Friday Favorites

Yay, it’s Friday! And, if you’re in the Bluegrass, happy snow day, too! Cozy up on this wintery day with some of our favorite things from throughout the week.

Oscar Nominations I’ve never been big on award shows, but last year I got seriously into the Oscars, particularly the nominations for best picture. I made sure to watch all of the nominees after the Oscars were over and by doing so, discovered some great flicks I may not have watched otherwise (excluding Birdman…bleh). As for the nominations for best picture this year, I’ve only seen Bridge of Spies and Mad Max, so I’ve got some work to do before February 28th! The only one I may skip out on is The Revenant because it looks a little intense for my taste, but I’m totally #TeamLeo to finally land an Oscar. – Sarah

Goodreads Sometime in college, I started making 3 New Years resolutions annually–one each for mind, body, and spirit. My resolution for my mind this year is to begin reading more! I’ve had a lifelong love of reading, but being a full time graduate student last year put a major halt on my leisure reading. To help with my resolution, I joined Goodreads. Goodreads let me pick my favorite genres, rate some of my favorite books within those genres, and then generated a reading list for me. You can even use it to track reading goals (mine is 24 books in 2016) and join book clubs! – Sarah

26 Things to Do for Yourself  I totally get suckered into reading these lists when scrolling through social media feeds. Normally I’m outraged because they’ll say completely unrealistic things like, “meditate for two hours each morning” or “spend three months traveling to exotic countries.” What normal human being has time for that?! However, this list was refreshing because I could realistically accomplish everything in a year, and I think most of them would brighten up my life in some way. – Laura

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal I eat oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast. This slow cooker recipe is perfect for getting snowed in this weekend! – Laura

Chip and Joanna’s House Tour I’ve been on a HGTV kick the past couple of weeks, and my latest obsession is Fixer Upper. Anytime I catch a glimpse of Chip and Joanna’s farm house on the show, I practically squeal at how perfect it is. Luckily, a friend shared their house tour with me. There’s some major design inspiration in these photos! – Sarah

Cheers!

Laura & Sarah

What’s Cooking: Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry

Stir-fry is one of my favorite meals. It’s a great way to get lots of servings of vegetables in one dish, and the flavors are easy to change depending on the spices and sauces used. I also love the fact that once I’m finished chopping, dinner can be on the table in less than 15 minutes. While I’m a big fan of the classic teriyaki chicken, I like this recipe because it has a pretty spicy kick to it. If you’re not a huge fan of spicy foods, you can easily adjust the spiciness by reducing the amount of red pepper you use.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juiced and grated
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 small head napa cabbage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• sriracha (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and soy sauce; set aside.

In a large wok on medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add cabbage, broccoli, bell peppers, ginger, pepper flakes and chili powder; cook for 4–5 minutes more, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add soy sauce mixture and toss. Stir in lemon zest and sprinkle with scallions and sriracha (if desired).

I love all the fresh veggies in this dish!

Cheers!

Laura

Jetset

In college, a mentor used to always repeat the quote “travel is the only thing you buy that can make you richer.” How true that is! Over the past couple of years, I’ve been very fortunate to travel both domestically and internationally, and believe me, I did it through every mode of transportation possible–boats, planes, trains, and automobiles included! Today, I want to share with you some of the tips I’ve picked up along the way for booking flights.

1. Know your priorities. Before you go on a trip, it’s important to narrow down your priorities. These can include a variety of things like price, comfort, convenience, or airline, and they might change depending on the type of trip you’re taking. For me, my priorities pretty consistently focus on price and convenience. I always try to find the cheapest flight possible, but if that flight leaves at 5 AM or has a 40 minute layover that’s sure to have me sprinting through an airport somewhere, it’s worth it to me to pick a slightly more expensive flight that isn’t going to leave me feeling frazzled. Plus, you’ll want to think critically about all those tempting little upgrades. If you’re only going to be in the air for 3 hours, is First Class or a seat with extra leg room really worth the price tag? Besides, if Bridesmaids taught me anything, it’s that there is a much better sense of community in Coach anyway.
2. Use Google Flights. All those travel sites, like Travelocity or Kayak, can be really tempting. They give you the freedom to mix and match airlines, and sometimes you’re able to score an extra low price. However, my experience has taught me to book with the airline directly if at all possible. If you end up having to change your flights, you’ll find that customer service with the airline is infinitely better than it is with a travel site. That’s where Google Flights comes in. If you’ve never used it, imagine having the power of the Google search engine to search every airlines’ flights to find you the absolute best price options. Plus, the calendar feature allows you to see the price differences in everyday you fly. Let’s say a flight on Wednesday costs you $300. That same flight on Thursday instead might end up being only $250. Boom. 50 more bucks in your pocket to go towards the trip itself.
3. Get a credit card. For some reason, prior to graduating college, I had a terrible view of credit cards as though just by having one I would somehow rack up tons of debt. So when I say this, keep in mind that I don’t make this suggestion lightly, and if you have trouble budgeting, then ignore what I’m about to say and just move on. However, if you are like me and have a very stringent savings plan, a credit card can be an awesome way for you to score some travel points. If you’re considering getting a credit card, I’ve got some “sub-tips,” if you will, down below:
   • Set up a payment schedule. Some people adamantly support paying off your credit card in full every month. This is a good idea if you worry about remembering to pay your bill, but in actuality, paying in full every month doesn’t really help or hurt you in the short run. Your credit score takes into account the amount on your last billed statement, so whether you paid that entire $100 off or not, your credit score doesn’t care. So with that being said, if it fits your budget best to pay off 2/3 of your trip the first month, and the last 1/3 the second month, then go for it. Just make sure you always pay more than the minimum amount, have more than enough in your bank account to cover those expenses, and never let them get out of control.
   • Make sure you use your credit card on something each month. I tend to view credit cards as being there for those big purchases or emergencies, but it’s important to use your credit card on at least one purchase each month. Remember when I said your credit score doesn’t care if you pay off in full every month? It does care if you’re using your potential credit. As counter-intuitive as it seems, almost maxing out your credit card can be better for your credit score than not using a credit card at all one month. However, I don’t exactly promote maxing out any cards (see tip above). A good way to make sure you consistently build credit is by using your card on consistent purchases that you know you’ll be able to pay, like on gas or groceries.
   • Now for the travel related part of the credit card. There are tons of cards out there that give you airline points or deals on travel. I personally use American Express Gold Card for Delta Skymiles, but before you take the plunge, make sure you do your research to find what’s right for you. Think about if you have a preferred airline with which to rack up your points, the interest rate, and where you’ll be able to use the card. Also make sure you look at minimum payments. Ads that say “Get 50,000 airline points by signing up today!” look really tempting, but you’ll probably have a minimum payment that you have to make within the first 3 months, usually $1000 or more. Basically, just be smart and know your terms and conditions before tying your finances to anything.

Cheers! (and happy travels)

Sarah

Friday Favorites

Did anyone else FINALLY feel back in the swing of things this week? It’s not a bad feeling, and coupled with a three-day weekend ahead, it’s a really awesome feeling! Here are a few things that caught our eye this week!

• Almond Crusted Chicken Nuggets – Since this week has been fairly quiet most evenings, I’ve been a bit more adventurous in the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed trying some new dishes and flavors, but I’m also craving some comfort food. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs and am planning to make these next week.
• Bikini Body – I’m really proud that this awesome lady is a fellow Kentuckian. As women, I think it is important to take care of our bodies and appreciate them for everything they allow us to do. Whenever I look in the mirror and think my butt is too big or my calves are too muscular, I try to turn my thoughts to gratitude for my ability to walk and run and do all of the other things I love doing.
• These Booties – I’ve been eyeing these booties since September and tried to hold out until they went on sale – but that never happened! I broke down and ordered them earlier this week and have been wearing them nonstop since they arrived. I ordered them in the “putty” color, but if you like them in navy, I found them on sale on Abercrombie’s website of all places. *Disclaimer: They’d probably smell like the cologne your high school boyfriend doused himself in everyday. Anyways, I’m officially on the booties bandwagon (3 years after everyone else…)!
• Oh You Steppin’ – The health and wellness program where I work offered super discounted Fitbits for employees who sign up for a step-counting challenge, so as someone on the fence about the Fitbit craze, this was enough to push me over the edge. I’m one of the worst users ever because I don’t really like wearing the thing (honestly, it makes for a less cute arm party), so I usually take it off after I reach my 10,000 steps. While it’s amusing to see people marching around and swinging their arms for the sake of a few steps and free swag, if it makes people more conscientious about staying healthy, then I’m a supporter!

3,097 steps and a shameless arm party pic at work

Whether you’re staying in for the weekend or taking advantage of an extra day to squeeze in a quick trip, some of our posts earlier this week have you covered. Check out Sarah’s favorite new releases and my favorite podcasts.

Cheers and Happy Friday!

Laura

Favorite Podcasts

 

During the holidays last year, Jay and I listened to the first season of Serial as we drove to and from Lexington, Louisville, Somerset, Bowling Green, Madisonville, and Nashville. The podcasts made the time in the car fly! If you haven’t listened to it yet and your friends have been talking to you about Adnan’s innocence for the past year, do yourself a favor and check it out, especially if you have some travel time over the long weekend. Each season shares one true story over the course of several episodes. I think I hyped up the new season, which is evaluating Bowe Bergdahl’s capture and release by the Taliban, too much because I’m not enjoying this season as much as I hoped. Even though I’m caught up on Serial (tear), there are several other podcasts that I recommend.

Limetown: So entertaining! As someone who adamantly avoids science fiction, this podcast even hooked me! Like I mentioned, it is a work of science fiction, and my only complaint is that the episodes are too short and there aren’t enough of them. It can get a little disturbing, so I didn’t like to listen to them near bedtime. Here’s how the website describes it.

Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. In this seven-part podcast, American Public Radio host Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”

This American Life: Each week, the producers select a theme and the podcast consists of several short journalistic, sometimes funny, stories pieced together around the theme. There is usually at least one or two short stories that I really enjoy each week. If nothing else, search through the archives and listen to “The Problem We All Deal With.” It is a two-part series focused on inequality in education, which is a topic that can really get me going.

Women of the Hour: This podcast is a collaboration between Lena Dunham and BuzzFeed. While I agree with most everything that Lena Dunham stands for, and I really want to like her, I just can’t get into her style. She has a new podcast, which probably has a different following than the NPR crowd. I’ve listed to about one and a half episodes, and I just can’t get into it. However, if you are a Lena Dunham fan, you should give it a listen.
Here are a few other Podcasts I recommend:

Cheers!

Laura

On the Big Screen

Dating a film major and cinematographer has its perks, and having a constant movie buddy ranks pretty high on my list. And when I say constant–I truly mean constant. Ryan and I tend to watch at least 1 movie a week, and we are two of Louisville’s best patrons of the $5 movie night on Tuesdays.

Today I’m reviewing, in no particular order, our favorite recent films that we watched over the past year. A few of these are fairly new, so you may still be able to catch them in theaters. Others would make the perfect rental for a quiet movie night spent at home.

The Theory of Everything There is definitely a reason this film was nominated for and won several Golden Globes and Oscars. It is just flat out beautiful. The screenplay captures the plot in a really interesting way, and certain scenes are aesthetically incredible. I will warn you before watching that some parts tend to be heart wrenching. Eddie Redmayne was awesome role in his role of Stephen Hawking. After loving his performance in Les Miserables as well, he’s definitely an actor I’m going to keep an eye out for in the future.

The Imitation Game I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a bit of a nerd. I went through a phase in high school where I was really interested in military codes, especially as they pertained to WWII. Of course, I was jazzed when The Imitation Game came out about the British cryptanalysts who cracked the Nazi code Enigma. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and I loved this story that idolizes the MI6 mathematicians.

Bridge of Spies Can you sense a theme yet? Apparently I have a thing for history, because Bridge of Spies also made my short list this year. This story follows an everyday lawyer who is basically forced into making negotiations with Russia and Germany during the Cold War. You seriously can’t go wrong with a Steven Spielberg flick starring Tom Hanks.

Trainwreck You can officially count me as a fan of Bill Hader and Amy Schumer after seeing this movie. Although I’m not typically a fan of slapstick comedy, I was near tears at several points. If you’re in the mood for a good laugh, Trainwreck is a great go-to.

Trumbo In my opinion, Trumbo’s 70% critic score is sorely lacking. I went into this movie not knowing quite what to expect from the story line, but found myself feeling very invested by the end. This movie takes a critical look at the blacklisting of suspected Communists in Hollywood starting in the late 1940s. With the current hot political climate, this is a good movie to watch as it will force you to think about our rights and what you can and cannot be condemned for, whether or not the majority agrees.

American Sniper If you see one movie on this list, I suggest seeing American Sniper. Opinions on the war in Iraq aside, this movie will make you absolutely feel for the men and women who are fighting in the Middle East. After watching this movie, the theater was absolutely silent in reverence. Bradley Cooper nails his role as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. This is a story that needs to be told.

Cheers!

Sarah

Weekend Roundup and What’s Cooking!

Happy Monday! On Mondays, Sarah or I normally share a weekend recap. However, this past weekend was pretty uneventful, which is A-OK with this lady. On Friday evening, I was planning to head to the gym, but I got a better offer I couldn’t refuse (AKA happy hour with a girlfriend). Then, Jay and I volunteered for Room In The Inn at our church later that night. I spent the rest of the weekend tackling housework, stretching it out at yoga, and snuggling with my pup.

Since that makes for a pretty boring blog post, I thought I’d share a couple of quick and easy recipes I made for EVERY member of the family to enjoy throughout the week.

Sweets are my ultimate weakness, so while I’m trying to cut back on sweet treats after the holidays, going cold turkey just isn’t realistic. These are healthier than a normal cookie, easy to whip up, gluten-free, and still satisfy my sweet tooth.

No-Bake Energy Bites

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or you could substitute a different chip, M&Ms, or raisins)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine oats, chocolate chips, flax seed, almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; form into balls using your hands. Arrange energy bites on a baking sheet and freeze until set, about 1 hour.

Like I mentioned, I made treats for the whole family. I found this recipe for dog treats while perusing Pinterest the other day and had all of the ingredients on hand. Annabelle is the first dog I’ve had that isn’t very motivated by food, but she LOVES homemade treats. Her favorites are the cookies from the Bluegrass Barkery, and it is safe to say that she likes these pretty well too!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats (via Damn Delicious)

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more, as needed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
3. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Let cool completely.

One thing I have to admit is that I bought a new cookie cutter for these dog treats. I only have holiday-themed and round cookie cutters, so I stopped by Williams-Sonoma to see what fun shape I could find. I decided on the fire hydrant. How cute is that?! They are out of stock online, but they had plenty at my local store. My mom is probably rolling her eyes – I know it’s ridiculous…

Cheers to a great week ahead!

Laura

Friday Favorites

First week back after the holidays–check! This week is a notoriously hard week for everyone, whether you’re a working girl or otherwise. Chill out with a few of our favorites listed below.

Be a Girl Who Runs If you’re a runner or want to become a runner, you must read this. When I started running, I could barely make it around the block before I wanted to quit. Now, I can’t imagine life without running and the confidence it give you. – Laura

NY Times 36 Hours Whether I’m planning a trip or just having a case of travel envy, one of my favorite things to read is the New York Times series called 36 Hours. Pick almost any city in the world, and the NYT probably has an article written on what to do if you only have 36 hours to visit that city. I read these articles extensively before my last trip to Europe and find myself browsing them now while planning some 2016 travel too. – Sarah

6 Business Tips I’m not sure if it is the New Year or if I’m just beginning to see a glimmer of possibility in some professional goals, but some of these tips really resonated with me. My favorite is Nir Eyal’s quote, “It’s up to us as entrepreneurs, to see the world as it should be –not necessarily how it is. When you think you’re sure of the way things are, that’s when you get passed up and you don’t see the opportunities that real entrepreneurs envision.” – Laura

What’s Coming to Netflix In stark contrast to Laura’s love for running, I have a love for Netflix (and probably a few of you do too). After a couple months of feeling like my TV-game was in a slump, I was pretty excited to see a few of my favorites coming back to Netflix for January 2016. You can bet that the new seasons of New Girl, Parenthood, and  Parks and Rec have been added to my list. – Sarah

Blog Resolutions This one might not be a link, but it is something to get excited about! Laura and I started this blog hoping that it could just be our little corner of the Internet. The more time we spend on Kindly Kentucky, however, the more we want to do things right. Our #1 2016 Blog Resolution is to build the Kindly Kentucky brand. That means a lot of things will be coming to the blog over the next couple of months–we’re talking new color schemes, new layout, new logo, giveaways, collaborations… you name it, and we’ve probably dreamed it. We want to thank our readers for sticking with us so far. Your patience is about to pay off!

Cheers!

Laura & Sarah

My Old Kentucky Home Renovations: Foyer and a Plea for Help

You may remember the December bucket list I put together about a month ago. I’m happy to report that I completed everything except creating a piece of artwork to hang in my home. Time just got away from me, and this goal fell by the wayside. When I wrote that to-do item down, I envisioned making a large statement piece to hang in our foyer because it is lacking in organization, inspiration, cohesion… You get the picture.

Anyways, over the next couple of months, I’d like to whip our foyer into shape. Unfortunately, it has become the “catch all” spot, and you can see the mess from almost every other room in our house. It has a lot of square feet and really great lighting, so it has the potential to be a great entrance to our house.

I’m hoping that I can share some “after” pictures with you by the end of February. Here are the “before” pictures in its current state.

As you can see, we’re doing a little work on the plaster above the fireplace, so it is a little more messy than normal. It is a relatively blank canvas, and I painted it in Sherwin-Williams Drift of Mist this past winter.

Here are some challenges to the space:

1. Budget – I’d like to keep everything under $300.
2. Attachment to existing items – Jay has a sentimental attachment to some of the furniture, so we’ll have to come of with a creative way to create a cohesive look. Did you see that little orange school room desk? Yikes!
3. Little wall space – While the space is large, there are 4 doors or hallway entrances, 2 windows, and a fireplace.
4. Visibility – Besides being the first room you encounter, it is visible from everywhere on the first floor except the kitchen, so it needs to match the rest of the house.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how to improve this space!

Cheers!

Laura

Reality Check in 2016

After indulging in sweet treats, cheesy hors-d-oevres, and several glasses of champagne on New Year’s Eve, the first thing I put in my mouth on the morning of January 1^st was a big old bite of a chocolate chip cookie. Great start to 2016, huh?

Let’s be honest, just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean we magically turn into new people. Even those of us with the strongest willpower are still versions of our old selves. I respect the ambition of those who set resolutions for the New Year, and conversely, I respect the practical and realistic folks who adamantly don’t set resolutions for the New Year.

Moderate that I am, I tend to fall somewhere in between. As someone who is naturally introverted and introspective, I find myself reflecting on goals and personal improvements several times a year, and I think the break from normal routines and schedules around the holidays allows for a little time to reflect on ways to improve.

The number one thing on my list to work on is prioritizing my family and friends because is there really anything more important than those people?

This past weekend, Jay and I planned to go to the UK v. Ole Miss basketball game. As it turns out, Sarah and my mom scored tickets to the UK game too, so the plan was for them to swing by the house a little bit before the game, and we would head to the game that evening. That left me a free day to grocery shop, do laundry, tackle a few projects around the house, and go to yoga class before rewarding myself with the game. Perfect!

Then, my dad calls and says he plans to ride with my mom from Bowling Green to have dinner with us and hang out with Annabelle (our super cute golden mutt) during the game. Okay, maybe I’ll save laundry for Sunday. Friday night rolls around, and I find out that my uncle will be in town and needs to pick up something from my parents. He plans to meet at our house at 4:00, and he’s bringing a friend. Nix the painting project, and be sure to vacuum and clean the dog hair off the couch. On Saturday morning, a dear friend happens to be in town and texts me to see if I can get lunch. No yoga, and I’m going to have to double time my efforts to get everything ready before 4:00 (really 3:30 because my family is notoriously early).

I share all of this to let you know I was flat out humbled and realized I have a LOT of personal growth to work on in 2016 and beyond. My anxious, OCD self was stressed and frazzled every time I found out I would have another “interruption” in my day. Sheesh! As you might have already guessed, January 2 turned out to be a great day! I saw several people I love and enjoyed spending time with each of them. I know I’ll remember the meals and time I shared with them, and I’ve already forgotten about the to-do list.

My other works in progress are…

1. Serve others more
2. Make better use of mornings
3. Grow Kindly Kentucky
4. Become more mindful

I’ll spare you from the specific, measurable action items I plan to take to achieve each of those goals, but I hope to share some positive updates throughout the year. Best wishes for a great start to 2016!

Cheers!

Laura