Do you remember the trend several years ago

of "staycations?" 

Well, now that gas prices have stopped skyrocketing,

it is realistic to leave your zip code

on your vacation days

and those have fallen by the wayside.

And then there are those of us whose

travel bucket lists are a mile long 

and somehow the bank account 

can't always keep up. 

Instead of feeling frustrated and boxed in

by staying put at home, 

embrace it. 

Visit the "tourist" traps. 

Take a tour. 

Visit a museum or art gallery.

Enjoy everything your home has to offer; 

who knows, it may surprise you 

how much there is to see and do. 

I'm excited to introduce you to my new series

"Tourist in Your Hometown,"

which will be every Tuesday

for the next few weeks.

From the east coast to the west coast,

from small towns to metropolises

and everywhere in between, 

bloggers will be sharing how they take

advantage of everything has to offer.

*if you would like to participate, too, email me

this pin

-- Here is a tutorial to learn how to outline a font in photoshop so you don't have to spend extra money purchasing fonts with outline variants. Basically, this saved me $100.

-- Does Olivia Pope represent the PR industry well? The overarching opinion is not really because (typically) pr professionals are not cleaning up crime scenes on a regular basis.

-- The phrase "Do what you love" is the mantra of my generation when it come to choosing a career. We are even told that if we can't find something we love to do, just to start our own business. On the flip side, "DWYL" is not a reality for the vast majority of laborers.

-- Do you get writer's block when coming up with post ideas? Rachel has 15 blog post ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

-- I desperately want Sarah's coral winter coat (and to be in London now.) Who says that winter coats have to be neutral or dark colors?

This week: 

-- 30 Before 30 Bucket List

-- Word for 2014: Create

-- Retail and food discounts on your birthday + a $110 Paypal cash giveaway

-- Friday Favorites: Blair Waldorf-inspired headbands

What's a queen without her crown? Nothing. Blair Waldorf, queen of the UES prep scene would never be seen in public without her "crown" either. There is something about Christmas break that makes me want to start re-watching Gossip Girl from the beginning, but I don't hate it. I always related more to Blair (whether or not that is a good thing is still out for the jury to decide) because she worked hard (or schemed) for everything she wanted as opposed to Serena who walked through life with visions of designer clothes and celebrity friends dancing in her head.

Also, I always preferred Blair's updated-classy-prep style. Headbands and all. And you better believe that I, too, invested in my own wardrobe to dress up my hair too. Perhaps I will have to revisit this trend soon.

xoxo

It's not surprise that I like setting goals. And making lists. And making lists of goals...you get the picture. And while I may be one of the younger people making a "30 before 30" list, I just say I like being overprepared. Most of the ones I've seen are made when people turn 29 and they are terrified to think that they wasted their 20s and want to quickly finish all the dreams they had. In all honestly I started out making a list of things that I wanted to do before I'm 25, but I had too many ambiguous and long-term goals that I know I want to accomplish, but don't realistically see them happening in the next three years. So now I have an extra five years to finish this list. Which I guess means that there is no reason not to come close to crossing all of these off?

1. Host a dinner party.

2. Buy a home.

3. Send 100 handwritten notes.

4. Visit a city I've never been to.

5. Find (and stick to) an actual beauty routine.

6. Purchase furniture with no assembly required. (aka not from Ikea or Target)

7. Watch all of AFI's 100 Greatest Movies

8. Compile all of my favorite recipes into a cookbook that I publish.

9. Invest in a quality handbag.

10. Visit another continent besides North America and Europe.

11. Pay off my student loans.

12. Learn how to use chopsticks.

13. Experience Christmas in New York.

14. Learn another language. 

15. Get front row tickets to a concert. 

16. Adopt a pet. 

17. Own something from Tiffany & Co.

18. Take cooking classes.

19. Take a trip on the next flight out of town.

20. Start a journal and finish it. 

21. Practice photography. 

22. Open an online business.

23. Participate (and complete) a 30-day challenge.

24. Plant a vegetable garden. And not let it die.

25. Be on a first name basis with a barista. (bonus if they memorize my order)

26. Attend a Coldplay concert.

27. Participate in a 365 photo project.

28. Pay it forward.

29. Attend a music festival.
30. Create my own font.

photo credit

Nothing says "happy birthday to me" like store rewards. They are your gift for putting up with their countless emails throughout the year about their sales and reward programs. And especially if I ever reach a point in my life when birthdays become reminders of years gone by instead of years to look forward to, at least  I will have discounts and free treats to lighten the load.

Excuse me while I base my food decisions on what I can eat for free. Is a stack of pancakes from IHOP and a Grand Slam from Denny's too much for one day? Well, challenge accepted. Add on a latte and a sub for Firehouse to round out the day and I think I'm set. And to walk off all of those calories, I think I'll hit the mall to make use of all my discounts. You know where to find me today.

Starbucks: Register your Starbucks gift card and treat yourself to a free drink on your birthday

Loft: Apply for their Loft Love store credit card and receive $15 off a purchase during your birthday month

Anthropologie: Register for their rewards program and receive 15% off a purchase during your birthday month

Firehouse Subs: Show up with a valid I.D. on your birthday and receive a free medium sub.

Sephora: Become a beauty insider to get a special gift either online or in store.

Victoria's Secret: Sign up for their mailing list and receive a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $10 or more on your birthday.

Denny's: Join their rewards club to receive a free Grand Slam on your birthday (includes two eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausage links and two pancakes).

P.F. Chang's: Sign up for their email updates and get a free dessert on your birthday.

Houlihan's: Join their email club and get a free appetizer for joining, plus a free entrée on your birthday.

IHOP: Join their Pancake Revolution and receive a free meal for signing up, on your birthday and on the one-year anniversary of joining.

Moe's Southwest Grill: Join their eClub and receive a free gift on your birthday.

__________________________________________________________________

And now here is a little something for you!

A $110 Paypal cash giveaway from 

the sponsors of Postcards from Rachel.

Treasure Tromp | Route Bliss | Bits of Days Denim & Daydreams | Chits and Giggles | Stamp in My Passport t.o. & fro | Poppiness | Postcards from Rachel a Rafflecopter giveaway

I came across the phrase "Be a creator, not a curator" the other day. It was in the context of writing original content, but I think it can apply in a broader sense. I don't want to be a the sum of everyone else's ideas, dreams and goals. This year, I want to create. It may be as simple as choosing to bake from scratch, or creating my own path in life. 

They say there are two kinds of people: those who have creative ideas, and those who have the planning skills to carry out those ideas. It's safe to say that I fall into the second category, and before I was ok with that. The way I saw it, nothing would come to fruition without logistics people; without us, all of those brilliant ideas would remain half-finished projects strewn about the room. And to some extent I still think this is true. However, this year, I want to work towards finding more of a balance between being an "ideas" person and a "logistics" person. Who says you can't have both? 

1. Trends to look out for travel this year. I absolutely agree with them on Virgin Galatic's outer space voyages; I'm perfectly content to spend my time exploring earth first before setting my sights on a galaxy far, far away.

2. Nice was the first destination in my trip to France and, when left on my own to find food, I ended up eating at a Cuban restaurant because it was the only place still open (and I thought the French were supposed to eat dinner late?) Honestly, I didn't hate it. Do I still know exactly what the ingredients in my meal were? No, but that's ok. If you want to have a slightly different and more traditional culinary adventure in Nice, read this article.

3. Have you seen the films by Luminex? I can't get enough of their style. It's what I envisioned for my projects in multimedia storytelling, but somehow got lost between the concept and actualization phases. I love how they share the simplest of moments beautifully.

4. Awards season is upon us! Which mean Joan Rivers is taking to the red carpet to dissect and scrutinize everyone's outfits. But more importantly, it is my time to make a list of all of the movies that I have yet to see, ones that the critics say are absolute must-sees. Typically I have never heard of half of the nominees. To catch up along with me, Entertainment Weekly made a list of their Golden Globe predictions.

5. While I don't think seven days is long enough to see Paris, let alone the highlights of France, you must work with the time constraints you are given. The College Tourist gives a sample itinerary for a spring break in France (Paris, Lyon and Nice.)

Sorry this is a day late, but if you missed Elizabeth's York peppermint brownie recipe yesterday, then you should read it and bake them for your friends. They'll love you for it.