Wanderlust: Favorite Moments in Paris

Last night, I watched The Way. It's a film about El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James. The beautiful footage in the film has me reminiscing about my own travels. This past summer, I was so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to travel parts of Europe for 6 whole weeks.

Naturally, Paris was included in the trip, and the city didn't disappoint. I'm reminiscing about all the lovely experiences, with the help of some (um, several thousand...) photos.  Here are some of my favorite moments from the visit:

This amazing street performer by Sacré-Coeur

The most perfect pink roses

The Louvre at night - much more peaceful

  

Picnic in the park with Ladurée macarons

Drinking wine by the Seine (with an excellent view of Notre-Dame)

Finally, the Eiffel Tour light show, of course

Have you ever been to Paris? Currently seeking travel partners for another visit...

xo,

Rachel

(All Most photo credit goes to Jeff Steller. He's an excellent travel partner! The picture on the Seine was snapped by the ever-spontaneous Bastian Delacorte)

#runOMcincy

Last night, I tucked myself into bed around 10:30 p.m. in preparation for today's event - runOMcincy! In this super-fun community gathering, around 2,000 Cincinnatians ran either 6, 3, or 1 mile distances to Great American Ball Park to do yoga. If you're from the area, you know it's kind of a big deal to be on the grass.

I pulled myself out of bed around 5:30 a.m. (eek!) with a huge smile on my face. I had a feeling today was going to be a blast, and I was absolutely right. I even got to cross it off my 101 in 1001 list. Check out some of the pictures!

Yogis taking over the outfield!

Feeling happy in the sunshine post-run and post-yoga

Love this picture of the whole group

Rosie did some yoga too!

The (totally free) event was organized and executed by some wonderful employees from lululemon Hyde Park and lululemon Kenwood, and amazing yoga instructors from local studios. Do it with me next year?

xo,

Rachel

Autumn Essential: Bourbon Cider

As a Kentucky resident, I can tell you the local love for bourbon knows no bounds. Now that fall is upon us, I'm trading in gin and tonics for more seasonally appropriate drinks. One of my favorites to make is bourbon cider. It's incredibly simple and SO good - perfect for drinking next to a fire.

Photo credit

Recipe:

• 1/2 gallon apple cider (I like Gravenstein, available from Whole Foods, but any delicious brand will do)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 15 cloves (or 1-2 tsp. ground cloves)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
• 1 orange

Pour apple cider into a saucepan, cover, and turn the heat on med-high. While it's heating, use a vegetable peeler to remove a few thicks strips of peel from the orange. Press the cloves into the orange (if you're using whole cloves). Place the orange, orange peel strips, and rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. 

Use a mesh sieve to strain the liquid away from the other ingredients. Add your favorite bourbon to taste. I usually use 2-3 cups in this recipe. Use more bourbon if you're enjoying it with debauchees, less if celebrating with more virtuous company.  You can serve it with a cinnamon stick in each cup, if you're festive like that. 

xo,

Rachel

Weekend Recap: Hello, Fall!

Cincinnati was seriously blessed with beautiful weather this weekend, minus the crazy storms on Friday night. I completely took advantage of the perfectly crisp fall weather! 

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati was this weekend. It's the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the USA! The event also features the World's Largest Chicken Dance...yeah, my city is a little strange sometimes. I also went to the City Flea in Washington Park. It's always nice to support local artists and small businesses.

 

(I can't take credit for these three photos)

On Sunday, I went to a yoga class sponsored by lululemon, followed by lunch with a new friend. Fresh green juice from Whole Foods after yoga is probably my new favorite thing.

(follow me on Instagram!)

In order to cancel out that healthy morning, I had to bake and lounge around watching football. I improvised a little and came up with a great healthy (well, healthier) recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies! The picture quality is terrible, but the cookies themselves are so, so good. 

I can't even have the Monday blues after that super relaxing weekend. Cheers to a new week!

xo, 

Rachel

Giving Back

I am lucky enough to be a part of a sorority that values community involvement and philanthropy. While I did volunteer prior to becoming a sorority member, my time as a collegiate absolutely ignited my passion for giving back to the community.

There are many causes I care deeply about, but I especially embrace animal welfare. As a lifelong animal lover, walking through an animal shelter just elicits such strong emotion from me. I adore volunteering at a local no-kill animal shelter, The League for Animal Welfare. One of my favorite events is approaching, and I'll be volunteering!

The event features wine and rare bourbon tasting, art painted by the shelter animals, and a visit from Nick and Nina Clooney. I'm so excited about this event and would love to see familiar faces there!

xo,

Rachel

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Bauble Bar Sorority Collection

Bauble Bar is a fantastic, affordable place to find jewelry. They just released a line of sorority pieces, which I am SO excited about! I can definitely picture these being great Big/Little gifts. They have a wide variety too, so every girl is bound to find something she likes.

Delta Gamma anchor pendant // $28

Zeta Tau Alpha pop wrap // $20

Kappa Delta nautilus pendant // $28

See the full collection here!  

Were you in a sorority? Get in touch with me - I love meeting other sorority women! 

xo,

Rachel

Riding Boots for Every Budget

I love autumn's clothing. It's so cozy and crisp after the relaxed, bright pieces of summer. Once the leaves start falling, one of my favorite items to break out is my riding boots. I definitely consider them a wardrobe staple - so much so that mine are basically falling apart now! Luckily, retailers understand the obsession and are more than willing to provide a bevy of choices:

If you're willing to sacrifice a little on the quality, you can easily find inexpensive riding boots, like those pictured above from H&M. Target also carries some boots, including lighter ones. You can't go wrong with the classic Ralph Lauren boots (from Macy's). They're a little bit of an investment, but you know you're getting excellent quality as well. Finally, how gorgeous are these Tory Burch boots?! 

xo,

Rachel

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Favorite Apps for a Healthy Life

It's no secret that I'm a little attached to my iPhone. One reason is that I rely on it to keep me feeling my very best. There are a ton of amazing health and fitness apps out there, whether you want to lose weight, discover new workouts, or just sleep better. Here are my favorites:

Nike Training

This app is like your very own personal trainer! It provides videos for each step in the workout, as well as verbal coaching. They have great toning and strength exercises, but also cardio workouts if you want to ditch the cardio machines. You can see some of the workout options they offer in the image below:

MyFitnessPal

This is a great app for tracking your weight, food, and exercise. I use it every day! You can even use their barcode scanner to input a food's nutritional information in a snap.

Sleep Time

This app just amazes me. You set your phone next to you on the bed and it tracks your little movements throughout the night to determine your sleep patterns. Ridiculous. At first I thought it was a hoax, but I've used it on nights where I've had clear waking/sleeping times (that I am aware of and remembered the next morning) and it's spot on. You can also set an alarm to wake you at the lightest point of your sleep cycle (within a few minutes of your desired time) so that you feel more alert when your alarm goes off!

Gym Pact

There's nothing like the threat of losing money to get your butt off the couch. With Gym Pact, you commit to a number of workouts for the week, and pledge $5 for each day missed. If you meet your goal, money is put into your account via members who had to pay up. I go to a gym regularly, so I figured I might as well get paid for it! If you don't belong to a gym, you can use a Run Keeper with the app as well.

Blogilates

I have been a fan of the Blogilates YouTube channel for a while. Cassey, the trainer, is so fun and full of energy. She recently release this app, which includes her workout calendar for the month, forum for the Blogilates community, recipes, and all her workout videos (organized by body part you want to target).

What are your favorite health apps?

xo,

Rachel

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RueLaLa

Have you heard of RueLaLa? It's simply amazing. While online sample sales have become increasingly more popular, I believe RueLaLa is the best - especially for Lilly Pulitzer deals! With autumn approaching, holiday shopping is already on my mind. I love giving gifts!

Here are just a few of their recent sales:

While the website is invite only, never fear - here's your very own link to access all the amazing offers!

RueLaLa Invite!

Setting Goals

When I was in college, it all seemed so simple: get scholarship, major in Biology, make excellent grades, graduate, attend professional school. I discovered towards the end of this process that what you enjoy studying isn't necessarily the same as your dream job, or even your true passion.

So what do you do after you make that crazy decision not to continue on the easy path? Start over...and believe me, it sucks. It's also kind of amazing. In the past year, I have experienced so many things I would have otherwise not had the courage to try.

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of setting personal goals. I would be lost without my to-do lists (daily, weekly,  monthly, and of course my 101 in 1001). I have always had trouble setting more distant goals. 5 year plans? Nice in theory, but never a part of my life....until now.

That's right, I put my big girl pants on and created 1, 5, and 10 year goals for myself. I won't lie - it was challenging. I feel like so much of my life is still up in the air, but the first step in changing this is defining my vision of my future life.

lululemon is an awesome goal-setting resource (plus adorable yoga gear). Using some of the worksheets and advice provided on their blog, I was able to come up with my 1, 5, and 10 year goals. If you're struggling with grasping the "big picture" part of your life, I highly suggest taking the time to sit down and focus on defining your vision for your life.

xo,

Rachel

Color Profile: Gold and Black

It all started with a pair of Reva flats. I lusted after the iconic Tory Burch shoes for a while before I  purchased them. I'm so glad I did, because I wear them constantly during the fall and winter months. While Revas come in a dizzying array of colors, my heart was set on the gold and black style.

In lieu of following the "it" colors for fall, I'm currently attracted to the simplicity of gold, black, and tortoiseshell pieces. The black and gold combination makes me feel instantly pulled together, even if I'm just working on my computer at Starbucks.

 I recently had my ears re-pierced, so I'm going a little earring crazy right now! I absolutely love the studs pictured below (C. Wonder and Tory Burch can do no wrong). I also have a thing for bows (sorority girl problems?) and love the kate spade pieces. If anyone wants to buy me that bag, I won't resist too strongly.

Gold and Black Inspiration 

xo,

Rachel

Detoxing

After a while, nasty little habits begin to catch up with us. Maybe it's an extra glass of wine (or three), a Starbucks addiction, or simply not getting enough sleep. No matter how healthy your typical day is, little indulgences can have a negative effect on your well-being.

I'm a firm believer in the power of a detox. No, not that crazy lemonade + maple syrup + cayenne nonsense - a detox that simply removes the unhealthy elements from your day and gives your body a chance to repair itself. For me, this means removing alcohol and caffeine from my diet, getting a solid 8 hours of sleep every night, and eating extra clean. I typically do 3-5 day detoxes. During my undergraduate years, it was a necessity after a rough midterm or finals week.


Here's the plan I follow:

I personally don't feel hungry during this detox because I am so well hydrated and portion size is generally not restricted. The great things about this plan is that it takes virtually no time at all to prepare and requires very few "weird" ingredients. Chia seeds, kale, and berries are all considered "super foods" and do awesome things for your health.

 If you want to learn more about my detox, or want to do one with me, feel free to contact me!

xo,

Rachel

Dating the Narcissist

Carrie and Mr. Big. Chuck and Blair. We are constantly presented with tales of the reformed bad boy.  There’s a reason for the popularity of these couples – sex sells with anyone, and a conversion plus sex especially sells with women. Nearly every girl I know would love a handsome, devastatingly charming boyfriend who adores her.  Everyone wants to be that girl. If you manage to put up with a guy’s bachelor ways, emotional baggage, and self-absorption while bringing out the best in him, you get the man of your dreams in the end. Unfortunately, most girls just end up wasting time and energy. Here are some signs you might be dating the narcissistic man:

• He is definitely the alpha male type. He is confident, charming, and good at initiating connection with just about anyone.

• He is always somewhat unavailable – emotionally, or otherwise. Narcissists typically abhor feeling emotionally influenced by anyone. A guy who doesn’t text/call you back in a reasonable time period (e.g., within 24 hours) either isn’t into you in the slightest, or truly thinks his time is more important than yours. 

•   He subtly makes you feel lesser in any way.

• There is great chemistry. Otherwise, you’d never put up with his antics.

•  He has a high need for control. While he might not try to dictate who you see, what you wear, or other typical red flags, this guy definitely hates being at the mercy of someone else’s preferences. Chronic lateness is a little indication of this trait.

•  He expects to be recognized as superior without having superior accomplishments.

• He lacks empathy. If he is unwilling to identify with the needs and feelings of others, he probably won’t be different when it comes to your needs and feelings.

Just one or two of these traits may be fine, but when they start piling up, you have a problem on your hands. So how do you know if you have a Mr. Big or just a heartache waiting to happen? You don’t. You can take the risk, keep dating this guy, and hope for the best – or you can try to change the type of guy you pick. It’s easier said than done. There’s scientific evidence that women are attracted to narcissistic personality traits.

For the love of God, please stop playing dating mind games with these men. Please stop playing games with men in general, actually, but especially narcissistic types. Attention and "the chase" are their oxygen.  Go on dating him if you must, but stop feeding his ego in search of some semblance of caring partner. You'll find more love at the bottom of a bottle of tequila - and that isn't much. Learn from the experience, and when you're ready, remember this advice:

xo,

Rachel

(P.S. This post will also appear on the blog of the popular Twitter account Single in my 20s. Stayed tuned!)

Taming the Mane

I have a lot of hair. I frequently break hair ties because it's so thick, and my ponytails are constantly being compared to horse tails (not nice, friends). I've always bounced around from stylist to stylist, because it's  pretty hard to mess up long layers, you know? I am super excited about my latest appointment though. It's at Jim Brofft Salon Central, and I have only heard wonderful things about this salon. Or maybe I'm just reminded of my recent trip to London every time I look at their logo...

I've been searching for pictures of haircuts I love. While I will not be cutting my hair short again (I have PTSD from the post-breakup disaster of 2009), I want to be more specific than just saying "long layers" when I'm in the salon chair tomorrow.

 I can't decide! Which is your favorite?

xo,

Rachel