World Mental Health Day - My Secret Struggle with Anxiety

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Rock Bottom

Since starting college in Miami in 2006, I have flown nearly 100,000 miles. Throughout school I regularly flew between Florida and New Jersey at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes Spring Break. After graduating, I started dating Ross and we began travelling together regularly at our birthdays and randomly during the year. We have traveled to Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, Cancun, Istanbul, the Bahamas, and Punta Cana. I love travelling, packing up, turning off my phone, getting some good nights of rest without the dog pushing me out of the bed, and seeing new places.

My excitement to travel slowly transitioned to fear, starting in May, when I woke up having nightmares before our flight to Nassau. I was wide awake at 4 AM, sick to my stomach until my parents came to drive us to the airport. Once I was at the airport and through the lines of checking my bag and security, I was good.

Finally Mrs. Benjamin - Tips for Changing Your Name

Did you run away in a fit of passion and elope over Valentine's Day weekend? Now you're trying to figure out how to go from Ms. to Mrs. as the dust of your nuptials settles. Did you get engaged over the weekend and you're anticipating what is to come? Congratulations! I am Mrs. Benjamin (yes I said Mrs., that was not a typo. I changed my name successfully and on the cheap) and I am here to say, (1) I figured it out, (2) I did not pay anyone to do it for me, and (3) it did not take very long.

Shopping Rocks (Diamonds) With Ross

Hey you, you over there running out to the mall for a last minute Valentine’s gift! Stop! I know you're heading to the jewelry counter looking for something sparkly or shiny for your lady. Don’t buy in haste. Take a minute to think about the 4 C’s of diamonds. And to explain this...I hand you over to my capable diamond buyer husband, Ross. Your lady will thank you.

Tips for Killer Valentine's Gifts

Valentine's is like the cheap, cheesy cousin of Christmas. Having just dropped a load of money on Christmas, your wallet is feeling pretty light when Valentine's rolls around. All of the pink and red and hearts have you feeling festive and romantic. The sultry scent of DIY is heavy in the air. Your Pinterest board is probably full of disjointed ideas for your significant other. How do you tie it all together?! You've come to the right place!

Hello There February

February is all about love and marriage at All About the Benjamins. Ross and I have lived through a year and a half of wedded bliss after dating for five years. What does that mean for you as my readers? Wedding and Valentine's DIY's (sans doilies, sorry 2nd grade self, but lots of sparkle), Valentines Gifts and Recipes on a Budget, Winter Date Night Fashion (with what is already in your closet, $$$) and some Post-Wedding Tips and Tricks!

Terra's Kitchen - Our First Vessel

I spend evenings private tutoring once or twice a week after work. This means that I don't usually walk in the door until 7 PM, meaning dinner doesn't hit the table til 7:30 (if we're lucky). Ross knows his way around the kitchen, but most of the recipes we eat are foods I grew up helping cook and the recipes exist in my head. For the last several months, we have been relying on pizza as a staple on my late nights. We call it in and I swing by to pick it up on my way home. This is great, but ultimately expensive and repetitive. Terra's Kitchen to the rescue!

Hello, December!

December to me means fuzzy boots (sing along with me...apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was lookin at her...), peppermint everything especially mochas, twinkling lights (and makeup), and SNOW. Where is the snow?! It was 52° in Denville this morning. Nothing like getting out of bed on a December morning covered in sweat. I don't even need snow, I'm not that high maintenance...maybe just some seasonal temperatures? Lower temperatures will definitely be more comfortable for all of the running around we have to do this month...

Bye, November! Holiday Travel & Packing Tips

November was a whirlwind of fun in the Benjamin house. The first weekend was my brothers birthday. The next week, we spent a long weekend in San Francisco. We came home and promptly hosted our Friendsgiving #KikkomanParty - our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. We wrapped up the month by celebrating Thanksgiving with family and kicking off holiday shopping with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. December will be just as exciting and chaotic!

Friendsgiving: My Kikkoman Brine a Juicy Bird House Party

Flexing with my pies!

Earlier this year I signed up for House Party, a website that sends you branded party kits (for free!) to help promote new items and generate buzz around specific products and brands. Each month several parties are posted to the home page, members apply, complete activities to get product information out there and then hosts are selected. I was selected to host the #KikkomanParty, a Kikkoman themed party to generate some buzz about product line and how it can be used at Thanksgiving.

Happy Friday! - Planning Wallet-Friendly Weekend Getaways

You can say that again! I'm super infatuated with Friday's in November since half of them are holidays! This coming Friday, we observe Veteran's Day, which is a great opportunity to take a long weekend and explore America. At the end of the month, we celebrate Thanksgiving - another long weekend full of family, friends, and food.

Next weekend, Ross and I are taking advantage of the long weekend, plus a few days, and some awesome travel rates to head out to San Francisco for a few days. I can't wait! Neither one of us has been and we would love to explore a new city with the few days off from work. This is a much better way to spend a long weekend than sitting home doing laundry!

Hello November

November is a busy month in the Benjamin household and across the United States. Over the 6-day Thanksgiving weekend, travel of 50 miles or greater increases by 54%, according the United States Department of Transportation. (It only rises by 23% during Christmas time!) This year, we are not part of that statistic, but we do have quite the month of travel, family and friends planned out...

Halloween Haunted House Party - DIY Troll Costumes

My husband and I love a good couples costume for Halloween, but we love saving money even more. This year we decided to throw it back to the 1980's and dress up as Troll dolls, a tribute to our childhood and a great opportunity to DIY. With the upcoming release of the animated Trolls movie, we were even able to pull our dogs into the mix! Not only did this make a great, budget friendly costume, it is a great last-minute fix too!

2016 Fall Wedding Style - Jumpsuit or Jumpdon't?

I spent 2015 concerned with the wedding fashion, ie. bridal gowns, tuxedos and suits, bridesmaids dresses, and apparel for moms, dads and grandparents. Now that I have made my journey from Miss to Mrs, my concern is with wedding guest fashion trends. My background in architecture and design gives me a unique perspective into fashion. I love mixing neutral tones with one big pop of bright color.

Married Life: 1 Year Later

Ross and I have officially been married for 400 days. Our last year has been a whirlwind but in the best way. Now that we have moved (mostly) and finished wedding planning, we have had more free time on our hands than we know what to do with. As a newlywed, this is great, but I can't imagine that I am the only new wife who felt the withdrawals of wedding planning. My new found energy has been thrown into this blog, continuing to travel the world and country with Ross, and exploring our backyard of New Jersey with Ross and friends.