AOK Guide to Yellowstone

Amanda's OK Travel Guide to Yellowstone National Park

The earth is really neat, you guys. I recently visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time and was completely awestruck at its insane geological features and topographical beauty! After traveling internationally the last couple of years and being forced to stay in the US in 2020 due to covid, I was really pleased to find such unique and inspiring sights in my own country. Yellowstone is mostly located in the northwest corner of Wyoming and was established as the first ever national park in 1872. It is filled with hydrothermal features, geologic wonders and a ton of wildlife in their natural habitat. 


I have really struggled with the best way to put this guide together! I was so overwhelmed while planning this trip.... Yellowstone is HUGE and there is beauty around every corner, how could we see it all?! When I was planning, I had a hard timing knowing how long each sight would take, the best order to see things in and the drive time between sights. I decided to break this Guide to Yellowstone down into 1) what sights to see in the park and 2) further breaking down those sights into a two-three day itinerary. I hope it makes sense and gives you some good insight! 


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AOK Guide to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

AOK Guide to Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Travel blogger Amanda Martin hikes to Delta Lake in the Grand Tetons

Howdy, friends! I just got back from my first real vacation in a year and ya'll, my cup is FULL! 2020 has been such a strange season of life...it's hard to make it as a travel and lifestyle blogger when you can't really travel! I obviously knew I missed traveling but being able to go somewhere made me realize just how vital travel is to my overall happiness and preferred lifestyle. It was SO needed and I enjoyed every single second to the fullest. Traveling allows me to appreciate earth and life in such a special way!


Traveling internationally wasn't an option this year and due to covid, C and I wanted to travel somewhere new that offered social distancing and outdoorsy activities so we could feel a bit better about taking a vacation. Wyoming and its wide open spaces seemed like the perfect option! We spent a week visiting both Jackson Hole, Wyoming (along with the Grand Teton National Park) and Yellowstone (I'll be doing a Yellowstone National Park post next so stay tuned for that). Jackson has been on my bucket list ever since I was a teenager! I met a guy at summer camp from Jackson and it was love at first sight (LOL)....he told me he was an Abercrombie model and I believed him. From that point on, I would search Zillow for ranch homes and log cabins mansions in Wyoming and dream about riding horses across the open fields with mountain view in the distance. It was everything I dreamed of and more! 


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Clear Aligner Q+A | My First 2 Weeks with Lewis Orthodontics

OKC blogger Amanda Martin shares her experience with clear aligners at Lewis Orthodontics

When I was a kid, I wanted hot pink braces SO BAD because all my friends had them. I magically had a perfectly straight smile that never required braces. At the time I felt so left out of the club, like I was being cheated out of a major childhood / life experience. What was I thinking?! I laugh at my naivety. I was truly blessed. I should have been voted "Best Smile" in my yearbook because I had dimples and perfect teeth. It turns out, though, that around the ripe ol' age of 30 (and again around 60) your teeth can shift. Who knew!? Mine decided to do just that and after 30 years of having the perfect smile, they went rogue. It was only two teeth and wasn't overly noticeable to anyone other than me, but it started to really bug me when I saw pictures or watched myself talking in a video (I'm sort of a perfectionist, it's probably my greatest flaw).


Insert: Lewis Orthodontics in Edmond, Okla. Dr. Lewis reached out to me about working with them and I jumped at the chance. I wanted to get out ahead of the problem and hopefully prevent it from getting worse as I get older....so, here I am. Thirty years old and getting braces for the first time. It is never too late to straighten your teeth and luckily in today's world, there are a lot of options to do it discreetly. I no longer want those hot pink bands (LOL) or anything noticeable so I opted for clear aligners

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AOK Guide to Bentonville, Arkansas

Travel blogger Amanda Martin shares a weekend travel guide to Bentonville, Arkansas

Hello from Bentonville, Arkansas! This post has been on my to-do list for entirely too long. My parents moved to Northwest Arkansas about four years ago....and it is total a hidden gem. I love to visit and explore the area. It is jam packed with good food, shopping and outdoor activities. Bentonville is known as the birthplace and headquarters of Walmart but the city is so much more than that. It boasts a unique aesthetic that I can only describe as historical southern charm mixed with eclectic hipster vibes. 

Arkansas is the "Natural State" and Bentonville is located in the Northwest corner of the state on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. It is absolutely beautiful (especially in the fall) with tons of trees, hills, lakes, rivers, trails and curvy roads. It is an easy drive from Oklahoma, North Texas, Missouri, Kansas or even western Tennessee. There are also lots of other small towns surrounding it including Rogers, Bella Vista, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville and Springdale, all which are charming in their own ways! 
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A Beginner's Guide to Renting a Camper

Travel blogger Amanda Martin rents a travel trailer to camp in Oklahoma
This is a post I never thought I'd be writing....2020 really changes a person! A year or two back, a company reached out to me and asked me to do a sponsored post about renting an RV. I politely declined and said I wasn't interested and that it didn't really fit my personal style of travel.....then COVID happened. Insert face palm emoji. I haven't left the state of Oklahoma since early February and I'm going stir crazy! When you can't travel anywhere exciting on an airplane and you live in the middle of the country in a landlocked state with no fun cities, beaches or mountain ranges within a reasonable driving distance, what are you supposed to do?! Rent a RV/camper/travel trailer and head to the lake, that's what! These days, the smallest change of scenery can do wonders for your mental state.

A group of my friends planned a socially distanced weekend trip to Lake Tenkiller in Eastern Oklahoma. The other families going had RVs, so C and I decided to rent one and join them! We used Outdoorsy.com to find a travel trailer that was small enough to pull behind my 4-Runner. I hadn't been camping in YEARS; I honestly wasn't sure how I would feel about it. Luckily having the camper made it super comfortable and enjoyable despite the summer heat and I never once felt like we were "roughing it." I can totally see the appeal of having a camper and I would absolutely rent one again! 
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OKC Date Night Ideas

OKC Lifestyle blogger Amanda Martin shares OKC Date Night Ideas


Hi, hello! It has sure been a while! I have been a #badblogger lately and have not been staying on top of posting regularly but with covid happening....can you blame me? I had the goal/aspiration of making this more of a travel blog and less of a fashion blog but let me tell you.....it is really hard to do that when you can't travel safely! I keep reminding myself that travel doesn't always have to be across the country or around the world....exploring your home state can be just as exciting and touristing in your own city can give you a whole new perspective! 


I originally started Amanda's OK with the intent of sharing solely about Oklahoma and although I've branched [way] out since then, I think it's important to remember my roots. I love sharing how cool OKC has become / is becoming and I know so many of you have found me via my local posts. I've had a lot of requests on Instagram for more Okie content like OKC date night ideas, tips for moving to OKC or socially distanced weekend getaways in Oklahoma, so that's what I'm going to focus on until I'm able to travel somewhere new again. If you have suggestions or ideas for other Okie content you would like to see, please leave a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram

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Okie Sweet Tea Slush

blogger Amanda's OK shares a recipe for a frozen Arnold Palmer cocktail using Red Diamond Iced Tea

Happy [almost] Memorial Day Weekend! Memorial Day marks the start of summer and to me, summer means iced tea! In preparation for the long weekend, I created a tasty three-ingredient cocktail slush recipe using Red Diamond Ready-to-Drink Iced Tea that I’ve named the “Okie Sweet Tea Slush,” aka an adult Arnold Palmer slushie. Whatever your weekend holds, this drink would be the perfect addition…it’s refreshing, simple and delicious, plus it would be easy to make a kid-friendly version - just omit the alcohol!

While grocery shopping, I always grab a gallon of Red Diamond Ready-to-Drink Iced Tea to keep on hand; it is made with simple, real ingredients and it always hits the spot. My go-to afternoon pick-me-up is their Sugar-Free Sweet Tea because it tastes great while being guilt free and zero calorie since it is sweetened with Splenda. Red Diamond also offers Ready-to-Drink gallons of unsweet tea and regular sweet tea - both are equally as delicious. They’d all pair perfectly with a Memorial Day backyard BBQ, whether enjoyed straight from the gallon or made into an Okie Sweet Tea Slush!
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Get Ready with Me | IGTV Make Up & Hair Tutorial

OKC blogger Amanda Martin of Amanda's OK shares her getting ready routine for hair and makeup to create a natural glowy look

Hi, friends! WOW, times have changed since my last post, eh? With COVID-19 lock downs and quarantines going on, my 2020 travel plans came to an abrupt halt. Sooo, while I am stuck at home, I thought it would be a great time to work on some content that has been on my back burner.

I haven't been doing my hair or makeup much throughout quarantine....I mean, let's be real, why bother? It has been so nice and refreshing to let my skin breath and keep heat off my hair! The few times I have done a light makeup look, though, I received a lot of compliments and requests on Instagram stories for a tutorial. Honestly, I'm a little shocked but so flattered! I am NOT a makeup pro at all and don't know what I'm doing! I've also been receiving requests for loose curl tutorials ever since I cut my hair. Since I have so much time on my hands during daylight hours now, I finally recorded both tutorials and posted them to IGTV on @amandasOK in a "Get Ready with Me" IGTV video!
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A Girls Weekend in Frisco, Texas

Travel blogger Amanda Martin's weekend guide to Frisco, Texas
Shop this outfit here!

Howdy, ya'll! You may or may not know this, but I grew up in Texas and didn't move to Oklahoma until college. Oklahoma is where my heart is but Texas will forever feel like home. I consider Argyle/Denton to be my hometown since it is where I grew up and went to high school but I lived in Frisco when I was a little girl and it holds some pretty awesome memories, as well. So, that being said, when Visit Frisco reached out to me and offered to host me for a weekend trip, I knew I had to jump at the chance to go "home."

Since I was heading back to my roots, I asked my mom to go with me! Girl's weekend getaways are always good for the soul and Frisco was the perfect destination as it was only a few hours drive away from both Oklahoma and Arkansas (where my parents live now). Frisco has changed a LOT since we lived there in the 90's....I remember when Preston Road was two lanes and had cow fields on either side! Now-a-days, Frisco is a lively, bustling little city filled with upscale shopping, restaurants, the Dallas Cowboys practice facility and so much more. I'm including all the places we visited below.

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AOK Guide to Sedona, Arizona

travel blogger Amanda's OK guide to sedona, arizona

Hey, what's up, hello! Long time no blog post, eh? I have taken a little step back from blogging (and social media in general) in 2020 and it has been so refreshing. It has allowed me to focus on figuring out my new job, nurturing my marriage and learning to love life and myself again. All good things! I have very much enjoyed my two month blogging break.... it reminded me that it's OK to spend little less of my time with my face in my phone/computer. That being said, I still value this little corner of the internet and love getting to share my life and travels with you all....whether that be in my own backyard, around Oklahoma, around the country or around the world! I kind of want to shift my blog to me more travel focused moving forward as that is where I find the most inspiration and feel the most passion!

For my 30th birthday C and I spent a long weekend in Sedona, Arizona and absolutely fell in love. It was one of those places that truly took our breath away. It was not only beautiful, but peaceful, relaxing, active, delicious.....all the things. I can say without a doubt that Sedona is one of the most beautiful places I've seen in the United States (and I've seen a lot of places). I can't recommend it enough!

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