Five Things I Want to Share

Happy Friday, friends! Usually I really struggle with the week after vacation, but this week has been good! I think it has a lot to do with the absolutely lovely weather we have been having lately. Sadly, it’s coming to an end with a bunch of rain today and this weekend, but I really enjoyed it while it lasted. Today, I thought I would share some random things on my mind. I’ve seen a lot of bloggers mention how that’s not the point of blogging anymore, but it can be. I know I always love posts with random thoughts.

One.
Does anyone else feel like 2017 is the year of weddings? I feel like almost every weekend from May to August is filled with a wedding. I’m not complaining, and I’m super happy for everyone, but it’s just crazy.

Two.
Does anyone else miss their spouse a bunch after vacation, or am I just strange? Chris is my very best friend, and I love spending time with him, so it’s always hard going from seeing each other all the time on vacation to having to work.

Three.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it on my blog before or not, but International Women’s Day is a much bigger deal in Russia than it is here. Chris and I don’t do much to celebrate it (especially since Valentine’s Day is less than a month before that), but this year Chris surprised me with flowers, and it just made my heart happy. I’m just so thankful for my love.

Four.
Spring is my least favorite month in Texas (severe weather season), but I am actually looking forward to it this year. There are so many fun things going on the next few months, so hopefully the weather won’t put a damper on things.

Five.
Chris and I are also trying to spend as much time together as possible. He is about to start four weeks of a somewhat easier rotation, but then he works basically every day and weekend from April to July (maybe longer, we haven’t gotten his schedule after July 4 yet. He’s working the 4th this year, which is a bummer, but a lot better than some of the other holidays he could have gotten). There is actually a point where he works 18 days straight without a single break. Neither one of us is looking forward to that (and next medical new year which starts in July should be much harder), so right now we are making an extra effort to spend time together.

Anyone else have a million weddings this year? Are you looking forward to spring?

Friday Favorites: Lots of Mini Life Updates

Happy Friday, friends! I feel like I haven’t updated y’all on life in a while, so I thought I would do that today.

One.
My little brother turns 21 today! (Anyone with younger siblings knows how old that makes me feel). He just left Texas on Tuesday to spend a semester studying abroad in Prague, so I hope he has the best time celebrating! It was funny because he was a little bummed he is celebrating his 21st birthday in a country where the legal drinking age is 18. Happy birthday, Vlady!

Two.
Now that it’s February, I’m getting really excited for our trip to Denver and Breckenridge. Chris has been a bit worn out during his current rotation, so it’s time for a break. Plus, his schedule will get much harder after we get back, so it will be nice to feel refreshed.

Three.
I am so excited to say Chris and I managed to meal plan for the entire month of January! I know that doesn’t sound like much to most, but I hate meal planning (or deciding what to cook in general), but since we’ve started doing it together, it has become a fun thing for us to do together. I’ll definitely post some more of our recent favorite recipes soon (this was my last recipe post).

Four.
That said, we are still continuing our tradition of going on a date once a week. We usually try to do it on Thursday, but we move it around according to our schedules. We love that time of focusing solely on each other, and I’ve been able to keep it budget friendly with coupons and Groupons.

Five.
I’ve been working on some early spring cleaning, and it feels so great to get rid of some of the clutter. I was clearing out my closet a bit because mom asked me if I had any clothes to send to Russia, and even though I purged in June, it was amazing how many clothes I found to give her. She even asked me if I really wanted to give all of that away. Yes, yes I do!

Have a great weekend, everyone! What have you been up to lately?

Friday Favorites: All the Christmas Things + Baylor Bound

It’s been a while since I’ve done an actual Friday favorites post, but today I have a million (or you know, five) little things to share with y’all, so I thought I’d do one today!

One.
For all the people in our blogger Christmas exchange, today is the last day to ship your package! I can’t wait to see what everyone gets!

Two.
Chris and I finished watching the Gilmore Girls mini-series on Wednesday, and I have so many things I want to say, but I won’t since I know many of you haven’t watch it yet. I will say the last episode was my favorite except those “last four words” (which are really two in my opinion). I get why they did it, but I don’t like it.

Three.
We are headed out of town again this weekend to watch a Baylor basketball game! Baylor has been playing really well so far this year, so we are excited to watch them live. Plus, we haven’t been on Baylor campus since College Game Day in December 2014, so we are excited to go back!

Four.
Does anyone else love Cyber Monday shopping? I knocked out my entire Christmas list this year, which feels great! I absolutely love giving gifts (if you’ve read the five love languages, it’s definitely one of my love languages), so it’s one of my favorite days of the year!

Five.
Chris has to take vacation at the beginning of the year, so we have been discussing where to go. It’s weird to have some say in when we go this year, but he still can’t take any vacation from the middle of March to July. We are currently considering the first week of March. Anyone feel like throwing out any ideas for us?

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Five Easy Ways to Brighten Someone's Day

Quick note: Today is the last day to sign up for Mattie’s and my Blogger Christmas Cheer Exchange. Sign up here, or click here for more details. It’s definitely a way to brighten someone’s day. ;)

Lately, there has been so much hate in our country. People are hurt and angry, and their response is to lash out at people who have differing opinions. I am not here to blame anybody because it is truly a tumultuous time, but I do think we need some kindness in this world. Why not take a minute today to brighten someone’s day? None of my ideas are groundbreaking, but I don’t think it takes much to spread kindness.

Compliment a friend
I recently told a friend that her new top looks amazing with her eyes. She sent me a message later that day telling me how much my comment meant to her because she always feels like a plain Jane. We are sometimes our biggest critics, so a simple compliment can be a big encouragement.

Buy someone coffee
I love the idea of paying it forward by buying coffee for the person behind you in line. If you’d rather do it to someone you know, buy a coffee for a coworker. My coworkers and I used to do this for each other every once in a while, and it always felt like a big treat!

Write a heartfelt note
Who doesn’t love receiving a handwritten note? Just something as simple as “have a great day” goes a long way.

Offer a hug
Has one of your friends been having a hard time? Offer to give them a hug! I say offer because some people just aren’t huggers, but it’s a nice gesture for those who are.

Bake cookies for your office
Dessert makes the world a better place. Brighten your coworkers’ day by bringing cookies (or other baked goods) to the office.

Now it’s your turn. Tell me how you like to brighten someone’s day!

Five Places I Want to Visit in Asia

Happy Friday, friends! Today, I wanted to fling my wanderlust further and talk about five places I want to visit in Asia. Considering the only country I have been to in Asia is Russia, I could have written a much larger list, but I thought I would go with the highlights for today!

Phuket, Thailand
Is it embarrassing to say the reason I really want to go to Phuket is because of The Bachelor? I knew I wanted to go someday, but seeing it on The Bachelor really put it high on my list. It looks so lush, and the beaches look gorgeous!

Great Wall of China
I have wanted to see the Great Wall of China since I was a little kid, so of course it made the list. I’m not sure I’ll ever go, though, because Chris is “eh” on going to China, and I can’t go without my favorite travel buddy.

Bali, Indonesia
I love the ocean, and the water in Bali looks incredible! I would love to see the Klungkung Palace and hike to a volcano.

Kyoto, Japan
Japan has always been high on my list of places to visit, and as much as I would like to see Tokyo, my first choice is Kyoto. I’d love to see some of the temples and the stunning gardens. Walking through the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove looks absolutely magical.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Since most of the places I picked for this list were for beautiful nature or temples, I had to go with Dubai as my final choice to mix it up a little. I would love to see all that luxury and interesting technology up close. Dubai is constantly changing, which makes it all that more fascinating to me!

Check out some of my other travel lists: 

Five places I want to visit in the United States

Six places in the United States I would like to visit again

Five places I want to visit in Europe

Five places I want to visit in Canada
Five places in Europe I would love to visit again 

Have you been to Asia? Where would you want to go?

Friday Favorites: All the Fair Food

Happy Friday, friends! The first week back from a vacation is hard, and I’ve definitely felt some post-vacation blues. (Curious how I combat them? I wrote a post about it two years ago.) I also really miss hanging out with Chris. It’s such a bummer to go from seeing him all the time to barely having any time together. Thankfully, he only works till noon on Saturday and Sunday, so we get to spend most of the weekend together.

One.
I mentioned it last Friday, but I can’t wait to head to the State of Fair of Texas tomorrow. We are going on a double date, so I’m excited to hang out and eat all the fair food! Look out for a recap of our day on Monday.

Two.
I think the weather has been crazy all over the country this week, and Texas definitely joined the party. We were close to record highs for most of the week, so I’m excited to be back in the 70s now. Hopefully, it will mean a much nicer day at the fair and that we are finally done with the 90s for the year!

Three.
My hair is still in that awkward stage after my haircut, so I pretty much exclusively used my new flat iron from Irresistible Me. It literally took me three minutes to straighten my hair, which was perfect for days when we had to hit the road early!

Four.
After reading so much this year (it’s been by far my best reading year), all of a sudden, I don’t want to read. I think it might be because I’ve read so many mediocre books in a row. I thought I would read a bunch on our trip, but we were so exhausted after everything we did each day that I only managed to read one book (and it wasn’t that great). I just picked up Siracusa, so I’m hoping it will make me want to read again.

Five.
You all know by now how much I love physical cookbooks, so I was excited to see Blogging for Books offer The London Cookbook by Aleksandra Crapanzano. The cookbook is filled with recipes from restaurants and cafés all over London. England isn’t exactly known for its food, so I was interested to see what this compilation offered. It’s seriously jam-packed with recipes, and I want to try so many of them.

Highlights for me included the roasted corn and chorizo chowder from Brindisa, Alpine Fondue from La Fromagerie, scallops with corn puree and chile oil from Spring, and walnut cherry cake from Honey & Co. Of course, I definitely want to try an authentic fish and chips recipe from Tom’s Kitchen! They even have a section on chilled desserts with treats like black sesame panna cotta from The Modern Pantry and a deconstructed cheesecake from Rawduck. I also can’t wait to try the cocktails from the cocktail section such at the white peach summer martini from The River Café.

Other than the food, I really enjoyed the writing. It was so interesting to learn about London’s evolving food scene and the chefs who have taken it to new heights. I already bought a copy for a friend of mine who loves all things England, and I can’t wait to make some of these recipes soon!

I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends! 

Friday Favorites: The Mountains Are Calling

We leave for our Tennessee and North Carolina road trip early tomorrow morning! We have been really looking forward to this trip. With everything that has happened this year (and the trips we have had to cancel), we are so ready to relax together and see a beautiful part of the country. I’ll be snapping our trip, so follow me on SnapChat (SiberianOlya) if you are interested!

One.
We were worried that we wouldn’t see any fall color since the only time Chris could get off is early in the season, but I checked a park camera today and did see a little color! I know it won’t be the spectacular fall foliage that happens later in the month, but I will take what we can get!

Two.
Christopher’s schedule is slowly getting harder and harder, so we are taking advantage of the time we do have together. Now that the weather is cooler, we love walking to dinner dates at places close to us or if he gets home late, we spend a longer time walking the dog. It’s been so nice to make time once a week to hang out together while it’s still possible.

Three.
Speaking of possible, I was worried we wouldn’t make it to the State Fair of Texas this year because of our trip. Chris had to switch the weekends he works to make the trip happen, and I figured getting out of town was more important than the fair. It turns out, though, that Chris is only working till noon on the last weekend of the fair, so we are going on a double date! I’m so excited it worked out since I know the next few years will be tougher.

Four.
I talked about it a bit in my Currently post, but after not buying anything for months, all I want to do lately is shop. I think knowing it’s fall and it being my favorite season for clothes, I want everything I see. Plus, there have been some amazing sales lately! Anyways, I am trying hard to put myself on another spending freeze until Black Friday, but who knows if I stick to it.

Five.
When I wrote my post on five reasons I love fall, I didn’t mention the food. I love that it is finally cool enough in Texas to eat soup and chili. We had chili this week, and I basically want to eat it every day now. (If you are interested in our favorite chili recipe and other fall favorite, check out last year’s post).

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

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Five Reasons I Love Fall

Like most of my blogger friends, I am obsessed with all things fall! I can’t help but feel giddy when the season is approaching, even when Texas hasn’t decided to get with the program yet (It’s currently 93 with a “real feel” of 98. That is not OK.) I could make a list of 100 things I love about fall, but for your sake (and mine), I decided to stick to five for this post.

The chill in the air

In The Great Gatsby, Jordan says “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” I know that feeling so well. That first chill in the air feels like a renewal. A new beginning. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Fall color

Hi, my name is Olya, and I am obsessed with fall color. We went on a fall color cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary, and everyone called us “the young couple” because we were the youngest there by about 30 years (there was actually a few more people our age, and they sat us all together at dinner). I didn’t care because I got to eat lobster rolls and see these amazing colors at Acadia National Park. Last year, I planned day trips on Christopher’s days off to see fall color. (If you are in the Midwest, I recommend both Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois.) This year, we are going on a road trip in October to the Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. I think fall color is magical, and I hope that never changes.

Apple cider

Here’s where we probably have a difference of opinions. Apple cider is by far my favorite fall drink. Give me a back porch, a good book, and some apple cider to drink, and I’m the happiest girl in the world. I’m not a huge coffee drinker (crazy, I know), so I can’t get behind the pumpkin spice latte. I must admit I do love a white peppermint mocha during the holidays, though.

Clothes

I think fall is the best season for clothes! You get to wear light sweaters, plaid, boots, and cute cardigans without having to cover everything up with a jacket all the time.

Texas State Fair

For me, The Texas State Fair and fall go hand in hand. I love everything about it, especially the crazy food. I’ve been to many fairs and festivals and think nothing else compares. I missed it when we couldn’t go last year, so I am really looking forward to going this year. If you are ever planning a trip to Dallas, try to make it during the state fair!

What's your favorite thing about fall? 

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Five Places in Europe I Would Love to Visit Again

I started writing out lists of places I wanted to travel on the blog earlier this year when I was sick and needed some wanderlust to keep me going. Now that I’m feeling much better, my wanderlust is even stronger. I’ve talked about five places I want to visit in Europe and my top five European travel memories (I even shared some of our crazy European travel stories), but I have never made a list of places in Europe I would love to visit again.

Capri, Italy
Capri stole my heart the second I got off the ferry. There’s nothing better than gorgeous water, amazing lemon drinks, and breathtaking views at every corner. My only regret is we only spent a day there. The friends we were traveling with wanted to see more of Naples (which turned out to be one of my least favorite cities in Europe).

Switzerland
I feel like Switzerland and I need a do-over. I liked the scenery we saw from the train more than the actual places we visited (Zurich, Interlaken, Grindelwald, and Bern). I think the cost of everything made it difficult to enjoy, too. I think I would love Zermatt and Lucerne, so those are high on my list.

Annecy, France
Annecy is another place where I felt like we didn’t get to spend enough time there. This gorgeous city is nestled in the French Alps. I loved the stunning views of the Lake Annecy set across the backdrop of the mountains. There was so much left for us to explore in that area, so I would love to go back.

Bavaria, Germany
Our days in Munich and at Neuschwanstein Castle were some of my favorite. Still, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of everything Bavaria has to offer. I would love to visit Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Driving the Romantic Road and seeing adorable villages sounds like a dream.

Austria
Austria also fell victim to lack of time and bad weather for us. Most of my memories of Salzburg are literally foggy (as in, there was a horrible fog most of the time we were there), and I feel like one and half days wasn’t nearly enough to explore Vienna. I would also love to visit Graz, Innsbruck, Hallstatt, and Linz.

As much as we love Europe, we aren’t sure when we will be able to travel there again. Chris gets three weeks off a year, but there are so many rules about when he can take vacation that it basically means he can only take off five days at a time (he will start working weekends soon so they will count as days he would need to take). Our rule has always been that we need two weeks there to make Europe worth it due to the cost and length of the flight. So, we’ll see! I’m crossing my fingers we can make it work at some point, but for now I can keep dreaming! (I promise I'm not complaining-just explaining why long trips are hard these days!)

Check out some of my other travel lists: 

Five places I want to visit in the United States

Six places in the United States I would like to visit again

Five places I want to visit in Europe

Five places I want to visit in Canada 

Have you been to Europe? What are some places you would love to visit again?

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

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Friday Favorites: Random Post-Surgery Updates

Happy Friday, friends! I haven’t done a Friday favorites post since July 1 (what?!), so I thought it’s about time I share some random life updates.

One. 
I’m feeling better and stronger every day. I still have a hard time getting out of the house (the Texas heat is awful for recovery), but I am going to try to go out to eat with friends twice this weekend and see how I do! I am definitely getting to the point where I am tired of being in the house and am ready for new adventures. Now I just need my body to catch up to that!

Two. 
After everything that has gone on in 2016 so far, Chris and I are in serious need of a vacation. We can’t go on a big trip this year because of surgery costs, but we are hoping to do a fun road trip in October. You all know how much I love fall color, and I really want a trip that includes hiking since I haven’t been able to move much this year, so the current idea is to drive to the Smoky Mountains. (If anyone has been to Gatlinburg or anywhere close by, I’d love to hear from you!) We are still in the early planning stages (and a lot of it depends on if Chris can switch a weekend with someone else in his program), but I’m excited to start thinking about vacation again.

Three. 
Does anyone else crave seafood in the summer? Poor Chris has had to take over kitchen duties while I recover (though my mom did come every day for the first two weeks to cook and clean for us, and we received a lot of restaurant gift cards from friends), and our favorite recipe lately is this honey garlic shrimp. It’s super easy to make and seriously delicious.

Four. 
If I have to stay at home, at least it’s during the Olympics. I’ve loved being able to see the daytime coverage, and I’ve been live streaming the gymnastics coverage. I always cheer for the United States first and Russia second, so it’s been exciting to watch them win the gold and silver medals!

Five. 
I rarely talk about books as I’m reading them since I do a book post every month, but y’all, Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino is so good. It’s one of those books where I want to stop everything I’m doing and read it until I’m finished. I obviously don’t know how it ends yet, but I know Kristen liked it, so I bet it’s great.

I also wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who guest posted for me while I was recovering! I’m so thankful for all the great posts they wrote. In case you missed one, here they are:

Toss or Keep? A Guide to Makeup Shelf Life

Eight Things to Do in San Francisco

How to Fall in Love with Your City

Five Things to Do in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Emily's Top Five Travel Memories

Seattle Hacks: How to Have a Great Experience with a Smaller Price Tag

Miami Wynwood Walls

Island Exploring: What to Do in Nantucket

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Friday Favorites: Hello from Under a Pile of Boxes (A Life Update)

Happy Friday, friends! It’s been a crazy week full of moving, but the dust has settled enough that I can share a few updates. Sorry for my lack of answering comments and commenting on blogs. I should be back on a regular schedule after this weekend.

One. 
Christopher started his radiology residency today. (For those who don’t know, July 1 is the official start of the medical new year.) It’s the start of an exciting four-year adventure, and I couldn’t be prouder.

Two. 
The moving on Tuesday went really well. I’m so thankful for my in-laws, who helped Christopher unpack due to my limited mobility. Even though we downsized, they converted our “study” into a closet for Christopher, so we have a ton of storage space!

Three. 
Speaking of moving, we live in such a cute neighborhood! I’m already so eager to explore all the fun shops and restaurants in walking distance. It’s way too hot to walk for long right now, but it will be great in the fall. For now, I’m grateful to utilize all the (free) parking! Check out this mango sticky rice dessert we had on our first full day here. It was seriously so delicious!

Four. 
Many of you have asked me for a health update, but I don’t really have one right now. I have an appointment next Thursday, and I’m praying I will have a surgery date then.

Five. 
Because Christopher’s first few days of residency are orientation (he has already been through several days of hospital-related orientation. Now he has radiology-specific orientation), he has both the weekend and Fourth of July off! After intern year, a three-day weekend feels like a gift!

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Friday Favorites: First Week Home Highlights

Happy Friday, friends! I’ve had such a nice week relaxing at my parents’ house before the second part of our move. Here are some highlights from this week:

One. 
Christopher made it home late last night! Thank you for all of your prayers and positive thoughts. They barely made it ahead of all the severe weather on Wednesday, and I’m so glad they did because there were 11 tornadoes south of Chicago that night.

Two. 
No matter where we travel or live, there is nothing like my mama’s home cooking. It’s been a fun week being spoiled with mama’s cooking!

Three. 
It’s also been great to have a pool in the backyard. It helps both with the Texas heat and my pain! We had a pool in Chicago, but it was always busy, so it’s nice to have a pool to myself!

Four. 
I’m so excited to meet up with friends now that we’re back in town. Chris and I are having lunch with my former coworkers today, which will be super fun.

Five. 
I got Mom hooked on Food Network, and it’s been fun showing her some of my favorite shows. She loved cracking up at all the sabotages on Cutthroat Kitchen.

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Friday Favorites: The End of Intern Year

Happy Friday, friends! This is a glorious Friday as my love is finally finished with intern year! All I want to do is dance around our place (let’s ignore the fact that I can’t do that physically right now, shall we?)

One.
Of course, I have to start off my favorites with how excited I am that intern year is over! As sad as I am that our time in Chicago is coming to a close, I am so glad Christopher gets a few weeks to relax (other than moving and packing) before he starts radiology.

Two.
Y’all know how much I love Chicago food, so I was excited to have something to celebrate this week. We had tapas at Café Ba-Ba-Reeba, and they were so delicious! I was a huge fan of the white peach sangria, handmade beef empanadas, meatballs with sherry tomato sauce, and chocolate truffle cake.

Three.
Since I’m not feeling well, my parents are picking Skyler and me up next weekend, so I don’t have to ride in the moving truck. I’m bummed Christopher and I aren’t moving home together, but my father-in-law is helping him drive, so it will work out best.

Four.
I’m loving Old Navy shorts this season. I got these gingham blue shorts recently, and they’re so cute and comfy. (affiliate link)

Five.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a photo of Skyler, so today seemed like a good day to do it!

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Friday Favorites: Five Places I Want to Visit in Canada

Happy Friday, y’all! I have been really enjoying putting together lists of places I want to visit, so today I thought I would continue with places I want to visit in Canada. So far, I have only been to Canada for a day or two at a time on various cruises (we’ve been to Victoria, Vancouver, and visited Halifax and Saint John and Saint Andrews on our fall foliage cruise in 2015), but there is so much more to explore!

Banff National Park
I have always wanted to visit this gorgeous national park in the Canadian Rockies. My dream would be to stay at the Chateau Lake Louise on the stunning Lake Louise.

Quebec City
I’ve heard Quebec City is the closest place in North America to feeling like you’re in Europe, and from the photos, I believe it! I would love to walk the cobblestone streets, check out Le Château Frontenac and La Citadelle, and speak French!

Whistler
Whistler reminds me of Vail, Colorado, and I would love to visit around Christmas someday!

Niagara Falls
I have always heard the Canadian side of Niagara Falls has a better view than the American side, and one of these days, I’d love to see it for myself!

Montreal
Montreal is the largest francophone city outside of Paris, so of course, I would love to visit! It is also often considered the cultural capital of Canada. I would love to check out Old Montreal, the Old Port, Place Jacque-Cartier, Notre-Dame Basilica, Mont Royal, and the Musee des Beaux-Arts).

Check out my list of the five places I want to visit in the United States, six places in the United States I would like to visit again, and five places I want to visit in Europe.

Have you been to any of the places on my list? Where do you want to visit in Canada?

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!