Motivation | Take a Little Step

January 11, 2016January 17, 20167 Comments

A little step may be the beginning of a great journey.

Newport Bay Nature Preserve, Newport Beach, Ca

Do you remember when you were little and you felt like you could conquer the world? Like anything you put your mind to you could accomplish. If you wanted to grow up to be a superhero – you could be a superhero! Nothing stood in your way.

I think that as time goes on, you start to become more aware of other peoples’ opinions of you and you become conscious of limitations, which hinders your potential to take bigger leaps of faith. It’s nothing physical per say, but an emotional shift that affects you mentally. In a way, maybe it’s negative thinking or maybe a break in your confidence or self-esteem. But that’s all it is, a mental limitation which makes you feel a certain type of way.

Don’t let negative thoughts take up space in your mind. You can still be a superhero! Maybe not literally fly, but you can do it in other ways. Why stop yourself now? Why not take that vacation, or make that move, or take that class you’ve been considering. No one says you have to jump in all at once. Start by getting your toes wet, then see where you go from there. “A little step may be the beginning of a great journey.”

XOXO

I’m on Instagram!

January 10, 2016January 10, 20164 Comments

Happy Sunday lovelies! 💕 Hope you are having a nice lazy day. 😋 Just wanted to give you an update. I’m on Instagram! Follow me so that I can follow you. I’ll be posting on a daily basis and am looking forward seeing what you’ll be up to.

XOXO

Motivation | Self-Reflection for the New Year

January 5, 2016February 7, 20164 Comments

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.

C.S. Lewis

Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

Usually with a New Year, comes a time of reflection. You all hear that saying, “New Year, New Me!”, meaning that this year will be different, this year, you’ll make that change. But is that really true, or have you already changed?

Change can mean a number of things. Change is defined as to “make or become different”. A change can take on many forms. It can be tangible, intangible, physical, or emotional.

Personally, I don’t believe in the “New Year, New Me” mantra because we are constantly evolving. You may be making goals for yourself for this new year, and that is great! But it’s not because this year will be different, it’s because of how your life has already changed. You are already starting off this year as a new you!

Take the time for self-reflection right now. Perform an introspection of who you are, where you’ve been, and how you got there. Find the things that you are grateful for.

Maybe this past year has been tough. Maybe you experienced some very difficult days, or even months, but remember that those things have passed, or will eventually pass with time. Every day will not be difficult. Decide how you want to move forward from here. It’s already the new you.

XOXO

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OOTD | New Year, Same Shoes

January 3, 20165 Comments

Happy 2016 lovelies! It’s a New Year, but the same me. 😜 Went for a ‘kind of’ hike up Soledad Mountain in San Diego the other day. I say ‘kind of’ because we drove to the top, then “hiked up” the set of stairs. 🙂 teehee

It was sweater weather. The sun was out and the sky such a vibrant blue. The view from the top of the mountain is incredible. You can see the whole La Jolla coast.

I wore my favorite studded booties in tan, a black and white plaid shirt, jeggings, and light grey pull-over.

I love the ribbed texture of the pull-over. The material is so soft and warm.

In the spirit of the holidays, I went with a dark red polish.

I kept the accessories simple with a black Betsey Johnson bow ring and small black Marc Jacobs clutch.

How did you celebrate the first day of the New Year?

XOXO

RECIPE: Hot Spiced Apple Cider

December 21, 2015Leave a comment

What smell is more comforting than that of cinnamon apple lingering throughout the house. It is a wonderful combination that is associated with the holidays and hopefully has the ability to transport you in time.

Wanting to get into the mood of the holiday season, we took a Trader Joe’s spiced apple cider mix and took it up a notch. By adding allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon slices, and boiling the mix on the stovetop, we were able to highlight the flavors of the ready made cider and bring forward the hints of citrus.

Baby it’s cold outside!

Ingredients

1 Teaspoon Allspice

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1-pinch Nutmeg

5-7 Cloves

1 Quart Spiced Cider (Trader Joe’s) – Or substitute apple juice

Optional: Slices of citrus to taste – lemon, orange, or pineapple. Or substitute a splash of juice.

Directions

Bring the spiced cider to a simmer. Add all of the dry ingredients and optional citrus flavors, and whisk. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve in mugs and enjoy! Yields 3-4 servings, depending on the size of your mugs. 🙂