Thoughtful Thursday

Happy last Thursday of 2016. To say this was a kinda rough year is understatement. I've had better years and I've had worse but at least I made it through. From the looks of it, I'm not the only person feeling that way.  Here are some thoughts for today for y'all:

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Peace & Blessing all....

Hot Cocoa on a Budget

 Happy hump day!!!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. After getting back from a quick road trip, I ended up spending the rest of Sunday until yesterday with the Flu. I still feel a little under the weather but I don't feel completely uhh anymore. 

One of the things that has helped my is drinking liquids. I have been drinking water (of courser) & tea quite a bit (its' my new thing these days). Other than that I'm obsessed with Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix.

I picked a large bag at the store a week or so ago. The large bag was about $5.50 and makes 10 cups of cocoa. I have tried the Triple Chocolate, which is super yummy. Thing I like about this is that you use milk instead of water, which makes it similar to homemade. This is great if you are in a crunch or sick like me. All you do add:

-1 cup warm milk (usually, I put mine in the microwave but you can do it on the stove as well)

-1 packet of mix or if you have the big bag 1 tbsp mix

-Stir well well.

 Below I did the mix. I added in homemade whipped cream and chopped Andes peppermint pieces.

Oh, and the mug is from Marshalls. I ended up buying two more in different colors. 

Peace & blessing, all. Have a great Wednesday. Try to stay healthy & not get sick, all.

This is my personal opinion of the products. I received not compensation for view.

Thoughtful Thursday

I can't believe that today is the beginning of Winter. Personally, I thought it was Winter already with the way the weather has been. Here are some funny quotes to help you get through the rest of this busy week leading up to Christmas:

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Peace & blessing all. Hope everyone gets all their shopping & other pre-holiday activities done in these last few days so you can relax. I'm looking forward to the not setting my alarm for a couple of days & enjoying the break. 

Fitness Tuesday

Is anyone else over the cold as much as I am?? Since it has been super cold (I mean super cold for the South anyway), I haven't really been running. In Winter  late fall, I get lazy due to the weather changes. Let me rephrase that: the crazy weather in the later months has made it hard to stick to a plan when you mainly run outside. 

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought that some of these exercises would be great to do. They are convenient since you can do them in any free space, require not weights, and can be done in the warmth of your home.

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Peace and blessings, all. Try to stay warm and have a great Tuesday!!!

Weekend Reads

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Does anyone else ever plan to do something then something else comes up and once they get finished with what distracted them they realize they forgot to the the original task?  Well, that is exactly what is happening with my weekend reads. I have tons of articles that I have been saving for the last few weeks and have forgotten to post them. In the new year one of my goals is to get better organized blogging-wise. This list is going to be long so here are a few of the articles that I have found interesting over the last few weeks:

Get some energy in the morning with these 10 carbs

Try this workout if you only have 15 minutes to spare

If you get the travel bug, book a trip to one of the world's best cities (my favorite city is #1)

5 things to not do when you are making changes to your diet

Make these if you are looking for a healthier alternative to your regular cookies

If you think a cold or flu is coming on, take some of these supplements

Use these tips to help with meal prep to lose weight

Find out what happens to your body if you don't drink enough water

Ended up eating too much this holiday season?  Try these natural ways to help with bloating.



 I'm finally going to get to celebrate my graduating last week and my new job since I've been sick most of the week (thank you Mother Nature). Peace & blessings all. Have a fantastic weekend!!!

Thoughtful Thursday

So, I thought when I graduated last Friday that I would have more time to blog. Well, I was very wrong. As of late, I have been busy with work task, finishing my grad school stuff, and getting ready to start my new job. Let's say that I'm ready to have a chill/do nothing moment. That probably won't happen anytime soon. Here are a few some thought for today:

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Peace and blessing all...

Thoughtful Thursday

Yay, Thursday is here!!! I am officially on break. I do have to work but other than that, it's relaxation time.  Today is going to be short and sweet though since I have things outside of school I'm busy with. Here are some quotes for today:

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Peace and blessing all...

Fitness Tuesday

For some reason lately, I have been posting a lot of food recipes on Fitness Tuesday. It could be since it's colder out (it's in the 40s here) that I would rather eat soup (which is one of my favorite things to eat) than run in the rain. Now that I'm done with classes for the moment, I can do some of my favorite things: read, handlettering, cook, blog.

One of the things that I'm trying to do more of  now and continue into 2017 is cutting back on my meat consumption. My older sister has been Vegan for about 10 years and my brother-in-law has been a Vegetarian for longer. I have tried making recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas that don't involve any animals products when I know they are coming (my brother-in-law does eat butter and cheese sometimes). 

By now, you should know that I love Food and Wine magazine. It is one of my go-to magazines for new recipes (besides all the Southern Living cookbooks that I own) and for coming up with new ideas. Since, I'm trying to make more Vegan and Vegetarian recipes I searched to find some on their site. 

These are a few of the ones that I think I have to try making during this break before I start graduate school:

Spicy Chickpea Salad

Nordic Winter Vegetable Soup

Pennette with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I would sub the coconut milk and oil in this due to my allergy to it.

Cilantro-Flecked Corn Fritters Chile-Mint Sauce

Does anyone have any Vegan or Vegetarian recipes that they are dying to try to make during the holiday season? 

Peace and Blessing all...

Thoughful Thursday

Happy Thursday!!! It's hard to believe that this is the last Thursday of November and that there is only one more month left in 2016. I've been busy with my final exams this week (1 on Monday, 1 on Wednesday, and 1 on Thursday) and my last project due on Friday. Here are some thoughts for today:

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Peace and blessings all and enjoy your Thursday!!! 

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Currently, I'm in the thick of making dressing and cranberry-relish sauce (actually, taking a break from it). I hope everyone has a great, relaxing day with your family, friends, and loved ones. Here are some thought for today:

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 One of the reasons I have always loved this holiday is because it makes you truly reflect on things. Have a great Thanksgiving and always remember that we are all very blessed for the lives we have. Peace and Blessing all......

Fitness Tuesday

Since Thanksgiving is literally 2 days away, I thought today I would talk about one of my favorite things about the holiday: the food. Over the last couple of years I have been making alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving meal. One year I made vegan dressing and last year I made my own cranberry-orange relish.

 These are some recipes I found in case you are looking for a healthy/healthier option to this holiday season:

Holiday Roasted Vegetables

I would make it with the pecans since I have an allergy to them.

Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie

In the original recipe she used coconut milk and coconut whipped topping (have an allergy to coconuts also). I usually make my own whipped cream if I have time.

Green Bean Salad

This seems like a great option if you're looking to try a new green bean recipe.

Cauliflower Stuffing

Mini Baked Apple Pies

Delish is one of my favorite websites to find recipes especially this time of year. Happy Tuesday and Peace & Blessing all!!

Weekend Reads

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Happy Friday/weekend!!!! This weekend should be fun in my neck of the woods since my boyfriend in coming home after being gone for a month Friday evening and my friend's birthday is this weekend. This week is definitely crunch time for me. Thanksgiving break being right around the corner, will give me a much needed break i.e. I can stop slacking at life and get all my projects done.

These are a few of the articles from this week that I liked:


Find out what you are doing to sabotage your weight loss.


Here are some things that happen from drinking green tea regularly.

For the traveler in your life, here are present for $10 or less.

See how to sneak nutritious foods into every meal.


Happiness could help your brain function better.


Peace and Blessing, guys!!! Have a great weekend and enjoy the unfortunately warm weather for this time of year.