Hi loves! Happy Tuesday! I wanted to share with you all a personal update along with some goodies I've found at The Hoboken Farmers Market and what I plan on doing with them.

Personal update: I'm settling into my new apartment in Hoboken! I have two rockstar roomies, and so far, I'm loving it. The apartment is gorgeous. The building was built in the 1920's. The outside of the building is whitewash brick with gorgeous ivy growing up the front. The inside has an exposed brick wall and wood floors everywhere.

This is my last week before I start my new job, so I'm taking the time to explore, discover, and acclimate myself to my new digs!

I totally lucked out when I went to Google and searched "hoboken farmers markets" and stumbled upon one happening today! I grabbed my fav resuable bag and headed two blocks (yes, it's THAT close) over to the market. It was small but had exactly what anyone could possibly need. Flowers, baguettes, mozzarella, fruits, veggies, pickles, pies, etc.


Here's what I've picked up and what I plan on doing with them:

1. Haricots verts: I plan on making a side dish with these lovlies to accompany a roasted lemon and rosemary chicken (I'm thinking tonight)! I'll cook them in a skillet with olive oil, chopped garlic, and once they're done cooking, squeeze some lemon over top. 
2. Tomatillos: I'm going to throw these bad boys in the oven and roast them with some onion, hot chili peppers, and garlic to make a roasted salsa verde for this weekend!
3. Orange and green chili peppers: will be roasted with the tomatillos for the roasted salsa verde!
4. Golden Beets: I plan to wrap these gorgeous golden beets in tin foil and roasting them until they are tender to the fork. Next, I'll make a red wine vinaigrette and pour over the chopped beets. Finally, I'll sprinkle over some toasted walnuts and goat cheese for a delicious beet salad. 
5. Corn: These gorgeous ears of corn will be grilled over a skillet grill (we don't have an outside grill) until they're charred on each side. They will accompany some bun-less burgers cooked over the same skillet grill or should we make grillet a thing?
6. Peaches: I'd love to grillet these peaches and serve them just as is. They could also be topped with a homemade baked streusel, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. Another treat would be a peach crumble (my mouth is watering) or simply enjoyed bite by bite! 
7. Wildflower and sunflower bouquet: They're just gorgeous to look at and make me happy! Also, why not buy yourself some flowers?!

Did you just cringe when you read those words? Flashbacks to middle school and high school summers when you were forced to read books you didn't want to? Yeah, me too. For me, my relationship with reading was always something I struggled with. When I was in the fourth grade, I was diagnosed with having dyslexia. You may be thinking, wow fourth grade? Isn't that late? Yes, it was. Thanks to my mom and her diligent research, I relearned how to read through wonderful tutors and a lot of practice. Me and reading have had quite the rocky relationship, but I'm now learning which books appeal to me, and which do not. It's not too late, right?!

When I was working at my other job, I never had time for reading. Honestly, that's totally on me, though. I would come home from work and collapse on the couch. I could've easily picked up a book but I always opted for the clicker (or remote, whichever you prefer hehe). I'm not mad about this at all because after work, I always needed a good laugh. With my lovely roommates Jill and Greg, we would watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, New Girl, Jane the Virgin, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and so many other shows that could offer us a little escape from our daily stresses.

Now that I'm in a transition period, I'm enjoying my time off before I start my new job to in August. This is exactly what I've needed. Free time is such a blessing and I feel so lucky that I'm able to experience this right now.

The first thing I did when I got to the Cape was think: I need a good summer beach read. So I moseyed my browser on over to Amazon (sorry to all of you die hard locally-owned bookstore supporters, but I too am one but I'm currently on a tight budget!) and filled my cart with some fun, funky, and extremely-B books.

Below are the books that I've either brought with me or purchased along the way!

• Ingredienti- Macella Hazan
• Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
• My Life in France- Julia Child
• Little Beach Street Bakery- Jenny Colgan
• The School of Essential Ingredients- Erica Bauermeister
• Garlic and Sapphires- Ruth Reichl 
• Delicious!- Ruth Reichl 

Happy summer, loves!!!! 

Personal update: As some of you may know, I've been spending some time at my family's quaint little home in Cape Cod. I've been taking this time to rest, relax, re-cooperate, and reset- that's a lot of re's! I've been spending my days beaching, running, reading, and eating my favorite summer foods. I've also been really focused on mastering my summer glow!  

If you know me on a personal level, or you've been following my blog for the last four years, you may have noticed that I'm a bit of a nail polish addict. Over that last 6 years or so, I have collected probably 250+ nail polishes. If you'd ask Anthony, he'd probably roll his eyes and tell you it's wayyyy more than that! 

On top of my elaborate collection of nail polishes, I always have to have my nails polished, and polished perfectly. I don't know where it comes from? Maybe from my mom and grandmom, with whom I can recollect special memories of trips to the nail salon for a reward or a just-because afternoon. 

So as I sit here on this warm summer's afternoon, I look down at my nails and want to share with you my favorite summer nail colors! I personally love colors that help to accentuate and compliment your summer glow. This is a warning though, I am a bit of a polish snob. OPI, Essie, or Bust. 

The colors I'm currently wearing:

Finger nails: Essie Gel Couture- Dress Call 

Toe nails: Essie Gel Couture- Style Stunner










For summer colors, I love to stick to blues, purples, pinks, and red. All of these colors stick to the general theme of fun and sunshine. The colors I'm loving for the summer:

Blues:

• Essie: Find Me and Oasis
• Essie: Bikini So Teeni 

Purples:

• Essie: Go Ginza 
• OPI: You're Such a Budapest @Tanile, if you're reading this ;)
• OPI: Show Us Your Tips! 

Pinks:

• Essie: Mademoiselle 
• Essie: Hi Maintenance 
• Essie: Tart Deco 
• Essie: Muchi Muchi 
• Essie: Just Another Pretty Face 
• Essie: Fiji 
• OPI: Aphrodite's Pink Nightie 

Reds:

• Essie: Clambake 
• OPI: Cajun Shrimp 

Hello loves,

I'm sitting here on my couch as I watch the snow fall outside on this second day of spring. This time two weeks ago however, I was sitting in a chez lounge chair looking at the ocean as my skin soaked up the sun's rays. But alas, here we are. I posted on my instagram this morning a picture of the yummy-licious waffles I made. A decent amount of my followers (if you are one- HIIIII) said that they'd like the recipe so here I am!

Let's cut to the chase because let's be honest, no one really reads the paragraphs before a recipe, they just want the recipe! I'm hip.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

You wake up and it's the weekend, or a day like today where, if you're like me, you just needed a day to yourself. I woke up and decided that I was going to have a day, a day where I was going to live my proclaimed best life. So, what's the best way to start a day where you plan to live your best life? Waffles.

If you know me, you know I have an affinity for lemon and blueberry goodies and treats. Few things pair together  quite as perfectly as lemon and blueberry. You have the obvious peanut butter and jelly or classic tomato and basil but the combination of blueberry and lemon come together quite blissfully.

I started my morning like I start all mornings by making a cup of warm lemon water. Before I poured the warm water into my lemoned cup, I plugged in my waffle maker in preparation for these healthy blueberry lemon waffles. These waffles evoke all of the joy and nostalgia with none of the guilt. You'll see why when you check out the recipe!

Hi loves,

It's been a while, but, I'm back! I'm feeling a whole new wave of inspiration. This time, it's not going to be half-assed. I'm not going to go into it with a half-motivated state of mind. I'm really feeling it. I spent this past weekend mapping out my goals, purchasing necessary success tools, and organizing my processes.

I wholeheartedly intend for 2018 to be the year of B. What does that mean? I'm focusing on my self- mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This life is too goddamn hard for us to just merely get by; searching and grasping at things that will make us happy in the moment (chocolate, ice-cream, a Netflix binge, or a bottle of wine) but at the end of the day, it's just a glimpse, a meager moment of that happiness we so long for. I'm taking control. I've had enough of dreading Mondays and counting down until the weekend. I'm prioritizing myself and my happiness so I can stop wishing my days, weeks, and ultimately, life away.

I'm using this platform as a space where I am going to share my goals, check-in about those goals, share tips and tricks that I'm finding to be successful along this journey as I retake my life (is that too dramatic??). I currently have many ideas and thoughts flowing through my brain but on this first post, I intend to map out my goals and break them down into achievable milestones, both minor and major. We need to be kind to ourselves. We need to nurture ourselves. We need to be realistic. Below are my goals and what I feel are realistic expectations for myself!

Daily Goals:

• Meditate in the mornings: my plan for this goal is to wake up ten minutes before my alarm typically goes off to meditate. I am going to lay out my yoga mat, light a candle, and play a centering playlist or listen to a guided meditation. 
• Drink lemon water to start my day: there are so many benefits from starting your day with lemon water and it being the first thing you ingest to break your fast. This combination flushes your digestion system while also kickstarting your metabolism. It's also super hydrating and great for your skin!
• Drink three 40 oz water bottles a day: for those of you who don't know, I am a walking, talking HydroFlask advertisement. I'm obsessed with my 40 oz water bottle and how easy it makes it to drink water. My goal is to drink three of these big babies a day! 
• Journal daily: journaling alone is something that is cathartic in itself but my goal is to have a food journal, gym journal, and a couple self-reflective journals to jot down my thoughts, emotions, failures, and successes. 
• Read everyday: reading is always beneficial. It helps us to grow in so many ways so, there's not much else to say on this particular goal! 

As we go, we learn more about ourselves because every day, we learn more about ourselves. Be kind to yourself, love yourself, nourish yourself, and fulfill yourself. I haven't done this with myself. I haven't been kind to myself. But, I'm taking this new year as a fresh start for myself. I cannot wait for this journey and I'll check in soon! 2018 is going to be the best year yet!!

xoxo,
B

Hygge: the Scandinavian philosophy of living comfortably or with warmth and coziness. Hello!! I feel like this word completely defines me and my life. I aspire to live my day-to-day life being comfy, warm, and cozy and assuring that those around me feel the same way.

I spent this weekend with my mom on Cape Cod for a (soon to be annual tradition.. mom???) Girls Weekend. Without knowing it, we really embodied this philosophy with all that we did. We spent our afternoons meandering little shops and markets, in the small New England towns off of 6A, trying to find the most delicate trinkets to go home with. Some of these shops were filled with Christmas decorations and if you know me, you know that I'm not mad about that. We wondered through bakeries and specialty stores in search of the best cappuccino and almond croissant while purchasing loaves of artisanal bread that would soon be smeared with humboldt fog and Irish butter. Before bundling up for the tour of the organic cranberry bog, my mom and I baked these holiday-appropriate ginger molasses cookies (pictured above). Finally, we would end our days with the sun. All of the moments we weren't sleeping were spent watching Hallmark Christmas movies on repeat and sipping mulled cider as the fire burned through every last piece of firewood we had.

It was an incredible weekend full of warmth and coziness. I'm pretty sure I spent a full 24 hours (maybe even more!!!!) of the weekend in my flannel PJs!

I hope all you lovelies had cozy and relaxing weekends as well!!

xoxo, B