Wellness Challenge #3: Make the Most of Your Time
October 30, 2017
Is anyone else in shock that Halloween is tomorrow? So insane! I’m sad that October is over, but at least the weather is finally cool. It actually feels like fall. I am taking full advantage of the rest of fall. I’m even working on an end-of-fall bucket list that I’ll share with you guys later this week. As for now, it’s time for another wellness challenge! This time, I want to focus on cutting back on my Netflix binging habits.
I love a great weekend where I order seamless and binge a few shows (aka Riverdale). But I’ve noticed that I’ve been having these binge watching sessions on the weekdays too. And although it was a ton of fun blowing off my responsibilities this past week, I ended up being so anxious about everything I’ve been avoiding and feeing too overwhelmed to do anything... not healthy Nia. So for the next two weeks, I’m gonna schedule in my “do nothing time”.
I think everyone needs to rest and just not do anything every now and then, but since I’m working on multiple goals (ie. improving my health and fitness, making more money, running this blog after my day job, dating in the city, trying to network in my field, stepping up my style and beauty game and making more friends), I can’t afford to check out every single night after work, but if I block off one or two hours a day to unwind will help me relax without feeling guilty. Call me an optimist, but I'm pretty confident that scheduling these “I’m not doing anything right now” sessions is going to make a huge difference.
I believe penciling in this time will encourage anyone to take advantage of their downtime AND their productivity time! It’s definitely going to take a lot of discipline, but it will be worth it. Plus, you can always create a reward for yourself to help you stay motivated. I have my eye on a beautiful velvet jacket, so if I stay on track, I’m treating myself to it.
So now I want to hear from you! Maybe you haven’t been making the most of your time, but you have goals you want to achieve and things you want to do. It’s never too late to make a change. We are totally going to have everything we want, but like I’ve said before, it’s not just going to fall in our laps. I hope you take on this challenge with me, and I can’t wait to hear from you guys in the comment section below. Cheers to a happy and productive Fall!
Instagram Roundup - Budget Friendly Fall Outfits
October 24, 2017
I'm a huge believer that having great style has absolutely nothing to do with how how much you spend on your wardrobe. I really started to develop and understand my personal style in college... the years when I had the least amount of money. And although I graduated almost a year and a half ago from undergrad, those bargain hunting skills I mastered during college are still (and will always be) ingrained in me. I have noticed that I'm starting to drift more towards quality clothing, but I rarely pay full price for high-quality items, and neither should you! 99% of the time, I search for the best compared price, store sales, coupons or a previously-owned piece to maximize my savings. Forever 21 and H&M still have a pretty large place in my life, but I'm starting to realize that I can have high quality items too and not drain my bank account to get them. I've rounded up a few of my recent Instagram posts so you can shop my budget-friendly and quality pieces. Don't forget to take a picture and tag me or DM me so I can see how you style any of these pieces (or similar pieces)! I'm excited to see what you guys put together. I love how easy it is to share fashion and connect through it. So seriously, feel free to share!
Oh, and disclaimer, this post contains affiliate links. So... if you do decide to shop from it, I'll love you forever for supporting my blog. If you don't shop from it, I'll still love you just for reading my post.
Oh, and disclaimer, this post contains affiliate links. So... if you do decide to shop from it, I'll love you forever for supporting my blog. If you don't shop from it, I'll still love you just for reading my post.
I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I've been finding a lot of cute, affordable items at Abercrombie and Fitch. This satin lace-trimmed cami is from there... and it was on sale for $12. I have a feeling it's going back on sale very soon. I grabbed this trendy lace-up black denim skirt on sale at Forever 21.
This mesh shop is a dream, and it was only $6. My favorite way to style mesh, see-through items is with a lacy item underneath. My favorite thing about this top is the pop of red; I typically see mesh tops in black. Throwing on a mesh top in an unexpected color is an easy way to add a twist to a basic nighttime outfit. I got these beautiful shoes on sale for $20 dollars at express! They pretty much always have sales, so check out your local store on the reg. Plus these shoes have a chunky heel and and a closed toe, meaning you have extra support and can tape your toes to minimize pain. 
I’ve been obsessed with graphic tees lately and really wanted a simple one with a French saying... but I wasn’t willing to pay a crap ton for one. Then, I found this baby on Boohoo, and it was only $17. Jesus clearly wanted me to be happy that day. I love this tee so much and it’s pretty opaque so your bra doesn't show through too much. And of course, to make this look less basic, I paired it with my favorite pleather mini skirt from Guess. I randomly found this skirt at Macy’s, and it was on sale for about $50!!! I’ve worn this to happy hours, nights out, dates, random daytime activities and even in the office (perks of working in fashion). I honestly would pay 3xs the price for a skirt like this. It’s a staple in my wardrobe. Now these earrings were on the pricier side for what I usually buy, but I’m focusing on transitioning my jewelry collection to a more sophisticated style. That means investing in quality pieces. These are from bauble bar and I love them, so I don’t care that they were over $30. You can also get a percent off your first bauble bar purchase! Just look in the top right-hand corner of the site and enter your email to receive your discount.
My shoes are by Chinese Landry. I was watching a YouTube clothing haul a year ago and they were featured in someone’s video. I fell in love with them and bought them 3 days later. I paid about $80 for them, but I like investing in my shoes and these have held up pretty well. Plus, I found a discount code for them, which made the hit to my wallet hurt a lot less.
This adorable bell-sleeve, off the shoulder red top is from Forever 21. I got it during a holiday sale so it was under $20. It’s really thick and is pretty decent quality. I am obsessed with it. If you can’t tell, I have a thing for red. It’s a universally flattering color, so if you want to add some color to your wardrobe, try on a few different shades of red until you find one that flatters your skin tone.
I paired this top with a basic dark wash denim skirt and my favorite embroidered mules by Kenneth Cole. These shoes were a gift from my boss because she’s amazing and super generous, but this outfit will look great with any type of shoe. This would be a really cute outfit to wear with white sneakers. Wearing a skirt with trainers is my go-to uniform when I want to look cute but plan on walking a lot.
So those are some of my recent finds. I've been wearing the items above on repeat. Let me know what items you've been wearing non stop this month, and thanks for reading and supporting my blog! Lots of love!!!
Weekly Brief No. 3: Weekend Reads
October 20, 2017
 |
Congrats! We made it through another week! I'm currently working on this post while drinking coffee in my living room. Jazz music is playing in the background and the Netflix fireplace "film' is crackling across from me. It's crazy how these three little things are making me insanely happy right now. This is a much needed reminder that I need to take time to do the little things that I love. We can experience happiness from the simplest things! So if you're week has been a little rough, take this weekend to relax and do the simple things you love. I know I am! Fingers crossed this will do the trick and help me feel re-centered. Happy weekend and happy reading!
P.S. Let me know what your favorite part about this post is. I'd love to hear your input, and if there're other topics you want me to share in these weekly round-ups, put it in the comments or email me! I'd love to start including them!
Shop til you Drop: the best sales this week
- Bloomingdale’s: Spend More, Save More Event - Take 20% off $100+, 25% off of $250+, and 30% off $500+ with code SAVEMORE, valid 10/16 – 10/22
84 MID-SEASON SALES TO SHOP OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS!!! Thank you fashionista for this glorious gift! 50? off your entire purchase from Boohoo! Up to 70% off ASOS items!! I'm so happy!
Career: Read this if you're feeling stuck in you job!
Get Fit: I've been having a lot of knee pain lately. If you've been having this issue too, these exercises to relieve knee pain are for you.
Smart Money Tip of the Week (Because you’re too good to stay a broke bitch): Face that credit card debt! I am! It kind of sucks, but it will feel so great when you're totally free.
Currently loving: If you read my current wellness challenge post, you already know how I'm focusing on building more confidence. Well after reading this incredible article on GirlBoss.com, I realized that what I've really been struggling with is self-esteem! If you do anything today, please take 5 minutes to read this piece. You are amazing, but it's easy to forget that in today's society. You’ve Been Conditioned Into Low Self-Esteem: Here’s How To Get It Back
Date Night/We Need to Talk: Do you know your S.O.'s love language? Do you know your own? Find out here.
Trick or treat: The 13 Nights of Halloween are back on ABC/Freeform!!! Here's the schedule. You're welcome.
Food for the Soul: Ah!!! I can't wait to buy the new Kate Spade book SHE! I glanced through it in a book store last weekend. It celebrates a collection of famous women (fictional and real) who continue to be iconic muses.
Wakeup Call: 5 Reasons Why You Are Doubting Your Decisions (and Why It Has to Stop) via theeverygirl.com
Decorate: If I had a bar cart, I would decorate it just like One Small Blonde did for Halloween! I want one so freaking badly!!!!!!
Favorite Quote: "What we dwell on is who we become-as a woman thinks, so she is. - Oprah
Wellness Challenge #2: How to tackle anxiety
October 16, 2017
 |
| Photo by Alisa Anton |
1. Count forwards and backwards to the number 5, five times while deeply inhaling and exhaling.
I learned this trick from the amazing Mel Robbins. Honestly, you can really calm yourself down if you just take a few seconds to breath and recenter yourself. This is one of my favorite tricked because you can do it anytime, anywhere and no one will notice! When you do this, you realize that you can handle whatever is causing you anxiety. You’re strong enough and smart enough to get through this. You might not think that you are, but trust me; you are, and I’m always right. So there! Now you have no excuse but to believe that you are strong and smart enough to handle this obstacle.
2. Write down what's bothering us, why it’s bothering us, and actions we can take to solve or move past the broken down problem.
This step helps me because it's a reminder that no matter the outcome, I’ll always have myself once this is over, ensuring that I’ll be ok. Then I also brainstorm everything I can do to fix this problem. For example, one of the MANY things I was anxious as hell about this weekend is my love life. I was telling myself all of these toxic lies such as “I’m not pretty enough to get the type of man I want to commit to me,” “don’t smile at that cute guy on the train because he wants someone who looks like her, not like you Nia,” or “you’re not successful enough yet to be with the type of guy you want.”
These are all terrible, untrue things, and why was I even telling myself this story? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Attraction isn’t a universal truth. It’s subjective, not objective and I’m not a freaking mind reader, so that cute guy in front of me at startbucks might think I’m an angel sent from above or he might not.
Number two, if someone only cares about my physical appearance, they aren't the person for me. Yes,having enough self-respect to present yourself in a way that makes you feel confident is very important, but looks should never be the foundation of a healthy relationship. Guess what the real catch is... it doesn’t matter what that stranger thinks of me at all. Yes, I truly believe that love is the most important thing to experience in life, but I should be practicing self-love on a daily basis instead of putting my self-worth in the hands of other people. I'd be lying if I said this is an easy mindset to fix, but I know I should never depend on anyone else to feel fulfilled.
Some of the actionable steps I can take to fix my irrational fear of being single for all eternity are:
1.) I can devote more time to taking care of my physical and emotional state so I look, but most importantly, feel my best.
2.) I can repeat a positive quote to myself whenever I don’t feel confident. This will boost my energy and change my mindset. Confident people are attracted to other confident people, so in this case, taking a break from dating and focusing on boosting that self confidence is essential.
3.) I can push myself to be more active and social so I meet more people. Go to that hiking meet up event. Take up that happy hour invitation and talk to at least 3 new people! I won't die from being a little social. Netflix can wait.
I use this list exercise for just about every aspect of my life: my career, apartment hunting, expanding my social circle, making more money... literally everything. Once I have my problems down on paper and brainstorm small things I can do to fix them; I feel like I can breathe again and put down the pint of ice cream I've been binge eating to distract myself.
3. Freaking cry
Sometimes you really just need to cry to get all of the pressure and anxiety out of your system. There’s nothing wrong with crying every now and then. It’s great for your facial tissue. I do believe there’s such a thing as too much crying though (ie. me every single morning my second semester of senior year of college (2016) when I stretched myself too thin in order to avoid dealing with my father’s death). So if you find yourself crying multiple times a week, I don’t think it hurts to explore seeking help from a professional. Believe me, no one should feel tortured by their thoughts 24/7. Life is meant to be beautiful, and I refuse to let us be held hostage by our own minds.
What do you do to help battle anxiety? I can't wait to hear from you guys, and if you need someone to talk to, feel free to email me. Also, here's a cute puppy gif if you need something to help you smile today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons