Winter Archives - Page 4 of 5

The Grey Sweater With Bell Sleeves

December 5, 2016

Happy Monday everyone! Even though the first of December was last week, but it officially marks the start of the holiday party season. Other than the ugly sweater party you should always have a few tops on hand for all party occasions. I went into Zara last month and picked up this amazing bell sleeved grey sweater top and when I tell you it’s soft like butter I truly mean it! This top is warm enough to be a sweater, but it isn’t super thick that when you are inside you feel like you are going to overheat. That is one dilemma I have learned from living in New York is yes you need those sweaters for winter, but be prepared to go into a restaurant or a bar where they have the heat turned all the way up. I personally didn’t see this top online so I was surprised to see it in the store as majority of the popular items are also online, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only difficult thing about this top is when you are putting on your jacket. When putting on your jacket you have to hold the sleeves together in order for the top not to ride up to your elbows, but other than that it is perfect. I have since worn this top with black jeans, leather shorts, with a leather skirt tucked in and even a pair of ripped denim jeans. When looking for a holiday sweater top I suggest neutral colors such as heather grey, charcoal grey, black and a medium tone of beige. Those will be the easiest for you to match with a multitude of outfits. Even if you wear the same top multiple times like I previously said I have since paired it with different bottoms and also different shoes and honestly no one can tell the difference. You can also dress it up with some different jewelry and make it your own. Hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Monday. <3

Steals & Deals – Today Show Robe

December 2, 2016

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great week and are enjoying this beautiful weather outside in New York City. Now my Mom always knows what the weather is like in New York based upon what Matt Lauer is wearing and she called me today to tell me about this amazing robe they had on air at a fraction of the cost! It’s a plush unisex robe that comes in a few colors at only $65! If you click on this link right here Robe from Today Show and enter in the code TODAYROBE it will give you your discount! Now I don’t know about anyone else, but in winter a robe is a must. I personally have been looking for a robe myself so hopefully my mom got the hint today when she called me to tell me about this one 🙂 . Hope everyone has a great weekend and stays warm! <3

Image taken from Today Show website

My Go To Winter Bag – LV

December 1, 2016

Happy Thursday and happy first day of December! It’s crazy how much time has flown by and we are almost in 2017! So you all still have some time to think of your New Year’s resolutions, but until then let’s end 2016 with a bang! One of the things that I noticed when moving to New York City is that especially with the snow and rain and all the different weather climates you need a bag that is weatherproof for all of them. Especially a bag that if you need something while it is snowing outside you don’t have to dig around inside to find what you are looking for. I got this bag a few years ago from Louis Vuitton and since then they have revamped it a little to include different colors and handles to match the color inside. The Pallas bag also now comes in a smaller version as well. This bag comes with the general shoulder strap if you don’t want to wear with just the normal handles. Louis Vuitton is also offering for purchase a longer strap if you want to wear the bag cross body or just other different shoulder straps for all of their bags in the store. This allows you to change up your normal bag that you may have had for years with a new accessory to it. I personally love this bag because first off it has a zipper on top, but the side pockets are easily accessible especially when it is snowing heavily outside and need to get something fast. This is my go to bag for everyday during the winter and even the smaller version of this bag is a great size for everyday wear this winter. Check out the Louis Vuitton website for all the different color options that they have. I personally would go with a darker color, but it’s all up to personal preference. Hope everyone has a great day!

Louis Vuitton Website

Fitness Tuesday- Bagels & Squats

November 29, 2016

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Can not believe that November is almost over and it’s now officially Holiday Season! As I have previously posted one of my favorite new workouts that I go to at least once a week is Fhitting Room. I love that every time I go it is something different. Even if you do the same exercise again like the rowing machine they always find a way to change it up. Now since Fhitting room is currently only in New York I found a video posted by Bagels & Squats that shows 12 different ways to work out your arms without the use of any weights! As I was watching the video I said to my mom sitting next to me that these were all workouts I did in my Fhitting Room classes. Then low and behold at the end of the video it says that the exercises were provided by Emily Cook Harris an instructor at The Fhitting Room. The video was posted by Self Magazine as well. If you go to Bagels & Squats facebook page here the video was posted on June 6th of this year. Hope everyone has a great day and did a lot of good shopping yesterday on Cyber Monday. Some of the sites are even continuing their sales today so if you didn’t snag an item that you forgot yesterday check and see if they are still offering Cyber Monday sales on the site. <3

Here is the link to the Facebook Page for Bagels & Squats

Thanksgiving Week! Travel Necessities <3

November 21, 2016

Happy Monday Everyone! This week is Thanksgiving and if you are one of the millions of people traveling this holiday there are a few things you are going to have to remember. Personally for me I know that I have some clothes at home in Miami, but there are the few things that I know that I want to bring with me. For starters the worst thing to do over Thanksgiving is to check a bag. I hate checking bags especially when it’s a major holiday because every single time that I have in the past somehow the airline loses my luggage. Last year the airline put it on the flight after mine even though I was checked in over 2 hours ahead for my flight. That was not fun at all! So I try and pack my bag with the things I know that I don’t have at home. For example I always bring a pair of sneakers with me incase I want to work out. I know many of you may say you aren’t going to work out while you are home, but when you live in New York City and it is so cold out the nicest thing to do is simply go for a walk outside in warm sunny Miami. You also want to save some room in your bag incase like me you do a little shopping while you are home, but don’t worry a lot of the stores offer free shipping if you shop this weekend and in the past I have done that to avoid having to carry so many things back with me. Now I normally fly early in the morning the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but this year I chose to take a late flight instead. If you are on an airline that offers you to pay $20 to board first… DO IT! It is money well spent! Even though I do fly often I somehow never get priority boarding and by the time they even get to the first group boarding it seems that almost the entire plane is on board and then there is no overhead compartment space for your bag. Especially since I am flying with Stella I always like to get on the plane first in order to get her situated. The other thing you always need is an external battery charger. Now I purchased one of those small pill one’s in Best Buy a few months ago and it is amazing! Especially if you get delayed on the tarmac and your plane isn’t one of the new ones with charging outlets in between the seats the worst thing that can happen to you is have your phone, Ipad, kindle and or computer die on you before you even land. It has been a huge life saver for me every single time I have flown. Also the real important thing not to forget other than your ID is your headphones. One of my best friends one year forgot her headphones at home and she was stuck in the airport delayed for 6+ hours! After hour 4 she went to a Best Buy kiosk and purchased headphones. Always remember that if you forget something and you are going home that you can always buy it! Just don’t forget your essentials: glasses, contacts, socks, underwear, phone charger, kindle / Ipad charger, headphones, make up, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, floss and of course your ID. Happy travels everyone! Safe flights <3

White Body-Suit: Wolford

November 20, 2016

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone had a great weekend and is gearing up for Thanksgiving this week! Crazy how the year has truly flown by. One of the biggest trends that I have seen come to fruition the past 3 years, are bodysuits. If you ask my mom she will say she has been wearing bodysuits for years and even got me one while I was in college and I rarely wore it, but now I wear it all the time! There are so many different tops especially during winter that I need to wear a solid tank underneath, but a tank top just doesn’t lay right under some of them and even when you do tuck it into your pants if you are wearing leggings, that isn’t an option, and if you are wearing jeans you still see the shirt and it gives an awkward feeling when you are wearing them. The solution is bodysuits, but for me I prefer the string bodysuits vs the ones that are full coverage. The reason again I say this is because no women wants to have panty lines, but also you don’t want to feel like you are wearing a leotard even more so than you are by wearing a bodysuit. I have also noticed that most of the full coverage bodysuits do not have a snap closure at the bottom so if you are out and need to use the restroom then that is going to be a bit of a project for you. Hope everyone has a great Sunday and stays warm on this chilly day in New York City <3

Leather Leggings

November 19, 2016

Happy Saturday Everyone! Now, when you have worn those black pair of jeans for the 50th time this season you ask yourself “is there another option tonight other than wearing another pair of black jeans?” The answer is: yes, there is! A lot of designers over the past few years have started to make leather pants or faux leather pants for those of us that don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on them. The pair that I am wearing is from Paige denim and the front of the leggings are leather and the back are a stretchy thick legging material. For me every time I think of full leather pants I think of that episode of Friends where Ross decides to purchase a pair and then can’t get them back on during his date with a girl. That is literally my worst nightmare, but these have the best of both worlds. They have the comfort of a legging but then they have the edgy look of leather on top of it. These are a few years old, but there are other designers that have made similar pairs recently. If you are interested in getting a pair of leather leggings here are my suggestions. If you don’t want it to look like leggings, opt for a pair that at the waist they have belt loops to make it look like they are leather pants. Second, if you are going for a faux pair try them on in store or just find them in the store even if you know your size. Some faux leather leggings are great price wise and may look great pictured online from the different online retailers, however, when you get them in the store or in the mail if you are ordering online they don’t have the same shine to them as you thought. I personally bought a pair from Amazon recently and when I got them in the mail they looked almost identical to the shiny pair of leggings that I purchased in the past from American Apparel, but the pair from American Apparel were double the price! Thankfully the pair I purchased was returnable, but I have had so many friends that purchased pairs from the fast fashion website like Gilt and Ruelala and they were not returnable so now they are sadly stuck with them. Remember also, if it is a legging it will be more comfortable to wear in general because leather pants don’t have much give in them so if they are tight on you now then they will continue to be tight on you forever. Check out these retailers for some of their selection of leather leggings.

Steals & Deals: Iphone Charging Bracelet

November 18, 2016

Happy Friday! This being the last Friday before Black Friday Sales I have taken the liberty of finding something that I know everyone will love, but I also hope will go on sale next week. We all have our cell phones and there is always the dreaded question whenever you are out to ask someone who works there if there is someplace you can charge your phone. In the past, I have purchased the external battery cases that attach to your phone’s original case. I loved them and swore by them, but now I have the Iphone 6S plus and those cases just make my phone so much bigger than it already is so I needed to find another solution. I didn’t want to carry those pill chargers all the time even though I do have one and I carry it in my everyday purse, but when I go out at night I didn’t want that battery pill to take up precious space in my small bag. The solution: a charger that can also be your accessory. Now, in the past I have seen other retailers / designers make wearable charging tech and to be perfectly honest I didn’t like the way they looked. I didn’t think there was anything unique to their look and I wanted something that could match with everything. These amazing monogram Iphone charging bracelets from Mark and Graham are amazing! Not only can you customize them by putting your initials on the bracelet, but they are classic. They look like normal silver and gold bangles and it also comes in a matte black version as well. Personally when I first saw them online and without having read the description, I just thought they were normal monogrammed bangles, but to my surprise they were also chargers. At $150 I think this is a great stocking stuffer for your friends this holiday season. It is something that you can make custom for your friend, but also ensure that your friend will always have a charger on them on those long nights out on the town. Hope everyone had a great week <3

Mark And Graham Website

The Best Moisturizer For Your Dry Skin

November 17, 2016

Happy Thursday! Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but growing up in Florida I always wore sunscreen, but once I went to school in Arizona and then moving to New York I have had to do more than that. Especially with the changing seasons in New York, I noticed that my skin would get very dry, particularly my legs. I have tried probably every trick in the book. There were articles that said by shaving at night and at the end of your shower, and with a specific shaving cream with baby powder helped with dry skin. The result:the baby powder shaving cream y does help, but not enough if you shave your legs everyday. I also tried using a loofa and scrubs on my legs once a week thinking that it would relieve the dry skin. The result:the loofa helped, but then my legs would be so red after scrubbing them that I felt like I was peeling off so many layers of skin it hurt. The answer to this is to find an unscented lotion that has coconut oil in it. Coconut oil is honestly the best thing ever! I use it to cook, but it also helps with sunburns and with dry skin. Depending on the day and what I have going on, if I am staying in for the day post morning workout, then after I shower I pat dry my legs so they aren’t fully dry and then apply the lotion all over my legs and feet. Yes you heard me, I said feet too. After that, I put on a thick pair of socks and sweatpants. I do wait a few minutes to let the moisturizer set in and I have noticed a tremendous change in my skin. If you live somewhere that it is warm out then I recommend finding a lotion that has no scent, but also has SPF in it. My face moisturizer has SPF in it. It is very important to protect your skin. This is the one skin that you have for your life and you want to make sure that it is well taken care of. Hope everyone has a great day <3

Hump Day Treat: Banana Bread

November 16, 2016

Happy Wednesday! Today’s Hump Day Treat is one of my favorite recipes thanks to my Mom. My Mom is known for her cooking amongst all of our family and friends, but if you ask any of my friends this is one of their favorite treats that she would make for us when we had some left over bananas. Now if you want to make banana bread one of the main things you need to remember is you don’t need to use super old bananas, but it does help when they are a little bit brown on the outside. You can also make this recipe into banana muffins or keep it as the traditional loaf of banana bread. Here is what you will need:

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar

½ c ( 1 stick) unsalted butter

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, well beaten

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 ¼ c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

½ tsp salt

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.Put the sugar and butter and butter together and mix it well in a mixing bowl

3.Add bananas, eggs and vanilla.

4.Blend well all the ingredients

5.Sift flour, baking soda and salt together

6.Add to mixture and stir thoroughly

7.Pour into greased 8 x 4 inch loaf pan

8.Bake approximately 70 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

9.Remove from pan

10.Cool completely on cooling rack before slicing

Hope everyone enjoys this delicious treat! <3

(image taken from google)