I read 7 books this month and my goal is to read 50 this year so I’m feeling really good about that goal! I listen to books sometimes while I walk, run, & cook so I do count those as “read” even though I listened to them. In the reviews, I’ll add it it was an audiobook! I know some people don’t count them but I personally do!

What I Read This Month:

I had two five star books: The Vanishing Half & Reminders of Him. Completely different vibes but both great in their own way! I try to only give 5 stars to books I’d read again. I’m going to give just a little summary/review of each book!

Reminders of Him:

I love almost every Colleen Hoover book & have read them all! Reminders of Him is definitely in my top 3 of her books. I think everyone on TikTok right now is also obsessed with Colleen Hoover haha. If you’re looking for a heartfelt book that might make you tear up (not speaking from experience or anything….) this is the book! It has a lot of interesting family dynamics and you root for & against the main character which I really like.

5/5 stars!

The Vanishing Half:

This book is heavy. It’s so well written & the story is captivating but it’s heavy. It’s spans decades starting in the 50s. I thought the development of the two main characters was so interesting. The book follows the lives of two twin sisters & shows how heavily racism & sexism impact the course of their lives. It will definitely make you think, feel, & want more at the end.

5/5 Stars

The Hating Game:

If you want a fun, light hearted, funny, & easy read, read this! It was a cute story & I want to see the movie! Although sometimes I really did not like the main character, I felt like she was so oblivious at times. Overall though I enjoyed it & read it quickly! A very typical romcom type book.

4/5 Stars

The Escape Room (audiobook):

This is a thriller & I really liked it. Some parts were predictable but it still was a good story. The more I read thrillers, the better I am at predicting the endings haha. Does anyone else have that problem? The book is about a group of coworkers who go to an escape room for a team building event & end up trapped in an elevator. The book flashes back & forth between present time & past. You slowly start to learn more about each person stuck in the elevator & slowly figure out who isn’t telling 100% of the truth.

4/5 stars

The Wives (audiobook):

This is another thriller but this kept me guessing until the end! I love recapping the books I’m reading to Eli & I kept him updated the whole time with all my theories haha. I don’t want to say too much because now knowing how it ends, it’s harder to recap. But it’s from the perspective of a woman who is her husband’s #2 of 3 wives. Her husband keeps the other wives names/information secrete from each other but wife #2 slowly starts figuring out who the other wives are. But the more information she learns, the more she wants to know.

4/5 Stars

We Were Liars:

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it. I thought it was kind of slow & repetitive at some points. I did love the setting though. The book centers around Cadence, the eldest granddaughter of an extremely wealthy, old money man. The own a private island that the entire family vacations to every summer. During Cadence’s 15th summer there, something happens & she gets a brain injury. She can’t remember any of the details surrounding the event & no one will tell her what happened. She returns a few summers later to try & put the pieces together.

3/5 stars

The Sixth Wedding (audiobook):

The sequel to 28 Summers, this is short & easy book. If you’ve read 28 summers, definitely give it a chance. It was some closure from the previous book but also I just didn’t love some of the storylines in this book.

3/5 stars

Okay, that’s it for my January 2022 Book Review! I’ll do another review for February. So far I’m planning to read City of Girls & Local Woman Missing. Very excited for both!

The post January 2022 Book Review appeared first on Choosing Balance.

I’m going to break down everything we did day by day rather than putting it into categories like breakfast places or dinner places because I think it’s easier to follow along! If you would rather have another format, let me know in the comments!

We absolutely loved Jackson Hole and cannot wait to go back! On my bucket list for next time: horseback riding and the gondola ride up the mountain (it wasn’t open this time).

Where We Stayed:

We had never been to Jackson Hole before so weren’t really sure where the best place to stay would be. We ended up staying in Teton VIllage which we liked but we kind of wish we had stayed in downtown Jackson. Teton Village has about 10 restaurants and is a cute little area but is farther from Grand Teton National Park. You drive right through Jackson to get to the park so we could’ve saved about 15 minutes each way.

Here’s the link to the airbnb we stayed in! It was nice, clean, and cozy! LINK.

Night 1:

We arrived Wednesday evening so we grabbed dinner at Roadhouse Pub & Eatery. It was in downtown Jackson and about 20 minutes from the airport. It was the perfect causal spot after a long day of traveling with good food and drinks! I had made a reservation for us. That’s one thing I read everywhere when I was looking into Jackson Hole, make as many reservations as you can!

I had a sweater weather cocktail and Eli and spilt a burger! Would definitely go back.

Then we walked a few blocks to Bin22, a wine bar. They also had plenty of beer if you’re a beer drinker! The wine was great, we sat outside on a heated, covered patio. We didn’t have any food but they had small plates that looked good! A great spot to grab some drinks after or before dinner.

Day 1:

This was the day we were worried about because the high was around 30 and it was supposed to snow. We weren’t sure what hiking would look like but still wanted to give it a shot. It ended up being my favorite day! Hiking in the snow was absolutely magic and I cannot wait to experience it again.

We got up and ready to hike. From Teton Village (where we stayed) to Grand Teton National Park it was about a 25-30 minutes to get into the park. You pass right through Jackson so we stopped every morning for breakfast and coffee before heading out.

We stopped at Pearl Street Bagels the first day and oh my goodness if you love savory breakfasts, you MUST get there early to snag a bagel sandwich. They only make a certain amount and once they’re out, they’re out.

Then we continued on to start our hikes! We did two hikes this day and loved them both!

The first hike was: String Lake Trail and it was 4.4 miles. It was classified as moderate and it was a fun hike! Not much incline which was nice because it was snowing pretty hard. Seeing the lake with all of the snow was the best. The trail was well marked and easy to follow. I always recommend the app AllTrails if you’re going on a hiking trip! It helps you stay on trail.

We decided to do another hike because it was so pretty out but wanted something easy and short. We did the Colter Bay Lakeshore Trail which was 2.5 miles and rated as easy. Hardly any incline and you had some beautiful views of the mountains and lake! A great hike to add onto another hike because it’s short and you get some good views.

Now onto food! We had a dinner reservation for later that evening but wanted some drinks and apps beforehand. So we went back to Roadhouse haha. We are so bad about repeating places we love but in our defense we all got different drinks and food from the night before!

I had a margarita and we all shared the buffalo cauliflower and pretzel sticks. The buffalo cauliflower was so good!

We went back to our airbnb and chilled a little bit before dinner. We had reservations at Calico which was close to Teton Village! Eli and I shared a pizza and salad. I keep saying this but it was great! We honestly didn’t have a bad meal here haha.

Day 2

We planned on doing a similar type of day to the day before: hiking in the morning and afternoon, happy hour, and then dinner. Eli and I decided to hike just the two of us because we wanted to do a longer hike and his parents wanted to stay back.

For breakfast, we stopped at Persephone Bakery. This was my favorite food of the trip! The pastries were just unbelievable. Even early in the morning during the off season, it was busy. Someone told us to order to go and it was a lot quicker so just FYI if you do try it out!

They also only make a set number of pastries so once they’re out, they’re out. Go early to snag the best goods and beat the line! They have the cutest outdoor seating area and even had a fire pit so it wasn’t too cold! My rec would be the maple scone or the pumpkin bread- both unreal!! I truly don’t think you can go wrong with anything from here.

Hiking: We hiked the Cascade Canyon Trail on this day which was supposed to be a 9.1 mile hike but that’s if you take a boat across Jenny Lake. The ferry was closed so we hiked around Jenny lake which added 1.5 miles one way (3 total). We ended up turning around and didn’t complete the full hike but did about 10 miles! We still had some amazing views, definitely the best views of all of the hikes we did!

We went back and met up with Eli’s parents and had a chill afternoon. The dinner reservations were at the Local which is in downtown Jackson. We left a little early to walk around downtown beforehand. The local was probably the most expensive restaurant we ate at but it was so so good! The drinks, the meals, and the dessert were all amazing. This was probably the most recommended dinner spot to me!

The famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is right next door so after dinner we headed over there to listen to some music. I think they had live music every night we were there. If you want a seat, get there a good amount of time before the music starts. I think we got there 45 minutes before and barely got a seat during the offseason. Such a fun environment and good music!

Day 3:

This was our last day! We thought about driving to Yellowstone this day but it was a 2 1/2 hour drive one way and we just didn’t want to spend that much time in the car when the weather was so nice! So we spent another day hiking and eating in Jackson.

We went back to the Persephone Bakery because we are horrible about repeating meals haha.

Hiking: we hiked the Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake Loop which was 6 miles and rated moderate. Out of all the hikes we did, this was probably my lowest rated. It was a great hike don’t get me wrong but the views weren’t as great at the other 3 hikes!

After we hiked, we headed back into Jackson to eat! We ate at Hatch and had the best spicy margs and nachos!! the perfect spot any day for happy hour! Eli and I shared the pulled pork nachos and the salmon tacos, both were so delicious!

Then we had a few hours to kill so we walked around downtown, went into some stores, got coffee at Cowboy Coffee. The weather was absolutely stunning and we were glad we didn’t head to Yellowstone for the day!

Now for our last dinner! We went to an Italian restaurant in Teton Village because we knew we had to be up early for our flight. We went to IL Villaggio Osteria. It was about half a mile from our Airbnb so that was super nice. Loved the food of course! The pizza was my favorite of the trip and the lasagna was perfection. Especially if you stay in Teton Village, this is a must if you love Italian food!

And then we left super early the next morning! Let me know if you have any other questions but I hope this Jackson Hole recap and guide was helpful for you. So jealous if you have a trip planned soon!!

The post Jackson Hole Guide and Recap appeared first on Choosing Balance.

We had decided to go to the Smoky Mountains but it’s about an 11 hour drive. Nashville is almost halfway in between for us so we decided a night in Nashville would be a fun way to break up the drive!

Outfit link: HERE

Nashville

We got to Nashville around 3pm so we changed and headed out for happy hour. Also we had the dogs with us so we dropped them off at our Airbnb before heading out.

Link to the dog friendly Nashville Airbnb: HERE.

Happy Hour: We went Saint Anejo, it was about a 15-20 minute walk from our Airbnb! Both times that we have gone to Nashville, we’re walked everywhere. We try to spend our money on food vs spending it on Ubers haha. It also felt nice to stretch our legs after a long day in the car!

They have a happy hour special on margaritas so we split a pitcher of margs. We also ordered their guacamole and just look at that mound! Then we shared a hot chicken taco and a fish taco. The food and margaritas were all delicious!

We say outside too and it was a nice atmosphere for happy hour.

Rooftop Bar: We were done eating and wanted to go to a rooftop bar before our dinner reservation. We initially walked to LA Jackson which isn’t far from Saint Anejo. They were booked for a private event though so we headed over to L27 Rooftop Lounge. We were there on a Thursday night so luckily it wasn’t crowded at all. We had a drink here and it’s a cute rooftop space.

Dinner: I think the best thing you can do for your trip is make dinner reservations. Waiting in line is never fun so make reservations when you can! We went to Emmy Squared in The Gulch for dinner. It seemed like a good idea to stay around this area for everything because we knew we had a walk back to our Airbnb later.

We shared an order of their fries and hot chicken pizza. 10/10 recommend this, it was incredible! The crust was similar to a pan pizza from Pizza Hut, doughy but also crispy.

Dessert: Our plans were to go listen to music or something but we were pretty tired haha. So we decided to go grab an ice cream from Jeni’s on Fifth and Broadway. I got salty caramel and it was some of my favorite ice cream ever!

Outfit Link: HERE

Breakfast: We got up and walked to Milk and Honey (again in The Gulch) around 8am. I’m glad we got there kind of early because by the time we left, the line was so long. All of the popular breakfast spots get super busy around 9-10 it seems so if you can get up a little earlier and go, I highly recommend that!

We ordered their cinnamon roll, biscuits, and lattes. I loved it all but I thought the cinnamon rolls we had at Biscuit Love the last time we were here were better! The coffee was so good though and they had a ton of coffee options.

After that, we walked back and checked out of our Airbnb. We had the dogs with us now but still had a few hours before we needed to leave for Gatlinburg. So, we decided to go to the 12 south area because it’s a pretty dog friendly area and less overwhelming than the downtown area.

We grabbed coffee and matcha at the Frothy Monkey. I had the rose pistachio matcha and I know it sounds weird but it’s so good! Eli had the mocha monkey and it was also great. A chocolate banana combo!

Our favorite donuts were right down the road and they have a dog friendly patio. Frothy Monkey is also dog friendly but it was pretty busy! So we walked around, drank our drinks, then headed over to Five Daughters’ Bakery to grab some donuts for the road. We shared one on the patio then headed out for about a 4 hour drive to Gatlinburg.

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge

Okay I keep saying Gatlinburg because most of what we did was in Gatlinburg or The Smoky Mountains. But our Airbnb was actually in Pigeon Forge. It wasn’t a far drive at all and it was nice being a little away from the business of Gatlinburg.

Pigeon Forge Airbnb Link: HERE

outfit link: HERE

Day 1: Our first full day was supposed to be the nicest so we decided to do the hike we wanted to do the most this day. We hiked Mount LeConte and it was tough but so good! The views were just unreal. It was a lot of incline but the challenge of it is half the fun. It ended up being around 12 miles total.

outfit link: HERE

After this hike, we went to the grocery store on the way home and picked up food for dinner. Eli and my stepmom grilled out on the deck and it was perfect after a long day! Our Airbnb included everything you needed to grill basically.

outfit link: HERE

The views were just *insert heart eyes*

Day 2: It was supposed to rain all day so we wanted to do a shorter hike. I can’t imagine being on a 12 mile hike and it starts storming halfway through… So we hiked Rainbow Falls! It was about 5 miles total and is such a pretty hike. It rained but still was a great hike and time.

After this, we searched for a brewery or cider place to go to for a drink. We came across Wyile Cider and it was such a unique place! We did a cider tasting and then grabbed some to bring back with us.

Then we went back to our Airbnb and decided it was the perfect weather for a pizza and wine night! We got pizza from Big Daddy’s Pizzeria and it was perfect. We had a veggie pizza and a philly cheesesteak pizza. Then we watched Dateline all night while it stormed haha.

Day 3: It rained all night and there was supposed to be rain again all day. With all the rain, we knew the trails would be pretty muddy. It wasn’t raining in Knoxville, so we decided to drive there for the day. First, we went for a long walk along the river and grabbed coffee. We really didn’t love the coffee place so I’m not going to recommend it haha.

Then we had dinner at Tupelo Honey and loved it! I had the harvest bowl and it felt great to have some veggies. We walked around the area for a little bit, there are some shops there.

outfit link: HERE

Then we went back to our cabin and just played cards and hung out. It was a great trip with Eli and my stepmom. Full of lots of good food and good hiking! I think I covered everything but please let me know if I can answer any more questions!

The post Nashville and Gatlinburg Recap and Guide appeared first on Choosing Balance.

Shop This Dress: HERE.

This dress fit true to size! I’m 5’7 and normally a size 6/28 so I ordered a medium. It comes in two other colors as well! I wore this dress to a wedding a few weekends ago and it was perfect! So comfortable and pairs well with a lot of different shoes.

Shop These Dresses: HERE

These fall wedding guest dresses are a little bit longer depending on the vibe you are wanting! All under $100 except for one dress. I loved all of the styles and colors of these dresses!

Shop These Dresses: HERE

Again all of these dresses are under $100 except 1! Do you like to wear short or long dresses normally? I’m loving the trend of the midi dress so I don’t really have to decide haha. I probably prefer short dresses because they’re easier to dance in. Although I hate being cold so as the weather starts changing, I’ll definitely change my mind on my answer here haha.

Hope this is helpful and I hope you all have a blast at any weddings you’re attending this fall!

The post Fall Wedding Guest Dresses appeared first on Choosing Balance.

So this was our first hiking trip and I am in no way an expert! Make sure you do your own research before you go because hiking is no joke. You want to be well prepared and safe. Talk to rangers every day before you go out for the hikes you have planned because they know 1000x more information than you can find on the internet. Just a friendly disclosure that I’m not an expert and this is just what we did as newbie hikers!

Where We Stayed:

Here’s the link to the Airbnb we stayed in! link here

We loved this place! Read the reviews though. The only complaint people had is that it’s not as secluded as it looks in pictures but we knew that ahead of time! It was super clean, cute, close to town, and the perfect vibes. We had nothing but good things to say!

It was about an hour drive from most hikes but I think unless you camp that will be the case. It took about 20-30 minutes once we were in Mount Rainier just to get to the hike we wanted. You have to drive pretty slow and everyone is stopping to look at the views.

What To Do In Packwood:

We got coffee a lot of mornings at the Mountain Goat Coffee Shop. They had lots of options and their pastries looked amazing! It was just a few minutes from where we stayed. The way Packwood is set up, you can walk around to a lot of different places once you’re in town. So you could grab coffee and go to a few shops.

There’s a grocery store in town that had everything we needed! It was just a few minutes away from where we stayed too, really close to the coffee shop.

A few nights after we hiked, we stopped by the Packwood Brewing Co. They also had amazing nachos! It was dog friendly as well and lots of people had their dogs there. Of course then I just spent the evening talking to Eli about how I missed the dogs haha.

Day 1:

The first day we hiked, it was pretty foggy that morning. We were expecting to have some days that the weather wasn’t perfect so we weren’t too disappointed. We decided to still head into Mount Rainier National Park and see what hikes we wanted to do.

We hiked the Rampart Ridge Loop Trail first which was a great trail. It was 4.8 miles and wasn’t too crowded. The problem was it was pretty foggy so we didn’t have any amazing views. If you are able to do it on a clear day, I bet the views are great just based on the pictures! We still enjoyed the hike and felt pretty safe even with the fog.

After that hike, we took a lunch and coffee break. They had a spot by the trailhead to get coffee so we got some lattes to get our energy back up for another hike. I’m so glad we did because the next hike had breathtaking views!

Our second hike was the Bench and Snow Lakes Trail and it was 2.2 miles. This trail was so cool because the last lake, snow lake, is so so pretty! We did have to hike on some snow to get there. The trail wasn’t super well marked so make sure you have some GPS navigation of some kind to get there! It was only about a 2 mile trail so not too far and not too difficult! You could also camp right by the lake which seemed like a dream!

The fog cleared for a little bit so we have the best view! It didn’t stay away long though so we headed back to the cabin after this hike.

Day 2:

The weather was supposed to be a lot nicer this day so we wanted to do a longer hike that also had some good views. We had a park ranger recommend this hike, the Glacier Basin Trail. We were so thankful for this recommendation because it was such a good hike! It was 7.8 miles out and back. The first half was all uphill but it was never that steep. You had some beautiful views at the end of the hike. I believe this hike connected to more if you’re looking to do a longer hike, that’s something to look into.

This was the only hike we did this day but it was tough enough that we were pretty tired at the end. It felt safe the whole time and was very enjoyable!

Day 3:

Now this was an interesting day haha. The weather looked great again so we decided to head up to Sunrise in Mount Rainier. The road is closed until July so this was the first weekend that is was open. I was pretty nervous about hiking up here because a lot of the trails were still mostly snow covered. I don’t mind hiking on snow but when I’m on the side of a cliff and have the possibility of slipping… I get a little anxious. I am terrified of heights so that doesn’t help either.

We tried to do the Burroughs Mountain Trail first. This is a 9 mile trail that is supposed to have some of the best views in the park. We got about a mile in and there was one section that got really skinny as you went around the edge of a cliff. It was still snow covered so we decided to turn around because it just seemed a little risky for what we wanted. They say to always trust your gut so that’s what we did. I’m sure we would’ve been fine but there were so many other trails to do it didn’t seem worth the risk.

We headed back down and found another trail that was 3 miles. This one was Dege Peak Trail. The pictures below, it’s the one with the very narrow trail and the lake. This one didn’t have any snow but was very steep and the trail at some points is so thin you have to put one foot in front of the other. It was an out and back trail so we made it about 1 mile in again and turned around. It was getting pretty steep/narrow and we had already seen some really pretty views.

If you guys have been following along on my Instagram stories when we really started hiking in the spring, you know Eli loves the All Trails app. That’s what we used on this trip! We tracked every hike on the app and downloaded the maps ahead of time in case we lost service. Highly recommend!

Well, Eli loves checking hikes off on the app and having them completed. So we were 0/2 on completing hikes that day. We decided to do a hike that wasn’t at a high elevation to avoid the snow/steep cliffs.

Our last hike was the Owyhigh Lakes Trail which is a 7.5 mile hike. It was exactly what we needed! The hike wasn’t super flat but also not that steep. It has some hills but was never super narrow. You were in the woods for awhile before it opened up to give you views of the mountain and a lake. Compared to the other lakes we had seen, this one was pretty underwhelming. But we got to see lots of wildflowers! Even with the disappointing lake, this was a great hike!

Day 4:

This hike was my pick of the trip! We did the Packwood Lake Trail this day. This was located only about 20 minutes from where we stayed so not a bad drive at all. It was an 11 mile out and back hike. We planned to be here all day because there’s a lake you can swim in! We had read reviews ahead of time that people had swam recently because I was worried the water would be freezing.

This is place is 10x more beautiful in person. The hike to actually get to the lake I think was around 4 miles and then you can walk around the lake to finish the hike. There’s a lot of spots to swim! It was not crowded at all and was so so peaceful.

We didn’t swim for long because it was kind of cold haha. I think if we had gone in August it would have been perfect!

Day 5:

Our last day! We checked out of our Airbnb in the morning and did one more hike on our way out of town. We went to Paradise in Mount Rainier and did the Panorama Point Hike. This felt like the perfect last hike! It was 4 miles and you truly had a panoramic view of the park. It was about 50% snow covered and pretty crowded. The trail still felt safe but again, check with the park rangers to see what they think! We had snow poles which I think helped a lot.

After that hike, we headed to Seattle for dinner! We walked around by the water and went to the Pikes Place Market but it was July 5th so a lot of things were closed to celebrate the 4th. We ate dinner at The Crab Pot, we had to wait 2 hours but it was worth it! We walked around while we waited and stopped at a brewery.

Overall, we had an amazing trip! We had nearly perfect weather, enjoyed a night in Seattle, and went on so many amazing hikes. I hope this hiking guide for Mount Rainier was helpful! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!

The post Travel Guide for Mount Rainier, Washington appeared first on Choosing Balance.

I’m going to run through: where we stayed, what we did, and of course- where we ate!

Where We Stayed:

We stayed in Palmetto Dunes which is a resort on the Island. It is a huge resort with I believe over 5 miles of bike trails. Attached to Palmetto Dunes is a shopping center full of restaurants and shops called Shelter Cove. It also had a Whole Foods and Kroger! You could drive, take a free shuttle, or ride bikes on the trails there. We rode bikes over there for breakfast, happy hour, dinner, and dessert (not all in the same day though haha). It was about a mile and a half bike ride, not bad at all!

We stayed in a condo that had a pool we could use and was right on the beach! The condo was very cute, clean, and had a nice view of the beach.

Another popular place to stay is Sea Pines so I would look into that as well, I’ve heard great things!

What We Did:

Basically, we sat on the beach, ate a lot of food, rode bikes, and had fun cocktails. What more do you need in a beach vacation? I don’t have a ton of activities to recommend to you guys besides restaurants because we didn’t book anything besides our bike rentals. But 10/10 you need to rent bikes if you go! You can bike everywhere and it feels really safe. We rented our bikes for the week and almost every place we rode to had places you could lock your bike up at. Plus it’s an easy way to explore the island and see a bunch of unreal houses!!

We loved riding around Palmetto Dunes and looking at the pretty beach houses!

Where We Ate:

Now to the most important part- food!!! We loved all the food we had, we didn’t have a bad meal! I know people who have been to Hilton Head a million times are going to have places I should have gone and don’t worry, we’ll be back! These are just the places we went and enjoyed.

Breakfast:

1-Palmetto Dunes General Store

This was only about 1/4 mile away from where we were staying so it was very convenient! If you stay in Palmetto Dunes, they have great breakfast there and it’s super close! We would walk or ride our bikes there and bring it back to our condo. It’s always pretty crowded unless you go early!

2- The French Bakery

You guys… the pastries here were AMAZING! These tasted like a toaster strudel but 10x better. You’ll want to go here every morning. We rode our bikes here and delicious coffees too!

Lunch

The Dunes House

This was right next to our condo so we could walk on the beach here, ride bikes, or walk on the bike path. It’s right on the beach so you have a pretty view too!

Big Jims BBQ and Pizza

This was also in Palmetto Dunes so we could walk, take a free shuttle, or ride bikes here. It’s right on the golf course so you can sit outside and watch the golfers while you eat!

Holy Tequila

One of my favorites!!! The food was sooo good! If you can only go one place for lunch, I would go here out of the places I listed. We rode our bikes here too but it was about a 5 mile bike ride from Palmetto Dunes. Well worth it for the carnitas tacos and chicken nachos!

They had a good lunch special too!

Drinks:

Pool Bar Jim’s

Everyone kept telling me this is a famous Hilton Head spot. The drinks were amazing!!! Seriously so tasty and they give you a ton! It’s on the beach so you get a view of the water while sipping on your frozen drink.

The Dune’s House

A very convenient spot if you stay at Palmetto Dunes to go get fun frozen drinks!

Holy Tequila’s

We loved their margs! If you love margs, they had sooo many options!! It’s almost overwhelming haha.

San Miguel’s

Their skinny margarita was so good! This was another spot we rode bikes to. We went here for happy hour one day and then went back the next night for dinner haha. You can put your name in for a table, go down to the bar, get a drink, and then walk around a little bit looking at the boats and water!

Skinny margarita was so good!

Dinner:

Skull Creek Boathouse (waterfront)

This was by far the most recommended spot for dinner! We made a reservation so we didn’t have to wait because I heard the line gets crazy. I would recommend going here but making a reservation if you can! The food is great and it’s on the water so you get a pretty view too!

San Miguel’s

Like I said, we went back the next night for dinner. I had tacos and we had nachos for the table. Good drinks and good food!

ELA’s On The Water (waterfront)

This was my personal favorite spot for dinner! Eli and I shared these lobster nachos and they were delicious! We sat outside and had a wonderful view (can you tell I like a view at dinner haha). It was little windy but we got to see a lot of boats and watch the sunset!

Ice Cream:

Kilwin’s

You can get this ice cream other places but it’s so good! We always get it when we go to the beach. This was an easy bike ride away from Palmetto Dunes, about a mile and a half.

Hilton Head Ice Cream

But, I would recommend Hilton Head Ice Cream! We all liked it better and it’s a local spot! This is the cake batter ice cream and we got it two nights in a row haha.

Overall, we seriously fell in love with Hilton Head! If you like a slower paced vibe, lots of bike riding, and lots of good food- I highly recommend! We rode bikes multiple times a day and loved that. Also we didn’t have any kids with us but I think it would be a great family vacay with kids of all ages! Let me know if you found this helpful and if you end up going anywhere on this list!

The post Hilton Head Island Travel Guide appeared first on Choosing Balance.

1.This high waisted swimsuit and coverup 

Link: here

2.This running belt and these high waisted shorts 

link: here

3. Beam hydration packets

Staying hydrated is always important but definitely something to keep a closer eye on during the summer months. I can get dehydrated easily, especially after long days in the sun or a run in the heat. Which can become a problem- headaches, low energy, and other issues. 

I have loved adding Beam Elevate hydration packets into water bottles. They taste great, they’re made with ingredients like,himalayan salt, coconut water and zinc. Not only will these powders deliver the hydrating properties from the ingredients, they can target specific needs: digestive balance, enhanced energy and supportive recovery.

To keep it convenient, you can subscribe to beam elevate for 35% off your 

first month with my code PEYTON15.

Stay hydrated! Use the PEYTON15 to subscribe here. 

4. Avocado bucket hat & oversized beach shirt

Link: here

5. Cookies and cream nice cream 

Recipe: 2 frozen bananas, 2 scoops vegan vanilla protein, Blend together. Add two cookies. Blend on a low speed 

Then add a crushed cookie in and hang mix that in with a spatula so you have some bigger chunks too! Makes 2 servings!

6. Sriracha salmon with pineapple avocado topping

Recipe: 

Air Fryer Honey Sriracha Salmon:

Ingredients: 

1 lb Salmon, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp sriracha, 1 tsp garlic powder, Pink himalayan salt, Olive Oil

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together honey, sriracha, garlic, and salt.

In a large, shallow bowl, add the salmon. Brush the honey mixture on top. 

Preheat air fryer to 400F. Grease the air fryer basket if needed (depends on the air fryer) with olive oil.

Add the salmon to the basket, skin side down. Air fry for 12-15 minutes (depends on how thick the salmon is) 

Pineapple Avocado Salsa: 

1 cup pineapple, 1 avocado, 1/4 cup red onion, Juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp chili powder, sprinkle of salt 

Instructions:

Chop the pineapple, avocado, and red onion. Add to a bowl and then add the lime juice and seasoning. An easy side for this is rice! 

7. S’mores with cookies and cream chocolate 

8. Watermelon frose

Recipe: 4 cups frozen watermelon, 1 bottle rose, Juice of 1 lime. Optional: add a little vodka for a little extra boost or a little honey to sweeten it! 

Instructions:

Cube your watermelon (it was about 1/2 of a watermelon) and freeze it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper 

It took about an hour and a half to freeze it! 

Thanks to Beam for sponsoring this post

The post Summer Favorites appeared first on Choosing Balance.

Where We Stayed:

We stayed at The Kimpton Aertson Hotel. We picked this for two main reasons: their pet policy and the rooftop pool. I had actually booked another place and cancelled that the week of our trip to book here. Luckily the other place had free cancellation but we saw it was going to be in the high 80s every day. So we realllllly wanted a pool.

We couldn’t recommend this hotel enough, especially if you have dogs. Their pet policy is great- no extra fee and no pet size restrictions. Vanderbilt is about a quarter mile away so we could easily go for walks to the campus to walk them. They were so accommodating to the pets but also it didn’t feel like there were tons of dogs there.

The rooftop pool was so nice as well. The pool bar wasn’t open but you could bring your own food and drinks. There were lots of chairs and it wasn’t too crowded. Perfect rooftop pool!

The rooms were nice, modern, and clean. For a dog friendly hotel, you always worry about cleanliness. We didn’t have any issues with that.

We would go up and drink coffee in the mornings on the roof. It wasn’t crowded and was really peaceful.

The hotel is about 1.5 miles from downtown but very walkable! We didn’t Uber at all and only had to drive one place we wanted to go. If you aren’t looking to walk a lot, you may want to stay closer to downtown to save money on Ubers. Most of the places we wanted to eat and drink at were downtown!

Breakfast Spots:

Biscuit Love

The best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had!! We got their cinnamon roll and then the fried chicken and biscuits. Both were so so good! We got there around 7:15 and there was no line but by the time we left the line was getting longer. We walked by again in the afternoon and then line was much longer. So I would recommend going early if you can!

Five Daughters Bakery

They have vegan and paleo options here! And just regular donuts. All were so delicious! They have outdoor seating but you can also get them to go. We got there around 8 when they opened and had no issues with a line! Highly recommend!!

Brunch/Lunch Spots:

Pinewood Social

The cutest place for brunch!! The outside area is so cute. There are lawn games, a pool, bowling, and then just indoor seating. Make a reservation if you want to go! We got egg and avocado bowls which were great but the star of the show was the frose. A must!! I got froze at most places we went but theirs was the best!

Also even if you have a reservation for inside, they let us take our drinks outside and just chill for a bit which was nice!

It’s close to the pedestrian bridge too so you can walk that after brunch!

Butcher and Bee

Get. The. Whipped. Feta.

That’s all. Haha seriously add this to your list!!! The whipped feta was hands down the best food we had in Nashville. I wanted to order more to go so I could eat it later in the day. This place is also really cute. Again, make a reservation! We sat outside, it was a really peaceful outdoor area.

Hattie B’s

Ahhh the famous Hattie B’s! We got this for a late lunch one day around 3:30pm and the line was still crazy long. Luckily, we had ordered ours to go ahead of time. I recommend doing that because the seating is super crowded anyways. We grabbed ours in just a few minutes vs waiting an hour in line. Then we took it back to the pool and ate it there!

The hot chicken was good! Not the best thing we had in Nashville but definitely worth visiting!

Drinks/Appetizers:

LA Jackson

I really wanted to go to rooftop bars so both of these are rooftop bars! We went to LA Jackson Friday around 5pm and it really wasn’t to crowded. You can’t make reservations here. We got drinks and stood and waited maybe 10 minutes for a table to open up. I ordered the frose and the parmesan fries- the fries were super good!! The frose was just okay. Still a very fun spot for drinks!

Hampton Social

The most pinterest-y, instagramable place haha. The aesthetic here was so cute!! If you want to eat downstairs, definitely make a reservation. We just wanted to go on the rooftop so we didn’t need a reservation for that. We went Saturday afternoon around 4pm. It wasn’t super crowded but definitely getting more crowded.

I got a margarita and it was a super interesting drink! I loved it!

Dinner:

Acme Feed and Seed

I don’t have any pictures from here but we shared a hot chicken sandwich. It was a fun place to listen to music and eat!

The Stillery

Loved!! I would recommend this personally over Acme Seed and Feed for dinner. The mason jar drinks were so good and the pizza was amazing. We didn’t order it but the mac and cheese with hot chicken looked amazing!! Make a reservation if you can!

Nightlife:

Okay, we didn’t really hit up Broadway or the Honky Tonks so take these recommendations with that in mind haha. We just wanted to go out for a little bit and didn’t want to be in super crowded areas. So here’s where we went!

Acme Feed and Seed.

We went here for dinner and they also had live music! I’ll be honest, I like new country a lot but old country isn’t my thing. I know I know, don’t give me a hard time about it haha. But they had a band that played more traditional country music. It was fun to listen to for a bit but just not really as much my thing. Eli really liked it though!

Lonnie’s Karaoke Bar

This was so fun! We meet up with some family that lives nearby and they look us to Lonnie’s. It was a karaoke bar and I recommend at least stopping in for a bit if you can!

Okay, that’s it! I know we have so much we need to do next time we’re in town but for our first time there, I feel like we made the most of it! Hope you enjoyed this Nashville recap!

The post Nashville Travel Guide appeared first on Choosing Balance.

Free Printable Travel Itinerary- DOWNLOAD

The post Free Printable Travel Itinerary appeared first on Choosing Balance.

1. Invest in Running Shoes 

I always have horrible knee pain if I don’t have good running shoes. Go to a running shoe store near you and get fitted by a professional. Everyone’s feet are so different, what works for someone might be horrible for another. If you don’t have a running store near you, order some off a store that has a good return policy. I like using Zappos and I also heard Hoka has a good return policy. 

Now that you have good running shoes, make sure you roughly keep track of your miles. Most people replace running shoes about 300-450 miles. When they wear out, they cause me tons of issues. 

2. Build Distance Slowly

Figure out where you’re at distance wise and build from there. So, if you’re able to run one mile, start there. Take a look at your week ahead and plan to have one day that you build each week. Start out trying to add on .5- 1 mile. Then slowly build up your runs during the week too. Have 1-2 days focused on building distance. Just make sure you don’t get discouraged by slowly building. It’s the safest and most sustainable way to do it, even if it isn’t as glamorous. 

Another option is to do a run walk. Run 1 mile, walk .5, run 1 mile, walk .5. Then all of the sudden you’ve gone 3 miles! Start to decrease the walking distance and increase the running distance. 

3. Hydration is Key. 

Staying hydrated is so important always but especially when working out/running. I don’t always feel thirsty after a tough run but I can get dehydrated easily. Which can become a problem- headaches, low energy, and other issues. There were afternoons after I’d go for a run that I would feel so tired and just have to lay down. Well, that’s because I wasn’t thirsty so I wasn’t drinking water. 

I have loved adding Beam Elevate hydration packets into water bottles. They taste great, they’re made with ingredients like,himalayan salt, coconut water and zinc. Not only will these powders deliver the hydrating properties from the ingredients, they can target specific needs: digestive balance, enhanced energy and supportive recovery.

To keep it convenient, you can subscribe to beam elevate for 35% off your first month with my code PEYTON15.

Stay hydrated! Use the PEYTON15 to subscribe here. 

4. Fuel Properly

Fueling yourself for runs is so important. You need to have energy to get through a tough run. When I wasn’t eating enough, miles felt so much longer because I was literally running on zero energy. Our bodies need food just to fuel everyday activities so you need to make sure you’re adding in some extra fuel for run days. I can always tell a difference on days I don’t eat enough or didn’t eat enough the day before. 

Also on long runs, bring some fuel along with you! I love to bring small protein bars, some running gummy bites, some nuts. Anything that’s easy to digest! Make sure you’ve eaten it before though. You don’t want anything to upset your stomach on a long run. 

5. Take Rest Days! 

Adding in at least one rest day a week (I normally add in two) is so important. Your body absolutely needs time to recover. I don’t love taking rest days, especially when I’m training for something. In my mind, if I want to get better I need to be putting in the time daily. But not taking rest days is an easy way to injure yourself. I always feel so much healthier when I add in at least one rest day a week. Plus it makes it nice on a busy day to know it’s your rest day! 

6. Plan out your runs the weekend before

I’ve been planning out my runs the Friday before and it has helped me so much! I’ll take a look at the weather, factor in what distances I’m trying to hit, and plan out the week. It helps me stay on track and stops me from just randomly deciding a distance halfway through a run. Highly recommend this, especially if you’re training for something! 

7. Add in strength training and sprints. 

I saw the biggest difference in my split times when I started incorporating more weights and sprints. I despise lifting weights but the more I’ve done it, the more I enjoy it! I use the Peloton app and love the variety they have! 

I hope these tips were helpful! Thanks to Beam for sponsoring this post! 

The post Running Tips and Tricks appeared first on Choosing Balance.

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Sizing Info:

I got my true size M in everything and would say everything fit true to size! The skirt is a little short, I’m 5’7 though. Everything else fits great and even the skirt isn’t too short!

The post Amazon Spring Workout Favorites appeared first on Choosing Balance.

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okay, let’s get these questions started! Side note, this isn’t sponsored at all. Just my general opinions and experience on the bike! I did a lot of research before buying this bike because it is a bike investment. I wanted to make sure we’d get our money out of it! I recommend doing your own research before buying too!

*This post contains affiliate links in which I may earn a small commission off of*

What Bike Did You Get?

I got this Sunny Bike from Amazon! We went with a 49 lb flywheel. It’s an expensive model compared to a lighter flywheel. Here’s an article that can explain what flywheel weight is way better than I can haha. Basically though, the heavier the flywheel, the smoother the ride is. That’s what I understood after researching it! So we decided we’d rather spend a little extra to help make the ride less jerky.

How Much Did It Cost?

Speaking of spending extra, how much did the bike cost? It costs normally between $360-$380. Amazon fluctuates the price based on a million things I’ll never understand haha. I’ll keep an eye out for sales and post on my Instagram stories when I see one!

Compared to the cost of a Peloton (around $2000), it is definitely a more affordable option!

Why Did You Get This Bike?

We decided to go with The Sunny bike based on reviews & cost. It was a mid range price point (we wanted something around $300-$400). You can definitely find something in the $200 price point range but the reviews aren’t always as good. Just do your research and keep an eye out for sales!

We got the 49 lb flywheel for the reasons I talked about above! We wanted something stable and getting a heavier flywheel seemed like the best option.

I don’t know a ton about bikes so I read articles about what you want in an at home cycling bike + read through the reviews on a bunch of bikes!

How Was Setting It Up?

Well, Eli honestly did most of that haha. But it took him maybe an hour and a half tops! It was pretty easy to set up. It came with all the tools you needed. The instructions were pretty clear and straightforward from what he said!

How Do You Do Cycling Classes?

I use the Peloton App on my phone! I had already been using it since March to do strength classes. I pay $12.99 a month for it. I know if you have a Peloton bike, the cost is somewhere around $35-$40 a month for the subscription. That was another factor in us deciding to get this bike!

I use an attachment to hook my phone (or Ipad) to the bike. I just hooked it onto the handle bars! It’s worked super well so far.

I haven’t tried any other cycling apps but you could find other options!

Can You Follow Along Easily On The Peloton App?

For the most part, yes. The biggest difference is that on my bike, I have to guess my resistance. It really isn’t as hard as I thought it would be! I have a little knob in front of me that I can turn. I read online one full turn is equal to 10 on the peloton. So when the instructor calls out resistance at 50, I can pretty easily guess where I need to be. It took maybe 3 classes to get the hang of it. Once you figure out what’s tough for you and what’s the highest resistance they call, you can use that as a gauge.

Do You Need The Cadence Monitor?

Continuing from the question above, I think a cadence monitor has really allowed me to keep up with the Peloton classes. I bought this one and it’s worked well! I clipped it onto the arm of the pedal. You can connect it to the Peloton app so it shows up on your screen during the class. So when the instructor tells me “resistance at 50, cadence at 65-75”, I don’t know my exact resistance but I do know my cadence!

I took one ride without it and thought I was going a lot faster than I was haha.

What Type Of Pedals Does It Have/What Shoes Do You Need?

These have cage pedals (I think that’s what they’re called) and I wear regular tennis shoes with them.

I eventually want to switch them out with clip in pedals which I’ll have to buy clip in shoes for! That’ll be an extra cost so right now I’m fine with just regular pedals and shoes. I’ve heard clip ins make the experience even better though!

Does It Feel Stable While Standing?

I think so! I have had no trouble standing on it but that is a negative review I saw a few times. Eli hasn’t been able to take a class yet so I’ll report back when he does/how standing on it goes for him. I only stand on it when my resistance is pretty high though. If I jerk too quickly, the front does tilt a little bit. This has only happened a few times when I’m tired and angry/frustrated and trying to go really fast haha. So for the most part, yes it is pretty stable but not 100%. Once I learned it was a little unstable when I did a certain movement, I just stopped doing that and haven’t had a problem.

How Is It Different From A Peloton?

Well, it doesn’t have the resistance reading a peloton does. It also doesn’t have a screen in front of you like a peloton does. It doesn’t tell your your output the way a peloton does either. You have to do some extra work to follow along in class. But I take the same classes someone with a peloton takes!

Is It Loud?

It definitely makes a little noise. It’s in our second bedroom which is right next to our bedroom. Eli was on nights last week so he was always asleep when I would ride in the mornings. I’d just shut the door and we have no problems! He never heard it. When I have my AirPods in, I never notice the noise!

How Is The Seat?

A little tough but I got used to it after about 5 rides! My booty was sore for the first few days though haha. Which luckily people had told me to expect! We didn’t replace the original seat and it’s totally fine now!

What Additional Accessories Do You Recommend?

So I already talked about the cadence monitor and the iphone mount.

I also recommend getting a mat to go under the bike so it doesn’t scratch the floors!

And a cart or something to put your weights/towel in. There isn’t a spot for weights on the bike. I got a cart with wheels so I could easily move it around!

Overall Thoughts?

I’ve had my bike for about a week and a half now. I’ve taken 8 rides! Which I’m pretty proud of haha. I am loving it so far!! I haven’t had any issues yet. Oh- we also got the warranty on the bike! That’s given me some peace of mind about it.

Compared to running, it’s totally different. It has been more challenging than running has been recently! My legs are a lot more sore after cycling. But it doesn’t give me that mental clarity running outside does. I feel great physically but part of me is still craving that mental alone time. So doing a 10 minute yoga video has helped with that!

I have been getting up earlier to ride which I’m really happy about! In the summer, I can wake up pretty early (for me at least) around 5:45-6 to get out and run. In the winter…. doesn’t happen as easily haha. But now I’ve been back to getting up at 5:45 to try and be on the bike by 6:15-6:30! I am loving that part of it!

I love not having to get dressed, not having to drive anywhere, not having to even think about it. I lay out my clothes and pick out my class the night before. Then I’m still in my warm and cozy home knowing as soon as I’m done, I can have food and coffee haha. For real- not traveling to a gym or a workout class saves so much time!!

Overall, I’m loving it! Our plan is to test out this bike for at least a year and then maybe get a peloton when Eli’s done with school! A Peloton as more features/works better. But it’s definitely pricey! So for now, very happy with our amazon bike! Hope you enjoyed the Amazon bike review!

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1: Shower Hooks

I use these to hang my jeans on! You just put a belt loop around each side. It minimizes space and helps prevent your jeans from getting wrinkled.

2. Drawer Dividers

These are great because you can customize the length to fit your own drawers! I use them to divide my leggings and shorts.

3. Glass Tupperware

I’m sure a lot of people have this already but it’s really helped motivate my to meal prep this year! It sounds weird but having more containers makes me feel better about making a lot of food at once! Plus Eli can reheat them easily at the hospital.

4. Stackable Drawers

I have these under the counter of my bathroom sink and they’re perfect! They stack well and aren’t bulky. Perfect to throw hair things in, skincare, random things like extra toothbrushes, etc!

5. Felt Hangers

Another thing a lot of people probably have but I am loving! They save so much space and it makes me feel relaxed seeing the hangers all matched up!

6. Makeup Organizer

I’m making a little vanity in our spare bedroom so I bought this to store my makeup! I’m obsessed with it!

7. Drawer Organizer

I have these in the drawers of our bathroom. They come in some other sizes so just measure your drawers to see which fit! Perfect way to turn a messy drawer into a drawer that every item has a place!

8. Utility Cart

If you have a little workout space at home, I am loving this cart! I keep wipes, towels, random instructions and tools, and extra hair ties in here! Also I keep small weights in there. It rolls and is so convenient!

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1: Giant Desk Calendar

I’m a visual person and I need constant reminders. Having all of my big due dates for the month right in front of me daily has helped a lot!

2. A Basic Planner

Back to planners in 2021! I love writing down stuff so having a daily planner that I can take on the go (LOL but where am I going rn…) is important! Whenever I move my desk from the office to the living room, it’s a must have for my planner to be able to fit in my purse. Haha but for real, I love a basic, no frills planner!

3. Daily Planner Sheets

These are so great for outlining big tasks you want to get done that day, goals for the day, planning out meals, etc.

4. Colorful Pens

I’m not at the level yet that I’m color coordinating stuff in my planner BUT one day I will be. So I’m prepared with these pens. They’re great if you like to doodle!

Hope these Amazon Organization Finds help you get more organized this year!

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