Blog-Tember // Day 3: Goodbye, Summer

This summer has been one of the best summers of my life! From vacations with friends to vacations with family to pool days to shrimp boils to mission trips, it has been jam packed. I have loved every minute of it! Here is a recap of some of my favorite memories from this summer!

1. Family Beach Trip. The whole family usually takes a big beach trip every summer, and this summer was no exception. However, I think this trip will be more memorable than the rest. Nine out of twelve of us beach-goers caught a funky 24 hour virus while we were vacationing! We had one room dedicated to quarantine for the entire trip. But we ended the trip with a bang and all of the girls went to see Keith Urban, Brett Eldridge, and Maren Morris in concert. It was a blast!

2. Cruising with my girls. Me and two of my girl friends booked a cruise to Cozumel and Progresso and it was the most fun and relaxing vacation ever. We soaked up the sun and all of the beautiful scenery while enjoying way too much food. IT. WAS. AWESOME.

3. Nicaragua Mission Trip. This year was my third year to travel to Nicaragua and spread the gospel. I have been blessed to get to see the boys that I bonded with on the first year, every year that I have went. I am the 'loca gringa' that takes every baby that I come in contact with but I just can't help it. They are so adorable.

4. Dixie Chicks. Need I say anymore? I mean, who doesn't love the Dixie Chicks? I was so excited when I heard they were going on tour again. So my friends and I searched and searched for some good seats, but we ended up in the nose bleeds. But you better believe that I stood up and sang at the top of my lungs to every song they played.

5. Lake Days. After years of asking dad for a boat, he finally got one this summer. He came home with a pontoon about three weeks ago, so every weekend since then has been spent at the lake on the boat with the family.

Blog-Tember // Day 2: Current Goals

It's day 2 of the Blog-Tember Challenge! Today's topic is Current Goals. I am not a big goal-setter, but this was a good topic to get me thinking about what my major goals are right now. So, here are four of my major life goals at this current moment.

1. Graduate. Ya'll...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am finishing up one last elective class and completing 70 days of internship and I am DONE! The countdown is on until December 10th.

2. Stop hitting snooze! I am SO not a morning person. I have my alarm set for 5 AM every morning so that I can wake up and get ready for school, but I don't get up until about 5:45. I really want to get a good morning routine started so I can have some quiet time and drink my coffee before leaving for work. But the only problem is, I hit that oh so convenient snooze button 79 times before I roll my sleepy butt out of bed! Someone please teach me how to wake up! LOL! Ya'll...its hard being a sleepy girl with a busy life.

3. Move out of my parents house. This goal has been one that I have set for a long time now. I'm talking years! I will set a move out date, then change my mind. Set a new date, and then change again. Considering there is still A LOT of work to do to the apartment that I am moving into, I have not set a new date. Instead, I have set lots of little goals to help me along the way. 

4. Grow my business. I have a small etsy shop that I run out of my house right now. It is just something that I enjoy doing and I am lucky enough to be able to make a profit off of it. Lately, business has been BOOMING and very overwhelming. I want to add a wider variety of options to my shop, expand into boutiques, and then have my very own online shop. Big dreams...but hopefully they are attainable. (;

What are some of your current goals?

Blog-Tember // Day 1: All About Me

For the month of September, I am going to be joining the "Blog-Tember Challenge" with Bailey at Brave Love Blog. The goal is to blog each week day during the month. Today's topic is Introduce Yourself. 

Hey Ya'll! 

I'm Mallory. I am 22. I was born and raised in Alabama and being southern is all I know. I live on a farm that my family has owned for almost 80 years. I currently live with my parents, but I have already laid claim to my piece of the family land. My sister lives just a hop and a skip away, right through the woods. From my sisters house, I can throw a rock and hit my grandparents house, right across the creek. On the farm, we have cows, chickens, guineas, horses, one mini donkey and four dogs. (I'm working on adding goats and pigs to the mix.) We have two ponds stocked with fish...catfish in one, goldfish in the other.

I am a broke-as-a-joke college student, pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. I will graduate in December...hand to heaven! 

I am a PreK auxiliary teacher at Mount Hope.

I am a PreK TeamKid teacher at Mount View Baptist.

I am an aunt to three of the prettiest children ever.

I am the coolest of three sisters.

I survive on coffee and sweet tea.

I am a small business owner.

I am a music junkie.

I am a frequent traveler.

I am a lover of books and also of writing.

I am terrified of spiders.

I am a missionary.

I am a self-proclaimed, professional napper.

I love every season equally.

I adore the simple, cliche things of life.

Breakfast foods are my favorite.

Nicaragua holds a large piece of my heart.

I have the best friends a girl could ever ask for. 

I cry way too easily.

I am not the best cook.

My dream is to travel to Thailand.

I hunt and I fish.

I occasionally run.

Halloween and Christmas are my favorite holidays.

I have 4 TV shows that I watch faithfully.

I collect coffee mugs.

I spend way too much time on Instagram and Snapchat.

I plan my whole life on Pinterest.

Lastly...ROLL TIDE.

22 thoughts at 22

Other than actually being able to jam out to Taylor Swifts song, I have never really looked forward to turning 22. In my mind, after turning 21, every other birthday was just another year. But honestly, this year is holding more for me than I could have ever imagined. So far this year, I have got my dream job. I have made more memories in a single summer than I have in previous years. I am graduating at the end of the year. Ya'll...this year is monumental!

Here are 22 thoughts from 22 years:

1. I believe surrounding yourself with Godly, uplifting, and encouraging friends is the best medicine.

2. I love music. Music is good for the soul. All kinds. At all times. For every mood.

3. Coffee and sweet tea are requirements to make it through the day.

4. Doors close and doors open. God has a funny way of doing things, but it all works out in His perfect timing. Praise Him in the hallway.

5. Travel and travel often. This summer has been the summer of travels and it has been the best one yet.

6. I love when life slows down and I can take time to admire the beauty of the little things. The stars. The setting sun. Storms. All the cliche things.

7. I fully believe you must treat yo'self. Buy the makeup. Go to that concert. Eat the ice cream. Get pampered.

8. Invest in bath bombs. Take time at least once a week to fill the tub up and relax.

9. Go on a mission trip. At age 22, I have been to Nicaragua for mission work three different times and it has totally and completely changed my life.

10. I am so thankful to be involved in a church where I am encouraged and uplifted. I am equally thankful that several of my dearest friends attend church with me.

11. Go outside! Whether you move yourself from the couch to the hammock outside with a book, or you are going for a run. Take time to enjoy the outdoors, one of God's most beautiful creations.

12. I am thankful to own my very own small business where I get to be creative and share that creativity with the world in the form of t-shirts and tank tops.

13. Writing can double as therapy. I write all the time. I journal my thoughts and feelings. I make to-do list. I document the all little details that I adore in life.

14. Pray. Study your bible. Find a small group.

15. Know your self-worth. Do not let anyone belittle you. Do not settle for anything less than what you deserve.

16. Rid your life of anything that is toxic. Also know that toxic doesn't necessarily mean cruel and uncaring. It is also people or things that do not encourage you to be the best YOU.

17. Be DEPENDENT on God. When you rely fully on God and His plan for your life, everything is much easier.

18. Be happy with yourself. Do not let your happiness depend on someone else.

19. Be uplifting to. Compliment others. "If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it." -Ruthie Lindsey

20. Children are the absolute best. They are so funny. Their words are genuine. They are so loving. Wednesdays are my favorite days because I can walk into church and so many of those kids come running to give me hugs.

21. Jaclyn Hill is perfection. I totally fan girl over her.

22. Pretty Little Liars will NEVER END.


I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22! 

Cozumel and Progresso // Adventures with MEH

Okay, so in my last post, I said that cruising was the life and it definitely is. However, I do wish we could have had a longer period of time to stay at our destinations. Especially Cozumel! I am the type of person who wants to see all the things and eat all the foods. But, to have had just a few hours at each place, I think we had a pretty good experience at both destinations.

Cozumel:

OH MY IT IS BEAUTIFUL! We had not booked an excursion for this island, so when we got off the ship we talked to a few of the tourist guides and found our destination for the day. We went to Buccanos Beach Club and ya'll...it was what I imagine paradise to look like. We walked in the entrance to the private beach and literally all you could see was sand, crystal blue waters, and palm trees. There was a restaurant, a beach with enough layout chairs to hold the army, a pool, a massage and spa center, a rock climbing wall, a snorkeling adventure, tequila tours, and lots lots more. For $30, we paid for our transportation to and from, snorkeling, and access to the private beach and pool.

While we were at the beach club, we laid on the beach, swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, ate at the restaurant (which was amazing!), and tried out the snorkeling adventure. And an adventure it was! A little advice...if you plan on snorkeling, you first need to make sure you are okay with/capable of: a.) having fish and other sea creatures swim right up next to you, b.) breathing out of your mouth, c.) swimming. You see, we did not think this through very well. Emily hates animals of all kinds. I cannot breathe out of my mouth to save my life. Heather cannot swim. I am sure we looked like dumb, dumb, and dumber out there. I imagine it was quite hilarious for anyone who was watching.

Progreso:

Okay, so this destination did not have the same beauty that Cozumel had. However, it was beautiful in a different way. We booked an excursion while we were in Progreso and ya'll...it was a snorkeling excursion! Again, we did not think this whole excursion through when we booked it...We were slightly distraught at the thought of snorkeling all day after our previous days experience. We rode a bus for two hours to the caverns where we were going to be snorkeling in at a little Mayan village. Our guide took us to the first spot where we were to snorkel and I almost backed out. To get into the cavern, we had to walk down steep steps into this hole in the ground. Looking from the outside, I had no idea what to expect to find on the other side of that hole. But it was beautiful! The water was shallow and crystal clear and there were no fish! This was the perfect snorkeling conditions for us.

We went to two different caverns to snorkel and explore. After snorkeling, we had homemade Mexican food waiting for us. We were able to watch the ladies hand-make the tortillas. The food was delicious!

We had a great time at both of our destinations! We are already planning our next getaway. What are some of your favorite excursions that you have been on?

Cruising Carnival Triumph // Adventures with MEH

Y'all...cruising is the LIFE! I loved every single minute of it! Unlimited food and drink. Unlimited ice cream and dessert. And tons of live entertainment and fun! I think we ate four or five FULL meals a day. There was every kind of food you could possibly want available on the ship! My personal favorite was the cheeseburger. I don't think I have ever had a cheeseburger that good! We literally had one every. single. day. right before we would get ready for dinner. At dinner, we were able to choose from a variety of options of food and we tried just about everything-even ox tongue! Our waiters were hilarious! I apologize for the blurry picture, but this is an accurate description of how our dinner was every night. They kept us laughing!

There was a ton of live entertainment on the ship. The dancers put on several shows, many of which had live music. And there was at least one or two comedy shows every night. Rob Little (pictured below) was one of the comedians and he was absolutely hilarious! One night, a magician performed and it blew my mind...it was awesome!

Being on the ship itself was so relaxing. There were tons of lay out chairs available and the baristas were constantly at our service-checking to make sure we were okay and bringing us drinks. It was so nice being able to kick back and relax and enjoy the ride.

I was amazed at the view! Looking out over the ship, all you could see was the bluest water for miles and miles. I will never look at the color blue the same again after this trip! All the different shades of the ocean were absolutely beautiful. And the sunset...YA'LL! I have never seen a sunset more beautiful! (Pictures do not do justice.)

Our room was very nice, to my surprise. I was expecting a tiny room with an even smaller bathroom and hardly any space to move around, and a tiny little port hole window. Our room consisted of two beds and a couch that pulled out into a third bed. We had all the counter space three girls could possibly need and plenty of room to all get ready. And instead of the tiny port hole I had expected, we had a pretty large window. And that was the best sleep I have ever had! The room was super dark at night and the swaying of the ship rocked me like a little baby!

The ship itself was very complicated to navigate around. I promise you, we got lost going to dinner every night. Every. Single. Night. Not one time did we find our dining room easily. (According to Emily, a very frequent cruiser, this ship had the worst layout of any that she had ever been on before.) We spent a lot of time on the elevators trying to find everything. (Disclaimer: we got on the elevator one night, took a few pictures, talked for awhile, then started wondering why the elevator wasn't moving. Apparently you have to push a button if you want to go somewhere.) The pools on board were very, very small so they were always super crowded. I don't think it would been very enjoyable for anyone who had small children who would have wanted to be in the pool all the time. Next time, we will definitely cruise on a different ship.

I half way expected for at least one of us to get sea sick and I was really afraid it would be me. I get car sick super easy so I wasn't too sure about how I would feel on the ship for five days. We had plenty of medicine just in case, but luckily none of us got sick.

I had the best time cruising with my girls. It was so laid back, relaxed and drama free. It was a much needed girls getaway and an escape from reality for awhile. We are definitely planning another cruise in the near future.

Where have you cruised and what is your favorite cruise line?

New Orleans // Adventures with MEH

Since the cruise was leaving from the port in New Orleans, we decided to drive down the day before the ship left and experience New Orleans life for a day. We headed out at 5 on Friday morning and got to New Orleans around lunch time.

We booked a room at InterContinental New Orleans through Groupon. The hotel was located about two blocks from the French Quarter, so we were in walking distance of just about everything we could possibly want to see. The room was very, VERY nice and cozy! Our total for the room was right at $150, so split three ways, it wasn't too bad of a deal. 

After getting ready, we headed out to explore. We took off toward the French Quarter and stopped at all the cute little shops along the way! There is a Lush Cosmetics right on Royal street and all three of us were in handmade cosmetic heaven! 

We stopped at Gumbo Shop for a late lunch/early dinner. Now, I have never had cajun food before this trip, so I wasn't too sure about it but I was determined to try something new so I ordered the Creole Combination Platter. It included Shrimp Creole, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Etouffee...DELICIOUS! The restaurant was so cute and the service was outstanding! If you are looking for a quick place to grab some lunch while visiting NOLA, I highly recommend trying Gumbo Shop.

We made our way to the French Quarter after lunch and I absolutely loved it! The buildings were beautiful and as soon as we got there, we could hear the live jazz music playing on the street. I felt like I was walking into a movie scene. The artwork that filled the street was so unique and beautiful! And there were palm readers every where you turned (We didn't get our palms read...even though I really wanted to. Emily said it was of the devil and wouldn't let me.)! It was everything I had hoped it would be!

For dessert, we stopped by Cafe du Monde to try the beignets and they did not disappoint! The cafe itself was very crowded, but to get the full experience we found a table and sat down right in the middle of the chaos and enjoyed our delicious deep fried donuts.

After dessert we made our way back to the hotel and crashed for the night. For breakfast the next morning, we walked down to Cafe Beignet and devoured a delicious belgian waffle and, of course, some more beignets. The cafe was super crowded but we lucked up and got a seat inside.

When we got off the ship, we came back to Cafe Beignet for lunch. A friend had told us to try the muffalettas, so we did and it was so good! This time, we sat in the little seating area right outside the cafe. While we were eating our yummy lunch, we also got some free entertainment. A man was playing and singing right outside the gate. Again, I felt like I was in a movie. It was so cool.

New Orleans is definitely one of my favorite cities. Since we were only there for one day, I know that we did not get to experience the entirety of NOLA so I definitely plan to return for a longer amount of time. If you have been to New Orleans, what are some of your favorite things to do? What are some of your favorite places to eat?