Downtown Brooklyn Moments

The NE is currently getting pummeled every other day aka the shoes you are about to see aren't the most appropriate. Blame it on the cabin fever!

See what I mean? Haha, in my defense we shot a few blocks away from my apartment - so not super brutal. Just me needing a moment of chic. Lately, (minus the strappy heels) I find myself reaching for easy pieces like a sweatshirt and jeans with lots of stretch. Also known as my hibernation look. To transition my hibernation look to the office sphere, this faux fur vest has been getting a lot of screen time. In my eyes it adds a bit of polish to every look.

A red lip and a fresh mani don't hurt either. Right now I'm loving this shade from Bésame Cosmetics. The luxury line is inspired by old Hollywood glamour (think Marilyn Monroe and Dolores del Rio). So far, I love the formula behind the bold and brazen red + vintage packaging. One coat is all you need for full coverage. This is just one of their 14 shades but feel free to scope out the brand and learn more on their site (besamecosmetics.com).

Vest: Zara (similar style)  Sweatshirt: c/o Mother via Piperlime  Jeans: Vigoss  Necklace: Capwell + Co  Shoes: c/o Joe's Jeans via Piperlime  Lipstick: c/o Red Hot Red via Bésame Cosmetics

Speaking of snow, another great way to avoid cabin fever and a trek outside in heels. Online shopping. Previously, I vowed to become a conscious consumer but with Piperlime shuttering their doors (sad face), now would be an amazing time to save what you can and shop their site for investment pieces. I have my eye on a few pieces including this equipment shirt. 

Photos by Victor Cerejo.

Shop the look:

Blogging Basics 101: Keep Learning

Hey guys! This month's post is going to fall on the shorter but sweet side. But, as always today's handy tip will help you grow your blog and strengthen your base. 

Social media and the technology that goes along with it are continuously changing. Everyday something new emerges or a drastic change has occurred on of our beloved platforms. It's up to us as savvy bloggers to be able to understand it and use it to the best of our abilities. 

By giving yourself a continuous education (never stop learning yo) you stay on top of the game of the digital landscape. If you're new to all these techie + social things, now is the time to develop a firm grasp on the platforms you'll be using. If you're going to go all in, might as well do a fabulous job!

Here are a few of my favorite resources when it comes to blogging:

The B Bar

It's an amazing blog about blogging. The two ladies (Victoria & Meg) that run it are pros when it comes to marketing blogs and small businesses. Definitely head over to their space for really great advice, tips, and tricks on making your blog tick!

Lynda.com

Lynda has saved my butt time and time again. It's another great site where you can learn anything and everything. Photoshop, check. Wordpress, check. Digital strategy, check. If you can afford the subscription or get your employer to sign off on it - do it and watch a video a week. This week I'm learning all about Keynote so I can build an amazing media kit. 

SkillShare

Similar to Lynda, I go to this site to about things that pertain to the creative things in life (i.e. fashion photography, logo design, etc.). Sometimes they partner up with really amazing teachers, so I'd suggest signing up for their newsletters to stay in the know.

CopyBlogger

Besides taking a few writing classes, the next best thing is to read up on content marketing. CopyBlogger has been my go-to from the get-go ever since going digital at the agency. They will teach you the in's and out's of creating amazing and shareable content.

Blogging, social media, and tech go hand in hand. It's so important as a blogger to stay up to date. Even more important to have a solid base that will prove essential in the long run (i.e. HTML, Photoshop, Facebook Ads).

How do you guys stay fresh on the blogging + social game?

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Got a question or another topic you'd like me to cover next month? Shoot me an email, I'd be more than happy to help. Want to read what I covered last month? You can find that right here.

Photos via Pinterest.

Hello Biceps!

Last month I focused on my core with Classpass. A few amazing things I noticed after focusing on my core, the emergence of baby abs. Like holy cow, baby abs. Can you imagine if I did a few more barre classes and stopped eating after 10pm (old habits die hard).

For February, things were switched up to avoid the dreaded plateau.

So, after a few too many episodes of Dance Moms and watching Maddie's strong and graceful arms I decided it's time to make moves. And if all else fails, I at least want to be able to conquer 1 push-up.

I'll still incorporate my ab-focused workouts but this time around I'll make sure there are a few focused on my arms too. The classes I'll be taking (or have taken) will be listed down below if you're curious. I'm also attempting to clean up my bad habits (baby steps) to help melt the flab away. I'm sure if I weren't so tempted by macarons and Domino's this wouldn't be an issue, but unfortunately bagels are my weakness. My only saving grace is that I'm not a soda fiend - lemonade on the other hand...

After some extensive research I learned about the 80/20 rule. It's where you eat clean 80% of the time, seems easy enough and not as restrictive as some other diets - instead it's more of lifestyle change. Afterall, there is only so many slices of pizza a girl can eat before it all catches up her. 

A few changes I've made include switching my daily cup of coffee for Kombucha. I'll still have my coffee but in less quantities. Another is eating energizing snacks after intensive workouts to block my sugar/carb carvings - A favorite of mind include Nuwi which is a drinkable quinoa snack. The texture reminds me of a thick smoothies but it may not be for everyone. And for pre-workout snacks, I rely on smashed avocados on toast or hardboiled egg. Make your pre-workout snacks are eaten at least a full hour in advance, otherwise you run the risk of upsetting your stomach.

As for the bicep-inducing classes I definitely recommend for those of you in NYC:

Again, Kettlebell Kickboxing. It's tough but your arms will look amazing in a few weeks time.

Row House, the name says it all. Your upper body will be pushed to extremes but you'll feel amazing right after.

If your focus is on creating lean muscle, sign up for Flex Studios classes. I finally got the chance to take a class and loved the all-body workout.

If there are any you'd recommend leave them below in the comments, I'd love to try them out. It's crazy how much motivation a Lifetime reality show could give one person, haha! Training for my half starts next month (March 8th) but let me know if you'd like a peek into my training schedule.

Photos via Lululemon.