Weekend Wanderings: How To Relax

Happy Monday Y'all!!

This was the first weekend this month I was finally just staying put. 

Well minus the trip to target to fill our registry back up, and trying to get getting my oil changed which didnt happen because they were totally booked till close, and to the grocery store, and to the gym... so much for staying put. 

But I since being gone and the starting my new job I haven't been able to finish any of the laundry or give the house a whole scrub down. Kinda driving me crazy, J does help a lot when he can but he works more than me and during the week, so by the end of the day we are both so exhausted and in turn not much cleaning gets done other than a quick once over. 

Every Saturday when J leaves for works he always says "relax as much as possible"... I dont know what that word means. I always say "I just wanna relax" or "gosh I need to go relax" and I never do. This weekend he was the one to relax due a little stomach problem late Friday night. 

Saturdays are my days to get shit done! I clean, do laundry, plan the grocery list, go to the gym, run errands, maybe blog a bit and with the wedding almost here my mind is constantly going at warp speed. I don't even have time to color in the coloring books I got for Christmas any more!

I only have like 20 more days till we are finally man and wife, so after that maybe my nerves will be able to calm down a bit and I will learn what relaxing means! 

Enough of my little shpeal we actually did do some fun stuff this weekend, a main one being dinner at our favorite  the best burger joint in Jax... M Shack.. twice!!

This place is amazing! They have a few locations around Jacksonville along with a couple high end restaurants as well. J & I usually get the same thing every time we go because the burgers are just so perfect but this weekend I switched it up and got their fish sandwich... I finished it before the boys finished their burgers.
I could go on and one about how delicious and fresh all of their food is but that is an entire post on its own. But I will say if you live close to Jax or are just passing though make sure to make a pit stop and have the best burger you will ever eat!

And we went and played FootGolf on Sunday with a few of our closest friends.

It sounds just like what it is... Golf with your feet, your foot is the club and the soccer ball is the golf ball.

And we got to rent a cart so there were some shenanigans on that as well, I may or may not have fallen off and J almost tipped the entire cart. Apparently people take this like 100% serious and there is like an entire league here in Jacksonville so Google "Foot Golf" in your area and go play, its a fun little weekend activity you can do with friends, as a fun first date, or take the whole darn family along!


So despite the cleaning and the minor stomach bug we had a pretty good weekend together which has been a long tim coming! Here hoping to another fun weekend this weekend too!

I hope Monday didn't kill you and that your weekend was just as fun!

Fri{YAY} Favorites- Top Pintrest Recipes

Hey Y'all and Happy Friday!! 

So since J and I are finally out on our own we have been cooking alot more and after about 2 months of being in out own place I have started compiling some J's favorites. 

I use Pinterest to find just about all of my recipes. Its the best thing ever!! I am slightly obsessed with it, I have like 30 boards and over 3,000 Pins. For my recipes I usually print them out so I done have to lug my computer to the kitchen and constantly put in my password. But they are all save on my Pinterest page and I will link them below as well :) 

1. INDOOR S’MORES - This one is self explanatory. If you are a fan of smores, but dont have the fire to cook them on or want an awesome warm dip for dessert parties (or whenever you want), you need this in your life!

Here is what you need...
1 Cup Chocolate Chips (we like to use half semi sweet and white chocolate)
Marshmallows - enough to cover the chips in your pan. (If you use large ones cut them in half)
Gram Crackers for dipping ....or a spoon like me

To "Cook It"
Preheat over to 450 Degrees
Layer them all in an over proof pan - if not using a cast iron skillet spray with non-stick
Bake for about 7-9mins checking sporadically to make sure you don't burn your marshmallows
Take out of the oven and try to wait a couple minutes as to not scold the roof of your mouth because you can not resit the amazing smell now wafting though our your kitchen.
ENJOY!!

2. Chicken Penne Bake - So yummy, so simple, makes plenty to freeze for a later date if there is only two or three people eating it. J wants me to just make the chicken part and use in a sandwich with some yummy cheese one top one day.... I have yet to do that oops

The pictures make is look as easy as it is, I don't even think I used the actual written recipe but a few times to check temperature to bake it at and maybe some measurements.. big maybe**

You will need:
1 (16 oz) box regular or whole wheat penne pasta 
2 chicken breasts 
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves 
1 tsp basil 
1 tsp oregano 
1 tsp rosemary 
1 (24 oz) jar tomato sauce 
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I might have used more because I love parm)

To make:
Preheat oven to about 375 degrees
Bake the chicken till it is no longer pink in the middle - 20 to 30 minutes should do it
Cut and shred the chicken as shown above and put in sauce to absorb
Boil pasta to preferred tenderness
Mix pasta, chicken and sauce all together
Layer the chicken mixture in a greased baking dish with the cheese
Bake about 20 minutes or until your cheese is nice and melted.

3. Cheesy Bacon Potatoes Bites- Cheese, Bacon, and Potatoes... um you can do no wrong! Oh and some Ranch on the side for dipping... AMAZING!!! J makes these at least twice a month.

You only need 4 things to actually make this amazingness

2 or 3 large potatoes

6 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped  

2 cups cheddar cheese,

shredded 4 green onions, chopped (not necessary)

salt & pepper to taste 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

spray cookie sheet with cooking spray

Wash & slice potatoes, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick. I like them best on the thin side. arrange potatoes on prepared cookie sheet, shingle style, slightly overlapping.

Lightly brush potatoes with reserved bacon grease or a bit of butter

Sprinkle with shredded cheese, salt and pepper and chopped bacon.

Bake until potatoes are cooked through- depends on the thickness.

For extra crunch place under broiler for 2 minutes max! 

That's all I got for now!! Let me know a few of your favorite Pinterest inspired recipes, or just favorites ones in general. We love making new things and adding to our little recipe folder! 

Tag us on Instagram @ Learning_Life_  if you make any of the deliciousness above. 

May your weekend be filled with lots of love and yummy food!

Wanderlust Wednesday : Must See London

My Must See's Next Time I Find Myself Across the Pond

Hello All!! I hope everyone is having a good week. Last week I showed you where I went in London for the week I was there, this week is my must see next time I go.

Lets get started on a mini getaway in the middle of the week.

Neal's Yard in Convent Garden

First on the list is a tiny little alley in Convent Garden called Neal's Yard. This is one of the most Instagramed spots in London. With its vibrant colors and little boutiques and restaurants you could stay here for hours and never know its just right around the corner from one of London's busiest streets. 

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

I could see Dickens sitting in the corner drafting an early copy of Oliver Twist. 

One of the oldest pubs in London, originally built in 1538 but destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt, as the sign states, in 1667. This pub was a popular haunt for some literary greats like Twain, Tennyson and Dickens and is one of the reasons it is a must visit on my list. I am a bit of a history buff and minored in English Lit in college. 

There is a rumor that this pub also served as a brothel upstairs in the 18th century.  Scandalous!!

Warner Brothers Studio: Harry Potter 

WB Harry Potter Studio Tour... One of my biggest regrets last time I was in London was not going here. I don't nerd out about much but this is my weakness. I don't know what it is but I love the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have all of the movies, all of the books on my kindle, I am working on collecting all of the paper version of the books and I have listened to them via audible often too. It is my escape from reality,  reading or listening to the books or watching the movies it how I relax.

I have been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and Islands of adventure on more than one occasion. I have an interactive wand and a Gryffindor headband... I am 26 I know but I like it. Harry Potter world (as we call it here) is great but to see places where they actually filmed and be immersed fully would be amazing and is 100% on my Bucket List!

The Crooked House of Windsor

Seeing as my moms side is from England afternoon tea was normal for me at a young age. I can remember summers at our beach house here in Florida coming in for lunch and a cup of tea while the afternoon storms rolled through... I was like 6. I always carry a tea bag in whatever purse or wallet I may have, so naturally afternoon tea was a must for me. 

This adorable little house isn't in London persay but it is a tube ride away. It was the oldest tea house in England, however is sadly no longer a tea room but you can still buy their tea I believe in the shop downstairs. 

All the markets of London

Finally and an all encompassing must in London is the markets. You will find the best local foods, drinks and eclectic souvenirs at these markets and really enjoy London like a local. I only made it to two of the countless markets around the city. Leadenhall & Borough markets, the first having lots of little shops around each corner and the later having some of the best food and smells at over 50 stalls it was huge and I could have spent all day there but my group was in a bit of a rush. 
Camden Market was on that I was told is a must while sharing a pint one night with a few locals I met, sadly I never made it so it is on my list of Must sees!


What are some of your "must sees" in London or anywhere you are longing to visit? Tell me in the comments below and I shall add it to my own list. 

Weekend Wanderings

Happy Monday Y'all! 

Well we are going to pretend its a happy Monday.. Mondays are never happy, Mondays suck if I am being totally honest. I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep till about noon, even after 2 cups of coffee before 8am! 

This weekend was another wedding adventure/preparation filled weekend -well minus Saturday that was full of usual weekend chores BLAH. 

BUT... I did start off this weekend with my new obsession, fried egg (over easy) on top of avocado toast. I know I am late to the whole avocado toast bandwagon but holy-moly I highly regret not buying avocados all the time and making this every morning. Not to mention it is so aesthetically pleasing when you cut into that runny egg... UGH making myself hungry 

               

I also finally discovered a cute restaurant up here called  European Street. Apparently I am late to that one too. They have everything from a 100+ selection of beers and quite a few entrees from around the whole of Europe. If you ever make your way to Jacksonville it is worth a stop for lunch or dinner! 

They also have a massive bakery case filled with so many scrumptious looking cakes and cookies and sweet treats from all over, I picked up two little macrons to satisfy my sweet tooth and because they were pretty 

Chocolate & Cafe Latte Macrons

Sunday was the day we FINALLY got "engagement" photos done... J & I have been engaged for 5 years and we get married in less than two months. So while I was slowly preparing for that all morning, trying to decide what I wanted to wear and watching the weather to make sure it wasn't going to rain J and his brother went and got fitted for their suites for the wedding. 

I also got lots of cuddles from my littlest girl this weekend, usually on weekends we have been so go go go all the time there isn't much time to just sit and relax so I actually did that a bit this weekend and she joined me in my lap for most of it. 

That is to say when she wasn't to busy watching all the other dogs walk by the porch or the birds fighting for the best piece of birdseed in our feeder hanging right outside.

my little watch dog

We should get some of our proofs back with in the next few days & I am so excited to see how they turn out. We were down in St Augustine for about an hour and a half, but it seemed to go by so fast! We shot in a few different locations around downtown St. Augustine, from the bay to the school and all the cute little side streets in between. We has a blast with Rob and his buddy Brian, they talked to us the whole time and we didn't even realize he took nearly 500 shots! If you are looking for a great photographer in the Jacksonville/St.Augustine area we recommend him 210% 

Well that was our weekend in a nutshell post, oh and I did my makeup similar to how it will be done for our wedding yesterday using the It Cosmetics CC+ Cream... it still looks flawless this morning (i was to lazy to take it off last night to busy binge watching season 1 of Walking Dead)

We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing fun filled weekend, I'd love to hear about your adventures too!! Post the link to your blog in the comment section, I am always looking for new reads

Weekend Wanderings

Wedding makeup and other details

Say Hi to our new baby girl Zoey

Hello all! 

This was the best weekend we have had in a very long time, well at least it was for me. 

We got a good amount of wedding stuff done this weekend and a good thing too because we are 54 short days away from "I Do"

Saturday I ventured down to our little outdoor mall here in Jacksonville to get some last minute Valentines gifts for J and brave the makeup lovers paradise Ulta to get some good makeup for my wedding. My usual e.l.f products from target just aren't going to cut it for the big day. 

I follow a couple of makeup/beauty Vloggers on Youtube so before I went in I watched a few of their "get ready" videos and a popular brand among them all was ItCosmetics and Urban Decay (which I have already loved for a while now). My favorite beauty/lifestyle vlogger Marissa Lace swears by the stuff and although we have never met, I trust her like I trust my best friend. 

Now I am not one to splurge on make up often, if ever, but I do ask for some of the more pricey products for Christmas.. like my Urban Decay Smoked pallet from this year or my Naked original from last. But its my wedding and I want to look perfect so this weekend for the first time ever I SPLURGED on makeup and I am so happy I did. 

Here is a list of the things that I bought and a link so you can add them to your makeup bag if they aren't already there:

1. ItCosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ cream  - it really does look so natural and #flawless 

2. ItCosmetics travel brushes - I have make up brushes that I use and love but they have needed replacing for a while now. 

3. ItCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye - with these late nights of wedding planning and the constant worry of forgetting something on the big day my under eye bags/circles are darker than ever.   

4. Urban Decay De-slick Setting Spray for Oily skin

5. Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Eye Pencil  - in black

6. Urban Decay Cannonball waterproof mascara 

I know you are thinking "Ashlynn that's only 6 things how did you 'Splurge'?", well my friends those six things didn't come cheap and there is a reason because they are BOMB and make you look On Fleek as the kids say. 

This morning before work I decided I would actually do my makeup, more than just some powder and eyeliner, and I am loving the way my skin looks today! The difference from my old makeup is so drastic and the color works perfect, I might need darker for my wedding but I will just add a bit of tinted moisturizer to it when the time comes. 

Anyway back to my awesome skin and new love of CC+ Cream. I put a small pea size amount on my fingers rubbed them together and dabbed on my fave to blend with my brushes. Wow a little bit of this goes a looonngg way, that tiny pea size amount covered my entire face and neck!  

Then I went in with an even tinier amount of the under eye concealer, we're talking just a dot the size of a pen tip, and it looks like I have gotten nothing but a perfect nights sleep for a week, I look awake and refreshed which is needed on a Monday morning.

Also it being Valentines weekend I had lots of delicious adventures planned for J and I. Saturday night I cooked individual Beef Wellingtons, you can find that recipe here, I am sorry for the lack of pictures they were so delicious and got devoured before I even remembered.  

Sunday morning I made breakfast with mimosas and then we went for our cake tasting at a local bakery... 

We got our cake & cupcakes for the wedding and an amazing price from Sweet by Holly, yep the same one from Food Networks Cupcake Wars! We picked two of our favorite flavors and let me tell you that was very very hard to do but we narrowed it down to Plain Jane and Chocolate Mousse. I am so excited!!! 

J also bought me my wedding band on Sunday and it is simple and elegant and beautiful I do not want to wait 54 days to wear it! There is a local jewelry store up here called Beards, best costumer service I have ever had at a jewelry store. They pulled every gold band in the store for us me to try on and I of course picked one of the first bands I tried on. 

But mine is Yellow Gold 

As you can see we had a busy fun filled Valentines weekend, I hope yours was just as wonderful! 

If anyone has any more makeup I should try let me know in the comments! 

Also this little blog is on Instgram now you can find us here @Learning_Life_ 

Two-Thousand and Sixteen!

Happy New Year!

Well congratulations on making it though another year! Did it seem to go by quickly for everyone or is that just me? 

2015 brought my first full year out of college and in the real world, a new car (and car payment yuck), it brought 2 new members into J's side of the family; a new future sister in law and a new niece, it also brought some sad news, his dad had to find a new job which is relocating his parents to Virginia Beach

2016 is going to be a doozy, one crazy roller coaster filled with lots of trials and excitement and wonderful new adventures. 

This year J & I move into our first apartment together, which is an adventure we are both absolutely thrilled about. We know it will brings challenges and  a much tighter budget but we just keep reminding each other " We Got This" 

This year will also be the first year he has ever lived more than an hour from his parents. We a both big on family so this will be a hard one for the both of us. 

J will also get his first dog this year! He has never had a dog of his own, growing up the only pet he ever had was a hamster- who lived like 5 years which is unheard of!

As for the stupid resolutions people make, I made some too...

1. Lose at least 15lbs 

2. Stay on budget!! No excess spending on things I don't need

3. Be Happy and Stress Less- This will be a difficult one for me. With the new job among other things,  I've developed a lot of stress and have had a fair share of panic attacks. 

4. Relax more - again this goes along with trying to lower the anxiety and stress and how I handle it. 

5. Read more. 

Maybe we will finally get married this year too, who knows but I cant wait to see what 2016 throw our way while we try and learn life together! 

What are your 2016 Resolutions?  Any good book recommendations? Share them, Id love to hear it all!