May Favorites 2015!

Hey everyone! This past week proved to be much crazier than I imagined, so as you can probably tell I did not post my 'All-white Fashion looks'. As a result, I have decided to save that post for the summer when I have all day long to take pictures and edit. Anyways, today I finally have another monthly favorites post and I haven't done one of these in so long so I'm super excited to share my favorites of May with you.

Fashion Favorites
My first fashion favorite of this month are t-shirt dresses! I am super obsessed with t-shirt dresses because they are literally the most comfortable clothing item and are light for warm, sunny days. They're also perfect for me because it only takes me two minutes to put an outfit together with t-shirt dresses and they pair nicely with any shoe.

Next, I have my peplum leather jacket from Zara. If you don't have a leather jacket I suggest you go buy one ASAP because they are a great compliment to any outfit pairing and is the ideal jacket for May weather. They also instantly make your look more fancy or casual in the context of your outfit. Lastly, I have been loving this leather jacket because it is a lot more feminine than other leather jackets I've had because usually they look oversized on me so I love that the peplum adds a more soft touch.

My last fashion favorite are low-top, white Converse. I chose these converse because I just recently got them and haven't been able to stop wearing them. They go great with every single outfit and I love how simple they look. Another fashion must that I think everyone needs in their closet for casual days out.

Beauty Favorites
My first beauty favorite is EOS shaving cream! This shaving cream is so soft and makes your legs silkier longer after shaving. In addition, it also smells great and can be used with wet or dry legs. The only downside to this product is that it doesn't show very much on your legs; which may not be much of a problem for some but personally I prefer when you can see the shaving cream and then you know where you've already shaven.

Next, I have been really enjoying this mascara and eyelash/eyebrow brush. The mascara gives your eyelashes a lot of volume and curve and leaves them clump-free! But, when clumps sometimes do occur I like to use this eyelash brush to even out the mascara. However, I read an article the other day about how clumpy mascara is coming into style which I hope is not true...

Accessory Favorites
For accessories, I have been using my neoprene Triangl bag constantly this month when I go to the lake or pool with my friends. I have always struggled with where to put my wet swimsuits since I don't want to get other items wet so this bag is great to store anything that got wet and it won't make the bag wet. It's also such a fun and vibrant color which is perfect for the summer and the bag that they send you matches your swimsuit color which I find so awesome.

Then, I have been wearing a lot more earrings lately, especially simple silver ones like these. I think that earrings with a ponytail is a must and completes any outfit!

Those are all of my favorites from May! I can't believe tomorrow is June - ahh, it's about to get real crazy over here for me and soon I will back in Los Angeles. Anyways, till next time xxx

Update // Europapark!

Hey everyone! Yesterday I didn't post anything because I was away at Europapark in Germany from 5 AM to 9 PM, and forgot to plan something ahead of time. As a result, I was going to prepare, take pictures and upload a blog post today but procrastination over took me and now it is 3:15 and the sun disappeared bringing rain so I cannot take pictures. I didn't want to leave you hanging wondering where I was so I figured I would write a short update post with plans for the present and future.

This week I have decided I will try my best to post a fashion-themed post by Wednesday AND a May favorites or a recipe post on Sunday. Then, after that it will start to get pretty crazy in my life which is why I wanted to post twice this week in case I miss other Sunday posts. Next week I have my dance performances with the company I am in in Switzerland and then it is our exams/preparing for exams and finally the stress of moving back to LA. So, I just wanted to inform you of the next couple of weeks and I will be trying my best to post on my usual days but if not don't lose hope because I will make up for it all this summer!

Also, I just wanted to lightly touch on the topic of my family and I moving back to LA this summer. I will be writing a full-length reflection post on my time here in Switzerland but I thought I should make it clear to anyone reading my blog that I am moving back to California in the summer after 2 amazing years in Switzerland.

Finally, here's a couple of pictures from Europapark yesterday. I went with some of my best friends to celebrate Laura's birthday (click to see her blog here) and it was so much fun.

Anyways, thanks to anyone who is reading this or enjoys following and reading my blog. I love posting on here and being able to sit down and talk. However, it would make it much more exciting if I knew how many loyal readers I had...so, if you'd like to be updated when I post feel free to follow my blog through email. All of the links are on the sidebar of my blog and also to all of my social media. Talk to you soon, xxx

The Best Exercise to get YOU Ready for Summer...Burpees! | 7 Variations

Hey everyone! Summer is getting closer and closer every day which means...beach, pool, and basically living in swimsuits and shorts. So, I have created a cardio workout to burn fat and tone up your muscles. For this workout, only one exercises is needed because it attacks all your muscles in a quick and efficient way. Yep, it's the dreaded burpees! Now, before you turn away after reading about whole workout full of burpees; I have created seven different and exciting variations of burpees to tone and slim you down into your most confident state for summer. Burpees are challenging but what's the point of doing a workout if you're not being pushed and breaking out in a sweat? So, I challenge you to do this workout and have fun whilst doing it - you'll always feel better once you complete your workout so don't think about and just DO IT! In addition, all the instructions on how to complete the burpees are in GIFs so click on the photo so view the GIFs once they stop cycling through.

Workout Outfit


How to do a basic burpee

1. Begin standing up with your feet slightly spread apart, back standing tall
2. Drop down into a tuck position touching your feet (curled up into a ball)
3. Jump your feet out behind you so you are in a plank / push-up position; hands flat
4. Jump your feet back into your chest and into a curled stance
5. Rise up and jump as high as you can shooting your arms up into the sky

Classic Push-up Burpee - 10 Reps
The first variation is the classic push-up burpee. Complete a basic burpee with a push-up when you are in plank position.

Star Jump Burpee - 10 Reps
The star jump burpee is completed exactly like a basic burpee, however at the top when you're jumping into the air do a huge star jump instead of a basic hop. If you're not familiar with star jumps, they are jumps in which your body looks like a sprawled out star - legs out and arms up and reaching out.

Superman Burpee - 10 Reps
Superman burpees include a superman hold at the bottom of the burpee. In other words, once you are in push-up position, drop all the way down onto your stomach and lift up your arms and legs into a superman (arched back) for 3 seconds. Complete the rest of the burpee normally.

Side to Side Burpee - 10 Reps
This burpee includes a side jump out with your feet to target your obliques and whittle down your waist. Begin with a basic burpee, and then once in push-up stance jump your legs out to one side and back to the middle. Complete the rest of the burpee normally, and then repeat on the other side. 5x each side (left and right).

Mountain Climber, Tuck Jump Burpee - 10 Reps
Be prepared for one of the most challenging variations because it has two extra strengthening moves into one basic burpee. Once you reach push-up stance complete 5 mountain climbers; jump your legs back into your chest and instead of hopping up do a tuck jump. A tuck jump is a jump into the air with your legs bent and into your chest.

Dive Bomber Burpee - 10 Reps
In the complex dive bomber burpee, yoga exercises are intertwined into the exercise to stretch out your muscles. Once you are in a plank stance, dive your head down into your chest and pus out into a downward dog with your heels aiming to touch the ground. Then, bend your elbows into a tricep push-up and sweep your body back down to the ground, following with a final downward dog. Next, hop your feet into your body and jump up normally.

Box Jump Burpee - 10 Reps
The box jump burpee is pretty self-explanatory...perform a basic burpee with a jump up onto a box or heightened surface at the end of each burpee.

How was it? Did you finish it all? If you did, then you just did 70 burpees! Next time, try increasing the reps and working your way up to 100 burpees total.

I hope you enjoyed this summer-inspired fitness post and that it challenged you both physically and mentally. Thanks for viewing and stay tunes for a fashion post next Sunday xx

Mother's Day! | Travel, Fashion + Q & A

Hey everyone! Happy Mother's day to all the amazing mom's out there! I wanted to start off this post by thanking my mom for everything she's done for me, since Mother's day is all about appreciating our strong, brave, awesome mom's who would do anything for us.

So, mom, thank you for always being someone I can rely on and count on for anything. Thank you for taking me places and driving me like a taxi cab my entire life. Thank you for always keeping up with the trends and being such a cool mom ;). Thank you for making me laugh when I'm sad. Thank you for taking care of me when I'm sick or not feeling well. Thank you for pushing me to be the best person I can be. And finally, thank you for teaching me the ins and outs of motherhood and inspiring me to one day be half as good of a mom as you.

Now onto the post! I wanted to share with you what our Mother's Day looked like from Switzerland in our family and take you through the day with us! This will also include my outfits, etc for a little spring fashion inspiration. Lastly, I will be interviewing my mom and putting her personal answers down below so you can get to know my mom better.

Brunch at Fork & Bottle
We began Mother's day with a brunch, of course, at one of our favorite American restaurants - Fork and Bottle! It's one of the only breakfast/brunch style places where we live and it has huge pancakes, breakfast burritos, bacon, etc. It was such a sunny day so luckily we got to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and great food!

Walking around Appenzell
After brunch, we went and explored a little Swiss town on the mountains since it was such a clear and beautiful day! It was about an hour and a half drive away so we put on some music and enjoyed the spectacular views out the window. Appenzeller was a really cute and quaint town and we just strolled up and down the streets with Tilly and a friend's dog whom we were watching. It was a really nice time and the landscape was so green and breathtaking around the town and the drive to and from.

2-piece set: Brandy Melville

Shoes: Steve Madden 

Sandals from brunch: Quicksilver

Sweater around waist: Urban Outfitters

Q & A with my Mom

1. What do you think of me blogging?
1. "I think it's a creative way for you to express your interests"
2. Have you learned anything about fashion or beauty from me?
1. "I'm not much of a fashionista so I kinda skip over those posts but I do enjoy the food posts" :)
3. What's something I do that annoys you?
1. "When you doubt yourself"
4. What's your favorite food?
1. "Probably pizza...or beets"
5. Describe yourself in 5 words...
1. "Mom, hardworking, loyal, honest and lazy"

Thank you so much for viewing this post and I hope you enjoyed it! It was something a bit more sentimental and also showed you another cute Swiss town. Once again, Happy Mother's Day!
xx

The Perfect + Healthy Breakfast // Overnight Oats 3 Ways!

Hey everyone! We've had a very rainy start to May here in Switzerland but hopefully sunshine is upon us. I haven't done a food / recipe post on my blog for a while so I thought what better way to start off the month of May then with a breakfast post for mornings when you're in a hurry. If you're anything like me, once May comes rolling around my enthusiasm for school and learning is at its lowest and I am constantly checking how many days until summer. Therefore, I have three delicious and healthy breakfast variations for one of my favorites - overnight oats!

Overnight oats are made the night before (to save you a ton of time preparing breakfast in the morning), are super filling, and really healthy to kickstart your day in the right direction. The three recipes I will be sharing with you are: Strawberry Banana Oats, Blueberry Infused Oats, and French Toast inspired Oats. This grab and go breakfast is sure to be a weekly staple in your refrigerator!

Blueberry-Infused Overnight Oats
The first recipe is a blueberry banana mixture - my two favorite fruits for oatmeal. I think the softness of the banana pairs so well with the slight crunch of the blueberries and the two flavors work great together. The creaminess of the milk and yogurt also add such a great texture and taste to make this breakfast one you will love.

French Toast Overnight Oats
Okay, let's be real about the next variation...when I heard the name it was slightly off-putting because I just couldn't imagine french toast tasting well with cold oatmeal?! However, I decided to give it a try because I love french toast and I love oatmeal. I have to say this is one of the sweetest recipes of the three but it's so tasty! Also, sometimes in the mornings after breakfast I crave something sweet and this had the perfect balance of natural sugars and fibers to give me that small sugar kick.

Strawberry Banana Oats
The last recipe I haven't tried yet (but am going to this week) but I chose to write about it because you can never go wrong with a strawberry-banana combo. The two fruits go hand in hand so I figured this must be a delicious recipe. It's packed with tons of protein, fiber and nutritious fruits to start your day on a high note.

I hope you all enjoyed this special breakfast post and if you're looking for more healthy breakfast ideas you can click on the link here: 5 Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Let me know if you try out any of these overnight oats recipes and thank you so so much for viewing my blog and supporting me xxx