.mikee💕 cookies - dark chocolate & mint.

happy birthday, mike!
(his birthday is really on the 27th, so prepare your bday wishes now.)

I made up this cookie recipe based off of your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe and then tweaked the heck out of it to create this masterpiece:

mikee💕 cookies.

a rich, 

dark chocolate, 

mint cookie

now, I know how this usually goes:

you find a recipe title that sounds really good, you click into it to find out it's a blog, and then the author writes foooooorever about all sorts of stories until it leaves you saying:

please just

give me 

the recipe!!!

fear not: I got you.
the only thing I want to say is that this recipe was inspired into existence because mike had mentioned how much he loved dark chocolate and then another time he mentioned how andes mints are one of his favorite candies so I wanted to surprise him with his own cookie to celebrate our first six months of dating. (aw, we're so precious.)

boom. done. now here are the ingredients, mix, and bake instructions.

---

MIKEE💕 COOKIES

::ingredients::
dry
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder, sifted

wet
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/5 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

garnish
2 cups chopped andes mints (about 2.5 boxes)
1/2 cup crushed walnuts (optional)

::mix::

• first step: cut up those andes mints and place them off to the side. have them ready early!
• chop tips - I usually: 
• line up about five of these mints at a time on a cutting board 
• for about 3/4 of all mints - slice across four cuts (the end result will leave you with nice small squares)
• for about 1/4 of all mints - slice across three cuts (the end result will leave you with larger chunks)
• then, chop these slices each in half

• take those ingredients in the dry section and sift them together in a smaller bowl. gently stir (flour and powder will fly otherwise; please just trust me on this)

• beat the ingredients in the wet section until creamy smooth in a large bowl (the largest bowl you have, the better)

• gently stir in dry mix to the wet mix (again, if you do not follow this: it will fly around your whole kitchen, landing on the counter, your floor, the cabinets, you, the pets, the children -- everywhere. you've been warned.)
• mix tips - I usually:
• scoop in 1/4-1/2 cups of flour at a time
• start mixing with a wooden spoon and then once it gets thick, switch to mixing with hands (one hand on the bowl, one hand in the dough)

• fold in ingredients from the garnish section
• fold tips - I usually:
• dump half the amount of garnish into the dough and fold in
• add the rest of the pieces slowly. this is to ensure that the dough isn't stretched to thin to the point of your mints and/or walnuts falling out of your cookie (this might have happened to me before, okay?)

• scoop out dough and place on cookie sheet. roll with hands to create a smooth lump of cookie dough. (move on to bake instructions, or begin eating now*)

just scooped

hand rolled

(*PSA: it's not recommended to eat cookie dough because of both the raw egg & raw flour.)

::bake::
set oven to bake, 375° F
leave cookies in for ~9 minutes
cool on wire rack

fresh baked

---

viola! done.

enjoy your delicious cookies. share with your friends, family, coworkers. (or don't. let them perish in jealousy.)

let me know if you tried making these, if you ended up adjusting the recipe, and how they turned out!

more about the background to this cookie:
I decided to create this recipe early on (like a couple months prior to our six months), so I decided to lay some groundwork. I told mike about all the failed baking attempts I've had in the past (there are a number), but especially when it comes to basic chocolate chip cookies. I would mentioned this every couple of weeks, so it would really set in how I cannot bake.

a bit before our 6 months
st. augustine, fl

then when we were opening our care packages over facetime, he was surprised with a couple pounds of rich dark chocolate mint cookies. it was so much fun and then we've been adjusting the recipe ever since to make it the best it can be.

happy birthday again to the love of my life. 💕 muah.

until next time,
emily renee

.ldr.

being in a long-distance relationship was never in my plan.

I've considered the concept of ldr's in passing before, but not with any need to commit to one or taking it into serious consideration.

we entered into one without even meaning to.

our first date was supposed to be a one-time thing, just an easy hangout, especially since I wasn't looking to date anyone seriously with my impending washington move and he was recently out of a serious relationship and about to head back to the east coast. all it was supposed to be was fun conversation and a game of pool.

then we met.
then we talked.
then we clicked.
then we met up for dinner the next night. and the next.
...then he left california.

it wasn't supposed to turn into anything, but as I left the second date, I stopped myself from saying:

"bye, love you!"

🙈

I had no idea what to expect. 

we continued talking, texting, facetiming. became linked on facebook and instagram. 

two weeks after we'd met, we both realized on our own: we were in trouble. we liked the other person so much.

he came back to california in march, a little over a month since we'd gone on our first date. he was back for about three weeks. I wasn't sure if this is where things would end. 

things continued progressing and we discussed staying together and trying the long-distance thing for real. 

we've taken trips across the country over the summer to see each other. a week in florida. a weekend in florida. a weekend and a couple days in california. a trip to hawaii together. an upcoming trip to califonia in december. 

at the time of this post, we've been together eight and half months. I make the cross-country move two and half months. I've never been happier. 

michael is my best friend. he's my biggest supporter and comforter. he's got the kind of weird that melds with mine. his heart is so genuine. he knows how to make me smile and laugh (like, ugly laugh so hard). he's my life partner. he's the brightness in my life and encourages me to be the best version of myself just by being himself. he's the best thing that ever happened to me, the best gift from God that I've been blessed with.

(which is saying quite a lot, 

since I've been blessed enormously with 

long-time best friends, a great family, an amazing niece.)

long-distance isn't easy. 

every day, I wish I could hold his hand, have a hug, just look at him in-person. 

facetime and phone calls glitch often, freezing on funny faces, cutting out words or whole sentences, which can be frustrating, especially at the end of a long day. 

photos together help a little, until they don't, because all you want is to be next to your person again. 

time apart feels like years, dragging along.

it does make the time together sweeter. 

cherishing every moment together. 

a weekend can feel like two weeks with all the fun-packed days. 

reminding us why we choose each other, how we work well - even with almost 3,000 miles in between.

it makes the future feel so much brighter.

when we'll actually be together consistently. 

living life near each other and seeing how we are as actual people in our every day lives. 

planning for all the adventures we'll have, all the meals we'll make. 

a long-distance relationship wasn't in my plan, but the person on the other end makes it all so worth it. I'd choose this every time. I'd go through everything I've gone through before just to get to him again. I want to go anywhere, everywhere with him.

here's a couple tips to surviving an ldr:

• intentional conversations (what you looking for; what are you feeling now; how do you want to go about making this work; what do you want from this)
• scheduling time together (phone calls, facetime: dates, watching movies and shows, streaming and playing video games, and sleepovers)

mike & emily, est. february 3, 2019

only a few months until forever.

well, if that's enough mush for you, congratulations! you've made it to the end of the post. 

until next time, 

emily renee

.road trip across the country.

I'm moving!

this plan for moving has been slowly in motion for years. I set a deadline for myself last summer since I don't want to be stuck in my hometown forever. I enjoy my hometown and think it's great, but I need a change.

the original plan was to move up north on the west coast, only a short flight from home. deadline was summer 2020. (I apparently have a deep fear of born-living-dying all in one place. my therapist said to use it as a motivator instead of being frozen by anxiety.)

the plan shifted earlier this year. first the location changed from northwest to southeast. then the timeline was bumped up from summer 2020 to the beginning of the new year.

that's right folks: I'm moving to the east coast in january 2020!

why? you might ask. 

(if you're really asking, we really need to catch up.)

because I would like to date my partner in the same state.


for the whole of 2019, our relationship has been long-distance.

my favorite picture of us
san francisco, ca

facetime dates

the situation has had some silver linings, like we both get to be closer to our families, we get to know each other a bit better before one of us uproots our entire life, there's more time to evaluate a situation vs. having an immediate reaction, and we each have gotten a fair amount of travel time to see each other.

yosemite, ca

orlando, fl

monterey, ca

pahoa, hi

but I'm really looking forward to being in the same general area with my partner for a long-term time, versus only sharing the same space for a few days to perhaps a few weeks at a time.

I plan to track the move across the country here, so if you'd like to stay tuned, stick around.

this is the first time I'm moving since I was six (and that move was across town). if you're thinking about moving soon, or getting ready to move out to somewhere brand new, I might be able to share some insight to prepare you.

current route

if you've moved lots before, let me know! if you've done a cross-country roadtrip before, let me know! share your wisdom.

until next time,
emily renee

.greetings from hawaii.

flew in to the big island yesterday!

settled into our first airbnb mid afternoon & got out a bit to see some lava rocks & black sand beach.

going to keep this short since we're going to focus on our time here together. we decided to do this as a fun trip together before spending the next couple months apart before the ~big move~ (more details in next weekend's post!) and a sort-of birthday trip for the both of us (yay october babies).

speaking of october babies - happy birthday to my little brother! this trip fell right on his birthday, so unfortunately we couldn't be there on his day. here's to having a great day, ben, and we'll see you once we're back. ♡

goals for this trip is relaxation and adventure! top three items - massage, explore the volcano national park, and see a luau. otherwise, we're looking at eating well, enjoying the beach, making up our daily schedule.

until next time,
emily renee

.ideal morning routine.

I am terrible at waking up.

can't wake up in the mornings on weekdays. wake up too early on weekends. can't fall asleep. can't stay asleep.

some weekends, I find myself bursting with energy and motivation, while others, I sleep the day away. I try not to feel too guilty about it because obviously, my body needed all that rest, right? especially if it had been a mentally / emotionally / physically draining week before. and I know there are other factors, like hormones or if I'm fighting off sickness.

however, I know it would be easier to track *why* my sleep fluctuates the way it does *if* I maintained a consistent schedule. (and I most probably would be able to sleep better.)

everyone's different, so for me, I'm a natural night owl. I love staying up late, as the nighttime creeps in and most everyone else heads to bed, there's a certain kind of creative energy that comes to me in these late night hours.

however, I can't sustain a life keeping these late night hours because I'm working a regular full-time job from 8 am to 5 pm.

I struggle with mornings and waking up on time to get ready for a full day. it's embarrassing running late all the time. the few times I've shown up to work a minute or two before I'm supposed to clock in, my coworkers have commented on, "oh! you're here early." -- actually, I'm just here on time instead of 10 minutes late. whoops.

here's to figuring out what works for me by writing this and then committing to keeping it for one month by posting it. I will post once a day for the entirety of october to recap the night routine and morning routine.

this post will focus on an ideal morning routine.

---

OCTOBER ROUTINE CHALLENGE: MORNING

workday
6:15 am - day breaks: first alarm; snooze for a slow wake.

6:20 am - wake up: turn on the light (!!). sip some water. wake up.

6:30 am - yoga stretch: I found this video recently and follow along at half speed. a simple routine to follow and wake up to. after finishing this, get out of bed and continue with a few light stretches.

"5 morning stretches in bed | to energize and wake up" by meghan livingstone on youtube, published on aug 23, 2018

6:45 am - get ready: head out to use the restroom; brush teeth; wash face.

7:10 am - steady going: put in contacts. complete skincare routine & get dressed. do makeup.

7:30 am - get organized: gather items - water bottle, purse, any extra food or snacks for the day at the office.

7:40 am - head out: leave the house. enjoy a leisurely drive to work; no rush.

weekend
wake up when my body wakes up (which should be earlier, with consistency in my sleep schedule). yoga stretch; skincare; continue with day as however it's planned.

---

there it is: something simple, attainable. look, I'll even have special exceptions listed because I know I'm human and can't maintain the perfect schedule all the time.

special exceptions will be early work mornings, travel days, lazy vacation days

I'll try my best to keep special exceptions to a minimum; stay tuned during october to see how it goes!

until next time,
emily renee

.ideal bedtime routine.

I am terrible at sleep.

can't fall asleep. can't stay asleep. can't wake up in the mornings on weekdays. wake up too early on weekends.

some weekends, I find myself bursting with energy and motivation, while others, I sleep the day away. I try not to feel too guilty about it because obviously, my body needed all that rest, right? especially if it had been a mentally / emotionally / physically draining week before. and I know there are other factors, like hormones or if I'm fighting off sickness.

however, I know it would be easier to track *why* my sleep fluctuates the way it does *if* I maintained a consistent schedule. (and I most probably would be able to sleep better.)

everyone's different, so for me, I'm a natural night owl. I love staying up late, as the nighttime creeps in and most everyone else heads to bed, there's a certain kind of creative energy that comes to me in these late night hours.

however, I can't sustain a life keeping these late night hours because I'm working a regular full-time job from 8 am to 5 pm.

I struggle with mornings and waking up on time to get ready for a full day. it's embarrassing running late all the time. the few times I've shown up to work a minute or two before I'm supposed to clock in, my coworkers have commented on, "oh! you're here early." -- actually, I'm just here on time instead of 10 minutes late. whoops.

here's to figuring out what works for me by writing this and then committing to keeping it for one month by posting it. I will post once a day for the entirety of october to recap the night routine and morning routine.

this post will focus on an ideal bedtime routine.

---

OCTOBER ROUTINE CHALLENGE: BEDTIME

9:20 pm - clean up: showered, face washed, teeth brushed, nightly skincare routine completed.

9:50 pm - wind down: creating a quiet time, quiet space. unplug from gaming & watching intense TV. type up and publish daily post. make an entry in my handwritten journal.

10 pm - yoga stretch: I've been following this video recently. a simple routine to follow and relax to.

"yoga for sleep♡ easy bedtime yoga | 5 minute miracle" by boho beautiful on youtube, published on nov 20, 2015

10:20 pm - in bed: resting into bed. last sips of water. goodnight wishes.

---

there it is: something simple, attainable. look, I'll even have special exceptions listed because I know I'm human and can't maintain the perfect schedule all the time.

special exceptions will be family commitments, facetime dates, and our trip to hawaii.

I'll try my best to keep special exceptions to a minimum; stay tuned during october to see how it goes!

until next time,
emily renee

.intro 2.0.

welcome to my newest blog (again)!

I've had several of these started up over the years, and am getting back into it as I adventure through life. this specific one was created in 2016 and, here I am, rebooting it, and, here you are, reading it. welcome.

to catch you up to who I am:

• college grad (BA, English - Creative Writing, minor: Marketing)
• full-time employee (currently at a small private school, admissions/records/marketing/summer specialist)
• available for hire (website design, social media overhaul/management, content writing, dog-sitting, marketing consultant)
• dog lover (cats are great too, but I am allergy-sensitive)
• sibling to, like, a thousand people (six biological siblings, seven international, two by sisters' marriage, and many, many more who I've chosen as brothers and sisters)
• auntie to the cutest, smartest, most beautiful baby girl, who is now a full year old (also faux auntie to a few other favorites)
• super indecisive (unless I know all seventeen sides to the situation/opportunity, I'm looking to other people to make the decisions OR unless I know you *neeeeed* me to choose)
• lactose intolerant (but a lover of cheese and ice creams - a blessing or a curse, we'll never know)
• book lover (don't ask me about authors, because I'm awful with their names and sometimes book titles - stories/plots/details are what I remember best, so let's have a discussion on that)
• perfectionist (this is probably where most of my life problems derive from, honestly)
• feminist (because why not. seriously. why the heck not)
• health & fitness enthusiast (kick-started back into it in March 2016 & working on it ever since, ever-searching for the most viable options to my lifestyle & personality)
• a planner (would you like to see my excel sheets for planning a weekend away trip? they're excessive)

these are just a few samplings, and there's always more to a person than what they volunteer. stick around and get to know me more, and let me get to know you too. (or not - I'm not your father.)

I plan to post once a week, so we shall see where this newest adventure takes me!

until next time,
emily renee