2018 Music Faves

I say this every year, but this post is always my favorite--mainly because I get to spend a couple hours digging through Spotify to put together my list of favorite new music from the past year. I have to say, 2018 was a strong year for good music; scroll to the bottom to see my playlist of faves. Here's to even more good tunes in 2019!

London, Day Three

As I mentioned in my last England post, our last day in London started bright and early at the place it had ended the night before: the Tower of London. We spent the majority of the day there, but after a late lunch we headed next door to Tower Bridge. I love the view of the city from the top of Tower Bridge, and walking along the glass floor gives such a different perspective. It's one of my favorite views--not to mention getting to see the inner workings of the bridge. We bought a combo ticket that included the Monument to the Great Fire as well, so afterwards we walked along the south bank and back up to the Monument for another view. 

Annual Disney Girls Trip: Epcot + Resort Hopping

Day two started in one of my favorite places in WDW: the UK pavilion at Epcot! Our itinerary was originally different, but Haley found out about a new tea experience at Rose + Crown and rearranged everything so we could go. (Did I mention she's the best? She's the best.) It's set up as an educational experience, discussing different types of tea and the brewing methods for the best cuppa. :) We sampled four different types and were treated to a selection of sandwiches and scones. It made me even more excited to get back to England this spring (but then again, what doesn't? :) ). It was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. 

Dapper Day at Disney!

Dapper Day at Disney! This was the first time participating for both of us, which was pretty special--it's not often you get to experience a "first" with a Disney pro like Haley. She went with an Adventureland theme, and I, predictably, did Haunted Mansion. It was a little intimidating at first, but once we got to the park, it was so fun to see so many people dressed up; some of the outfits we saw were truly amazing!  

Miracle KC Pop-up

Social media is not without its faults, but it's unparalleled when it comes to spreading the word about amazing things happening in my city. My friend Leeann heard about a  pop-up Christmas bar on Instagram and we quickly made plans to go. I'm a total sucker for a good theme, but Christmas? I never stood a chance. 

Annual Disney Girls Trip: Hollywood Studios

Last year, I went to Walt Disney World with my BFF + Disney guru, Haley. We had such a blast that we decided to make it an annual thing! Last year we went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and this year we added a ride at Animal Kingdom and a morning at Hollywood Studios into the mix! It was my first time at Hollywood Studios, and I immediately fell in love with it--especially with all the vintage Christmas decorations in the mix! 

Formulate

I remember the first time I saw something with "Jessica" on it in a store as a child--there was a spinner rack of keychains and pens, and I begged and begged my mom to buy me one. She, a quintessential 80's mom, latched on to the idea with a fury, and pretty soon I even had a story book that incorporated not only my name, but information about my life and family members. I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. 

Nowadays it takes a little bit more than my name on a pen to impress me, but I still have a secret love for personalized products. When Formulate contacted me about trying their customized hair care, it was impossible to say no. It was a super simple process from start to finish: I entered some information about my hair type, preferences and goals into their website and waited a few days. The process was easy, the turnaround time was fast, and the product itself is pretty darn great too (don't even get me started on that gorgeous minimalist packaging!). 

Tower of London

The Tower of London was one of the things I was looking forward to most in London, and even more so after attending the Ceremony of the Keys the night before. English history is one of my biggest interests, and there's so much history in this place that it's mind-boggling. The innermost White Tower is Norman and has been standing since 1080--it's nearly 700 years older than my country! Any building would see a lot in that amount of time, but the fact that the Tower was a royal building means that the number of significant events that have taken place in its walls increases exponentially. From royal residence to prison, it's seen over 100 executions--including those of two English queens (three if you count Lady Jane Grey...). Maybe I look a little too happy to be in a place with such a violent history, but I couldn't contain it--I was in my element.

London, Day Two

Day two in London was a pretty packed day from start to finish. We woke up early and took the Tube to Tower Hill, where we walked along the Thames to Westminster. It was a beautiful morning with picture-perfect weather and beautiful views around every corner. London has a feeling all its own, and London mornings, before the city really starts buzzing, are something entirely special. 

Halloween? Brilliant.

Happy Halloween from the Doctor! I'm completely smitten with Jodie Whittaker as the new Doctor; I loved her in Broadchurch, so I was incredibly excited when she was announced, and my excitement has only grown over the first few episodes. She has a very Tennant vibe (which is a very good thing!), while still maintaining her own style.

Smile Brilliant cariPRO + GIVEAWAY!

The following post contains sponsored content. I received a cariPRO electric toothbrush set from Smile Brilliant in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own and reflect my personal experience with the cariPRO. 

If you've been reading here for awhile, you might remember my previous collaboration with Smile Brilliant, where I tested (spoiler: and loved!) their teeth whitening system. They've been quite busy in the past couple of years since we've worked together, and recently launched their own, affordable electric toothbrush, the cariPRO.

London, Day One

 We landed in London around 11 am, after twelve hours of travel and circling above Windsor Castle for a while.  Honestly, it took awhile to sink in--have you ever wanted and planned for something for so long that when it finally comes to pass, it doesn't even seem real? Spending an hour in line at immigration and the giant "Welcome to London" sign in Heathrow didn't even do it. What did--stepping out of the Underground and into the streets of my favorite city. 

Victoria, BC

Of all the places we stopped on the cruise, the one that I can say with 100% certainty that we will absolutely go back to is Victoria. We had the least amount of time here and still probably loved it the most. Because we had such a time crunch, we lined up to leave the boat before we had even docked, and we literally hit the ground running in order to catch a cab into the city. Unlike the Alaskan cities,  in order to get into town, you have a bit of a drive (or a really really long walk). Our first stop was Tim Hortons, obviously, and then we took in the sights downtown. The Parliament building is absolutely stunning, especially at night, and the rest of the city is beautiful too--it has a sort of European feel to it. Since Canada is a commonwealth country, and Victoria itself is named after Queen Victoria (there's even a statue of her in front of Parliament!), there were little nods to England all over the place. I was in heaven. Seriously, if I never get to live in England, I'll take moving to Victoria as a consolation prize and be very content with it. 

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is a trip! I really wish we had more time here; we packed so much into just a few hours. (So much so that I barely filmed anything, so the video is a little sparse. Yikes.) If Skagway is really proud of it's mining history,  Ketchikan is really proud of its native heritage--there are totem poles all throughout the town and an entire heritage center dedicated to them (in addition to the Ketchikan Indian Community Building). We spent the better part of an hour at the Totem Heritage Center, and it turns out I knew basically nothing about totem poles. Don't worry, I'm basically an expert now. :)

Not that Ketchikan doesn't have it's touristy areas;  Creek Street is about as touristy as it gets (even though it does have a fairly interesting history as the red light district), but it's all in good fun I suppose--especially since that area is so pretty! Ketchikan as a whole is an incredibly photogenic town, and the weather was practically perfect the day we were there. It was a great way to end our time in Alaska. Onward to Canada! 

Snow

The past couple years, I've really fallen in love with winter. I don't know if it's the fact that Kansas City tends to see more snow than Springfield (which has more of a tendency toward ice--yikes!) or if it's that, working for a school, there is the magical possibility of snow days. Whatever it is, winter has really grown on me, and it might be giving autumn a run for its money when it comes to my favorite season. It's not that I love the cold, but the cold does make certain things more enjoyable--like long hot baths and curling up with a blanket, a book, and a big cup of tea. Winter is kinda an introvert's heaven.  And really, doesn't everything look so much better coated in a thick blanket of fluffy white snow? 

The day we snapped these photos, we woke up to a winter wonderland, and I felt a little bit like a kid on Christmas--when you go to bed, the world is one way, and when you wake up, it's sort of magically transformed into something else. I always feel different too.  It's strange, the way something as simple as precipitation can change your whole mood, but I don't mind it--I think I'd love to wake up every morning and feel like I've stepped into a fresh start. Hopefully we have a few more weeks of winter weather left, and I'll take all the snowy mornings I can get (and all the snow days too)!

Juneau

If Skagway was a quaint little Alaskan town, Juneau was every bit a city (right down to the drunken man on the sidewalk yelling obscenities). In a lot of ways, it felt like it could have been any number of American cities, but there was still a definite Alaska feel. As I mentioned in my post about  Skagway, it was really important to me to find geniune local shops to support on our trip, so we started out strong with a visit to a coffee shop to get our bearings (and the best chai I have literally ever had). By far, my favorite shop was the post office--no, seriously! It was housed in an adorable shop called Kindred Post, and I could have spent all afternoon (and a serious hunk of cash) in there. 

Skagway

Oh Skagway, my favorite of the Alaskan towns. We had a lot more time here than in the other cities--nearly a whole day--which may have had something to do with it. The town itself is so adorably picturesque, so we spent several hours wandering the streets, popping in and out of shops. Early on, in a souvenir shop, I noticed that the store sold magnets, keychains, etc., for all of our Alaskan ports (Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau) and no other towns. I thought that was a little bit too weird to be just a coincidence, so I did some quick research. It turns out that the cruise lines own a lot of the shops in their ports (or they act like some kind of mobster and charge them crazy amounts to be included in their "recommended" shops) which really rubbed me the wrong way. (Here is a pretty easy to read article that summarizes it nicely,) I think it's so easy to not really think about where you spend money on vacation, so I'm really glad I noticed that something seemed off, because after that we were really intentional about seeking out local shops to support, and as a bonus we met some really incredible shop owners!

Tracy Arm Fjord

I don't even know where to begin with the Tracy Arm Fjord. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I kept snapping photos left and right, and still don't feel like I managed to do it any justice at all. The water was the most incredible turquoise blue--I would have sworn I was somewhere tropical if it wasn't 40 degrees outside! Pair that  with the towering mountains, waterfalls, and icebergs, and it truly took my breath away. It culminated at Sawyer Glacier, which you can see in the background of the first picture (and in several others--this is a bit of a photo heavy post!). I wish I could scoop you all up and take you there so you could see it in person.  (Be sure to check out the video at the bottom--I feel like it does a better job of capturing the grandeur!)

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

I'm not what one would call a prolific cook; while I genuinely enjoy cooking, it's also really time-consuming, and usually I'd rather spend that time reading or catching up on The Great British Baking Show. Every once in awhile, though, I come up with an idea that I just have to try out. Sometimes they bomb, most of the time they're okay, and every once in awhile they become a family favorite. This recipe definitely falls into the latter category. It's a pretty basic recipe that I came up with somewhere in the first couple years of marriage, and it's become my husband's very favorite meal.

At Sea

I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "cruise person." It's not that I have any qualms about being stuck on a boat or being out in the open ocean, but I just don't get the whole cruise subculture. People have this stuff down to an art form and it's just so foreign to me. I mean, I don't really have an urge to buy Carnival sandals or get my photo taken with the Captain. That being said, though--after going on an Alaskan cruise this summer, if you asked me if I wanted to go again, I would say yes in a heartbeat. 

Epcot

On our trip to Disney (click here for part one and part two), Haley and I spent a day in Epcot--it just so happened to be the Food and Wine Festival, Epcot's 35th anniversary, and my birthday, so it was quite a day! 

The Great British Reading List

Since my husband and I are heading to England for a bit this summer, I decided that one of my New Year's Resolutions should be to binge on some British history books. Now, this isn't so much a resolution as it is just an intensification of my everyday life, but there are definitely some periods in British history that I want to learn more about before we go. Last fall, I tried digging a bit more into pre-history, Roman Britannia, and the Anglo-Saxon period, as those have never really been my thing, and I feel like I learned a ton. (In addition to reading, I also really got into The British History Podcast, which was super helpful-- I definitely recommend it if you like a little humor with your history!) I think focusing on one period really heavily for periods of time is definitely a good way for me to learn.

So for the next six-ish months, I'm going to be reading a ton. I'm setting myself the goal of two books per month; while I'm pretty confident it will be more like a book per week, I also want to give myself some grace, so I'm setting the bar at a level I'm confident I can reach. If you're curious about what books I've chosen, read on:

Magic Kingdom

One of my resolutions is to finally get around to documenting all of the traveling I did last year. It's been a few months since Haley and I went to Walt Disney World...and I was pretty much immediately ready to go back as soon as we left. I had always maintained that I'm not a "theme park person," but it turns out I just hadn't ever been to the right theme park. 

We left early on the Friday before my birthday, and somehow managed to have the entire airplane row on a Southwest flight to ourselves, with an empty seat between us. Disney magic starts early, apparently. We arrived around 11, made our way to our resort, and then hit the ground running. We used Disney transport the entire time we were there--both to and from the airport and getting around the park. Avoiding the cost of a rental car and parking was pretty amazing, I must say. We didn't buy park tickets for Friday, but we did have tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (I wrote a little bit about that here), which got us into the park at 4. Since the party didn't officially start until 7, we had plenty of time to explore!

White Christmas

I know it's January already, but I just realized that I never told you that we actually had a white Christmas this year. It started snowing about 3am on Christmas Eve, stopped midday, and was cold enough that it stuck around through New Years. I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand the number of times in my life that it's been snowy on Christmas Day, so it was pretty darn special. And naturally, I dragged my husband out in it to take some photos--is there anything more photogenic than fresh snow? 

I actually ordered this dress back in May to wear to the captain's dinner on our summer cruise to Alaska, but it didn't come in on time. Turns out it's actually pretty Christmas-y in the right context, so I'm thinking it's now my go-to holiday dress. Now if only every Christmas could be a white Christmas!

How To Actually Keep Your Resolutions This Year

Here we are again: the beginning of another year. It's easy to get caught up in all the excitement about healthy changes and resolutions, and no doubt you're feeling like you can take on the world right now. The thing is--and we all know this from experience--making resolutions is the easy part. The hard part comes 15 or so days down the road when your weight loss goal doesn't sound nearly as exciting as those free cupcakes at work. But don't worry--I've got a few tips that can help you stick with your plans for 2018. Turns out all that training in human behavior is good for something after all.

1. Set realistic goals. Here's the deal--you have to be honest with yourself. Are you really, really going to go from total couch potato to working out an hour, twice a day, every day--all at once? Are you going to go from drinking three XL fountain sodas a day to zero, and sustain it for a whole year? Are you actually going to stick to a budget that only allows you $20 spending cash for a whole month?

If you are, you're a superhuman, and teach me your ways.

The thing is, change is hard, and we can handle huge changes if we have high levels of motivation (like, during the excitement of a new year, for example), but we can't sustain them once our motivation decreases. The more extreme changes your goals require, the less likely they are to succeed long-term.