Hair Coloring

Hi friends,

First off, I want to start this post thanking you all for the well wishes, love and support. As most of you know, I was in a little accident about a week ago. I'm healing and getting better each day, I still have a lot of head pain but I'm trying my best to heal and get back to my normal routine. Now, on to what this post is about. A couple weeks ago I dyed my hair and posted a picture on Instagram after I was done and had a ton of people ask me what I used, so that's what we're going to talk about today. I have been dying my hair for years (not the best thing to do, I know) and I must say that my hair is really healthy, shiny and strong, I don't bleach my hair so that's probably why I don't have any hair damage. I go to a professional hair salon every 3 months to get my hair professionally dyed, cut and styled, but as some of you know, that can be a bit pricey. I usually need my hair colored every 4 weeks since my roots come in pretty fast and they start to show and since I work on camera, I have to make sure I keep up with it. Since I have to dye my roots every few weeks, I do it myself because I'm doing mostly just the top half of my head so it's easy and cost effective.

 I have been using the same hair dye for about 7 years now (since I first started dying my hair black) and It's the only one I will ever use (if it ain't broke don't fix it). It's box dye and I know most people will tell me how awful it is for my hair but honestly, it works for me so I will continue to use it. The great thing about this particular color and brand is that it matches the color that my hair stylist uses perfectly so my hair doesn't look all wacky. 

This is the hair dye I use, It's by L'Oreal Paris and the color is number 20, Black Natural.

As with most hair dyes, it comes with developer, the color, shimmer serum (for a lovely shine) and deep conditioner which to be honest, I don't use.

This is usually how I look when I have hair dye on my head, an old t-shirt, I use one of my husband's old tees since it's nice and large it makes it easier to take off without getting stuck on my head. Try to refrain yourself from being jealous of how glamorous I look in this shot (I kid of course).

This is what my hair looks when It's done. I should mention the shampoo and conditioner I've been using for the past couple months, it's the Bain De Terre Color Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner. I have really been loving how shiny and strong it makes my hair feel.

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post and don't forget to leave requests to leave any request for reviews or anything else! 

Love always! 

Favorite Summer Clutches

Hi friends,

Today I wanted to share with you my favorite summer clutches that I have been carrying on a daily basis that really add a fun touch to my outfit. When It comes to buying a new bag for the season, I like to invest a bit and buy a good quality one that's pretty neutral and can go with my wardrobe for the season. I carry the same main bag all spring, summer fall or winter and I like to get a good quality one that wont break on me. But that said, when it comes to accessories and fun colored bags and clutches, I like to find good bargains because they aren't my main bag and I change them up so much that it's not worth spending hundreds of dollars on a mint clutch. Here are my favorites for this season and I can't wait to rock them in Italy! 

This off-white one is from Daily Look, I own a few clutches from there (they were having a 40 percent off your order deal one day so I took advantage of it) It's not really white, it's actually off-white. I love that it comes with a long chain so you can wear it as a little bag if I want to, I have to admit that this is a little bigger than I thought, actually, all the Daily look clutches I got are pretty large, I don't mind though, but keep it in mind. This one goes great with pretty much everything, it's a nice staple piece.

This little brown one is probably my number one favorite. It actually came with a makeup brush set from Sonia Kashuk at Target, I got the set specifically because it came with this little gem. I got it last spring though so they no longer carry it. For 20 dollars I got a set of brushes (not the best in the world, but oh well) and this adorable clutch! I wear this one constantly and I like that it's small enough to not bother me but big enough to hold my phone, keys, and small little pouch for my money and ID. 

This coral envelope style clutch is from Target, I actually got it a couple of months ago so they might still have it in stock. I manly like this and wear it often because of the color, since its very thin, I can't really put much it in it otherwise it looks bulky and I don't like that. I like wearing this one with white dresses, it's so feminine.

This last one I will leave you with is also from Daily Look, it's actually the green version of the first one I showed you. I thought this was an unusual color and love the way it really jazzez up any outfit. I wear this with black, brown, white, you name it! 

Hope this post has helped you if you were thinking of getting a couple of clutches for this season. Remember,  since it's more of an accessory and not your main bag, don't spend more than about 30 dollars for each one. If a specific place is having a big sale and they have some that you like, that's the place to get them! 

Happy shopping! 

Latest Kitchen Obsession

Hi everyone,

If you know me it's probably through my cooking show on Youtube, therefore you know about my love for anything kitchen related. Because of my work, I do have lots of different kitchen equipment and recently, I added a new member to the family and I'm absolutely obsessed with it! I'm talking about my Blendtec blender.

I have been using this baby everyday to make my juice and I can't get enough of it. Now I know it's not a juicer so my "juices" come out a little thicker but I prefer that because I get every ounce of nutrient out of my fruit and veggies. It's powerful and has different settings depending on what you're making. You can even make cookie dough or cake batter in this thing, I haven't tried that yet but I thought that was pretty cool.

If you're looking to invest in a good blender, this is it, my friend! A bit pricey I agree, but I don't mind investing in something that's great quality and will last me for a long time.

This is what I've been making as a mid-day snack everyday since I got it, a green juice filled with Kale, lemon juice, apple, celery, cucumber and frozen grapes. My juice changes from day to day depending on what I have on hand, but this is my my base, sometimes I add berries, different greens and different citrus. The one thing I will say is that when eating something raw and not peeling it, you should be using organic ingredients, you don't want to eat any chemicals. 

That's me taking a mid day break drinking my juice and catching up on some reality TV :) 

What's in my beach bag?!

Hi Friends,

Since yesterday I posted about our fun beach day, I figured today I would follow up with what I carry in my beach bag. I have received tons and tons of requests to do this so here it is! 

This is what my beach bag looks like, I got it as a present last year from my girlfriend for being in her wedding party. I absolutely love it, it's so sturdy and roomy but super light weight. I love that it has my initial on it :)

Beach towels are a must of course, I got mine from target, you can get them pretty much anywhere and they aren't super pricey.

Sun screen and other goodies. The blue one is  a Coppertone Sport one and I love it because it stays on pretty well even if you go in the water, the next one is my Banana Boat Deep Tanning Dry Oil, I use it on my legs and tummy to get some nice color, it doesn't have a very high SPF so I layer it on top of the Coppertone one. This stuff is so good because it doesn't leave you greasy and oily like the original deep tanning oil, this dries out in seconds but still helps build a nice tan. The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch is one I use if I lay out but don't go swimming, I like it a lot but doesn't stay as well as the Coppertone one if you're in and out of the water. The last one is a Neutrogena Clear Face Breakout Free, I use this only on my face and I have never broken out from it, it't pretty much the only one I use on my face. 

Speakers for our iPhone! 

My sarong for when I am not in the water or laying out, I like to cover my bum! :)

My husband always packs his solar panel, it's so awesome and we can charge our phones because they do tend to die quickly from playing music. I love my genius hubby! :)

One thing I forgot to take a picture of is my hair brush. I always bring my Tangle Teaser Brush to the beach or pool with me, it helps untanlge your hair with no pain, I got mine from amazon and love it to pieces! 

Happy hump day! 

Fun in the sun!

Hi friends,

My husband and I went to the beach this past weekend with our friends, my brother and sister-in-law and our adorable little niece and nephews. We had such a fun time and I managed to take some cute pics that I wanted to share them with you. We usually go to Strathmere, NJ because there is no boardwalk, therefore it's not as busy - which I like (I don't care for large crowds) and we've been going there for years, it's our favorite spot. 

Hope you enjoy these few pictures, I'm no photographer but I'm pretty obsessed with my little niece and nephews so most of the pictures are of them, however, my nephew Ben was not having it and hid anytime he saw my phone haha! 

Haley, Ben and Brad, I tried to take a picture of them as soon as they got there (Ben refused to wear sandals, he has to wear his Spider Man sneakers at all time) I love his scrunchy face!! Love our little Haley, shes so sweet and I just love playing dress up with her. Brad is the youngest one, look how cool he is with his shades, he's a year old and is already cooler than anyone I know! Their uncle Joe and dad made them a nice little pool :) 

With my bestie!!! I love my boo!! :)

They love their uncle Joe!! :)

Joe hadn't done his push ups that morning, so he decided to do a few on the beach haha :)

She's such a cutie!! 

He's so ridiculously cute!!!!!! 

Look at those little cuties! They had such a fun day, can't wait for more fun this weekend! :)

I love my love bug!! <3

Later on that night, we all decided to go back to our place and grill some sweet and spicy wings, corn and other veggies. We had a bonfire going as well to roast some marshmallows. We had a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again this weekend. To me, this is what life is all about, being surrounded my family and friends, making memories, laughing until your belly hurts and just enjoying being with people that bring meaning to your life. I wish my family lived closer, but I'm lucky enough to have my husband's family around and some really great friends. 

Here is the recipe for my sweet and spicy grilled wings if you haven't seen it yet! 

New Ulta Goodies

Hi friends,

I recently picked up some new items from ulta and wanted to share them with you. I, unfortunately, don't have an Ulta near me (the closest one is about 45 minutes away) so I ordered these from their website. Keep in mind that I didn't have a chance to see any of these items in person before ordering so I just guessed the colors I would like. Most of the items I got are from NYX but I also decided to try a couple of eye shadows from Essence. I have tons of NYX products but believe it or not, I have never owned a NYX lip gloss or lipstick so it was time to get my hands on some and finally see what all the rave is about. 

Here are all the lip glosses and swatches and these, by the way, are the NYX Megashine glosses.

From left to right, Salsa, Nude Peach, Nude Pink, French Kiss. My thoughts on these glosses: I love the Nude Peach and Nude Pink, beautiful colors with a gorgeous opaque finish, the Salsa and French Kiss are too frosty for me. I wish that they somehow could write the finish of each one in the description, I know it would be a lot but it would be helpful to people who order from their site if they don't have an Ulta near them. I will be keeping them all but won't be ordering anymore online. I'll wait until I go to the actual store so I can see what the finishes are before buying them. I'm also not a fan of the smell.. at all!! But after a few minutes, you can't smell it anymore.

I picked up two NYX Butter Glosses in Meringue and Peaches and Cream. My thoughts on these: love the formula and really love the colors, The only thing is that the Peaches and Cream is more of a coral than a peach, other than that, these are a hit!

Here are the shadows I picked out, from left to right, Sahara, Champagne Silk, True Taupe, Charcoal Brown. My thoughts: really smooth shadows and beautiful colors, however, I do wish they had a bit ore pigmentation. I had to really work to make them show but the colors are really beautiful and for the price, it's a good deal. I will be getting some more of these. 

These are a product I have never tried before and I have never seen them in the store so I figured I would give them a shot. They are the NYX loose Pearl Eye shadows, they were super cheap and they were buy one get one half off so I hardly paid anything for them. I haven't tried them on my eyes yet I have only swatched them on my hand, they're a loose pigment so there will be a lot of fall out so make sure you place them on your lid properly. Here are the colors from left to right. Nude, Mink Vison, Rust Pearl, Penny. Again, I haven't tried them yet so I will update you when I do.

The last NYX items I got where two of their Matte Lipsticks, Hippy Chick and Nude. My thoughts: I love the colors so much and I love matte lipsticks. You don't really want to wear these (or any matte lipsticks) if your lips are chapped or dried out, they will accentuate all those cracks and flakes and that's never a good look. They are drying so make sure you prime your lips with some lip balm (EOS lip balms are the best to layer under lipsticks because they're not too slick so they wont make your lipstick smear right off) and you are in business! 

The last items I ordered are two eye shadows from Essence, these are super cheap and I keep hearing people mention them so I figured I would try a couple. Left to right, Metropolitan, Party All Night. My thoughts: the darker one is a nice deep brown but its a bust in my opinion due to all the flecks of gold glitter all over it. The glitter falls all over my face when applying it and it got on my nerves so bad that I ended up wiping it off completely and starting my eye look from scratch. I'l keep it for now but not sure how often I will wear it. The one of the left, is a really beautiful color with an intense metallic finish so it's not something that I would wear during the day, it'll look great for a night out on the town. It does have a bit of fall out so my suggestion is to do your eye makeup first and then do the rest of it, you foundations, powder etc.. For the price, I wouldn't mind trying a few more products from this line. 

Hope you like my new goodies, please let me know what you think I should try from these brands next! 

Spring and Summer Shoes!

Hi friends,

I wanted to share with you a couple of pictures of my spring and summer shoe collection. I didn't go into details of each one (we would be here for a long time if I did) so I just took a couple pictures so you get an overview of my favorite spring and summer shoes.

Most of the shoes on this whole shelf are either from Aldo or Nine West (with the exeption of a few pairs) I love both brands and I feel like they are really good quality. Let me know if you would like a "review" kind of post on any of these specific pairs.

Some of the brands on this shelf are Target,  Steve Madden (the brown cork ones second shelf from the top all the way to the left) Forever21 (all the pointy toe colorful pumps on the third shelf from the top) some Zara and Aldo. I have to say that I am absolutely in love with Zara shoes and will be purchasing quite a few more pairs in the near future.

Hope you enjoyed a sneak peek into my shoe collection, I rotate them all the time depending on the season. I also give lots of them away if I don't wear them often because I would much rather have someone else have them and wear them rather than sit in my closet for ever! What are some of your favorite shoe brands? Let me know, you know a girl can never have too many pairs of shoes! :)

Happy 4th of July!!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!!!

I'm so glad I woke up today to beautiful sunny weather (it's been raining every single day for about a week) I'm ready to fire up the grill tonight, cook some awesome food and have a bonfire with my very closest friends. Holidays to me are meant to be shared with your family and friends and food is something I make sure is always on point because after all, food is the most important thing at any get together (besides being surrounded by your loved ones of course).

I wanted to talk about a few recipes that would be perfect for today.

Warm potato salad, if you're looking for a potato salad that has tons of flavor and will leave your guests begging for the recipe, look no further because this is it my friend! This salad is really best at room temperature, make it ahead of time, cover it and let it sit at room temp until you're ready to serve it.

Finger lickin' BBQ baby back ribs, there are no words to describe how tender, sticky and addictive these ribs are. Baking them and then grilling them as you baste them with BBQ sauce is the best method (in my opinion) to get them to be melt in your mouth tender but still having that caramelized bbq sauce that every good rib should have.

For dessert, I will leave you with something you can make the day before so that you are totally stress free on the day of. 

My classic cheesecake makes a presence in a lot of my get togethers. It's not only very easy to make, but it delivers that classic cheesecake flavor that no one can resist. Every time I bring it out at parties, my guests get so excited. Topped with gorgeous colorful berries, it just screams "celebration!". 

I hope you all have a  wonderful Holiday filled with laughter, good food, and most importantly, lots ad lots of love! 

Happy Fourth of July!! 

Current Workout!

Hi friends,

As most of you know, I love to workout and I make sure to get in a good workout 4 to 5 days a week. I don't go to a gym, I workout at home and I love following workout DVDs, I just feel like who ever the trainer is that I'm following is my personal trainer for the day. I have tried quite a few and a while back I made a video on 'Laura's Topics' about my favorites. 

Here is the video and you can watch the reviews I have on those particular workouts:

Nowadays I've decided to try a couple new workouts that I have really been loving and i thought I would share my thoughts with you. 

The first one I've been really loving, is the Les Mills Pump, it's seriously good to build strength and sculpt your body, I have seen my tush lift at least an inch since starting this workout. It's a pricey set but considering it comes with a weight bar and tons of DVDs, I think It's well worth it.  It might be a bit boring and repetitive for some people, but I do it twice a week, incorporating it with my other workout. My favorite workouts from this series are the Pump and Shred and the Pump Revolution. You do hundreds of reps between arms and legs and you really feel it the next day. I love incorporating these workouts with something a bit more cardio-intense throughout the week. 

The second workout I have really been enjoying is the Jillian Michaels Extreme Shred. This workout is an hour long but she says you can split it into two separate workouts if it's a little too intense for you at first. I love the first 30 minutes of this workout, you will sweat your booty off in no time. It's somewhat intense but I love that she keeps me going non stop, that's what burns calories and sheds weight. The last 30 minutes are more about strength training (push ups, leg raises) that kind of thing. It's not my favorite part of the workout but when I have the time, I stick with it and do the full hour. I recently purchased a few more Jillian Michaels workout DVDs and I will keep you posted on those once I get a chance to try them for a while. I like her approach to working out and I love that with most of her workouts (the ones I've tried so far) she tries to cover every part of your body. I like that she covers strength training, cardio and abs in a single workout so it's a one-stop shop. 

 So here is what my schedule has been like for the past few weeks with these workouts.

Monday: Jillian Michaels "Extreme Shred" about 60 minutes

Tuesday: Les Mills Pump, "Pump Revolution" 55 minutes

Wednesday :Jillian Michaels "Extreme Shred", only the first 30 minutes (If I Don't feel exhausted and sore from the day before, I do the full hour)

Thursday: Les Mills "Pump and Shred" 45 minutes

Friday: Jillian Michaels, "Extreme Shred" I always do the full hour on Fridays since I take the weekend off.

This has been my recent schedule and workouts I've been doing, I change things around all the time so I will make sure to keep updating you all on what I'm doing and what I feel has been working. If I ate the way they recommend, I have no doubt I would be in amazing shape just like they are, but you know me, I love to cook and eat so I balance out what I eat by working out almost every day and eating small portions. 

Let me know what some of your favorite workouts are! I'll leave you with a pic of me from this morning before I went to workout. 

Have a good hump day! <3

New Blog Schedule!

Hi friends! 

I'm so excited to finally have come up with a schedule for this little blog. I will be uploading 5 times a week and everyday there will be a different topic. This is what I came up with and I feel like these topics will cover just about everything you all have been wanting to see from me. 

Monday will be "Makeup Monday" I will be sharing with you all things makeup and beauty related. From reviews to first impressions, I will do my best to cover it all! Please leave requests for what you would like to see on makeup Monday, any products you would like me to review?

Tuesday will be "Random Tuesday" So I figured Tuesday will be a random post about anything I might want to talk about. Weather it's a recap of my weekend, a fun DIY project or just sharing some pictures and stories with you, this day will keep you guessing week after week.

Wednesday will be "What I want Wednesday" I was originally going to make this Workout Wednesday, but I figured I would call It "what I want Wednesday" instead that way I'm not limiting myself to only one thing. I do plan on posting workout related things on Wednesdays just not sure if it will be every Wednesday.

Thursday will be "Yummy Thursday" everything and anything food related. From new recipe ideas, what I eat in a day, restaurant reviews or just any food talk in general, you can rest assured that on Thursdays, you will leave this blog feeling hungry!

Fridays will be "Fashion Friday" I want to share with you some of my favorite fashion finds, looks of the day or night and anything else fashion related. I love to play dress up and sharing it with you is going to be lots of 

fun! 

I hope you all like this schedule, I'm so excited to get things started with a new post tomorrow. I would love your feedback and support and ideas for posts. I do this because I truly love sharing my passions with all of you, please leave suggestions for what you would like to see here and I will do my best to cover as many of them as I can! I'l leave you with a selfie :)

Love you all!!