January 2, 2019 / Fashion

Best of After Holidays Sales with Shopbop

Hope you all enjoyed a fabulous Holiday and received all the goodies on your list!

If not, don’t despair! There are some incredible after holiday sales underway with a lot more winter to go!

If you’re like me, I always appreciate the gift of cash for Christmas. That way, I not only get exactly what I want but it’s also a great opportunity to get it significantly discounted.

I LOVE when a sale is on sale! Shopbop currently has an ADDITIONAL 25% off select sale items starting today with code HELLO2019 – Shop early to get the best stuff!

I searched for the best deals to help you get the biggest bang for your buck and rounded up a bunch of my favorite sale picks from Shopbop here today:

I just added this sweater to my cart! I LOVE this color paired with red denim or trousers like these here.

This sweater is amazing with all the ruffle detail and the flared sleeve cuffs!

Talk about unique! I love styles that is different! What a great “twist” on your typical turtleneck. This top is awesome and striped too!

The color of this long sleeve ruffle top is beautiful! I love the contrast striped ruffle sleeves!

Puff sleeve tops are so popular now! This one is adorable and the port wine color is gorgeous for winter!

This striped crew neck is a bargain and can be worn year round! In my cart it just went

This beautiful cable knit pullover comes in two colors! The sleeves are to die for!

STOCK up alert! These T-Shirts are the BEST! Buy a bunch. Your closet need them! (*Style Tip* I love wearing them under sweaters to keep them fresh so you don’t have to launder them as much!)

This eyelet top is so feminine and gorgeous.

I love everything BB Dakota. This cardigan looks so comfy!

This reversible plaid/denim jacket gives you two fabulous looks in one! Love unique pieces like this!

Every closet needs a nice camo military jacket. This one is gorgeous! I have a very similar one from this blog post and I get a ton of use out of it!

If you haven’t pulled the trigger on the teddy bear coat/jacket yet this season, don’t wait! This one is perfect at this price!

This cocoon coat is so good! Love the length and the big pockets!

Everyone needs a great pair of black boots! These boots are perfect and what a bargain!

These suede boots are a great deal. I love the western flare.

I’ve been looking for a good pair of slouchy boots. These are beauties and love they are fabric!

I waited the longest time to pull the trigger on my Stuart Weitzman over the knee boots pictured. Don’t wait! These in black are so comfortable and well made! In this shoot today, I’m wearing them in bridle here.

I’m a sucker for big, fun, statement rings! I have this one and love it! (You can see me wearing it in this blog post here ) I think I might need this tortoise one too!

A lot of great bargains on jewelry too! I love this star pendant already marked half off!

These pearl hoops are stunning! What a great deal!

These earrings are stunners and under $20!!

Aviators are my go to sunglasses. These in black are a great deal!

These wine glasses are the coolest! Makes a great house warming gift too!

I love these frosted on the rocks glasses! Need a hostess gift? Perfect!

My look today is almost entirely from Shopbop. You can shop it at the bottom of this post.

Sweater | Belt | Boots | Clutch | Sunglasses

Thank you to Shopbop for sponsoring this post!

December 29, 2018 / Health, Lifestyle

Lose weight and feel healthy – how to keep your New Year’s Resolution

Let me start by saying when it comes to diet and fitness I am a work in progress! I feel it’s a constant battle! I know there are those who can eat whatever they want. My mom has always been one of those people (so lucky right?!.) I clearly don’t take after her. Age isn’t helping either. As I near menopause at 51, I find it harder and harder to take the weight off..and SO easy to put it on! I do however, try my best to stay focused on my health. Staying as lean and active as possible and working on balance is of UTMOST importance as we age. Falling is so common among the aging population and maintaining a strong core will help you with balance and prevent falls and further injury in the future.

While I’m no expert to be doling out information on fitness and diet, I can share with you what works for me.

*ROUTINE: I think we all do best on a routine. Creating a new one, especially when it comes time to incorporating fitness is not always that easy. My advice is to find time in every day when you can dedicatedat least 30 minutes to fitness. For me, the ONLY time I can do this is straight out of bed. I set my alarm and I’m up before everyone else. While it is NOT easy and I do dread it, I find it works the best for me just getting it done! I get dressed, grab my water and off I go. I work out in my home. That’s just personal preference. I love the time saving factor of just going down to our gym rather than driving to one. If you don’t have a dedicated space for fitness, find one. Your living room can work fine. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I aim for at least 30 minutes Monday through Saturday and I take Sunday off. I try to keep this routine even when we are on vacation. I will get up and hit the gym wherever we are staying. Like with any routine, you get doing it enough you actually like making it part of your day. When I don’t workout or can’t then I tend to feel a bit off. Another thing I love about doing exercise first thing in the morning…I am dreaming of my cup of coffee as my reward when I’m done! LOL!

*Cardio & Weights: I do cardio every other day. My “weight” days vary. I love the Beachbody programs. They no longer offer the dvd’s but I’m old school and have almost all of them and use them all the time. I love the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix extreme workouts. So on my non-cardio days I’ll do upper body, then on another day, lower body. I also love the Body Beast program. (Funny side note: My husband was on the Body Beast commercial. He really got ripped from doing Beast and drinking Shakeology so BeachBody asked him if he’d be in their infomercial. His friends had a lot of fun with it as you can imagine! ) Body Beast is more free weights while the 21 day fix workouts are weights and body weight exercises. (Weight training and maintaining muscle is so important because we lose muscle as we age. Muscle burns more calories so we want muscle!)

*Water Water Water: By starting the day working out, I love how I get my first bottle of water down right away! I don’t love water but I love how I feel when I drink lots of it. I think water consumption is one of the most important parts of your daily routine. I aim to drink about 4 or 5 bottles of H20 a day. (I LOVE my diet cokes. I allow myself one a day. Usually I have it later in the day and only allow it if I’ve already had my proper intake of water) Drinking water keeps you feeling full longer and can aid in making better nutritional choices. I like to use the urine test to know if I’m properly hydrated. So try the pee test 🙂 I aim for my pee to be lemonade in color. If it’s darker you need more water!

*Cut Back on Cocktails: I try to watch alcohol consumption as you can consume a LOT of calories drinking cocktails! Nothing wrong with an occasional drink on the weekend. Certain drinks with less sugar are better choices. Vodka tonic with lime or Rum and Diet Coke are a couple of my go-to’s when watching my diet. In addition to the calorie content, drinking can also lead to overeating. Best to avoid it if you can.

*Cut Back on Carbs: I try to watch my carb content as much as I can. I love salty snacks over sweets so it’s hard for me to avoid chips and crackers. I always start my day with protein. I eat eggs almost every day. Costco sells hard boiled eggs and those are always nice if I’m in a rush or going out the door. I usually eat 2 poached eggs with a half of an ezekial muffin. Lunch might be a half of a turkey sandwich. I try to do pickles or cucumbers on the side rather than chips but it’s SO hard. I love chips…did I already say that? lol! Dinner is usually a protein and a vegetable and maybe a complex carb like a half of sweet potato.

*Tips on Getting Started:

If you’re new to dieting and exercise and want to start or if you just need to get back on the wagon, here are a few ideas:

*Don’t try to do it all at once if you feel overwhelmed. Slow and easy wins the race. It’s said that how you look is 80 percent diet and 20 percent fitness. I am certain this is true. My suggestion is to start out with a nutritional plan. Writing down what you eat daily is also said to be very very good in helping achieve your goals! (I have a hard time with this, but keeping a journal is a good idea!) Set a short term goal. Try eating healthy for one week. That’s all. Then say to yourself: “If I can do it for one week, I’ll increase my goals and do it for two weeks.”etc…and If you fail or have a bad day, just start over the next day. Don’t wait for the next Monday! If you work outside the home, try taking Sunday afternoon to prep healthy meals for the week. Make sure to pack your lunch instead of eating out too.

*After you feel you have a handle on the nutrition, start thinking about adding some fitness to your routine next.. Go to a class, buy some programs (Beachbody has an on demand program now if you want to try the 21 day fix. I think that is a great workout) or just go outside and walk.

*Aim for your best shot rather than perfection. You’re bound to mess up. Forgive yourself, move on and try better the next day.

*Find an accountability partner: Someone to meet you at the gym or someone to talk to when your day might not be going as planned.

*Invest in some cute workout gear. Buy some fun clothes and a nice pair of shoes to exercise in. It will help you stay motivated! (I’ll link some cute stuff below!)

*Check in with yourself each day. Set the mood for the day by reminding yourself that the slate is clean. Making smart and healthy choices should be on your docket each day. If you mess up, just start again the next day!

*And remember: water, water, water

Tops: here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Bottoms: here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Shoes: here, here and here

Do you have any workout tips? Would love to hear them!

Happy New Year Friends!

xoxo

December 27, 2018 / Fashion

After Christmas Sales: Rounding up a Bunch of My Favorites

This jacket is a goodie! Marked down here under a $100! (Wearing an 8 for reference)

Teddy Dress only $40! (Wearing a 6)

One of the best sweaters of the season! This one is now 40% off! (Wearing a M)

The softest leopard print sweater! This one gets great reviews! (Wearing a M)

This pattern is gorgeous! I get so many compliments! Go up a size for a bit of a longer look! This sweater on sale 40% off!

This velvet double breasted blazer is the prettiest color with a touch of rose in it! On major sale here!

Earrings here

More after Christmas Sales here:

Nordstrom – 40 percent off select items sitewide! SO many amazing deals to be had!

Boohoo – 60% off sitewide. (Shipping can take a while! I upgrade to 2 day. TOTALLY worth the money with all you’re saving!)

Jcrew – Extra 50% off FINAL sale items

Asos – Up to 50% off!

Anthropologie – Winter Tag Sale- 30% off sale

Loft – 50% off full price! Lots of other mark downs too

Ann Taylor – Extra 60% off all sale!

Chicos – Semi-Annual sale – up to 70% off!

Neiman Marcus – Up to 60% off

Bauble Bar – Up to 70% off!

Sephora – Extra 20% off sale items with code: TWENTYOFF

Bloomingdales – Up to 75% off

Free People – Extra 50% all sale

December 24, 2018 / Fashion

My Favorite Comfy & Cozy Pajamas and Lounge Wear

Ready or not it’s here! I hope you’ve been nice and Santa brings you lots of goodies this year!

As we head into the holiday week, I wanted to share with you some great, comfy & cozy pajamas and lounge wear! It’s the perfect week to just take a deep breath and relax with family and friends!

I love staying home! How about you? My friend recently posted a funny graphic on Facebook that cracked me up! It said how stupid that phrase is: “Go heavy or go home.” It went on to say, I’d love to go home. What the heck is wrong with going home! I totally agree. LOL! Too funny!

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

So if you like to hang out at home here are some great clothes to relax in:

I love these buffalo print flannel Pj’s…so softy and warm!
These Flannel Pj’s also come in several prints and are on sale!
This distressed top looks so comfy! Here are the pants that go with! Love the pink color!
This T-shirt says it all! I need this! Also comes in black!
These sweatpants are so good! I literally can live in these!
Seriously!! This pajama jacket is perfect for staying in on a cold day and 40% off ! Just went into my cart!
This wrap cardigan is on sale and everything from this brand is amazingly soft!
I’m crazy about anything camo! This jogger set is perfect.
I live in my Ugg slippers. They’re old, but I love this pair and may need anther pair. 🙂
How cute are these slippers!? Only $29!!
Know what I love about this chenile robe? You could easily go out in it too!
This robe has a cute hood with ears! Looks incredibly soft and 40% off!
Everyone needs to cuddle up to a soft blanket! This one is awesome and 20% off!
Nothing says cozy like a candle...This one is my favorite. smells sooo good! 20% off!

December 21, 2018 / Uncategorized

A Simple New Year’s Eve Look You Can Wear More Than Once!

You’re probably saying Christmas isn’t even here and you’re already planning for New Year’s Eve?! LOL! Yep!! I wanted to make sure to post this look early so you have a chance to get these great faux leather sequin leggings ordered! This is a simple New Year’s Eve look that you can wear more than once! It’a far from one of those outfits that screams “NYE” that you put it in the back of your closet on January 2nd and take to Goodwill in a few months. 🙂 This is just a great, classic look that you can wear anytime! These leggings, a pair of heels, a velvet jacket and a pretty clutch and you’re good to go!

You have so many options to change up this look!

You can opt for these similar leggings, but in the faux leather minus the sequins as shown in this blog post here. You can then jazz up the look with a sequin camisole like this one here, here and here.

Another option is to dress it up with some fun, sparkly jewelry like these rhinestone earrings or this rhinestone necklace!

I just love this all black look but if you like a pop of color, try a velvet blazer in a bold pink like this one from my blog post here.

So if you’re still in need of something to wear New Year’s Eve, I hope this helps gives you a few ideas! These are just some great basics to have on hand whenever you need a little dressier look. Funny thing is I’m a TOTAL stay in on NYE type of girl! I love being home! Don’t judge me, but each year The Twilight Zone Marathon is on over New Year’s and I LOVE to just be a couch potato and watch one episode after another. I’m a total TZ junkie! So now you know! LOL!

Tell me your favorite way to ring in the New Year! You can shop this post here below:

December 15, 2018 / Fashion

The Best of Leopard Coats

I’m not sure I’ve met a leopard print coat I haven’t loved! I really didn’t need another until I spotted this gorgeous animal print jacket! (I also have this one from this blog post last year that I still adore) The blush colored contrast collar hooked me immediatley! You’d never think a light blush color would blend so nicely with this leopard pattern but it does and I love the stunning statement it makes! It’s been selling fast and you can find it here. If they don’t have your size, no worries! I’ve put together an amazing assortment of the best leopard coats out there right now! There are just so many amazing prints and styles to choose from!

You might recall my blog post here – I love this jacket from Chicos as well but it is quite different than the one pictured today. The Chicos style is more blazer-like! It’s a thinner (and Amazingly soft) material and is absolutely perfect for those of you who live in warmer climates or for those of you who may get too warm in thicker coats and prefer a lighter weight style even in cold climates (girls with hot flashes – I’m talking to you! LOL). On a side note, I love these new jeans here. They are very comfy and fit true to size! I also was in the market for a pair of black boots! I snagged these beauties half off here and they do have some sizes and colors left! They’re also on major sale here and here!

Thanks for stopping by! Would love to hear your about your favorite leopard coat if you already own one!

xoxo