Asheville

On Top of the World

7:51:00 AM


Nature amazes me. I love being surrounded by it. Which obviously explains why I love summer and warm weather. While visiting Asheville, just outside of the city was Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock is a nice hiking spot where you can see the beautiful mountains that North Carolina calls its own. 

North Carolina

The road up, was a bit curvy, but once we reached the parking lot I was already taken back by the beauty of it all. We arrived pretty much as soon as the park opened, which mean the sun wasn't too hot just yet, and there were hardly any crowds at all! 
The hike up included 1,962 steps round trip. Being hot and sweaty was incredibly worth it as I took in the scenery. 
North Carolina

Once we reached our top destination (the flag), we met some really kind people, who took a few family shots. I just loved looking over the valley and admiring how beautiful this world really is. You don't even have to go that far to find out! 

North Carolina

While the trek to the flag was only (lol) 651 steps one way, my sister stayed behind while my mom, step-dad and I climbed to Exclamation Point. It was stunning up there as well. Out of all of our side stops, I think Chimney rock would have to be my favorite.

Hike
After we had made our way down the steps, my mom thought it would be a nice treat to have a bit of ice cream and catch our breath before heading back into the truck and onto our next destination (Charleston, four hours away)
Panorama
Top of Exclamation Point
The world is so pretty, and I love exploring it! I hope you enjoyed these photos and all of my travelling blogs so far! Let me know if you'd like to see something in particular! If you have ANY questions leave them in the comments, or shoot me an email!
Do you like to hike? Have you ever had your breath taken away by nature before? 
Can't wait to hear from you! 
x Kenzie
(make sure to check my other Chimney Rock photos and photos from my trip on my Instagram! )



Happiness

Why I Love Being a Morning Person

9:00:00 AM




Great Britain

Yes, there are people who actually enjoy waking up at 7am, opening the windows and listening to the world wake up. I for one, really don't mind waking up early on a weekend. You're probably wondering why, and don't worry, I've made a list for you to try to explain. 

1 & 2 .I have more time. I'm not on a schedule, and I'm not hopping out of bed in a rush to get anywhere. I can drink my chai latte, have a little dorm-room workout session and scroll through my blog feed on bloglovin. Because I have more time, I'm not stressed. It's relaxing, especially in the spring when I can (wait until my roommate leaves) and whip open the windows and hear the birds chirping and see the sun. 

 3.I'm more productive. Personally, I feel much more productive during the morning hours than in the evening. The evening makes me want to curl up on the sofa and watch some tv, youtube videos etc. I just get a lot done and by the time I look at my clock it's only noon! 

 4. I feel happier. It's probably because I'm less stressed and not groggy or unmotivated. I'm one of those people who love breakfast, and there's a part of me that cries everytime I don't have time for a satisfying bowl of oats. 
Vegan Food

5. It's handy when I travel. Because I'm kind of on a schedule of waking up around the same time every morning, when I get to travel it's not a big deal if I have to wake up early. Whether or not I'm properly dressed is another story!


Are you a morning or a night person? What do you consider early? For me it's 7am. I mean, I can wake up earlier, but I tend to scroll through my phone first! It's a system! 
I hope you're all enjoying the weather wherever you are! 
It's nearly officially spring! 
x 
Kenzie

Book

Life Lessons from the Internet

9:00:00 AM


It's no secret that the internet makes it extremely easy to connect to people all over the world. With our parents' warnings of "stranger danger" and "don't talk to people on the internet!" we've come to our own little corners of the internet, following links to other blogs and various YouTube channels. So what's the life lesson, and where is it coming from?
Right now. The one I'm going to talk about, comes from YouTube, from a guy, making videos all the way over in the state of Idaho. Almost 16,000 miles away from Wisconsin. 
His name is Shay Butler. 
And he wrote a book. 
Happiness
Reminder: Happiness is a choice. 
A diet book.
Except it's not really a diet book, it's more of a "how to be positive in life" book. I know what you're probably thinking, "Oh boy, another youtuber making another book.". True there are tons of books that have been written by youtubers. But I'm telling you, this one is different. 
Fit Dad Fit Kid

This one is for everyone. With over 4 million subscribers, Shay and his family are constantly graced with the label "YouTube's first family", but I'm not here to write a biography on Shay and his life, that's what the book is for. I'm here to tell you why I loved reading it. And why I'll probably read it again!
  1. It's insightful. Because the book is written in two different perspectives. Shay's, as a father and Gavin as a son. They both share the struggles of keeping up with the goal of eating clean for 30 days, and also drinking 1 gallon of water a day. 1 gallon. 
  2. It's heartwarming. The way Shay just talks about how much he loves each member of his family and how much they all mean to him is one of the best parts. 
  3. It's inspiring. I have never marked a book before in my entire life. Not even for school, but I found myself underlining important lines that felt motivating to me and I could come back to when I needed some friendly advice or a simple "you can do it!" 
  4. It's real. Sometimes you can read a book and think "is this person being real?" While it's not all about weight loss, and Shay doesn't only write inspiring things and what will help. He also writes about the troubles he's had with it, as many of us do when we're trying to eat healthy but don't want to slip back and he's the first to admit that it's hard.
  5. It proves that you can do anything. You've always known that. One of my favorite quotes (among many underlined and highlighted words) is "You're in charge, it's your life." And it is. You can do anything because you say you can. How do you know you can't do a thing (a legal, good thing) if someone says you can't do it. Just do it
  6. The way it's written. I loved reading this book because it felt like I was being pep-talked by a really good friend with his words about life and what has helped him get to where he is now and what could help other people as well. Shay talks to everyone, because we're one big internet family. We're all connected and in this together.
Everyone who picks up this book is in it to better themselves. And that's why you should read it. It's never too late to start. 
Along with the book, there are a few exercises anyone can try out over on ShayLoss.  

Honestly, I could probably write 5 more blog posts about how much I loved reading this book and how much I recommend it because it's not just another weight loss book, it's about bettering yourself.
See? All of that came from some guy from the internet, who wrote a book. It's not so bad mom and dad!
I hope you pick it up at your local store! 
Butler Family

Q.Have you read this book before? Do you watch the Shaytards on YouTube? 

Also if Shay ever reads this (hey I really liked your book!) 

Almond

Black Coffee: Waffle Bar

9:00:00 AM



I love food. And you probably know, especially if you follow me on twitter, that I love breakfast. Honestly could eat breakfast all day long. I love going to bed just a bit hungry only to wake up even hungrier for breakfast. I can't really say that I have a favorite place for breakfast or even a favorite breakfast food. It is all just so great.
   With my birthday being the long weekend, I had the chance to go to a new restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, near the University there, called Black Coffee and Waffle Bar. The moment I stepped inside, it smelled incredible.

Waffles

The morning was rainy, but I was too excited for this waffle place to even care a little bit. 
We glanced over the menu, though I had already picked out what I was getting weeks ago....I told you I was very excited right? 

I ordered an iced chai, which was incredible and the spices in it were amazing. 
Chai tea
It was like a refreshing sip of Christmas (which is the next thing I'm looking forward to). 
This chai also did not make my stomach sour, which was even more reason to enjoy it. 
Coffee art
They also have lattes, this is my Uncles' and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the art. 
After waiting 30 minutes for our waffles, and finding a spot to eat, our group of 8, finally tucked into our waffles. In the time that we were waiting, my mom so kindly took photos of me in front of the big black brick siding they have. This was actually fun because every time we walked back inside, to get out of the rain, the amazing scent of fresh waffles and coffee instantly wrapped us in a nice warm, dry blanket. 
Bbloggers
Top: Forever 21 ; Skirt: Forever 21 : Tights: Target

Outfit of the day
Shoes: Target

You probably saw the top one on my instagram. 

While everyone was tucking right into their waffles, I did manage to get a few snaps of them before they were in our bellies!
Almond Butter
(This was mine.) 
I chose the Naughty Waffle, it had strawberries, blueberries, bananas, granola, almond butter, and whipped cream on top!) 

Swiss Waffle
This one is my Uncles', he chose the One Bad Pig Waffle, it had ham and swiss on top of it. 

(I couldn't stop taking pictures of my waffle, it just looked incredible!)

Breakfast

While the waffles had to be waited for, my drink came out right away and that was very nice! I was extremely happy with how everything tasted, and if you are ever in the Minneapolis area, you need to check this place out! (This isn't a sponsored post but it should be.)
They have different varieties of waffles and you can even make your own! 
(Check out the website here!)

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! I had a great one and I can't wait to show you more from it! 
Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow me on bloglovin, google +, instagram and twitter! 

Leave a comment and tell me your favorite breakfast food!! 
Can't wait to read them all! 
xx
Kenzie









Christmas

Christmas Gift Idea:Happiness Jars

12:00:00 PM


It's finally almost here. 
It's almost Christmas! 
Being a college student who loves writing cards, and having Christmas as an excuse for giving people gifts..actually affording to give gifts can be pretty tough!
If you're looking for some great DIY Christmas-y gift ideas, you're in luck..I've got a few! 
The first one I chose to do, was a Happiness Jar. 
Happiness Jars have been going around for ages, you write down happy things you've done throughout the year and read them at the end of it to remind yourself of what a great year it has been.
I decided to put my own twist on it and create Happiness for people. 
Things that will make people happy in case they're ever upset or sad or even lonely, they can just pluck one of the color strips of paper from the jar and hopefully
 it'll make them smile!
You will need:
-A mason jar (or a couple, depending on how many you're going to make)
-Colored pens or markers
-Labels (I used chalk labels because they seemed fun!) 
-Tags
-Tissue Paper
-Colored Paper

Make a list, on a separate paper. I had the bright idea that I was going to do 365 happy things. It's harder than it looks, but it's also good to list them before putting them in so you don't have repeats! 
I used a small variety of colors for my colored paper pieces and wrote from the list what the happy moments or things or quotes were. 

After you've put everything inside, put on the label and write Happiness, or the persons name if you'd like. Then grab the tissue paper. It doesn't matter what color it is, I found some sparkly paper and decided it was perfect. I took the middle part of the lid out and dabbed a bit of glue inside the lid, setting the tissue paper inside. 
Careful it doesn't rip, tissue paper is very..fragile. 
Tie your tag to the bag after putting in the jar, or before, don't forget to write the name! 
I made two of these jars and each person had different happiness things in them. As they're two very different people!
I hope you give these a try and let me know what you think! 
My next idea is coming up soon! 
xx
Kenzie




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