Southern Blondie

How to Use ChatGPT for Your Color, Skin, Makeup and Hair Analysis with Exact Prompts to Try

2026-05-14T12:00:02.670-05:00

If you've ever spent $200 on a professional color analysis appointment — or put it off because you haven't gotten around to booking one — I have news for you. ChatGPT can now help you figure out your seasonal color palette, your most flattering hairstyles, and even your ideal makeup look. All you need is a good photo and the right prompts.

I'm a working mom with a full-time career and approximately zero spare hours in my week. So when I discovered I could get a genuinely useful personal color analysis without leaving my house, I was hooked. Here's exactly what I tried, what worked, and the prompts you can steal and use yourself

What Is AI Color Analysis — and Can ChatGPT Actually Do It?

Color analysis (also called seasonal color analysis) is the process of determining which colors best complement your natural complexion, hair, and eye color. Traditionally, this is done by a trained image consultant using fabric swatches. Now, AI image tools like ChatGPT (using the GPT-4o model with image upload capabilities) can analyze a photo of your face and generate surprisingly detailed, visual results.

The key is knowing how to prompt it. A vague request gets a vague answer. A specific, well-structured prompt gets a gorgeous infographic with color swatches, comparisons, and styling tips.

Let's get into it.

Before You Start: Tips for the Best Results

For any of these prompts to work well, you'll need a great photo. Here's what to look for:

Natural lighting — avoid harsh flash or heavily filtered photos
No heavy makeup (for color analysis especially) so your natural undertone reads clearly
Face forward, neutral background works best
High resolution — the clearer the photo, the more detailed the output

ChatGPT Color Analysis Prompt to Try

This prompt is designed to generate a detailed, beautiful personal color analysis graphic. It's my favorite for getting a visual result you can actually save and reference.

Here's the prompt:

"Create a personal color analysis infographic for the uploaded portrait. Use a beauty aesthetic with a warm background. On the left, include a high-res portrait. On the right, use a serif and script header with 'Personal Color Analysis' as the theme title. Include spaced subtitle descriptors. Sections should include: Best Colors with swatches and labels, Your Undertone with icons and a caption, Clothing Comparison showing the same model in different colors, and Best Neutrals with swatches. Include a seasonal palette grid. Finish with a Quick Guide that includes best traits, what the palette enhances, what to avoid, and a Style Tip. Maintain a minimalist grid, whitespace, rounded corners, subtle shadows, and a magazine aesthetic."

ChatGPT Hairstyle Analysis Prompts

Color isn't the only thing AI can weigh in on. These prompts generate a visual hairstyle guide based on your face shape and features.

Option 1: The Structured Hairstyle Guide

"Create a hairstyle analysis graphic using this portrait. Show side-by-side hairstyle comparisons to highlight which hairstyles suit the subject best. Make it visual-first, with short labels only. The design should be elegant and minimal, using a neutral beige background with a clean, modern infographic. On the left, add a large studio portrait using the uploaded photo. On the right, add a panel with a title and a 'Recommended' section at the top featuring 4–5 hairstyle variations with checkmarks. In the middle, add an 'Okay' section with 4–5 styles with neutral icons. At the bottom, add 'Less Flattering' with 4–5 styles with X marks. In the footer, include styling tips. Consistent subject, high-res 4:5 format."

Option 2: The Hair Color + Style Combo

Want to see how different cuts and colors would look? This prompt covers both.

"Create a hairstyle analysis graphic using this portrait. Show side-by-side hairstyle comparisons to highlight which hairstyles and hair color suit the subject best. Make it visual-first, with short labels only and no paragraphs."

This is especially fun if you've been debating going lighter, darker, or trying a new cut.

ChatGPT Makeup Analysis Prompt

This one is for the beauty lovers. The makeup analysis prompt generates a visual comparison of which makeup styles — foundation undertones, lip colors, eye looks — work best for your features.

Prompt:

Act as a professional makeup artist and personal color analyst and create a makeup analysis graphic. Based on my visible skin tone, undertone, hair color, eye color, contrast level, and overall harmony, analyze my natural coloring and recommend the most flattering makeup shades for me. Identify my likely undertone and seasonal color analysis category, then give specific recommendations for foundation undertone, concealer tone, blush, bronzer, contour, highlighter, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, gloss, and lip liner. Include the colors that will suit me best, the colors I should avoid because they may wash me out or clash, and explain why each recommendation works. Also give me a simple everyday makeup palette, a more polished evening makeup palette, and shopping keywords I should look for when buying products.

I found this one particularly helpful for understanding my undertone, which makes foundation shopping so much less of a guessing game.

What to Expect from Your Results

ChatGPT's image generation has gotten remarkably good, but it's worth knowing what you're working with:

Results will vary based on your photo quality and lighting
The AI reads visual cues — contrast levels, apparent undertone, face shape — rather than analyzing your actual skin like a professional would
You may want to run 2–3 variations with different photos to see if the recommendations are consistent

Think of it as a really smart starting point, not a final verdict

That said? The results I got were genuinely useful. The color swatches it recommended aligned closely with what I've always gravitated toward, and the "avoid" list finally gave me language for why certain colors always feel off on me.

Final Thoughts: Is AI Color Analysis Worth It?

For a free, at-home option that gives you visual, actionable results? Absolutely yes. It won't replace a session with a skilled image consultant if that's something you want to invest in, but it's a fantastic way to start understanding your palette — especially for busy women who don't have time to book an appointment and sit through a two-hour consult.

Save these prompts, grab a good photo, and have fun with it. And if your results surprise you, try a few different photos before drawing any conclusions. The lighting really does make a difference.

The Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS

2022-04-26T11:34:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS!

The Viking Cooking School classes are meant for culinary enthusiasts. Meaning, that you do not have to be a professional or know anything, OR you can just really enjoy trying something new and fun. No matter where you are on your culinary journey, the cooking school will absolutely be a fun experience for all.

In December 2019, I received a gift card from my (now) in-laws to visit the Viking Cooking School. In 2020, we had the pandemic, in 2021 we were planning a wedding, so we knew we had to take a class in 2022 before the baby arrives in July.

We decided on the Japanese Steakhouse class (spoiler: it was a GREAT decision!).

The menu for the Viking Cooking School Japanese Steakhouse class included:

Steakhouse Salad with Creamy Ginger Dressing
Teppanyaki Shrimp Flambé with Yoshi's Special Sauce
Hibachi Steak with Fresh Vegetables and Mustard Sauce
Japanese Fried Rice
Sample Recipes:
Edamame
Tangerine Sorbet

It's a very interactive class, everyone gets to dice, chop, slice, cook, sauté, whatever the recipe calls you to do. You are also paired up with another couple/couple of people to work on different parts of the dishes.

I decided to take on the sautéing of squash and mushrooms.

This class is fun for couples, but there was also a class where ladies were having a girl's night, and that would also be a blast. Basically, if you enjoy cooking and learning a new type of cuisine, or techniques, it's going to be a good time.

Once we were done, it was time to serve family-style You'll see our fried rice, our beef with mushrooms and some sauces.

After all the cooking, you'll be hungry to eat, and there is plenty of food to share!

We all took a group picture at the end to celebrate our time together. It was such a good time, that I can't wait to go back one day. It's a great gift for someone who enjoys food or cooking, or just an experience.

Would you take one of their cooking classes?

A Review of Sanctuary Cap Cana, All-Inclusive Adult Resort, Punta Cana

2022-04-13T11:25:00.008-05:00

Welcome to Sanctuary Cap Cana located in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. This all-inclusive, adult-only luxury resort was our pick for our honeymoon for many reasons.

We chose the Castle Junior Suite Ocean Front located in the Castle section of the resort. This 893 sq. ft. suite includes butler service and wonderful views of the ocean.

Because we were on our honeymoon, they made sure to bring a bucket of champagne when we arrived to celebrate our stay. It's the little touches like this that made the entire experience really enjoyable.

I really loved the design of the room with the king bed, and the view of the ocean each morning waking up. There was plenty of space to relax, lounge, and (if you're messy like me) lay around your stuff.

You could access the balcony from each side of the room, and there were comfortable chairs and a chaise lounge to use for relaxation.

To the right, you will see a cabinet that was filled with a minibar full of sodas, water and beer. You could certainly ask for another bottle of champagne or wine if you also wanted that on hand.

The closet was massive, and after we arrived we began to hang up all of our belongings. There was also a safe for anything that you wanted to keep secure.

The double-sink is always a nice feature, as is the walk-in shower with multiple showerheads. Not pictured: the jacuzzi tub to the right which was delightful after a long day of traveling.

This was another view of our room. It was SO peaceful and calm, we only heard noise maybe once or twice our entire stay. The Castle section is a quiet part of the hotel that I would absolutely go back to stay in again.

This is one of the meals that we had while visiting. Every meal was absolutely delicious. Our favorite restaurants were the Blue Marlin Restaurant and the Italian Capriccio Restaurant (pictured above).

I could have included 1,000 more food photos, but you cannot go wrong with any of the restaurants on the resort.

This is one of the main lobbies where you could go find a cocktail or a delicious coffee.

The entire resort is beautiful and thoughtfully decorated. There is not one area that hasn't been thought about to provide a relaxing, and enjoyable experience.

We spent a lot of time at either the beach or the pool. Usually mornings at the pool and the afternoon at the beach. During lunch, they would have fun water aerobics for anyone who wanted to join in.

I sat with a cocktail and watched the fun. I was on my honeymoon, so no need to work too hard.

Most nights there was planned entertainment, and it was a lot of fun! Dancers, or singers, or this night it was acrobatics. You can go get a cocktail or glass of wine and just sit back and enjoy the show.

Cheers to what was an amazing trip.

I hope you enjoyed my review of Sanctuary Cap Cana and all the resort has to offer a honeymoon, baby-moon or just a vacation!

Tips on Using Sam's Club Flowers for Your Wedding

2022-04-12T10:56:00.005-05:00

For our wedding, I knew that we could save a little money by ordering greenery and flowers from Sam's Club. For instance, the flowers you see on our cake are from Sam's Club, just their white roses that were opened, and placed around the cake. This would have been much more expensive had I asked the florist or the bakery to decorate.

It's really a great way to save some money during what can be a very expensive day.

Here you will see how we decorated each table.

The white table runners I ordered from Etsy (link here), the greenery from and white roses from Sam's Club.

The vases were from Dollar Tree, and the round candles (link here) inside the vases were from Amazon.

Here's a better look at the top of each table setting.

Here is a closeup of each table, we just stuck flowers in the greenery throughout the table runners and they held up really well throughout the night.

Cost of Sam's Flowers for a Wedding

So we paid around $550 for all of our table decorations, plus extra flowers for the cake, and around the bar area of the wedding.

I would absolutely do it again because of the ease and how much money it saved. We did spend money on centerpieces around the cake, but those flowers had also been used for the rehearsal dinner so they got extra bang for the buck.

I do believe the flowers are more expensive right now, but I still think it was worth it.

5 Tips for Ordering Flowers from Sam's Club:

1. Prepare To Water

Make sure you have 5-gallon buckets with water ready when your flowers arrive. You will want to take them out of the boxes and put them in water so they can open a bit.

2. Receive the flowers 2-days in advnace

If your event is on Saturday, order your flowers two days in advance which gives them time to open.

3. Buy a Spray Bottle

If you order garland, make sure to have a water spray handy so you can keep the garland looking fresh and not dried out. I got a spray bottle at the Dollar Tree, so you don't have to spend a lot.

4. Use Garden Shears

Use garden shears to cut stems and garland, do not try to use regular scissors, that will be too time-consuming.

5. Order Ahead

Place your order as soon as you are ready. This is not an order that you can place last-minute.

Hope this helps if you are planning a wedding soon and want to save some extra money where you can!

How to Plan a Wedding in Little Rock, AR

2022-04-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

On May 1, 2021, I got married in Little Rock, Arkansas.

It was probably one of the most fun days of my entire life and I wanted to share all of our details in case anyone else is looking to get married in Little Rock.

Little Rock Wedding Church Venue

We got married at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, AR. The church does an amazing job with weddings, I believe this has to be one of the most gorgeous churches in Little Rock.

We decided to do first-look photos before the ceremony. We were both nervous about the whole thing (not each other, just getting it right with the ceremony) so we thought seeing each other first would help with those nerves.

When it came to hair and makeup, I went with Jamie Lynn Jones. She's absolutely the best!

My dress was from Nordstrom by the brand Tadashi Shoji. I found it online and didn't feel the need to keep looking.

Little Rock Wedding Reception Venue

The best place I found for a wonderful wedding reception site in Little Rock was Heifer International. Luckily we had perfect weather for the event, but had we not, there is heat and the doors can be open or closed depending on conditions,

Wedding Ideas for Guests to Sign

For our wedding, I didn't want to do a book for everyone to sign, instead, I had cards and envelopes for everyone to either leave their best wishes, or tips for a good marriage. They have been fun to open here and there throughout our last year of marriage.

Little Rock Wedding Cake

Our wedding cake was created by Blue Cake Company in Little Rock, AR. We did a mix of red velvet and vanilla cake. It was DELICIOUS and I crave the red velvet cake all the time.

The cake topper was created by Jon Hatton on Etsy. He was able to use the same typography that we had used throughout our wedding.

The flowers were from Sam's Club. (I used a lot of flowers from Sam's club for the wedding.)

Little Rock Wedding Catering

For our catered food, we used Contigo at Heifer, which is also part of the Sauced Bar and Oven restaurant family. They did a fantastic job. Each table received its own cheese board, salad and then they delivered pizzas around during the reception.

Little Rock Wedding Band

For our live band, we used Rip Van Shizzle. They were SO MUCH FUN! I love a live band at a wedding. If anyone is interested in their contact information, let me know and I'll send it along.

Our wonderful Little Rock wedding photographer was Makenzie Evans. I wouldn't have hired anyone else.

It was still one of the most fun, exciting, happy, lovely days that I've been able to experience in my life.

Thank you for reading!

- Maegan

Tips for Hosting Holiday Guests

2017-12-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the most stressful! Whether you're having guests, or you're going to be one, I have some fun and easy hosting tips for any gathering.

KRUPS SAVOY EC415 Coffee Maker

Having lots of guests? You're going to need a lot of coffee. To save time and money, check out the SAVOY Turbo coffee maker from KRUPS.

The SAVOY Turbo EC414 allows users to brew their coffee 35% FASTER using the Turbo function and offers several other great features including: A built-in aroma tube on the underside of the carafe’s lid ensures optimal diffusion of rich coffee flavor, Bold setting for a richer taste, two auto-on options, keep warm setting with varying temperature and time options, 1-4 cup option for small batch brewing and more.

Buy it here: KRUPS SAVOY Coffee Maker

T-fal Ingenio Hand-Powered Rapid Food Chopper

Ths holidays mean lots and lots of cooking, but all that chopping doesn't mean you should be in the kitchen for long periods of time.
Manually powered and doesn't require electricity, this gadget makes chopping, dicing and pureeing easier than ever. The patented system features two independent blades that provide efficient and progressive chopping in 5 seconds or less. Ideal for making salsas, fruit purées, salads or simply chopping an onion WITHOUT the tears!
Buy the T-fal Ingenio Hand-Powered Rapid Food Chopper.

Explore Cuisine Bean Pastas

No matter which holiday you’re celebrating, one thing we all have in common is a love for pasta! But sometimes these holiday meals aren’t as healthy as some would like them to be. Explore Cuisine understands that and has a number of healthy options for you and your family to try! Each of Explore Cuisines’ pasta products are loaded with protein and are vegan and gluten-free. This holiday season you can still enjoy those yummy meals without the guilt of eating unhealthy! (Check out a recipe below!!)
Buy the pasta here.

WELCH'S Mixed Fruit Snacks

Hide the 4 count Welch’s Fruit Snacks Christmas themed box throughout stockings in the house to keep the kids entertained. The Fruit Snacks are individually packaged, making them a quick and easy snack to serve the kids. Welch’s® Fruit Snacks feature fruit as the first ingredient, so they taste delicious.
Buy the Welch's Fruit Snacks here.

Gaea Dirty Martini Juice

Gaea Dirty Martini Juice is specially formulated to accompany either vodka or gin. Made with previously discarded olive brine from Gaea's olive production, imbibers can stir things up with Dirty Martini Juice for Vodka, which contains olive brine infused with sweet and hot red peppers. Gin aficionados can enjoy Dirty Martini Juice for Gin, made with olive brine blended with coriander.

Buy the Gaea juice here.

Brooklyn Crafted’s Ginger Beer

Non-Alcoholic, Fun-Sized Ginger Beer!

Cased in 7 fluid ounce bottles, Brooklyn Crafted’s small but mighty ginger beers are the perfect size for kids to enjoy on their own, or for adults incorporate into festive cocktails this holiday season. Made with 100% fresh ginger pieces you can actually SEE in each bottle. (Flip bottle upside down to see!) Available in four trendy flavors including Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime and Mango.
Buy the Ginger Beer here.

Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Riserva

This intense ruby-colored wine is characterized by vigorous tannins and fresh acidity, followed by an aroma of forest fruits and sweet spice against a backdrop of herbs and autumn leaves. Find more about this at www.wine.com.

Gluten Free Green Bean and Pasta Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

· Kosher salt

· 1 (8 ounce) package Explore Cuisine Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccini

· 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half

· 2 tablespoons butter or dairy free butter substitute

· 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced

· 1 cup gluten free chicken or vegetable stock

· 1 cup heavy cream

· 2 cups (7 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

· Black pepper

· Vegetable oil

· 6 shallots, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beans to the pasta and cook for another 4 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta and green beans.

3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown, about 6 – 7 minutes. Add the stock and cream, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then add the pasta and green beans. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 12 inch baking dish and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

4. While the casserole is baking, prepare the shallots. Line a plate with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to come up ¼ inch. Heat over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots and let cook for 12 minutes, the shallots should be quite soft. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on the paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. The shallots will crisp more as they cool.

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5. When the casserole is done, scatter the shallots over the top and serve.

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation: The Van

2017-12-05T18:36:00.002-06:00

It's the SIXTH month of "Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation" and this month I am donating $31 to The Van in Arkansas. I, for one, cannot believe that it is December. Today is also my half-year birthday, which means I am half-way through my year of Thirty-ONEderful!

December for most of us means holiday parties, presents and time off work. But for a lot of homeless in Arkansas, it means colder nights without a lot of resources. That's why for my donation this month, I am donating to a group called The One, Inc., who has a program called The Van. This group works to find those who may be homeless to help provide them with basic human necessities. Here's what their website says:

Many of the wonderful people who help support The One, Inc through The Van program!

"The One, Inc.’s mission is simply to locate and love our unsheltered homeless neighbors, wherever they may be.

We primarily serve these needs by going to the people. We visit current homeless camps, search for new camps, comb alleyways, check under bridges, and seek out people deep in the woods, etc. We take supplies such as food, water, clothing and hygiene products to people where they are. The One, Inc. seeks to build relationships with members of the homeless community so that we may then identify barriers to obtaining income and housing, and help our friends move beyond their homelessness. We are dedicated to be relational, as opposed to programmatic."

Because the colder weather is coming, they are also looking for donations of blankets, tarps, coats, flashlights, etc. You can find the full list here.

If you'd like to learn more, check out The One, Inc. website here. Follow The One, Inc. on Facebook or The Van on Facebook! And as always, you can DONATE here.

Thank you for reading this post.

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation:

June - Heifer International

July - Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
August - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas
September - Houston Food Bank
October - Mom's Demand Action

Four Quick & Easy 30-Minute Meals

2017-11-15T08:29:00.000-06:00

It's that time of the year where the days feel so long and so short at the same time. After working long days in the office, the last thing I want to do is go home and spend more than 30-minutes on dinner. Here are four go-to meals that I use during busy workweeks:

Zucchini Taco Boats

If you're looking for something filling with a little spice, check out these Zucchini Taco Boats!

Foil Pack Fiesta Chicken Dinner

I'm a big fan of these Foil Pack Fiesta Chicken Dinners because they are great to make ahead of time and toss in the oven when you get home from work!

Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowl

That's not regular rice, it's riced cauliflower on the bottom of a taco bowl! This meal takes little to no time to make and it's SO worth it. Low calorie, quick and delicious!

Spicy Chicken Chili

There's nothing better than it being cold outside, and warm chili cooing on the stovetop! This Spicy Chicken Chili is perfect for any day that you want a healthy dinner but also feels like comfort food.

What are your go-to recipes??

Cali'flour Foods Cauliflower Pizza Crust

2017-11-08T08:02:00.000-06:00

When you love something, you have to share it with the world for everyone to know. This is absolutely not a sponsored post, this is just my love for something that's easy and delicious. During the day I work as a social media manager for a nonprofit. Nonprofit work is rewarding, and REALLY busy during the holiday season... especially for social media.

After a long day at work, and usually going to the gym after, the last thing I really want to do is cook dinner. Then again, when I am so busy and stressed at work, I know that it's the MOST important time that I take care of myself with good, nutritious food. But don't get me twisted, I can't quit my favorite foods, I just like to make the 'skinny' version of them.

Insert cauliflower pizza crusts. If you have ever tried to make these then you know how LABOR intensive they can be. If you haven't made them yourselves, there's absolutely no point because it's so much easier to buy them frozen and have them SHIPPED TO YOUR door. This is really the holy grail of "cheat" meals.

Thanks to some targeted Facebook ads and my friend Jill, we found these Cali'flour Foods Pizza Crusts to try out. For each package you receive two froze cauliflower crusts.

The two crusts are separated by plastic, and it's best to let them thaw for a bit before trying to spread them apart.

Now, what you will need to do is pre-cook the crusts. *Pro Tip* When you're baking them on parchment paper, flip them halfway through while they are pre-baking. This way both sides are even and toasted when you decide what toppings you want to use.

I am a traditional pizza girl, where I liked a marinara sauce.

Also added some turkey pepperoni with a few jalapeño slices.

Of course, some low-calorie cheese.

Because low-carb works best for my life, I don't mind to add cheese.

You can see how thin the crust is, so you don't want to overload it down TOO much. This is why toasting both sides during the pre-bake is so important.

It only takes about 10 minutes to bake until it's done. All in all, this pizza takes about 25 minutes to make, and most of that is pre-baking the crust and baking the pizza. Because there are two crust in each package, I like to pre-bake both crusts at once, then make a pizza and save the other crust for another meal. This makes it even quicker for the second pizza in the week!

The crust is pretty filling, especially when you pair it with a salad. Or, if you're like me, you'll keep going back for 'just one more bite!'

The crusts can seem pretty pricey, but Cali'flour Foods has a lot of good deals. I bought 5 boxes (two crusts per box) for $50 with free shipping. So, each crust ends up being around $5, which is WAY easier than making it yourself or having to buy a bunch of cauliflower.

What healthy trick do you have to have skinny, cheat meals?

National Apple Month Recipes

2017-10-20T07:27:00.000-05:00

Did you know that October is National Apple Month? Apple picking is a fall favorite activity here in Arkansas, but then what do you do with all of the apples spilling out of your kitchen?! We all have a recipe for the traditional apple pie, but let's go beyond that!

First, let's discuss the essential tools you'll need for your apples

To make slicing apples easier than ever, check out the T-fal Ingenio Apple Slice Wedger with Corer on Amazon. It cuts cleanly, straight through the apple to create the perfect wedges. It also has elevated handles to keep your knuckles and fingers safe when cutting.

Secondly, check out the T-fal Electric Pressure Cooker! This will be perfect for the Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe below! The great thing about this product is that it has 12-automatic settings including Slow Cook. So you can even make this recipe as overnight oats using the Slow Cook setting if you want to.

Now, using your apple slicer and pressure cooker, you can make Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!

Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS:
· 1 tablespoon butter
· 1 cup steel cut oats
· 3 1/2 cups water
· 1-2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced
· 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
· Add butter to pressure cooking pot, select Pressure Cook. When butter is melted add the oats and toast, stirring constantly, until they start to darken and smell nutty, about 3 minutes.
· Add water, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
· Cook for 10 minutes
· Top with milk, nuts, more apple slices and additional brown sugar, if desired

Next, for another fun recipe, try Apple Cinnamon Waffles with the KRUPS 4-slice Waffle Maker. The waffle maker is SUPER non-stick – the waffles pop right off making clean-up a breeze. Not to mention, the plates are removable and dishwasher safe!

Apple Cinnamon Waffles

INGREDIENTS: **substitute Carrington ghee for butter

Waffles
· 2 eggs
· 2 cups flour
· 1 ¾ cups milk
· ½ cup vegetable oil
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 4 teaspoons baking powder
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· 2 teaspoon cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples
· Brown sugar & cinnamon for sautéing apples
· 4 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1-2 cups of apples, peeled, grated

Start by sautéing your apples. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add butter, then apples and stir. After a few minutes add in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover to let steam and soften, stirring frequently. Once softened (about 4-5 minutes) remove lid to let caramelize a bit more. Remove from heat.

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy.
3. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
4. Add apples.
5. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Looking for a warm drink during this chillier weather? Try the Sparkling Apple Hot Toddy!

Sparkling Apple Hot Toddy

Ingredients
· 6 oz. Crisp Apple Sparkling Ice
· 1 ½ oz. whisky or apple brandy
· 1 teaspoon honey
· Cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices for garnish

Directions
1. Coat the bottom of a glass coffee cup with honey. Add whisky or brandy
2. Heat Crisp Apple Sparkling Ice in a small sauce pot
3. Pour hot Sparkling Ice into glass. Stir to combine ingredients
4. Garnish with cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices

Botox at Arkansas Family Dental

2017-10-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

This blog post is sponsored by Arkansas Family Dental. The services mentioned in this post were comped as part of this partnership.

Well, I went and finally did it... I got Botox! So here's the story:

A few weeks ago I heard about Arkansas Family Dental in Little Rock offering Botox and my first question was, "Is it safe to get Botox from a dentist?" Being my first time and all, I wanted to make sure that I knew all of the facts before making the decision. The answer is, Yes, it is safe to receive Botox from a dentist. If you think about it, a good dentist like the ones at Arkansas Family Dental really understand facial muscles.

Once I had the facts behind me that it was safe, I felt comfortable moving forward.

Now, if you've known me long enough, then you know how I believe in high-quality skincare, and I believe that has what has kept me from hitting the Botox needle before now. Could I have waited a couple of more years? Sure, but I believe in prevention with any good regime, and even Botox at a young age (I'm 31) can be considered prevention. There were a few fine lines that were forming on the top of my forehead, not terribly noticeable but enough for me to look at them in the mirror for longer than one should.

So here is a closer image that I took the afternoon before I went to Arkansas Family Dental for Botox. I am not wearing any makeup (except leftover mascara), and there is no filter. This is my naked as can be forehead. Now, you can better see the fine lines that I mentioned, again, not severe, but something I wanted to get taken care of sooner rather than later.

Actually getting the Botox part is pretty easy, though it may sting for a second or two. I received nine units of Botox. Again, I wanted prevention and to be able to move my forehead still. As an expressive person, I'm not sure how it would work if I couldn't move my face at all.

I always believe in being transparent and honest with anyone who reads my blog, and the truth is after Botox you will have a few red bumps where you received the injections. These don't last very long, they were gone within less than an hour. There was no after pain, my forehead was not sore in any way. The only side effect was that I had a bit of a headache, but that might or might not have been from the Botox. It takes about 7-10 days to see the full effect.

So what is the end result??

It's remarkable! It's enough to make a difference, but still be able to move my face! Really the best of both worlds if you ask me. The staff at Arkansas Family Dental told me that Botox will last between 3-4 months and that you will be able to feel/tell when it starts to fade. There are no side effects to your muscles once the Botox does wear off, as in your muscles will go back to normal (as will your wrinkles).

Click here to learn more about what you need to know before getting Botox.

So, that's it! It was easy, quick and pretty pain-free. Obviously, there are multiple areas you can receive Botox on your face, but I just wanted to start out with something simple to see how I liked it before doing more.

What do you think?

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation: Moms Demand Action

2017-10-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

So here's the thing... I am a gun owner. I have my concealed carry permit. I think guns are OK to own. Being from the South, guns were part of growing up. My dad had several guns, my friends owned guns, and it was a usual Sunday activity to go out and shoot tin cans or old signs. Guns do not scare me, but I also grew up in an environment where I understood how to use them responsibly.

HOWEVER, I think it's time that all responsible gun owners stand up for stronger gun regulations.

On Sunday night I was in Los Angeles at dinner with colleagues after a really successful workday raising money to end hunger and poverty. (I work for a nonprofit.) It was a pretty long day, so it was a pretty late dinner as well. When I got back to the hotel and turned on the TV, every channel was covering the tragic events of a shooter in Las Vegas.

At midnight, two people at died from this shooter. When I woke up at 5 a.m. after falling asleep with the TV on 25 people had died, and by the time I was checking out of the hotel, over 50 people died due to gun violence. It's just too much. I love outdoor concerts, music festivals, and living life. I don't want to live in a world where it becomes normal to be paranoid in large groups of people.

That's why there has to be a better way. There has to be a middle ground to say, it's OK to own a gun, but let's just be responsible about it. I am not going to get rid of the guns we have in our home, I am not going to be afraid of them (because I understand that they are weapons, not toys), but what I am going to do is become more vocal that we need stronger regulations. No one needs to own a fully-automatic weapon.

In my opinion, no one should be able to walk into a gun and knife show and purchase a weapon without any sort of background check. I have to go to a doctor, then a pharmacist and have to have insurance to get birth control, but anyone can just go to a gun store (depending on the state) and buy the equipment it takes to create a fully-automatic rifle? SERIOUSLY?

I understand if this post is a little too political for a lot of people who read this blog, and that's OK if you don't agree, or if you think all guns are good or all guns are bad. Hopefully, we can all find a middle ground to agree that we need stronger regulations, but that there are responsible gun owners out there who also agree.

Gun Violence by the Numbers:

1. On an average day, 93 Americans are killed with guns
2. SEVEN children and teens are killed by guns in the US on an average day
3. In an average month, 50 women are shot to death by intimate partners in the US
4. Background checks have blocked nearly 3 MILLION gun sales to prohibited people
5. America's gun homicide rate is more than 25 TIMES the average of other developed countries.

So what do we do? Where do we go from here?

We use our voices. We join causes. We show that there IS such a thing as being a responsible gun owner and believing in stronger gun regulations.

For those of you who don't know, I turned 31 on June 5. I am calling this, "The Year of Being Thirty-ONEderful." It's about making this year... wonderful. Part of making anything wonderful in life is to give back to others where you can. So, on the 5th of each month, I am donating $31 to a charity and highlighting the work they do in a blog post.

This month, I am donating to Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Here's what they do:

Pressuring lawmakers to improve our gun laws
Raising awareness about gun violence
Educating the public about common-sense gun laws and responsible gun ownership
Mobilizing grassroots supporters
Connecting and amplifying the voices of survivors of gun violence

Moms Demand Action supports the 2nd Amendment, but we believe common-sense solutions can help decrease the escalating epidemic of gun violence that kills too many of our children and loved ones every day.

3 Easy Things to Do to Support Gun Safety

Text 'REJECT' to 644-33 to tell your member of Congress to reject the NRA's radical agenda.
Join Moms Demand Action local chapter in your area.
If you do own a gun, make sure it is locked, unloaded, and put away.

Thank you for reading this post.

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation:

June - Heifer International

July - Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
August - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas
September - Houston Food Bank

Viva La France: Last Day in Nice

2017-09-25T07:11:00.000-05:00

It was our last day in Nice, so we had to do a few last, favorite things. The whole group met for lunch together at 'Le Cocodile'. I had some sort of cute salmon slider and beef carpaccio. I have a thing for raw meat at this restaurant. It was a bittersweet lunch knowing that we were going home soon, but also knowing that we would be leaving Nice.

The guys went to a beach club to hang out for the day and Amy and I went shopping. I will say, it was SO hot, and I was so tired that I almost passed out in H&M. I had to find the boyfriend chair to sit while Amy got a pair of pants. After a bit of shopping, we grabbed some incredibly big waters and I immediately felt better.

Luckily, we were close by the I LOVE NICE sign and stopped for a bit of a photoshoot.

This is the view from the I LOVE NICE sign. You can see the beaches of Nice, lots of people watching and the beautiful water. It really was as beautiful as it is in the photo. So clear you can see fish!

We decided we need a bit of a break on the walk back and found a cute bar at the top of a building to have a glass of rosè. Once we felt refreshed, we headed back to our favorite bar in Nice, Le Truc. Before that though, we did stop at a pharmacy to get a few beauty products that are cheaper in France.

When we made it back to Le Truc, the guys had already beaten us to the bar. (Shocker.) Rich and I had one last cheese board, and I tried to savor the truffle cheese with every bite. Nice was so beautiful and so lovely, with the best cheese that I don't think I'll ever forget this trip.

After a few hours at Le Truc, we headed back to our Airbnb to grab our suitcases, headed to the airport and flew back from Nice to Paris. We had a hotel booked close to the airport and the next morning flew back from Paris to the United States.

Flying back on Condor was just as wonderful as flying to Paris. Those little pillows in the seats really make all the difference when you're in the plane for 8-10 hours.

It's time travel the weirdest thing? You know that you're getting on the plane at like two in the afternoon, but then you arrive back in the United States at like 6 p.m. in the evening. It's so strange to me how that works.

This is what it looks like when you're excited about getting home soon. Again, really bittersweet because I would have loved to spend more time in France, but I was also ready to sleep in my own bed.

I did love the little gifts from Condor. They had this yellow case filled with a mini toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, eye mask, and earplugs. The eye mask came in handy on the flight because I knew I had to get sleep since we were driving from New Orleans back to Little Rock. Rich had to work on Thursday and had law school class Thursday night.

Luckily, I didn't have to work the next day so I could drive more than others.

The Condor flight had delicious food, once again. They even had the cutest salt and pepper shaker that I have ever seen. I watched the movie Moana, and I can see where it's inspiring to young girls. I enjoy these new Disney movies where the strong leads are women!

The drive from New Orleans to Little Rock was ROUGH leaving at 7 p.m. We all took turns driving. First me, then Rich, then Bobby, then back to me. Luckily during Bobby's shift and my last shift, Amy was awake and able to play podcasts to keep everyone awake (Except Rich and Marcus who slept back the last four hours...) We got back to Little Rock around 3 a.m.!

The next morning I got up (or like 11 a.m.), the first things I had to unpack were all of my finds! I love looking at my souvenirs back from trips. (Don't worry the copper pot made it back too!)

So, that's our trip. It was fun, exhausting, memorable, life-changing, romantic, chaotic, amazing, and the best thing ever all wrapped up in one. Thanks for reading along this journey. Now, back to the regular blog post!

Missed any of my posts from Viva La France?
Catch up here:

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3
Click here for Nice Day 1
Click here for our Day trip to Monaco
Click here for Nice Day 3

Viva la France: Visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer and Organic Wine Tasting in Nice

2017-09-19T07:16:00.000-05:00

We only had two days left in Nice and decided to go out of the city to a little town called Villefranche-sur-Mer. It's a sleepy, little town outside of Nice. We slept in a bit after a long day in Monaco, grabbed an Uber (because I was too hungry to wait for a bus) and headed north. As soon as we got there we had to get lunch because I was really hangry.

We found a cute restaurant right by the marina called, "Newport." I got a delicious pasta with a spicy marinara sauce, a glass of white wine (because it was SO HOT) and a European Coca-Cola. Rich got a really fancy dish of squid and octopus. Surprisingly, it was actually really good.

Good thing he enjoyed the meal while we were in France because I doubt that I ever learn how to cook squid or octopus. After a full meal, we walked around the town for a bit to see all of its pretty colors, windows, and small streets. It's exactly what is in your mind when you think of a small French town.

All of that walking for about 30-minutes made us really thirsty, so it was time for our own happy hour. I mean, we were in France after all...

We went to a bar called, "Wine Pier" where we could watch boats, people and eat lots of chips. Again, I drank the white wine because it was just way too hot for me to drink red. We had booked a wine class that night so we just hung out for a few hours before heading back to Nice.

We decided to take the bus from Villefranche-sur-Mer back to Nice and got lost. The only way we could get out of being below the Marina was to walk about 75 steps straight up. My booty was BURNING. It really didn't matter how much pasta or wine I consumed because all of the walking and steps just worked it all off. I actually think I lost a bit of weight once we got back and I de-puffed.

We had booked a two-hour Organic Wine Tasting in Nice through Tag Tours. The tour was about $40 per person and included 5 wines and a glass of champagne. (There were also free extra glasses if you really liked a bottle...) The Tour de France of Organic wine said it would help you get better knowledge about French wine and it really did.

Our sommelier was SO knowledgeable. He went through a map of France and showed us where each region of our wine we were drinking was grown and created. I LOVE sauvignon blanc so I knew I would probably love that one (spoiler alert: I did), but I also learned that I like rosè and pinot noir! Rich orders pinot noir a lot when we are having date nights, but I always stuck to a Malbec or cabs, now I'm really into pinot noirs.

We all started out with a glass of real champagne, from the region of, you guessed it, Champagne, France. After our champagne tour in Paris down the Seine River, I felt like I was already a pro at being able to discuss how it was created with the mixture of grapes, aging and how the bottles were moved to create the fizz.

Here are our first three wines:

Champagne Carte d'Or Brut NV

This is a popular champagne from a small producer in France. It's a fresh, apple pie, and honey flavored Champagne that exudes class.

Les Davantes de la Bonnelière AOC Touraine Blanc 2016

100% Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is grown in a 3-hectare block of Clay and Limestone soils, this Touraine is macerated for 6 hours before fermentation. A great match to lighter goat cheeses and white fish dishes.

AOC Côtes de Provence La Cuvée Camille Rosé 2016

A blend of three types of grapes: Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah. The 'Cuvée Camille' is aged in tanks. The three grapes are fermented separately. Its color is light pink, with fin, delicate aroma of fruits.

Next, we moved on to the reds:

Domaine Bersan AOC Côtes d'Auxerre Pinot Noir 2013

Another lesser known regions, Pinot Noir is the sole variety in this red. Subtle tannins, rich red berry fruits, layers of minerality and a long and complex finish.

Clos de Caveau AOC Vacqueyras Fruit Sauvage 2015

You can taste the passion in this fabulously earthy Rhône red. A powerful licorice-scented red. Spicy Syrah delivers abundant fruits and a weight palate that carries the flavor for what seems like an eternity.

Château Grand Français AOC Bordeaux Superior 2010

A rich, ruby red color with an intense spice and vanilla nose. In the mouth, we have a smooth rich flavor of red fruits and layers of complexity added by the chalky tannins and spicy vanilla notes from the oak aging.

My favorites were hands down the champagne, rosé, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. I have never, ever liked licorice so the Syrah was awful to me, I actually gave my glass away. Bleh.

The Organic Wine Tasting was SO MUCH FUN. It was nice to just sit for a few hours and learn about one of the best things in the world, wine!

Once the wine tour was over, we headed to meet our other friends who had done a bike riding wine tour that day. Their wine tour seemed like a lot of fun too - minus the whole bike riding thing. I really wanted to go on that one, but my body just couldn't handle a bike ride after all of the steps and walking.

We met them at a fun bar-district in Old Town Nice. I was hungry and needed something to soak up all of the wine, so clearly, I found the classiest thing to eat... a good ole' hot dog.

Tell me that's not the best looking hot dog you've ever seen after a day of drinking a lot of wine? Believe me, it was my favorite word, DELICIOUS!

Missed any of my posts from Viva La France?
Catch up here:

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3
Click here for Nice Day 1
Click here for our Day trip to Monaco

VIva La France: Day Trip to Monaco

2017-09-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I woke up with a BIG pep in my step because we were going to go to Monaco for the day! I have always loved Princess Grace because of how beautiful she was and then how much good she did once she became a princess. Rich was excited because of the Monte Carlo casino. The day was beautiful, but I did not prepare for how HOT it was!

We took the public bus right outside of Airbnb to the bus stop. Then, we got on another bus from Nice to Monaco. The bus system was pretty easy, but as I later learned, the city buses are not free and we kept riding them without paying. *Whoops!* I would feel badly, however, I spent A LOT of money in Nice so I think it's ok if I took a couple of bus rides on accident.

I had been preparing for Monaco for weeks, and by that, I mean I had to find a good restaurant to eat lunch at while we were there and find a dress that I wanted to wear during the day. And don't worry ... I did on both counts.

When we first arrived in Monaco, I already knew where we were going to eat lunch. At an Italian restaurant called La Salière in Monaco. The menu had so many options, but because something spoke to me when we sat down, I had to get the paccheri with meatballs, cherry tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Every. single. bite. was worth it. It's made me make homemade marinara sauce twice since we've gotten back from our trip.

Yes, I am drinking white wine with pasta but it was too hot for me to drink red during this lunch. I was so hungry by the time that we got to La Salière that I ate it all. Then I took the bread and cleaned any sauce on my plate. I was so satisfied and full I could have just gotten back on the bus to head back to Nice at that point if it wasn't for the Prince's Palace!

So, I wobbled along through the city until we made it to the Prince's Palace. It was a LONG way up the hill. There were a few times I had to stop to rest because there were SO many steps in Monaco. If you didn't have a good butt when you got there, you had a good butt when you left.

The only good thing about all those steps were all the views! It was gorgeous everywhere you looked. The water was so blue and clear you could almost see through it if you looked down. It also made me feel very un-wealthy with all of the yachts everywhere you looked.

After about a million steps, we found the Prince's Palace! We didn't take a tour inside, and I kind of regret it now, but it was so pretty out the outside. We even timed it just right and saw the changing of the guards.

Those outfits are VERY white, and they also look very hot. It was a very proper ceremony, and one guard seemed to have a bit of a smile on his face. Wouldn't it be hard to keep a straight face when people are taking photos and videos of you just walking? We hung out at the Prince's Palace for a bit and look at all of the views and people watched. I also had to do some shopping.

This print was only around $5 and honestly, I would have paid more. I loved it when I first saw it. It was the best souvenir to buy from Monaco that day.

After we left the palace, we headed towards Monte Carlo. Did I mention how hot it was? I thought I was going to melt into a puddle because there were NO clouds to cover the hot sun.

Because this was probably my one and only time in Monaco, I really wanted to be in the moment and be as present as possible with Rich. Even if I was whining because it was hot, we had a wonderful lunch, got to see so many cool things, visited the Prince's Palace, and even went inside Monte Carlo. It's SO grand! Everything about it is gorgeous!

Rich got to play the slot machines though we couldn't go into the larger casino area because of our attire. He even won! I think we walked away with 3 more euro than we walked in with, which was fine to me because that was bus money to get back to nice!

When I say it was grand, I mean, it was GRAND. Inside the casino you could see large crystal chandeliers, gold everything, and the fanciest bar I have ever seen. The security was very tight though, just to go inside the slot machine area I had to get my bags checked and held by coat check. Sadly and understandably, photos are a big no-no.

It was SUCH a fun day and everything that I had hoped it to be! After Monte Carlo we headed back to Nice. The buses stop running from Monaco to Nice around 7:30/8 pm in the evening and we didn't want to leave on the last bus in case there wasn't enough room.

When we got back to Nice we went back to the Airbnb and relaxed for a bit before going to Old Town Nice for dinner at a Portuguese restaurant. After dinner, we headed back to our favorite Le Truc bar! Monaco was one of my favorite days of our adventure and I'm so glad that I was present in the moment.

Missed any of my posts from Viva La France?
Catch up here:

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3
Click here for Nice Day 1

Viva La France: Nice

2017-09-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

Part of our France trip was to visit Paris for a few days, then headed off to Nice for a few days as well! Since I had never been to the South of France, I was excited that we had booked the train from Paris to Nice.

I think I am a train person. I'm not much into flying because it gives me anxiety (even though I almost quit college at 19 to become a flight attendant). On a train, you can pack as much as you want, you can get up and walk around, you can carry on your own food, and there are no scary landings.

AND...

AND... you can even have a picnic on the train! What I have shown you here is what I am calling a French hot dog. It's a baguette, salami, and cheese.

We all really enjoyed our train ride! Amy and I sat on one side of the train (heading towards Nice) and Rich and Bobby sat on the other side. I get major car/train/plane sick if I'm sitting on the wrong side and going backward. Though, I did pick up those motion sickness wrist bands from Walgreens and wore them a few times on the trip and never felt queazy!

It's about 5 1/2 hours from Paris to Nice on the train. There are beautiful country sides to look at, beautiful ocean views, and a bar cart to get wine or snacks. It's really where I excel the best in terms of travel.

After we arrived in Nice, we got an Uber to our Airbnb and had an AMAZING view!

We had a balcony overlooking the water which was perfect! I really love a good balcony and a good view. Living in Arkansas, I can have terrible allergies and my allergies never bothered me once in France... maybe I should just live in France a few months of the year?

By this time it was dinner time and we were all a bit hungry. Don't worry though, I had already looked up several restaurants and found one in close walking distance to our Airbnb.

We went to Auberge Saint Antoine where we had delicious pizza, salad, and gelato. It was such an easy dinner after an easy afternoon train ride. After our dinner, we walked by a market store to pick up some wine before some of us headed back to the Airbnb.

Rich, Amy and I decided to go put our feet in the water to say we had been on the beach of the South of France.

This is what being happy, full and tired all looks like at once. We only hung out for a bit before going back to our balcony to enjoy a little bit more of the evening.

Saturday morning when we got up everyone split up a bit. Some went to go have a beach day, while Rich and I decided to go explore Old Town in Nice.

Of course, before you can go explore anything in France I believe it's important to be well hydrated. We found a really delicious restaurant called, 'Le Cocodile'. It was on our way from our Airbnb to Old Town.

Now, I ordered the steak tartare which is basically raw meat. Yes, to some this might be disgusting, but personally, I like it. When I ordered it, our waiter asked me, "Do you know what this is? This is raw meat." To which I replied, "Yes, I do. I like it." So he told me that he would make it special for me.

I wasn't sure what special was until he brought it out... he meant he was going to shape it into a heart for me. So I had a big slab of raw meat shaped into a heart for me in France. It's really the little things in life that I appreciate the most, you know?

Because it was Saturday in Old Town, it was the market day. There were tons and tons of booths with people selling lots of fun and interesting things. Rich really isn't the shopper type, but both of us enjoyed walking and seeing what the town had to offer.

I will say that the weather in Paris in August was really nice, but the weather in Nice was HOT. I mean, sweating from all of my body parts HOT. At one point we had to stop at a cafe so we could both get a little more hydrated. I remember I had a Coca-Cola at the cafe and it was the BEST tasting soda I have ever had in my entire life at that moment.

Once we had a mini-break, we walked through the little streets of Old Town some more. Every street is full of shops, restaurants and so many cool things. We walked by one store that was just full of jelly beans but the store was Pirate themed. Another store was a cell phone case store but had animal statues in it. There was plenty to see and plenty to eat.

After a few hours, we decided to head back to our Airbnb. Our plan was to go pick up cheese, meats, and wine and go have a picnic on the balcony of the Airbnb and just relax. It had been a long few days, and there were still a few days in front of us, we were just going to take it easy the rest of the evening.

We were walking back when we passed by this fun man with a crown of horses. I have no idea what this man represents or what he is for (If I was that worried I could just Google it) but a family was taking a photo in front of it, so I offered to take it for them so that everyone could be in the picture. The nice family then offered to take our photo, which I appreciated because how many photos in life will you have in front of a naked man with a horse crown?

We had talked about finding some sort of cheese tour in Nice, but honestly, none of them were worth the money. So instead, I did my research and found a delicious cheese store where we could get a TON of cheese for around $20.

So we went to Fromagerie du Carre d'Or where they do speak enough English to help you find the right cheeses. And they helped us pick out some of the most delicious cheese I have ever tried. What were they? No idea anymore, and I didn't take any photos of them, but I have the memories.

We had the cheese, we went and grabbed some prosciutto and salami from a local market and were headed to the Airbnb when we stumbled upon a bar called Le Truc.

We were hot, we were tired and we were thirsty. We had just spent 30 minutes finding cheese and meats and were still a half mile away from the Airbnb. It just seemed like the right thing to do to stop at this bar for a glass of wine or several and cool off.

Again. It was very hot outside. I already knew that I had some sort of sunburn so I was really protecting myself from more sun damage by having a glass of rosé.

We also ordered a charcuterie board because why not? Yes, we had spent 30 minutes to make our own, but this one was already made and I needed a snack. Also, we were in France, why was I going to worry about a few calories?

There was a peppery salami, a truffle cheese, some sort of black pepper cheese, and chorizo. There was also some fresh bread. We liked this place so much that we returned twice more during our trip. We hung out here for a long time actually. So long that the rest of the group came to meet up with us. Now, at this point, I was sunburned, exhausted and had had enough wine for me. So Rich and I left to go back to the Airbnb and the rest of the group went to get dinner.

After a little rest and a shower, Rich and I did have our own picnic with the cheese and meats that we bought. So on this day, I ate raw meat, French fries, and a lot, a lot, a lot of cheese.

Isn't vacation where you live your best life?? After we ate our own, let's call it dinner, it was time for bed for me. We were getting up the next day to go to Monaco so I wanted to feel 100%!

Stay tuned - our day trip to Monaco is next on the blog!

Missed any of our posts from Paris? Catch up here:

Click here for Paris Day 1

Click here for Paris Day 2

Click here for Paris Day 3

Vive La France: Traveling in Paris Day 3

2017-09-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

We're on to day three in Paris! If you're not caught up, check out day one here and day two here.

After a full day of the Catacombs, the cooking class and walking around 20,000 steps, I was ready for a 'relaxing' third day. And it would have been pretty easy if I didn't wake up with a fire in my belly to go buy a copper pot from the same store that Julia Child bought her copper pots.

I got up early, got dressed and was about to go by myself when Rich decided to go with me. If you know me, when I am ready to go somewhere then I am ready to go RIGHT THEN. E. Dehillerin has been around for 200 hundred years, and that's how long it felt it took us to get there.

After I was super antsy, we finally made it! This store was incredible, it's like the original Ikea. Everything they have is out on the shelf to look at, but if you want to know a price, you have to go look it up in a book. The store can be a bit of a workout though going from item to book from item to book. It's not like it stopped me at all from shopping, just slowed me down every so slightly.

As someone who loves to cook, it was fun to be in such an iconic culinary shop. So, of course, I had to buy something or a lot of the things. All the things. I *wanted* to buy all the things. I did contain myself since I had to carry whatever I bought back to the states with me.

That didn't stop me from buying the most beautiful copper pot I've ever seen. I had to buy one that 1) was a decent size to use 2) wasn't going to totally kill my budget. I think it was around $170 in the end, but it's heavy, it's nice, and as long as I take care of it then it will last a long time.

Also, it's my money and I will spend it on the things that please me... like copper pots.

After I left the store (Rich was across the street at a coffee shop), we headed to meet up with our friends for lunch... then we were headed to the Arc de Triomphe!

Travel tip: When we went to the Catacombs on our second day, we bought passes that let us in the Catacombs ahead of the line and then also gave us access to the Arc de Triomphe. If we hadn't bought these tickets, we would have been in line for the Catacombs for around two hours. So we got these tickets from Headout. They were WORTH it! And, if you want, you can use my code MAEGAIQ on Headout and save $10!

To be honest, I wasn't really sure about the Arc de Triomphe... like I knew we were supposed to go there to do the touristy thing, but I wasn't 100% sold on it. I went along because it everyone else seemed excited about it so maybe I was missing something. Everyone was right, and I was wrong because it was really cool!

There are just miles and miles of pretty views and to see how Paris is laid out around the Arc de Triomphe is really cool. I will say, it felt like we had to walk up about 300 steps to get to the top. My legs were BURNING. I was so tired that I had to give Rich my copper pot to carry, and Marcus my purse because I was feeling like I was about to pass out.

Also, it didn't help that I was just overall tired from the trip at that point from not having the best sleep. It was SO WORTH the almost pass out moment!

We hung out at the top for a bit, I really think they are missing an opportunity to sell water because I could have drunk a gallon of it after getting to the top.

After we hung out, Rich and I were going to go back to our Airbnb to drop off my copper pot that felt like it weighed about 100 pounds, but we didn't have time because... we had to go on a champagne tour of the Seine River!

This. Was. Me. Living. My. Best. LIFE.

Rich didn't even think he liked champagne that much, but, not to my surprise, that really seems to change during this excursion.

Just a casual Thursday drinking champagne on the Seine River...

Clearly, I had to take this photo even if it's the most basic photo to take.

Look at this fun, loving group having the best time ever. If you notice, the sky was a bit dark while we were visiting the Arc de Triomphe but as soon as we sat foot on the boat, the sky cleared up and we had beautiful weather!

All of my favorite things in one photo! This is one of my favorite moments on the trip!

We tried three different champagnes on the tour, but I only took photos of two... I do not know why I forgot the third? Maybe because I didn't like it? These two were BOTH delicious. As someone who loves champagne, I loved learning all of the fun things about it. We went over how it was made, the types of grapes, the region of France, lots of fun details.

They even made these cheesy photos for us when we got on the boat, none of us bought one, but I had to take a photo of one because the heart is coming out of Rich's head. He told me that he hates when people say, 'My heart is so full!' on social media and I think this is his karma. A FULL HEART on top of his head!

AS SOON as we got off the boat (it was so sad to leave) the sky became dark and as soon as we stepped into the Uber it began to rain. The weather luck was on our side!

Researching restaurants is one of my favorite things to do when in a new city, I will spend two hours just to find the perfect restaurant. After our champagne tour, I had found this place called, "Le Centre du Monde." It really felt like the right place because it had a great fixed menu with all of the French food that I had been wanting to have while in Paris...

For starters, I had the French onion soup that I basically had to pick up the bowl to get every last drop. I LOVE soup, and this was perfect on a rainy night in Paris. It was also so, so good. French onion is one of my favorites and this made me really want to come home and make it more often.

Secondly, it was time for the beef bourguignon! Now, chunks of meat do not photo well in dim light, and I understand that this photo is a little disgusting looking, but it was also DELICIOUS. I've never made it before, but I would like to make the Julia Child version.

(A bit Julia Child obsessed right now.)

Dessert was a chocolate mousse. I bet you can guess how it tasted... DELICIOUS.

Though I am not that great at making desserts, I certainly should practice. Also, because we walked over 10,000 steps every day, sometimes closer to 15,000 or 20,000, I did not gain one pound this entire trip.

After dinner, we were going to go to a fun bar, but once we got there it was so hot that we couldn't stay. We headed back to our Airbnb and hung out on the rooftop and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle. Even walking around how beautiful views day and night.

Friday morning Rich and I got up to go find a post office to send my mom a postcard. Of course, we had to start out getting Rich an espresso first because he became a bit addicted. Then we walked around cluelessly until I found a postcard and then a post office. It was not an easy task. My mom may never get another postcard again from me after that debacle. After that, we went back to the Airbnb, grabbed our bags and were headed to the train station so we could hop on a train to head to Nice!

Next up, our adventures in Nice and Monaco!

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation: Houston Food Bank

2017-09-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

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After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, there was absolutely zero question of where I would donate this month for my year of Thirty-ONEderful charity donations. This month, I am donating to the Houston Food Bank.

For those of you who don't know, I turned 31 on June 5. I am calling this, "The Year of Being Thirty-ONEderful." It's about making this year... wonderful. Part of making anything wonderful in life is to give back to others where you can. So, on the 5th of each month, I am donating $31 to a charity and highlighting the work they do in a blog post.

Between the news and social media, it's been heartbreaking to see so many lives affected by this hurricane. Homes destroyed, families being displaced, lives being put on hold for the upcoming days, weeks and even months. It's truly, truly heartbreaking.

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What is incredible though, are the volunteers that have gone to help, rescue, and do what they can to help the lives of those affected.

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That's what has really touched me the most, volunteers like the guys who drove their boats to Texas to help rescue others. The people who have lost everything but are still out there helping others. The mattress guy who opened up his businesses and let people stay there and sleep there without asking for anything.

I've seemed to have a theme of my monthly donations, so I kept with my theme and donated to the Houston Food Bank. During disaster times, I think it's better to give money then send things that a volunteer has to sort through to figure out logistics. I'll trust the staff at the Houston Food Bank to see that the money is best used however it best serves those in need.

If you're interested in donating to those affected by Hurricane Harvey, NPR has a list of reputable organizations: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/28/546745827/looking-to-help-those-affected-by-harvey-here-s-a-list

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation:

June - Heifer International

July - Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
August - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas
September - Houston Food Bank

Vive La France: Traveling in Paris Day 2

2017-09-01T17:37:00.004-05:00

Our second day of being in Paris started off with dead bodies. That's right.

We went to visit the Catacombs.

This has been on my list of things I've wanted to do in Paris for a VERY long time. I told the group I was going with or without them, but I am so glad we all went together. Even though it was VERY cool, it's also a bit creeeeeeeeepy.

Some fun Catacombs of Paris facts:

The Catacombs are 20 meters UNDER Paris
The Catacombs are underground ossuaries.
There are remains of more than six million people.
They were built in the 17th century because Paris had no more room to bury the dead.
Only a portion of the Catacombs is open to the public, however, there are dozens of secret entrances around the city.

Here's what I wasn't prepared for visiting the Catacombs... all of the stairs. There is the smallest staircase leading down into the Catacombs and the only thing surrounding you is stairs and walls. If you're a person that gets claustrophobic, this *might* not be the right field trip for you.

Also, a note to myself, what goes down must come back up. Walking up ALL of those stairs almost made me dizzy, however, it did provide for a good thigh workout.

It took us about 45-min or so to walk through the guided tunnels of the Catacombs. We were all equipped with the self-guided tour of the little radio that you press numbers on to play information when you're in a certain area. I had to listen to some of the same information twice because there was just SO much!

Don't worry, even in the tunnels of death, there is still love. As in, the skulls were shaped into a heart.

After we crawled out of the Catacombs, decided to take off and just go walking through Paris. We walked A LOT. We ended up visiting Shakespeare and Co. bookstore.

I bought the book, "F. Scott Fitzgerald's Taste of France" from Shakespeare and Company. I knew I HAD to buy something because this is where Julia Child shopped for cookbooks as well... so, I bought a cookbook!

Because I already had all of the Julia Child books, I thought it would be fun to buy something else. This cook book was inspired by the characters and writers of The Jazz Age. I can't wait to try so many of the cool recipes that are in this book. This book is also available on Amazon if you want to check it out. It's cheaper on Amazon, but I HAD to have the Shakespeare and Company stamp. :)

We were also close to Notre Dame again so we did a little photo shoot there on the side of the building. Just like I said in my previous post, it's a GORGEOUS cathedral!

Our day wasn't over... Amy and I had signed up to take a French cooking class at Le Cuisine Perie or AKA, La Cuisine Paris!

We booked the Gourmet Soirée in Paris class. It's a bit pricey at €120.00 ... but you only live once, and who knows the next time I will have a chance to take a French cooking class in Paris.

The menu was as follows:

Au Menu :

Salade Lyonnaise : Salade aux Lardons et œuf Poché

(Bistrot salad with bacon and poached egg)

Volaille à la Crème

(Poultry with a creamy mushroom sauce)

Legumes Rotis Saison

(Selection of roasted seasonal vegetables)

Dégustation de Fromages

(Tasting selection of fine French Fromage)

Profiteroles avec des Fruits Rouges

(Profiteroles with seasonal red fruits)

So, here's the fun part... at some point in the class, I was in charge of poaching eggs and I have never poached an egg before in my life. And, I didn't even know if I LIKE poached eggs. So, did I poach eggs well? No. I did not. However, I did make, a LOT of boiled eggs. So, do I like poached eggs? Still unsure.

What did I do well at? Cooking onions! We made this DELICIOUS simmer onions and tomato mixture, then added it to the bottom of a casserole dish, then added sliced zucchini and eggplant.

Once we cooked all of the dishes, we then worked on plating the salads. Low and behold, my salad did not receive a poached egg but one of my masterful boiled eggs. I took it off my salad and let it sit there in its boiled misery.

Doesn't that look beautiful?? We made a balsamic dressing for the salads and the technique that he showed us how to make a vinaigrette0. will stay with me forever. It was more labor intensive (usually I use mason jars for dressings), but you get a bowl and a spoon and you really incorporate the vinegar with the oil to make it one.

The dinner was served family style, so it's not plated as pretty as the salads were but it tastes just as delicious! We actually cooked the chicken IN the creamy mushroom sauce. I never even thought I liked a creamy mushroom sauce until I had it in this class. Our vegetable dish was delicious, and I am hoping to try to make it again over the Labor Day weekend.

This was our dessert. I mean, there's no reason to talk about this because you get how good this was, right? The picture says more than I ever could.

After a HARD two hours of cooking, we got to enjoy the food, make new friends, and relax! It was SO much fun except for the egg poaching business.

While we were busy learning new skills, the guys were off drinking in Paris. We decided to meet up after the class at the Louvre. After our class, we took off on foot and walked beside the Seine River where Parisians were having picnics along the river and enjoying life. There was music playing, the sun was setting, it was just a lovely, lovely moment.

Here is the fun part, when Amy and I got there the Palace behind the Louvre was dark, and as soon as we walked in it all started to light up around us. It was the most magical thing to happen!

We sadly didn't have time to visit the Louvre because we were only in Paris for four days. But, I'm actually glad that we didn't because this gives us a great reason to go back! I would go back to Paris tomorrow, to be honest.

After our long, long day, we went for a night cap. We went to one cute bar and then another... at the second bar I got some French fries (because I LOVE French fries and white wine) and somehow things got lost in translation, so instead of one order of fries, we got four! Oops.

That's all for day two! But stay tuned for day three... we take a Champagne cruise on the Seine River that I am still dreaming of two weeks later!

Vive La France: Traveling in Paris Day 1

2017-08-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

Waking up in Paris and opening the window in our Airbnb to have a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower was truly breathtaking. It's exactly how I imagined it would be. Isn't that the best thing in life? When you imagine something and then it's better than you expected it?

After a full 24-hours of traveling, we all got up slowly, showered, and got ready to go explore Paris! If you know me, then you know I get ... what's the nicest word for this?... HANGRY. So we left the Airbnb, headed towards the Eiffel, and we're all in agreement that we needed to get food and espresso. Now, I'm not a coffee person, I don't like the taste, but Rich got a little addicted to espresso during our trip and is now wanting to buy a French press.

Our first cafe stop was at a place called, Le Pierro Bistrot. I thought it was cute that Rich's espresso cup said, "Cafe Richard' ... though this seems to just be a brand of mugs because it wasn't as unique that I thought it would be. Rich had many more Cafe Richards.

Now, I'm sure plenty of you are thinking, "What an American looking lunch in France, Maegan. Way to get out of your comfort zone." And you're right. The menu wasn't in English, it was our first day in France, I do not speak a word of French, so this was basically a guessing game. However, this was the best French Club Sandwich I ever had. So there.

Also, FRENCH FRIES. So, my meal was very French.

The group was fed, espresso'd, and ready for the start of the day!

Our first afternoon was spent at the Eiffel Tower. I honestly still can't believe how pretty and big it is in person. I know I sound like a fan girl, but I had been waiting 23 years for this moment so I was going to soak up every bit that I could!

We hung out and chilled on the grass for a bit before deciding to explore some more. We decided to walk the Seine River to head to Notre Dame. As soon as we took off walking we realized that it was going to take a while because Notre Dame is pretty far on foot from the Eiffel, so instead, we grabbed some of the city bikes to ride. It was SO. MUCH. FUN! I wish I had more photos, but it's hard to bike and snap.

Riding a bike along the Seine River was probably one of the most fun things that we did! I really wish I had more photos of it or photos but I was living in the moment.

We rode the bikes close to Notre Dame Cathedral and then parked them. The ride was a lot of fun for me, but Rich took us down a one-way road the wrong way and Amy almost got ran over by a truck because people wouldn't move off the bike lane on the side walk.

Needless to say, we were ready to be at Notre Dame in once piece.

Here's what we didn't know about the day we decided to go visit, it was a Catholic holiday! So when we got there, I heard a lot of singing, there was a ton of security and lots and lots of people. Though I am not Catholic, it was beautiful to hear the singing even if I had no idea what they were saying.

I love symmetry in architecture, and this building is beautiful! The details, the sculptures, just everything was exquisite. After gawking around and watching a choir leave Notre Dame Cathedral while singing it was time for a break.

It was starting to get a bit rainy, so we left to find a snack ... and some wine.

Say, "Bonjour!" to our first cheese plate! I can't even tell you what all these cheeses are because I've realized I am a cheese novice, but the only thing left on this plate when we were done was the piece of lettuce on the board.

We left our cute bar/restaurant and walked a bit more around the Seine River.

We actually came out on the backside of the Notre Dame Cathedral. We walked, and walked, and walked some more until it was time for dinner. We already knew that we were going to go to an Italian restaurant called, "Trattoria Di Sapri" that one of our friends had talked and talked about to us before we left.

I know. A club sandwich for lunch, and Italian for dinner.

HOWEVER, it was DELISH. I don't even have any pictures except for one because it was sooo good, and I was sooo hungry!

After dinner, we *tried* to go to Moulin Rouge, but because the guys were wearing shorts we couldn't get tickets. Lesson learned for different places in France, shorts can mean no entry.

Since we couldn't go see Moulin Rouge, we went to a bar close by instead for a night cap.

Then, we went back to our AirBNB to sit outside on the patio and look at the Eiffel Tower sparkle. It is the MOST magical thing to watch at night!

Next! On to day two of Paris which means visiting the Catacombs and a (really hard) French cooking class!

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Traveling From Little Rock to Paris

2017-08-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

It FINALLY happened in life, I finally made it to Paris! If you remember, a few months ago I announced that I was headed to France for the first time with a group of friends and asked for a few recommendations. After lots of researching, reading and recommendations we had the best time!

I'm going to be recapping a lot of the trip on the blog, so let's start out with the beginning!

Packing has never been a strong suit of mine because I always over pack. But, my friend Amy told me about packing cubes and how they helped keep things organized. I found this really cute set on Amazon for around $23 and I love them. I was able to put tops in one, pants in one, and dresses in another. It also came with a bathroom toiletry bag that is a perfect size for the trip. (These are NOT affiliate links, I just LOVE these cubes!!)

Packing with these cubes also made it easier while on the trip. Nothing got lost like it usually does and I was able to rearrange and pack when I souvenirs to bring back (and just wait, I brought back a doozy of one).

Five of us traveled from Little Rock to New Orleans to fly on Condor to head to France. Amy and Bobby (the married couple), Rich and me (the dating couple) and our friend Marcus.

The drive to New Orleans can take around 7 hours or so, give or take how many times we have to stop for snacks. (My favorite car snack are pickle chips. Also, the smelliest snack.)

After we got to New Orleans, we settled into our hotel room and then headed out for dinner. Rich and I had visited New Orleans about a year and a half ago and eaten at a restaurant called, Cochon. They also have a more casual restaurant called Cochon Butcher that doesn't require any reservation and is a little friendlier on the wallet when you're about to take a 10-day trip to Europe.

I LOVED Cochon, and I LOVED Cochon Butcher. I had the pork belly with lima beans and then split the Mc and Cheese with Rich. Everything was INCREDIBLE. I can't wait to go back to New Orleans just to eat at one of these restaurants again.

Because it was Saturday night and we weren't leaving til late Sunday night, we did what any group of friends would do in New Orleans, we went to visit Bourbon Street.

It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends on Bourbon and just watch people. I'm pretty sure we counted like 20 bachelorette/bachelor parties, a lot of people in red dresses, and a few men carrying around snakes. There were also a few other things that we saw that I'll just keep off the blog. ;)

After a delicious dinner, a fun night but a long day of driving, I was ready to call it a night. Sunday morning we all got up late, took showers before the long 24-hour journey, and had a casual afternoon. We went to a fun arcade bar for some snacks then headed to Cafe Du Monde for some beignets! I love a good beignet, but I will say, in 100-degree weather eating a hot donut makes you sweat more.

What's the best bar to go to in New Orleans to have fun and stay cool? The carousel bar!

Rich first brought me here on our trip and it was one of my favorite places that we visited. I'd like to make The Carousel Bar and Cochon a regular on any visit I have to New Orleans now.

Look at these sweet, five faces ready for France!

Our flight to France didn't leave until around 11 p.m. Sunday night because there was a bit of a delay. So, the five of us each bought a bottle of wine in the airport, a bunch of snacks, and just sat around waiting for takeoff.

We were all flying Condor for the first time because they had such great deals flying from New Orleans to Paris. I mean, REALLY good deals! I had actually never heard of this airline before this trip. Rich's dad had told us that they had been around for a long time. We paid less than $500 roundtrip flight per person from New Orleans to Paris!

My first time flying Condor was actually fun. Who says that about an airline? I watched the movie Gone Girl because I like to call it a romantic comedy.

I basically felt like I was at home but with MUCH better and fancier snacks.

This was the food... this is better than I eat on a daily basis. The starter on the left was sliced Char Siu duck, honey poached mushrooms, scallop and shrimp, and a fresh salad. The main course (if you think there wasn't more) was beef tenderloin with a red wine jus and grilled vegetables. And then, of course, dessert was a dark chocolate mousse with fresh strawberries.

Honestly, this meal was DELICIOUS. I have never had such good airplane food but it really made me forget that I was traveling across the world over an ocean. Would I fly Condor again? Absolutely.

When we arrived in Paris it was pretty late so we took an Uber from the airport to our Airbnb. We went around the corner to find a small market store still open and grabbed a couple dozen frozen pizzas. After a little confusion on how to actually start the oven, we had a little midnight dinner and then went to bed... the Airbnb was PERFECT and we woke up to this view:

Next, our first day in Paris!

To be continued...

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas

2017-08-07T13:44:00.003-05:00

It's the third month of "Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation" and this month I am donating $31 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas (RMHCA). I can't believe it's already August! That means back to school for many, and much more traffic for me in the mornings to work. However, it also means that there are children and families who are not going back to school yet this year because they are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas.

About two years ago, I visited and toured what the RMHCA of Arkansas provided here in Little Rock. It was incredibly humbling. They've really created a 'home-away-from-home' for more than 33,000 families who have traveled here for pediatric care from all over the state.

Here's how they describe their home:

"While RMHCA cannot make medicine taste better or take away painful treatments, we can provide a place to stay each night and the little things that are otherwise easily taken for granted: warm meals, a hot shower, play spaces and friendly faces to come home to after a long day. We are not a hotel, but a warm "home-away-from-home" with a sense of community and support."

Each family is given a private bedroom, bed and bath linens, free laundry facilities, access to common areas with tv's, outside play areas, and access to two kitchen areas. It costs the house around $80 per room, per day to operate.

No family is ever turned away because of inability to pay.

As August rushes by, and the traffic begins to increase, and school supplies are aplenty, think about the children and families who are not getting ready to take their first day back to school photo this year. Those are the kids that I want to support this month by helping their families find a little comfort wherever they can during their stressful time.

It doesn't get much sweeter than this. Congratulations to Kendra and Baby Willow for heading home last week after 15 days. We hope they come back to visit! #forrmhc #keepingfamiliesclose

A post shared by RMHCArkansas (@rmhcarkansas) on Jul 25, 2017 at 2:47pm PDT

And I cannot forget to mention one of the most important jobs at RMHCA. The Director of Smiles, Mac. How could you not feel a bit better about life getting a hug from him?

Even though Mac is our Director of Smiles, Jeremiah didn't need any help smiling this morning. He was sharing his own smile with Mac. #directorofsmiles #forrmhc #keepingfamiliesclose

A post shared by RMHCArkansas (@rmhcarkansas) on May 1, 2017 at 7:46am PDT

If you can't give monetarily, but you can give your time, there are LOTS of ways to get involved with volunteering. Or, keep up with them in the news. You can also buy house necessities off of their Amazon WishList and have the items sent to the house! Shop here. And if you do want to give, go here.

Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation:

June - Heifer International

July - Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
August - Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas

Easy Zucchini Taco Boats

2017-07-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

There is something that happens in your thirties that I was told so many times about but never really believed to be true... it really does matter what you eat! To keep my meals filling but light, I have been really enjoying zucchini taco boats. Who knew that tacos would actually be delicious in a vegetable boat made of zucchini.

Here are a few of the main ingredients. These boats are perfect for summer because zucchini is always affordable either at a grocery store or farmers market.

First thing is first ... halve the zucchini.

Next, I take a spoon and scoop out the innards and toss them.

Once the zucchinis are halved and scooped, lay them on a sprayed oiled baking sheet lined with foil. I like to pre-bake the zucchini for about 15-20 minutes on 350 degrees F.

While the zucchini is pre-baking, now is the time to cook the ground beef. I'm sure it's much better to make your own taco seasoning, but for the sake of time after a long day of work, I don't mind using a pre-made seasoning.

Once the ground beef has been cooked and seasoned, I like to let it cool a bit and add it to the pre-baked zucchini boats.

Next, add some cheese to the top of the taco ground beef and let it bake again for about 10-15 min at 350 degrees F.

Once everything is cooked together, I like to top the taco zucchini boats with a reduced-fat sour cream, salsa, more cheese, sliced avocado, jalapenos ... whatever you like on a taco!

Enjoy!

Classic #NSale Items You Have to Buy!

2017-07-14T06:50:00.000-05:00

It's one of the most exciting times of the year! It's the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale where you can get the best deals on fashion and beauty! I do MAJOR damage every year with this sale, but I also am so thankful throughout the fall/winter for these investment clothing pieces.

The sale has started now for anyone who has a Nordstrom card, and then it will be available to the general public on July 21. If you don't have a Nordstrom card, I suggest adding the items you want to your cart so you can get them ASAP on the 21st!

Never, ever calling buying clothes simply, 'shopping.' Call it, 'Investing.' Why? Because it's better to save $$$ now than spend MORE later. Here are my picks for the BEST classic pieces that you can invest this year in the #NSale:

Classic #NSale Items You Have to Buy

1. Lightweight Rib Stitch Cardigan

2. Sam Edelman Camellia Tall Boot

3. BP Tee w/Pocket (SO many colors!!)

4. Eliza J Ruffle Sleeve Sheath Dress

5. Charles by Charles David Maxx Pointy Pump

6. Vince Camuto Jumpsuit

Why did I pick these pieces? Because they will be the most versatile throughout the year. The pumps you can wear with dresses, jumpsuits or jeans! The boots will be SO CUTE with skinny jeans and one of the BP. Tees!

And just for fun... here are a few more options. I bought these Trouve faux leather leggings last fall and I LOVE them. I just bought this fun Topshop sweater on the sale! Paired with these fun BP booties and it's a eas fall outfit.

Are you shopping the #NSale this year? What are you buying?? (Not like I need more things to buy, but, hey, it's investing, right?!)

Styled by Stitch Fix Review

2017-07-07T07:08:00.000-05:00

One of my absolute, favorite things in the whole wide world is shopping. It doesn't matter if it's for groceries, house decor, or clothes. Another one of my favorite things is when things just show up at my door. Recently, Stitch Fix offered to send me a free fix and there was no way I could say no to that!

Now for a little show and Stich Fix tell...

I received this KUT FROM THE KLOTH Callie Denim Jacket from Stitch Fix, and I LOVE it. I've always been a fan of a denim jacket, whether they are in style or out of style, to me they are just comfortable.

Next, was this 41HAWTHORN Lilou Ruffle Neck Blouse. Navy is one of my favorite colors to wear all year round. This top would be great for wearing in the hot Arkansas summer, OR, layering for the fall with a cute denim jacket!

This skirt will surprise you on how comfortable it is because it's so stretchy! I love the fun pattern on this MARGARET M Bethana Skirt!

So when I pulled out this STATEMENT Shaena Wrap Dress my first thought was, eh. After I put it on I was IN LOVE! It's so soft, comfortable, and I think it's really flattering. It's also navy.

This 41HAWTHORN Juanis V-Neck Blouse already looks great with a skirt that I already own! I think that's why I'm such a fan of clothing services like Stitch Fix. You can try on different clothing pieces with pieces you already own!

What did you think of my fix from Stitch Fix? What was your favorite piece? Overall I was REALLY happy and impressed with this fix! I take back my words of saying that I was forever done. For $20, it's still so much fun to receive a box of clothes, especially when you can usually buy all five items for under $250!

If you haven't tried Stitch Fix, now is the time! Please use my referral link if you do.