5 Favorite Blogs & Why!

I always love when I find a new blog that I am into and I cannot wait until the blogger uploads a new blog.  BUT, it is difficult finding noteworthy blogs.  I'm sharing with you all my 4 favorite blogs, in hopes that you can relate to one and add it to your list of favorite blogs!

4.  Prep Avenue

Classic Style, Study/College Tips, Room Decor

3.  The Beauty Department

Beauty, Makeup, Hair (Step by Step Tutorials with pictures that are really helpful)

2.  Life Meet Gym

Fitness Motivation, Workout Ideas, Cute workout clothes, Healthy Food Ideas

1.  Preppy By the Sea

Run by two New England Prepster's, this blog offers outfit ideas for a more preppy and classic style.  Preppy by the Sea also focuses on organization, tips and tricks, and other fun blogs posts.  I love their blog and it is nice because it is updated at least 4 times a week.  I am not into the whole preppy style, but they have cute clothes and really good quality pictures- and a lot of giveaways :)

Checkout these four blogs and I guarantee you will love at LEAST ONE of them.

xoxo
emma

OOTD: Friday Night Out

Tonight it was perfect Fall weather.  Crisp air in the high sixties and I was loving it.  I went out to dinner with a friend and then we walked around outside.  Lately I have been loving crochet shirts and anything black, so when I saw the shirt pictured below in my mom's closet, I knew I had to borrow it.

Looking for clothes in my moms closet is actually so much fun, and if you don't already, you should try it because it is easy to find vintage pieces that have come back into style.  I have probably stolen 5-6 shirts from my mom in the past few months, and a even a few from my dad!

 I'm obsessed with this shot because I feel like a celebrity with paparazzi following me.  Not.  Anyways, I paired this crochet long sleep with a black halter top, which I ended up loving because the open back at the top look so cool.

 I then paired a turquoise (looks more green above) necklace on a black bow string for a pop of color.

These two pictures are random, but I'm slacking on good pictures so i thought I would add them.  It is hard taking a good picture in the dark!

Also, my top is from a local store, but I found a few similar shirts by searching 'long sleeve black crochet"  Here is one I like that is very similar to the one I am wearing above | Similar |

xoxo 

emma

Fall Snacks

Every season I am in to different kind of snacks.  Although Fall has just begun, Here are a few of my favorite snacks so far this season:

1.  (healthy) Carrots and Hummus- as you may have seen on my back to school lunch ideas blog, I love carrots and hummus and it is frequently in my lunch box.  I have tried countless flavors of hummus and I just cannot get enough.

2. (healthy) Kind (Almond and Coconut)- every morning for breakfast I have a kind bar and my favorite flavor would have to be almond and coconut.  They are so tasty and there are a variety of different flavors.  I do not know one person who doesn't like these bars.

3.  (healthy) Pomegranates- Pomegranates ARE in season so I have taken advantage of that and been eating as many as I can.  I think of pomegranates as a dessert because they are so delicious, and fortunately healthy too!

4. (treat) Chips and Salsa- My mom makes the BEST home made salsa so I eat probably 5 bowls of it a week, not kidding.

5. (healthy) Strawberry Smoothies-  For a healthy snack, I have been binge drinking smoothies and recently I've found myself especially enjoying strawberry based smoothies.

6.  (healthy) Apples-  It is finally apple season, which means the apples have been huge, juicy, and delicious.  I don't think I go a day in the fall where I don't eat an apple.  I like red apples the best, but I opt for a granny smith every now and then.

7.  (treat) Candy Corn-  Candy Corn is the ultimate candy of the season.  I cannot eat too much candy corn, but 5 pieces easily satisfies me.  It is so good and the texture is on point.

Okay, those are some of my go to snacks!  Hope you enjoyed and I will probably be posting in 3 days.  Remember to follow me on Bloglovin', there is a link to it at the bottom of the page.

xoxo emma

Homecoming 2014 Dress Ideas + My Outfit

For some of you, homecoming may have already happened.  However, for most schools it isn't for another week or two.  I had homecoming yesterday and the whole day was really fun.  During the morning and early afternoon, I worked at different booths selling school/club merchandise.  At 3:30 our football game started, but sadly we lost.  After, me and five other friends got ready together and had pizza, then headed to the dance.

I am a huge fan of dress shopping for dances, but I hardly ever wear dresses on a casual occasion.  Our dance theme was 'Endless Summer', so I had to pick out a rather casual and summery dress unfortunately.  I was not loving the theme.  Anyways, I chose a shift dress from American Eagle and paired it with black sandals and a necklace.

dress | shoes (similar) | necklace (local)

I picked out a few other dresses from Nordstrom that I like and I though would be perfect for a homecoming dress, of which the theme is not 'endless summer':

All Dresses

xoxo emma

Kylie Jenner Fashion

Kylie Jenner is a fashion icon to me.  But, I understand she is one of the people which you either love her style or hate it.  I for one, love it and wish I was her, she is my favorite person on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.  I picked out my top 5 favorite looks of her casual street style.

*before you start, leave in the comment section what upcoming blog posts you would like to see

 5.  I love this look because recently I have been in to the long, tight skirts that go past the knees paired with a plain crop top.  Her shoes are perfect and tie together the skirt and top nicely.

 4.  This look is stunning.  The skirt goes perfectly with the shoes, which are to die for.  And if you look closely, the gold jewelry really compliments the nude skirt and hand bag.  Forgot to mention her sunglasses, they are on point.

 3.  My favorite color is black so this outfit was naturally a winner.  You cannot go wrong with all black.  Her shoes and her handbag are my favorite parts of this simple outfit, I also like that her hair has no added color and is just plain black to match the look.

2.  Look number two is great because Kylie's hair matches her jumper perfectly.  I love the jumper with the gold shoes and accessories, and even the color of her nails.  (Kylie's nails always look amazing...)

1.  My favorite of Kylie's street style is a simple but adorable look.  I like the color of Kylie's skirt, and I really like the texture and detailing, so it is not as plain.  The black crop top she wore with it works, and it brings out the shoes which are fantastic!  I usually do not like the kind of shades she is wearing, but she rocks them.

Those are my 5 favorite looks!  Are you a Kylie Jenner fan?  Which look was your favorite?
**also, if you have any blog post requests, leave them below!

xoxo emma

Workout Essentials

Honestly, I am not a big fan of working out at all.  But, looking cute and coordinated while I work makes it much more appealing.  Here are my workout essentials:

1.  The Outfit: my favorite things to workout in are from Lululemon (clothing above is Lululemon).  It is comfortable, cute, and doesn't show much sweat like a cotton t-shirt, although it can be a bit pricey.

2.  Water Bottle:  I like any water bottle with a straw because it is annoying to have to un screw the top every time you need a drink.  And, I always drink water because having a sugary drink cancels out the exercise.

3.  Headbands:  I NEED a headband when  workout or else sweat drips into my face or my hair fall all over the place, plus they are so cute.

4.  Iphone and Headphones:  My phone keeps my workout log where I track what exercises I do for the day, and when I run, I use my headphones for music.  And can I just add that the pink Iphone is to die for and I really need it in my life.

5.  Sneakers:  I have the sneakers pictured above, they're great and since they're black you can't tell when they're dirty.

6.  Yoga Mat:  If I don't go on a run, I workout on my yoga mat.  That is where I do ab, leg, and butt workouts.

Featured Above

Workout Clothes | Water Bottle | Headbands | Yoga Mat | Sneakers

xoxo emma

Fall 2014 Wishlist

Fall is probably my favorite time of year to go shopping.  It means warmer clothes and a fresh wardrobe for school.  I generally find the best sales during Fall whether it is over Labor Day weekend, Columbus day weekend, and of course... Black Friday.  These are a few of the items on my Fall wish list that I hope to purchase at some point during this sale season.

1. Plaid Skirt
I have been loving the plaid skirt and knee high socks look.  Stores such as Brandy Melville and American Apparel have adorable plaid skirts that not many people can rock so it's definitely a fashion risk and one I want to try out.

2. T-shirt Dress
If you live somewhere on the warmer side like California or Florida, a T-shirt dress should be your go to Fall look.  They are comfortable and stylish.  If you add a bold piece of jewelry and some cute shoes, you have quickly created a fashion statement.

3. Black Leather Backpack
Mini backpacks are so cute and the perfect size for day trips or sleepovers.  The black one above match everything and the leather gives it a chic look.

4.  Tribal Moccasins
I recently purchased a pair of moccasins and ever since then have fell in love.  I saw some tribal ones and think they are really cute and would be super comfortable for all of fall- especially if you live somewhere the weather gets chilly.

5. Elephant necklace
Elephants have taken over the summer and should carry into Fall as a popular fashion trend.  Anything elephant works for me and I especially love the gold necklace pictured above.

6. China Glaze Nail Polish Set
This group of nail polish is stunning, the dark colors are awesome.  Fall is the time to not only bring out the dark lips, but the dark nails.  And this set from China Glaze does the job and will make you all set for the season.

xoxo emma

How to get free beauty samples and more!

Hey guys! What is up?  Today for my lifestyle post I thought I would share with you how to get free stuff, particularly beauty samples.  A few months ago I saw some Youtube videos showing how to receive free things and I was like...No way.  But it's possible!  I've received several free things in the mail since then...and I've had a couple of glitches too. So I am here to share with you all what is real and what is fake.

1.) PinchMe
PinchMe is a really awesome method of getting free samples.  Every Tuesday they post the weekly free samples at midnight and have many choices- but you have to be quick to pick your samples because they go quickly.  A box arrives at your house in about a week with your free samples.  I've gotten a PinchMe box two times and each time I received two products.  After you get the products, if you want to continue with PinchMe, you must go to the website and review the items.  Then you qualify for the next week.

I originally received the Suave smoothing with coco and shea butter and a clean and clear shampoo (not pictured above).  The lotion was fine and worked like all other creams I have.  I do have to say, I liked the shampoo -but I LOVED the conditioner- it worked really well and I bought it after the sample was gone.  The Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs sample was super cool and I really liked receiving that in my next box.  And finally, the Puffs tissues that came in my box came in handy too.

Overall it was really fun receiving my PinchMe box since it was free and if I didn't like the products it didn't matter since I spent no money on it.  It was totally worth it and I recommend to check it out.

2.) Websites designed for free products
 There are many websites where you just fill out a form and get free beauty samples.  Try out some of these websites listed below.  One warning: these take over a month to ship and are usually small and are sometimes foil packets- which to me isn't worth it but you can try it out with these websites:
http://www.freesamplesofbeautyproducts.com/?id=10
http://www.freemania.net/samples/cosmetic.htm
http://www.myfreeproductsamples.com/beauty-samples/

{know many freebie sites are scams that just want your information and do not use just any website- the websites listed above DO WORK and are not scams}

3.) Influenster VoxBox
 Finally, Influenster is the way to receive full size, high quality beauty products.  But, for Influenster it is not as easy because you have to qualify to receive an Influenster voxbox either through a social media platform such as youtube, twitter, Facebook, etc...  Influenster sends boxes full of samples called VOXBOX's.  The voxboxes are awesome and probably the best free product boxes.  What you do to receive one is review products on the website that you have used before and if you get enough points, and are willing to share the box on social media, you receive a voxbox.  Check out more of the rules and requirements on the website: https://www.influenster.com

This is the beauty box that was sent out to bloggers on youtube and people with blogs.  This box included everything seen above.  And I know what you're thinking- you have to have thousands of followers to qualify.  Wrong! Just as few as 50 followers can make you qualify for this awesome box as long as you are willing to participate in online reviews and surveys.

I hope you all found this post helpful and now you can treat yourself to a free package in the mail!  {I am in no way sponsored by any of these brands/websites and I am just posting this from my personal experience and information from friends}.

xoxo emma

Final Day in the Sun

It has been a scorching hot week.  Basically everyone has been sweating during school which obviously isn't pleasant.  Not to mention I sweat like a man.  This weekend has been nice though and has been cooling down.  Next week is going to be in the low seventies so it's officially time to say 'goodbye' to the warm weather.  Today I did some shopping and bought three pairs of jeans, a sweater, and a headband and I finally think I have purchased all of my Fall clothes.

Anyways, I am going out this afternoon with friends to a café and probably just getting a cookie and smoothie so this is what I decided to wear:

 Here is my full outfit.  As I said, the weather was definitely getting cooler so I paired my jean shorts with a cropped sweater from Forever 21.  I have to say I love cropped sweaters because you can wear them with high skirts or high waisted jeans.

 I wore my new wedges that I got at an end of the year sale and tried to match them with my assortment of necklaces you can see above.

Then my dog decided he wanted to be in the pictures...

Sweater | Shorts | Wedges | Necklaces (small boutique in my town)

xoxo emma

(ah next time I do an outfit I'll probably be wearing pants...here comes winter)

How to Stay Successful in School: Organization

The school year can often times be stressful and a mess if you are unorganized and uncoordinated.  It has only been the first week of school for me and I'm already stressed out 24/7!  One way to keep your grades up and steady is simply with organization.  When you are organized you are much less likely to lose assignments or forget about a test or quiz.  Also, it enables you to complete your homework and studying quickly.  Today I am sharing with you four tips to keep organized in and out of school.

(quick side note: sorry the quality of these photos aren't the best.  I took these pictures at like midnight so it was really dark and I had to bump up the exposure a ton.)

1.  I purchase different color binders/notebooks/folders for each subject.  For example, Math is white and English is blue.  Then, when I arrive at class I know which notebook and folder to pull out for the given subject.

2.  Use an agenda.  My agenda is from At-a-Glance.  The agendas both have a monthly calendar and a weekly calendar which makes it easy to record homework assignments AND social plans.  I use my agenda for everything and don't think I would get through the school year without it.

3.  Have a prepared pencil case.  I use a large pencil case that I picked up at staples that is black, because as you probably have figured by now I love black cause it goes with everything.  In there, I have a section dedicated to pencils, another for colored pencils and art supplies, and so on.  If you have everything in your pencil case you won't have to borrow other peoples tools and you will be prepared, which the teachers will recognize.

4.  Have backup supplies.  Some days you may leave your pencil case at home which is totally okay because everyone has those days.  I keep a backup pencil case just with a bunch of pencils in it and a single highlighter and eraser- the necessities incase I forget mine.  I also keep a backup notebook so I can copy the notes into the original one if I forget my notebook.

I hope these tips gave you some help and ideas of your own and you can have a more organized and successful school year.

xoxo emma

Night out with the Friends Fashion

The other night way back in August (forever ago, i know) my friends and I all had a night out and went to a local fair.  There were tons of fun rides and fried food and it seemed like the perfect summer night.  For this occasion I wore high waited shorts and a cropped tank top, but since it does tend to get chilly at night, I tied a flannel around my waist so when it got cold I could throw it on.

I added a slicked back braid to my hair on the side of my part with less hair to make  more edgy and fun look for a night out.

What I am wearing:

shirt- American Eagle Soldout (similar)

shorts- Pacsun

Flannel- J.Crew

Flip Flops- old navy

Necklace- (camp store)

Hope you enjoyed and you can take this outfit inspiration for your next night out.  If it is getting colder where you live, with the shorts for high waisted jeans and actually wear the flannel.  

xoxo emma

Back to School: Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Hey everyone!  I think at this point almost everyone has returned to the dreaded school life.  For me, school begins tomorrow, so for my next few lifestyle blogs I'm going to be sharing some helpful back to school tips.  Starting today with three healthy school lunch ideas!  It's important to get a healthy and filling lunch to stay focused the rest of the day.  Especially if you have sports after school, to have enough energy.

Lunch idea #1: Green Salad

What you will need-

A couple of leaves of lettuce, cucumber, celery, onion, and cheese (you can add or exchange options- but these are the vegetables I like and I had at my house).  After you have the ingredients, it is rather simple.  I peeled and cut up everything and threw it all into a bowl with a lid since you have to bring it to school.  I sprinkled some cheese over the top because I'm in love with cheese so that was a must.  I then poured greek dressing into  separate container to pour onto the salad once at school- otherwise your salad would get soggy.  And then I added another container with almonds for protein.

Here is the finished product and it was pretty delicious and filling.  I highly recommend bringing gum to school for after each lunch.  Especially with this salad- since it contains onions you'll want fresh and clean breath.

Lunch idea #2: Garden Sandwich

What you will need-

Two slices of bread, tomatoes, spinach, cheese, and onions(optional).
First I layered the cheese and then the tomato, spinach, and onions.  I generally eat this sandwich without the onion but today I decided to try something new and it tasked so good and ten times better.    At the end I poured some balsamic vinegerette which added some delicious flavor then stacked the sandwich together and it was ready to go!  I recommend putting the balsamic on once you get to school and also bring gum once again if you decide to use onions like me.

This was probably my favorite meal out of the three!

Lunch idea #3: Hummus and Carrots

What you will need-

 Just carrots (or any other good dipping vegetable like peppers or cucumber) and hummus.  Mine is store bought.

Then peel the carrots and cut them up and put them in a lunch container.  Voila!  A simple and easy, delicious, lunch.  Also, if you want to be a bit less healthy but a little more tasty, try dipping in pita chips.  Or to spice it up, get a flavored hummus.  I use a feta and red pepper hummus and it is amazing!

I hope you got some good school lunch ideas, these are all delicious so try one!  Wish me luck tomorrow at my first day of school...sophomore!

xoxo emma