Author: Nicole Guess

My blog: http://drinkdinediscover.co

What I’ve been up to…

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The weekend is here, we made it!  Coming off of a long weekend in Chattanooga and a short three day work week, I am heading off to Florida this weekend and can’t wait for some fun in the sun and relaxation.  It’s been a busy start to the year around here – January is always a bit crazy work-wise for both myself and Ryan, and on top of that we’ve had a lot going on from Jackson’s birthday to weekend trips and being slightly over committed when we are here.  I have not been doing as good of a job at setting those boundaries as I had hoped this year!  But since I have been a little quite on here I thought I would share a little update on what we’ve been up to around here. Read More

We have a TWO year old!

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I can’t believe we celebrated Jackson turning two this past weekend.  It’s been such an experience to watch him grow, develop and come into his own personality.  I definitely don’t want to rush it, but I can’t wait to see what this year brings us with him.  Read More

How to successfully work from home

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The beginning of a new year is usually a period of renewed motivation, not only mentally and physically but also professionally.  I am fortunate to have a job which allows me the opportunity to work from home, and this works well for me – it’s overall made me a more productive employee and has helped me define a solid work/live balance.  But it can also be challenging, and I honestly do not believe it’s for everyone.

To successfully work remotely you have to stay self-motivated and driven, which can be a lot easier to do in an office setting where there is energy from others to feed off of. When I first started working from home busy days were easy, I put my head down and knocked out my to-do list, but the slower days when I needed to be proactive could at times be a struggle.  It took me a few months to find the best routine that works for me and now I actually work my best from home. Read More

New Year, New You

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And just like that it’s 2018.  I like to use the first week of each new year to reflect on the previous twelve months and set goals and intentions for the year ahead.  The last couple of days I’ve spent focusing on what went well in 2017 and where I can make changes to make 2018 an even better year.  I know this is a little backwards as most people use the week leading up to the new year to do this, but I like finishing the year out strong and without expectations.   Read More

Holiday Season is Among Us

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How is it already Thanksgiving?!  I know I sound like a broken record, but this year has really flown by.  I cannot believe we’re in the throws of holiday season, it feels like we were just trick or treating last weekend. It really hit me that the holidays are here when we did our annual pictures with Santa last weekend.  That’s another story for another post…lets just say it went about as smooth as last year…photo above is from last year’s session.

This is definitely my favorite time of year though!  I love decorating our house for the holidays, seeing family and friends, and getting all dressed up for the holiday celebrations.  Since it’s been a little while I thought I would do a little update on what’s been going on with our family before we are full swing into all of the holiday planning, parties and craziness. Hope you enjoy! Read More

48 Hours in Asheville NC

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Ryan and I recently celebrated our six year wedding anniversary in Asheville, North Carolina. We had initially planned on a low-key parent’s night out in Atlanta, but at the last minute we decided to pack up the fam and head to Asheville.

Asheville has been on my list of places to check out for a while now…it’s a short drive from Atlanta (3 1/2 hours), has lots of hiking trails around the city, is known for it’s craft beer and food scene, and is super dog friendly. It’s also one of those places that I was concerned wouldn’t live up to my expectations…I felt like I had build up this city in my mind and by the time we got there I wasn’t really sure what to expect.   Read More

Apple Picking in North Georgia

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One of my favorite annual traditions growing up was our family trek out to an orchard to pick apples and drink cider.  I remember running through the orchards, filling up baskets of apples and sipping on warm cider to stay warm.  I couldn’t wait to start this tradition with Jackson.  So this past weekend Jackson and I drove up to North Georgia with a few friends for our first apple picking experience.   Read More