Not sure what to get that special someone for the holidays, their birthday or a special occasion? Or maybe looking to give a gift to yourself to celebrate your own accomplishments? Look no further than this intentionally curated gift guide I’ve put together just for you!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you may have noticed that I recently embarked on an outdoor adventure that spanned 9 days and included 2 states (CA and AZ), 2 National Parks (Joshua Tree and Grand Canyon), 1 Peace Park (Sedona, AZ) and endless memories! I have SO many stories, recommendations and reviews to share with you all that I am going to dedicate one blog post to each of the three distinct parts of our trip 1) Joshua Tree, CA 2) Sedona, AZ and 3) Grand Canyon National Park. So here it goes... 

Last week I had the opportunity to make one of my dreams a reality. To celebrate my 33rd birthday, my boyfriend (yes I am dating again and found myself a keeper!) rented a Volkswagen Westfalia ("westy") from Maine Campers in Eliot Maine. I have always been fascinated by the #vanlife.  I follow numerous Instagram accounts, read books and listen to podcasts about this way of living and what attracts me most to this lifestyle is the simplicity and adventure.

In just 18 days I will be participating in the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC). For those of you that are not familiar with the PMC, it is a bike-a-thon that raises money for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 100% of every dollar raised is donated to Dana Farber. Since the PMC started in 1980 the organization has raised over half-billion dollars for cancer research! I look forward to this event every summer. For over 5 years, I have been volunteering for the PMC with my Mom.

Anyone that knows me, knows my love for a good pair of glasses. I feel that this necessary accessory (say those 2 words 10 times fast!) is an extension of my personality, so I’m always looking for a fun, different frame to accompany me everyday. The one problem to fun, different frames: they’re typically expensive. Although I don't mind paying the extra money for something that brings me joy and I wear every day, I have been searching for a quality frame at an affordable price. That's when I found Warby Parker.

As a health conscious individual and advocate for "buying local", a farm to table dinner was right up my alley! After running by Peppers Fine Catering on my way to the gym one evening, I noticed they had a sign out front their building promoting a Farm to Table Dinner at Indian Head Farm in Berlin Massachusetts. I was adamant that I would not let this years experience go by without attending, so I went to the farm the next day and bought a ticket.

July was an EXTREMELY emotional month for me full of ups and downs. I was anxiously awaiting this month to come and go since early 2016. In February I made one of the hardest decisions in my life. I cancelled my wedding which was to take place on July 16th. As you can imagine, this weekend was full of tears, frustration and luckily some smiles as I was able to face what was to be one of the happiest days of my life and put it behind me.

One night as I was creeping around Instagram I came across the Homepolish account. I knew nothing about the company other than they showed up in my "search feed" so they must have something in common with my Instagram interests. Immediately after seeing their photography I fell in love with the brand. Clean, crisp, simple interior design images that I could not take my eyes off of. The imagery was as if it came directly from a West Elm, Anthropology or Crate and Barrel magazine. If you like any of these brands I can guarantee you will enjoy Homepolish!