this product is certainly amazing and worth the spontaneous trip to England. This sunblock is a 30 SPF. It is meant to be applied in the shower by wetting your skin and applying a light layer all over the body. I used it by wetting the bar and rubbing over any areas I was afraid of getting sunburned.

If you're asking if it works, the answer is yes. I took it on vacation to Tybee island. I used The Sunblock as my main form of UV protection and supplemented with a higher SPF sunscreen where needed. I am happy to announce I spent the entire trip sunburn free.

10. Snow Fairy: Shower Gel

Snow fairy comes every Christmas to Lush. It's a super sweet smell mixed with loads of sparkle.

The thing I love most about Lush's shower gels is that they are perfect for traveling. A lovely Lush worker I met in London told me that shower gels can be used as body washes as well as shampoos and she was completely right. I keep a couple of these around and whenever I pack for a trip I throw them in my bag along with a conditioner and I'm ready to go. You can see from the picture that Snow Fairy has already been on a few trips with me.
 

11. Hot Toddy: Shower Gel

Another unopened goody that I expect nothing but the best from. This shower gel has a more cinnamon spicy smell that reminds you of the winter months.
 

12. Cozy Christmas: Knot Wrap

I had been trying for a while to snag one of these nifty wraps. Luckily my mother was able to get me a gift set that included one for Christmas. This wrap was made from two recycled plastic bottles and is deceptively soft. You would never have guessed it was made from plastic. I can't wait to use it to wrap up my goodies for trips, or in my hair next Christmas. The possibilities really are endless.

Here is a short video to give you a closer look.

If you aren't completely sick of my raving reviews of Lush products then keep reading, otherwise you can stop here. Now I'm going to tell you about what's to come.

Lush is currently having a BOGO sale on what's left of their Christmas stuff. They often have sales on limited edition holiday items so keep checking their website. Currently I'm waiting for two pots of Celebrate body lotion, one Snow Cake soap, and one Gold Fun Bar. All of those came to a total of $14.90 before shipping. For Lush that's a STEAL. I can't wait to try them out when they come and I promise to update you on whether they were worth the hype or not.

I hope you enjoyed my collection and review. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask or go to a store near you. I promise once you go Lushie you never go back, and if you're in the mood to watch my Fall Lush Haul you can see me obsess over Lush products in moving pictures here.

9 Ways to See Free London

1. Natural History Museum

With free admission and enough interactive, interesting, and awe inspiring exhibits to fill up several days, this is number one on my list.

Exhibits here range from animatronic dinosaurs, hands on training on how to pack for a discovery adventure, and life-size whales hanging from the ceiling.

2. Evensong at Westminster Abbey

Free to see! Just be early enough to get a seat. This is a beautiful service complete with full boy's choir and short service. The programs from the service make perfect souvenirs. 

Check the schedule Here.

3. West End Live

Full-on Broadway experience without the ticket price. This festival spans an entire weekend from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. Every 25 minutes a new act from the famous West End comes on the Trafalgar Square stage to show their stuff. Shows range from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Matilda, Stomp, and much, much more.

At this event there are free bathrooms, many booths to spend time in between sets, and ice cream!

4. Local Festivals

Check out the internet before your trip. Often times there are many local festivals in the area. The Rent Festival was a rare find and a joy to see.

Here is a picture from the London Bus Appreciation Festival we quite literally stumbled upon one day while walking the streets.

5. London Guide App

Free app that will save your life! As long as you are in the London area this app can give you GPS directions without using data or internet. It will also give you step by step underground directions, as well as lists of what attractions are closest to you at any moment.

Rare find, this one.

6. Hyde Park

350 acres of some of the most beautiful grounds in London. Conveniently located just across the street from the Royal Albert Hall. This park holds the Princess Diana Memorial fountain that is perfect for people watching and splashing around on a hot day. The pond in front of Kensington Palace is a quaint romantic spot. Perfect for adults as well as adults with children. There is a wonderful children's park located near the Kensington Palace area.

7. British Museum

Another free must see. Great place to spend a day. There are plenty of shops and eateries near by as well as a nice air conditioned, HUGE museum.

8. St. Pancras Station

One of the oldest and most beautiful stations in London. This place is beautiful and functional as a busy underground station. If you are a Harry Potter fan you will find Platform 9 and three quarters here.

9. Walk the Streets

This is self explanatory. You can't say you've seen real local London until you've taken a day to just explore the streets. You never know what you will find.

DIY Travel Magnets

I did it again....another Pinterest Win and this one is even easier than the last.

If you're like me you have a ton of currency left over from your last trip. If not, maybe you have a really boss coin collection that you've been wanting to show off. Keeping them locked in a box or sitting in a drawer won't do them justice. Here is a VERY easy DIY magnet project I found on Pinterest. It takes less than five minutes and half as many supplies.


If you want to learn how I made these ridiculously easy and very chic magnets...just keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.

What you will need:

• Coins (of your choosing)
• Magnetic buttons - Found in the craft aisle of Walmart or basically any craft store.
• Craft glue *optional*

Step 1:

Find small round magnets that are approximately the size of your coins or smaller. These magnets can have an adhesive back on them already (like the ones below) or you can glue the magnets to the back of your coins. Then choose the coins you would like to turn into magnets.

Step 2:

Attach magnets to one side of the coin in the center. For mine I did one on the back of a coin and one on the front of a coin, as I had two of each.

Step 3:

That's it! Find the perfect place to show off your new awesome magnets!

I hope you found this to be and easy an fun DIY project. If you make some of your own I'd love to see pictures!