If turning protein pancake mix into chocolate cake is wrong, I don’t want to be right! Kodiak Cake mix is my secret weapon (well, not so secret anymore) shortcut to taking care of overripe bananas and breakfast for the week, all in one go. Just like you can make cookies or brownies out of cake…
My friends are all probably sick of hearing me talk about Austin by now. As I alluded to in my last Odds & Ends post, the Texas state capitol never used to be on my radar as a city I wanted to visit, much less live in. I never had family or friends in Texas…
Father’s Day is tough for me. I usually just avoid social media, because it’s human nature to hurt when you see that others have something you don’t. It’s why people get so worked up about celebrating certain holidays that don’t fit into everyone’s lives. Don’t say “Merry Christmas”, because some people don’t believe in Christ….
After my travels these past few months, I was looking forward to catching up on reading, blogging, and getting back on track with my workout routine. In reality, I’ve been viewing apartments and condos, taking care of random errands like getting my car inspected, and now I’ve come down with the plague. On the bright…
In the spirit of life being about *balance* (pun intended), I try to go to workout classes with my friends in place of happy hour or brunch every now and then. Finding free stuff is one of my *strengths *(sorry, couldn’t help it), fitness classes included – but this summer, the city is just making it…
“Summer” as a young professional is strange. The weather doesn’t quite match, everyone takes their vacations at different times, and there’s this odd feeling of anticipation for some unidentified event that never arrives. For better or for worse, I’ve fallen into a “weekend warrior” pattern. The short trips allow me to travel more and see…
This recipe for no-fail, low-maintenance, bakery-style chocolate chip cookies has literally been on my “to-blog” list for years. I used to whip them up for last minute occasions and just never got around to photographing them. Did you catch a glimpse of that beautiful Ice Blue Kitchenaid mixer in the background though? Yes, I finally did…
Mother’s Day sometimes falls on my birthday, and my mom loves to give me a hard time about how I should get her presents on my birthday, instead of the other way around. I like to say that she already got the best Mother’s Day gift ever, 23 years ago today 🙂 Joking aside, one…
It’s hard to believe a year has passed since I wrapped up the golden years in Chapel Hill! Seeing this year’s senior pictures and graduation festivities pop up fills me with so much pride for what my newly graduating friends have accomplished, as well as excitement for all the different adventures they have to come….
If I had a dollar for every time I mentioned having family in Taiwan and someone said, “Oh, I love Thai food!” …I would have a lot of dollars. My travels haven’t taken me to Thailand yet, but from what I gather, the two countries have very little in common. They are, however, both warmer…
Anyone have any theories on why February always feels like the longest month of the year even though it’s the shortest? Mine is that February and March are the first full months of work or school after the holidays, with nothing to look forward to until Memorial Day. This year in particular has felt like the…
I will start off by admitting that I made zero New Years’ Resolutions, especially not ones related to the blog. I did, however, take on “Drynuary” (dry January) – no alcohol for a month. I’ve never been a heavy drinker, but all those corporate happy hours add up! Feeling self-conscious about not having a drink…
