Easy Updates for Any Home

Today's shop has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible! 
#LoveAmericanHome #CollectiveBias

I'm a fan of changing my space to change my energy. It's something my mom & tias (aunts for my non-Spanish speakers) have been doing since I was a wee kid. Seeing their love for color transform an apartment into a home was impressive mainly because they worked with small budgets with their favorite store. Yet, each time they "flipped" a room it would come alive with personality, love, and leave memories behind.

Well, now that I'm out of the nest and not loving my lackluster room it was time to call in the heavy artillery - my mom & tia (the budget professionals).

Their first call of action was decluttering my room. The ladies went in and sorted through worn out clothing, ratty blankets, and damaged necklaces to clear out valuable floor space (and sanity).

Next, they came up with a color palette that the bae and I both agreed on: black, gray and white. Trust me when I say that the ladies wanted something a little more colorful to spice up the room, but compromise is key in a relationship. This also meant that all bedding that fell outside this color palette were donated to the local animal shelters.

Once the color palette was decided they rearranged furniture with those that were in other parts of the home so the bedroom had one singular aesthetic instead of being a mish-mash of bookcases.

After those first three things we made a list of want was needed from our local Walmart and shopped strategically: my tia grabbed me all new black bedding and a few accent pillows, my mom made way for a new rug and a few containers to help keep my jewelry organized, and I bee-lined for the American Home™ by Yankee Candle®.I'm sort of a candle freak and love how a scent can bring you back to a certain memory, help you unwind, and all around add a great atmosphere to your home.

I may have gone a little overboard but I ended up getting American Home™ by Yankee Candle® in Warm & Happy Home ($14.93), Pumpkin Apple Harvest ($10.93), and Delicious Cranberry ($14.93) which you can find online here or in the Home & Candle section of your local Walmart. They have a huge selection and the price is amazing for the bigger sized candles. And remember to only burn them when in sight.

I've been loving the last fragrances for the holiday season as well. As a bonus, whenever I smell the Pumpkin Apple Harvest I'll always remember how my tia made fun of my inability to cook.

It's crazy how a new home fragrance, color coordinated sheets and [massive] decluttering can go a long way. They've turned my least favorite room into the most delicious spot to hang out. Not to mention being able to have a few laughs with my favorite people.

Last but not least, my tia & mom got me a little surprise to go with my mini room makeover. A collection of calaveras to add a little flavor to my room and the best home cooked meal I had in while. Well, they tried teaching me how to cook arroz blanco but they didn't want to risk burning the rice again (whoops).

How do you update your home? Is it a family affair like mine?

The Power of Face Mists

The one component of my overall skincare regimen that I absolutely love to use are face mists. You can even call it my favorite topic to gush about and with five years of face misting under my belt I’ve become a bit of a pro.

If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you should! Misting is so amazing for your skin and leaves you looking fresh and glowy. They also serve a multitude of purposes, such as:

· Extra Hydration: In the AM mist your face before applying moisturizer/essence
· To Soothe: After a workout (/Classpass) session, mist to soothe your flushed skin
· Seasonal Prevention: Mist throughout the day, when your skin starts to feel a little too dry (i.e. winters) or too hot (i.e. summers)
· Makeup Extender: Mist after applying makeup to set or extend

Don’t confuse face mists with toners, the latter is meant to be used right after cleansing. If you were to use a toner after applying makeup, all of your hard work would be whisked away in one swipe (tear).

Besides stocking my shelves with face mists, I tend to carry them on my person too. If you’re ready to take the plunge (come on in the water’s great!!) here’s a list of my top favorites:

1. Avene Thermal Spring Water
After years of paying high shipping costs to get this into my hands, we can finally purchase this stateside and for really cheap too! It’s so hydrating and reduces visible redness. It’s incredibly gentle and soothing as well. I’d call this my A1 mister. Personally, I love using this in the AM before applying essence/moisturizer and after an intense workout.

via lauraneuzeth.com

2. Derma e Purifying Toner Mist
I’m a huge fan of the brand’s all-natural approach to skin care and am always testing out new things from them. Recently I tried their Purifying Toner Mist and absolutely loved the mineral and antioxidant-rich toner. Also, this is awesome for those of us living in big cities since it helps rebalance and fortify skin against pollutants. Because of the packaging, this is a must for your purse.

via samanthamariaofficial.com

3. Botanics Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz
Love the scent of this and the price point is amazing. This is another great AM & PM mister. Since this does come in a bigger bottle, I’d recommend using after cleansing. Once you mist use a cotton pad to sweep away any remaining traces of makeup. But, however, you do use it, your skin will be left feeling fresh and dewy.

4. Glossier Soothing Face Mist
Saved the best for last! Glossier has been killing it in the skincare game and their Soothing Face Mist is so bomb. It’s made with rosewater, aloe, and glycerin, which leaves your skin extra, hydrated and feels so great (read: refreshing). I use this all day long or whenever I need a makeup refresher. (P.s. all of Glossier’s goods are uh-mazing, click this link for 20% off your purchase).

Quick Strides

Less than a week away from New York’s annual marathon and the city is buzzing with excitement. Close to 50,000 people head into Staten Island and collectively run together over the Verranzo bridge where they let their strides take them into Brooklyn, Queens, the Boogie Down Bronx, and finally Manhattan. And it’s not only top athletes who take on the 26.2 miles but people with heart who have demonstrated their commitment week after week to get out there and run.

Every year, you’ll find me on the sidelines cheering on those that are giving it all because, well… It’s so f-ing inspiring. And next year it’ll be my turn to dash from one borough to the next. I’m so pumped and insanely nervous at the same time.

Instead of focusing on my nerves it’s better to go day by day and remember what triggered my elation for those quick swift strides. And you know, share what I learned with y’all.

If we were to take it from the start, one of the things that really got me into running was how strong I felt after each run and amazement at how far my body could take me with the bare minimum. Not only that, but it made me feel normal enough to get off my prescribed medication for good (for those that don’t know I was diagnosed with PTSD & anxiety – not a lot of fun). And so, whenever I felt a little out of sync, I ran.

If you want to experience that runner's high – I say, try it! You’ll never know until you do.

Classpassers (sign up here for $25 off your first month), a few studios that I found to help with my runs were: Mile High Run Club + Barry’s Bootcamp (go faster with their speed runs), Y7 & Tangerine Hot Power Yoga (stretch out those muscles), and Absolution + Flex (a strong core is everything).

A few must-haves + tips I recommend for those wanting to dive right in:

- Get fitted for running sneakers. Your sneakers can make or break your stride so I highly recommend getting fitted. Don’t go for what’s popular but what works best for you!

- Do wear workout gear that makes you feel confident. If you’re a busy bee like me, then look into activewear that can take you from studio to street or vice versa. I’m a huge fan of Lucy Activewear for that sole reason. Plus, their clothes are super flattering, material is amazing, and made for the woman’s body in motion. I started out with one piece their Hatha leggings and quickly added a few more pieces each season as a treat for sticking to my workouts.

- Nutrition + hydration are super important. On race weeks (or when I’m really putting in the work) I up the protein intake with a few of my favorite shakes. Although I dabble with Sha-Glam and DailyBurn’s FUEL 6, I find myself reaching for Vega Sport. It’s still a plant-based nutritional meal but what I really love is how it divvy ups it’s product based on what stage you are in your training; Prepare, Sustain, Recover. Essentially helps fuel you better. I use their pre-workout energizer before runs and then their performance protein after (if I went really hard). If you’re looking to add this to your nutritional plan, take the quiz on their site to get started. While you’re at – pick up a Blender Bottle for protein shakes on the go! When it comes to hydration, you'll always find me with a bobble water bottle in my hand. It keeps cold liquids cold and hot liquids hot.

Top: Lucy  Sweater: Lucy  Leggings: Lucy  Sneakers: Adidas  Lipgloss: Glacé via BITE

Give these recommendations a go and let me know how it goes during your next sweat sesh And remember, all that matters is that you put one foot in front of the other when you run.

P.s. I took these photos before heading to yoga, hence my casual sneakers. Don't run in casual sneakers - they will kill your knees.

Photos by Victor Cerejo.

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