Category: Savor the Moments that Matter Most

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: 2018 Disney Edition

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Mickey shaped foods are the best.

I just got home not too long ago from Walt Disney World! My best friend Sarah and I spent a long weekend over the Martin Luther King holiday, exploring the parks and eating so much good food! For those of you who may not know, I’m a huge Disney fan. I participated in the Disney College Program in 2012 at Walt Disney World, I got engaged in the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella’s castle and I’ve traveled to Disney World nearly every year since I was born. This girl was born and raised on Disney and it continues to be a huge part of my life. Needless to say, I’m always excited when I get to go back and visit the mouse.

Meeting our crush Gaston.

Sarah and I had a wonderful trip! We hit all four parks, got to explore Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the first time, which by the way is AMAZING! We hit all of the rides and of course we indulged in some good eats. Not all food at Walt Disney World is created equal. And what I mean by that is when I travel there, it’s been hit or miss when it comes to food. When I visit Disney there is usually a handful of meals that are great and others not so much. However, everything we ate on this trip was fabulous! For this blog post, I decided to do my own version of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” inspired by the well-known TV show and share some of my favorite meals from my trip. Again, not all food at Disney is created equal, so I am picking my two favorite meals, one at the quick service level and one at the table service level.

Let’s start with quick service. For those who may be unfamiliar with some of this wonky Disney terminology, quick service is just a fancy way of saying “Fast Food.” Some of us Disney peeps use quick service and counter service interchangeably. All that you need to know is in most quick service restaurants you don’t need a reservation, it’s reasonably priced and you order your food at a cashier and pick it up at a counter.

The best quick service meal that I ate on this trip was the Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Pulled Pork at Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’ve been a huge fan of Flame Tree BBQ for years. For one, it’s very reasonably priced for the amount of food you get. Also, its real food meaning you can order something other than chicken nuggets and fries. I’ve eaten here many times over the last couple years and this is the first time I’ve noticed the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Pulled Pork on the menu, so I decided to give it a try. And oh my goodness I am so glad that I did because it was literally incredible.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Flame Tree BBQ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

I’ve had various macaroni and cheeses at quick service restaurants at Disney and historically they are more of a creamy, soupy texture similar to Stouffer’s frozen mac and cheese. Because this mac and cheese had a bit of a crust, I immediately knew it was baked as well as homemade. I really appreciated that it wasn’t overly cheesy because it let the amazing flavors of the pulled pork shine through. The pulled pork was super tender and flavorful. Lastly, two crispy onion rings were plopped right on top of the pulled pork and mac and cheese, which added some depth and texture to the dish. This dish also comes with coleslaw on top. I don’t like coleslaw, so I opted to omit that from my meal. Instead, I drizzled some BBQ sauce right on top and it was perfection. The best part about this meal? It was only $11.99! This meal was very delicious, very filling and so inexpensive. I will definitely be ordering this again on my next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Onto my favorite table service meal. Table service essentially means a more formal sit-down restaurant. For the first time ever I dined at the Flying Fish, which is a fine/signature dining restaurant located on Disney’s BoardWalk. This restaurant is known for contemporary American cuisine and I would classify as a bit more upscale than other table service restaurants, which is why this falls into the fine/signature dining category.

My friend Alex and I snap a photo in front of Disney’s BoardWalk Resort after our dinner at the Flying Fish.

My friend Alex and I dined at the Flying Fish on the night I arrived. Alex and I originally met on our Disney College Program in 2012, so it was so fun to catch up with her over dinner. I had very high expectations for this dinner since she is a server at Disney and it’s one of her favorite restaurants. She recommended that I try the Wagyu Filet Mignon, which is what she ordered, and I followed suit. The Wagyu Filet Mignon is priced at $57.00, which is very pricey. However, I can report that this steak was worth every single penny.

Wagyu Filet Mignon at the Flying Fish located on Disney’s BoardWalk.

I am not exaggerating when I say this is literally the best steak I’ve ever eaten. Quite frankly, I think this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. The steak was seasoned perfectly, had an amazing crust on the outside and yet the inside was incredibly tender. The steak literally melted in my mouth, which Alex attributed to it being cooked on a wood-fire grill. The steak was served over a creamy mushroom risotto, which was very rich and filling. It was also drizzled with a truffle and red wine demi glaze that was to die for. I’m literally drooling just talking about this steak. This meal was incredibly expensive, however if you are willing to splurge on a fancy meal for a special occasion, I would highly recommend the Flying Fish. The service was amazing and in my opinion the food was worth every dollar spent. I’m most definitely going to take my husband to this restaurant when we return to Disney. So that wraps up “The Best Thing I Ever Ate: 2018 Disney Edition.” Gosh, I’m literally still drooling thinking about that steak…until next time.

October Birthdays Galore

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October is flying by! Whew! As I mentioned in my last post, October is always an exciting month because it’s a month of birthdays! Almost all of my family member’s birthdays are in October, including mine. It was a very eventful month, so I felt it was necessary to give a recap of the birthday festivities and share some photos of the amazing food we’ve indulged in over the last month. After all, I appreciate eating food just as much as I enjoy cooking it, if not more.

Jurassic Park themed cake by Sandra’s Cake Studio.

My husband celebrated his 30th birthday on Oct. 1 and we celebrated by throwing him a surprise birthday party in Baltimore! Back story, I’ve been asking Derek for months what he wanted for his birthday and he continued to tell me he wanted a surprise party. Who asks for their own surprise party? I think that is a little contradictory to the whole premise of it being a surprise. I continued to shut him down on his request for a surprise party, telling him it was too much work, too expensive and ridiculous that he would ask for his own surprise party. Little did he know that I was going to make his birthday wish come true and he was SO surprised!

Surprise!

All our family, friends and co-workers joined us for a fun night in Baltimore. The party theme was Jurassic Park (one of Derek’s favorite movies). We even had a beautiful Jurassic Park themed cake designed by Sandra’s Cake Studio. The cake was a strawberry cake, filled with strawberry butter cream with fondant accents. It looked and tasted amazing!

Derek’s 30th surprise birthday party.

On Oct. 4, I celebrated my 28th birthday. I unfortunately had to work, but luckily my mom drove out to my office and took me to a birthday lunch at The Grill at Harryman House, a local restaurant in Reistertown, MD. This is one of my favorite restaurants near my office. It’s super quaint, the servers are super friendly, and the food is delicious. I had a cobb salad, topped with blackened chicken that was perfectly seasoned. After work, Derek and I celebrated with dinner and a quiet, relaxing night at home.

Lunch at The Grill at Harryman House with my mom.

My brother Dylan’s birthday was Oct. 13 and his girlfriend Anna’s birthday was on Oct. 11. Finally, my mom’s birthday was Oct. 17. So to wrap up our birthday season, we had one last big birthday dinner towards the end of the month to celebrate all of our birthdays. We exchanged birthday presents, laughed a lot and topped the night off with some yummy desserts. It’s always so wonderful to celebrate birthdays with our family.

Our second annual October Birthdays Celebration.

Now that it is almost November, I am super pumped to post some fall inspired recipes I’ve been working on. Be on the lookout for two new recipes I will be sharing in the coming weeks, which include a fall inspired side dish and a pumpkin dessert that is perfect for Thanksgiving! And soon to come, Christmas treats galore with my annual Christmas cookie baking frenzy. Fall really is the most wonderful time of the year!

A Tale as Old as Time: Our Beauty and the Beast Inspired Wedding

It’s been exactly two months since our big day, so I figured it was time to share some magical moments from our Beauty and the Beast inspired wedding. Before we get to all the beautiful details from our special day, let me give you a little background on Derek and I’s relationship.

Derek and I have been together for four years. We met on an online dating website in spring 2014, dated for a little over two years and then we got engaged in October 2016 in Disney World. Since we got engaged in Disney World and since I have literally been obsessed with all things Disney for my entire life, it only made sense for us to have a Disney themed wedding. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite Disney movie. When I was little, I used to walk down the stairs of my grandparents’ house, toting a basket and a book while singing “Belle” from the movie. I would play Belle and my grandfather would pretend to be the Beast. I have such fond memories of this movie, the characters, the beautiful imagery and of course the beautiful love story between Belle and the Beast.

When I started planning my wedding, I knew I wanted it to have all the Beauty and the Beast vibes, but I didn’t want it to be over the top Disney. I instead went for a more subtle and elegant Disney theme, using the 2017 Beauty and the Beast movie starting Emma Watson as my inspiration. For our wedding décor, I collected vintage clocks, candelabras, books and created my own version of the enchanted rose that I placed under a beautiful glass dome. Our colors were light pink with gold accents.

The wedding ceremony and reception was held at the historic Mount Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro, Maryland on June 3, 2018 and it was the perfect backdrop for our Beauty and the Beast styled affair. It was a beautiful day, filled with memories that Derek and I will cherish for a lifetime. So here are all the fun wedding day details!

The morning of the wedding, my bridesmaids, mom and I headed over to the mansion where we got our hair and make-up done upstairs in one of the mansion’s suites. The boys arrived around 2 p.m. and they got ready downstairs in one of the mansion’s suites. As we were getting ready in our own rooms, a gift was delivered to me. Derek gifted me a surprise award, highlighting all my accomplishments in 2018! It was a bit of an inside joke, since over the course of the year I kept giving him a hard time about how I wanted an achievement award for juggling buying a new house, getting a new job, completing graduate school and planning a wedding all at the same time. Derek did not disappoint. I laughed, as well as shed a couple tears as I opened the gift and read his very sweet card.

Our ceremony was scheduled to take place outside on the mansion grounds at 4 p.m. but was moved inside due to the rain. They say rain on your wedding day is good luck and it poured, so I would say our marriage is off to a good start! Despite the rain, our wedding ceremony was perfect. The ceremony took place inside the mansion in a room with large windows that brought in lots of natural light. Guests enjoyed a scenic backdrop of the lush greenery on the mansion’s grounds.

My favorite moment from the wedding was walking down the aisle to see Derek waiting for me at the altar. As I walked down the aisle, my youngest brother played “Beauty and the Beast” on the steel drum.

I shed a few happy tears as I approached Derek, who was beaming ear to ear. He kindly wiped my tears away with his pocket square.

My brother Dylan was our officiant and we all enjoyed a few laughs throughout the course of the ceremony. After we exchanged rings and were pronounced husband and wife, our guests enjoyed cocktail hour while we took pictures with our wedding party.

Once cocktail hour ended, we all entered for the reception. We entered the reception, along with our wedding party to the song “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis. Following our entrance, we had our first dance to “Beauty and the Beast” sung by Celine Dion. Isn’t it amazing that I got Derek to dance to a Disney song at our wedding? I would say he is a keeper!

We then enjoyed a dinner catered by Mission BBQ and listened to some beautiful heartfelt speeches from our friends and family. After visiting with all our guests, we snuck outside for some private photos with our amazing photographer Ashton Kelley. Keep in mind it had been raining all day and the grounds were really wet. I knew that my heels would sink in the wet ground. Ashton literally threw off her flats, gave them to me and ran around barefoot outside so she could capture our gorgeous wedding shots. Ashton, you are my hero! Taking pictures outside was another one of my favorite moments from the day. It was so nice to sneak away and share some intimate moments with one another. We are so thankful that these moments were captured in photos that we will cherish forever.

After returning to the mansion, we cut our wedding cake.

We then changed into some more comfortable clothes and joined our guests on the dance floor. At the end of the night, we shared one last slow dance before saying goodnight to our guests.

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding day. The beautiful venue, delicious food, great music and dancing were all amazing. Beyond that, the most special part of day was getting to marry the love of my life and share this special milestone that we will look back on for years to come. It was a day that I will never forget and it was truly a fairytale.

For more special moments from our wedding day, you can view our wedding highlight video here!

Our Jamaican Honeymoon at Sandals South Coast

I’m back! And I’m officially a married lady! Derek and I were married on June 3, 2018. We had a beautiful ceremony and reception at the Mount Airy Mansion in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. It was a very special day that we shared among family and friends. I will be sharing a wedding recap, along with our wedding photos in an upcoming blog post. Stay tuned!

Until then, don’t mind me while I gush over our phenomenal honeymoon at Sandals South Coast resort in White House, Jamaica. I found out about this resort through a fellow food blogger (check out her blog here), who honeymooned at Sandals South Coast in May 2017. She and her husband loved it and we took their word for it. After honeymooning there for a week, we are obsessed with this resort and deemed this our best vacation EVER!

The day after our wedding, my husband and I flew to Jamaica. It was our first time traveling to Jamaica and we were so anxiously excited! When we arrived at the airport, we got our passports stamped, grabbed our bags and headed to the Sandals kiosk. After checking in with the Sandals staff members, they took our bags, provided us with complimentary refreshments and directed us to complimentary shuttles that would transport us to our resort. Our resort was approximately an hour and a half away from the airport. Although it was a bit of a drive, I really enjoyed the scenic ride.

The view from our room.

As soon as we arrived at the resort, we were immediately greeted by friendly Sandals greeters, who provided us with cool towels and champagne. They quickly took our bags and whisked them away to our room. After a quick resort briefing, we headed to our Beachfront Luxury room in the French Village. Our room included a king size bed, couch, standard bathroom and a balcony that overlooked the beautiful sparkling blue ocean. Clean and very well kept, our room was cleaned every day, mini fridge was restocked every afternoon and we received turn down service every night.

Beachfront Luxury room in the French Village.

The resort was breathtaking. Set on a 500-acre nature preserve, the resort’s landscaping, as well as it’s wild life was picturesque. Turquoise waters, surrounded by rolling mountains, covered in lush greenery was the perfect backdrop for our romantic getaway. It was truly a tropical paradise. Enchanting creatures, such as majestic peacocks, beautiful birds and funny looking crabs were often seen roaming the resort.

One of the beautiful peacocks that roam the resort.

Sandals resorts are all-inclusive, which means that alcoholic beverages, meals, water sports and entertainment is all included in the price that you pay for your stay. This was my first time staying at an all-inclusive and it was such a treat! It was so nice to know that everything was paid for, so we could easily walk around the resort with no wallet and not have to stress about money.

My husband and I enjoying a beautiful evening at Sandals South Coast.

One of my favorite things about our trip was that we had no agenda and it was pure relaxation. Each day on our trip, we slept in and started our day by enjoying a nice hot breakfast at Bayside Restaurant prior to hitting the beach and pools. During the day, we relaxed on the beach and participated in some of the many water sports. We did it all! We took a glass bottom boat out to see the coral reefs, went kayaking, tubing, sailing and Derek paid extra to learn how to scuba dive! The beaches were gorgeous and so much fun to play on during the day!

Fun in the sun!

After going to the beach, each afternoon we headed back to the room to shower and get ready to go out to dinner. Sandals South Coast had a total of 9 restaurants, which offered a variety of cuisines. The food was fabulous and some of the best meals that I’ve ever eaten! One of my favorite dishes  was the lasagna at Giuseppe’s. It was literally the best lasagna I’ve ever had in my life! I actually gave my compliments to my chef, that was how impressed I was.

I also was able to try some Asian inspired dishes that I don’t get to eat back home. Asian cuisine is often prepared with peanut ingredients, which is a no no for this peanut allergic girl. Sandals was extremely accommodating with food allergies and dietary restrictions. I was able to meet with the head chef at the beginning of our trip and he provided me with a background of things to avoid, how they prepare the food and notified me that if I wanted any alternate menu options, to just let the restaurant know and they would make something special for me. Every time we sat down at dinner, the server asked if we had any dietary restrictions and would make a note for the kitchen. I honestly can’t say enough wonderful things about our dining experiences at this resort and I’m pretty sure I came back 5 pounds heavier because we ate a lot!

My first time trying Sushi! The chef made me a special veggie roll.

Following dinner, we typically would hang out at the bars or go to see a show. They had a lot of fun evening activities like a dance party on the beach, a newlyweds game show and my favorite was the Silver Birds Steel Orchestra! In addition to the complimentary activities, we also booked some other activities at an additional cost. We booked a romantic candle lit dinner on the beach and a relaxing couples massage. We also went out on a Catamaran cruise. Another important note about Sandals is that it is adult only, so there are no kids on property. This is a nice perk for couples who are looking for a quiet and romantic getaway.

Derek and I on our Catamaran cruise excursion.

Derek and I had such a fabulous time at this resort. More importantly, we were able to relax and enjoy some much-needed time together as newlyweds. If I can provide any advice to those who are planning a wedding, I would recommend leaving for your honeymoon the day after your wedding. I was told from various people that I was nuts for flying out the next day, but I’m honestly so thankful we did! It was so exciting and such a relief to wake up the day after our wedding and know that we would shortly be in paradise, and on a fun adventure together as newlyweds!

Romantic candle lit dinner for two.

The entire Sandals experience was nothing short of amazing. The beautiful beaches, friendly staff, delicious food and all the fun activities made for a honeymoon that we will never forget. Derek and I were so pleased with our experience that we have already booked our next Sandals trip for our 1 year wedding anniversary at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Jamaica. We are already missing Jamaica, but we are so excited to go back in a year! If you have ever considered booking an all-inclusive stay with Sandals…DO IT! You surely won’t regret it.

 

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage

OH, MY GOODNESS! It’s been over a month since I last blogged, which is way too long! I guess that is a reflection as to how crazy things have been! The month of May has flown by! It’s been such a fun month, filled with milestones and major accomplishments.

Cinco de Mayo Bridal Shower Festivities

On May 5, my family and friends threw me an awesome Cinco de Mayo themed bridal shower, filled with lots of yummy Mexican food and sangria. It was such a fun time to get together with family, friends and celebrate Derek and I’s upcoming nuptials. That same night, my closest friends and I went out to Annapolis for my local bachelorette party. We did a paint night, which was super fun, low key and a perfect ending to a very exciting day!

Paint Night Bachelorette Party

On May 19, I graduated with my master’s degree from Loyola University Maryland. After three years of working full-time and pursuing my graduate degree, I was so relieved to walk across that stage and receive my degree.

On May 25, Derek and I went to the courthouse to get our marriage license. It’s so surreal that in just four days we will be married! Amidst all the craziness and excitement in May, I’ve also taken some time to reflect on my life as a “Miss.”

I’ve been very fortunate over the last 27 years. I come from a very loving and supporting family. They have supported me in all my endeavors and continue to do so every day. As I grew up, they have been there along the way as I discovered my passions, dancing, performing, writing, cooking, baking and education. Their unwavering love and support has been a constant force in motivating me to continue to grow each day of my life.

As a “Miss”, I’ve had the opportunity to receive a wonderful education. I attended college and discovered my love for marketing and communications. I joined Tri Delta, where I met some of my best friends and was able to grow as a leader. I also had the opportunity to intern for The Walt Disney Company and participated in the Disney College Program, which had been a dream of mine forever.

My best friend, sorority sister and maid of honor. Sarah and I met at Towson University and she was my little sister in Tri Delta.

After college, I met my best friend and almost husband Derek. Shortly after, I got my first “Big Girl Job” in marketing at a major healthcare institution. And in the last four years of our relationship, I feel like I’ve done it all! I successfully completed my master’s degree, we bought a house, started new business ventures and got new jobs. I continued to do the things that I love most, dancing, performing, cooking and I launched Stress Less, Cook More.

And of course, life is not perfect and it’s not sunshine and rainbows all the time. In my lifetime, I’ve had my fair share of challenges, faced heart break, hardships and individuals who have hurt me, treated me unfairly or hurt other’s that I love. But without those challenges, I wouldn’t be who I am today. They have made me stronger and I am so thankful for every experience, whether good or bad.

Most importantly, in the last 27 years I’ve come to love myself. I am proud of who I am today and all that I have accomplished. I’m a true believer that you must love yourself first, before you can truly and deeply love someone else. I am beyond grateful for my friends, family and Derek, the people that I get to walk through life with, who have helped to shape who I am. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Because of you, I’ve grown to love myself and because of that I know that I’m ready for my next big adventure, marriage!

I am confident that Derek and I’s marriage will be successful, one filled with lots of laughter, accomplishments and lots of love. As I transition from “Miss” to “Mrs.”, I am very hopeful for the future and all that it will bring. Here’s to happily ever after and all of our dreams coming true! See ya at the alter Derek! Cheers!

 

Seized

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“I feel dizzy. I feel like I’m going to have a seizure. Oh my god.” These were the last words I uttered as I faded away, transitioning into a foggy state of consciousness and eventually slipping into total unconsciousness. It was a feeling that was all to familiar, a feeling that I never imagined I would experience again.

On March 2, 2018. I departed for my bachelorette party at Walt Disney World. I was beyond excited for a trip that had been planned for almost a year. Who wouldn’t be excited for a girl’s trip to the most magical place on earth?! It had been a super busy week and I was so anxious for a much-needed break.

At the airport heading to Orlando, FL.

We arrived in Orlando around 1:30 p.m., headed to the resort, checked in and got settled in our room. We decided to spend a couple hours at the pool before our dinner reservation. Upon arriving, I didn’t feel quite right, but I figured I just needed a bite to eat and some water. I hadn’t slept well the past couple of nights and I had attributed my weird feeling to tiredness. We ordered some food at the pool. My friend offered to buy me a drink and I declined. I just wasn’t feeling totally right and was more focused on eating and lying down to relax. I ate my lunch, drank some water and went to lie down on a pool chair. As soon as I sat down, I became disoriented, got a weird taste in my mouth and I had a scary realization as to what was about to happen. I was going to have a seizure.

As my mind slowly slipped away, I could hear my friends scream “Brittany! What is the passcode to your phone?”, but I couldn’t respond. In that moment, I was totally aware, but I knew that I was losing control. My body wouldn’t allow me to respond. I was quickly whisked away to the hospital by ambulance. When I came to, I was being admitted to the hospital. My perfectly planned bachelorette weekend was quickly becoming my worst nightmare.

My friends keeping me company in the hospital.

As a child, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and would have Focal Onset Impaired Awareness Seizures, more commonly referred to as Complex Partial Seizures. Epilepsy is a disease in which a person has repeated seizures. It is the fourth most common neurological disease and 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their life. Up until my most recent seizure, the last seizure that I had was in elementary school and I was on medication to prevent me from having seizures all throughout high school. My pediatric neurologist slowly weaned me off my medication leading up to college, after consecutive years of not having a seizure. At that point, my family and I believed that I had outgrown it and seizures would just be a distant chapter of my childhood.

To say that I was shocked that I had not one, but two seizures 17 years later is an understatement. I was distraught. I stayed overnight in the hospital for tests and saw a neurologist the next morning. Luckily, my MRI and EEG were normal, but the doctor felt strongly that I needed to be put on an ongoing regiment of medications to prevent future seizures and follow up with a neurologist when I returned home.

When I returned home, reality sunk in that I was now an adult living with epilepsy. I was filled with great sadness and guilt. I felt like it was my fault that my epilepsy had resurfaced. Epilepsy was always something that for me was historically triggered by me being run down, sick or stressed. It’s no secret that this year has been extremely busy and hard for me. It’s been a year of change and with that comes inevitable stress. My stress level is something that I’ve been trying to work on, but obviously that is something that is difficult to manage when you are juggling working a full-time job, grad school, managing a blog and planning a wedding. I’ve always believed that I can do anything that I set my mind to and strive for perfection. The fact of the matter is that our bodies do have limits and I’ve hit mine. Although I’m still following up with doctors at home and trying to pin point the exact cause of my seizures, it is very possible that the seizures were my body finally telling me that it’s time to slow down.

My life has changed drastically in the last couple of weeks. I’ve lost part of my independence. I can no longer drive. According to my state laws, I am required to report my seizures to the Motor Vehicle Administration. My license will be suspended for 90 days and may be renewed at the discretion of a Medical Advisory Board if I am seizure free for 90 days.

I’m also now taking a new medication to prevent me from having seizures. Unfortunately, this medication has caused many undesirable side effects. It gives me headaches, makes me tired and makes me feel extremely moody. For me, the biggest change is the newfound uncertainty and anxiety that I’m experiencing, knowing that I am an adult living with epilepsy. Questions and thoughts flood my mind. What if I have a seizure at work? What will people think? What if I have a seizure while driving? I’m slowly, but surely adjusting to my new reality. Although it’s a tough pill to swallow, I’m aware that this could have been a lot worst. I’m very thankful that my seizures occurred in a safe space and I wasn’t driving. I’m also blessed to have amazing friends who took care of me and tried to make my bachelorette party special, despite the circumstances. I am also so thankful for my family and my fiancée who have given me the upmost support upon returning home. They have become my personal chauffeurs, driving me to work, to run errands and to doctor’s appointments. I could not get through this without them.

Post hospital stay and enjoying Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney World.

My epilepsy does not define me, but it is a part of me. I know that this is just another obstacle that I will have to overcome and will make me stronger. I hope that sharing my story will help raise awareness about epilepsy and some of the struggles that individuals living with epilepsy experience. Beyond that, I hope that I can prompt others to reevaluate their work load. In today’s world, it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness and pressure of everyday life, but we all need to learn to let go and relax. Stress does take a toll on your body and will catch up you.

I’m very hopeful that through raising awareness and continued medical research, we will be able to take strides in helping individuals like me to become seizure free and bring peace of mind, so that we can all live our lives to the fullest. For more information on epilepsy and how to become involved visit https://www.epilepsy.com.

 

 

New Year, New Me

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Happy New Year! It’s 2018 and I have no doubt that this is going to be my year. The year 2017, was most definitely a year of reflection, self-realization and growth. I made the decision to change my diet, embrace healthy eating and I lost a total of 25 lbs. I spent time doing things I love, such as dancing, cooking, working out and spending time with friends and family. In 2017, I also brought to life Stress Less, Cook More and maintained a 4.0 GPA in grad school.

But amid my accomplishments, I also lost control of my life and let stress consume me. I continued to work a job that made me unhappy and I began taking it out on the people I love most. For me and many others, it’s second nature to just accept stress as the norm. I had gotten to a point where I had just accepted it, but then the pressure, stress and unhappiness started to take a toll on my body. My hair started falling out in clumps. I started having chest pains and was feeling exhausted all the time. After many doctor’s appointments, and tests upon tests, the diagnosis was…stress. I am only 27, so if I were to continue down this path at such a young age, just imagine what the consequences would be down the road. That’s when I had a major wake up call, a revelation. It was time to make a change and take back control of my life.

The scariest thing about change is that it is something different and new. It’s natural to feel uneasy about change, but if you are already unhappy and stressed, what do you really have to lose? That’s what I told myself.  After three years at my job, it was time to take a leap of faith and embrace what I had been so afraid of. I applied for a new job opportunity and with guidance from God, the support of my family and my friends, all my hard work paid off and I landed an amazing new career advancement opportunity in the healthcare insurance industry. As I read my job offer letter, I literally cried tears of joy and immediately felt relief. I start my new career adventure on Jan. 22, 2018 and I am so excited to continue my marketing career in the field of healthcare! I’m so hopeful about this new opportunity and I’m confident that it will bring me peace of mind, happiness, joy and will allow me to be more present in my family’s life.

In 2017, I’ve learned a lot about myself and the direction I want to go. In 2018, I will start a new job, graduate from grad school and marry my best friend. The year 2018 will be a year of change and it is going to be my year! I’m so ready for all that 2018 will bring. My biggest lesson learned is to not sweat the small stuff. Don’t let stress consume you. Never settle for anything less than what you are worth. If you are unhappy, it’s time to make a change. Find your passion, make a difference and love your life. Happy New Year and I hope that this year is filled with inspiration, joy and peace. And last, but not least, don’t forget to savor the moments in life that matter most.

 

 

 

Welcome to Stress Less, Cook More

My name is Brittany and I am so excited to introduce you to Stress Less, Cook More! Before we get cooking, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. Here is what you need to know about me. I live in Maryland with my fiancée Derek and my fur child Oreo, our Miniature Schnauzer. I’m a marketing professional by day and grad student by night. I LOVE everything Disney. Like I’m literally obsessed. So obsessed that I actually ran away to Disney for a semester in college, but that’s a story I will save for another time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I consider myself a creative individual. I love dancing and I’ve been a dancer my entire life. I take dance classes regularly and I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to continue to perform throughout the last couple of years. I’m a self-taught cook and I love experimenting in the kitchen. That’s what has lead me here.

My life is pretty crazy…like really crazy, but whose isn’t? Whether you are working full-time, going to school, raising a family or all of the above, stress is a common side effect that many of us experience. For a lot of people, cooking is just one more thing to add to the list of everyday tasks. When you get home from a long day of work, running the kids around or when you are juggling a million other things, cooking can seem like such a daunting task.

One of my biggest lessons learned is, that life is a balancing act and you have to be realistic about what you can and can’t do. I went through this phase where I would try to make these complicated, gourmet dinners after a long day of work. I then would try to squeeze in homework and all the other miscellaneous things I needed to do before bed. And guess what? I crashed and burned very quickly. Gourmet dinners every night was not realistic, but I also recognized that I wasn’t willing to settle for frozen dinners and carry out every night of the week. So I found a balance. This is what inspired me to create Stress Less, Cook More.

Stress Less, Cook More strives to eliminate unnecessary stress in the kitchen and bring balance to everyday life, by providing simple, easy to follow recipes that will inspire you to embrace everyday cooking. Here’s what to expect. I’m going to keep it real always. Some recipes will be healthier than others, some will be comfort foods and some will be straight up decadent. I will provide you with meal prep tips; grocery shopping tips and I will also share stories about my personal life. There is so much in life to cherish, family, friends and your accomplishments. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but my biggest hope is to inspire you to not sweat the small stuff, bring you peace of mind, and cut back on your time spent in the kitchen, so that you can savor the moments in life that matter most. Welcome to Stress Less, Cook More! Now let’s get cooking!