an arctic adventure…4 days in iceland

From volcanoes to glaciers to Icelandic ponies to cave hikes to chasing the northern lights to soaking in geothermal pools---somehow two poor grad students managed to visit one of the world's most expensive countries on a budget. 

We had a hectic 4 days in Iceland and I've enjoyed sharing bits and pieces of our adventure here from what we packed to what we did. So I thought I would finish out Iceland by sharing our exact itinerary and budget below. 

iceland winter packing list

When we were prepping for our Iceland trip, I found lots of cute girly girl packing lists, but most of them weren't overly functional. Iceland is really an outdoor lovers dream. Since we spent the majority of our time there out in the winter weather, I thought I would share my packing list that's reflective of that. 

 We spent several hours outside each day braving Iceland's winter and felt comfortable doing it thanks to packing a few key items. 

spelunking in a lava tube cave

spelunking = n. the exploration of caves 

chasing the northern lights

While we spent our days in Iceland soaking in geothermal pools, riding Icelandic ponies, and hiking through lava tube caves; our nights were spent chasing after the northern lights.

winter road trip--the golden circle

our first day in Iceland involved a very jet-lagged very snowy winter road trip that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world! 

Friday Favorites 01.05.17

It's the first Friday of the new year and a good one at that. Here's a few favorites from the past week. 

back to the reality of being frustrated

I officially kicked off a new term of dental school this week. I was already worried about getting back to the reality of starting this trimester because I have to deal with this not so little issue . Also, I get to begin studying for the second part of the national board exam. Class just began on Tuesday and there is already so much stress and drama, ha! So please don't mind my little rant below. I just have to get this out so I don't scream because contrary to this smile, I am beyond frustrated with dental school right now. Here's why....

white jeans for every season

A couple of years ago, I finally bit the bullet and bought a pair of white jeans, these ones to be exact. And while this wouldn't be a big deal for some, I am not the kind of girl that should own white anything, but I guess that's what they invented bleach for. But the biggest issue for me is that I felt that white jeans were for summer only and that I would only get real use out of them a few months out of the year. Oh how wrong I was. 

When it comes to style blogging, I never want to be one of those people whose just show casing what's currently on trend. Instead, I like to buy and wear pieces that will work for my wardrobe long-term. According to my monthly clothing budgets, I paid $54 dollars for these white jeans (now on sale) two years ago and I think I've got my money's worth with wearing these year-round. With labor day having just passed, I was remembering the old adage of "no wearing white after labor day", but here's proof that you can wear white jeans all year long. 

it's still winter

With what seemed to be an unusually mild winter, I may have gotten ahead of myself with jumping right into Spring. But this recent hike was a very big reminder that it's still winter. The days may be getting longer and the plants are getting a little greener, but March seems to have greeted us with a cold snap. And the temps are still requiring cold weather gear, as in ridiculously warm full-length coats ha! Cold or not, I can never resist a chance for a good hike, especially one that involves getting to witness the seasons transition. So while, yes it is still technically winter, Spring is sprouting through. 

central park in the winter

I like to think of myself as a relatively well-traveled person, but I had never been to Central Park. Hard to believe it I know. I've been to New York more times than I can count, but when I lived up North, I didn't appreciate it fully. Now that I don't live so close, I'm realizing there are too many iconic NY spots that people travel the world to see, yet I've been up the street and didn't bother. So I desperately need to remedy this starting with Central Park. 

I was hesitant to visit during our Valentine's Day weekend because well it's winter time. I figured everything would be dead and no one would be out. And that's not the way I wanted to remember the famous Central Park. But we ventured there anyway and so glad that we did because Central Park is stunning in the winter.

 The park is just as lively as ever during winter time with children sledding, couples skating, and an army of snow men greeting you at every turn. 

My NYC Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day Eve!

 Unfortunately, I won’t get to see my Valentine on the actual day, but we more than made up for it by celebrating a little early this past weekend. We gave each other the best gift possible for Valentine's Day by spending a bit of time together in New York. 

Thanks to all the snow storms that hit the northeast last week, we were worried that this Valentine’s Day wouldn’t happen for us. With living 700 miles apart, the plan was for us to fly into New York separately and meet up for the weekend. But things were looking pretty grim. We both had lots of delays and complications, but somehow both made it to New York safely late Friday night early Saturday morning.

Winter Love Letters

Dear Winter,
I'm falling in love with you. It's true that our relationship hasn't always been the greatest. Well, things are different this time around. I'm sorry that I haven't always appreciated you, but now I'm realizing how truly beautiful you are. 

here we go again...

I knew it was going to flurry this weekend, but I certainly wasn't expecting to wake up in a winter wonderland. It is April after all. And just two days ago, we had perfect 70 degree weather. But now, everything is blanketed in snow. I was planning to start packing up my winter gear this weekend, but I think I better hold off. Here we go again with this crazy weather. 

Embroidered Tee {40% off with code ticktock}// White Denim //

 Pearl Cuff // Pom Beanie // Boots 

Thankfully this morning involved a hot breakfast, thanks to brunch at our favorite spot. I'm spending the rest of the day, warming up with lots of hot coffee and {hopefully} getting work done. 

Happy Sunday 

linking up with thepleatedpoppy//

HodgePodge Clothing Budget

Normally there's a trend to my clothing budgets, but this is a bit of a mashup. Partly because I'm including a few items that I normally wouldn't. In the past, I've always kept two separate budgets. One for regular clothes that I keep strict track of here. The other budget included what I endearingly refer to as adventure gear (for hiking, camping, workouts, etc.), that I sort of tracked, but not really. As I've become more active, I have been spending more in that category and I need to reign it in so I'm combining my two budgets. This simplifies things. I missed sharing my January clothing budget (oops!) so below are my purchases from both January and February 2016. 

Anthropologie Seenebec Dress  - original $138, on sale for $24
I'm certainly not a tall thin Scandinavian girl like the model above, but this dress is so flattering to my figure. I fell in love when I tried it on last summer (anthro dresses just work for me), but I wasn't prepared to spend +$100 on it. When I randomly found this on the sale rack, grabbing it was a no brainer. 

Anthropologie PostCard Tee - original $58, on sale for $18
Sorry this one isn't in the collage, finding high quality images to use can be a struggle. 

J Crew Pom Beanie - original $60, currently only $30, purchased with gift card  

Anthropologie Mittens - original $30, on sale for $6 X 2 pairs = $12

I love these mittens so much I bought two pairs! Aside from being cute, they are lined with fleece (super warm), making them the perfect winter accessory.  

The North Face Ski Gloves - original $55, on sale for $27

Brixton Fedora - original $58, currently on sale in this cute color 

January/February Total: $139

Last year, I was $300 under my yearly budget. But this year, I'm actually increasing my budget to accommodate for adventure gear. That being said, I'm setting this years budget at $1750, which is just shy of $150 a month. I spent less than that during January and February combined, so it seems that my 2016 budget is off to a great start.  

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tips for a low-key valentine's day

Around here, we make a big deal about almost every holiday, but February 14th isn't one of them. It's not that we are cynical about it or anything. Having a day set apart to show how much you care is a good thing. But at some point, the cheesy gifts and over-the-top proposals get to be a bit much. 

The fact that our dating anniversary was at the beginning of February and Husband's birthday is towards the end of the month is what initially curbed our enthusiasm about this holiday. For us, Valentine's Day quickly became the middle child of February. We still wanted to celebrate, but always kept things simple. While we now celebrate our anniversary in a different month, we still like to keep things low-key. 

Skip the Restaurant 

We've all done it. You go out for a romantic dinner, but what you actually get is overpriced specials and an overly crowded dining room. The tables are too close for comfort and your romantic evening involves long waits for your dinner plate. Try making a special dinner at home, but still make the extra effort to dress up pretty. If you must go out, do brunch instead. It will be much less crowded {and less expensive}, but just as romantic. 

Take a Raincheck 

Having spent so much time dating long distance, Tom and I became accustomed to celebrating holidays on our own schedule. Consider celebrating Valentine's Day next weekend. You will be much more likely to have a date night all to yourself. Plus you can have all the discounted Valentine's Day candy that you can eat.   

Ditch the Crap 

On average, Americans are expected to spend roughly $135 per person on gifts for Valentine's Day. A lot of that includes things that will inevitably end up in the trash next week. So ditch the oversized stuffed animals and the tacky cards. Find something thoughtful to gift your love. Or you could be like us and ditch the gifts all together to focus on spending time together. 

How do you celebrate your Valentine's Day? 

LOVELY

How can you go wrong with dressing for the season? You can't! So when there are back to back snow storms in February, it's time to reach for my red wool coat. I spent 3 years searching for the perfect red coat and now that I've finally found mine, I'm wearing it every chance I get. I feel like this OOTD says that it's February and that's a lovely place to be. 

J Crew Tissue Turtleneck|| J Crew Factory Lovely Sweatshirt|| Articles of Society Sarah Jeans|| J Crew Pearls similar||Frye Boots similar||

Land's End Luxe Wool Scoopneck Coat similar on sale|| Express Scarf|| Chiara Mente Beanie|| Anthropologie First Snow Mittens||

Ironically, this is a complete 180 from what I wore Saturday. But both OOTDs scream Jasmine in different ways. Am I the only one who has dual personalities when it comes to their wardrobe?

Linking in with thepleatedpoppy//   

Closet Raid

Today, I raided my husband's closet. With the cold and snowy weather, I was focused solely on comfort. And women's clothing doesn't always equate to being comfortable. It was natural for me to grab something from Tom's closet because I used to wear boys clothes all the time when I was little. No fru fru skirts or scratchy tights (that ripped every time you played) for me thank you very much. How's that for being a tomboy? These days, my wardrobe is filled with all the fancy dresses. But every once in a while, I want to skip the frill. Here's the outcome. 

Sweater//Hat//Leather Pants//Boots 

This adventure hat is actually mine, but I found it in the Men's Section. But why should the boys get to have all the fun? I go on adventures too and now I've got the hat to prove it! 

Every woman is beautiful, regardless of what she's wearing. So I figured why not be super comfy? 

Linking up with thepleatedpoppy//wednesdaywearables

A Winter PostCard

Normally I spend all winter long grumbling about the cold, but this year things are a bit different. I'm really enjoying this season. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've found a way to get outside (though xc-skiing) instead of feeling like I'm stuck indoors. Maybe it's simply because I've upped my hot cocoa intake. Who knows! 

I always dress to fit my mode OR my surroundings. With this Anthro PostCard Tee, I'm doing a bit of both. I'm loving how perfect this tee is with its snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees. That's my real life right now! The colors are vibrant, but still muted…just like winter. 

Cardigan: J Crew Factory// Tee: Anthropologie // Beanie: Chiara Mente// 

Leather Pants: Ann Taylor// Mittens: Anthropologie//

Booties: Sam Edelman// Necklace: Rebecca Minkoff

Even if you aren't a fan of this cold and windy season, it's here to stay so we may as well have a little fun with it. 

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winter weekending

This past weekend, a massive blizzard to hit the East Coast…

it was the kind of blizzard that shuts entire cities down

but here in Boston, it was simply an ordinary winter weekend 

{FRIDAY} 
Lots of people were snowed in, but Boston got just the right amount of snow….more than usual, but not enough to become a nuisance. It doesn't hurt that the snow plows were going around the clock. 

 Most of our time this weekend was spent XC-skiing. We go most weekday nights and weekend days to make the most of this winter weather. Speaking of winter weather…here's to getting caught in the snow 

After our night time ski session, I treated myself to a hot bath with my snow angel bath melt. My sore muscles were loving the hot water and my dried out skin {winter cold} was loving the moisturizing bath melt. Also, my baths are always accompanied by wine!  

{SATURDAY} 
A winter Saturday freshly blanketed in snow, it was all too easy to decide what to do with the day. 

After spending the morning XC skiing, we ran a few errands. The roads weren't horrible, but they weren't great either. I would have thought that less people would be out and about, but I was wrong. Costco was an absolute zoo. We only needed a few things, but it took us almost 2 hours to get out of there. We definitely earned the lunch at Chipotle that we had after. 

We had been missing our Chipotle since this fiasco started shutting down all the Boston locations. As you can see, we're glad they are open again. After Chipotle, Tom and PJ took a nap and I had to snap a few photos because they are the cutest cuddled up together. This is literally how they sleep together every time.  

Meanwhile I did a Target run and made dinner…baked chicken & roasted red potatoes

After dinner, we had a little time to kill. It had been snowing pretty heavily all day at this point so we were doing our happy dance. We strapped on our skis and grabbed PJ and XC-skied down the sidewalk to a clearing we know in front a building. I don't think PJ liked our skis, but he did enjoy running in the snow. 

Then we went to see Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Glad we finally got to see it and even better, we had the best theater all to ourselves. You would think that we had never been to the movies before, the way were in there snapping so many selfies. 

But they had the best leather chairs with a button to recline your head and feet. Plus, we had the theater to ourselves. When does that happen? It was like watching a movie at home, except better because the chairs were nicer than the ones in our living room! This is probably what it's like to have a home theater? 

{SUNDAY} 
Can you guess what we did? Yep, more XC skiing! 
We are working on becoming more technical, so we decided to take a lesson. With XC skiing being one of the best full-body workouts you can get, we were exhausted after our two hour lesson. My thighs are still burning, but we learned so much and had a ton of fun! 

We also spent a good chunk or our morning replanting the succulents from our wedding. 

Then, the rest of the day was spent doing more chores around the apartment, like finally taking down our Christmas tree {I still cannot believe that it lived this long}, doing laundry, and baking muffins to have for breakfasts during the week. 

///

Even with a Blizzard happening outside our door, we made sure to get out and get moving. This is pretty much what every winter weekend looks like for us…

What is your typical weekend include? 

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