diy s'mores pops

There is a constant, agonizing battle between my brain and my stomach. My brain so desperately wants to be healthy/fit/lean but my stomach constantly craves carbs/dairy/sweets. It’s an endless struggle. Even though I hopelessly want my brain to be the winner of all internal duels, my stomach usually ends up winning. Ice cream after a long day at the pool? Absolutely. Eating a big brunch with friends instead of making it to the 11am spin class? You betcha. Skipping the s’mores dessert because “I shouldn’t?” Not happening, give me all the s’mores. 

That being said, my cousin recently had her bat mitzvah and at her party they were passing around these cute little s’more pops. They were basically a marshmallow dipped in chocolate and then dipped in graham cracker on a stick. I had one and I was hooked. I needed to eat every single one of them. Imagining them throwing the extra pops away left me feeling light headed and a little sweaty. I probably ate nine or ten, give or take, and could’ve easily eaten way s’more. (hehe couldn’t resist the pun)

Now that I’m home, these pops have been consuming my thoughts. They’re seriously all I can think about. I told my mom about the conundrum that I was facing and she suggested that I make my own. I know my mom is a smart woman, but I didn't know she was that smart. Of course I should make my own. It would be easy, cheap, and allow my stomach an endless source of happiness… forget my brain. 

So if your stomach is anything like mine, you should most definitely make these for yourself. You won’t regret it, I promise. 

Ingredients for the S’more Pops: 
Graham Crackers
Dark Chocolate
Marshmallows
Sticks (to stick the marshmallows on)

Instructions:
-First start by crushing your graham crackers. The smaller the crumbs the better. I just put the big pieces in a plastic bag and crushed them up with my hands. It should look like a sand-like consistency 
-Second, put your marshmallows on the stick. The stick should be right at the top of your marshmallow but not all the way through. 
-Third, melt your chocolate. I used a small bowl and put it on top of a boiling cup of water. This kept the chocolate melted and kept it from burning while I dipped the previous marshmallows. 
-Fourth, dip your marshmallow into the chocolate. Let the extra drip off before moving on to the next step.
-Fifth, dip your chocolate covered marshmallow in the bowl of crushed graham cracker. 
-Sixth, place your coated and covered marshmallow on a plate and once the plate is full, stick it in the fridge for a little while. 
-Seven, eat! Aka, the best step. 

And there you have it. A perfect summer treat. Let me know if you end up making them! 
xox
Chloe 

If You're Bored, You're Boring

Usually, in the winter time I say summer is my favorite time of the year, and in the summer time I say winter is my favorite time of the year. The grass is always greener kind of stuff, ya know? Well this summer, things are different. I’m actually appreciating the season while it’s here. I don’t know if it’s because this is the first summer I’ve ever experienced where the gruesome, evil, and hair ruining humidity is not a factor (thanks for that, Colorado) or if it’s because I have been actually leaving my house to do fun things with my friends instead of sitting in my room, blinds shut, watching weird indie movies on Netflix. But whatever the reason, I’m happy that I’ve learned to appreciate the grass on this side of the fence. 

It’s only been three weeks of summer, but, so far, I’m not bored yet. Which is kind of a miracle. I’ve been to the local theme park, I’ve been the the pool with my friends multiple times, I’ve gotten so sunburned I think a lobster could actually confuse me for it’s own kind, I’ve been shopping, I’ve played tennis with friends, I’ve been on runs, I’ve gotten ice cream (maybe too many times… hah no, there’s no such thing as too much ice cream), I went on a quick weekend trip and saw family that I haven’t seen in a while. 

Summer is for freedom. It’s not for sitting in your room. So if you’re reading this in your room with Netflix open in another window, go do something. Step out of your comfort zone. Do something that sounds boring (like going to an art museum or walking around a park that you always drive by). Try something new. Summer is for experimenting and having fun. And making some stupid choices that will ultimately end up leaving you with memories, both the good and the bad kind. Just do something. I once heard the saying, “if you’re bored, you’re boring,” and I don’t ever want to be a boring person. So make like the Nike slogan and “just do it.” 

xox
Chloe

Summer Blogging

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I sincerely apologize for that. Ever since I started back in “real school” blogging took the back burner. I think it’s mostly because I was trying to focus more on in person relationships and trying to catch up for missed things that I just physically couldn’t do when I was sick. So for that, I apologize. But at the same time, I think being selfish every once in a while is ok. I think it’s ok that I made new friends and hung out with them when maybe I should’ve stayed home and written a blog post. I think it’s ok that I maybe focused on school work instead of taking pictures for an outfit post. It’s ok. I’m not going to stress over it. But now I’m back and better than ever. 

    Summer is officially in full swing. The weather is perfect. The sun in shining. The pool is calling my name. My bike is being ridden again. Ice cream tastes better than it ever has. Oh how I’ve missed the three best months of the year. I also will be working this summer at a local golf course. I’m going to be a counselor helping teach younger kids golf, and I’m so excited. I think it’s going to be the perfect summer job because I get to be outside, I get to be around fun kids, and I get payed for doing what I love. However, since I only work four to five hours a day I’m going to try to focus a lot on blogging. If you have any post recommendations feel free to let me know and I’ll try my hardest to write the most interesting version of that idea possible. 

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe

Bringing spring indoors

I love spring, but it doesn't love me! I have horrible (as if there were any other kind) spring allergies, but Flonase® Allergy Relief allows me to be better than my allergies... and bring spring indoors.

My Mom has a green thumb and can make any flower flourish. I wasn't blessed with as much of a green thumb, but I did inherit her appreciation for flowers. At the top of my favorite flowers list are peonies and ranunculus, but daffodils and tulips scream spring to me. Since I can't grow them as well as she can, cut flowers have become an obsession of mine. From simple bouquets, to elaborate displays, to intricate arrangements, the more flowers the better. Having them in vases around my home always makes me smile, and think fondly of my Mom, but my allergies are a drawback to my obsession. At the first hint of spring, it becomes difficult to manage my allergies and I start sniffling, get a runny nose & itchy eyes, and look and feel horrendous. And the sneezing... oh my gosh... is horrible.

Flonase is a simple once-a-day nasal-spray that I use to help me manage my allergies! Just 2 quick sprays in each nostril and I'm able to enjoy spring and be greater than my allergies.

Some other tips that I follow that have been recommended by my doctor to help manage my allergies:

• Keep the windows closed, so no outside air comes in
• Make sure the air filter is changed regularly
• Use a HEPA filter vacuum and vacuum often
• Change clothes after being outdoors (to make sure there was no pollen on them)

I still do these preventative measures, but when I take Flonase daily, I can rest assured that if I bring the outdoors inside, I can still be greater than my allergies. What a relief!

I know I'm not the only one with spring allergies: what are you allergic to and how do you enjoy spring without suffering from allergy symptoms?

XO ~Kim

FLONASE® Allergy Relief compensated me in connection with this blog post.

Graduation Dresses

Graduation is right around the corner and so finding the perfect dress for this big occasion has been stressful to say the least. It’s crazy that all of my years of schooling are coming to a close. Obviously, I still have college, but that just seems different than elementary, middle, and high school. I felt the need to purchase a new dress, because this is definitely an occasion to remember. I ended up buying a little white dress from Madewell that I’m absolutely in love with, but here are a few of the other contenders that caught my eye. Not only are the good for graduation and graduation parties, but they’re also awesome for perfect summer nights. 

one | two | three | four | five | six | 

Graphic Design Final

I’m a pun aficionado. If you follow us on Instagram then you already know this, but I went (and am still kind of going through) a phase where every single caption had a pun about the picture posted.  I think I like puns so much because they make people smile and roll their eyes all in one. I like them so much that sometimes I find myself watching hours and hours of pun battles on YouTube. You say nerd, I say clever nerd. 

    Anyway, I took graphic design this past year and for our class final we had to create a series. This series could be absolutely anything. Our teacher gave us a few starting ideas but there were no rules except for each piece in the series had to be cohesive. I decided to take my love of puns and use that to inspire me for my project. We had to use something that we learned during the year, and I learned how to create these drawn graphics from an image. Originally I was going to make recipe cards, but I soon realized that that idea would take way more time than I had. 

    I just thought they were fun and quirky and that maybe you would wanna see them! Let me know what you think! 

Thanks for reading
xox
Chloe