Categories
Fabulous living

Book Review-Little Fires Everywhere

Hey everyone!

Happy Tuesday. School has been keeping me busy which has left little time for reading. As much as I love to read at the end of the day, after studying and reading all day, sometimes you just need a breather. Luckily, I found a great book that made me want to read even after a full day of studying and classes.

 I know I am late to the game, but I read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I have heard a lot of good things about this book and with the new limited series coming out through Hulu, I knew I wanted to read it before it came out. I was at a book sale a few weeks back and picked up this book and couldn’t wait to get started. 

 First, let’s talk about the casting: Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Joshua Jackson, Jesse Williams and more. This casting made me want to read the book even more. I may just get Hulu to stream the series when it comes out in 2020. 

 Okay, now to the review. I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little over a week to finish it, I would have been done with it earlier but school and work caused me to read it in short installments. I read a little bit every day, some days more than others.

This story follows the lives of the picture-perfect Richardson family and their new mother/daughter tenants, the Warren’s. All seems to go fine when they meet and their children spend time with each other. But as the story goes on secrets are uncovered in both families, people’s pasts are brought into question, and when an adoption of a fellow neighbor goes viral, people must take sides. It’s a very complex book but it’s not confusing. It goes into the pasts of the main characters and other supporting characters are sucked into the plot as well. There are issues of motherhood, doing what’s right, friendship, and community. It takes place in the 1990’s in Cleveland, Ohio but many of the issues that are dealt with in the book could still be applicable today.  There was many twists and turns through the book and you will be wondering if all your questions get answered. The ending took me by surprise, if you have read it, what did you think?

Overall, I would give this book an A-.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was sad when it was over. You know you read a good book when you aren’t ready for it to end. I can’t wait to see the mini-series when it comes out, it will be interested to see how the book compares to the series and what changes they make. 

Have you read any good books lately?! What are your favorites?! Let me know in the comments below. Happy reading friends!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #127

LOTD

Happy Halloween everyone! No matter how old or young you are, I hope you take some time to celebrate Halloween today, whether it’s by dressing up, passing out candy, heading to a costume party or even just watching your favorite scary movie. Today is a fun day that should be filled all treats and no tricks. I will be heading to a fun Halloween dance tomorrow, so unfortunately, I can’t share my costume until next week. It will be worth the wait, I’m excited for this year’s costume, it inexpensive and easy to do at home. I can’t wait to share for next week.

 Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, here’s a new look for today’s look of the day. No matter the season, I always like to dress warm, even in the summer, I typically have a sweater with me. Long sleeves are my go-to. This outfit that I put together is perfect for heading to class for a presentation, a day in the office, a date night, or even Sunday mass. 

Full outfit

Let’s start with the dress. I got it from Old Navy and I love it so much I got it in gray and burgundy. The fabric is thin so you can wear it in any season, winter, spring, summer, and fall. I love cotton dresses, you can dress them up or down, pair it with boots and a jacket for a more casual look or dress it up with tights and heels. I also need to talk about the shape of it, it is loose and flows, so it fits any body type. For today’s look, I decided to go more for the dressier look.

Just the dress

I paired my gray dress with black tights and shoe boots. These shoe boots are from T.J. Maxx and are comfortable and durable. 

I also decided to add more black accents with a scarf and jacket. It was cooler when I was out and about wearing this, so I needed some extra warmth. But, without the black, the dress still works great on its own. 

I love wearing outfits that can be mixed and matched depending on the occasion. This dress was the perfect thing to wear as we head into the cooler months. How are you planning on getting ready for colder weather? 

One last look

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a spooktacular Halloween.

Categories
Fitness

Favorite Health and Fitness Apps

No matter how long you have been following my blog, fitness and staying healthy is a huge part of my life. Whether it’s eating healthy or working out several times a week, I make my health a priority. One of the ways that I keep my health in order is with the help of fitness trackers and apps. Last year, I did a review of my Fit Bit, you can find that here.Today, I’m sharing my favorite health and fitness apps. 

Fit Bit App

 I’m going to keep this short and sweet, first, you don’t to have a fit bit to have the app, I used the app before I had the watch. This is by far my favorite fitness app. It tracks your steps, miles walked, calories burned, and how active you are. It also sends you all notifications whether it’s calendar reminders or text messages or phone calls, it’s super helpful. The app also allows you to track your food and water intake, your weight, and then one of my favorites, your sleep. Tracking my sleep is super important to me. When you wear your fit bit to bed, it monitors how long you are asleep for, and how much time you spend in light sleep, deep sleep, REM, and are awake. It gives you a sleep score every night too. I always find it interesting to see how rested I am. If these are all priorities for you, then this is a great investment. 

The Fit Bit home page with all your stats
Here’s the sleep tracker

Health (Apple version)

If you are Apple die-hard fans and like to utilize everything with Apple, then this would be the App for you. You can use it with the Apple Watch, like the fit bit app, it tracks your steps, miles walked, sleep and how active you are. You can still utilize this app without having the apple watch, I did the same but found it wasn’t as accurate without having the watch on you. For example, my fit bit is more accurate with my steps and working out because I always have my watch on, however, since I don’t have an apple watch the health app isn’t always up to date. If you are an apple lover or have an apple watch, this is the route for you.

The Health app through Apple

Sleep Cycle

The sleep tracker through Sleep Cycle

This falls into the health section of apps. Like I said, I am always intrigued about measuring my sleep. This app is great for tracking sleep, you just turn it on before you go to bed and make sure it’s near you when you are sleeping. It will track how awake you are and how restless you sleep. It also doubles as an alarm clock too. This app is free and it’s simple to use. If you don’t care as much about the fitness and want to focus more on sleep, this is the app for you. 

These are my favorite apps for health and fitness, I will admit that I use the Fit Bit app the most since it meets all my needs and I utilize everything it offers. What are your favorite health and fitness apps? 

I hope this post encourages you to get out there and be active. Have a fabulous week!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #126

LOTD

Hey everyone!

Happy Thursday, I can’t believe next week is Halloween…where has the month of October gone?! I’m ready for all the Halloween activities.

Today’s look of the day is sticking to all the colors of fall. I love navy and a vibrant green, especially in the fall. Now that we are in the midst of fall and the weather that comes with it, I am all about layering clothes, wearing jeans, and boots all the time. This outfit has all those things. Let’s get to it!

I wore my boot cut jeans from Old Navy that I adore. When I was home for fall break, I popped into to see what was new and I got a new pair of their regular cut jeans-my go to after the boot cut jeans. I also picked up some cute fall tops, and a new pair of shoe boots. I can’t wait to share them with you in the next few weeks. Also, Old Navy had so many good sales going on that I couldn’t resist. Now, back to the outfit.

The full outfit

I paired these jeans with a Kelly green sweater that I got from Ralph Lauren, I love the color and the style, the collar is my absolute favorite. Plus, this sweater is so thick and comfortable, you will definitely be warm for the fall and winter months. 

My jacket is another favorite part of this outfit, I got it at Old Navy a few years back and I love it for so many reasons, to start, I love the style and cut of it. It can be worn professionally with dress pants heading to work or worn with jeans for a day out. Also, it is so warm, it’s made from thick fabric so you will definitely be warm.

Up close of the sweater

Lastly, due to my boot cut jeans, I needed a shoe boot, I opted for my black leather ones. They were a great purchase from T.J. Maxx years ago and they have held up so well. 

This outfit is perfect for those chill fall days, whether you are out doing shopping, at a fall festival, or even heading to class. What are your favorite fall colors to wear? 

I hope you all have a toasty warm weekend. 

Categories
Fabulous living

Fall Recipe-Apple Crisp

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and your week is off to a great start. Last week I shared my fall bucket list and one of the things on it was make a fall recipe. When I was home last week for fall break, I made one of my favorite recipes, homemade apple crisp. It is so flavorful and warm for fall. I am sharing how to make it today.

Before

What You Need:

6 large apples

1 and 1/4 cup of Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1 cup of Flour

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

2 Tablespoons of Butter

1 Egg

1 teaspoon of Baking Powder

The original recipe

First slice all your apples and place them in a pan or dish that has cooking spray on it.

Then mix your 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon and mix that with the apple mixture. 

The sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon

Combine your flour, salt, butter, eggs, and 1 cup of sugar and mix thoroughly. Then spread over apple mixture. 

The completed mixture

Once your mixture is complete place in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

After it’s done in the oven, take it out to cool.

I like to serve mine heated with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There is so much flavor and it’s a warm dessert for fall, plus you don’t feel as guilty since you are eating apples. Haha! This is an easy dessert to make for family or friends, it’s simple to put together and easy to serve. All things I am looking for when I am cooking or baking.

Coming out from the oven

I hope you enjoyed today’s recipe, I will have more recipes coming soon. Have a great week!

Ready to enjoy!

What are some of your favorite fall recipes to cook or bake? Do you prefer apple flavored things or pumpkin flavored things?

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #125

LOTD

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday! I can’t believe it is already Thursday. This has been a shorter week for me due to fall break. It was so nice to get home for a break and family time, but now it’s back to work. I had so many fun fall activities over break and I got to break out all the fall clothes, which brings me to today’s look of the day. 

I went to a fall fest over break and it was the perfect occasion to wear browns and burgundy. I started out my outfits with these maroon/burgundy pants from American Eagle. I love how they are pants but are made from soft material and are easy to stretch and move around in.

I love to pair these pants with a neutral top, I often go with a cream, black or white. Today, I went with a white. Due to chillier temps, I matched a brown leather jacket from Francesca’ Boutique with it and wore a gray infinity scarf also from Francesca’s Boutique as well. 

I kept the brown consistent through the outfit with brown boots that I got from T.J. Maxx a few years back. I love the shorter boot and how well it matches with the outfit. 

This ensemble would be great for a fall day with temperatures in the 50’s, not too chilly but not super warm either. I love to layer in this season, so this outfit works out even better. The colors give you all the fall vibes and it’s in style too. What’s your favorite part about fall fashion?!

Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Categories
Fabulous living

Fall Bucket List 2019

Happy Fall Y’all!!

What is something on your fall bucket list?!

Full disclosure, I have seen that phrase everywhere and wanted to try it for myself. I love fall and everything that goes with it. I love all the seasons for a variety of reasons, but there is something special about fall. Whether it’s the crisp, crunchy leaves under your feet while walking to class, hot apple cider in a mug to start off your day, or heading to a pumpkin patch. 

Since October is well underway, I am sharing my fall bucket list of things I have done or things I plan to do. 

  • Enjoy a warm mug of apple cider
  • Take a walk in the leaves 
  • Make an apple recipe
  • Indulge in candy corn
  • Head to a Fall Festival 
I kicked off fall break with a fall fest
  • Decorate Pumpkins
  • Enjoy homemade apple crisp
My mom’s homemade apple crisp…so delicious
  • Do window shopping for new fall décor
Some beautiful fall decor while out and about
  • Enjoy a new book by the fire with a fall candle going
  • Decorate for fall/ Halloween
  • Pass out Halloween candy
  • Watch a Halloween movie
  • Celebrate Halloween and get dressed up 

A lot of these are simple activities that I can do with family or friends. I am wrapping up my time at home for fall break. I got some much needed family time, some yummy home cooked meals, and a lot of things accomplished on my to do list. I also got some time to enjoy the beautiful weather at home. I still have a few weeks left to enjoy October and I’m hoping to check the rest of these fall activities off my bucket list. 

What are some things that you have on your fall bucket list?!

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #124

LOTD

Hello All!

 Happy Thursday! Tomorrow officially starts my fall break, which is much needed. I haven’t been home since I moved back to school in mid August, and let me tell you, a lot has happened since then. I am eager to get home for a few days of family, relaxing, running errands and getting things done and enjoying all things the fall season has to offer. Before, we get to fall break, I have a few more things to check off my to do list before I go. On days when I am getting ready to head back home or when I leave for home, I always head back to the basics when it comes to clothes. For me, the basics includes comfort and durable, which brings me to today’s outfit.

I am a sucker for straight cut jeans, I am planning on getting a new pair when I am home for fall break since I wear them so often whether in the fall or spring or if I cuff them in the summer for capris. Old Navy always has great sales this time of the year, so I know I will be checking them out when I am home.

I always love a few neutral shirts, including black or white, long and short in my closet. Gap and Old Navy always have reliable shirts that hold up and keep their color even after several washes. 

Full outfit without the sweater

I paired my dark jeans with a black shirt as I do some last minute running around and packing up before I head back home tomorrow.  A simple outfit still looks put together and presentable.

The weather has been changing so much these past few weeks, some mornings its 40 degrees but by mid-afternoon it is in the high 70’s. With the weather changing this fast, I always have a sweater with me. This long white sweater from The Scandal Collection from the Limited, it is not only warm but it also breaks up the darker colors of denim and black. I finished up my outfit with suede shoe boots from Shoe Carnival. 

Full outfit with the sweater

I went with gold accent jewelry and neutral makeup with a pop of pink for the lip color. 

Up close of the neutral makeup

That’s a peek into what I am wearing this weekend. I hope you all have a fun and relaxing weekend and do something fallish-I know I will be. 

Categories
Fitness

Healthy Habits for the School Year

This summer, I tried my best to change my eating habits and make healthier choices. I accomplished this by not snacking and only eating three meals a day, drinking lots of water, and being active. You can see my whole post about healthy summer habits here.  Although, I am back to school I am still incorporating these habits in my daily life. I continue to only eat three meals a day and not snack-although, I will indulge on a dessert every once in a while. It’s all about moderation, right?! By having a balanced diet and workout routine, I am feeling more energized and active as well as upbeat. 

 I start my day heading to the gym.  I go on average 5 days a week. I have altered my routine this year. I am doing cardio such as the treadmill or the elliptical for 20 minutes to get my heart rate up and to start up a sweat. Then I do free weights or the machines for 20 minutes. I will do a mixture of arms, abs, and legs. I wanted to focus more on toning and muscle this year and therefore decided to spend more time on weights this year as opposed to just cardio. I do a lot of walking through the day, so I am getting my steps in that way. I aim for 10,000 steps a day and more times than not, I am exceeding that. 

After the gym, I head back to my room and drink a glass of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water. I then drink water with lemon throughout the whole day.  

My breakfast consists of some fruit with some healthy carbs. Today, for an example, I had a bowl of cheerios with milk and a banana.  It was balanced and filled me up until I had lunch. 

Breakfast

For lunch, I opted for something substantial and something that will fill me up until dinner. Today, I had a grilled chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato and cucumbers and then carrots and ranch on the side. I try to eat a protein for lunch whether its chicken or turkey or ham and then a side of fruits or vegetables for a side.

Lunch

By the time dinner rolls around, I try to change it up. It is sometimes hard to eat healthy in college, but I try my best to make it work. I opted for an apple pecan salad, since I had a heavier lunch, I wanted something lighter for dinner. I enjoyed these salads for lunch during the summer while I was working and now I enjoy them for dinner at school. They are the perfect serving size and keep you filled up. I will admit, I did indulge on a chocolate truffle that a friend bought for me, but I ate it before I could snap a picture. Haha!

Dinner

Throughout the day I drank water between meals and went through about three large tumblers. Drinking lots of water keeps me replenished and filled and it helps me avoid getting hungry in the mid afternoon. 

I go through about three tumblers of water a day

Now, are there times when I do get hungry and need a midnight snack while I am working late at night? Absolutely. There are also times I choose pasta over a salad or choose a bagel over fruit for breakfast. The bottom line is, it’s all about balancing and making the healthy choices for you. As long as you are happy, content, and healthy. That’s all the matters. 

Categories
Fashion

Look of the Day #123

LOTD

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday! This has been a busy week but I am ready for the weekend. It’s my school’s homecoming weekend so I am very excited to see old friends, spend time with family and get in the school spirit for the weekend. It will be a fun time. Before I get to all the fun this weekend, I want to share an outfit that I wore last week and immediately fell in love with it and had to share!

This outfit is perfect for meetings and presentations and going to class and even good for a day at the office. 

This last semester has been a very busy one, between classes, work, meetings and applying for jobs, every day is different. I like to choose outfits that can be versatile for the day, no matter what I am doing. 

Ready for the day.

I got these dress pants from The Limited. I love that they are comfortable and wash well but also are a dress pant. I do have a lot of black in my wardrobe, so the navy blue breaks up my style. 

I opted for a simple white shirt for my top. I got this top from GAP, and I love the material and how it still looks new after several washes. White and black shirts are a must in my closet. 

The whole ensemble

I decided to add a pop of color to my outfit with this red blazer. I love this blazer because you can wear it in any season, its light for summer, warm for fall, festive for winter and Christmas and then bright for spring. It can also dress up a dress, dress pants or a skirt. I love to wear it when I need to change up what I have been wearing. 

I added suede shoe boots for this outfit to get into the fall spirit, plus it also adds height to my outfit. I got these shoe boots from Shoe Carnival and they have held up so well through the years. 

I decided to finish off my outfit with silver jewelry and red lipstick with neutral makeup to match the jacket. 

Up close of make up
Red nails for the win

Overall, this outfit was chic and effortless to pull off. It worked perfect for days when I had a lot going on and it worked for every function I had to attend. 

I hope you all kick off October this weekend by doing something fun. Happy Fall friends!