Last week, I flew back to Pennsylvania for a few days to celebrate Thanksgiving at home. I am a true believer that there is no place like home for the holidays. I can't wait to be done with finals and back home again for Christmas. But for now, I'm studying my life away and daydreaming of an evening trip to Pittsburgh Nolan and I took while I was home. He treated {spoiled me} to Eddie Merlot's, where I ate the best shrimp of my life. Then, we admired the giant Christmas tree in PPG Place surrounded by the bustling ice skating rink. My clumsy self thankfully made it out of there without lacing up a skate!

We ended the evening at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden. My favorite! If you're near Pittsburgh during the holiday season, I absolutely recommend visiting Phipps. The Winter Flower Show and Light Garden: Days of Snow and Nights Aglow is beautiful, festive, and a must see!

Saturday was my second time being at Phipps. However, I admired the botanical gardens with a whole new appreciation this time. This semester, I took a course called socio-horticulture. The entire class was centered around people and plant interactions. You're probably thinking, what is that girl learning down there in Texas? Well, the biggest takeaway from the course is that plants have the ability to positively impact our moods. My whole life I've seen the effects of winters in western Pennsylvania. They can drain a person. The bare trees, dead plants, and abundance of snow and slush hardly contribute to a positive outlook on life. But we are lucky because we have this beautiful, world renowned green oasis nestled right in our backyards!

So, if you're looking for something to do this holiday season, we highly recommend a trip to Phipps. Not only is it beautiful, but from what I learned this semester, a little time surrounded by luscious botanical gardens will only do you good!

In case you still need some persuading, here are some of our photos from the evening!