I’m sure you can already tell that I’m totally obsessed with anything Southwest style. Not only is the Southwest Chicken Salad delicious, but also nutritious! It’s super easy to make & totally customizable. I love that I can make small portions, or enough to feed my husband & I for dinner & lunch the next day! I save quite a bit of time by making this salad in a large batch & it’s so simple to just grab & go in the morning.
Southwest Chicken Salad is a great option to take to work for lunch because it will save you a chunk of change. For all the ingredients I spent under $20. It makes 4-6 portions, depending on big or small you like your salads. That being said, each portion costs between $3-$5. A similar salad at Panera runs about $13. That means each salad you make at home puts $10 back in your pocket that would you would’ve otherwise spent getting a salad out somewhere during your lunch break. Talk about savings!
What You’ll Need
2 bags of salad mix (I like an Italian or Romaine mix)
2 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
2 Packages of grilled chicken strips
Shredded cheese (I prefer a Mexican blend of Colby Jack)
Santa Fe tortilla strips
Cilantro, chopped
Avocado, sliced
Red bell pepper, diced
Spicy ranch dressing
Step 1
Gather all the ingredients you’ll need. Dice the red bell pepper and chop the cilantro. Combine the diced bell pepper, cilantro, black beans & corn in a large bowl. Mix well with a spoon. I like to put my mix in a glass bowl with a lid so it’ll keep well throughout the week.
Step 2
Lay your greens out on a plate. I like to use half a bag of salad mix.
Step 3
Add as much or as little of the black bean mix on top of your salad greens.
Step 4
Top everything with chicken, cheese & tortilla strips. I use about half of a container of the precooked chicken strips out of the cold section at the store. My fave cheese to use for this salad is a Mexican blend or Colby Jack.
Step 5
Slice an avocado & line the edge of your plate with the avocado slices. Drizzle with spicy ranch dressing.
Don’t forget, phone eats first! 😉 I hope you absolutely love this tasty salad I have artfully crafted to give your tastebuds the ultimate southwest experience!
Get ready to try my favorite weeknight meal of all time! This recipe for Southwest Chicken Breasts is SO easy, delicious & healthy. Bonus points: it looks & tastes like it’s from a restaurant & is easy on the wallet!
The ingredients you will need are:
2-4 chicken breasts
2 cans black beans, drained
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 can diced green chiles
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To begin, combine the black beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper & chopped cilantro. Mix it well in a large mixing bowl.
2. Gather your spices–ground cumin, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Combine the spices well in a small dish. I like to use a little ramekin dish!
3. I use a pack of 2 chicken breasts & slice them down the middle. This ensures the chicken will be throughly cooked & also keeps healthy portion sizes in mind. Lay them flat & spread out in a 9×13 glass dish. Use a spoon to sprinkle about 1/4 of the seasoning mix on each 1/2 chicken breast.
4. Spread the black bean/corn mixture over the chicken breasts evenly, making sure to cover the chicken well.
5. Top with Colby Jack cheese before popping it in the oven. Add as much or as little as you’d like.
6. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven & how crispy you want your cheese to get. Personally, I cook mine for 45 minutes. Cut into the chicken a bit to make sure it’s totally done once you take it out of the oven.
7. Divide into 4 portions & now you have dinner for 2 & lunch for 2 the next day! Serve warm and enjoy!
Southwest Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2-4 chicken breasts
2 cans black beans, drained
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 can diced green chiles
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. To begin, combine the black beans, corn, green chiles, red bell pepper & chopped cilantro. Mix it well in a large mixing bowl.
Gather your spices–ground cumin, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Combine the spices well in a small dish.
I use a pack of 2 chicken breasts & slice them down the middle. This ensures the chicken will be throughly cooked & also keeps healthy portion sizes in mind. Lay them flat & spread out in a 9×13 glass dish. Use a spoon to sprinkle about 1/4 of the seasoning mix on each 1/2 chicken breast.
Spread the black bean/corn mixture over the chicken breasts evenly, making sure to cover the chicken well.
Top with Colby Jack cheese before popping it in the oven. Add as much or as little as you’d like.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-50 minutes, depending on your oven & how crispy you want your cheese to get. Cut into the chicken a bit to make sure it’s totally done once you take it out of the oven.
Divide into 4 portions & now you have dinner for 2 & lunch for 2 the next day! Serve warm and enjoy!
I hope you absolutely love my favorite meal to cook at home! I would love to know your thoughts on my recipe & any alterations you’ve tried. Bon appetit!
If you’re anything like me you’re obsessed with chicken. I kid you not–we eat chicken for nearly every meal. It’s no secret that buying boneless skinless chicken breast at the store will put a small dent in your wallet.
Most quality chicken breast at the grocery store is in the $5-10/lb range. The chicken I normally get at Hy-Vee runs about $6.99/lb. Do the math–(6) 1 1/2lb packages of chicken will run you about $62.91 before tax.
Fun Fact: When shopping at the meat cooler at Target, an employee was stocking the refrigerated section & noticed I was comparing the different brands of chicken. HE LET ME IN ON A SECRET! The Good & Gather brand of chicken literally comes in the same box as the Tyson chicken (which comes with a MUCH higher price tag).
SO HOW DO I DO IT?
My entire chicken haul was 14.95 pounds of chicken which I purchased for $14.84. If I would’ve purchased this amount of chicken at Hy-Vee (where I usually buy my meat), the same exact amount of chicken would have cost me $104.50. That is a grand savings of $89.67 . . . seriously INSANE!
Let’s get down to it!
Target sells big packages of Good & Gather boneless skinless chicken breasts at $1.99/lb in packs that weigh 5-7ish pounds. Not on sale, this will run you somewhere around $10.
They way to save major cash is by checking the expiration dates. If you notice that Target has a pretty high stock of packages that are close to the expiration date, come back the day before or the day of the “best by” date. At this point the chicken is still totally safe to eat & maintains its quality.
When the chicken reaches its “best by or freeze” date, Target slaps $5 off stickers on it to get it out of their inventory. The attached coupon made each of the 3 packs of chicken I bought roughly $5 each, give or take. They will also put $3 off coupons on the smaller packs of chicken breasts that are 3 pound(ish) packages. Since it is so close to the “best by” date when you purchase the chicken, it is important to get it prepped & in the freezer right away.
If all of the packages you pick up have a coupon like the one pictured below, they will all ring up at a discounted rate! When I purchased 3 packages I was able to use $15 worth of coupons, so basically half of it was FREE!!!
Target attaches coupons to chicken close to the “best by” date.
After I got that CRAZY steal, I prepped the chicken by dating freezer bags, trimming the chicken, & separating it out–2 chicken breasts per quart freezer bag. Make sure to get all of the air out of the bag before you seal it to avoid freezer burn.
Freezer bags prepped & ready to be filled!
I ended up with 9 portions of chicken out of my haul, all of which I stacked in my freezer to use for oven recipes & crockpot meals. In the end, each bag of chicken ended up costing $1.64. Compared to the $7 you’d spend at Hy-Vee, Walmart, etc., that is MAJOR SAVINGS!
I paid $14.84 for almost 15 pounds of chicken.
Wishing you happy savings & happy, CHEAP meals! I can’t wait to hear how much you save on chicken breasts from now on. Don’t settle for paying hundreds for meat any longer . . . you’re welcome! Let me know in the comments section how you will be using all your newfound savings!
Anyone who knows me knows that I practically LIVE in leopard. Target has super affordable & trendy options to keep your fall wardrobe cute & comfy!
Click the photos to shop my favorite leopard shoes for fall.
This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission from all sales from the links in this post at no additional cost to you.
Booties
What I love about booties is that they make any outfit look fall-ready. They are SO comfy & are amazing for absolutely any outfit. Booties are the perfect shoe to take from the office to happy hour!
Mules
I am diggin’ mules & I’m SO glad they’ve made a comeback! Mules instantly elevate any look & give off sophisticated “I totally have my life together” vibes (who doesn’t want to give off THAT vibe).
Sneakers & Slippers
My all-time fave shoe is a cute sneaker. If you’re all about comfort & style, these bad boys are exactly what you need in your closet! Sneaks are super versatile–you can dress down a skirt or spiffy up a pair of distressed mom jeans.
I can’t wait to see how you style these leopard shoes! Tag me in your photos on social media. Happy shopping!
Since COVID-19 hit, I’ve had a lot more screen time than usual. Prior to the shutdown I worked from home anyway doing insurance, so I was constantly on screens anyway. Working on the computer all day then getting on my phone/laptop/iPad after work for hours was putting a serious strain on my eyes & giving me headaches that made me feel sick. I purchased the Transparent Leopard blue light blocking glasses to wear while working on screens & it’s a GAME CHANGER! No more headaches or nausea from tech time for me!!!
Blue light blocking glasses work by filtering out blue light from tech screens with special lenses. The blue light given off from digital screens can cause damage to your eyes over time. These work great for jobs that require computer work, college students taking online classes, blogging, online shopping, reading on an iPad & so much more. So thankful for the invention of blue light blocking glasses!
Below are 7 pairs of blue light blocking glasses at various price points under $25 all on Amazon Prime. I love that they come in so many styles, patterns, shapes & textiles. Don’t forget to comment how your blue light blocking glasses have changed your tech experience! Happy shopping!
xo, Han
This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission from all sales from the links in this post at no additional cost to you.
I’ve rounded up 12 of my must have beauty finds across the internet that are all under $50ish!
Shop the products from the link below on my liketoknow.it page. I receive a small commission for every item purchased (which is SO appreciated!). To shop, click the graphic’s link (or copy & paste) then scroll past the graphic & you will see the individual products & when you click you’ll be redirected to the product page. You can also click the heading of each product & you will be redirected to the site to purchase.
If I could live in this towel wrap, I would–no hesitation! But all kidding aside, so do wear this for hours every week. It’s made of the softest microfiber towel material and the velcro is adjustable. I love wearing this towel wrap when I’m fresh out of the shower & getting ready so that I don’t get makeup & hair products on my outfit! It also comes in speckled white, grey, white, & stripes, but the prints are going quickly!
The hair wraps are the same brand & material as the towel wraps, & the quality is out of this world! At $5 each ($10 total) you can’t beat that deal. Colors & prints are becoming limited, but they come in grey/stripes, white/white, grey/grey, & pink/white speckled.
So obviously this choice is way more environmentally friendly, but it’s way friendlier for your skin too! (Not to mention the savings by not buying $7 makeup wipes at Target anymore.) Sometimes you have no choice but to use a traditional makeup wipe, but did you know on the Think Dirty app the Neutrogena wipes are rated 8/10 (that’s really bad)? You won’t have that problem when you ditch your traditional makeup wipes & stock your closet with these washable makeup removing cloths!
Need dark circles gone? CHECK! Need under eye puffiness gone? CHECK! I like to apply this under my eyes along with my skincare routine to stay looking young & refreshed (even when I am feeling exhausted).
I saw you keep scrolling when you saw $52, but give me just a sec!!! This moisturizer is worth its weight in GOLD. EltaMD came highly recommended to me from my dermatologist & is medical grade–you seriously cannot beat the quality. You can skimp on some things, but definitely not moisturizer. Seriously, this will change your life!!
LIFE. CHANGING. Kitsch is already one of my favorite companies when it comes to beauty accessories, but when I found these they changed hair wash day forever. I would DREAD hair wash day (my hair is thick and longgg) and now I can throw it up in one of these scrunchies after I get out of the shower & it cuts my drying time in at least half with no damage.
Who wants healthier hair? Uh duh, everybody! Say goodbye to tangly, frizzy, dehydrated hair! Not only will this pillowcase help to protect your hair, but it’ll do the same for your skin. Your skin will be more hydrated & less prone to premature aging.
Please tell me you’re cleaning your makeup brushes as often as you should. These makeup brush cleaners make it SO easy to thoroughly clean your brushes & get them looking new again. To use them, swirl your brushes on the cleaning board with makeup brush cleaner to get all the gunk outta there.
Have you ever set your curling iron or straightener on a table or vanity & ruined it (sorry mom)? You’ll never have that problem again with this silicone mat for heat tools. Simply lay your tools on the mat while they’re hot and it won’t damage any surfaces. Bonus: the little slit on the corner allows your to wrap a hot tool up & take it on the go with you when you don’t have time to let it cool!
Trying to find the perfect cruise can take a TON of effort, but guess what? I’ve found the most amazing cruise out there for you!
I must say I cannot take credit to finding this amazing cruise–that’s all thanks to my hubby! We traveled with our best friends on this cruise & it made it all the better because they are so great to travel with. Our cruise was from October 20th – October 26th, 2019 & the weather was absolutely gorgeous!!! Every day was sunny and in the 80’s-90’s (my fave weather).
A couple years ago we took our first cruise through Carnival with my husband’s family for New Years & my college graduation & we fell in love. Cruises are SO easy because literally everything is taken care of—really!!! There’s NOTHING to worry about other than a sunburn!
Blake & I boarded our Southwest plane in Kansas City to head to paradise mid-afternoon with drink tickets in hand, cheers! After a very short layover in Fort Lauderdale we boarded our last plane to Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rico airport isn’t anything super fancy, but we did book a hotel room there at the San Juan Airport Hotel that is connected to the airport. We had to walk through an abandoned terminal to get to the hotel (it was pretty sketch), but once we checked in & got to our room it was pretty good. Of course, being an airport hotel it was a bit pricey for what it was, but CONVENIENCE. I could (barely) see the beach from our hotel room! Rooms start around $200 & breakfast is included.
Staying at the San Juan Airport Hotel was very important for us because our shuttle to the cruise ship left from the hotel the next morning.
If you’ve ever taken a cruise before, you know that every ship boarding day gets easier than the last! This was our second cruise, so things went a little more smoothly because we were prepared.
Pro tip: Leave from the airport to your cruise ship by taking the Carnival shuttle. You pay for this in advance while booking your cruise, and you’ll seriously be glad you did! They handle your bags for you and make sure you get to the ship on time (taxi’s def won’t guarantee that!!).
Boarding at the port in San Juan was so much better & more organized than Galveston’s port (sorry, TX).
When embarking onto the ship be sure to have these ready to go:
boarding pass
passport / citizenship documents (including any necessary visas)
After going through the embarkation process on the pier, we were surprisingly in our room by 1:30pm. We had a little bit of time to explore the ship before our room was ready.
Definitely make sure to pack the necessities in your carryon because there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be receiving your checked luggage until the evening.
Click here to check out my blog post on how to pack the perfect cruise carryon bag. It includes links to all my favorite travel products!
Day 3: St. Thomas
Sorry to spoil it for ya, but this was probably my favorite destination out of the 5. They truly spoiled us by giving us one of the BEST excursions first!
Blake & I went to Meagen’s Bay Beach and I am not kidding when I say this is the most stunning beach I’ve ever seen! The water was blue green and I could see my feet and the ocean floor even in very deep water (people who are scared of the ocean, this place is for you). Pretty sure we saw the Kardashian’s yacht in the distance . . . haha no joke.
Sadly, we only had a couple hours to spend at this beach, but we def soaked in every second! This beach is nice bathrooms (considering), picnic tables to use for free, and a bar (you better believe I bought some Truly’s!!!). The water seemed to be super salty, so it was very easy to float!
To get back to the ship we got back on the open air bus that brought us to Meagen’s Bay Beach & it dropped us off at the sky ride–we got an amazing view of the island and the gorgeous water.
I think Blake & I agreed that the ship could’ve happily left us at this beach for the entire week!!! But really–if you ever get a chance to come here, DO!
Day 4: St. Maarten
We had the most amazing excursion planned for St. Maarten, but sadly it ended up getting cancelled. Our original plan was to go to Maho Beach (the airplane beach), but our water taxi was blocked by a yacht & couldn’t get out. Carnival credited our account for the cancelled trip.
Blake & I were supposed to go on the excursion with our friends who travelled with us, so we found other plans and took a water taxi from our pier to Great Bay Beach (behind us in the photo above). The water taxi was $7 roundtrip & we could clearly see our ship from the beach! There are lots of little shops & places to get food / booze.
There are chairs & umbrellas available on the beach to rent–you rent those from the sketchy guys walking around on the beach haha! All of the guys have their own section of chairs & you should definitely haggle with them. They wanted $20 to rent a set of 2 chairs & an umbrella, but I talked one of them down to $5 for the whole set up!! A STEAL!
The water at Great Bay Beach is so amazingly clear and clean. The beach itself is also somewhat clean. Definitely save your money by taking the water taxi to this beach instead of booking an excursion. You will have much more time to relax & have fun by going to Great Bay Beach!
Day 5: St. Kitts & Nevis
Blake & I did Jeep Wrangler off-roading to a black volcano sand beach. We drove through St. Lucia’s mountainside & a jungle & I am so glad we got to have this experience.
The funniest / scariest part of this excursion was that there was a bar at this beach & some of the people drank quite a bit in the 50 minutes we had there (which was SO not long enough for me). We thought we were taking a bus back, but our leader said EVERYBODY GET BACK IN YOUR CARS. LIKE WHAT!!!!! Omg it was wild–keep in mind everyone still had to drive on the opposite side of the road!
I will warn you: if you get motion sick at all DO NOT DO THIS EXCURSION! The off-roading was quite a bit rougher than I thought it would be for a cruise excursion. What was crazy was never did they once check to see if any of us even had a driver’s license. They just loaded us up in Jeeps & started going! In St. Lucia they drive on the opposite side of the road & the driver drives on the opposite side of the vehicle. So another note: if this would freak you out to drive in traffic going the wrong way around a roundabout on the wrong side of the car, probably avoid this excursion lol!
The beach we went to after we got done with our drive was a black sand volcano beach. If you have never experienced this, I promise this will be the hottest sand you’ll ever feel in your life!!!!!! The water was absolutely gorgeous, but getting to the water from your table was another story. Needless to say, I think that was the one & only time I need to go to a black sand beach.
Our friends we traveled with took a taxi to to a private little beach club & they said this is the place to go in St. Kitts. Friars Bay Carambola Beach Club is gorgeous & romantic. If you’re looking for something a little more low key to do in St. Kitts–this is it!
Friars Bay Carambola Beach Club’s Facebook page is @carambolabeachclub. This page has their phone number & address!
Day 6: St. Lucia
Blake & I had the North Beach Getaway excursion planned in St. Lucia, but this got cancelled. We were actually glad it got cancelled because we found an excursion that was a lot better! Funny how things work out, right? I even had so much fun here that I didn’t take a SINGLE pic!!!!
We boarded a bus (omg that had NO air conditioning & it was easily 80-90 something outside & a long ride) that took us through the mountains & past banana fields to Glittering Sands Beach. The beach we went to was so nice & had chairs / umbrellas you could rent for $3, & lunch came with our excursion. I spent 3 hours basking in the sun just loving life!!!
Day 7: Barbados
Rockley Beach
I can’t decide if I liked Barbados or St. Thomas more–they were both absolutely amazing!!! The beaches in Barbados are serene, clean & STUNNING. Blake & I went to Pebbles Beach & Rockley Beach in Bridgetown on our excursion.
We rode to the beach on an open air bus, seeing the city. The driver took us by the Barbados Turf Club & George Washington’s old house. I bet you didn’t know George Washington had a house in Barbados!
Barbados Turf ClubGeorge Washington’s home in Barbados
Rockley Beach was incredible! The water was bright turquoise & crazy clear. We rented chairs & an umbrella for $10–yeah, we’re luxurious and rent chairs everywhere we go haha. Rockley Beach was tied for my #1 beach on this trip, along with Meagan’s Bay. Pebbles Beach was the second beach we went to on this excursion & it definitely was not as good as the first. It was much busier & not as serene. We got an hour and a half at each beach, but I really wish we could’ve had all 3 hours plus the driving time at Rockley Beach!
The port here in Barbados has a ton of shops to walk around & look at if you like that kind of thing. You can get food, drinks, souvenirs, toiletries, etc. at these stores, but it’s mostly the kind of junk you would expect at port shops.
Day 8: At Sea
It was so nice to have a more low-key day where we could rest & just enjoy each other’s company without worrying about getting on & off the ship & making excursions on time.
We spent the day laying by the pool from 10am until 3 or 4. This ship only had 1 swimming pool, so it got pretty packed (standing room only–the hot tubs were XXX with drunk girls wildly twerking like they were in a music video! *yikes* haha I’m all for fun, but come on there were children!!!)
Pro Tip: Eat at the Mexican station in the main casual dining room! It was close enough to Chipotle for me & was absolutely DELICIOUS! I’m so sad I didn’t try it until the last day. Taco bowls are the way to go.
That night after dinner we packed our bags (so sad) so that we could get as much sleep as possible in the morning before our big day of travel. Definitely don’t wait until the last minute to get your things together!
Day 9: Travel Day
We got up at 6am to finish packing the things that had to wait until the very last minute & we grabbed some pastries to try to fill our bellies before travel day craziness ensued.
The debarkation process was pretty simple, but I felt like it could’ve been a little quicker (I guess this was a smaller ship than the last one we were on, so that one had more elevators). We had to wait in lines at the elevators to leave the ship, & once we got down to the ramp they scanned our sign & sail card & I ATE S**T coming off the ship! It was pouring rain; I was pushing a 50 pound bag ahead of me, pulling a 50 pound bag behind me AND carrying my purse & backpack (yeah, I don’t pack light) down a ramp that was at least at a 30 degree angle. My shoes had no traction & went flying down the ramp expecting it to end with a broken leg. The only thing I got LUCKILY was a little embarrassment ha!
Blake & I took the shuttle back to the airport, & I HIGHLY SUGGEST paying for the shuttle. It will save you lots of anxiety & panic!!!
Pros & Cons of this Cruise
Pros
HUGE PRO: Getting to see so many different beautiful countries! It would take so much more money & time to see 5 different islands planning it yourself.
Amazing weather in the Caribbean during October. Always sunny and 80’s-90’s. We never had rain.
Cruise ship was newly renovated.
The Alchemy bar was literally Abby & I’s PLACE. Shoutout to Marco the bartender! Marco, if you’re reading this I hope we meet again!
Delicious food! You’ll gain at LEAST 5 pounds.
The Carnival staff is always so amazing. They always feel like family by the end of the week which makes saying goodbye so much harder.
Late dinner. You have plenty of time to get all gussied up & cute for dinner & hit up a bar for some pre-dinner cocktails.
Cons
This ship (Fascination) was much smaller than the previous ship we cruised on (Freedom). We were used to many more bars/night clubs, wider variety of food on the menu, more amenities/pools, larger casino. All of these sacrifices are totally worth it though for the destinations!
Getting off the ship every day at 7am for 5 days to go on excursions can really be exhausting. This isn’t necessarily a con, but if you tire easily you may wanna take a rest day every couple days & not do anything crazy.
Late dinner. This shift was like 8pm I believe, so by the time our formal dinner was over it was around 10pm & we were BEAT. Going on the late dinner shift also means you miss out on a lot of shows & cruise activities if you’re into that sort of thing.
If you take this cruise, I hope you fall in love with it like we did! I think between the two of us we’ve decided we’d definitely go on this cruise again. If you have any questions about my experience, I’d love to chat–shoot me an email!
Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé is the most wonderful wine to ever touch my taste buds, of course after Dom Perignon (but does that really count since that’s champagne??). This rosé is so perfectly balanced & delicate–ideal for a warm summer day on the patio, at the pool, or by the beach. I have tried both cheap & pricier rosé, & I must say this one takes the cake for sure! $14-ish is a wonderful price for the quality of wine. Gerard Bertrand knew what he was doing when he made this rosé–5 stars, Gerard!!!
Blake stopped in Macadoodle’s for a cigar and picked up this amazing rosé for me, & needless to say I’ll be going back for more! I enjoy the m o d e r n & simple labeling, but what I like most about it is its transparency so that the color of the wine can really be appreciated without bold label colors drawing the eye away from what’s really important. Gris Blanc translates to “grey white” in French–a perfect & subtle name to go along with the label color scheme & paleness of the rosé. The color of this rosé is absolutely stunning!
This Gris Blanc Rosé hails from the South of France & is made from Grenache grapes, which is my absolute favorite type of rosé. It has fresh & subtle aromas of berries & hardly any florals. Drinking this rosé tastes like the most beautiful sunny day. Your palate will adore Gris Blanc’s light bodied, crisp, dry taste followed by a smooth finish. The flavor intensity is on the lighter side & pairs great with just about anything; this rosé is also amazing on it’s own. It appears the grapes went through shorter maceration time to give the rosé a delicate taste & appearance, which I definitely appreciate.
Perfectly balanced & refreshing–this rosé is WORTH picking up a couple bottles when you can find it! It’s fresh, fruity, sophisticated taste will seriously leave you wanting more. My next task–go buy more!!! As always, don’t forget to stop & smell the rosé. Cheers!
They say when the going gets tough people start jumping off your ship left & right. Personally, that couldn’t be more false. I am blessed to say when the going gets tough, my friends shower me with love & support. Thanks pals! ❤
This is more like this week’s reflections, not only today’s. I’m not going to lie; this week has been a rough one. Being an enneagram 8 (shoutout to all my 8’s!), I love control. I like to control my surroundings. I like to control my schedule. I like to control e v e r y t h i n g. I would control when the sun rises & sets if I could haha!
We are now on week ??? of quarantine / social distancing & people . . . I’M ABOUT TO LOSE IT! I need structure. I need a schedule. I need social interaction with someone other than my dogs & husband (love you, Blake). If this weren’t already enough to make someone lose their mind, let’s add family health problems into the mix!
On Wednesday I finally had just about all I could take & helloooooo meltdown. We all love a good meltdown, right?! *scoffs*
The amazing part about friends is their ability to make you feel like you can take on anything & that you’ll never EVER do it alone. Friends always know when you need a pick-up & just how to do it. Moments like those are the ones you remember forever.
Never take a friend for granted & don’t stop showing up for them. We need these beautiful, brilliant, funny humans in our lives to keep us sane. Make sure they know just how much you mean to them. I’m counting down the days until I can hug these lovely people again. Shout out to all my besties, y’all make my world go ’round.
I’ve been quiet, I know. But what is there to say when the world as you know it has come to a halt?
Media, news, social networking . . . it’s too much.
*deep breath*
Did you ever realize you took giving your friends a hug for granted? Did you ever realize you took going to work for granted? Did you ever realize you took leaving your house for granted? Going to the gym? Buying what ever groceries you wanted? Sitting in a restaurant? Holding your grandparent’s hand?
I thought I did, but I didn’t.
There is a greater lesson to all of this. While I don’t have a clear picture of what that is, what I can tell you is rest.
Find peace in solitude.
Find peace in slowing down.
Find peace amongst the chaos.
Find peace somewhere.
Humans are busy creatures. Work, hustle, stay busy, achieve, advance, obtain, create, develop, succeed . . . don’t you think that’s a lot? Existing is enough. We’ve made that out to be a lie though. It seems as though everyone is always focused on their next move–forgetting to justbe. It’s okay to not always be hustling & living for the next moment ahead.
During this time while many are quarantined to their homes, I hope they rest. Being human is by far the most difficult task on earth. Humanity needed a lesson on slowing life down a little. The last week has seemed extra difficult & strange because the sun has not shone. Tonight, right before sunset the sun came out & I could finally feel its warmth on my face. There is something spiritual about that. It’s funny how a little sunshine can give you hope that maybe things aren’t so bad.
Some of my favorite things on earth I will appreciate for the rest of my days:
Laying in bed with my friends watching Netflix
Exercising at a gym
Chatting with a stranger in line at the grocery store
Eating fast food seafood with the best friend my soul needed
Sitting in a coffee shop enjoying the atmosphere
Hugging my best friends
Easily getting what I need from the grocery store
Traveling freely
Scrolling through social media without my friends being full of fear/anxiety
Visits with my Papa
Communion on Sunday mornings
Game nights with the best company you could ever ask for
A glass of rosè at my favorite wine spot downtown
I hope everyone is staying safe & healthy with the pandemic among us. I didn’t think it was anything to worry about in the beginning, but now that things have escalated I find it hard to keep my peace. I will not let fear, uncertainty, anxiety, & negativity rule my life–God will surely see us through.
Hannah Shelby Morgan 