5 on Friday - Skincare Edition!

Hello lovelies! I am coming to you later than usual today... I had a class moved to 8:30 this morning and after 2 snow days, I just didn't have a lot of energy to get out the door.

I am linking up with the lovely Natasha and friends for another 5 on Friday. Today I wanted to share some of my skin care favorites, especially now that we are almost to February.

I don't know about you, but I always start to feel drab at this time of year. Not enough sun and fresh air, too much indoor heating, all that winter wind. My skin needs ALL the help it can get!

1. Wash: Cetaphil Facial Cleanser 



After years of trying different face washed, ranging from $10-$40, I have fallen in love with this simple $5 cleanser. Yes, I had acne. Yes, I've had oily/dry/combination skin. Yes, I've have sensitive skim.

This cleanser is perfect for everyone (almost!) and once my skin got adjusted to it, I have been happy with the way my skin feels.

2. Exfoliate: Kate Somerville and St. Ives Apricot for sensitive skin

 

Both of these are awesome, but the prices are a bit different. In the winter, I am more likely to invest in the Kate Somerville one. In the summer I usually use the St. Ives one, which is a little harsher.

3. Treat: Philosophy's On a Clear Day Retinol clarifying lotion 


I use this 2-4 times a week before bed, under my moisturizer. This does a lot to even my skin tone and unclog pores. I really like the way this works on my sensitive skin.

Tip: This is only $7.99 at T.J.Maxx - deal!!!



4. Moisturizer: Lush Imperialist 


This stuff smells amazing and works like a charm. It is a little pricey ($25 I think!), but totally worth it.

Do you have a cheaper one? I'd love to hear about it.


5. Nourish:
Water, sleep, exercise, fresh air, and fruits and veggies are a must. We can't look lovely if we put yuck in us :)

Have a good weekend!

Hannah  

8 things to do on a Snow Day (Not including watching T.V. or reading a book)

The snow days continue. Day 2.5

Atlanta is still a hot mess.

I am not perfecting my snow day activities and thought I would pass along some ideas. Whether you have a real snow day or simply don't go places when it is cold (ahem.... AR), here you go!

1. Learn to Cook  

Try some new recipes or perfect some old ones! If you run out of room in your tummy, start stocking your freezer. 

Thus far, I've made cookies, greek yogurt macaroni & cheese, mashed cauliflower, veggie omelets, stir-fry veggies with sesame oil, sage-apple turkey meatloaf, and a million cups of hot chocolate. 

Today's projects include making bread dough to freeze and chicken enchiladas. 

2. Find all your tax information

This may take your whole day. I discovered I have every pay stub I have received since 2010. Lucky me. When I first started dating AR, I asked if he would do my taxes (he is a CPA). He said  no and suggested Turbo Tax. 

3. Workout

My gym was closed and walking outside wasn't happening, much less running (though I did try). Enter Pinterest workouts!

Check out Pinterest and you-tube for some awesome workouts. I did a mat pilates workout and some yoga yesterday and am sore this morning. 

4. Find ways to reuse things

In a state of desperation, I reused a COFFEE FILTER. I ran out and really needed coffee, so I washed one out in the sink and put it back in the coffee pot. I know, it is sad. I then walked a half mile to by more coffee & filters in the afternoon. 

You may find something new to reuse! Slash some weekly spending! 

5. Clean out your closet

Now is the time to try everything one and see how you really feel about it. 

Once you pick out the things you don't need, go load them in your car to take to the donation center ASAP. If you leave them in your home, you may change your mind (or is that just me?). 

Click here to find a Goodwill Donation Center near you!

My dream closet
Source

6. Clean your home

When is the last time you dusted those base boards and door frames? I am doing Apartment Therapy's January Cure and loved the time to catch up. I've mopped floors, vacuumed under beds, cleaned out cabinets. Mother Nature knew my apartment needed this snow day. 

7. Find everything within a mile of your home and walk there 

I've fully surveyed the area via Google Maps to discover where I would walk. Once I walked to Starbucks, I discovered it was closed. SO SAD Starbucks. Luckily, I now know every coffee shop in the area :)

8. Go sledding

I did this on a hill. With my car in park. And the emergency break on. 

I recommend you do it with a sled at a park.
No sleds? plastic trays and metal baking sheets work! College students, I recommend the cafeteria trays :)

What are you doing to stay busy?

Stay safe!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

{Healthy} Baked Potato Soup + Weekend

I was going to do a weekend recap, but my weekend was non-existent. I really just studied. For example, I woke up and studied for a few hours before brunch, then studied until 8pm last night. This is my life.

The only thing keeping me together right now is the fact that I have Friends with Benefits on t.v. right now, and I like that movie (I have horrible tastes, I know).

 

Rather than tell you about my great study sessions, I wanted to share a recipe that is PERFECT for this cold weather. If you are like most of the United States, you are experiencing some serious cold weather, and soup is the perfect meal to end your day with!

 

 

 

This baked potato soup is lightened up from the recipes my mom and grandmother use. It would also be awesome topped with turkey bacon or green onions (AR eats his that way). I like thinks simple!

 

 

Baked Potato Soup

Served 4-5

 

Ingredients

3 large potatoes

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 T olive oil

1/3 c. flour

3 cups milk (2% or skim cow milk, or unsweetened/unflavored almond milk works well)

1 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 c. reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Optional: crumbled bacon, sliced green onions.

 

Directions

Cook potatoes: either bake at 400* for 1 hour or cook in microwave for 10-12 minutes. Let potatoes cool, then peal and mash slightly.

Heat olive oil and add onions. Cook until onions are soft and slightly brown, then add the flour. This will get lumpy, but don't worry! Slowly mix in the milk until blended. If you have lumps, do not worry. Mix with whisk and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.

Add the potatoes, broth, and salt and pepper. Cook until heated through and frothy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and blend slightly with an immersion blender. (No immersion blender? Add part of the soup to the blender and puree).

Mix in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Serve with remaining cheese and other toppings.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Hannah

It's a struggle.

I am a little exhausted.

 

I barely recovered from last semester and I am already bogged down in a million other things: readings, class prep, job applications, and networking events. To top it off, I am sick as a dog and hosting a major even tonight with over 300 in attendance.

 

 

 

Last night, as I was showing AR a photo, I saw this quote of my camera and it was such an excellent reminder.

 

Most of us are at a rough place in life... we are still putting in the work that one needs to invest at the start of life. Our apartments aren't perfect, are paychecks aren't big enough, and we are still planning for the next thing.

 

But its okay. The work is worth it. AR and I are going to laugh about these nights later and remember how close we grew.

 

Whatever your rough patch is, I wish you the best. We are going to get through it.

 

Hannah

{Recap} Weekend, Meals, & Fitness

This weekend was so fun-filled, and it is continuing tomorrow (Yay for a holiday). I wanted to share a quick weekend recap, and let you in on some of my meal and fitness plans for the week. 

The weekend started on Friday was a dinner out at Antico Pizza. If you are in Atlanta, you know this place has amazing pizza. In fact, everyone knows it, which means the lines are long. AR and I met up with my friend Andrea and her husband for some yummy dinner. We spend half of the meal standing, and the other half sitting when we finally got a table. Luckily, the pizza makes up for the crowded feeling. After dinner, we walked next door for some gelato and chatted for another hour. I just love them :)

Scrappy & I are not impressed with the cold.

AR and I had planned to try a new running group on Saturday morning, but it didn't happen. It was just SO cold, so we decided to treadmill it. My poor Louisiana man cannot take anything below 30*. We had fun making a big breakfast with whole wheat biscuits (I use this recipe and replace half the flour with wh, and sub greek yogurt for the buttermilik), turkey bacon, and scrambled eggs. Yum - I just love breakfast. 

I spent the afternoon hitting up local businesses with my friend Luci for out upcoming silent auction. After 6 hours of walking in the cold, I was so worn out and ready to call it a day. So far, we have about $6000 in donated items, which is amazing!

We got ready and had dinner with our men at Bistro Nikos in Buckhead. Have you been there? The food was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed bites of a Gruyere and mushroom tart, chicken piallard (thin pounded chicken with asparagus, arugula, and tomatoes), and a bite of caramelized banana. The restaurant was a bit pricey, so we will probably save it for special occasions in the future. Certainly a wonderful meal though!

This top? $7 at Target. Yes, I love Target.

Sunday morning was gym time, followed by lunch at the Whole Foods salad bar and some grocery shopping. I feel like it is always so crowded there on the weekends. We barely made it out alive. I put dinner in the crock pot (shredded buffalo chicken, served on wheat buns with roasted brussel sprouts) and spent the afternoon working on internship applications and studying. Oh, and blogging :)

Do you have a weather cutoff for outdoor workouts? At what point do you go inside? 

x0x0, 

Hannah

Meals for the week

(Going simple because AR won't be here)

M - Black bean tacos and salad

T - Stuffed baked potato with broccoli

W - Quiche with lots of veggies and feta

Th - Roasted turkey breast with rice and green beans

F - ??

Workouts for the week

M -strength and 20 min cardio

T - 3 mile run + abs

W - 5 mile run

Th - 3 mile run + legs

F - rest

S - Long run

5 of Friday

Friday. You finally came! This week was more than I could handle and I am so happy to be ending it. It wasn't the crazy amount of reading or assignments. It just felt... yuck.

Which is why I am so happy to be linking up with Natasha and the ladies for a 5 on Friday :)

one. It is my

100th

post

I started this blog as a way to journal life's changes, to record my recipes, and to connect with others. Thank for reading, whether it is your first time, or a regular visit for you!

two. Target

I had a target moment this week (read: every week, and sometimes twice). I went in for razors and came out with 15 things. I know I am not alone in this.

But I got these adorable polka dot leggings for $5 and they are my new favorite pjs. Thank you Target. 

three. I live in a generous community

I am planning an event for school and asking local businesses to donate gift cards. The event includes a silent auction, where the gift cards will be sold to raise money. All of the money from the event goes to provide grants for students interested in doing women's public interest.

I started asking for donations two days ago and have been blown away by the support in the community. I have had so many restaurants, stores, and salons provide gift cards for the auction - some are over $100.

I am so thankful to live in such a supportive community.

four. New shoes

On one of those donation visits, I picked up these cute flats for $10. And I might be going back tomorrow for a coat. Aren't then adorable? I am hoping AR doesn't notice I bought new shoes. He always gets sad when I tell him home much I spent. Women's shows can be purchased so much cheaper than men's!

five. New Ab Workout

I found this on pinterest and find it SO helpful. I hope you do too! 

I have become much more committed to my strength training since my last marathon, but ab workouts are hard. This was a good visual to help me figure out what I need to focus on. 

Hope you have an awesome week!

Hannah 

Weekend Review and food + fitness for the week!

Oooh, do I love Sunday. I always feel productive and optimistic on Sunday, like I still have an opportunity to accomplish my weekend goals. As I type this, I still have a long list of things to work on (laundry, reading, grocery store, etc.), but oh well. AR is in the kitchen making chicken and dumplings for dinner, which sound amazing. There is something about a man cooking dinner that makes it so much better... ;) 

On Friday night, AR and I went to dinner at an asian place, but it wasn't really my favorite. We had a stressful moment on the way to dinner, and I think we were both kind of in a weird mood by the time we got our food. We had planned on going to dinner after work, but didn't make reservations anywhere. We picked a neighborhood and figured we would just walk about until something caught our eye. Unfortunately, AR got off work late, it was kind of chilly out, and there was no parking to be found. To make matters worse, neither one of us was feeling decisive. By 9pm, we were still walking around and getting more irritated with each other by the minute. Lesson learned: if it is going to be a late night, plan ahead to avoid stress!

We salvaged the evening by going to Caribou Coffee for spicy hot chocolates (my FAV). AR gets his with milk chocolate and I get dark chocolate. The evening ended on a sweet note. 

Saturday was a trip to the mall for new shoes (hello Ralph Lauren heels at 75% off!), and a workout. We had frozen yogurt for a snack and went to see the Wolf of Wall Street. Have you seen it? I liked it, but parts were hard to watch. 

Sunday... well, so far it has included an 8 mile run and a walk to Starbucks. I tried the new caramel flan latte for the first time. It is so yummy, but way too sweet for me to get regularly. A nice treat though. Funny note, on my walk, I heard someone yell and start crying "my baby, my baby!". I started freaking out, but it turned out it to be an actor. Apparently they are filming a t.v. show. My neighborhood is a little crazy. 

Workout plans for the week

M - rest

T - 3 miles + abs

W- 5 miles

T - 3 miles + arms

F - rest

S - strength work

S - 10 miles

Meals

M - buffalo chicken lettuce wraps

Recipe and photo from Skinny Taste

 T - leftover chicken & dumplings with a salad

W - Spaghetti with ground turkey with steamed broccoli

Th - spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts with Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes

Recipe and photo from Skinny Taste

F - Out. With reservations ;)

Have a good week! I'd love to hear what you are cooking, so let me know!

x0x0,

Hannah 

Five on Friday

 

one. This woman makes me want to cry. And workout.

Have you seen this video floating around social media? This woman changed her outlook on life by going to the gym for 100 days. Her positive attitude is so inspiring. I've watched it on repeat about 97 times in the last day.

 

two. Morning Workouts

Speaking of working out... morning workouts. I shared last week that I am trying to work out in the morning this semester because of my schedule. Last semester, and while teaching, I became a happy evening runner. I came to love my slow mornings and I like ending the day with a sweat session. Switching back has been hard! I only missed one day this week, and on that day I made it up with a gym session in the afternoon. Not my best, but I am working on it.

three. Reading

I want to rant about law school for 2 seconds. I got assigned over 145 pages of really complex reading to read and brief on Wednesday night for Thursday classes. Talk about ridiculous. I was so tired and brain-dead by the end of it :(

 

four. Apartment Updates

Last weekend, AR and I did some major apartment work. I got all new bedding at West Elm (they are having a huge bedding sale) and I am in love with it. It wasn't a color I had even thought about, but it is so perfect in the space and really warms the room up. I love have new sheets, throws, and duvet cover! We also got a cute shelf for the office, complete with baskets to aid storage. No more books in boxes now! I feel like things are finally coming together (5 months after move in... opps!).

 

I'm still shopping for throw pillows, but this is it! I'll post pictures of the finish product with all the throws and pillows :) 

 

five. January Cure

I signed up for apartment therapy's January Cure. Have you heard of that? I have to admit, I am not following it completely, but so far I am excited about it! Each week day they send something to do for your apartment/home to make it a space you love. The ideas are really helpful in making me focus my desires/concerns rather than say "I want to fix my ____ space".

My next project is the entry way... I want a little table/check in station!

 

 

Do you have any winter/spring goals for your home?

Morning or Evening workout?

 

Have a good weekend!

Hannah

WIAW # 18

Happy Hump Day! It is my first week back at class, so it really feels like a Wednesday to me. To top it off, its freezing cold outside and I've already read over 300 pages. Can we say sad week?? But I am excited to share some of my yummy eats with you. Rather than showing just one day, I have a snapshots of yesterday's meals, and then some extras.

 

As usual, thanks for hosting, Jenn! If you participated in What I Ate Wednesday, please comment below so I can read yours! I love getting new ideas for what to eat and serve :)
 

 

 

1. Tuesday Night's dinner: Quesadilla filled with cheese, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Served with kale chips! (Worried about kale chips? don't be! 400* over, mixed with olive oil and salt, baked for about 8 minutes. If you don't like it, put the rest in smoothies or soups).

 

2. Whole wheat drop biscuits with mozzarella, served with lentil soup (see below). I posted the recipe, so be sure to check it out. These are a favorite because they are quick, easy, and only make a couple. Sometimes I leave out the cheese and serve these for breakfast on a weekend.

 

3. My grocery cart at Whole Foods. It was SO crazy on Sunday night! I think people were afraid of the cold weather and buying everything in sight. I've never seen anything like it. I waited in line for ages and they were outs of everything at the coffee bar. Including espresso.

 

4. Tuesday's Breakfast: Still my favorite meal right now. Bob's Red Mill 10 grain cereal, cooked with pumpkin puree and cinnamon, topped with a banana and almond milk. So yummy and it gives a fruit and veggie serving at breakfast. Can't beat that :)

1. Stuffed bell pepper, made with turkey and served with spicy cornbread and kale salad. I'm playing with this recipe and will post soon! We had this once last week and once over the weekend. Clearly, we like it. Also, kale has been on sale a lot lately, hence my kale-filled meals. Yay?

 

2. Tuesday's snacks: raw walnuts, enjoyed with tea while studying. (not pictures) a Cliff Z-bar in the morning. With this cold weather, I'm having like 10 cups of tea a day. I'm drinking tea as I write this, actually.

 

3. Cornbread with jalapenos and cheddar. SO GOOD and perfect with soups or stews. Or stuffed bell peppers. I enjoyed this with some black eyed peas and greens over the weekend too.

 

4. Tuesday's lunch (and Monday's dinner): Crock pot lentil soup! This recipe is SO great and I know I will make is again soon. My friend Caroline sent it to me and I made it right away.

 

On a side note, I got 3 cookbooks for Christmas and am having so much fun flagging the pages for new recipes. One of them was Pippa Middleton's book, Celebrate. Have you seen it? It makes me want to host lots of parties and the pictures are gorgeous!

 

Have a happy hump day!

Hannah

Drop Biscuits and Lentil Soup (I'm cold!)

I am so cold. Today was the first day of class for the semester and I thought class should be cancelled. Unfortunately, no one else did. Maybe tomorrow.

At least  I put dinner in the crockpot this morning before I left. I used this recipe for lentil and sweet potato soup and it was so yummy! A friend from school recommended it and I am so glad she did. I love coming home and knowing dinner is already cooking.

I served the soup with my favorite drop biscuits. I made them before and had some requests for the recipe, so here it is! In that post, I made them with white flour and parmesan cheese. Tonight, I made them with half whole wheat flour and mozzarella cheese. I asked AR which type was better, and he said he liked both, while buttering his third one ;)

Cheesy Drop Biscuits
Makes 6 medium sized biscuits

Ingredients
1 c. flour (white or half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 c. buttermilk OR yogurt thinned out with milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1/3 c. shredded cheese.

Preheat oven to 450*. Mix dry ingredients and cheese together until combined. Mix oil and buttermilk together. Gently mix together the liquids and dry ingredients until just moist.
Drop into 6 rounds on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until light brown. Serve immediately!

Stay warm, friends!

Hannah

Cornbread with Cheddar & Jalapeños

I love to bake something fresh to enjoy with dinner. Especially when I am serving leftovers. Chili, soups, and stews taste to much fresher the next time when served with fresh biscuits, muffins, or cornbread.

This cornbread recipe is one I played with one night when I wanted something to go with dinner. It cooks pretty quickly and would cook even faster if you made it in muffin tins rather than a large pan. Then again, I am partial to the taste and crunch of cast iron* and cornbread :)

If your family likes things less spicy, reduce the jalapeños or leave them out completely! This bread is awesome by itself, no butter needed. Enjoy!

Cornbread with Cheddar and Jalapeños
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk OR plain yogurt thinned out with milk

 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 1/4-1/3 cup canned jalapeños, diced (to your taste!)

 

Directions

Heat over to 400*. Pour enough oil into a medium cast iron skillet to coat the bottom. Rotate slightly to coat the edges with oil also.

 

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. In a small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Gently combine the liquids with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix - the batter will be lumpy. Fold in the cheese and jalapenos.

 

Heat the skillet over medium heat - you want the cornbread to sizzle when you drop it in (this creates a nice crust). Once hot, pour the batter into the skillet and heat over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from stovetop and place in the over for 30 minutes, watching carefully for browning.

 

Let the cornbread cool for 8 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

* If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use a small baking dish. Just heat the oil in the bottom of the pan in the oven. Once hot, pour the batter in and return the dish to the oven.

Beauty Finds for the New Year

January is about the time I start to feel blah. Winter wonder has warn off. My summer glow has faded. I start to look (and feel) a little tired. This winter, I am happy to say I've found some beauty items that seem to be perking up my look and mood!

 1. Olay BB Cream ($12): I am not a foundation girl, in general. I use is for special occasions, but not every day. Most days, I use concealer and a light powder to even out my skin, but right now I am a little too pale for that. This BB cream is awesome! I tried the Smashbox one, but the consistency was too thick/heavy for me. This Olay BB Cream rubs in nicely and gives me a gentle glow. I'm still putting a moisturizer underneath it, but that is because I have very dry skin.

2. Revlon Blush in Berry Rich ($7): I am about to say I LOVE a blush that isn't NARS. This is new for me. I grabbed this for $4 on sale at Ulta a month ago and I love it. It stays put and gives a pop of color to my face. And for 4 dollars, I can experiment with other colors :)

3. CoverGirl Liquid Eyeliner ($7): Doesn't smudge and the applicator is really easy. Sometimes this stuff can be so messy, am I right? I like this CoverGirl one a lot.

4. Aveda Phomollient ($12): My hair also looks a little sad right now. I've tried a million volumizers, but they leave my hair yucky the next day. With this weather, I am not washing every day and this product has held up even on the second day. I bought the travel size about 4 months ago and haven't run out yet.

5. Benefit Erase Paste in Medium ($26): Best under-eye concealer ever. Its creamy and brightening and a little peachy. It wakes up my eye area on cold mornings and I love that!

Have you found any new products for this winter?

x0x0,
Hannah

5 on Friday - Happy New Year!

Hey friends! Its a new year and I head back to school on Monday. Can you believe it? That break went by so fast. I'm enjoying my last truly relaxed day today... I will be buried until the end of April. But, on with 5 on Friday! Thanks for hosting, Natasha :)

one. New Years Eve...

was a fun party at a friends house. The food was fun, the drinks were good, and the company was great. My dear friend hosted us in her beautiful home and we had a fun evening. I've done all sorts of things on NYE, and I enjoyed our relaxing night.

two. New Calendar

Picking out a new calendar is one of my favorite parts to any new year. I headed to Paper Source yesterday and got lost in their papers, cards, and gifts. Do you like the one I picked? It is simpler than the ones I normally pick, but I like that. If  you haven't been to the Paper Source, go! Its beautiful. AR gets my gifts wrapped there and they always do a lovely job.
2013 was amazing, can't wait to see what 2014 holds. Click here is see my year in pictures :)

three. Morning Workouts

I'm trying to transition back into morning workouts... I use to be a faithful 5am workout girl all through college. When I started teaching, I switched to afternoons because I got to work so early, but got off at 4. With my schedule this semester of law school, I am trying to get back to mornings.  Ugh. I'm missing my slow, drink-coffee-and-read wake-ups all ready.

four. Pins I'm Loving

I need to work on this in my bedroom. Love a cheat sheet.

This quote is perfect.

This outfit is so lovely. Maybe wearing this
for the first day of the semester :)

five.  New Years Resolution Update

I made my goals for 2014 and got started right away. I called two old friends to catch up, so I may need to up my goal and make it a little for challenging. I tried a new recipe last night for turkey stuffed bell peppers. And, I am thinking about a trip to Stone Mountain as my Atlanta-thing!

How are you doing on your new years resolutions?

Are you a morning workout person?

x0x0,

Hannah

Goals for 2014

I love a challenge and I look at a new year as one! Each year, I like to reflect on the last year, and pick a few new things to work on. You can read my tips for setting successful goals and resolutions here. This year, I have 2 new goals, and one to continue from 2013.

1. Call a friend: I've moved a lot, so I have many long-distance friends. I am going to be better about keeping in touch this year.
2. Explore my city: I've already made a list of things to do and I plan to work through it, month by month.
3. Continue my recipe challenge. This was so fun last year! I plan to keep it up in 2014 to expand my skills and menus.

What is your 2014 goal?

 

Hannah