happiness – Page 3 – Rooted Gracefully

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Today was a very lazy day for me! I wrote an essay, read an entire book, baked cookies, took a nap, and watched the new Footloose movie with my college dance team.

I wanted to pop in quickly to share a delicious recipe that I tried out today for our movie night – Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies. I chose this recipe because it included all ingredients that I had on hand, and it took me less than 30 minutes to make 36 cookies! What more could you ask for? It took even less time than that for all of my teammates to devour them. 🙂

If you love peanut butter and you love easy recipes like I do – then this is definitely for you!

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Combine all of the listed ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until a dough forms. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Press down on each ball with a fork in order to create the criss-cross design – you could also just flatten the cookies with your hand if preferred. Bake for approximately 7 minutes before removing from the oven and allowing to cool. These take a bit longer than regular cookies to completely cool, so wait a few extra minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

While these may not be the prettiest looking cookies, they are definitely delicious.

Enjoy!

xo,

Jaclyn

Daily Inspiration

I am constantly inspired by Conor. Not just because he is my boyfriend, but because of the person that he is in general. He does not get overly anxious or stressed, he does not worry about people judging him, and he’s always willing to go out on a limb and try new things.

Yesterday, I couldn’t help but think about this when he re-joined his college lacrosse team. He mentioned to me a few weeks ago that he was thinking about playing again, but I didn’t take it very seriously. He used to play in high school, and was actually quite good, but when he went to college he played for only one season and then decided to take time to focus on his studies.

He wasn’t concerned that he no longer knew anybody on the team, that he hasn’t played in 3 years, that he previously quit that same team, or that he was using his 7 year old equipment. He just did it. He put himself out there, took a risk, and joined the team because he loves to play lacrosse.

Several months ago he did the same thing when he joined a local men’s hockey league. His brother convinced him to join, and Conor jumped in two feet forward. He easily made friends on the team, and never once let anything deter him.

I admire this quality in him. I know so many people, myself included, that would be beyond stressed out when put in these situations. He has a quiet confidence that is very admirable… though anybody who knows him knows that he is the furthest thing from quiet. 🙂

It’s so important to be with somebody who pushes you beyond your comfort zone, and inspires you to become better. I’m lucky to have somebody who does this on a daily basis in my life.

xo,

Jaclyn

The Best Advice I Ever Got

As a 20 year old college student, I often feel stressed about my future career path and how my life will turn out. I try to stifle these fears and have faith that everything will turn out exactly as it is meant to be – but this is easier said than done.

My type A personality leaves me always wanting to know the details, but as I get closer to graduating college there are only questions. Where will I work? Will I have to relocate? Will I be content with my job? Will I make enough money to pay back my loans? Did I make the right choices to lead me here? Where do I even want to live anyways?

I know – nobody has all of the answers. I have heard it 100 times from my family, but sometimes it is hard not to let these questions fill your mind. Instead of letting this anxiety take over, as it easily could, I have decided to trust in God and have faith. I know that I will end up where I am meant to be, leading the life that I am meant to live.

With this ongoing struggle in mind, I recently purchased and read The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric. It is a collection of short essays from successful people all over the world. Each person shares a valuable piece of advice that they were given along their journey. This was an ultimate feel good book – but also provided some very valuable advice.

Some of my favorite words of wisdom included:

1. “Figure out what you want. And then ask for it” – Gail Collins

2. “Be not afraid. It’s truly the secret of life. Fear is what stunts our growth, narrows our ambitions, kills our dreams. So fear not.” – Anna Quindlen

3. “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.” – Arianna Huffington

4. “Self-Confidence – a quiet self confidence that is not cockiness, not conceit, not arrogance- is the key to excelling, no matter what you do in life.” – David L. Calhound

5. “Try to be more creative, more adventurous, and more open-minded as you go about your life. Try to notice more opportunities in disguise. Try to think more outside the box. In short? Be lucky.” – Tony Hsienh

There were so many more quotes I could share – but I encourage you to read the book for yourself. You will feel so confident and uplifted upon finishing it. This book reminded me that I have the entire world in the palm of my hand, and can complete any endeavors that I set my heart to. These words were exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my schooling and life.

xo,

Jaclyn

Crazy for Candles

Another snow day today! New England weather has been crazy lately. We got around 3 feet last week, and are expecting another foot today.

One thing that has helped me fight the winter blues is my newfound love for candles! Lately I have been obsessed with coming home after a long day and immediately lighting one. I love the ambiance it creates and how cozy it makes my room.

Living in a college apartment, I don’t have much opportunity to make it my own. Of course I have pictures and decorations everywhere, but there is only so much you can do. Lighting my candle makes me feel at home.

My grandmother always has the most delicious scents filling her house. All of the memories that I have in my grandparent’s house are accompanied by a delicious smell – making them that much sweeter. I hope my house is like that someday.

My favorite scent currently is Yankee Candle’s Red Velvet. It smells like a delicious dessert!

Right now I have Yankee Candle’s Gingerbread Candle going – one of my other winter favorites.

A few other favorites include Hot Buttered Rum (Made by my Grandmother’s craft business, The Pumpkin Patch), Vanilla Cupcake, and Luscious Plum.

I’m hoping that I can pick up a few Bath and Body Works candles during their next sale – I have heard great reviews about these. They also come in the cutest decorative jars. You can check out their selection here.

Enjoy this wonderful Monday!

xo,

Jaclyn

Books, Books, & More Books

One of my absolute favorite things in the world is sitting down with a good book. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to read.

My favorite types of books include crime thrillers, mysteries, love stories, and self-help books.. so a very broad variety! I read incredibly fast and often finish a book in a day or less, therefore I have read hundreds over the years. Today I thought it might be a good idea to share some of my current favorites with you!

Today’s Reads

1. The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman

I absolutely love this book! I have read it more than once and think about it on a daily basis. This isn’t only for romantic relationships, it applies to all of the people in your life.Chapman describes the five love languages to be: words of affirmation, physical touch, receiving gifts, quality time, and acts of service. He uses these love languages to explain why occasionally it is difficult to see eye-to-eye with those that you love, and why they may not respond to your actions in a way that you would expect. I would recommend this book to anybody – whether you are in a relationship or not!

2. Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

Some of you may have seen the movie – but I definitely recommend the book! This was a suspenseful mystery/thriller that was difficult to put down. I would suggest reading the book and then watching the movie if you haven’t yet. I also recently read “Sharp Objects” by Flynn but didn’t love it quite as much. This one was much darker and disturbing, yet still captivating.

Next Up

Here are a few books that have been on my radar over the past few weeks. I just ordered two of them off of amazon and can’t wait to get started!

1. For The Right Reasons – Sean Lowe

The Bachelor is definitely my guilty pleasure and Sean was my all time favorite Bachelor! He was so handsome, sweet, and funny. I also loved his wife, Catherine, on the show. There’s no way I could resist reading this book.

2. American Sniper: The Autobiography of The Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History – Chris Kyle

I saw this movie last night and LOVED it. I have a major soft spot for this type of movie and often leave the theater with my mind racing, especially since this was based on a true story. We are so lucky to live in a country where brave men and women make courageous sacrifices everyday. Definitely go see the movie or pick up the book if this is something that interests you!

3. Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life With Everything You Have – Annie Downs

This book is all about encouraging women to put their fears to rest, be brave, and step out of your comfort zone with the knowledge that God is there to guide you. It has phenomenal reviews and I think it would definitely be a worthwhile read.

Have you read any great books lately? Let me know!

xo,

Jaclyn