Alaskan Adventures

When I think of a summer vacation I automatically think of sun and palm trees, but last summer my family and I traded in our bathing suits and flip flops for winter coats and  boots. Yup, thats right. My family and I vacationed in Alaska in the middle of the summer. This might not be a typical sumer vacation, but let me tell you why it was one of the BEST trips I have ever taken.

My 19 family members and I (yes I said 19) took a week cruise that took us to three different Alaska locations. We made our way to Juneau, Tracy’s Arm, and Skagway,  which were three of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Growing up in New Jersey, I really appreciated the snowcapped mountains, refreshingly clear water, and the crisp cool air that Alaska offered.

While we were there we explored massive glaciers, gorgeous waterfalls, played with sled puppies, ate fresh delicious salmon and halibut, and created memories that will last a lifetime. To me, all trips are special no matter where you go or who your with. Every trip is its own adventure, but this trip is one of my absolute favorites because it was the trip of a lifetime with my entire family.

I will never forget the beautiful scenery that I was not just able to just see, but experience. Pictures do not do America’s last frontier justice and so if given the opportunity, I would definitely recommend planning a trip to see Alaska.

♡ Jul

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Recipe Time: Banana Oat Pancakes

I know you’ve heard it a million times, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but who has time in the mornings to sit down for a balanced meal? I definitely don’t, but on the weekends I like to treat myself to a better breakfast than the granola bar and an apple that I grab on the way out.

One of my favorite breakfasts to make is my banana oat pancakes. Not only are they easy to make, but they are so much better for you than regular pancakes. This recipe uses only simple ingredients and the flavor possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana (the riper, the sweeter)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of oats (I use steel cut)

(Optional)

  • vanilla extract
  • cinnamon
  • chia seeds
  • jams, jellies
  • berries
  • maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Mash up the banana until it is a liquid consistency. You can also use a food processor or a blender for this step, but I find using a fork is a lot less cleanup.
  2. Mix in the egg and the oats. If the batter seems to runny, add in some more oats.
  3. This is where you can get creative with the flavor. Although these pancakes are delicious plain, there are so many possibilities you can try. I like to add a tablespoon of vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of chia seeds. (The chia seeds makes this a much more filling breakfast)
  4. Melt some butter on low heat (or any nonstick of your choice) and cook the pancakes until they start to bubble on one side and then flip them. Just a heads up, these pancakes tend to break easily so be gently. Unless I need a better recipe, so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
  5. Now the fun part, toppings! You can use jellies, jams, fruit, syrups, etc. I opted for some Vermont maple syrup and more cinnamon. So delicious!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! It should make 4-5 small pancakes. They really are so delicious, I even prefer these over regular pancakes. Let me know if you end up trying this recipe, I’d love to see your creations!

Xo

Jul

How a Service Trip Changed My Perspective

Good Morning loves!

It’s been a year since I traveled to the Philippines for two weeks and so I am feeling very sentimental. Last summer I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to establish a bakery in a small village in the Philippines in order to empower the women of a small impoverished village called Nueva Estrella. .

Before my service trip experience, I would consider myself a much different person. I appreciated my life, but I never really understood how truly blessed I really was. I would spend most of my time shopping. No seriously, I might not enjoy shopping now, but I used to make a trip to Nordstrom at least 2-3 times a week. Today, you can catch me at a mall maybe once every 2-3 months. I realized that material things do not matter, but rather experiences and people! I find it so much more important to spend time and money on people and experiences.

Overall, this experience gave me an entire new outlook on life and forever changed my perspective. I am forever grateful for this opportunity that changed my life. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the people I met and the lives that changed my own.

A year later and I still find myself thinking about this village and these children every single day. The village children taught me that laughter, happiness, and love have no language barrier. This experience taught me to be grateful for life no matter what and to always count your blessings.

I encourage everyone I know to take the chance and find the courage to do a trip that will push them out of their comfort zone and change their life for the better.  There are so many opportunities for college students and young adults to get involved in an experience like this. If your school or an organization you belong to doesn’t offer any opportunities, check out some of these websites, or simply google “service trips.”

Lots of Love

♡Jul

phili 1
Such beautiful children inside and out.
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They were so happy, but they had no idea how much happiness they brought to me.
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This picture always warms my heart.
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The kids loved to pull me around and show me all around the village.
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Lots of love and hugs.

KC Weekend Getaway

I have to admit, Kansas City is not the first place I would pick to visit, but  I surprisingly really enjoyed myself in the City of Fountains. My three night getaway consisted of BBQ, drinks, dancing, and of course more drinks. Can’t complain!

When I first arrived, I was a little disappointed. The city was underwhelming crowded and it seemed that there was not much to do. However, after talking to some locals I soon discovered the more fun parts of town such as the Art District and the Power and Lights District. Side note: anytime I travel I often find that talking to locals is the BEST way to find out the best restaurants and things to do. No one knows their city like them, so it helps to take their advice.

The first night we ended up eating at a famous BBQ place called Arthur Bryant’s. No seriously this place is way famous! Celebrities such as Steven Spielberg and Barak Obama have been spotted eating here. I’m not a big BBQ person myself, but my friends definitely enjoyed it!

Luckily I had great weather the whole time and I was able to do a lot of walking and exploring over the course of four days. I enjoyed some great dinners and had a blast at this outdoor place that had live music, dancing, and too many bars to name. Kansas City Live was definitely the place to have some fun at!

Although I don’t picture myself ever returing to KC, I am very happy that I got to experience this artsy and foodie city. On to the next adventure!

♡ Jul

 

P.S. Enjoy some pics from my trip 🙂

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Every Body is a Beach Body: LOVE Yourself

Hi babes!

With summer quickly approaching, I wanted to address something that I have been hearing a lot of lately.

I hate the term beach body! It is so silly! Any body that is on the beach, by the pool, or in a bathing suit is a beach body. This term can often make us feel in a panic that we need to be getting beach and bikini ready. That we need to be dieting and working out in the months before summer in order to be able to wear a bathing suit. Please do not think like this!

The media tries to portray images of a perfect beach body,  that there is no such thing as a perfect body. The truth is that excessive dieting and excersise can be detrimental to your health. You should be living a healthy lifestyle for YOU. We all have our insecurities, but it is important to focus on the parts of yourself that you do love!

This summer, I want YOU to feel good about yourself from the inside out. As long as you are feeling confident in yourself and YOU are happy, who cares! Be confident and be YOU!

Lots of love,

Jul☼Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset