Cheers to 26

I apologize for the blogging silence recently! I had a final paper and exam in my grad school class (just found out I got an A!), and working for a university means that all hands are on deck for graduation day. In the meantime, I  turned 26! Twenty-five was a pretty big year: we bought our first home, I started MBA grad school and made it through three classes and we took a bunch of trips—St. Louis, Birmingham, San Francisco and Nashville, to name a few.

I feel as though 25 was a challenging year (anything that involves me and finance is challenging), in a good way that included learning a lot of new things.

So, I thought I'd toast the arrival of 26 with a mint julep—in the new monogrammed mint julep cups Andrew ordered for my birthday! Mint juleps are a classic southern drink, and the most simple ones have just four ingredients.

Classic Mint Julep

7 fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon simple syrup
2 oz. bourbon
Crushed ice

1.) Combine mint leaves, syrup and bourbon in a mint julep cup and crush, using a muddler, the end of a wooden spoon or some other object.

2.) Fill cup with crushed ice.

3.) Stir gently to combine.

4.) That's it! Enjoy!

Cheers to 26. This year, I hope to run a half marathon, continue my MBA work, improve my public speaking skills, study for my APR (accreditation in public relations) and, of course do fun things like travel! We are off to the beach next week for the first of two summer trips, so traveling will be off to a good start.

How do you ring in a new year? Do you have any great drink recipes we should try?

Best Subscription Box Ever

Ok, so it's not quite a box. And, it's kind of for guys. Actually, it is definitely for guys. But it's the best monthly mail subscription Andrew and I have tried, and we've sampled quite a few.

Meet Dollar Shave Club.

You may have already heard of it. Inc. just named Dollar Shave Club to its top 25 "Most Audacious" companies for its viral YouTube video "Our Blades are F***ing Great," which has more than 10 million hits and cost a fraction of what more established brands spend on marketing.

It's really simple. Select one of three razors: The Humble Twin ($1 monthly for five razor cartridges), the 4X "Lover's Blade" ($6 monthly for four cartridges) or the Executive ($9 monthly for four  cartridges). Your first package includes the handle and blades, and then Dollar Shave Club automatically charges your card each month and ships your new blades before you've had a chance to run out or use the same dull blade for six months. Genius!

I bought Andrew a subscription for his birthday in October because he was always running out of razors. Specifically, I chose the 4X Lover's Blade because I am the guilty party in this description:

 

Seventy-two dollars for a year's worth razor cartridges? Yes please! Even with added shipping and handling, that's way cheaper than what he used to pay at the grocery store. If I wasn't already stealing blades from my husband, I'd order my own.

What's your favorite subscription box? Have you found one that makes your life easier or is just pretty cool in general? Do tell!

(Seriously, do! Subscription boxes are one of my new favorite topics—I get Glambag/Ipsy, the occasional Julep and have tried Birchbox. Andrew subscribed to Birchbox Man for a few months, but $20 was a little out of our price range. What else should we be trying? They are quite convenient when you live in a small town like we do without much access to lots of shopping.)