As an influencer, I have been so lucky to have met and interacted with amazing local brands and businesses, both in San Diego and now that we live in Arizona. In addition to fashion, I’ve become a part of an incredible network of foodies who care about patronizing and promoting local eateries.
I posted this on my Instagram today, because there are those who are unable to have the regular income that some of us are able to have during this uncertain time. Many are in the food & beverage industry, so a group of foodie friends and I are banding together to help raise funds to provide to some of our favorite eateries in The Valley area of Arizona.
Please see the information below, which includes a link to a site where you can donate, which is powered by Avontage.
Local Phoenix influencers are uniting to make a difference!
Due to the current financial climate of the world and the impact that the COVID-19 quarantine has had on small businesses and their staff. We are rallying our resources to support these workers struggling to provide for their families.
We would love your support as well!
Whether a:
⁃ donation through the @avontage link (see below); or ⁃ support of your resources; or ⁃ a share of our efforts;
We ask that you join us in easing this financial strain for thousands of Arizonans out of work. We have chosen 35 local small businesses to support!
Join us in our mission to support the Phoenix food & beverage industry in these uncertain times!
During this uncertain time, I know more and more people are in a situation where they must work from home. When we still lived in San Diego, I was commuting to work, like most people do, but quit when we moved. After we moved to Arizona, we decided that I needed to rejoin the workforce, but I needed to work from home. I have been very fortunate that my employer in San Diego afforded me that opportunity, and I have been doing so for the last two years.
Working from home is a definite lifestyle change, and I can admit that it wasn’t that easy at first! There are many distractions at home, and it could be so easy to give into them because, let’s face it, your home is your comfort zone! But there are things you can do to ensure you are productive and successful working from home. I’ve learned a few things in these last two years, and I hope they will help!
1) Really try to create a space where you know it’s a work space. If you have a room where you can make it your “office” do it! Purchase an actual desk and office chair if you can, and create a space that you know is your home office, and don’t do anything else there. I would really try to avoid making your bedroom an office. To quote John Mayer in a recent post on his Instagram, make a distinction between work and your “Gentle Hours”, between daytime and night time. Your office space should be where you are in the day, and your bedroom is where you retreat to at night. If that isn’t possible, do your best to remove or turn off any TV’s in that room, to minimize distractions.
I have an actual home office (pictured above). My desk and office chair were less than $200, and I only use it for work. When we bought our home, the additional room that we turned into my office came with windowed French doors. I can see out, yet have privacy when needed. This means that when I’m done, I literally leave the office, turn out the lights and shut the doors behind me. I only have listening devices in my office, so that I can enjoy music, but I do not have a TV in my office. Sorry Dr. Phil!
2) Be sure to wake up at the same time you did when you were going to work remotely. Do not change your routine. Shower, brush your teeth, make your coffee and/or breakfast and change clothes (well, if you want to), so you feel like you’re going to work, because you are!
3) Inform your household when you have meetings, to minimize noise and distractions. Go into a room and close the door and have others close their doors.
Also, I really suggest not multi-tasking while in a meeting. My supervisor once told me that she could tell that I was giving meetings my undivided attention, and that’s because I made a conscious decision to not do other work while in a meeting, which can easily be done when doing phone conferences. I feel that I need to be extra focused because I’m not physically in a board room or meeting room, and I can do my part by eliminating as many distractions as possible.
One more thing about meetings: TAKE NOTES! I’m better at remember things when I write things down in a notebook or on Post-Its. Whether you physically write them down or type it up in your computer, always take notes when in meetings. With everything going on at your home office, it’s easier to recall information when you have it written down or typed somewhere.
4) Make time for scheduled breaks and lunches. Set alarms or email alerts as needed and take them! Do your best to not work through your breaks, because we all need them, especially at home. Make time for your lunch and physically step away from your work space, even if that means that you only go to your kitchen, eat lunch outside, or go for a walk.
5) If you have young kids, give them homework, reading, or a schedule that emulates school. Make sure they get up and have breakfast & lunch, just like if they were in school. Make the distinction between vacation and school hours, like you do for your work space. Our son finishes his Spring Break this week, and he will be home indefinitely. He knows that while he won’t be in school for an extended unknown amount of time, this is no longer a break or vacation. We informed him that when he wakes up in the morning, he will have breakfast, then I have math and reading for him to do, in addition to practicing his trumpet.
6) If you work under a manager or supervisor, inform them of the work you accomplish daily. If you are your own boss, make a schedule and a to do list, and make sure you check things off! I send my supervisor a daily “Tomorrow’s Tasks” email, explaining what I accomplished during the day, and what I will be working on the following day. She let me know that she likes those emails, because she never has to wonder what I’m doing each day.
And there you have it, my tips on how I work successfully from home! I hope they helped in some small way, and please, let me know if you have any other tips and tricks as well. Cheers!
I’m diving back into posting again by way of fashion: I’ve been asked to give my “Top 5” picks for Phoenix Fashion Week’s Spring Into Style Editorial Trend Photo Challenge for 2020! The Spring Into Style event is so much fun because it not only showcases amazing fashion, but challenges designers and stylists to think about what they are presenting and how it represents themselves and their brand. I’m so excited as this year’s challenge was a bit different for the stylists and designers. They have been asked to style 20 different trends, and to create a photo editorial of that trend, in anticipation of the upcoming runway show. While all the photos are simply amazing, I have selected my top 5 according to photo style, and presentation of their trend.
TREND: Draping &
Wrapping
Brand: Activ Intimates by CJ & Laurie
Of my top 5 picks, this was by far the most visually
stunning. I felt that the trend was met
head-on by the way the garment draped and flowed. The background had enough light to add drama
and contrast to the photo, and I felt like the photo had movement to it. I also really love when blues are presented
with black, because the transition is subtle, yet you know it’s there. The statement earrings give just enough
detailing to the outfit, without overpowering it. Beautiful picture!
TREND: Color Clash
Brand: IndiStyleU by India Purnell
This 80’s girl loves anything to do with vinyl records, so
this automatically caught my eye! But
what I love is that it definitely presented the trend well by bringing together
red & purple. The color blocking in
this photo is styled well, bringing in the red in the accessories, popping
against that great deep purple color. This
outfit would brighten up any party, and turn heads in the process. I also like that the belt and gloves have the
same matted shine, which looks chic and luxurious.
TREND: Rugby Shirts
Brand: Being Dapper by JC Donaldson
Rugby shirts are a great wardrobe piece for men because it’s sporty yet chic, and this picture shows that trend so well. The yellow coat makes the outfit pop, and Chelsea boots are always classic. This is a well put together outfit, with a vintage feel because of that amazing setting. I can see this gentleman walking in, all eyes on him because he is so stylish, yet casually having drinks at the bar. He owns the room in a big way!
TREND: Red
Brand: Christine Adar by Christine Ammon
I remember this dress from the Phoenix Fashion Week 2019
fall runway, and it was a show stopper!
I know that the dress is hand painted and the shades of red are bold and
beautiful. What
I especially love is how the red jumps out against the black fabric, really
highlighting the trend.
TREND: Bad Romance
Brand: Melissa Torres Designs by Mia Torres
I really like the pink contrasted with the black in this lovely
photo! The black statement necklace and
headpiece are what make this trend come alive, especially against the flow of the
garment.
Thank you Phoenix Fashion Week for asking me to pick my Top 5 for this year’s Spring Into Style Editorial Trend Photo Challenge! For all of the photos in this challenge, please see the Phoenix Fashion Week Instagram Page. I can’t wait to see these all on the runway soon!
I’m all about having a great cuppa, but a cup of chocolate tea? I recently had the pleasure of trying this flavorful tea from the Cacao Tea Co and not only does it have an amazing chocolate taste, but it’s rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. This tea is 100% organic, as well as gluten-free, caffeine-free and sugar free!
The delicious chocolate taste is so robust because this tea is actually made from cacao husks, so it’s not infused. I added a bit of stevia to mine and I swear, it tastes just like hot coco!
If you would like a bag, they can be purchased directly from the Cacao Tea Co website for $17.50, and they ship worldwide! If you live in the US, they can ship your tea with in one business day!
Check out my slow pour video below, and let me know in the comments if you love it as much as I do!
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted here on my blog. Quite a bit has happened since last summer, but I feel we are finally at a place where I can actually settle down and get creative again.
First of all, we bought a new home! Last year, we lived in Chandler, Arizona. While staying in a lovely rental, we searched all over The Valley to find someplace that we could call home. We finally found our forever home in Mesa, at a brand new development near the Queen Creek area! Our new home has four bedrooms and a “flex” room, which means we all have our own rooms, and we have a guest room (even my mom has her own “wing”). We bought it as a “spec home”, which means the house was move-in ready. It’s also a smart home, so the appliances are all wifi capable!
A new home in a new neighborhood meant a new school for Dominic! Dominic’s new school had it’s inaugural year last year, and it is literally around the corner from our house. So being a new student was shared by everyone in his school, and all of his new friends are within walking distance from home. It’s so great to know he will grow up with these kids, and hopefully build lifelong friendships! Not only that, Dominic has played soccer in the fall, has a new team this winter and is also playing the trumpet in his school’s band!
My husband, Deon, has been quite busy himself! He did a lot of home projects: installing lights all around the house, ceiling fans in every room, a backsplash in the kitchen, added shelves and a work area in the garage, and designed our backyard (built by Mesquite Landscaping), which our puppy, Joey, enjoys it immensely! He has also been busy with work, going on a few fantastic business trips, including Denmark and New York.
As I mentioned earlier, we have a “flex” room, which we could easily have turned into another bedroom or opened up the doorway for another living area. But we kept the French doors and turned it into my home office, since I work remotely for the same company I did when we were in San Diego. I’ve truly made it the room I never had in the 80’s, filling it with all of my music, Funko Pop figures, retro knick-knacks, and even an arcade game! While I’ve created an area to concentrate fully on my job that is separate from the rest of the house, it’s also a space where I can create, and I’m starting to rediscover myself as a blogger and influencer. Recently, I did most of my influencer work microblogging on some of my social media platforms. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I worked extensively with Phoenix Fashion Week, and I joined a foodie network. But I truly have missed blogging, because it allows me to write creatively, which I really do enjoy.
As we are finally settling down in our new home here in Arizona, I will continue to share our adventures and my thoughts here on the blog. Thanks for continuing to follow along, and cheers to all to come in the new year!
I have felt so lucky to have met some amazing people, designers and artists since moving to Arizona. After having lived in California for so long, I wasn’t sure how I would acclimate to my new home state, but I feel like I’m truly doing very well out here, trying to live my best life, as the saying goes!
I’ve had the opportunity to go to several fashion events out here, and at one of these events, I met the folks behind a great new local clothing company. Frankie Pina, owner of Arizona Life Apparel, was born and raised in Arizona and wanted to create a clothing brand that would celebrate everything he loves about his home state.
When thinking about Frankie’s passion for Arizona, I wanted to have a photo shoot somewhere unique to where I currently live, like the Chandler Museum.
Speaking of budding artists: My son Dominic took all of these amazing photos!
Outfit: AZ Life Flag Tee (Black/White) c/o Arizona Life Apparel; Izod jeans; Ash sneakers (no longer available); Zeelol glasses; Mesh Coffee Watch c/o Capitola (with discount); Marc Jacobs Saddle purse
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
(Post title: Lyrics from “Rainy House Nights” by Joni Mitchell)
I celebrated my 49th birthday this month, can you believe it? I used to fret each year that I got older, but with all of the wonderful changes that have happened already this year, I’m looking forward to many more new birthday adventures right here in Arizona!
I mentioned on Instagram a couple of weeks ago that I’ve found so many great birthday deals or freebies on my favorite brands, restaurants and stores, simply by signing up on their official sites or joining their loyalty programs. Here’s a list of one’s I was able to partake in during the month of May. Hopefully you’ll find something you like and celebrate your birthday all month long!
TORY BURCH
This birthday deal was by far my favorite and gets first mention: These are the coveted Miller Sandals that I’ve always wanted. It’s not that I didn’t just want to pay for them outright, but more so that I’m always looking for that great deal, and it happened in the month of my birthday! This lovely pair of tortoise shell printed patent Miller Sandals were already on sale, but the purchase was made sweeter with an additional birthday gift certificate of $50 off any purchase over $100! So these lovelies went from $198, down to $139, and was knocked down to just $89. Happy birthday to me!
LE MADELIENE
This is a deal that can only be used east of California, as Le Madeleine is located more in the Mid-West. I signed up for their rewards program, using their app and scanning it at every visit. Just for signing up, I’ve already received a free lemon madeleine, free butter croissant and a free pastry of my choice on my birthday! I chose the Strawberry Napoleon (pictured next to my mom’s Key Lime Cheesecake), and lunch was complete!
YOGURTLAND
My son and I got to enjoy this treat because if you sign up for Yogurtland Real Rewards, you get a free 3oz yogurt just for signing up and another free 3oz yogurt on your birthday. The treats for you and your favorite person!
CVS
I have had a CVS ExtraCare Card for years and have always taken advantage of their wonderful discounts and free bucks. But I didn’t know that they had birthday rewards until one showed up on my app: a free bottle of nail polish!
MADEWELL
Like the Tory Burch birthday certificate, Madewell offered their own $25 one for joining their loyalty program called Madewell Insider! I bought these sneaks, plus a cute checked shirt. With both on sale, I paid a mere $15 for the remainder of my birthday order!
ADDITIONAL DEALS
Here are a few more deals that I received. If it’s your birthday, have a great one, cheers!
Since moving to Arizona, I’ve been thinking about how to communicate to all of our friends and family about where we are in our new home state. I’m actually glad I waited, because we are in the process of purchasing our new home and will be on the move again! I would like to communicate our new address by sending both an actual card, as well as online communication for those who we do not have a physical address for.
I was recently introduced to Paperless Post, a company that designs customizable online stationery. They believe that the connection between people is important, regardless of the medium. What’s also great is that it’s quite easy to get started! I began by creating an account and getting set up. Once I’m truly ready to send out our moving announcements, I’ll fill in the address book with contacts.
Paperless Post has so many choices of stationery styles, types, and designers. One of my favorites is the Kate Spade designs, because they’re so simple yet quirky and elegant. Although Paperless Post has hundreds of free choices, premium cards and premium upgrades are available for a nominal cost through coins, that can be purchased in packages.
The cards are adorable and fully customizable! I sent a practice card to myself to try it out. The card color variation, font, envelope interior, and background can all be changed to fit your needs, and the way they’re delivered is so much fun!
Since our move will be happening pretty soon, I’ll be browsing through all of the amazing choices at Paperless Post, cheers!
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
I know it’s been awhile, but I promise I’ve got some good posts to put up in the next few weeks!
First up: I was featured in an online magazine called Voyage Phoenix, where they highlight inspiring people in the Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe areas, including cities like Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa. Both myself and Susan from Styles Revealed have a feature, and we’re talking about how we got started as influencers, and how we balance blogging with work, our families and life in general. It was awesome to be included in such esteemed company. Thank you Voyage Phoenix for the feature!
Believe it or not, I only recently started to realize the importance of ensuring I have clean make-up brushes! I think I just took it for granted that because I’m the only one using my brushes and I use colors so minimally that I don’t need to clean or change them often. Having blogger/vlogger friends who specialize in beauty has really made me aware of not just make-up how-to’s, but maintenance and sanitation.
Enter Beautiac: An ethical and environmentally conscious company who has developed a system where the subscriber will never have to clean any make-up brushes ever again! I was honored to try out their VIP package (pictured below), which includes three disposable brush heads (foundation, powder & blush), three universal handles, a dye-free blur sponge, an antimicrobial safe bag and smart make-up brush stand.
The brush heads snap on and off very easily, which should make monthly maintenance quick and simple. The brushes themselves are soft and holds any foundation or powder very well. The brush stand not only holds all of my new Beautiac brushes, but also fits all of my smaller, finer brushes. I’ve traveled back and forth to San Diego from Chandler in the time I have been trying out these Beautiac brushes, and the antimicrobial safe bag is so handy, and I get peace of mind knowing they’re safe when I’m in hotel rooms.
Finally, Beautiac has incorporated the “4 Quadrants” as a part of their social cause initiative: Environment, Cruelty Free, Women Empowerment and Health & Wellness (which you can read about here). An important aspect to me was the Environment Quadrant, because it explains how they recycle their brush heads through TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box Program.
For those who want to participate in this wonderful subscription box through Beautiac, you can use the code ANY10 at check out and get 10% off!
Cheers and have a wonderful weekend!
FTC Disclosure: I received the product in exchange for a product review. Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
