Valle de Guadalupe

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday in none other than my dear, sweet Mexico. I rounded up my closest friends and headed to Valle de Guadalupe. Valle de Guadalupe is located outside of Ensenda, Baja California, Mexico and is approximately an hour and a half drive from Tijuana. It’s about two hours from San Diego, California.

The drive is extremely scenic. Forget what you heard about the dirt roads and potholes in Mexico. As my friend pointed out, “The roads here are better than in San Diego!” Granted, San Diego does not have the best roads, but for a growing country, Mexico is doing pretty well.

Valle de Guadalupe is the hub for winemakers and wineries. It’s internationally recognized as having some of the best food and wine. Why you ask? Because of the weather and soil conditions which are conducive to growing grapes, much like the  Rhône region in France. It subsequently comes as no surprise that the best Cabernets come from Valle de Guadalupe. Most of the food is locally sourced and very tasty.

Wineries

Want to soar amongst the clouds? Then you should visit Las Nubes Winery. It’s located at Callejón Emiliano Zapata, Ejido el Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe, 22750 Mpo. Ensenada, B. C., Mexico. The winery has a beautiful landscape of the valley and offer tastings, much like Napa, Sonoma, and Temecula. Enjoy your wine with some tapas (which we didn’t get to try because we were rushed to dinner, but which sound delicious!). A flight of 5 tastings is about $10 ($8 depending the currency rate). But please remember to tip!

El Cielo, located at Carretera Guadalupe-El Tigre Km. 7.5 Parcela 118, Ejido el Porvenir, 22755 Ensenada, B.C., Mexico, is also a stunning winery to visit. They don’t seem to do tastings; instead we split a few bottles of wine between our group. Most wine bottles retail for about $20, so it’s not a bad deal either way. Unlike Las Nubes, we missed lunch hour and they did not have food available for purchase. Put thank goodness for the little store attached to the winery, which sells cheese and bread (it’s all you really need right?). I’m not a big fan of white wine, but trust me their Chardonnay was sweet, crisp, and delicious. I highly recommend it!

     

Food

There are so many tasty restaurants to choose from, it’s really what you’re in the mood for. I ended up choosing Malva because they offer lots of vegetarian options. In addition, since we were a group of 11 people they even offered to make us our very own personal menu. The food is decadent, original, and wholly satisfying. First up was an octopus tostada, which was amaazing. Then a coconut based soup (it wasn’t my favorite because I don’t like coconut), and then grilled fish with roasted potatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about the meal. We even met the chef! I highly recommend this restaurant, they are very accommodating, polite, and service oriented. Thank you for a lovely birthday dinner Malva!

Transportation

So how do you get to this amazing place you ask, uber will get you there (it’s a special app called uberValle. However, you can only use the app while you’re in Tijuana. Which means that if you are in San Diego and use the app, it’s not going to work. You can read more about uberValle here: https://newsroom.uber.com/mexico/ubervalleeng/.

You can also reserve a personal van or car to take you around the wineries. I recommend Baja Excursions (http://bajaexcursion.com). I was able to rent a van for 13 people for $240 dollars. Your transportation stays with you throughout the trip. Once again, please remember to tip! Our driver was very accommodating, friendly, and polite. However, the company itself is not easy to reach. They have to work on answering their messages in a more timely fashion, especially from their English website (see above). That being said, once you get through they are extremely helpful!

Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow

I love Charlotte’s Multi Miracle Glow, it truly is magical. It’s a facial cleanser (she calls it a balm) and makeup remover in one and it actually works. Which means you don’t need to remove your makeup and then wash your face, you can tackle the work in one easy step! I cannot rave enough about this product.

And best thing about it? It’s not tested on animals! And neither do the suppliers. You can check out their policy here: http://www.charlottetilbury.com/us/help/faq

The Multi Miracle Glow comes in a glass container and the product is a light pink color. The cleanser looks like a light cream and feels very luxurious. Bonus, it has a nice soft scent. I was told by the sales Associate at Nordstrom that Charlotte designed the balm to have a calming effect because when you feel relaxed your face shows it. Good to know!

So how do you use it? You apply it all over your face and wipe off with either a cotton ball or a damp washcloth. Personally, I recommend the washcloth because our environment and planet really don’t need more cotton balls littering about. Your face will feel extraordinarily smooth and look quite bright!

Hold your breath, the Magic Cream retails for $60.00 But it lasts for about three months depending on how much you put on. I use it twice daily, once in the morning and once before getting ready for bed. It completely removes all my makeup and I’m not exaggerating here, it all comes off. I was skeptical about how clean my face would actually be, but since using it my face is noticeably clearer, smoother, brighter, no breakouts or even small blemishes. If you’re still unsure I recommend asking for a sample so you can try it out 🙂

So overall impression? I LOVE it!! I’m one of those people that hates taking off makeup (although I love to put it on) and this cleanser takes care of it and leaves my skin baby soft and looking flawless.

Oatmeal Mask

I’m back from my hiatus and this post will continue with my friends’ beauty secrets!

My friend and colleague swears by her oatmeal mask. It sounded simple enough to make, just two ingredients so I decided to give it a try and the verdict? It’s not for me. I’m not sure I’m getting the right consistency because the oatmeal kept sliding off my face and was not the easiest to clean up. However, I did notice that my skin was less irritated, smoother, and brighter.

Here’s her recipe with slight modifications from moi, which I think will make it more user-friendly.

Ingredients

• Dry oatmeal (you know the kind you eat when you’re trying to be healthy)
• Water

Steps

• Blend 3 tablespoons of the oatmeal so that it is almost like a powder. An alternative if you don’t have a blender is to let the oatmeal sit in water so that it becomes easy to smash up.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of water to the dry oatmeal. It should have a creamy consistency, if it doesn’t add more water until it looks like a paste.
• Apply to your face, let sit for 20 minutes.
• Remove with warm water and pat dry.

I really liked the results of this mask, my face was bright and even-toned. I just need to work on the preparation process so that it’s not so difficult to apply.

Avocado Mask

I’m going to do a series on my friends’ best kept beauty secrets! They dished and I tried them out. First on the list, is an avocado mask. And the best part about it? It’s only one ingredient! The avocado itself. I was as surprised as you are, but my friend swears the avocado alone will do the trick.

And the verdict? She was right! Start off with a ripe avocado, you don’t want it to be too firm because it will be difficult to obtain that whipped consistency that will make it easy to apply to your face. I used a small size avocado and that was more than enough.

Here are the steps:

1. Smash up one ripe avocado so that it has a whipped consistency. Huge chunks are no bueno because they’ll slip right off your face.
2. Apply the whipped avocado all over your face.
3. Leave on for 20 minutes (the longer you can leave it on the better).
4. Use a washcloth and warm water to rinse off the avocado mask.
5. You’re done!

I was pleasantly surprised by the results! My complexion was smooth, soft, and completely hydrated. I especially liked how hydrated my face felt because my face tends to be dry and quite itchy if the weather isn’t cooperating, which it’s not. The avocado mask appeased my face and voila no more itch and fully hydrated. I definitely recommend this beauty secret!

Mia 2 Clarisonic Review

I purchased the Mia 2 facial cleansing brush in pink in November 2015 and I’m not wowed. Good Morning America (GMA) had an amazing holiday special on Clarisonic products and I scooped up two, one for my mom and one for myself. The facial cleansing brush usually retails for about $149.00, which is steep. I was able to get it on sale for about $75.00 (if memory serves me well), so the product I once craved finally become attainable and I was thrilled.

I’ve been using the product for a couple of months now and I don’t think the product is worth $149.00. The Mia 2 has two speeds, delicate and universal. I have pretty sensitive skin, so I usually have the setting set to delicate (indicated by the bottom light) and even that setting is more abrasive than I would like.

The brush boasts being able to clean six times better than hands alone. In terms of dirt and oil, I don’t see much difference between using my hands and using the brush. I will say that the brush makes my skin appear much more radiant than hands alone. So in my opinion, you get the same clean feeling using your hands (plus facial cleanser), but your skin will appear more radiant using the brush.

My skin tends to be extra dry in the winter months, and even flaky (I know, aesthetically unpleasing), but with the Mia 2 I’ve noticed a much smoother complexion and skin care products and make-up glide on effortlessly. I definitely like that!

I also like that the Mia 2 comes with a small charger that is easy to travel with and a case for the Mia 2 (for when traveling). It came with a facial cleanser as well, but I prefer to use my own from LUSH.

I wash my face twice during the day, in the morning and right before bed. An additional bonus is that the spinning brush kinda feels like a mini facial massage in the morning, which is definitely a perk because I’m not a morning person.

You can find out more details about the product here: http://www.clarisonic.com/shop-our-products/clarisonic-mia-2-CL12.html

Overall, I think you can get the same results without shoveling out $149.00. I was hoping that after using it a few months I would see more significant results, but apart from a smoother complexion, which don’t get me wrong, I love! There isn’t much about the Mia 2 that sets it apart from other facial cleansing products.

 

 

Financial Goals

Happy 2016! There are plenty of New Year resolutions floating about and while some have their merit, my focus is on personal finance. So ladies and gentlemen lets start 2016 with a financial plan and reach those goals!

My first goal is to pay off my credit card debt and the deadline for that is March (my birthday month!). It’s ambitious, but I’m setting my stubborn mind to it.

Here are some steps to get you started on a financially healthier new year!

Make a List of Debts you Owe & Prioritize

This will help you visualize just how much you really have to pay off. This will also help you prioritize which debts to pay off first. I like traditional pen and paper, but excel is great tool for organizing and quantifying information. Pay off the higher interest debts first, for example between a credit card with a balance of $1,000 and an interest rate of 21% and a credit card with a balance of $2,000 and an interest rate of 7%, pay off the credit card with the 21% interest rate because your monthly payments are higher.

Interest rates are how banks and lending institutions make money because you’re paying them to borrow money. So unless you absolutely have to, you don’t want to be paying banks any amount of money.

Maybe you don’t have credit card debt, but you have an auto loan. The principle is the same, pay off the higher interest rate debt first.

Determine How much You Can Pay Off Each Month

Don’t be stingy now. If you claim you can only contribute $5 per month to pay off your debts, you’re not going to get anywhere. Determine a significant amount you can contribute to your debt payment. Your income and bills will be a factors in determining how much money you can allocate each month to your repayment plan, but remember the more you can allocate the better!

You’re going to have to give up some things to save enough money to wipe those credit cards or other debts clean. So determine what are extras in your life (i.e. Starbucks, shopping, eating out, partying, gaming etc.)

The extras should get a massive cut back. For example, if you eat out 3-5 nights per week, think about only eating out once. If you are a shopaholic, like me, reward yourself at the end of the month with an item you want, like a pair of shoes or a dress.

Commit

This is probably the most difficult step. It’s quite easy to get sidetracked because who wants to be paying off debts instead of being able to buy new beautiful things? I’m not being sarcastic here, take it from someone that loves clothes and makeup, committing to a plan is difficult. But well worth it!

BuzzFeed also posted a great article on financial planning that provides spreadsheets to help you get organized. Here’s the link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/this-one-budgeting-trick-will-help-you-get-control-of-your-f#.ry3qwy7G1

You have your spreadsheets, financial plan and goals, time to get rid of that debt and be a financially savvy individual!

After Holiday Sales

We unwrapped gifts, spent time with family and friends and gorged  ourselves on delicious food. So what’s after the holidays you ask? Amazing holiday sales!

Stores are moving their inventory to make room for spring styles, which means most stores are offering between 40-70% off discounts. Although nothing captures my attention like a good sale, keep in mind that you should invest your money in basics and classics. You’ll get more bang for your buck, because of course that white and red reindeer print sweater is adorable, but you won’t get much use from it until next year’s holiday season.

Coats

Most stores heavily discount their coats and outerwear because they’re getting ready to display those pretty spring dresses. But in the meantime, it’s still quite cold outside and will remain cold until the spring.

Keep your eye on jcrew: https://www.jcrew.com/index.jsp

Their coats are gorgeous, but their price tag definitely makes you think twice before clicking the “purchase” button. This is the perfect time to snag a timeless coat at a great price.

This coat is on sale for $278 from $298 (not much of a difference), but then take off 40% of $278 and you’re looking at about $167. Much more reasonable!

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/outerwear_sm/puffersandvests/PRDOVR~E3889/E3889.jsp

Banana Republic has some great choices as well. And remember to watch the websites, because until all the winter styles are sold, there will be additional sales.

Originally priced at $198 and on sale for $179.99, plus take an additional 50% off so about $90!

http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1014734&vid=2&pid=672184002

Zara also has some great choices.

This coat is available for $149.99 from $189.00.

http://www.zara.com/us/en/sale/woman/outerwear/view-all/coat-with-pockets-c731509p2922088.htmlS

Sweaters

Another great item to snag are sweaters. Again, keep in mind your colors. Red and Green are darling, but they won’t get you past Christmas. So look for colors that can transition well with your wardrobe.

Jcrew has a great selection!

This classic piece is available for $89.99 from $110.00, plus an additional 40% off.

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/sweaters/Patterned/PRD~E5684/E5684.jsp?N=21+17+10030&Nbrd=J&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=48&Npge=1&Nsrt=3&isSaleItem=false&color_name=NAVY%20NATURAL&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row0

Nordstrom

Nordstrom is having their Half-Yearly sale!

This fringe sweater is $90, plus 50% off.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/fringe-cable-knit-funnel-neck-sweater/4252965?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1293

PJs & Robes

Anthropologie has some beautiful finds!

The robe was $138.00 and is now $99.95 (I bet it will be reduced even more).

These adorable pj bottoms from jcrew are $39.99 and an extra 40% off.

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/sleepwear/PRD~E3833/E3833.jsp?N=21+17+10045&Nbrd=J&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=48&Npge=1&Nsrt=3&isSaleItem=false&color_name=IVORY%20BLACK%20MULTI&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row0

Remember the cardinal rule, shop for styles that have a high utility value as compared to their price. You’ll have a chic and classic wardrobe without breaking the bank.

 

 

Financially Savvy for 2016

Drumroll please, today the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to a range between .25 percent and .50 percent. Now, let me geek out for a second and I’ll get to the interesting stuff. It’s monumental that the Fed decided to increase interest rates because for the past seven years, rates have hovered at nearly zero percent. The idea being that keeping rates near zero would help the economy recover from our devastating financial crisis in 2008. By raising the interest rates the Fed  has ended an era for the central bank’s stimulus program and affirmatively demonstrates the Committee’s confidence that the economy will continue to strengthen.  Rates are projected to steadily increase, but will remain low, thus fostering job and income growth.

So now that I’ve geeked out, what does the Fed’s decision mean for you? As Christmas approaches and I’m sure we all maxed out our budgets, it’s important to financially prepare for next year, which is literally right around the corner.

Credit Cards

I succeeded in not using a single credit card for Christmas purchases, but I do have credit card debt. Unless you have a fixed rate, variable means that your credit card interest rates may increase. If your rates increase, this will make it more costly to pay off your balance. So make paying off your credit cards a priority. As a collateral effect, credit card balances directly impact your credit score, which will be a factor in determining your mortgage lending terms. The higher your score, the more favorable terms you can negotiate.

Auto Loans

Shinny cars are nice and everything, but if you have an auto loan the increase in rates may also affect your payments. Again, an increase in rates will make it more expensive to pay off your debt and own the vehicle in clear title. If you’re looking to purchase a car, and need a loan, make sure you lock in that fixed rate because as mentioned the Federal Reserve intends to steadily increase interest rates.

Mortgages

So remember the housing bubble that burst which led to all those foreclosures and basically economic despair? People couldn’t afford to pay their interest rates because they were too high and significantly disproportionate to their income. The negative aspect about variable interest rates is that they can increase and that’s exactly what happened to many homeowners. So if you’re looking to purchase a home, lock in that fixed rate. You’ll sleep soundly knowing your interest rate will not increase. If you already have a mortgage, don’t be alarmed because the increase in rates may only slightly increase your payments. On a side note, an increase in rates makes it more expensive to borrow money, so those of us who haven’t secured a home purchase, need to get on that.

Between car loans and credit card debt, which should you pay off first? Look at your interest rate and debt ratio. Pay off the higher interest rate first.

You’ll not only look fabulous in 2016, but you’ll be financially savvy as well! And ladies, I say we all geek out as much as we want because the world needs more female scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, mathematicians, engineers, and all around bosses.

 

Dressing for Holiday Parties

During this time of year you probably have more than one outstanding invitation to a holiday party and girls unite, we’re all thinking, “What am I going to wear?”

Here are some helpful tips to looking like the most fabulous you!

Venue/location– Know where the event is going to be held. This may seem like an obvious, but dress for the venue. Is it an outside affair or inside? You don’t want to show up in a cute mini-dress only to be freezing the whole night. You want to have fun and look beautiful!

Suggestion for outside, backyard type: 1) poncho, 2) vegan leather pants, and 3) booties/ cute heels

Forever 21- $32.90

Anthropologie- $148

Madewell-$158 (30% off with code: SPLURGE)

Casual or Formal– Know the type of event you are attending. This will dictate what you wear. If it’s a cookie baking party, you don’t want to show up in a sequin gown. You want to stand out in a good way 🙂

Suggestion for a friend’s event that is in-between casual and formal: a dress with some flair! I would switch out the booties for heels though! The boots are more appropriate for a backyard setting.

Nordstrom Rack- Free People $149.97

Wear Some Sparkle– This can be done in small accents or all over. Tis the season after all! If it’s a more casual event, go for a sparkly headband or shoes. If it’s on the more formal side, go for that cute sequin top or dress!

Anthropologie- Karachi Headband $28.00

I would like this for Christmas because it reminds me of Helen of Troy and I wrote a paper on the proposed location of Troy, so I think it should be a Jessica gift :p Anthropologie- $32.00

And there you have it, I’m sure you will all look wonderful!

Developing Your Personal Style

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post anything because work has me working! So now that we’re in December, my absolute favorite month, I figured I’d take some time to write a post. I was getting dressed and glaring at my closet, when it occurred to me that some of my clothes no longer represent me, or actually never did.

It took me awhile to transition from student to adult (I’m a stubborn and slow learner like that), but I think I finally nailed it. I tried to emulate Taylor Swift and Blake Lively because hello they have an amazing and effortless sense of style, but it dawned at me that they look fabulous because they have their own distinct personal style that represents who they are. So I say own it. Own whatever makes you feel beautiful and develop it.

Which meant I had to go through my closet once more. Below is a photograph of the clothes that are to be donated. Please always donate, even though  you may have outgrown your clothes, someone can surely use them 🙂 And as always, refrain from donating things that are smelly, gross, or stained.

You can kinda see my pink neon shorts peeking out. I know I should have followed my own advice and donated those a long time ago, but c’est la vie. And ruffles, I had ruffles galore and although my style is feminine, I think ruffles represent a younger me and I would like to take ruffles to a level of sophistication, not cutesy.

Also, own your body type. I have a pretty petite frame and I’m constantly trying to bulk up. But buying clothes that are shapeless or otherwise not well tailored, do me no favors because I just swim in them. Hence the really cute black dress that is in the donate pile. So whatever your body shape, curvy, thin, boyish, petite, tall, or any combination realize that some styles aren’t going to look so great, but it’s ok because there are plenty of cute alternative options!

So make a pile of clothes that don’t represent you, and own who you are and develop your own sense of style because no-one can rock it like you!

P.S. The red heels are the newest addition to my closet, from one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie! On sale of course, because all their items tend to be quite expensive.