In 2008 I had my right hip replaced; the following year, I had my left hip replaced. At the time, I was only 19 years old. As you can imagine, that was probably one of the scariest things I have ever had to go through, and so much fear ran through my head. At the time, this was something uncommon for someone so small to get this type of surgery; I felt like a freak in many ways.
I can remember going to the doctor’s appointments the year leading up to my first surgery; I would leave crying after each surgery. The fear, the unknowing of how my life would be after my hip was replaced, what the recovery would be. Unfortunately, one of my biggest fears, which still rings true to this day, is whether someone would want to be with someone who had hip replacements, especially so young, knowing eventually I would have to go through the whole ordeal again. I used to be really insecure about my hip scars; I was so afraid to have anyone see them for years. I would wear boyshorts bathing suit bottoms, but they were not sexy or cute. It was truly to hide the scars; it’s funny I finally decided to embrace them by getting a meaningful tattoo along my scar line. This way, I would be excited to show off my tattoo and forget I even had a scar.
When I had my first hip replacement surgery, I was told the typical length of time before getting the joints re-replaced would be 10-15 years. At 19, that seemed like a long time; as I got older, it started to feel like a ticking time bomb before I may have to go through the whole ordeal all over again. This week I went for my checkup to see how my replacements were doing. Knowing I may hear times up, it’s time to get your hips redone. Well, I am excited to say I was told to come back in 5 years, words I was not expecting, and I could not be happier. It was like a weight taken off my mind. I have tried to be mindful of my weight, work out, and stay healthy. Anything possible to prolong the wear and tear of my artificial joints. It looks like everything has paid off, which I will continue to do in hopes I can push past even the next 5-year marker.
Being 35 with both hips replaced is a weird thing to say or even be at times. Looking back, I think that whole experience was something that really shaped the person I am today. I had many insecurities from the two surgeries and some other items that happened during that time. However, knowing where I am now, overcoming most of my insecurities, and even being able to admit some still linger reminds me that I am strong and can handle a lot.
One of my favorite things is creating fun gifts for my friends and family. I love buying myself some scratch-offs; of course, they are the perfect add-on when putting a gift together for someone else. Though putting them inside a card can be so dull.
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Below is my list of fun, creative ways to make your DIY gift ideas when you want to gift someone – Holiday Scratch-Offs
Add them to a foam circle to make a wreath out of scratch off’s
Pin them to a foam cone to create a Christmas tree, and add a little star to the top.
Use tape to attach scratch off’s to the sticks that you can add to a centerpiece.
Find a pretty door decor and tape a couple scratch off’s to it; this way, the person you are gifting this to can keep the decor after they do the scratch off’s.
Place some in Christmas stockings.
Add some to a gift bag, but make it long enough so they hang over like a candy cane.
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I made two types of cupcakes to bring into my office and they both came out amazing. I brought them in for St Patricks Day however they will work for any event or reason to bake.
The first type I made was a Vanilla cupcake with thick Chocolate Icing. This came up so beautifully, the cupcake stayed so moist and the frosting honestly stayed fresh for days. The second cupcake was a chocolate cupcake with an oreo cream frosting, which just came out so fun and very tasty. Below are the recipes for each cupcake.
Vanilla Cupcake with the Chocolate Frosting
Servings: Between 12-18 Cupcakes Ingredients 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder 1/2 cup Melted Unsalted Butter 1 cup Granulated sugar 1 Egg Large 1/4 cup sour cream 3/4 cup whole milk 1 tbsp Vanilla extract Instructions
In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder, I tend to use a whisk to mix everything together.
In another mixing bowl or Kitchen Aid, mix together melted butter and sugar until everything is combined. Make sure the sugar is completely combined with no clumps or when you get to the bottom of your batter you will be scooping a ton of sugar.
I add in the Vanilla extract next let that combine with everything for a little.
Then add the egg, sour cream, and the whole milk, and mix until smooth.
Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture until everything is combined smoothly.
Pour batter in cupcake liners.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean. I tend to wait until the edge is golden.
Normally while the cupcakes are cooling, I start to work on the frost this typically allows enough time for the cupcakes to cool and the frosting to be fresh when applying to the cupcake.
Chocolate Buttercream Recipe • 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature. I normally take the butter out when I start making the cupcake batter. Normally this is enough time to allow the butter to soften. • 5 Cups Powdered Sugar – Add each cup in slowly to allow everything to mix everything properly. • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Whichever Cocoa powder is your favorite will work perfectly. • 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream – I tried heavy cream with this recipe and I am never turning back it worked perfectly to create such a beautiful texture. However other types of milk or milk alternatives can be used instead and will work just as well. • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Servings: About 14 cupcakes Ingredients: • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 cup cocoa powder • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 large egg, room temperature • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature • 1/2 cup vegetable oil • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1/2 cup very hot water
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and whisk together.
Combine the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl or Kitchen Aid and mix.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly.
Then add the hot water to the batter and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined. The batter will be thin once the water is added.
Fill cupcake liners half full, then bake between 18-21 minutes,
I normally use a toothpick to make sure everything has been baked thoroughly.
Cool completely before frosting.
Oreo Cream frosting Ingredients • 1 cup unsalted butter softened • 4 cups powdered sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 3 Tablespoons heavy cream • Full sleeve of double stuffed Oreos make sure you crush them firmly.
Instructions
In a Kitchen Aid, mix the butter until smooth, creamy, and light, which normally takes about 4-5 minutes if you have it on a slower speed.
Add 2 of the cups of the powdered sugar, beating until combined. Then beat in the remaining powdered sugar, and vanilla, then add just enough heavy cream or milk to get the frosting for a nice consistency.
Stir in the Oreos, allow everything to blend together for a good 5 minutes.
If you want to you can also add a whole Oreo to the top of each cupcake.
Ingredients Two sticks unsalted butter (leave out to allow it to soften) 1 cup granulated white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup Skinny Dipped either their semi-sweet chocolate chips or Dark Chocolate sea salt chips 3/4 cup caramel squares
Instructions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I use a kitchen aid, so everything goes within the same bowl. First, add the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract into your Kitchen Aid.Set the speed to a four until nice and creamy, for about 1 minute. Then add in the baking soda; at this point, you can switch the speed to two and then slowly start adding in the cups of flour. Make sure you scrape the bowl a couple of times throughout this process, then beat over medium speed for another 30 seconds until well-combined. I add in the chocolate chips first one cup at a time to allow everything to mix well and evenly together. I also will cut the caramel squares at least in half before mixing them into the dough and then stir to combine. I tend to roll dough balls into my hand to figure out a good size and place them on a baking sheet, about 2-3 inches apart.
Depending on the oven type, you can bake between 9-12 minutes (mine are ready at 9 minutes as I have an older oven).
Allow the cookies to cool enough so the Caramel will not stick to the bottom of the sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!
My favorite way to make mini apple pies, I always get the premade graham cracker crusts. When I make the mini pie this may be a baking cheat but it makes life a little easier when trying to figure out how to make mini pies. Filling recipe inspired by my friend Vanessa Treus, who is a fabulous bakery in her own right.
Preheat for 375 Cook just the apples in the cust tins for 10 minutes and then add the crumble crust and bake again for 10-15 minutes more. You can make at least 12 mini pies if not more.
Filling 6 large apples, peeled and thin small slices 2 1/2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Oatmeal crust Crumble 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats 3/4 cups loosely packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Place the apples into a large bowl and then mix in the flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Use a spatula to mix everything once everything is mixed then add in the butter and vanilla extract. Make sure to take some of the liquid from the bowl and add it into the pie to keep everything from becoming dry.
Crust
Combine the oats, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and use your hands or a fork to crumble it up. Sprinkle it evenly over the apples.
Boston is such a beautiful city, and there is so much history and culture to it. I loved driving around and seeing something you can tell they have worked hard to keep that historical touch to while other items were very modern. Though I did not get to try and of the staple Boston food, which I was bummed about, I did get to try a lot of amazing unique food, different restaurants take off certain items.
Before I get too much into food, let me touch on some of the other items I got to do while visiting Boston on a Bachelorette trip. One of the fun things we did was take the Boston duck tour, and there are three different locations you can take the tour from. Each is a little different. Our tour started at the prudential center, and the tour guide was hilarious. I loved learning and seeing some of the historical places around Boston. I love the old architecture of buildings, and we saw Trinity Church, the State House, the oldest Police station in Boston, which also doubles as a firehouse now. When we were within the water which was so lovely and really cool to be in a vehicle that drives on land and can be in the water. We went past Cambridge, saw some pretty bridges and just lovely landscapes.
We also went on what I like to call a booze cruise; why do I call it that? Because that is all, we brought with us. The name of the private boating company is called Boston Lux Cruise. Honestly, it hands down the nicest people I have ever met. They are so happy and willing to help and do whatever is needed. If you are going to bring champagne, I would suggest bringing more than two bottles, because that’s how many we brought as since we decided to use the champagne gun that the company provided, which was so fun to use. We ran through the two bottles so quickly; we did bring other bottles, but my own opinion is the champagne bottles are just so much more fun.
Now onto the food; I really loved the best first rooftop we went to, which was called Six/ West; I was so obsessed with the food. Their take on the margarita pizza was amazing, and this is coming from a jersey Italian girl. My favorite brunch spot that we went to was Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant, they served tavern type food but had their own twisted on each item; I shared their breakfast pizza which had poached eggs, bacon, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, hashbrowns, fontina, pecorino romano, and tabasco. I am not a fan of poached eggs, but this had so much flavor, and I enjoyed eating every slice.
On our last night in Boston, we went to Mariel; this restaurant is absolutely stunning; you can totally tell they put so much work into every detail in the restaurant, including the walls, which have paintings right on them. They have two very different amazing style large group drinks, both of which are so fun to see and to drink, of course. The great part about this restaurant is that they had so many shareable plates, and we ordered a ton of what they called “snacks,” while some were called small plates. This was perfect for a table of seven girls. Everything they brought out had so much flavor to it. There were so many items I had never tried before and really loved. The management was so amazing as well, and the general manager helped us take great group photos and even gave us advice on where the best location would be to take the photos. I have to say about the management was how outstanding they were at the end of the night. Boston currently has a shortage of Ubers, so we actually ended up being stuck at the restaurant past closing time. They did not give us any issues about staying inside when it was cold and very late out until we could find a car service to get us, and they even gave us a complimentary drink.
Sometimes you do not have to travel outside of the country to have an adventure or even a memorable time. Last week I went with one of my amazing friends to New York City to the Edge – Observation Deck located at Hudson Yard. The whole location is stunning, with so many different areas to walk around and take in the sites.
I will note that they do not allow you entrance until it’s on the dot of your time slot. Since we had time before we could go into the observation deck, we walked around. The Vessel, the interactive artwork they built in the middle of Hudson Yard, is beautiful. I hope they will allow people to climb the steps again one day. It does not matter where you stand or what angle you are at, and you will be able to get a beautiful photo with the Vessel.
Now the observation deck is not for anyone who fears heights, that’s for sure since you are going up about 100-stories-high. There is a glass floor where you can sit or lay on and take photos, of course, but it is also charming to be able to look down and see NYC from an entirely different perspective. Inside there is a bar where you can purchase other times of drinks, and whether you are inside or outside, the views of New York City are astonishing.
I highly recommend booking your tickets for sunset, because at least for me, I think I fell in love with NYC all over again just from seeing the city from the edge with the sunset lighting. The skyline during sunset is so beautiful, then once nighttime hits and all of the city lights come on. Everything looks so magical, and of course, the photos at nighttime are equally as beautiful.
For more information, I have added the website links for the observation deck and the Vessel to this post. Pricing can verify, however, we picked the lowest level tickets and were completely happy with those tickets. Happy exploring all do something outside of your comfort zone or normal routine I promise you, you will not be disappointed sometimes it is not about the amount of money you spend on an object but the amount you spend on the moments, the adventures and memories those are the important things in life at least that’s how I’m trying to think of things now.
Being single in your mid 30’s can be a weird place to be especially when you are a woman. Growing up you watch all the romantic movies or TV shows where you see people falling in love, getting married having a family most of the time before everything happened before or in their early 30’s range. Well, real life isn’t that easy or even simple or happens so smoothly. Within this whole post, I am truly just talking from my perspective and how I have decided to go about things.
Sometimes that ticking clock or the stress of the timeline you get into your head when you are growing up can not only be scary but depressing once you hit your 30s and start to feel like you have fallen behind the pack. It’s never fun to look around see all your friends getting married, having babies, and then there you are not hitting any of those milestones. I know for myself; I’ve had a moment of anxiety or even just feeling like I’ve failed. Now do not get me wrong I am so happy for my friends who have found their person and have fallen in love with their little ones.
This last year, I have accepted that I need to let go of that timeline and accept maybe marriage and kids are not in the cards for me. This isn’t a “feel bad for me” kind of mindset but a calm acceptance of a changed timeframe. It is a learning of being content being single. This does not mean that content means “always happy” – I am not always happy being single, but I am content. Being content is a way better place to be in then being miserable and sad. When I say content there is a sense of peace for me that comes with the word.
I am determined to not be that single girl who becomes bitter or not happy for others, I celebrate all of my friend’s milestones and happiness. I realized the healthiest way for me to be ok with where my life currently is, was by letting go of what I view now as pipe dreams. Could they come about, could I find someone? Absolutely, that can happen and honestly, I hope I do find the “right guy for me” someday, but I do not want to get that feeling of fear that I need to just get with the next man who decides they want to be with me because there is always a chance they may not be the right one or even a healthy relationship.
Learning to be content with my current life hasn’t been an easy journey it’s been one that’s sucked at times but then every stage in life has sucked at one time or another. Right now, I feel lighter, I am enjoying just living my life, allowing myself to grow, being by myself, and finding the joy of being in my own skin. They say you can’t find love till you love yourself, but I guess the first step is to enjoy the alone time. Do I love my current single life completely no not really but I enjoy who I currently am and who I am becoming so if that means being single is part of that process that works for me. I do enjoy being single at times, no one ever fully happy being single I do not think but if you can find the joy in it then you are doing something right. I have zero desire to try to date, maybe part of that is a fear of not wanting to get hurt or afraid to trust, but another part of that is just being ok in my skin by myself.
I will tell you one of the worst things I hate hearing, “you’ll find someone when you least expect it” it’s such a fluff statement to me. It’s something people say when they do not know what else to say and want you to “feel better” about being single and I feel it gets thrown at you way more once you hit that 30 marks and you are alone with no sign of a ring or a future with someone. I do not need fluff statements; I do not need to be made to feel better. If I find a guy and something happens, I am completely open to it, but I’m not going to sit here and wish on a star of hope for Mr. Right to come along.
I am not sad; I am not depressed I do not feel a sense of poor me, I actually feel empowered now, a sense of pride for being able to get to this place. My own perspective is that for me at least this is a positive, healthy mindset and sometimes you just can’t figure out how to get to that healthy place until you let go of those hopes and dreams you may be stressing over. At least this was the case for me, this is what I needed to do to get to this content place in my life. I would much rather be single, and content than be single and crying thinking of the timeline that isn’t there at this current moment in time. The how I’m falling behind the mark or I need to catch up to my friend’s lives is gone from my mind. I felt like this at one point and it did suck for me it wasn’t the place or mindset I even wanted. Now do not get me wrong I am not in this place of “I am never getting married”, “I am swearing off men” no that is not the thoughts in my head or my goals. Would I love to get married be happy with a guy and feel loved absolutely, and if it happens, I will be thrilled but sometimes you have to be realistic that it may not, and it’s ok. Who knows where my path will take me but ill allowing time to do its thing and see where I go from here?
In the mid-30s and being single is an interesting place to be and I’m content in my interesting place and where the journey will take me.
I love baking it’s one of the joys in life for me to be honest, it is my happy place being able to bake for others is my type of self wellness at times. This year I decided to make two different types of cupcakes for Easter. A vanilla cupcake with brownie icing and a chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream icing, best of both worlds in my option. I think the trick for me is to always have bright and fun cupcake wrappers. With the Easter cupcakes, I used multiple colors just to make everything look festive and bright.
I am the type who does not like to feel rushed when I am baking so I made the cupcakes on Friday night, I kept them in an airtight sealed container to make sure they stayed fresh. Which they will if you make sure to put them in the container as soon as they have cooled enough. Saturday I then made both types of icing, I worked on one type at a time to keep things as fresh as possible, once I had all of the Vanilla buttercreams on their appointment cupcakes I started to have some fun with decorating. Some I left with just the icing which looked so pretty I have to say, others I took a shredded coconut and a drop or two of green food dye and mixed together to make it looks like grass. Once I added my “grass” I took a couple of jell beans and placed them in the middle to give a cute little look. For some of the cupcakes, I placed a bunny peep in the middle of and for those I added a little extra icing to make sure the peep stayed in place on the cupcake. Then a couple got just a few jelly beans on their own, I always try to use different colors to give an extra pop. There are so many fun ways to make a cute and festive cupcake display for the holidays.
Below are my recipes for the vanilla and chocolate cupcake batter as well as the brownie frosting and the vanilla buttercream icing.
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 cup cocoa powder • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 large egg, room temperature • 1/2 cup buttermilk, have it at room temperature • 1/2 cup vegetable oil • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1/2 cup very hot water Instructions Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and whisk together. Combine the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl or I prefer to use a Kitchen Aid and whisk together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is fully combined. Add the hot water to the batter and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until combined. The batter should be thin by this point. Fill cupcake liners half full, then bake for 18-21 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs when used to test a cupcake. Cool completely before frosting.
Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes Ingredients • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder • 1/2 cup Melted Unsalted Butter • 1 cup Granulated sugar • 1 Egg Large • 1/4 cup sour cream • 3/4 cup whole milk • 1 tbsp Vanilla extract Instructions In a bowl mix the flour and baking powder. Then place that to the side. In another mixing bowl or your kitchen Aid, mix the melted butter and sugar until everything is combined. Make sure the sugar is completely combined with no clumps or when you get to the bottom of your batter you will be scooping a ton of sugar. I then will add in the Vanilla extract next let that combine with everything for a little. Once the batter looks good then I add in the egg, sour cream, milk, and mix until smooth. Finally, dumpy the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Pour batter in cupcake liners, I tend to use a tool to allow for a cleaner tranfer. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or always double check by inserting a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out clean. I tend to wait until the edge is golden. Allow the cupcakes to cool down and then, frost each of them.
Brownie Frosting: • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2- 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar • 1/2 cup baking cocoa • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/4 cup whole milk Make sure the butter is at room temperature you should let it sit out for a couple of hours before you start the process. First, add the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy to your Kitchen aid or bowl. Once those items have combined well then beat in cocoa and vanilla. Finally, add enough milk until the frosting achieves spreading consistency. It should be a light brown color; I normally use the whisking attachment for the Kitchen Aid to make this frosting.
Vanilla buttercream frosting: • 4 cups powdered sugar • 2 tsp Vanilla extract • 2 sticks unsalted butter • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream Place the softened butter and the powdered sugar into the bowl with your Kitchen Aid. Whip until everything is fluffy and combined completely. Then add in the vanilla and heavy whipping cream. Let everything mix together until the frosting looks nice and light and fluffy.
One of my favorite vacations I have ever been on was going to Atlantis Bahamas. I fell in love with the Bahamas’ clear waters everything about the Bahamas was like a dream. I felt like I was in a completely different world when I was there and when it comes to being on a vacation that is exactly what you want. I am not sure what I loved more all of the beautiful views and scenery or the activities there were to do there.
There are so many amazing activities you can do while you are there one of my favorite things was being able to see the dolphins up close and personal. This was located in what they call “Dolphin Cay” there were different levels you can swim with them, I actually kayaked with the dolphins and they even have a good morning mini activity you can do which was super cute to see as well. Dolphins have always been my favorite animal so I was amazed to see all the different types of activities you can do with them. They also explained how this is actually a marine animal rehabilitation facility which is really interesting to learn about.
Another activity I truly became obsessed with the minute i started it was getting the chance to snorkel with the fish out in the ocean. The amount of beautiful fish and the coral you were able to see in the clear water was breath taking. I could have swam around for hours just looking at everything it was so magical. The tour guides take you to about two or three locations depending on the length of time you are out there for, another fun part was during the drive there and back they pointed out different celebrities houses which I personally found really fun to see who has a house in the Bahamas. I am personally not a very good swimmer but i felt extremely safe and secure in my vest and knowing there were instructors around just incase.
If you are anything like me, photos are always important and having fun areas to take really cute photos can be key. The resort itself has some really great landmarks for photos and of course memories. I went on one of the slides and it was slightly terrifying for me but at the same time it was so much fun. Another take away for me was how amazing the food was, i do not think i had a single bad meal. My favorite was the sushi I had at NoBu, I had a spicy margarita with my dinner and is was differently spicy.
This vacation was something very special for me, every day there was amazing and a really great memory. From doing all of the amazing activities to just walking around and enjoying the views. When you go to places like this it is always important to go with the right people. Who i went at the time was very special to me and it make this vacation even better.