What’s In My Beach Bag!

What you bring to the beach is very important. Most of the time, you spend almost your entire day at the beach and need to make sure you are prepared. I am personally not one of those girls who likes to bring their entire lives with them, mainly because I don’t like the idea of carrying everything to and from the car. So I put together a list of what I put in my beach bag that is easy and keeps me prepared for a long, fun day in the sun!

Bag | Towel | Brush on Block | Aloe Mist | Lip Balm | Celebrate | Speakers | Waterbottle | Selfie Stick

First, you’ll need a really great beach bag! I like to get a neutral colored one as it will go with all of my swimsuits, that is just a personal preference. It looks really clean and usually makes it easier to search through. Next you will definitely need a towel! I have been loving round towels lately, I just feel that it gives you more room around you as opposed you just the length of your body!

Now sunscreen is a given, that should be in your bag everyday! However there are little beauty products that I especially like to carry with me to the beach. The first one being Brush on Block, it is a face sunscreen that soaks up any oil and also gives you coverage for days when your skin isn’t at its best! The next is Supergoop lip balm, which is SPF for your lips! It isn’t sticky at all so you won’t have to worry about sand getting all over it and it protects your lips from burning/chapping! My last must have beauty item is an aloe hydrating mist, it helps to cool you down when there are no clouds in sight!

When laying on the beach all day, you need to keep yourself entertained! My go to is a book since my main reason for a beach trip is to relax! My favorite right now is Celebrate by Lauren Conrad. The images are beautiful and it has some really great tips for throwing different events! Next up is music, I can’t stay anywhere too long if it is silent. So, I always bring my small, portable speakers with me, it is great if you a small group but also won’t get too loud so you don’t bother anyone around you. Lastly, I always like to bring a selfie stick when I go with a bunch of girlfriends, it will keep you entertained for about an hour.

To keep myself hydrated throughout the day, I ALWAYS bring water. It’s usually the only thing I bring to drink since the sun is so draining. However, I only like to drink ice cold water, I can’t stand when it’s room temperature or hot. So if you’re like me, I suggest you get yourself a Swell Bottle. No joke, your water will be ice cold for 24 hours, it’s amazing! When it comes to a snack, I also try to keep it light. I almost always bring cut up watermelon, it’s filling & refreshing all at once. I also like to bring wheat thins for the same reason, they aren’t too salty so you won’t feel like you have a food baby afterwards!

Let me know of any items you have that are a must for a perfect beach day!

My Skincare Favorites!

If there is anything I am really passionate about, it is my skin and taking care of it! As a natural redhead, I have pale, sensitive skin that needs extra TLC. Unfortunately, when I was in high school & college I didn’t have those same thoughts. My goal was getting as tan as possible (shockingly, I can get a lot of color for a redhead…), whether it was laying on the beach for hours, covered in oil by the pool, or in the tanning bed (not a proud moment and never happening again!)

Now, I’ve grown up and realized my health is more important than having a darker glow. Mario Badescu, Josie Maren, and St. Tropez are my favorites for getting my skin in shape, and just how I like it! Mario Badescu is fresh and soothing for my sensitive skin but gets the job done! I see an improvement with every use! After washing my face, I can feel pretty dry due to my sensitivity, that’s where Josie Maren comes in. I love love love her Light Argon Oil! I put it all over my face before I go to bed, and mix it with a matte foundation during the day! It gives me a natural dewy look that is perfect for Spring & Summer!

To finish it off, since we are getting back into those pool and beach days, if the rain ever stops, I still like to have a nice glow! Usually 1-2 times a month I will go get a spray tan as it looks more even and it doesn’t rub off on my clothes. Then I will use the St. Tropez Bronzing Mouse between visits to keep up the color. It has a natural, brown hue, instead of the orange tint like most and it goes on easy with the mit!

| Photo by Anthro_Charlottesville on Instagram|

Power Snacks!

If you’re like me, then you’re probably in panic mode right now realizing the weather is warming up and swim suit season is coming! For the most part, I try to eat as healthy as possible as well as staying active throughout the day. And like most individuals, I tend to slack on both of those during the winter, also known as the holiday season!

But now that spring has crept its way back to us, I find myself pushing myself a little harder during workouts and and trying my hardest to not indulge in the foods that make my cravings happy! With that said, I sometimes can feel myself feeling tired & low on energy. So I’ve put together some of my favorite “Power Snacks” that keep me satisfied throughout the day and prep me for my afternoon workout!

1.  BANANAS & PEANUT BUTTER | These have been my favorite snack since the very first time I had them as a baby! They provide the perfect amount of sweetness, the good kind of sugar, and the all natural peanut butter provides protein to keep your energy up!

2.  FRUIT SMOOTHIE | I prefer smoothies to juices because the fill me up more and give a lot more energy in my opinion. My go to right now is peaches, bananas, kale, spinach, chia seeds, and water and it tastes delicious!

3. BELL PEPPERS & HUMMUS | This is a quick last minute snack that I like to keep with me incase I didn’t have time to make the best lunch during my morning schedule. All you have to do to prep is slice the peppers, hummus containers come in travel sizes with makes my life a lot easier.

4.  DARK CHOCOLATE ALMONDS | I think the biggest struggle a lot of people have when trying to eat healthy are the sweets cravings. This snack helps maintain those cravings with the dark chocolate, which is good for your heart when consumed in moderation!

5.  AVOCADO TOAST | Another quick and easy snack that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Just sprinkle with pepper and it’s good to go!

Boho Top Knot & Fishtail Combo!

This is how I create one of my favorite looks for the summer time! It is really easy and super quick, which is why I love it so much! It is perfect for those days when your hair really should be washed but you would rather just not deal with it! I hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

Fit February!

1 Month down, another to go! I did pretty well on my January fitness goals, however the weather made my running routine rather difficult! The temperatures in the teens and with 3 feet of snow on the ground I wasn’t exactly putting on my running shoes. But to be fair, I did go out in the snow for walks, sledding & lets be real, putting on all those layers and snow suits is a workout in itself!

So when making this months schedule, I put the weather into account and decided this month will be the time of workout videos. I’ve always loved working out at home and I love having a video to watch that shows me how to properly do the movements and steps. My favorites are Tracy Anderson and Jillian Michaels because the really push you! Another thing I’m excited about is that there is a treadmill studio opening up in my area this month. They have numerous classes and routines to keep you motivated so I can’t wait to try it!

My Top Beauty Hacks!

I’ve rounded up some of my top favorite beauty hacks that I use day to day! Everything can be found in your home or at your local grocery store. These tricks make your life so much easier and keep your wallet happy, the best of both worlds!

1.) I start most days out with an ice water facial. Not only does it instantly wake you up, but it helps get rid of any puffiness you may have from a rough nights sleep!

2.) Coffee grounds. Something I recently read stated that the beads you find in the scrubs you buy in stores are harmful to the environment due the fact that they are too small to break down. So I hopped on pinterest and found this concoction to take care of that situation and it works just was well in my opinion.  You can mix it with coconut oil or coconut milk which is what i like (I think it is more refreshing).

3.) Coconut Oil. My coworker introduced me to this trick when we got an EXTREMELY over priced coconut oil jar in stock. I remember saying, “I can’t imagine putting straight oil on my face!” To which she informed me it is actually really amazing for your skin, hair and nails. She recommended I get a big tub of coconut oil from the grocery store and it will last forever because a little goes a long way. And it doesn’t just remove your makeup, it repairs your lashes and split ends!

4.) Hairspray your bobby pins! This trick helps your bobby pins stay in all day and allows you to use less so you don’t feel like a metal head & you won’t lose as many which is my real problem!

5.) Whenever I wear any lip color, I always place a tissue over my lips after I’ve applied my lipstick, take some translucent powder and brush it over the tissue, a tip I found from Lauren Conrad. This helps to make sure the color doesn’t bleed or get on your teeth and if it works for her, it works for me!

6.) Instead of buying the professional makeup brush cleaners that can get pretty pricey, I just use baby shampoo. When I worked for Ulta Beauty, one of our Benefit girls told me about this when we didn’t have enough stock of makeup remover to tester out. Ever since then I haven’t gone back because it’s so much cheaper!  Just put some on your hand, add some water, and swirl your brush in your palm until all the old product is removed! I prefer the honest company shampoo brand and they actually have this tip on their blog as well!

Workout Gear!

Earlier this year, I shared my monthly workout plan to help keep on track with my goals. And I must say I have been following it pretty closely, with a few skips here & there. I thought it would be fun to share some products that I have been loving and have been making my workouts a little more bearable! From clothes to gear, these items are a go to for me each day!

Fitbit // Waterbottle // Hoodie // Sports Bra // Shoes // Earbuds // Yoga Mat // Bag // Leggings

As you can probably tell, I tend to workout and in darker clothing, preferably black. It hides everything so you don’t have to worry about looking too gross during your workout.  Longchamps are my favorite bags for anything, I use mine almost everyday for work, for the beach, a carry on, and a gym bag. They are lightweight and hold so much! I recently just purchased my new S’well Waterbottle and I am already obsessed with it. It keeps your water cold all day (literally all day)! I hope this was helpful for any of you looking to change up your workout attire. Let me know what your must haves are for the gym!

Winter Stripes!

Winter has finally arrived here in Charlottesville and with that came a giant blizzard that kept me way from work for almost 3 days! And I must admit that during those wonderful snow days, I went into hibernation, which pretty much means I wore nothing but leggings and sweatshirts all day long! But now that I am back to work it is time to step up my game a bit!

I am definitely a dress girl, no doubt about it. They are so easy and comfortable, but for some reason when you wear a dress everyone thinks that means you have your life together, which is perfectly fine with me! However dresses in the winter can be pretty tricky since it is so cold and they don’t provide all that much layering!

I found the perfect little dress that gives you great shape, it is fun & flirty, but has a sweater material to keep you nice and warm all day! To be honest, I bought this dress, returned it, and bought it back because I loved it that much! The best news is that it is now on sale for under $100!

 Anthropologie Dress

Healthy January!

It’s the start of the new year and one of my goals was to be healthier. So I went ahead and made a calendar to keep track of what I want to focus on, fitness wise, for each day. I also wanted to use this month to get back into a routine my mom & I had over the summer of drinking a green juice every morning. We felt so much better when we did that so I think the beginning of a new year is a great time to start that up again!

If you are interested in making your own calendar, I got my template from Short Stop Designs! They are so cute and festive for each month! I also printed mine out and added a magnet to place on my fridge so I would look at it everyday to keep on track!

New Years Style!

I don’t think there is anything more stressful than picking out a New Years outfit! After all, what if the place your going is more casual, or everyone in your group decides to get super glammed up last minute, or the weather just isn’t cooperating?

Well, I found the perfect dress that works for each scenario! The all white is crisp and perfect for winter! Just add a pair of sparkly tights and a statement necklace to jazz up the look. Or if you all decide on a more casual location, pair it with some opaque, black tights & booties to dress it down!

 

  
Wanelo