Travel Guide: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs has always been a family favorite travel destination. I've visited close to once or twice every year since I was born. After my most recent trip to Colorado Springs, a few weekends ago, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my favorite places and things to do in this mile-high city.

Ride the Cog-Railway to the top of Pikes Peak 

Imagine being able to see four states at once. Picture nature at in it's purest form. Fresh air, wild life, and a gift shop and snacks at the top. An hour train ride brings you to beautiful sights at 14,115 ft. up. 

Manitou Springs 

A little outside of Colorado Springs is the small town of Manitou Springs. Shop for traditional western gifts and treasures or treat yourself in the unique coffee and candy stores. 

Mona Lisa

My favorite place of all is the Mona Lisa. A fondue restaurant located inside of a historical home on the main street of Manitou Springs. Each room is set for a unique eating experience. This restaurant will make you feel warm, relaxed, romantic, and welcome while you fill your stomach with delicious eats.

Cave of the Winds

Take a tour of these complex caves that are said to be 500 million years old. The rock formations are unbelievable to see. If you're lucky, you'll be able to hear the winds from the Rockies as you venture through the caves.

Garden of the Gods

Climb, run, jump off the beaten path to find some amazing boulders and landscapes that will make you question gravity. 

Hope you enjoy these sights during your next visit to Colorado!

Anthropologie

Everyone has a brand they admire from afar. One that is aesthetically inspiring but may or may not come at an affordable price. Anthropologie has become that brand for me.

First off, can we talk about their photography and pinterest posts? It's the simplest of the style placed in a rich and rustic backdrop that makes the designs so desirable. Not only do they break down the basics of wardrobe, they also make everyday occurrences look like attractive activities. Place a warm cup of cocoa, next to cozy woolen socks, layer with a warm photo filter and we have the  most liked instagram photo. It's brands like these that inspire my way of living. Relaxed. warm. simplistic.

Take a look for yourself and quickly become inspired…
**All photos are from Anthropologies pinterst page. I do not take credit for any of them. 

 What brands do you admire?

Sometimes in Minnesota, you gotta wear what you gotta wear. I'm talking about comfy sweatpants, warm sweaters, and dare I say turtlenecks?

This past week we have been experiencing temps 20 degrees below average. (Thank you Mother Nature, we always feel your love here.) So with that being said, I have resorted to styling my comfiest of clothes in a way that doesn't look like I'm a walking sleeping bag.

For today, I'm louging around the house so these drawstring pants from Loft and this slouchy shirt from Primp will work just fine.

 

The Secret's Out!

About Chipotle's guac. Yes ladies and gentlemen I have found and successful duplicated (if I do say so myself) the famous Chipotle guacamole recipe. It is two of my favorite things, simple and delicious.

Let's get started.

six avocados

one tablespoon of lemon/lime juice

one teaspoon of salt

one half cup of cilantro

one half cup of red onions

one fourth cup of jalepanions (seeds not included)

And that's it! I told you it was simple. I do have to make a plug for the Chipotle Cultivate Festival, where I originally learned how to make this famous guac. It's a festival organized by Chipotle that centers around food, music, and healthy foods that are naturally grown and good for you. Yet another reason to love Chipotle. 

Aesthetics

"A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art."

  Have I mentioned on the blog that I love Pinterest? Well, let's make it official, I LOVE Pinterest. I love that I can go there at anytime and find inspiration through the beauty of everyday things. My Pinterest account is centered around the theme of Aesthetics. Pinning style, furniture, food, and more that I appreciate and find simply beautiful.

So go get aesthetically inspired! The limits are endless.

Go check out my Pinterests boards at www.pinterest.com/allisonkibler

Simply Delicious

Remember when I mentioned last post that I am starting to become more experimental in the kitchen? Well, this pasta is the result of that, and I absolutely love it. You can make tweaks and additions to this recipe, but I love it in its simplest form.

Also, you may notice that I don't put any quantities next to each ingredient… that's because I don't usually measure how much of each I use. I think this pasta tastes the best when it is made to your liking.

Ingredients

Pasta (any shape or type)

Basil

Garlic

Onion

Tomatos

Olive Oil (this is a must)

Parmesan

Enjoy!

"Sorry, I was busy watching YouTube."

If you've only been on YouTube to watch music videos and "My Push up Bra will help me get my man". Then I'm about to introduce you to a whole new realm of entertainment. At the beginning of this year I discovered an entirely different outlet of YouTube content. From beauty and fashion to everyday blogging (that's right, video blogging) these YouTube videos are like Netflix but dare I say better? Ok, let's not go there. But still, I just can't get enough!

If you think I'm crazy, or have no idea what I'm talking about, I've listed a few of my favorite YouTube channels that you've got to check out. They will keep you entertained for hours and have you saying "Sorry, I was busy watching YouTube."




"EssieButton" - This girl is as real as it gets and loves to tell it how it is. Essie lives in England but is originally from Canada, and is by far by favorite YouTube vlogger. She describes herself as a "beauty blogger who occasionally dabbles in life endeavors". 

Bethany Mota - A classic YouTuber. Seriously. This girl has like 6 million followers on YouTube. If there is any channel you need to check out, it's hers. I do have to say though, she does target her videos mostly towards teens. So maybe not an all-time favorite of mine, but still worth watching.








Tess Christine - A fellow Minnesotan! And a fashion guru. Tess has an amazing sense of style. Not only does she film "get the look for less" videos, but she also posts "outfits of the week" and "get ready with me" videos. Of course, she has beauty and food content too but the fashion is my fav. 









"The Kitchy Kitchen" - Claire is a new channel discovery of mine but if you love to cook (or just love food in general) then this girl is unreal. Her recipes are so easy but so delicious. Ever since I started watching her videos I have been inspired to experiment more in the kitchen. No lies.