The Real Deal

On Saturday, my family and I are leaving for Rhode Island and I am so  excited!  It really is my happy place.  We've been going there since I was 3 months old to visit my cousins, have some much needed family time, and a whole lot of fun!  So since I'm beginning to make a packing list and get somethings together, I thought I would share with you guys what I pack in my carry on.  I am always so curious to see what others are bringing with them on the plane, so I thought I would throw my hat into the ring!  So, without further ado, here is what I will be bringing with me on the plane! North Face Backpack // I bought this backpack the summer before my senior year of high school and have been using it ever since!  I originally bought it when I went on a school trip to Europe that summer, and it has held up so well and I am still obsessed with it!  Since I got it so long ago they don't sell it anymore, but they have a ton of great backpacks an...

A few weeks ago, a shared my self care summer routine, which consists of a long, drawn out morning routine.  So, since I shared how I start out my mornings, I thought it would be fun to share my night routine for this summer!  It definitely does not have as many components as my morning does, but it is a great way for me to wind down and really get ready for bed.  So without further ado, here is my summer night routine! TV TIME WITH FAMILY  // After I eat dinner with my family, we usually put something on Netflix or whatever sporting event is on that night.  We all have pretty busy schedules so this is usually our time to hang out, catch up on our day, and just spend some time together.  This is usually around 7/7:30 so this is really when my evening gets started! CHANGE INTO PAJAMAS  // Around 9/9:30 I usually head upstairs to start unwinding from my day.  I usually wear a big tee shirt from college, some comfy shorts or some joggers...

It is finally  starting to feel like summer here in St. Louis!  It basically rained or was cloudy all of June, so we had one pool day since I had been home from school!  We have been having more pool days in one week of July than we had the entire month of June, so now it really does feel like the summer!  So, now that it feels like summer, I decided to let you guys know what my summer essentials have been so far!  ONE // Self Tanner Okay, I know that the summer is for getting a natural tan, but I always like to start with a base tan before vacation or even at the beginning of the summer.  I used self tanner all of June since it was so cloudy and I couldn't get outside, but I felt healthy and glowy and overall more confident after I self tan.  I use the Rodan and Fields Foaming Sunless Tan .  My mom's friend is a consultant which is why I get Rodan and Fields, but it smells really good and goes on clear so you won't stain your clothes or y...

I feel like my skin gets a break and really thrives in the summer.  It's not super dried out like it always gets during winter, and I am wearing less makeup during the summer which I love .  I already have a pretty quick makeup routine that takes me around 15 minutes, but I've definitely downsized on the amount of products I've been putting on when it's warmer.  I can really tell a difference because everything feels so  much lighter on my face, which means my skin can breathe so much better, I'm not sweating all of my makeup off, and my skin doesn't break out as much or as often as it does when I do my normal routine.  SO, without further ado, here is what I've been using as far as makeup goes so far this summer! FOUNDATION // Tarte Amazonian Clay Tinted Press Finishing Powder OR IT Cosmetics CC Cream What I use for foundation really depends on how my skin is doing.  If I need more coverage that day, I use the IT Cosmetics CC Cream because it ...

Hello everyone and happy summer!  I'm still furiously job searching, but since I currently am unemployed, I am trying to take time for myself and do things that are good for me and my body since that will be pretty hard for me today whenever a job or internship opportunity pops up.  I watch Danielle Carolan on YouTube (seriously check her out, love her) and in one of her videos she's talked about doing a "self care summer".  She's doing things for herself and doing what makes her feel good.  So I thought I would come up with a little self care summer routine for myself!  All of these things take very little time, so I'm trying to incorporate them during my busy day of running errands for my parents, job searching, going on interviews, and seeing some friends from high school.  So although each day is a little different, here are somethings that I am incorporating throughout my summer! ONE // Drink Lemon Water A lot of people that I watch on YouTub...

I drive back to school tomorrow morning!  It is so crazy that summer is already over, but I had a blast, and definitely had a lot of favorites this year.  So on my last day of summer, I thought I would tell you all what I have been loving recently, and what I will most likely continue to be loving going into the fall. ONE // Chocolate Hummus Okay, I know this sounds gross when you first read it, but let me tell you, this stuff is life changing .  We first discovered it when my family was up in Rhode Island for our summer vacation.  My family bought it and would eat it for dessert, but I was super hesitant to try it, because I definitely could not imagine a sweet hummus.  Well, folks, I was wrong.  This stuff literally tastes like brownie batter.  I love dipping pretzel crisps in it, and it is the best snack or dessert.  Shockingly, it's incredibly low in calories for the serving size, so it's great to have if you're trying to be healthier, ...

I just got back on Monday from a 10 day trip to one of my favorite places: Rhode Island!  My grandma was born and raised there, and moved to St. Louis after she married my grandpa, so her entire family lives up there.  My uncle (my grandma's brother) lives in my great-grandmother's beach house during the summer, so every summer, my family packs up, and we head up to the beach house for the summer!  I've been going since I was literally two months old, and a Rhode Island travel guide will be coming up on the blog soon! In today's post, I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite pictures I took on my iPhone from the past 10 days, and what we did, and the stories behind them.  This is going to be a pretty picture heavy post, but I am so excited to share my favorite place with you all! I took this picture on our flight there!  I absolutely love flying, and you see some of the best views from an airplane! The giant sail boat in the airport.  Rhode I...

As of a week ago, I am officially a senior in college!  It is so insane to me that I only have one year of college left.  I still feel like I senior in high school! After this past school year, I can honestly say that junior year was the best year of college yet.  I had some crazy lows, and some crazy highs, but I learned so much about myself and the person that I want to be, and could not be happier with where I am right now in my life.  So as a wrap up, here are some new things that I learned throughout my junior year of college: Boys Suck At the very beginning of September, my long-term boyfriend of 3.5 years and I broke up.  I was devastated  and did not know how to live my life without him in it since not only had we been together for so long, but we were friends for so much longer.  But the experience made me such a better person, and there are a few concepts I learned within the "boys suck" category.  One, is that it made me reali...