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By Amy Zhang June 5, 2018 in Lifestyle, Wellness 6 Comments

Healthier Booze Choices for the Summer

Let’s face it, summers are boozy. It’s hard to avoid alcohol when the weather is warm and you’re out and about. Nothing beats rooftop happy hours, boozy brunches, and cocktails by the pool in the summer. At this point in the year, you’re probably coming out of hibernation and socializing more than ever. “Dry January” might be a thing, but it’s much harder in June! I’m sure we all worked very hard on making healthy choices in the winter (there’s that saying about how summer bodies are made in the winter?) and if the thought of undoing all of that work is concerning, don’t worry! Keep reading for easy tips to make healthier booze choices this summer.

Everyone knows alcohol = added sugar = extra calories = fat. While the healthiest option is to forgo alcohol completely, if you’re looking for a little more *balance* in your life, just keep these things in mind.

+ Limit cocktails

While cocktails are delicious, they’re filled with even more added sugar, which also makes hangovers so much worse. If I’m going to have a cocktail, I’ll have one before switching over to clear liquor or wine. My favorite – an aperol spritz!

You can always also ask the bartender to use less simple syrup / sugar in the cocktail and add soda water or extra lime/lemon to dilute the alcohol and make the cocktail “skinny.”

+ Choose low sugar mixers and liquors

What you choose to mix your liquor with matters!! Sparkling or soda water is best, if too much carbonation upsets your stomach you can always try flat water as well. If you like the taste of juice, fresh squeezed is always best. To cut down on the sugar in juice, just add a splash to sparkling water. Avoid soda and tonic water (<< major calorie bomb) if possible.

When it comes to liquor, clear alcohol tends to have the fewest amount of sugar – stick to gin, vodka, or blanco tequila (tryyy to avoid mixing alcohol!). If you’re drinking wine, try to choose a dry red or white (less sugar).

+ Alternate water

Your most responsible friend will always tell you to alternate every drink with a glass of water. This not only keeps you hydrated and helps prevent hangovers, it’s better for your body as it tries to process the liquor you just drank.

+ Be careful what you drunk eat

Despite our best intentions, sometimes ravenous hunger overcomes us after having a few drinks. If you can even attempt to make healthier choices when you drunk eat, you’ll save hundreds of calories and save your waistline in the long run.

How do you balance health and play in the summertime? xx

By Amy Zhang June 1, 2018 in Lifestyle, Style 2 Comments

How Do You Handle Adversity?

Happy Friday, loves! I’m off to Minnesota for the weekend to spend time with my family. In the meantime, I wanted to share a story that I came across last year and has been on my mind recently. The theme is around how you handle adversity. We all get stressed out, anxiety is very real, things don’t always go our way, and life happens. Struggling and adversity is a part of life that you have to accept – what makes is a difference is how you choose to react to tough times. This is true in life, business, and everything in between. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this story.

How do you handle adversity?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

When times get tough, which one are you? Choose to be the coffee bean.

kimono: spell | bag: clare v | shoes: marc fisher

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By Amy Zhang May 30, 2018 in Beauty 5 Comments

Best Glossier Products

I’ll be the first to admit, I totally bought into the Glossier hype. With all of their new product launches and the recent opening of their store in LA, I’ve been getting tons of questions about Glossier products. Their branding is so on point, but are the products actually any good? I’ve given my honest review before, and now I want to share my absolute favorite Glossier products. Out of their entire line, these are the products I absolutely love and continue to repurchase again and again. I would never recommend any product that falls short of that standard. So be sure to read out to learn what the BEST Glossier products are.

The best Glossier products worth trying

+ Solution

One of Glossier’s newest product launches also happens to be one of my favorite products. I’ve tried so many different exfoliators, and this ranks among my top 3. Glossier’s website claims this product transforms you skin in 4 weeks, and I have to agree. Within a week I saw a noticeable different in the texture and appearance of my face. It also happens to be extremely gentle, so it didn’t leave me skin red or raw the way exfoliating products or peels have in the past.

+ Boy Brow

I’ve raved about this product so much, at this point I’m sure I sound like a broken record. But I really just love this brow gel. If you’re already blessed with good brows you will love it even more. And if you’re not blessed, this gel will trick you into thinking you are. I use this everyday and it’s shortened the time it takes me to get ready in the morning.

+ Haloscope

Use this for a “woke up like this” glow. This highlighter makes you glow from within, if that makes sense. It’s not overly sparkly or glittery – it gives you skin a really nice, natural sheen. Perfect if you’re going for a dewy makeup look. Wear it over foundation or on your bare skin, people won’t be able to stop remarking on how fresh you look. I wear this when I’m trying to trick people into thinking I got a full night’s sleep. The other best part about this highlighter is how easy it is to use – you can literally apply it all over your face and you won’t look greasy or like you rubbed your face in glitter.

+ Milky Jelly Cleanser

The only cleanser I keep multiples of. I love how gentle it is, yet it also takes off all of my makeup, and I have multiple cleansers I rotate through (and I’m constantly trying new products), but this cleanser is a staple in my bathroom and gym bag. I keep coming back to it because it’s so reliable. You also cannot beat the price!

Oh – and here’s 10% off your first order : )

Have you tried Glossier products? xx

By Amy Zhang May 23, 2018 in Lifestyle, Wellness 4 Comments

Healthy Morning Habits Anyone Can Do

Mornings can be crazy and hectic, but they can also be the best time of day. Even if you’re not a morning person, it’s important to start your day off on the right foot. As much as I wish I was the type of person who gets it all done in the morning, the truth is I am usually running around, often chasing my dog, and trying to get to work on time. If you’re one of those people that can exercise, meditate, cook breakfast, make coffee, journal, and read all before 8am, I want to know your secrets! In the meantime, I’m starting off small with easy, healthy morning habits anyone can do (even if you hit the snooze button a few times!)

Simple, Healthy Morning Habits to Incorporate

Eat breakfast.

I neglected breakfast for the longest time – but no more! I wrote a whole post on easy + healthy breakfast ideas if you need to whip something up quickly or grab it on the go. No excuses! I find that the mornings I choose a healthy breakfast, I tend to stay fuller throughout the day and continue to make healthy choices.

Drink up.

Even if I don’t wake up hungry, I always try to immediately chug a glass of water. Warm water with lemon or a shot of apple cider vinegar is even better! It really gets things moving, if you know what I mean. I’m also a fan of green juice (more greens than fruit) if I want something on the go and light.

Set an intention for the day.

You know, like in yoga. It can be a thought, a word, a phrase, a goal – whatever it is, you’re more likely to achieve it if you vocalize it and continue to bring attention to it throughout the day. In a similar vein, rather than creating an overly aggressive to do list, write down the 3 things you absolutely must get done that day. Prioritization is key!

Exercise

I like to start my days with a workout, because usually if it doesn’t happen first thing in the morning, it won’t happen later at night. If you’re more of a night owl, lay out your clothes for the evening and pack them so you don’t have an excuse to skip when you’re tired at night.

Tell someone you love them

Text your Mom or an old friend. They’ll love hearing from you and it’ll allow you to reconnect throughout the day or later at night.

Do something that makes you happy

Treat yourself to coffee, do a face mask, wear your favorite dress. Start your day on a positive note, and the rest of the day will follow.

What do you do in the morning to start your day off on the right note? xx

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By Amy Zhang May 16, 2018 in Lifestyle, Wellness 8 Comments

Why I Did a Social Media Detox

At the beginning of this month, I made the conscious decision to do a social media detox. This meant turning off electronics, sometimes avoiding them completely, staying off my phone in social situations, taking a step back from blogging and social media. As much as I love blogging and completely respect people who make their living off of social media, it is not always for me. I find myself feeling distracted and unable to be present, which goes against the grain of the type of person I want to be.

One of my goals this year was to be more present and live in the moment, to live authentically and not always think about “work” in terms of blogging. This break came at the perfect time, I was feeling a lot of pressure personally and had to take some time to unplug from blogging and social media to focus on my job and the people in my life. To a certain extent, social media has become unavoidable in our daily lives. I can’t say I will never use social media, but I am trying to consciously “turn off” for certain hours of the day. Even though I tend to believe in “everything in moderation,” I found my social media detox to be incredibly refreshing and helpful.

Here’s why I did a social media detox – and how it helped

Comparison is the thief of joy.

We hear this all the time, but it’s really so true. We all are victims of this mentality, even when we try our hardest not to get caught up in social media. Sometimes ignorance is bliss – you can’t feel like you’re missing out on something if you don’t know it’s happening. Doing this that help you limit the amount of time you compare yourself to others is so, so important.

Living in the moment.

I really wanted to spend more time with my friends and loved ones and be present – not every moment needs to be documented, even if the memories are precious down the line. It’s a balance that needs to be found, and one that is different for everyone, but it was really important for me to focus on what I was doing in the moment and not always have a million things racing through my head. I took a trip to Carmel with some of my closest friends from college a few weeks ago, and we had practically no cell phone service during the day when we went hiking in Big Sur – it felt so good to be outside and off of our phones.

Simplifying my daily routine.

I’m a huge believer in doing one thing and doing it well – after all, the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. Rather than spread yourself too thin, sometimes you have to take a step back and focus on one important task at a time in order to do it well. Sometimes, doing nothing is the exact thing you need to reset.

Coming back better than ever.

Just as your body needs a rest day from working out, your mind needs rest from time to time as well. More often than not, you’ll come back stronger and better than ever. I feel like I’m thinking more clearly now and have more motivation. Needless to say, the creative juices are flowing again.

What are your thoughts on social media detoxes?

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