c’est la vie
Happy Earth Day! Today is such a special day that reminds me how special and blessed we all are to live and explore this beautiful planet we call home. In honor of Earth day, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos and memories of times I’ve been able to experience the true magic that earth provides. I hope you enjoy today!
Planning a trip can be overwhelming and stressful at times, especially larger trips. The planning process can take time depending on where you’re planning to go. I always recommended planning early if possible to relieve stress and give yourself plenty of time to make reservations and develop a plan for your trip. If planning in advance isn’t a strength of yours, I’m hoping this guide gives you some ideas to make it a little less stressful!
📍Pick your desired destination, the fun part! Sometimes this is easy but if you aren’t sure where you’d like to go, consider what types of activities you’d like to do, if you’d rather relax or adventure, and how far you’re willing to fly or drive to reach your destination.
⏰ Determine timeframe. I like to start the planning process with a general idea of when I’ll be going on a trip. This may be depend on the area you’re visiting and whether there’s a better time to visit or it may be based on your availability. I usually gravitate towards traveling in the summer or fall months, the weather is usually better and there’s more opportunity for activities.
🚐 Decide whether driving or flying makes the most sense. Driving can take more time but it saves you the hassle of having to find a rental car or other means of transportation at your destination. Plus, there’s no limit to what you can bring, if you’re an over packer like me!
🎟 If you have/want to fly, I’d book flight tickets pretty soon after deciding on dates. Similarly, if you decide to drive, plan out any reservations you’ll need for accommodations or tickets needed for various activities.
It’s hard to believe it’s already spring! I love the start of any new season, but something about spring is so refreshing. It’s so inspiring to see longer days with sunlight, birds chirping in the morning, flowers and trees blooming, and the end of colder days. This spring season, I’m focusing on ways to add color and crafts into my spaces. I want to share some inspiring photos that I’ve captured so far to welcome the spring season and my spring bucket list I’ll be working on.
Spring Bucket List 🌸💛🌿☔️🐇
Spring simmer pot recipe:
Wishing you all a happy start to the spring season! x
Throughout the last few years, the national park system has changed the way visitors can access certain areas within the parks during peak seasons. Certain parks now require reservations for specific areas to limit crowds and enhance visitor’s overall experience. As of this year, there are 9 national parks that require some type of reservation when visiting.
If you’ve read other national park posts I’ve written, you know I’m frequently recommending planning at least 6+ months in advance, especially for popular parks. While I know this isn’t always possible or convenient, due to the changes with national parks, planning in advance is almost essential if you want to fully access and experience the parks as it’s not possible to purchase these reservations upon entering the park, they must be reserved in advance..
*As of December 2023*
Now that the holidays have passed and the new year has begun, slow season is upon us. This time of year can be hard with winter in full swing, shorter and darker days, cold temperatures, and not many breaks or holidays to look forward to.
During the last few years, since working full time especially, I have found one way to make this season a little easier is to romanticize it! Romanticizing to me, is making something more beautiful or highlighting the beauty in our daily life, even the mundane moments.
I’ve been reading The Little Book of Hygge, Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking. It focuses on the presence of Hygge, the danish term for essentially homey or coziness. Throughout the book, Wiking focuses on how danish people thrive in the winter season and slower months because of the concept and feeling of hygge. It further inspired me to incorporate hygge into my life throughout this new season and embrace the winter instead of dread it.
One of my favorite parts about romanticizing a season or time of life is that it usually doesn’t require material things or an excessive amount of effort. We can romanticize our lives and seasons with what we already have and what we already do. Challenging our mindset about a particular season or time of life is the biggest way to shift how we feel. Cheers to embracing a new season and the start of 2024!
It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. The week between Christmas and New Years is one of my favorite weeks━ the last week of the year, the perfect time to slow down and reflect on the final days of the year and prepare for the year a head. I kn0w there’s some controversy surrounding new years resolutions and goal making, but personally, I love this time of the year because of the chance for a “restart.” A restart or fresh start can be whatever it means to you! Cleaning out a closet, going through old emails, working on a vision board for the year, or writing down dreams, goals, and intentions for the new year.
I created a 2024 dream planning page that I’ll personally be using and wanted to share for anyone else interested. I typically write anything that comes to mind that I hope to achieve or strive for in the new year, even if it feels a little ambiguous at first! That’s what dreaming and goal planning is all about :)
I also wanted to share some of my favorite moments captured on film from the past year.
Wishing you all a wonderful end to 2023 and a magical start to 2024!
The holiday season brings so much warmth and comfort, especially within the home. I love decorating my home and adding cozy elements all year long but there’s something extra special about the holiday season.
Last year was my first year in this apartment. I bought and collected several pieces that are typical when adding holiday decor to a space (a tree, stockings, throw pillows, etc.). This year I wanted to add more homemade touches to the space that felt more personal to Patrick and me. Most of the additions this year were homemade or purchased second hand. I’m hoping this could provide inspiration when decorating for the holidays. My favorite touches this year were adding bows to the christmas tree, seeing more cultivated travel ornaments, wreaths to frame the tree, and lots of garlands.
This year I also focused more on decor and warmth I could create from natural elements such as a dried orange wreath or ornaments and a simmer pot to add winter scents to the home. Here’s some simple steps if you’d also like to incorporate this into your home:
dried orange garland
winter simmer pot
wishing you all happy holidays! x
This past weekend, I was able to spend time camping in one of my favorite places, Allegheny National Forest. Patrick and I first visited Allegheny last spring and enjoyed it so much we wanted to experience the forest during the fall season. We stayed at Red Bridge campground again, one of our favorite campgrounds we’ve ever stayed at. This time we were able to reserve a campsite in advance and choose a beautiful spacious spot surrounded by stunning fall foliage. Here’s a list of extra supplies we brought this time to prep for the chillier weather in the fall and to make the experience more cozy:
Tips:
Check the weather. Fall camping usually brings cooler temps at night and rain depending on where you’re located. While we were in Allegheny it did rain for most of the trip.
Pack lots of layers. There’s nothing worse then being cold and wet. Packing extra layers will provide options and extra warmth on the chilly nights.
Be flexible with plans. During our camp visit, it rained majority of the time which was challenging! Being able to make the most of the trip despite the weather is a must.
Reserve a camping spot in advance. If possible, it’s always reassuring to have a camp site reserved, especially in the fall season. Most seasonal campgrounds are only open through October so it’s usually more popular during the fall months depending on the location.
Supplies to pack for fall camping & for a cozy vibe while camping:
Although some of these supplies aren’t necessary, it definitely made for a cozier experience while camping in the fall season.
One of my favorite ways to capture memories on a trip is through film photography. Last month I went on a two week national park road trip and brought along my Canon ae-1 35mm camera. This is my second film collection shared on the blog, and these are some of my favorite travel photos captured in timeless film. These photos were taken throughout several states and national parks highlighting the beauty of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.
Film Collection 02 / Summer ’23
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