Mother's Day Gift Guide

I can’t even believe that we will be in the month of MAY this week! That just blows my mind. But then on the other hand, Christmas feels like it was six years ago lol so idk. But We are about two weeks out from Mother’s Day and I am going to be on top of it this year. I feel like usually I remember a few days before and then SCRAMBLE to figure out what I am going to do.

Some of these things my mom or mother in law already have and love, and I will point them out to you. I will just jump right into it! The Ray-ban sunglasses, both my mom and myself have them! We love them and they are such good quality. The Kendra Scott necklace is one that I have had for years and the quality has held up so well. They are $50 each and will last for such a long time. I love how dainty it is! Another thing that both my mom and mother in law like is this hair straightener/dryer. I initially got it for Christmas and then got one for my mom for Christmas and when my MIL tried it while she was here she loved it! Its definitely a favorite!! As for other things I have noted on the image whether it is something that I have and love or if its something that someone else has!

| Milk Frother | Coffee Mugs | Kendra Scott Necklace | One step Volumizing Hair dryer | Becca Under Eye Corrector | Ray Ban Sunglasses | Magnolia Table Cook Book | Volcano Candle | Fuzzy Slippers | Sea Salt Caramels | At Home Dip Nail Kit |

I would love to know if you have any of these items and love them! One thing about my website and about me is if I find something good, I usually stick with it and then tell everyone I know about it lol and make sure that they try it for themselves! I really try not to switch products a ton unless its changed or there is another reason for something new! If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer those for you! Feel free to comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com!

Cranberry Peach Cocktail

This is hands down my favorite drink to make at home! Its so easy I honestly probably didn’t need to write a whole blog post on it but I wanted you guys to have an easy place to reference it so here we are! I promise to keep this short and sweet and to not talk {write..?} your ear off. Its so simple, its just three ingredients and one of them is OPTIONAL!! Like seriously, so easy and so yummy and it doesn’t really even taste like you are drinking alcohol but boy let me tell you.. you are!

I feel like vodka is at the bottom of most peoples alcohol lists {probably because of college lol} but because I can’t have a lot of alcohols because they contain gluten - I usually reach for vodka rather than tequila. But I think that this combination of ingredients really makes it seem like you aren’t drinking vodka at all.. just trust me! The holy grail of this drink is the juice that you mix it with.. I find it at Walmart, Target.. Market Basket, I pretty much can find it anywhere! But lately I have been ordering the juice from Walmart.com and its like $5.98 for two of them!

I like to make this drink two ways, regular and frozen. I will make it frozen in the summer as a way to cool off! I like to bring it frozen when I go down to our pool in the summers because it will stay cool longer and that means fewer trips to the apartment and more relaxing time!

What you will need for this Cranberry Peach Cocktail:

• 1-2 shots of vodka

• Frozen Peach chunks {optional}

• Ocean Spray White Cranberry Peach Juice

• Ice

I would absolutely love to know what you guys think of this drink! It is hands down my favorite! But I would also love to know what is your favorite drink?? Dustin’s is a Whiskey Sour and mine is this Cranberry Peach Cocktail! Let me know yours in the comments below! And if you make the drink tag me in stories and I will share it!

Caramel Macchiato Three Ways

A few weeks back I was realllllly wanting an iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks or really anywhere that could make me one at that point lol but our closest Starbucks is in a Target and closed so that just want going to happen. SO I started playing with the ingredients that go into a macchiato and came up with three versions of the caramel macchiato! I did a regular iced caramel macchiato, a hot caramel macchiato and a healthier version of an iced caramel macchiato. The majority of this explanation of these is in the video at the bottom of the screen but I wanted to type out the instructions and ingredients that you will need just in case you don’t have time to watch. But really its only like 5 minutes!

What you will need

• ground espresso {regular coffee grounds honestly work just as well, I use this here}

• Caramel Syrup- I used this here

• Caramel Skinny Syrup {if you are doing the healthy version, I use this here}

• Milk of choice

• Ice

Iced Caramel Macchiato

1. Cover the bottom of the cup with caramel syrup

2. Fill half of the cup with milk and stir the milk and caramel until combined really well

3. Add ice to the cup {the cup should be about 3/4 full now}

4. Add two shots of espresso

5. Drizzle caramel on the top

Hot Caramel Macchiato

1. Cover the bottom of the mug with caramel

2. Two espresso shots into the mug

3. While that is brewing, add caramel and milk to a frother and froth that together

4. Pour the frothed milk and caramel into the mug

5. Drizzle caramel syrup on top

Healthy-ish Caramel Macchiato

1. Fill the bottom of the cup with the Skinny Syrup Caramel

2. Fill half of the cup with milk and stir the milk and Skinny Syrup until combined

3. Add ice to the cup {the cup should be about 3/4 full now}

4. Add two shots of espresso

5. Taste to see if you would like to add more Skinny Syrup- if you do, only add a little it at a time! Too much can really ruin the taste of the coffee so just be cautious!

Www.tarynintotravel.com | Caramel Macchiato Three Ways | Iced Caramel Macchiato | Hot Caramel Macchiato | Healthy-ish Caramel Macchiato | Coffee at Home |

ENJOY! My favorite way is the non healthy iced caramel macchiato and Dustin’s favorite is the hot version! I would love to know if you make this and if you do which version was your favorite?!

4 Looks for Working from Home

Over the last couple of weeks I have been finding myself wearing the same sweatpants and like the same 3 shirts over and over again. Working from home for me isn’t a new thing, I have done it since we moved to Boston and up until about March I would take time to wear different clothes over a few weeks rather than the same thing. Now i’m not talking about like wearing jeans. and a nicer top, I jut mean like comfortable looks that make me feel a little more put together. I promise your pants will still have stretch and room for snacks with theses looks lol as I am writing this I think this post is honestly more for me than for you guys. I really needed to go through my closet and see what I had and group a couple of looks together to have an arsenal of outfits ready to go this week.

*Everything is linked above the photos below!

Look number one - This is a look that I have had for a few months now and I LOVE it! I like that the bike shorts aren’t too long and that the shirt is nice and oversized. Plus that the sports bra matches the shorts is a major plus! Add slippers and you are ready to work!

| Sports Bra | Bike Shorts | Long Sleeve Tee | Slippers |

Look number two - This American Eagle top is one that I grab for every time its clean and I don’t feel bad about it at all. I have it in pink and I loved it so much I got it in white as well! add with some cropped leggings and you are set! Its such a comfortable outfit but I still feel put together when I wear it.

| Long Sleeve Shirt | Leggings | Sports Bra | Slippers |

Look number three - I feel like I have 100% gotten my moneys worth with this Free People sweater. I am hoping that they bring this style back next year because I will be wearing it for years to come. But every time I go to look for a link it is on sale which is good for you guys!

| Free People Sweater | Leggings | Bralette | Slippers |

Look number four - I just ordered this white tank top last week and I can’t wait for it to come in! I have heard so many good things about it and I feel like it will be something that I wear all year long under different cardigans and on its own as well. I also love these joggers, they are so comfortable and affordable! Plus they are from Amazon which makes them even better in my opinion.

| White Tank Top | Sports Bra | Joggers | Slippers |

I hope you guys liked this! I would love to hear your thoughts and what you think about posts like this one!

At Home Birthday Ideas

Since we have been at home, I know that so many things have been canceled, postponed, or rescheduled. But birthdays are not something that you can cancel or reschedule! Its your day or someone special in your lives day! There are so many ways to make their day special! For example, last week it was Dustin’s birthday {my husband} and obviously we couldn’t go do anything but I was determined to have a fun and special day! I don’t know about you guys but birthdays are big in our house! Usually we go on a weekend getaway or if that’s not an option we would go out to dinner and drinks afterward but I definitely had to get creative.

I decided to literally pick a theme and go with it.. like as if I was planning a 6 year olds birthday party lol I went with a Mario Party theme. We love playing Mario Party for a date night at home so I took the theme and ran with it. If you’ve been around for awhile then you know I love a good theme!

For the Mario Party I went to Etsy.. 1. the shipping was faster than Amazon and 2. I was shopping small which I loved! Don’t get me wrong, I still got things from Target, but I tried to get the decorations from Etsy. I didn’t go crazy either.. I just got a few things that would make the apartment fun for him to wake up to on his birthday!

I grabbed Mario themed cookies, a Mario party banner and a giant Mario balloon plus a ton of regular balloons that I blew up all by myself which made me feel very accomplished.

| Giant Mario Balloon | Mario Cookies | Small Regular Balloons | Mario Party Banner | Super Mario Party Game |

Obviously this won’t be everyones cup of tea, so I came up with a few other ideas to add to the list!

1. Nerf gun wars - no brainer and this is so fun! We have nerf guns and play with them all the time {yes we are adults lol}

2. Around the clock gift opening - This is a fun one.. get a bunch of smaller gifts and say every 2-3 hours that person gets to open a new present!

3. Drive By parades - Organize with friends and family to drive by and wave/honk at the birthday boy/girl!

4. Movie Marathon with a themed dinner - you could pick any trilogy that I list in this post here! So many fun options!

5. Chopped at Home - you can read more about this one here!

6. Pick a country and make dinner and a dessert - so easy! It could be somewhere you have gone or somewhere new. If its somewhere you both have been then you get to reminisce!

8 Pairs of Shoes for Spring

I don’t know what has come over me in the last few weeks… I don’t know if its my STRONG desire for warmer weather, I don’t know if its from being stuck inside but I am on a major shoe kick right now! Usually I am on a {never-ending} lipstick/earring kick but right now its shoes and lets just say ya girl is on a budget but still wants to be able to achieve those fun spring looks and keep up with the trends!

I usually look to Target for trendy shoes just because they are more affordable and they will last the whole season, if not two seasons. I like the quality and the fit/feel of 90% of the Target shoes that I try on. But on the other hand, if its a style of shoe that I know that I will be able to wear it season after season because that style or trend will stay in style, then I might go ahead and purchase a little bit more expensive of a shoe. This will let me save money in the long run because I’m not going to have to rebuy that style next year!

Here are all of the shoes that I grabbed to try this year and I ended up loving them all! Numbers 5 and 7 I have had for many years. The Sam Edelman shoes literally got me through our Greece trip back in May of 2018!! If you are newer and missed those posts, you can read about them here! But the other 5 are new to me and I am loving them!

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Once we get back to a new normal you will see me wearing all of these for tons of different occasions. Date nights, grocery store runs, weddings, vacations.. there is something here for almost every occasion! I really wanted to tick all of the boxes when it came to what I was ordering. I would love to know which pair are your favorite?? Mine are number 3 for sure!

10 Things to do When You're Bored

10 Things to do When You’re Bored

1. Beading - I mentioned in stories a few weeks back that I started a new hobby. It has been something that I have had everything in and out of my Amazon cart for about 6 months before I finally decided to do it! Its so fun to not have any rules and get to make something! There are so many sizes and shapes of the beads. Its actually really relaxing as well. I am able to turn on a movie or a show and bead! I linked everything that I need here!

2. Pigment Coloring App - This is really only an idea if you have an iPad or some type of tablet but I love this app so much. There is a paid version but I just use the free coloring pages {there are tons and more are being added all the time!}. For me its calming because I am so focused on the coloring that my brain isn’t thinking about 100 other things. Its actually something that turns my brain off.

3. Take a drive - My mom keeps texting me and saying “Go eat lunch in Vermont!”. We live like an hour from Vermont and she thinks it will be like the perfect afternoon activity. I know not everyone lives super close to a different state but really what I mean is go for a long drive with a stop at the end. You could easily choose a park that is like an hour away and take a packed lunch and eat in your car! Just for a change of scenery!

4. Take an online course! There are so many businesses and companies that are offering free classes right now. I will link a couple below!

   1. Nikon is offering free Photography classes in April! Link is here.

   2. Duolingo has free language lessons! Find those here.

   3. iTunes U has SO many free classes to take! There were a ton that looked interesting about Earth Month! I linked where you can find those here.

5. Join a book club! Facebook has so many good options. Here are the two that I am currently in! Caila’s Corner and we are reading “The Two Lives of Lydia Bird” and Lynzy & Co, we are reading “Love Does”. I love being a part of these two because it gives me an assignment and a sense of community with the group!

6. A classic puzzle - This is something that I like to do that is not a sit down and complete until its done. I like to open a puzzle and work on it as I please until its complete. It might be a couple of hours, it might be a couple of days. It just depends! I linked to a ton of puzzles in this blog post here.

7. Learn a new skill! YouTube is a great resource for this! You can pick up so many new skills from youtube all for free I might add. Here is a list of some of the ones I could think of!

   • origami

   • Beading

   • Knitting

   • Making Soap

   • Kickboxing

   • Starting a bullet journal

   • Calligraphy

8. Work on a goal - Playing off of the last idea, make a goal for something small that you have always wanted to do. Here are some examples: work on your handstands or being able to do the splits.. Play with eyeshadow {I am hopeless with eyeshadow lol}, perfect the winged liner look! Learn to curl you're hard.. another thing I realllllly can’t do lol

9. Cook something - You could do the “At Home Chopped Challenge that I talked about in this blog post here. Learn how to make something that you had one one of your favorite vacations.. {Pasta from Italy, tatziki from Greece, copycat recipes from Disney World! Disney Hungry has a ton of good copycat Disney Recipes!} They don’t all have to be desserts! You can make so many fun things! Get creative!

10. Start that crazy long movie series! I love watching movies like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings that you can really get into the characters and watch them grow. There are so many movie series’ to binge.. I made a list!

    • Harry Potter

    • Lord of the Rings

    • The Hobbit

    • Star Wars

    • Jurassic Park

    • Pirates of the Caribbean

    • Avengers

    • Any combination of Marvel movie sets {Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant Man}

    • Star Trek

    • Divergent Trilogy

    • Fantastic Beasts

    • Pitch Perfect

    • Transformers

    • Twilight

    • X-men

11. Watch the Disney Nature documentaries on Disney+! I loved Penguins, Elephant, and Dolphin Reef! Seriously so cute and you fall in love with the little animal families in each of them for sure.

12. Animal Crossing - If you have a Nintendo Switch this game is so much fun. Also if you want to be friends, let’s do it! I’m not even sure how to do that lol but I will figure it out.

This is defiantly one of those blog posts that I will add to as I think of more things! I see new ideas all over the place every day! I know that this time has been really hard on all of us but I will say that I think the creativeness from people has been amazing! So many amazing ideas have come from this all. If you can think of something comment below and I will add it to the list!

Chopped Challenge at Home

This was probably our best idea yet for being stuck at home! Honestly it was so fun and actually a great way to use ingredients that you have in your pantry or fridge! We have done this twice now and it was jut as fun the second time. A couple of things to remember and just accept.. The kitchen is GOING to be a mess, there WILL be a ton of dishes, but you WILL have a blast and create such fun memories!

The way that Dustin and I did this was I picked 5 ingredients for him and he picked 5 ingredients for me. We decided that one of the things that we needed to pick for the other person is a protein just to set the pace for the meal that they will have to make. Like for example I chose ground chicken and that really threw him for a loop and directed the meal a bit.

Chopped Guidelines

• Must use all 5 ingredients in the dish

• Have all ingredients in the dish on the plate

• 40 minutes to complete the dish

• We both also choose an additional 6th item to give to each other 10 minutes into the challenge {such a fun twist!}

• Don’t pick a starch because it might sway the meal too much one way {picking pasta noodles pretty much ensures you're getting pasta.. that kind of thing!}

• Preheat the oven to desired temp {we did 400}, boil a large pot of water and start any other cooking tools you want to use. We did a fryer but you could also preheat like a George foreman, etc.

I would say if you are wanting to do this with your family just choose partners and do it the same way we did! If there is an uneven number then for example, person 1 would choose food for person 2 to cook and person 3 would eat that food for dinner and so on!

Another thing that we thought could be fun so this can be like a once a month kind of thing is to choose themes! Like dinner foods, sandwiches and a side, gourmet breakfast, desserts, chicken dinner.. I mean the list goes on and on! You could pull any theme and it would be so much fun! I think next tie we do this we will do sandwiches and a side!

We decided to do a little at home chopped challenge and it was one of our favorite unintentional date nights ever! www.tarynintotravel.com

Sipsby Tea Subscription Review

I was not always a tea drinker, at all. When I worked at an office in Minneapolis, I drank at least 3 cups of coffee a day and usually it was a lot more than that. It was like something for my mouth to do while I was working lol. It wasn’t until we moved to Boston and my life slowed down a whole lot more {aka working from home}, that I decided that I didn’t need to be bouncing off the walls at all times to function. I slowing started buying tea from the grocery store to try. But what I was finding was that I would buy that whole box and then not really like it! It felt like a huge waste.

Back in September when Sipsby reached out to have me work with them I was thrilled to try this subscription. It was perfect for someone like me who really had no idea where to even begin with tea. I have been getting this subscription box since September and what started as a brand partnership has turned into a subscription that I now purchase on my own! This blog post isn’t sponsored in any way, I just wanted to share it with you because I felt it was the perfect solution for being a tea newbie!

So, the way that it works is that you take a quiz and let them know of any allergies that you might have I love that they cared about my gluten allergy! They ask if you want loose leaf, bagged tea, I even tried dissolvable tea! Another question that they ask is if you want caffeinated or non-caffeinated tea. Lastly they go through about 30 flavors of tea that you could have the option of trying and you answer yes, no, or maybe! I can’t even tell you how spot on the accuracy of the quiz is! I have now tried like 20 different teas from them and only disliked ONE out of all of them. They really can tailor the box to any level of tea knowledge that you might have! One option to brew is Eastern: Gongfu cha and you can betcher butt I don’t know what the heck that is lol therefore I didn’t choose it as an option.

Anyways, I think it is such a fun idea to try new things or even a fun gift idea if you know someone who loves tea! It is $15 a month to get 4 kinds of teas to try and they give you 3-5 of each kind they send. So its like 20 cups of tea for $15!! If you have any questions at all I would love to answer them for you! You can email me at tarynintotravel@gmail.com or ask in the comments below!

Free People Sale

Here is the Free People Sale that I was talking about today in stories over on Instagram!

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |