23 thoughts at 23

I have had such an awesome birthday with all of my people. I was sang 'Happy Birthday' to a total of 16 times and had 3 whole cakes. It was great! I am so blessed with the best family, friends, students, and co-workers. Here are 23 thoughts at 23...

1. Who let me adult?! I mean really. I feel like I blinked and all of a sudden I have to do all of these adult-y things.

2. Coffee really is a necessity.

3. Bubble baths are a way to regain sanity.

4. Four quarters truly are better than one hundred pennies. You know...like friends? I have three of the best friends and they are such a blessing to me.

5. You will only find true contentment in Christ.

6. Nathan and Haley are couple goals. I know they are fictional characters but they are perfection.

7. This world is too big for you to stay in one place. Save money. See the world. Travel is the best thing you can buy.

8. Way too much of my hard earned money is spent on food and I really need to learn how to cook.

9. Whoever discovered dry shampoo deserves a special place in heaven.

10. This life can be tough but no matter how tough things get, looking for the good and staying positive always makes it better.

11. "It's okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes we have to break before we shine."

12. Letting go of the negative and toxic people in your life is hard but it's for the best.

13. One Tree Hill is the best show to ever be created. I can't believe I am just now watching it. But I'm hooked. And way too emotionally attached to the characters.

14. It is better to try than to look back later in life and ask, "What if?!"

15. Piercings and tattoos really are addicting.

16. Farm life is the best life. It makes it really easy to enjoy the little things. The cotton blooming. The smell of fresh cut hay. The setting sun over the trees. Lightening bugs at night.

17. Being spontaneous is the best kind of adventure. Pack your bag, load up with your best friends and just drive.

18. God has a perfect plan and it will be revealed to you in His perfect timing. Keep your eyes on Him.

19. Riding around with the windows down and the music blaring doubles as therapy.

20. Every year you should mark at least one thing off of your bucket list. (Mine this year is skydiving!)

21. Yoga is so awesome. I was going about four times a week to classes and felt SO GOOD! I stopped going over the summer and I cannot wait to start back!

22. Actions definitely speak louder than words.

23. Regardless of anyone else's image of you, God see's you as worthy.

Thank you all for the best birthday! Here's to another great year!

Cruising Carnival Ecstasy // Adventures with MEH

Ya'll... I have said it once and I will say it again. Cruising is THE LIFE! I love travelling and vacations but I think cruising is definitely the best way to just get away and actually relax. You know, when you get home from some vacations, you feel like you need another vacation just to recoop...well that is so not the case on cruises. We were seriously treated like princesses on this cruise. The staff on Ecstasy was SO nice and friendly. They made us feel just like we were at home.

Last year, we cruised on Carnival Triumph. We had several things we didn't like about that particular ship and wanted to try a different one this year. Ecstasy was still a smaller ship compared to some of the other ships owned by Carnival, but it was definitely way better than Triumph. The pools on this ship were pretty large and they had a huge kiddie area with lots of water slides. (Yes, we played on the water slides just like we were kids. ;)) This ship was definitely more kid friendly compared to Triumph. 

This ship had a serenity deck, which was where we spent most of our time. On the serenity deck, its  21 and over, there are cushioned chairs, and big umbrellas. There are also two hot tubs on the serenity deck, but it was too hot to get in a hot tub. The serenity deck was located on the back of the ship so it was a perfect view. And it was way less crowded than any other area on the ship. It was SO peaceful!

This year, we had 'your time' dining, so we could go to dinner at anytime we wanted. We requested the same waiter every night because he was just awesome. Of course, we got to pick from a huge menu every single night and we could eat as much as we wanted. One night, our waiters literally brought us every single dessert they were serving that night. And we ate every bit of it. 

Our waiter and all of the hostesses were wonderful. They were so friendly and would sit around and talk to us every night. 

I love getting dressed up for dinner every night. We had a very specific strategy on getting ready. Three girls getting ready in one tiny bathroom is definitely a struggle. Oh and on top of that there was only one available outlet. But we managed and actually got ready in a very timely manner every night.

We could not get a decent picture before dinner to save our life. It was so windy on the deck and not good lighting inside...so here is what we ended up with. :)

And if you know Emily, she is obsessed with globes and there was this...

This cruise definitely did not disappoint. I had the best travel companions. We all enjoy naps pretty equally, so no one complains about napping real quick before dinner :) It was such a relaxing and much needed getaway.

We will be planning another cruise for the next year, so what is your favorite cruise line? Where is your favorite place to go? When is your favorite time to cruise?

Charleston, South Carolina // Adventures with MEH

Emily, Heather, and I chose to cruise out of Charleston so that we could go a few days early and explore the beautiful city. We had about a total of 48 hours to adventure, which was not enough time to do everything on our list, but it was long enough to see a lot of great things.

On the first night in Charleston, we arrived at our first hotel and it was gross. The room smelled like smoke, the sheets looked nasty, and we checked out just about as quick as we checked in. Thankfully we got a full refund. So we did what we should have done in the first place and checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Charleston / Mt. Pleasant. Since we had already had a rough day, the concierge gave us a pretty great discount. I don't know why we didn't just book a Hilton hotel in the first place? (You can never go wrong with Hilton!)  

That night, we went to eat at Marina Variety Store and Restaurant. It was a cute little restaurant by the marina and it even over looked the water and the boats. The food was great and the prices were decent. 

After dinner we drove around for awhile before making our way back to the hotel. We absolutely loved the Charleston bridge. It is so pretty and I love the way it is all lit up at night.

The next day, we ate breakfast at Callie's Hot Little Biscuit. Ya'll...it was so good. Callie's is a little hole in the wall restaurant on King Street. After breakfast, we stopped across the road for donuts at Glazed. YUM!! They were heavenly.

After breakfast, we made our way to Rainbow Row. This was the cutest little strip of real estate I have ever seen. It would be perfect to live on the end and have a house overlooking the park and the ocean.

After Rainbow Row, we had to have a picture by the beautiful and historic Pineapple fountain. We took a break there for awhile and put our feet in the water and watched all the little kids swimming around.

Next on our agenda was to see the Angel Oak Tree. This tree was so cool! We stopped for lunch at the Angel Oak Restaurant just a few minutes away. The food was pretty good, but I really loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. It had a very unique southern charm to it.

Folly Island was next to see the light house and chill on the beach for a little while. It was so cute! If you know me, you know that I love graffiti and wall murals and all the things like that. Well on the walk to the light house, there was different things spray painted along the road and I just loved it. It made my heart smile.

We had dinner in Sullivan's Island at Mex1. OMG YA'LL...this was the best Mexican food I think I have ever had. We all need to gather together and open one of these in Alabama. Preferably in Moulton so I don't have to drive too far to get there. ;) But seriously, if you are ever in Charleston, you HAVE to go to Mex1. It was delicious!

Before we got on the ship, we ate a quick breakfast at Sunrise Bistro Xpress. This was another little hole in the wall restaurant. It had a total of about 4 tables inside the restaurant and about 5 more outside between the buildings. I think this restaurant mainly does take out orders, but the food was great and the service was really good.

We stopped by Starbucks real quick before calling our Uber and hopping on the ship. Stay tuned for more post about the cruise and the islands! :)

Two days was definitely not enough time to do everything we wanted to do. We mainly did the typical touristy things and made a list of things we wanted to do next time. But Charleston is definitely a great place for a girls weekend getaway!

If you have ever been to Charleston, what did you enjoy most?

Happy 4th of July! // 2017

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

This 4th of July weekend has been the best one yet. We started off the weekend at the lake. We rode the tube, jumped off rocks, and dodged the rain all day long. We loaded up and went to eat dinner at Lakeshore, or what is now Gold Diggers. The food was great...the service was not. But sucky service couldn't ruin our day. We ended the night at a friends house watching the Hollis fireworks show, which in my personal opinion was way better than any 4th of July show I have ever seen at Point Mallard. Ya'll...I don't know why but I LOVE fireworks. They are so pretty.

On the actual 4th, we decided to load up and go kayaking/canoeing at Bear Creek. I think there was a total of 13 of us that went and we had a blast. (Well...some of us did!) 

We found this huge waterfall and stopped for lunch. It was so nice and relaxing. And let me tell you, there was lots of rocks to climb over to get actually under the waterfall. I made it over the rocks...coming back down was another story though. It was quite hilarious. 

Also, would ya'll just look at my papa's face? Doesn't he look so happy? He LOVES canoeing!! Are you catching my sarcasm? I think he would have actually rather have stayed home and hand cut every single blade of grass with some scissors...but he goes along with just about whatever his grands want. :)

Now ya'll...I have chickens. They are my chickens, but my daddy typically takes care of them for me because he put his guineas in the chicken coop and I am TERRIFIED of those loud, ugly birds. (If you don't know what a guinea is, google it! You'll understand why I am so scared.) But today, I was going to get the eggs and feed my chickens when I got home. Well thank the good Lord that I looked in the chicken house before I went in because there was a HUGE snake curled up in the corner of the nesting box. I don't think I have ever screamed so loud for my daddy.

Check out this guy. He was about 5 feet long and had swallowed three of our golf balls. And my dad...being the man that he is...walked into the chicken house, fed, watered, gathered all the eggs, then grabbed this snake with his bare hands and had to pry him out from between the nesting boxes. Then he proceeded to chase me and Hannah with the very much alive snake he had in his hands. Isn't he sweet?! (and maybe a little crazy.)

We finished off the night with some delicious supper and I watched all the neighbors shoot their fireworks.

How did you celebrate the 4th??

Teaching // Year 1

I can't believe my first year as a teacher is over! I have been blessed to get to know 36 of the most precious 4 year olds ever. I completed my internship at Mt. Hope in a PreK classroom as the auxillary teacher. These babies absolutely stole my heart. They never failed to make me laugh every single day with the funny things they said and did.

After Christmas and graduation, I moved to East Lawrence to a different PreK classroom. I'm not going to lie, it broke my heart to leave my Mt. Hope babies. Luckily my good friend Rachel took over that class so I still got to see pictures. But I had 18 new, smiling faces that welcomed me with tight, loving hugs. I was told every day, "Thank you Ms. Mallory for wearing that beautiful dress.", and don't you know that made my day. These babies were so sweet and loving. They always fought over who was going to hold my hand or sit by me at lunch or hold my lunch box walking down the hallway.

Our end of the year program was SO CUTE! All of these babies dressed up and were Hollywood Stars. They sang, they danced, and they received their awards. It was such a bittersweet day. They did so good and made me so proud!

Each and every one of these sweet kiddos will forever hold a special place in my heart. I am so thankful that I was blessed with the opportunity to be their teacher and to see them grow over the time that I spent with them.

New Orleans // Adventures with MEH

For Spring Break, we decided at the last minute to take a quick trip by train to New Orleans. We left out of Birmingham on the Amtrak Monday afternoon and arrived in New Orleans around 7:00 that night. With this trip, we had absolutely no agenda. Our main goal was to simply enjoy our time together and explore New Orleans and that is exactly what we did.

Monday night, we checked into Astor Crown Plaza Hotel, which was located on the corner of Bourbon Street. Our room itself was wonderful, too! I personally give this hotel 5 stars. The only downfall was that where our room was located, we kind of had a crappy view out of our window...but we were very rarely in the room so we didn't care.

On the ride to our hotel, our Uber driver suggested we go to Oceana Grill for dinner, so we took his advice. Oceana's served authentic New Orleans cuisine and it was delicious. We had snacked all day long and we weren't very hungry so we all order different dishes to share. We had fried gator tail bites as an appetizer, the taste of New Orleans as a meal (creole jambalaya, crawfish ettouffee, red beans and rice with smoked sausage), and New Orleans bread pudding and La Boheme Creme Brulee for dessert. It was all amazing!

Tuesday morning, we hit up Cafe Beignet for breakfast and hopped on a street car for awhile. We got off the street car at Jackson Square and found the famous Cafe Du Monde for some of their delicious beignets. 

Before stopping at the Gumbo Shop for dinner, we walked around Jackson Square and Royal Street stopping in at all of the cute stores and boutiques. We were all so intrigued by all of the street shows, too. I even got pulled into one, which was pretty fun.

After dinner, we decided to take one of the Ghost Tours around the city. It lasted about two hours and it was really cool hearing about all the history of New Orleans. My favorite story was about a guy named Zach Bowen and his girlfriend, Addie Hall. 

Wednesday morning we decided on Starbucks for a quick breakfast. We stopped at a few of the shops along the street and then made the walk down to Armstrong Park. Along the way, there were the most colorful houses, so of course we had to stop for a photo shoot. Armstrong Park was a quiet, beautiful place to rest by the water.

After relaxing for awhile, we walked back to Dreamy Weenies for a quick lunch, then we took the street car to Ogden Museum of Southern Art. My main purpose of wanting to go to the museum was to write on the "Before I Die" wall that was located on the side of the building. But when we got there, a new mural was in its place. (PS: I am obsessed with huge murals and graffiti...I think it is amazing!)

We ate dinner at Olde N'awlins Cookery, and like every other place we ate, it did not disappoint. Seriously though...the food in New Orleans is delicious!

My favorite part of New Orleans (besides the food, of course) was seeing and hearing all the street shows and musicians. Ya'll, there are some seriously talented people there. I love being able to hear the jazz music pouring out of all the shops along the street and on every street corner. Except there was one thing I didn't like...

Talk about scary!!!

On top of that, I got to spend all of that time with some of the best company. We laughed until we cried and we all enjoyed taking naps before dinner time! It was great! :)

What are some of your favorite things to do/places to eat in NOLA? 

Still

There are times when life just plain sucks. Everyone battles different hardships throughout life that are inevitably going to happen: lives lost too soon, heartbreak, illnesses that are incurable, financial struggles, and everything in between. You can face these battles with or without God by your side and I have learned the hard way that things are so much easier with God. (Not that I didn't already know this, I am just stubborn. He knows. He knows I always have to learn things the hard way.) Having God doesn't mean that things are going to hurt less, because it still hurts tremendously. But having God and trusting in Him just gives this peace throughout the situation.

I'm about to be totally transparent with ya'll...

The past few months have been hard. Things have happened and my plans for my life have been absolutely torn apart at the seams. I have said time and time again that I trust God and that I know He has a plan. But really, I was just praying that God would work out my plans. 

And ya'll, I know my God is shaking His head and laughing at me. I can literally hear Him right now saying, "Um honey...no. Just be still and you will see that MY plan is so much greater than what you have."

I was at my breaking point. I had just had another major thing thrown at me that absolutely broke my heart. I was questioning God. I was wondering why things were so tough right now. And then I was in the car with my mom and 'Still' by Hillary Scott came across my iTunes and my mom and I both just sobbed. I mean the words just hit like a ton of bricks. 

'Cause I get scared when I can't see the end

And all you want from me is to let go

You're parting waters, making a way for me.

You're moving mountains that I can't even see.

You've answered my prayer before I even speak.

All You need for me to be is still.

When the tears were dried, I couldn't help but laugh. Ya'll those words could not have been more perfect for me at that exact moment. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I just looked up and said, "Okay God. I know! I hear you and I am done. I give you all of this pain and all of this suffering and I am trusting you, genuinely trusting you and your plan. I am going to be still." 

But along with trusting His plan, I had to let go of some of the anger and bitterness that I was feeling. This is where I began to struggle because I felt like in order to let go of some of that anger, I had to be wishing good things and happiness onto this person who has broke me, this person who I have let steal my joy. And I so did not wish them well. So I mentioned them a couple of times in my prayers because I felt it was my Christian duty to do so, but I never really meant it. So one night I just said, "God...you know how I am feeling about this person. I feel that I have a right to feel this way toward them and you know I do not want to wish them well. Instead, I am going to pray for their salvation. I am praying right now, that this person, through this mess, will turn and run full speed to you. That's it. And this is the last time I am praying for them." And you know what, ever since I said that prayer...I have not felt angry. I have not felt hurt. I have had this odd and unexplainable peace.

You see, through all of this, I have had to let God break me. I have taken all of my hurt and bitterness and gave these burdens to Him to carry for me. I simply cannot do it on my own. By laying it down at His feet, I have allowed God to take my broken pieces and mold me into what He wants for me.

Can I tell you, friend...when you are going through a storm in this life, it is so much easier to just stop. Be still. And give it to God. Get close to Him and listen. He will direct your steps in the right direction.

God has opened many doors for me and I know many more will be opening. Through my hurt and heartache, I have added a wonderful story to my testimony and I hope that one day I will be able to use my experience to minister to others who are hurting.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."
Psalms 147:3-5

Whole30 Favorites

Okay, so I told ya'll in my New Year post that one of my goals for this year was to start eating healthier. My plan was to loosely follow the Whole30 diet, but mainly just to eat foods that are actually good for me. So far...I have done really well. I do cheat occasionally, but like I said, I am not doing this to lose weight. I just want to be healthy! 

So here are my favorite Whole30/Healthy recipes so far. 

1 // Whole30 Chicken Salad 

(original recipe by Jay's Baking Me Crazy)

I cheated on this and used real mayonnaise and left out the green onion. I made this and took it for my lunch a few days and it was delicious. Especially with some Ritz crackers!

2 // Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

(original recipe by No. 2 Pencil)

Okay, so I don't really know how healthy shrimp is for you. I have heard it is and I have heard it isn't. But either way...this was so good and super easy to make.

3 // Mixed Berry Smoothie

(original recipe by Tarryn)

I have to have a good breakfast or else it throws off my whole day. I do this in the mornings before my coffee. However, I do leave out the protein powder.

4 // Slow Cooker Lemon Thyme Chicken

(original recipe by The Natural Nurturer)

Since I am not a great cook, anything I can throw together in a crock pot is great for me. Instead of using a whole chicken, I used several chicken breast. It was great.

Do you have any favorite, healthy recipes?

Currently // January

Reading...Restless by Jennie Allen
Planning...lots of summer vacations.
Watching...Grey's Anatomy (season 3) and Fuller House (season 2)
Trying...to cook, LOL
Cooking...my Whole30/healthy meals
Eating...semi-clean. This girl still has to have her coffee-3 sugars.
Drinking...yogi green tea and lots of water
Calling...Meagan. Always. We could talk on the phone for hours.
Texting...Heather, Emily, and Jessica. We have a on going group message.
Pinning...lots of travel destinations.
Going...to concerts. Whoop whoop!
Loving...my new Morphe eye shadow palettes
Hating...this Alabama weather.
Discovering...life is so much better when you don't worry and you give it all to God.
Feeling...super thankful.
Hoping (for)...warm weather!
Listening (to)...2000's R&B
Celebrating...Heather passing her boards!
Thanking...my parents for everything they have done for me the past few months.
Starting...Hart of Dixie on Netflix.
Finishing...thank you letters from my graduation party.

What all do you have going on in January?

New York City

For my college graduation trip, my parents and grandparents planned a trip to NYC. Me, Mama, Hannah, Meme, Robin, Ali, Kay, and Paige, all packed our bags and flew out to the big city two days after Christmas. We flew into Newark, NJ and had a bus pick us up from there and take us to our hotel.

We stayed at the Hilton Times Square and it was literally right smack in the middle of Times Square. Just about everything we wanted to do was in walking distance of our hotel, which I loved.

On day one, we did lots of shopping and went to Rockefeller center and it was absolutely beautiful. We ate supper inside the shopping center at Bill's Bar and Burger and I don't know if it was because I was super hangry or what, but that was one of the best burgers I have had. 

 

We all went back to the room early that night to plan the next three days and get some rest. But I say early lightly because it was more like 11:00 by the time we actually went to bed, compared to 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning the other nights we were there. I mean, we were in the city that never sleeps, so why not?!

On day two, we re-visited all of the big shops we wanted to see again. We walked through Bryant Park and what seemed like every square mile of Midtown. We met our cousin and he treated us all to lunch at Park Avenue Tavern. Grand Central Station and the Vineyard Vines store were next after lunch. And of course we stopped at every Starbucks we found.

We ate John's Pizzeria that night for supper and I am not joking when I say that was literally the best pizza I have ate in my entire 22 years of life.

Day three was quite possibly my favorite day in the big city. We woke up early that morning and went to Top of the Rock, which I highly recommend. We bought our tickets and got the add on so that our tickets were good for two visits: one in the day light, and one at night time to see the city lights. 

After the morning trip to TOTR, we did a little more shopping and site seeing before packing into a van and heading to New Jersey to visit the mausoleum where my great-grandmother, great-grandfather and great-aunt are buried. We returned to NYC just in time for a quick trip to the Met before we had to get ready to go to the show. 

We saw The Lion King that night and OH MY GOODNESS!! It was nothing short of amazing. I wasn't so sure how much I would enjoy it because I typically get tired at shows like that (live plays, the Rockettes, etc.). But this show...just do yourself a favor and go see it. Totally worth it!

After the show, we took a bicycle carriage back to TOTR and that was quite possibly my favorite form of transportation in NY.

On day 4, we took a ferry boat tour around Manhattan to see all of the sights...the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge. 

After the ferry boat tour we went to see the 911 memorial, which was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. The environment there was so much different from anywhere else in NYC. Throughout the entire museum and memorial, everyone was so quiet. There were tears being shed all around as everyone reminisced on that monumental day in history. I highly recommend everyone to take the entire tour if you visit NYC. 

That night we made our way to Little Italy where we ate supper at Sophia's of Little Italy. I had the best shrimp alfredo EVER. We did the touristy things around Little Italy. We got all of our souvenirs at a little shop by the restaurant and ate homemade gelato in the snow right before catching a cab to take us back to the hotel. 

After about two hours of sleep, we left our hotel at 2AM to drive to Jersey to catch our flight back home.

I definitely want to go back to New York for a longer amount of time and during a different season. If you have been, what are your recommendations?

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