24 Hours in Charleston

Visiting Charleston, South Carolina had been on the top of my list for years, and when I realized that Mandy and I were just a few hours away, we knew we had to make the road trip! Charlestom was the perfect city for a girls trip with Mandy, my best blogging buddy!  It was so fun to be there with someone who equally appreciated each cute and colorful building, wanted to stop and take photos on every single corner, and who was also willing to pay for all of the trendy, overpriced coffee! We had a pretty packed schedule during my week in the South (and later DC), so we only had time to go to Charleston for a quick overnight trip. I could have easily spent a whole weekend (or really the rest of my life) in Charleston, but it was absolutely possible to knock it out in 24 hours! It never took more than 10 minutes to get from one side of town to the other, so we were able see and do every single thing on our list. Here’s how we not only explored the city but how we did it in just about 24 hours!  

Eat and Drink: 

Black Tap Coffee for  your pre-Charleston caffeine fix. Fuel up for the day with an iced lavender  latte. It may be the best I've ever had! 

Leon’s Oyster Shop for a delicious, quirky, and quintessionally Southern lunch. Let me just say, I hadn’t lived until I tried hush puppies with honey butter from Leon’s.

Magnolias for one of the best dinners of your life. We were lucky to get a reservation at this famous Charleston staple. 

The Daily for a casual breakfast and coffee.  I felt like The Daily was filled with more locals and a more hip vibe. I loved the city's colorful, historical charm, but it was fun to see another side to Charleston.

Sugar Bakeshop for the most life changing vanilla blueberry cupcake.

See: 

Tradd Street for a spontaneous drive. This part of our trip was unplanned, but actually one of my favorite parts! It started storming, so we just hopped in the car and drove around. Tradd Street was my favorite neighborhood, and where I snapped this Instagram picture! 

Rainbow Row for a walk along the beautiful cobblestone streets. Charleston has more pink and pastel colored houses than any place I've ever visited, and they are perfectly showcased along this historic row of houses. 

Pineapple Fountain for the perfect end to a walk through Waterfront Park, which is absolutely beautiful in it's own right. The ocean views and oak tree groves surrounding the fountain make for the most peaceful afternoon.

Shop: 

Candy Shop Vintage for the most darling mix of new and vintage jelwery and accessories. 

Be the Change Boutique for pieces with purpose. Each item in the shop has a unique story and gives back to communities in need all around the globe. 

Candlefish for a mix of fragrant homemade candles, beautiful home goods, and (of course) ample Instagram opportunities. 

Lilly Pulizter for your fill or preppy prints and colors. Lilly's King Street location was definitely more Mandy's favorite than mine, but had to be included in our Charleston guide nonetheless! 

 

Charleston is the most beautiful city with the kindest people. I left feeling like it was the best city on the planet, and what do you know, literally the next day it was voted Travel and Leisure's Best City in North America! If you are headed to Charleston and are really ambitious, I've made an hour-by-hour itinerary of our exact trip. Like I said, I would have loved to spend an indefinite amount of time in Charleston, but I feel like our trip was perfect if you're on a tight timeline but still want to experience all the charm, beauty, and Southern hospitality that Charleston has to offer. 

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Miles Apart, Close at Heart

Today is a very special day because one of my very best friends turns 19! My and Mandy's friendship is so unique and special. We happened to meet a few summers ago during a trip to NYC and completely hit it off. Thanks to countless letters, calls, texts, and snapchats, we were able to build our friendship even while living across the country. Mandy and I are both so different, but really get each other. She has been a source of endless support and encouragement (and sass!) in my life, especially when it comes to blogging. We started our blogs around the same time and I can't even express how incredible it has been to be on this journey together! We've been there for each other to brainstorm new ideas, work through tough decisions, and celebrate exciting milestones.

Celebrating Mandy's birthday today has me missing her more than ever and reminiscing on when we spent a whole week together here in California. It was so fun to have this North Carolina girl visit me on the West Coast. We had the best time hanging out in my hometown, exploring San Francisco, and soaking up the sun in Lake Tahoe, but I think my very favorite moment of Mandy's trip was seeing Mandy try In N Out for the first time. It must have been 2am, she was delirious from the time change, and we were both just cracking up throughout the entire meal. It's always those funny little memories that end up being the most meaningful. Happy birthday to my joyful, passionate, and always quirky blogging bestie! Sending so much love today and everyday! We may be miles apart, but Mandy and I will always be close at heart! 

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Why We Love Brunch

Recently Mandy, a few spectacular blogging friends, and myself were discussing brunch- making fun of ourselves and our whole generation for how ridiculously obsessed we are. These girls are just too hilarious and people probably thought I was crazy as I laughed uncontrollably at my phone screen. But, it got me thinking, we probably spend more time talking about brunch than we actually do brunching. Why are we so obsessed with it?! 

It's the prettiest meal of the day. Let's face it- we are all looking for an excuse to post a pretty photo on Instagram. Brunch foods are usually pretty colorful and photogenic. The only thing better than brunching? Showing people about how perfect our brunch is. Instagram gold. 

It's an excuse to sleep in and eat breakfast food way later than socially acceptable. Sunday mornings/afternoons may be the only day that were not called lazy or irresponsible for showing up at 2pm. 

It's an excuse to day drink. Since I'm only 18, I don't drink. But it seems like nothing goes better together than French toast and alcohol. Mimosas, Bloody Marys, champagne, you name it. I've seen quite a few 70+ year old ladies drink these concoctions like water and then stumble out of the restaurant before it's even noon! 

The wait staff will put up with your group because they know you'll over tip. Good behavior is often not something we brunch goers are great at. Often we are loud. And there is always that friend who sends her food back at least three times. And of course, the bill must be split a million different ways. The wait staff usually doesn't mind because a) they make fun of us for the rest of the day and b) often there are a few friends who over tip because they feel guilty for the table's behavior. 

And there you have it! That's why we love brunch! Do you have any crazy brunch experiences? Or any more reasons why this generation is so obsessed? Comment below! 

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This post first appeared on TheQuirkyConservative.com.

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Think Outside The Lunchbox: Breakfast On The Go!

Exciting news alert! My blogger bestie, Mandy, and I are kicking off a six-week series called “Think Outside The Lunchbox” which will feature tons of healthy recipes that will get you through those busy school days! Each week we will offer two different options for the same type of meal. With me sticking to all natural foods and Mandy eating vegetarian and gluten-free, there are bound to be a recipes you’ll love! In addition to this series, you should check out our wellness articles in The Smart Girls Guide for more healthy tips. We hope you’ll enjoy these recipes and are inspired to “think outside the lunchbox!”

We figured it only made sense to do our first healthy meal post on the first meal of the day: breakfast! Even though sometimes it’s tempting to speed out the door in the morning without eating, we cannot stress enough that breakfast truly is “the most important meal of the day.” If you eat non-nutritious, fatty, and sugary foods (or even worse, nothing at all), we can almost guarantee you’ll experience a mid-day crash. If you eat fueling foods for breakfast, your day will be set for success! Try out these recipes and let us know what you think! Better yet, if you have quick and healthy breakfast recipes, share ‘em! We’re always looking for yummy new meal ideas. 

Hannah

When it comes to eating breakfast before school, I really struggle. Often I find myself grabbing an energy bar as I run out the front door or even forgetting to eat breakfast all together (bad I know, but I’m just trying to stay transparent here!). My main problem is that I’d much rather catch a few more precious moments of sleep than sit down for a gourmet breakfast. This yogurt parfait is great because it’s the perfect balance of delicious and nutritious. Plus, with prep time of less than a minute, it still allows for time to sleep in! Amazing, I know.

I included Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt, KIND Oats and Honey Clusters granola, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas, and honey in my parfait. The great thing about breakfast parfaits is that there are literally a million different combinations, so you can follow my recipe or get creative and make your own!

PS: In real life, my breakfast isn’t this pretty. A great way to eat on the go is to simply add the granola and fruit straight into your yogurt container! 

Mandy

I’m the type of girl who loves to eat when I’m bored! (awful, I know) Though I still do snack throughout the day, I find I eat less if I have something for breakfast, even if it’s a small slice of toast. Being gluten free and a vegetarian has definitely made finding grab and go breakfast foods (along with about every other meal I eat) a struggle. 

Luckily, Bisquick makes a delicious gluten free flour mix that creates perfect pancakes (and allows me to hop off the struggle bus)! I love getting creative by adding chocolate chips and whatever nuts I have in my pantry into my mix. Sometimes I’ll add peanut butter, coconut, honey, and even fruit into my batter! I like to make a big batch of pancakes on Sunday night and pop them in the fridge. In the mornings, my dad will microwave them for about 30 seconds right as I’m ready to walk out the door so they are nice and warm for me to eat on my way to school! (Snaps to you, Daddy, for making my mornings a little bit easier!).

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