Birthday Trip to New York

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. I know that we all enjoy spending extra time with family and being at home during the holidays. I’m not sure what this year holds out for me, but I do pray that I live each day glorifying the Lord and allowing Him to use me as He sees me. I hope everyone is starting their New Year with fresh new possibilities and imagination.

I’ve been wanting to travel to New York for a couple of years now, but never could make the time to go. The last time I went to New York was my sophomore year of high school and I went with one of my best friends. (check out her amazing blog) Heather had connections to the choir teacher so we got to attend the New York trip, but didn’t get to do what we wanted due to it being a school trip. When it comes to gift giving, Ryan would rather put his money he would normally spend on me towards traveling. He told me on my birthday this year that I could pick anywhere I wanted to go for my birthday. Woo hoo! That is the best present ever! I decided that I wanted to go to New York, but wanted to try to be able to go before they took down the Christmas tree and decorations.

Before I knew it the trip was booked! We actually got a good deal on the tickets. Due to our flights being delayed from Ryan’s birthday trip (if you missed the post here is the link) we had two vouchers to use. We used some of the voucher for my ticket and Ryan ended up using his Southwest points for his flight. The only thing he had to pay for was the hotel (not a bad deal). Ryan’s brother Tyler decided last minute to join the trip as well.

We all had a blast and enjoyed getting to experience new/old things in an amazing city. We knew it was going to be freezing but I will say that the experience was even more incredible since we got to experience real snow!

We did so much in so little time but made sure to relax and enjoy each spot. The first 2 days we were there we walked 30,000+ steps. Thank goodness I brought my tennis shoes! I’m usually the one that doesn’t wear tennis shoes when traveling, but I didn’t have any shame on this trip. I still wore cute clothes even though my jacket, gloves, ear warmers, and scarves never came off!

When we landed we hung out at the airport until Tyler arrived. We immediately all got into a cab and headed to our hotel. We decided to stay at the Westin in Times Square since this was Ryan’s first time in NYC. Our rooms weren’t ready yet and we were so ravenous we decided to grab something that was close to the hotel. Something you should know about Tyler he is a VERY PICKY EATER! So…. I didn’t get to go to every restaurant I had on my list, but no worries we will just have to go back. ;)

We found Junior’s Bakery around the corner. It is the home of the World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake! None of us got cheesecake, but Tyler ended up buying 2 slices of Marble Pound Cake. Something to know about this well-known restaurant/bakery is that it’s open until 12:00 am weekdays and 1:00 am Friday and Saturday. If you are in need of a restaurant during late hours this is a good place to enjoy something sweet or even a burger.  

After lunch we decided to explore Time Square before checking into our hotel. Ryan was already amazed at everything! I didn’t know that they kept the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball, that’s dropped on New Years Eve, out until they took down the Christmas decorations. I, in a way, may be freaked out a little when I saw the NYC Eve ball haha… I had dreamed of one day going to New York and seeing the ball drop but hey, this will do!

                   

When it comes to traveling with me and Ryan we always opt for walking. It’s more fun to explore a busy city like New York this way so you can see all of the local businesses. Plus you feel less guilty about the treats you might be consuming. 

After checking into our hotel we went to pick up our New York Passes. If you don’t know about this it’s something to look into if you are planning on doing the more “touristy” activities. When purchasing the pass you decided how many days you will be exploring and that is the price you pay. You are able to skip long lines, book tours in advance, and save a lot of money. It even comes with a 200 page pocket guidebook with details on all the attractions and special offers for Pass holders. We ended up saving money because of all the different museums we went too and in the guidebook it had discounts at restaurants. BONUS! 

That night we went to Rockefeller Center to see if we could take the new NBC tour, book our time to go up to Top of the Rock, the tree, and the ice skating rink (of course!) We went ice skating in Central Park, admired the empirical Christmas decorations outside of 5^th Avenue, walked through a beautiful church, walked through Niketown, and we had to see The Plaza. That was a lot of walking in itself. We finally ate dinner then walked through M&M World and Hershey’s Chocolate World. You could smell the sugar before entering both stores!

 

 

 

 

We had breakfast reservations at Sarabeth’s Central Park South, which meant we got to walk through Central Park. This was before the blizzard came Saturday. It was cold, but enjoyable since it had snowed the night before and hardly no wind. Words can’t describe how delicious the food was. Tyler had the buttermilk pancakes with strawberries and I had the morning crunch (fresh roasted granola, strawberries, bananas, raisins, honey, choice of milk or organic yogurt – I chose soy milk). Ryan wasn’t able to make it to breakfast so Tyler and I met up with him afterwards.

We finally booked a time to go up to Top of the Rock. This is an observation deck in the city (Midtown). I was actually surprised that the bars weren’t blocking the view. It was an overall amazing view of the city. The elevator ride was even amazing.

After we left there we went to Bryant Park to see the New York Library. The detailed artwork and history was just the beginning… there were so many different floors, rooms, and references all throughout the library. It was now time for some coffee and cappuccino! We walked through Lord & Taylor’s Christmas display and found a local coffee shop. It was the cutest!

While sipping on our warm drinks we walked through Penn Station (Madison Square Station) and past the New York Post Office. Tyler needed to charge his phone, so Ryan and I decided to stop at a local restaurant and bar to have a quick drink. We finished earlier than we thought so we decided to see if we could find a place to eat for dinner. We found this pizza place (Abitino's) that hit the spot. I don’t know if it was because we were both so hungry and didn’t realize it, but let me tell you it was a place we will have to recommend to friends/family. 

After dinner we decided to finally take the Subway. OUR LEGS WERE KILLING US! We went to Dylan’s Candy Bar – another plus when buying the New York Pass is you get to fill a paint tin with as much candy that will fit for $13.99. After sampling and filling the paint tin to the rim we went to the Empire State Building. That was a different view than Top of the Rock. It was dark outside so seeing the high line was something else! Again, the elevator ride was amazing.

We went to see the big Christmas balls in front of Radio City and the beautiful tree above Radio City. It was finally time for bed!

When we woke up the next morning it was a BLIZZARD OUTSIDE! We took the subway downtown since there was no way we were walking to Ground Zero/9-11 Memorial. The pools were even more remarkable with the snow flurries coming down. The names all around the pools were heated to make then visible! It brought tears to my eyes.

 

We walked through the Ground Zero/9-11 Memorial. It was incredibly well done and of course, heart breaking. I’m glad we were able to walk all the way through. You could spend an entire day there. It had so many things to read, look at, listen to, etc…. there were parts that were hard for me to handle, specifically the phone calls that were made to family members and spouses that were on the planes. I’m thankful we got to visit.

Since it was still snowing outside we decided to take the subway to Chinatown/Little Italy. We knew it wouldn’t be the experience we thought it would be, but we still wanted to go. Tyler ended up going back to the hotel to visit a friend. A friend of ours recommended Joe Shanghi's Restaurant that we were determined to get to. After walking through the wind, snow, and ice we finally find out. I had mascara all down my face, my shoes were soaked, but hey, we made it!

 

It was worth the trip! This place (I will put the name) was known for their soup dumplings! No wonder it was the only place that had a wait because they were so good. We asked people sitting next to us what we should order. They recommended scallion pancakes and the fried rice. I thought to myself I don’t know about scallion pancakes but they were delicious. That will be a place we eat at every time we come to New York.

 

That night we had tickets to the Broadway show Aladdin. This is my all-time favorite Disney Princess movie! Words can’t describe how detailed the costumes and backdrops were. Everything was more than expected! We took the subway back, took a nap, got ready, and thankfully the show was by our hotel. Our feet and legs were screaming for us to sit down.

When we got back to the hotel Tyler was back from meeting his friend. We walked to Carlos’s Bakery (since I’m a little obsessed with the Cooking channel) I had to experience it. Tyler bought a cupcake and cookie. I didn’t try the cupcake but had a bite of the cookie…. Delicious.

The next morning we grabbed a coffee and headed to the airport. Grabbed something small to eat and boarded the plane. Back to reality!

Recap 2016 & January Goals

So sorry I’ve been gone for a while but…. I’m finally back :) The past month has been a fluster. When starting my blog this past year it was a way for me to do something for myself, but there were times when I felt like I was doing it for other reasons. I decided to take a break from everything during Christmas to focus on family and friends. Thanks to everyone that pushed me to start blogging. Also a big thank you to the person who helped start up my blog Victoria Stader. Thank you thank you again for everything!

In December we started planning our trip to New York (for my birthday-yay can’t wait!) side note we leave this Thursday and come home Sunday. I will share our trip when we return. I finished up a project at work before the holidays, planned out different things to do with the cousins while in town, and finished getting things donated to different centers in Fort Worth. We drove to celebrate Christmas with Ryan’s family then spent Christmas day with my family. It was nice to get everyone back together over the holidays, but we are thankful to finally have all errands ran and the Christmas decorations down (even though I love them being up!)

This past year has been more than a blessing… I’m blessed with all the different lessons that I learned but mostly knowing that God is in control.

I’ve struggled with trying to make sure everyone is comfortable, money is where it needs to be, the house is always in order, laundry is mostly done, approvals from people, always pleasing etc.

All of these “things” were not what I wanted my life to be about. I’ve always felt like I had to do everything in my life by a certain time. I enjoy helping or doing things for other people but it can sometimes be more work than I thought. 

There were times this past year when I would be so exhausted all I knew to do was just cry because that was the only thing that my body could do. I took things out on Ryan and my parents that I shouldn’t had because of stress or being overly busy.

I’m not at all saying that I’m not thankful for everything in my life, but I needed to change my priorities. 2016 was more than everything and anything I could ask for. I have friends and family to lean on and that I love more than ever. I’ve joined a group of amazing girls that I could thank over and over again for everything they have brought to my life. I have a job, a house over my head, and Jesus Christ.

Over the Christmas holiday I was able to hang out with my family more than I ever thought. It was something I needed and didn’t even know. I spent time with the Lord which made my heart full. I needed all the laughs with my family and time with Him which helped complete 2016. Learning that God is in control and not always being the “perfect” person has been something He has shown me this past year.

So now for January Goals J

We have New York this week/weekend but nothing planned after that. There are a couple things that we are wanting to do the house/yard this year. Who would’ve thought that getting things completed around the house could be so rewarding. Ryan and I have enjoyed looking at house improvements/ideas online, driving through neighborhoods, and just browsing through different stores. If any of you have any suggestions on websites, stores, or places to get good deals on send them my way!

For 2017, Ryan and I have set goals and different things we want to accomplish as a couple. I don’t think they are really goals just different adjustments we are wanting to strive for, but we excited!

I hope everyone had a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with family and friends!

January Goals:

-finish decorating the front 2 bedrooms

-make new dinners out of my new cookbooks

-finish getting little tasks completed around the house

-lay out a plan to get the fence fixed or redone

-fix the sink from leaking

-wake up or stay up a little later to spend more them with Jesus

Ashley's Santa List

This year Ryan and I decided to not to gifts, but will still do stocking stuffers. We thought that a trip would be something more exciting than buying nonsense gifts. And I’m super excited about this. I would rather cherish the times he and I get to spend together and with our families. I do LOVE buying gifts for other people/family members, though. Especially the kids!

Here are a few of the things I’ve been eyeing recently… 

  

                 

  

  

Leather tote // I’ve been eyeing this bag for many years now. It would be a great update to my current tote!

Phone Case // My current case is broken on the side where the bumper is. I thought this would be great for all seasons. 

Stationery // I know this weird because it’s 2017, but I really enjoy sending mail. This set is adorable (with monogramming, of course!)

Tee // This encouraging Walk In Love Tee is perfect with jeans or at home lounging with leggings. 

Prayer Journal // I love this not only for prayer growth that Val Marie provides… but also for writing down your prayers. You can go back to see all your answered prayers!

Cookbook// I’ve been wanting these cookbooks all year. If you haven’t read Danielle Walker’s blog, you should! 

What are some of your things on your wish list… 

BATTLING WITH COMPARISON

Daily we walk into battlefield of comparison. From perfect lives posed Instagram pictures to thoroughly worded Facebook posts, we seem to compare our worst moments to the apparent “perfect” moments of others. We contemplate what our friends and other women are doing through social media and underestimate all of the work God is doing in our hearts. Without being aware of it, we complain to God that He is doing more work in “her” life, and we oversee our own calling. Instead we dwell on what “she” is doing. With all of these distractions, we look at others stories God has written for “her” and lust over it more than what He is planning for ourselves.

While scrolling through social media the other day, I realized I had this mouse running on a wheel through my head while going through each post. “Wow, she is so creative – I wish I could think of that.” “Her wording to that post is spot-on!” “She lives the perfect life!” “Her family is so perfect.” The similar word in all of these complaints was “she/her.” My heart is fast to compare but even faster when I forgot my own calling. Social media is sometimes displayed in the wrong manner rather than hearing the lies in our head telling ourselves that I am not enough.

Trying to always be someone we weren’t created to be is like trying to fit a Christmas tree in its original box. The tree will never be able to fit perfectly in the box, as many times as you try. If I tried squeezing the tree into the box, I would make the box budge out and take away the perfect shape it was made to have. Trying to get the tree back into the box is pointless, just like we try to do when we envy to be “just like her.” God didn’t make us to be the same as the person living next to you. We are meant to be the image of God! He has imprinted His unique thumbprints on each of our lives with that one purpose. Trying to be someone else will never bring the grace and joy God created us to have within Jesus!

When looking at the different women in the Bible, you see a variety of women who had different personalities, purposes, passions, and callings. They all came from different backgrounds, lived in different environments, and God wrote those stories differently for each women. Just like with Eve, God created every woman on this Earth to be the reflection of His image and to live for his grace and glory. In Genesis 1, God finished painting the brushstrokes of His masterpiece by creating humanity. Genesis 5:1-2 “this is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” The term “God created” means that we were created in His own image in the “likeness of God.” We are all shaped in God’s own image, but we are not all the same. We look upon our Creator by being that unique woman He created us to be.

A couple of weekends ago I went on a long run, since the weather in Texas was finally not scorching. I decided to take a different route than normal and realized there were acorns everywhere! As I walked around picking up the acorns, one thing came to mind – no acorn is the same. Some didn’t have the tops, some were more colorful, some were larger, and others were grouped together on one branch. These acorns made me think of how God created us with our own individual story to tell.

God used those acorns to remind me that I will never reach His purpose for my life when trying to be like women on social media. Jesus never said compare yourself to others, He wanted us to imitate Christ as who is our Savior (1 Corinthians 4:6). No one wants to miss there calling by trying to be like “she” rather than “He.” Our friends and peers are created with a purpose made by Him for His grace and glory. It will look completely different than the person sitting next to you, but as we follow Him faithfully and do what He has set for us to do, we will start seeing those comparisons being removed and start being cheerful for one another.

God has called each unique individual to do work for His kingdom. Just like I said above He has imprinted His unique thumbprints as a reflection on His dreams for you, your home and your work. As we are all women with passion, desire, and yearning, take a deep breath and remember that God has place for His glory in your heart. Try to not focus on the big things, be trusting in the smaller things He has placed right in front of you. You weren’t made to do what “she” does, but made to glorify Jesus in your own unique way.

Life is not “doing” for God or about becoming someone else… it’s about knowing Him and glorifying Him with our minds, bodies, and souls. It always seems better to look at what God has done for you yourself rather than what “she” is doing. Set your gaze upon Jesus Christ and be faithful to what He has called for you to do. We are all created to live for Him and to love one another.

“Turn your eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” Proverbs 119:37.

DIFF EyeWear

DIFF Eyewear is the perfect eye-catching accessory to add to any outfit. I have been a fan of DIFF Eyewear for a while now, but every time I get the email that my favorite pair is back in stock, I still end up missing out on them. NOT THIS TIME! I finally got mine in the mail (picture below) and I seriously LOVEEEE them! They have so many different colors of lenses and frames to choose from. Even though I’ve only had them for 2 weeks, every time I wear them people ask where they are from.

Did I mention how reasonable the prices are? Well, they are great, especially when you aren’t wanting to spend hundreds of dollars. If you sign up on their email list, you receive a 15% off coupon making the sunnies even cheaper. These would be a great gift for not only women but men as well.

This isn’t the only reason I have fallen in love with this brand. Something that is very special to my heart is for every pair of sunglasses they sell, they then donate a pair to the non-profit organization Eyes on Africa. Eyes on Africa provides a new pair of eyeglasses at no cost to Africans in communities that don’t have access to vision care. When you finally go and buy a pair of these super cute sunnies from DIFF Eyewear, you are giving back as well!

Also the new Bachelorette, Jojo Fletcher, recently came out with a new eyewear line with DIFF Eyewear! Look how fun these sunglasses are. This makes my heart warm knowing that celebrities are not all about themselves. She’s not the only person from the Bachelorette/Bachelor her fiancé Jordan wears them as well! She not only created this super cute line but she also is doing it for a great cause. Don’t worry her fiancé Jordan Rodgers wears them too!

I hope that you can enjoy DIFF Eyewear as much as I have. To check out more celebrities or funny photo's of the eyewear check out their Instagram. It’s the weekend- woo! Get yours Here!