Pumpkin Pie- Revamped

You can't have a Thanksgiving feast without pumpkin pie. Or you could, but only if you replace the pie with cookies. I know you're thinking those two aren't exactly interchangeable. Except they are when you're talking about pumpkin pie cookies! 

Aren't these the cutest things ever?! I think I say that about all cookies, but seriously. 

I used my usual sugar cookie recipe for these and added some pumpkin pie spice! It gave the perfect hint of pumpkin without overwhelming the cookies.

I found this idea from The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle. If you're a cookie person, you have to check her out! She is totally my cookie blog crush. She's is super talented and creative! Can I be her when I grow up??

I just had to throw in a few turkeys to go with the pumpkin pies.

Don't worry, we'll be eating more than cookies for our Thanksgiving feast! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo,

April

Take a Step Outside

No one really likes stepping out of their comfort zone. Sure, some people are adventurous or thrill-seekers, but new things always bring those feelings of anxiety or fear of the unknown. I can't speak for others (although I'm sure most would agree with me), but I don't exactly enjoy being anxious or fearful. What comes after those are feelings are so worth it all. I'm here to tell you that sometimes stepping outside our comfort zone is exactly what needs to be done!

We've all been there before. You know the "there" I'm talking about- not wanting to leave that comfort zone. Maybe it's a relationship that's not great anymore, but it's comfortable. Maybe it's a job you don't enjoy, but it's familiar. Or maybe it's a lifestyle change, but the unknown is scary. We often don't make the changes we could should because we're afraid. What if we fail? What if we have regret? Or what if it's the best thing we've ever done? Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith, and trust that it will all be okay.

I'm learning more and more what's outside my comfort zone. At first it was moving out of Texas, but I still had a safety net here in New York. Now this chapter will soon be ending, and I will be starting over somewhere else. All these changes are definitely scary, but exciting all at the same time! Change teaches us about ourselves and grows us in ways that could never happen otherwise. It really is an incredible thing!

I love this quote! Do one thing every day that scares you- just one! I'm not (Eleanor isn't?) saying go swim with sharks or anything (unless that's your thing, then you go for it!). But I am saying to try something new... start up a conversation with a stranger, go to that new class at the gym you've been wanting to try, or open your Etsy shop- we all know you want to! The point is, stepping outside your comfort zone is a must. It can be something big or small, but either way it's going to be exhilarating! 

xoxo,

April

Five to One

 Five things I did this weekend:

One// I started teaching myself to crochet. It's quite difficult! Or it was to me at least. I got the very basic step down, but when it came to making a second row, I always managed to make a huge knot. I'll keep working on it though.

Two// On Friday I interviewed for my next travel assignment! It's very bittersweet that my current assignment is almost over! But nothing is final yet so I won't go into it. Once I know for sure I'll update you on all the details!

Three// Casey and I went shopping shopping at the outlets near Albany. We hit the jackpot at Loft! Warm sweaters and cozy scarfs all day, every day!

Four//  Wine night at our favorite little wine bar called the Confectionary. I love getting to spend time with old friends and making new friends. Not to mention the wine and desserts here are just lovely!

Five// Church, then a very welcomed lazy day curled up on the couch watching movies and eating popcorn with the roommates. It's was so cold that we didn't care to venture out more than necessary!

Four favorite pins:

one | two | three | four

Three things I really want:

One// Tan booties. I've been looking all over the place, but I just haven't found any I have fallen in love with. I know they're out there!

Two// A warm coat. Actually this is something I really need. I can't live in the cold and only own a faux-peacoat or semi-warm Northface. It's just not realistic.

Three// A brownie. Or five. For some reason I've just been craving brownies lately! Have you ever tried a singe serve brownie in a mug? I'm tempted to test that out, so I don't eat a whole pan of brownies later on!

Two current obsessions:

One// T-Swift, 1989. I think I've listened to every song a million times.. daily. My favorite song (other than Shake It Off) -->  Blank Space!

Two// Hand lettering. I want to write everything in fancy letters. And I have been. Sending out some snail mail to some of my favorites soon!

One of my favorite quotes:

I'm loving this quote, and find it particularly fitting lately.

I saw this countdown of sorts a while back over at Girl Brooks and loved it!

That Time I Was A Masshole

Driving in Boston sucks. Simple as that. I won't blame it on the drivers (although they aren't completely off the hook). It's the dang Boston roads! Lanes randomly end or merge without warning or split off in ten directions and GPS can't keep up with it. Because of these things, Boston drivers are called Massholes. And last weekend, I became a Masshole. My other options were get ran over or break down crying because of the chaos, both of which almost happened.

Anyway, all of that just to say- I went to Boston last weekend! My friends from Texas, Liz and Danielle, met me for some adventures and touring a new city together. It was amazing getting to catch up and spend quality time with two of my best friends! I can't wait to see them again back in Texas.

The first day in Boston it rained... and rained. And it was so cold! (Now when I say it was so cold, remember that I am from Texas. But the temperature was in the 40's, so I'm not completely crazy right?) The rain and cold didn't stop us from being uber touristy. We enjoyed the best pizza ever at Regina Pizzeria and cannolis from Mike's Pastry. SO GOOD! Then we hit a few key spots on the Freedom Trail and went to the Boston Tea Party Museum before calling it a day. I would recommend all of these stops to anyone visiting Boston!

Sunday brought us more rain... and SNOW! Okay, the New Yorker friend who met us there laughed when we said it was snowing. Silly southerners. But then even she admitted it was legit snow, which we then referred to it as a "Texas Blizzard." None of the snow stuck but it sure made being Boston tourists a little more difficult. Even still we managed to see and do just what we wanted, like touring Fenway Park. Any baseball fans out there? This is a must, no matter what team you like (you too Yankees fans). There is so much baseball history in this one stadium! To wait out the rest of the blizzard we stopped for drinks where everybody knows your name... more commonly known as Cheers! Although the bar wasn't originally called Cheers, it was the inspiration for the show and has many characteristics of that bar now.

We couldn't pass up a chance to go to explore Salem while in the area. I must say, it was kind of a let down. I think I had too high of expectations for the museums and attractions. We went to the Salem Witch Museum, Witch Dungeon Museum, The Burying Point, and the Witch Trial Memorial. It was still worth it, but I probably wouldn't revisit. Highlight of Salem- Danielle and I did psychic readings!  Neither of us had ever done one before so why not while in Salem? Our readings were both a little vague and could probably be applied to anyone's life.  But apparently I'll meet my future husband next October... sure, lady.  We'll see about that.

We used the last day in Boston to explore areas we hadn't seen, or briefly saw through the rain and snow. We had breakfast at the cutest little cafe called Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street. It was actually a bookstore & library, with a cafe in it. It had amazing lattes and even better apple brie omelets! That is a heavenly combination!

Boston is a gorgeous city, which is only magnified in the fall! Only a city like this can have a library that is as amazing as the Boston Public Library (that I love even more because I think the main hall looks like something out of Hogwarts!). I would love to live in one of the cute little brownstones in the Back Bay. And sip my coffee and stroll around Boston Common. I kind of love Boston if you can't tell! Maybe one day I'll take my travel nursing to the Bean Town... and I'll only use the T to avoid being a true Masshole!

Xoxo,
April

November Goals

Happy Friday friends! And Happy November! I know I'm almost a week late for the start of November, but I just have not had the time to sit down and write this! I love the idea of monthly goals. I feel like you should always have goals- short term & long term- and to me monthly is a good time frame for them. So I've got some goal setting to talk about today.

First, let's recap October's goals.

//Stick to a routine for devotionals: I can't officially mark this one off yet. I did better on staying more up to date on devotionals but there is always room for improvement. 

//Write more blog posts: I may not have posted a ton more, but I do have five posts ready to go and a few others under works!

//Continue the healthy lifestyle: October was a success for this area, but it was only a start! I  feel much healthier and even managed to lose some weight and inches. You can check out my 21 day fix recap here.

//Read two books: Even better, I read three books! I'm a sucker for romantic books and won't be recapping them for you here! Next time I should read something a little more educational or something.

//Bake fall themed sugar cookies: When I said this I had decorated sugar cookies in mind, but I did make some delicious fall appledoodle cookies!

//Save more money: ehhh... where did the month go? 

via

Now for some November goals.
//Stick to a routine for devotionals: Like I said, this can still be improved.

//Do yoga/barre two times a week: I always love yoga when I go. I'm not going to get any better if I don't make it a habit, so here it goes. 

//Try three new recipes: Three doesn't sound like much for a month but Casey/Joe/I take turns cooking so I'll start on the low end this month. 

//Start learning to crochet: I've been wanting to learn, so this is the month I will. Maybe I can manage to make a scarf or something by the end of the month? 

//Start Christmas shopping: I'm notorious for last minute  shopping. This year that is going to change! I've already gotten one thing, so that's a start!

What are your goals for the month?

Xoxo,
April

Healthy is a Choice

It's been a little over a month since Casey and I started the 21 day fix. I said I was going to give updates, but I didn't feel like there was anything to update on during the three weeks. I felt better, but people like to see results, in pictures or numbers, not just listen to me ramble on about how I feel. It wasn't until we took our after pictures & measurements that I saw the changes! So now here I am with results. At first I was embarrassed to share these numbers with you, but I'm proud of the results and the lifestyle change this challenge instilled in me.

Before//After

Weight:

161.6 lbs//155.8 lbs

Arms:

13 in//11.5 in

Chest:

34.5 in//33.5 in

Waist:

29 in//28 in

Hips:

36.5 in//35 in

Thighs:

26 in//23 in

Total lost:

5.8 lbs

12.5 in

The numbers and pictures are great, but ultimately this is about how I feel. I'm not trying to be stick thin or look like the false images our society wants us to look like. I'm not even trying to be my high school or college weight. A friend once told me that this is my adult body now, and I can't look like I did back then, and I'm okay with that. Now I am just trying to be healthy and comfortable in my own body. 

Those three weeks were a great start to that goal. I have more energy now. I want to workout on a daily basis. I want to eat healthy. Sure I still have cravings for something sweet or fried, but it's less frequent, and I don't give into these cravings as often as I normally would. I'm still finding the balance of eating healthy foods but not depriving myself of occasional treats. A healthy lifestyle is always a work in progress.

[via]

It's been two weeks since the 21 day fix ended. This has been the true test of a lifestyle change now that my meals aren't planned out every day and measured by those colorful containers. But I have lost another 3 lbs since then! I would call that a success in my book! I still have progress to make, but I am pleased with how far I've come!

Xoxo,

April