Treats For Lil' Sis

My little sister, Katy-Lou, is a sophomore at SDSU in Brookings. School is hard and she uses all of her spare time either dancing or at bible study and has no time to.  I wanted to send her a little college care package that symbolizes the best of fall--PUMPKIN TREATS! Not pumpkin flavor treats as would be expected, but rather rice crispie treats cut out in the shape of a pumpkin with pop rocks sprinkled on top (try it, trust me) and iced pumpkin shaped sugar cookies. She works really hard to keep her cute little petite frame, but who doesn't like a few treats to snack on and share with friends and study buddies?

Don't forget about your siblings or friends still in college that are probably hungry and needs snacks to make it thru the rest of the semester--send some Fall Love <3

Iced Coffee

Need a boost in the morning or have some left over French pressed coffee? Try making a homemade Iced Coffee that rivals Starbucks sweetened version. Since I am made of sugar, I increased the simple syrup to a tablespoon in lieu of the teaspoon recommended on Lo Bosworth's lifestyle blog (link above). I just love when Lo from Laguna Beach and I love the same things. It means we are basically best friends right?

Fitness Friday

Don't forget to stretch! These past few weeks, I have been travelling a lot and can't help but notice that I am getting very stiff and need to stretch out. When you used to be able to touch your palms to the floor no problem and now can barely touch your toes, something needs to change. I am making a conscious effort to stretch 10 minutes daily to improve my flexibility. My focus is my hamstrings and hip flexors. Below are some good videos to follow for stretching including my all time favorite, yoga. And if you have a foam roller, you need to try it out to really get a deep full body stretch.  

Girls Night: Fall Wreath

What is better than having a girls night and craft night? I met these fun girls playing basketball in city league last year. We put a team together with mutual friends and we officially met our first game of the season. We had so much fun together than we have continued to hang out at least once a month doing "gnome" parties. Where the girl that gets a lawn gnome put in their yard or "gnomed" is the host of the next gathering. For our most recent get together, we decided to each create a fall wreath for our doors.  Some did a burlap wire wreath following directions from a YouTube video and my friend, Ashleigh, and myself did a really wreath with creative embellishments.

It was such a fun idea and easy to do. I would definitely recommend it for an easy party to have with your girls friends. Like I said, what Is better than having a girls night and craft night?

Newport Beach

Last weekend, we went to visit my best friend, Emma, in Los Angeles. Kyle and I make it a point to visit Emma and her boyfriend,Matt, because we have a really good time with them. We also really enjoy the culture and lifestyle of LA.  It’s always a really good time good people, good food and good cupcakes. Since the temperatures were in the 90s (and in the 40s in South Dakota), we took a road trip to Newport Beach so that we could enjoy the nice ocean breeze. We had a really good time! We got to swim in the ocean and got a little color on the beach. We celebrated Kyle’s birthday dinner at Sunset at Las Brisas in Laguna Beach.

Since I am such a fan of cupcakes we always make it a point to go to the famous sprinkles cupcakes we went to the one in Newport Beach at fashion Island. Kyle and I got three cupcakes to share, got a black-and-white and a triple cinnamon and the special of the day which was a peanut butter mocha cupcake. The main event of the trip was to attend a Kingsof Leon Concert. Emma and I have been in love with KOL for almost 10 years and wanted to attend our fourth concert together on their last night of their Mechanical Bull Tour.

It was a great trip and we really enjoyed our time with Emma and Matt. They are great hosts and great friends. They are both doing a great job making their dreams happen in LA and we are proud of them. Until next time! 

Cinnamon Scones

It's time to get your fall baking on! To me, Cinnamon, is a classic Fall flavor. One of my favorite coffee shoppes serve these delicious cinnamon chip scones. They are to die for and are perfect on a brisk Fall morning with a piping hot latte.  Since Kyle makes delicious coffees, like Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Mochas, I have been on the search to re-create these scones to mimic my perfect fall morning at home. I finally stumbled upon a recipe on one of my favorite baking blogs, My Baking Addiction, and it is perfect. The original cinnamon scones are dipped in a glaze and served but the recipe below and on the site have a cream cheese icing drizzled on top to give the scone some extra flare. The recipe yields over a dozen scones, depending on how big you cut the wedges. Wrap extra scones, in plastic wrap and place in a freeze tight container and they will last in the freezer for up to a month. 

Hope you enjoy the beginning of Fall Baking! 

Fitness Friday

I'm going to LA to see my best friend today! So of course my fitness routine has ramped up. Cheers to 5am workouts! I am focusing on my abs since we will be spending time on the beach in Laguna (can you say my MTV Laguna Beach marathons will come in handy?) I've upped my cardio, especially running so I can tone my legs up to wear those short shorts.

The beach body babes at Tone it Up do it again with quick and effective body toning videos to help you get the beach body you've always wanted. The best part is you can do these anytime not just when you are trying to hold into summer and hitting the beach in October!