Travel, Travel Products, Wish Lists and Gift Ideas

2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Gifts for the Little Ones

Holiday Gifts for Kids graphic

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to any readers here in the US (or anywhere in the world, wherever you’re celebrating!). And even if you don’t celebrate this holiday, I’m still grateful for you! I’ve enjoyed this blogging journey so far, and can’t wait to see where we go next. But for now, with the holidays …

Travel, Travel Products, Wish Lists and Gift Ideas

2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Gifts for Him

A graphic that reads "2017 holiday gift guide: travel gifts for him"

I’ve seen lots of catalogs, magazines, and morning TV shows sharing “gift guides for guys!” that only contain things like tech items, socks, alcohol, and underwear. There’s nothing wrong with these, of course, but if you’re getting something for something special, shouldn’t it be something he’ll enjoy using? Here is a list of gifts for …

Travel, Travel Products, Wish Lists and Gift Ideas

2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Gifts for Her

A graphic for holiday gifts for her

Is it just me, or does this time of the year seem to come and go too quickly? As a child, Christmas took forever to get here, but these days I’m worried that if I blink I might miss it.

Destinations, New York, Travel, USA

A Three-Day Weekend in NYC

Alyssa and Michael smile for a photo in Central Park

I’ll begin this post by saying this was not your typical New York City trip. There was no Statue of Liberty involved, no shuffling through Times Square, no trip to the top of the Empire State Building, and only one museum. It was my umpteenth time visiting NYC over the past few years, so Michael …

Destinations, New York, Packing Lists, Style, Travel, USA

Traveling Light: New York City Packing List

A sofa piled with items packed for NYC in the Fall

And I’m back! Michael and I usually try to visit New York City at least once a year, and quite unbelievably as of last week, we hadn’t been yet this year. Well, we remedied that over the past weekend and spent three days eating and shopping to our hearts’ content. This post contains affiliate links …

Food, Recipes

Fresh Pasta Carbonara Recipe

A bowl of just-made carbonara with grated cheese on top

Michael and I often talk about our favorite meal of our trip to Italy: the pasta carbonara at da Enzo al 29. Impossibly silky, rich, and savory, carbonara is my desert-island meal. But back home from Italy, we soon discovered that Florida is a desert island for carbonara lovers. Well, what do you do? You …

Destinations, France, Travel, Travel Tips

Behind the Wheel in the South of France: A Road Trip Adventure

A road in Provence leading to a town on the hill

“Oh, and by the way, there is a fuel shortage due to a strike and you may have trouble filling your rental before you return,” the car rental associate explained after the papers were signed and the keys were in our hand. Michael and I looked at each other, relaying our horror without words. This …

Destinations, Georgia, Travel, USA

Photo Diary: Scenes from Small Town, Georgia

View of the State Fair in Georgia, taken from the highway

After I graduated college, my dad and my stepmom moved up to a small town near Atlanta, Georgia, not too far from a place where I lived with my mom and dad when I was a baby.

10 x 10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, Home, Style

Fall 10 x 10 Wrap Up

Collage of outfits from the fall 10x10

My first 10 x 10 challenge is on the books! I’ve really enjoyed the way this challenge has forced me to be more creative with my work wardrobe. Let’s jump on into this recap to see what I’ve learned!

10 x 10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, Home, Style

Fall 10 x 10 – Day Ten

Alyssa wears the Day Ten outfit for the Fall 10x10

*insert applause track here* We did it! We made it to the end of the Fall 10 x 10 and we made it to Friday! Is it just me, or has this week seemed exceptionally long? This post contains affiliate links Given that, let’s not make this week any longer. Here’s a look at Day …