Ariel and Alder
My name is Natalie and I am a cookie-a-holic.

But here is the problem with that, my boyfriend and I also like to try to eat clean and cookies are quite frankly the "uncleanest" of all foods. They are absolutely delicious and absolutely out of the question post holiday season. I am still in a sugar coma from all of the holiday cookies we consumed this year.

This is our favorite recipe for cookies that are dairy free, butter free, white flour free, and don't contain white sugar. Oh! and they taste amazing, which I didn't think was even remotely possible. If you are a no-nonsense type of person looking for just the recipe, its at the bottom of this post. 


 we were supremely worried that our friends would mistake them for the "real deal" and spit them out once they realized, but by the end of the night the entire plate was empty and everyone went back for seconds and thirds. Which at first was a major success until I realized there were none left for me during the week!





Here are a few tips with this recipe:

1. This recipe calls for oat flour which is such a great tool for healthy baked goods. But before you go run out to the store to buy it, realize that oat flour is just ground oats. If you have a high powered blender or food processor (I use this one) you can just buy regular oat meal and make your own oat flour super fast.

2. Being exact is extra important in this one, the right consistency and ratio of coconut oil really makes them work well. Make sure you are measuring your coconut oil in liquid form and then allow enough time for the dough to chill to turn it back into solid paste.

3. Substitute dark chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips to make them extra healthy!

4. Use a cookie scoop (like this one, try an ice cream scoop if you don't have one on hand!) to avoid the oil in the dough melting with the warmth of your hands.



I have the recipe below in a "pin-able" and printable image simply because I rely on Pinterest heavily to keep my own recipes organized. Another tool we have been using to share recipes with each other besides our Pinterest board is this monogramed recipe binder that we keep in our kitchen. We are on a spending freeze before spring break which means no eating out for a whole two months :( The binder is an easy way for us to keep new crockpot recipes that we both liked for future reference!



Happy healthy baking! Let me know if you try this, they are SO good! I have included some of the helpful tools I mentioned in the widget below :)

xo,
Natalie


Who is excited for tonight?!?! And if you are not you should be!

The launch of a new Star Wars film hasn't happened since I was about 10 years old and I am so so so so so so excited to see The Force Awakens. Im sharing an outfit today that would be super comfy for some film watching or waiting in line tonight. I decided to go with a this hat from Target (I was ambitious early on and was going to make my own Jedi robe) because its way easier than staying in a costume and most theaters have banned masks and lightsabers :(

If you are looking for something equally easy for your hair, I have a tutorial on DIY Leia buns right here.

Nerd life, am I right? 




Outfit Details: Winter Coat (on sale!)/ Star Wars Holiday Pom Pom Hat

And if you are in need of some last minute "Star Wars" centered gift ideas, I have a whole guide up on the blog

May the force be with you!

xo, 
Natalie

Got a star wars geek/fan/aficionado in your life? Oh boy oh boy do I have them covered on todays gift guide! We are all so pumped to see "The Force Awakens" this week so consider this a celebration of all things from a galaxy far far away.



May the force be with you all this weekend! Let me know what time you are seeing the movie and feel free to ask any "Star Wars" related questions on Tumblr!

xo, 
Natalie

As much as I wish I was someone who had a tree each year with a theme and color scheme, currently I'm just not. I like collecting personal and overall adorable ornaments too much to get it together and have a tree that is ultra coordinated. Here is whats on our tree this year, new and old. 

*Thought I would mention that we went with this artificial tree from Target this year. We will both be out of town for a period of time and it made the most sense for our space and situation*


The newest addition to my ornament stash is this adorable gingerbread man who is accessorized as a disney tourist. Way too cute!! The Mickey ears just kill me. He is from a store that sells little gingerbread men doing all sorts of activities which I will link here. The little scuba diver gingerbread man has to be my second favorite. 



A few monogrammed ones, per usual. The top one is from this shop on Etsy and the lower one is from Pottery Barn.


One of my favorites! From Jonathan Adler. I have a ton of his ornaments including this giraffe and this silver elephant.


My new gingerbread buddy, these cute little santa clips (similar here), and some generic gold orbs that I picked up at the Dollar tree for my mini "room tree" in high school. Bizarrely enough they havent lost any glitter in the 4 years-ish that I have had them.  



Crying toddler (me!) Santa picture, pretty standard :)


My parents did elf on the shelf before it was cool, ha! This was my elf that my mom picked up from an antique store when I was little.


Another vintage find from a local goodwill in high school


My glass ballerina from childhood (freaks me out to store and own this one, so beautiful but I'm always scared of it shattering),  a mini stocking that Cameron made as a little kid, and a 2014 Starbucks red cup which I snag every year. 


A jungle cruise nutcracker that we picked up this year!


2015 red cup, there are tons of these all over my tree which alerts me to what a severe coffee problem I have.


And finally, lord Vader. Which was contributed by Cameron this year. 

Oh what fun! I have asked once but I might as well ask again, whats your favorite ornament on your own tree?

xo,
Natalie


I spent Thanksgiving up at Timberline Lodge this year and I think it might become a new tradition. Not only was it such a great meeting place but no one worried about food preparation and it was an overall relaxing time. My favorite part of the day at the lodge they few days we were there was definitely nighttime! We spent our evenings by the fire catching up on hobbies and work, in the heated pool, or in our room drinking cocoa with Scarlett (my parents dog, meet her here) and listening to Christmas music because it was officially acceptable. Such an unreal experience to focus on just yourself up in the mountains, here is what I wore during our evenings.


This scarf was the only one I packed (if you know how I usually pack, this is an unbelievable feat!) and it really would make a fantastic inexpensive gift. Its super soft and I wore it in and out every single day. 


The lodge itself is such a historical wonder, and the photography lighting is extra historical as you can see by the tone of these pictures :) 





Outfit Details: Geometric Print Scarf (super inexpensive and soft!)/ Oversized Cable Knit Sweater/ Denim/ Chanel Flats (not sold online, similar linked)/ Earrings

10/10 would recommend! The perfect mountain getaway, especially during the added stress of the holidays. Headed to Mount Hood soon? You can see my recommendations right here.

xo,
Natalie

PS. Just in case your still shopping for your loved ones, I have a few gift guides iso you can get the ideas flowing. I know that gift guides are so flooded every corner of the internet right now, but I tried to be somewhat original and niche so that it might just spark an idea for you guys. Enjoy!


Holiday Sale Posts: Black Friday GuideCyber Monday Guide

Next PostNewer Posts Previous PostOlder Posts Home