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celebrate

Pomegranate Martini

October 30, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Today, I’m celebrating. Time to raise a glass and say “cheers!”

It seems appropriate to honor good news with a freshly made Pomegranate Martini, a simple recipe that is ideal for serving your guests while entertaining. If you set out all of your ingredients in advance, this martini can be made in five minutes!

Grab a martini shaker and the following ingredients to prepare your bartending kitchen station:

  • Pomegranate juice (I used Bai Antioxidant Infusion Ipanema Pomegranate because I didn’t have pure pomegranate juice on hand.)
  • Orange Juice (used pulp-free)
  • Vodka
  • Apple Juice
  • Simple Syrup (heat 1/2 c. water, 1/2 sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, then cool.)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1-3 Lime rind curls for garnish in the bottom of the glass or hang over the rim

How do you celebrate the best moments of your life? With a dinner out on the town? A champagne toast with your favorite peeps? Here’s wishing you a happy upcoming holiday season full of only good news to take you into the new year!

onedelightfullife.com

Pomegranate Martini

This fruity cocktail brings a tart, berry flavor and is a crowd pleaser for any party.

5 minPrep Time

5 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz. orange juice
  • 1 oz. vodka
  • 3/4 oz. apple juice
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • lime rind curls to garnish
  • ice

Instructions

  1. Fill a martini shaker with 3/4 full of cubed ice.
  2. Add all liquid ingredients.
  3. Add lid to martini and shake vigorously for a few minutes.
  4. Strain martini shaker into a martini glass.
  5. Garnish with lime rind curls.

Notes

You can also use a citrus infused vodka, if you prefer.

7.8.1.2
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https://onedelightfullife.com/pomegranate-martini/
onedelightfullife.com

Nutrition

Calories

169 cal

Carbs

25 g

Protein

1 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Filed Under: Cocktails, Taste Tagged With: alcohol, apple juice, bartender, booze, celebrate, cheers, cocktail, drink, fall, fruity, holiday, job, lime, lime zest, martini, orange juice, pink, pomegranate, shaker, simple syrup

50 Ways to Break Up the Monotony of Your Life: A List of New Experiences to Try

August 13, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

Recently I lost a close family member to cancer and during that time of grieving, I was reminded how fleeting life can be and that I wanted to seize every moment moving forward. I vowed to try something new, to push myself to show up to life every day.

My life had become a routine of commuting to work, sitting in a cubicle, and then coming home and repeating the same evening activities almost daily. Do your work days all seem to be a blur and before you know it you’re waking up on Saturday uninspired? I can relate.

So, I promised myself that I would begin to incorporate new experiences into my day to break up the monotony, force my brain to fire off new circuits to positively impact my life and my health. Some days I wake up and already know what new experience I will have on that particular day and other days I refer to a bucket list of sorts saved in my phone notes. Either way, I’m having a blast learning about myself, firing up my brain, and sharing these experiences with others. I’m feeling rejuvenated and I’m showing up for life, a more delightful one.

Image: Pixabay

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” – Henry David Thoreau

We only get one life and I plan to live mine to the fullest. The following list is made up of activities I recently experienced or that I hope to try soon. Not all of these experiences require much money or a lot of time required. Perhaps you would like to stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone and try one or all of them too?

  1. Go to brunch with your parent at a restaurant you’ve never tried.
  2. Drive a different route to work.
  3. Call up a family member you haven’t spoken to in years (or that you only text on occasion) and ask them about their day.
  4. Reach out to a co-worker or friend who works nearby and asked them to meet you for lunch.
  5. Volunteer on a committee, for your church or kid’s school or for a neighborhood association.
  6. Say yes when a friend invites you to travel to the lake, go camping, or site-seeing outside of town. Better yet, ask them to go with you.
  7. Eat local. Sip on a coffee at a local cafe or try the seasonal beer at a brewery.
  8. Style your hair differently than you did yesterday.
  9. Change up your fragrance. Wear new perfume or cologne.
  10. Pull your bicycle out of the garage and take it for a spin around the neighborhood after dinner one evening.
  11. Visit the library, walk over to a category of books that interest you and close your eyes. Run your hand across the shelf of books until you decide to stop. Remove whatever book your hand landed on and check it out to read it.
  12. Introduce yourself to a stranger and make small talk.
  13. Tour a neighborhood in your city that you never explore.
  14. Smile and say hello to a stranger on the street. You might find you have something in common with them.
  15. Don’t just sunbathe while at the lake or pool. Run and jump in the deep end with careless abandon. “Cannonball!”
  16. Desk yoga.
  17. Paint and sip wine at an art studio.
  18. Visit a festival and eat at a food truck. Ever try bbq nachos? Curry chicken?
  19. Eat your lunch away from your workplace at a park.
  20. Try an adult coloring book.
  21. Learn new skills by taking a webinar.
  22. Grab some friends and sign everyone up to try an escape room challenge.
  23. Experience a local seasonal activity like riding in a horse-drawn sled at Christmas, making s’mores with the Girl Scouts on National S’mores Day or grab a map and navigate a corn maze at a pumpkin patch.
  24. Wear colored socks to work.
  25. Pick up a new hobby that doesn’t involve using technology.
  26. Create a date jar with ideas for date night fun. Draw a new idea from the jar this weekend.
  27. Buy yourself flowers.
  28. Travel anywhere you’ve never been before.
  29. Throw a party that coincides with a random food holiday.
  30. Follow a recipe for food you normally buy. No churn vanilla ice cream anyone?
  31. Visit a tourist attraction or museum in your own city.
  32. Pick fruit in an orchard.
  33. Point the car west and just drive.
  34. Stop and talk to your neighbors when you see them outside.
  35. Always go to the movie theater? Try a dramatic play production instead at a local theater.
  36. Lasertag. Paintball. Water balloon fights.
  37. Grow vegetables or purchase them from a local farmer instead of buying them from a store.
  38. Walk into a toy store and buy a toy to assemble yourself like a puzzle or box of Legos.
  39. Try a different way of exercising or use a different exercise machine at the gym.
  40. Watch wildlife anywhere but in your own neighborhood.
  41. Take a new car for a test drive.
  42. Walk your friend or neighbor’s dog.
  43. Host a potluck or food contest amongst friends at your home. Who can make the tastiest beef jerky, mac-n-cheese, or pizza?
  44. Let a local artist or friend sketch your portrait.
  45. Get a henna tattoo.
  46. Celebrate your city or town’s birthday. Take in the sites and buy cupcakes to celebrate.
  47. Try a Pinterest DIY project.
  48. Listen to a different radio station all day long.
  49. Take a tour of the city from the air.
  50. Do anything counter to your normal routine and when a friend of family member makes a suggestion to do something you’re about to reject, say “yes!”

Have an idea of something I should try? Challenge me by leaving your idea in the comments section below!

lifestyle choices

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: active, activities, adult, boredom, bucket list, carpe diem, celebrate, create, DIY, do it yourself, family, fun, games, hacks, health, hobby, ideas, life, lifestyle, list, living, monotony, mood, routine, skills, things to do

13 Tips to Host an Unforgettable St. Patrick’s Day Party

March 19, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

It’s been awhile since you’ve seen all your best buds. You’d love to get together with your family. Everyone is so busy it seems. How will you ever get to see them all? Time to host a party!

When you send out an invite for a party, the fun has only just begun or should I say “work.” For the host, there are a number of things to do to prepare for an unforgettable party from choosing an entertaining theme to preparing the food. If you prepare for the party, it is less stressful than you think. Start early!

Known for throwing a pretty fun St. Patrick’s Day party (hey, that’s what the guests have said:-), I’ve done a better job each year because we remember what worked from year to year. If you’re someone who wants your party to be remembered for years to come, you must keep in mind these essential tips.

  1. Send out an enthusiastic invitation (Facebook Events works best) at least a month in advance. Sure, many of your guests will wait until the week prior to your party to RSVP thanks to your friendly reminder post, but the point is that they’ve been thinking about going since receiving your invite. You’ll get a bigger turn out if you invite friends well in advance if they have a real chance to schedule a sitter. If you create buzz by posting the food menu or last year’s photos on Facebook the weeks prior to your event, the more people are inclined to want to come to the party!
  2. Decorate every room of your house according to your party’s theme and don’t forget the front porch and backyard space (assuming it’s warm enough for your party.) The enthusiasm for your party never waivers if guests continue to see visual reminders of your party even if in the bathroom. Seriously! I even lead my guests downstairs to the photo booth by adding decorations to the stairwell.

    Keeping with the party theme, I added a banner and St. Patrick’s Day coins to the stair’s landing area leading guests to more entertainment options in the basement.
  3. Menu plan delicious food that most people love and do it early. Add in thematic recipes ideas too. Create a list of theme-inspired dishes and cocktails at least two weeks before the party so you can plan your shopping trip. If you walk into the store with a list, you’ll spend less money on impulsive items you think you “need.”
  4. Don’t forget that not everyone drinks alcohol. Provide infused water or ice tea for non-drinkers. Better yet, declare that your party is BYOB and then you have no worries other than filling coolers with ice and some spare koozies. There ya go!
  5. Be a thoughtful host. Don’t forget to shop for and prepare the “little things” that some hosts forget. Do you have enough lined trash cans in high traffic areas of your house? Extra toilet paper and hand soap stocked in the guest bathroom? Enough chairs?
  6. Make sure every guest can eat. Don’t forget that guests with food allergies should know what they’re eating. Is your best friend gluten free? Place small upright cards near each serving plate and crockpot labeling what is in the dish. For example, you should write “Dried apricots with goat cheese, rosemary, and almonds” not “fruit with cheese.”

    Serve prepped small bites or appetizers so guests can grab and go from the kitchen. Keep your guests moving! This appetizer is made of sliced English cucumber topped with horseradish dill cream cheese and smoked salmon.
  7. The food must not run out! Serve enough food that everyone gets to eat and so you’re not stuck in the kitchen refilling dishes. Plan enough food for unexpected guests. Someone will invariably bring someone that wasn’t on the guest list. Oh, and if you don’t want everyone to stick to the kitchen area, place snacks like Chex Mix or chips around your home in decorative dishes. Put the drink station outdoors if the weather is nice.
  8. Provide multiple spaces for entertainment. It’s not okay to simply serve food and hope people will stick around. Even if they are the talkative type, eventually people will run out of things to chat about. People love to do things together at a party! Set the scene. Play music or turn on the TV. It’s unnerving to walk into a quiet house where the host is still prepping food. Make your party a high energy fun zone. Set up outdoor games like bocce ball, ladder ball or a pinata. Place a selfie stick on the living room table. Set up a photo booth in an unused space of your home or in the garage. Don’t forget to provide a heaping basket of photo props and instructions for how to use the camera!
    Set up a backdrop, some makeshift lights, and plenty of photo props and your homemade photo booth is ready. It’s as close to hiring a professional photo booth company as it’s going to get. Ha!

    Your guests will entertain themselves as long as there are activities planned for them to do and set up indoors and outside of your party.
  9. Be a social butterfly. As the host, you should make sure you talk to everyone in attendance at least once or twice. Yep, this task can be tough but no one wants to come to your party and just talk to your uncle John the whole time. Make the effort to keep conversations fun but brief. Just let whomever you’re talking to that you’ve got to “keep making the rounds.”
  10. Don’t forget to be the “hired” photographer. As host, carry your phone in your back pocket. When the time is right, snap photos of friends during candid moments like when you caught them in the middle of a good laugh. Group selfie anyone? Friends often forget to shoot pictures at your party and regret it later.
  11. Expect someone to bring their kids (or their dog) even when it’s an all adults party. Babysitters back out at the last minute. Be ready to provide a doggy water dish on the deck or coloring pages for small children to do. The parents will thank you!
  12. Prepare gifts for your guests for when they arrive and take home gifts for when they leave. Fill small bags with colored candies, a travel bottle of wine or cupcakes and set the gifts near the door. Place a note nearby reminding each guest to “Take One. Thanks for coming to our party!”
  13. Keep the fun going even after the party is over. Upload any photos from your party to social media within 24 hours and tag everyone who appears in them. People look forward to seeing themselves with friends having fun from the night before or from their moment in the photo booth. Remember that hosting a party doesn’t have to feel like work if you follow a plan and execute it well. Heck, it’s supposed to be fun so get in on the action and enjoy yourself too! What tips do you have for the ultimate shin-dig? Post your must-do ideas in the comments section below. Check out ODL Instagram for more photos from my 4th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party.

PS. Don’t forget to invite me to your next party! I bring yummy food and a hostess gift.

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: appetizers, backyard, celebrate, entertaining, entertainment, Facebook, memorable, menu planning, music, outdoors, party, party favors, photo booth, shin dig, yard games

20 Fun Kid-Free Things for Couples to do During the Winter

December 13, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

  1. Take yourselves on a Christmas light tour mission. Your mission is to find the yard with the largest holiday inflatables, park the car, and take a selfie with fat inflatable reindeer.
  2. Stop by a party decor store and buy wintertime props for a photo booth. Then head to a friend’s house, ring the doorbell, and sing a Christmas carol while wearing the props. Who doesn’t love a a couple singing in Santa hats and glasses toting a bottle of wine to share?
  3. Find matching massage chairs at your local big box store and enjoy a free 20 minute massage while you pretend to care to buy one.
  4. Bring your own travel size Irish cream liquor to the coffee shop. Spike your coffees when no one is looking. You’ll giggle like you’re a teen again. Risky.
  5. Find an empty parking lot and spin out doing donuts in the icy snow. Then, actually go out for donuts.
  6. Swing by the grocery store and buy dollar movie candy on your way to the theater. The twist is that you must not show one another what you’ve bought for them until seated in the theater. Should you choose to also sneak in beverages, say beer perhaps, but be sure to open the cans during loud scenes so you’re secret boozing goes undetected. Of course, decide who the designated driver is before you start your movie theater antics.
  7. Bundle up on a snowy day, head to the park, and make snow angels. Don’t forget your selfie stick.
  8. Go to an indoor sports park and compete against each other on the rope swings and see who can jump the wildest into the foam pit. Grab a pizza on your way home since you’re bound to work up a an appetite. You don’t want to ruin the fun should someone get hangry.
  9. Pack a gym bag and head to the YMCA to sit in the hot sauna together. Hot tub anyone?
  10. Find an area of your town that the local shuttle or trolley travels through and hop on and off at locations you’ve never visited.
  11. Attend a Final Friday art exhibit. It’s been awhile since you sat in art class. Go get your critique on.
  12. Declare today your dog’s birthday (or second birthday if you actually know their birthday) and take your fuzzy mutt on a trip to the pet store to pick out a toy and bag of treats. Happy Birthday to your fur baby!
  13. Build a snow igloo. (Everyone builds a snowman. Boring!) Think of your igloo as a fort in the snow. Better yet, build two snow walls to use as defense during an intense snowball fight.
  14. Make a cheese, meat, and fruit tray. Pour some vino and have Happy Hour by the fireplace.
  15. Go to The Dollar Store or Tuesday Morning and buy a summer landscape puzzle to complete together while your favorite summer playlists blares in the background. You’ll be dreaming of summer and conjuring warm thoughts in no time.
  16. Play a game I’ve coined called The Cheer-Up Challenge. When you’re out shopping for the holidays or in an airport, make an effort to smile at strangers. (Do it naturally when you happen to lock eyes otherwise they may think you’re unnaturally happy aka “weird.”) Make it a competition to see how many people each of you can get to smile back. The winner, at the end of the time declared, buys a sweet treat for the other. Kindness keeps giving!
  17. Watch a documentary on Netflix. Learning and lounging, yea!
  18. Search online for an all-adult tropical vacation destination. May I recommend Mexico all-inclusive resort? Book it then celebrate with fajitas for dinner.
  19. Visit Barnes and Nobles and pick out books for one another based on each other’s likes. Grab a blanket and snuggle up on the couch to read.
  20. Have a White Elephant gift exchange for two. Exchange zany, cheap gifts for one another.

Admittedly, these date ideas are random and that’s what makes them fun. The ideas require you to tap into your kid-at-heart spirit. Sure, you can rent a movie or watch evening television indoors with your significant other. But you’ve already done that, right? Instead, smile until your cheeks hurt while trying something spontaneous. Which date idea will you try this winter?

Let me know what ideas you have fun for a kid-less wintertime date night in the comment section below. I’d love new ideas!

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: adult, celebrate, Christmas, date, date night, fun, holiday, ideas, kid-free, Netfilx, no kids, shopping, snow, snowy day, weekend, winter, winter activities

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Hello! I'm Vanessa. Welcome to One Delightful Life, a blog created to add more delight to your life with delicious recipes, travel destinations, and lifestyle improvement ideas. Thanks for exploring my blog!

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