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Last week, Face Haus had their Grand Opening at USC Village. I get a facial every time I’m in Boston at a spot called Skoah, but I haven’t yet found my go-to in LA. Getting facials and massages are obviously a total treat, and not something you get more than once every few month. Face Haus is super neat and founded by 2 women!

  Since its start in 2013, Face Haus has changed skin care and the ways that people get facials. Within the past year Face Haus has expanded throughout Los Angeles with locations in West Hollywood, Studio City, newly opened Santa Monica and now USC Village with more locations on the way.

One of my friends went to their event in Downtown LA, and was joined by tons of students from USC who  are preparing for back to school and classes starting on August 20^th. Founders, Jennifer Worley and Karey Burke were there to welcome all: and I’m hoping to have them on This is Life Unfiltered SOON!

 

I consider myself to be a total travel bug. If you said that I could fly anywhere in the world tomorrow OR that you’d fly me anywhere in the world (perhaps one of you awesome people want to give me a free plane ticket?) I’d say yes in an instant. It’s taken me a while to be so fearless, literally, because I remember a period of time where I wouldn’t jump on opportunities as quickly as I do now. I was always ready to try something different but it wasn’t until I got older that I realized how precious time is and how important partaking in unique experiences is.

You may not agree with me, but I think most people are afraid of getting out of their comfort zone. Life is so confusing and difficult as it is: we’re constantly being persuaded to think certain ways, maintain certain standards and do certain things even if we don’t think they’re right/wrong. What if being different was socially acceptable? What if girls traveling alone to countries they want to travel to wasn’t judged as much as it is? What if girls asking guys out (or girls asking girls out! or guys asking guys out!) wasn’t judged as much? Don’t you think we’d be living in a more accepting world than we currently are? It’s hard to wish for the above considering we have such a terrible human being in office, but the more of us there are that are willing to be fearless and determined to experience new things, the happier the world becomes.

The next time you find yourself second guessing a decision or questioning your intentions, take a step back and breathe. After you breathe, realize that life is too short to question whether or not to buy that plane ticket or that cookie, and just go for it. You have nothing to lose.

I promise.

On Saturday I had the chance to speak to Girl Scouts in Danbury, Connecticut. I’m from Storrs, which is about 2 hours towards the opposite side of the state. I was invited by one of the local moms to speak to a group of girls on social media. Most of the girls were in 6th grade (I think!) and had access to technology like cell phones, Kindles and iPads. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak to young girls, I get pretty excited because I always walk away learning so much. During this particular talk, the girls were very vocal and honest about what they were dealing with in school and out of school. The lovely mother who invited me to speak sat next to me and chimed in during the talk, which was incredibly useful because it gave me some insight into how parents should handle difficult subjects with their kids. Here’s the information I walked away with and my advice for parents who should (yes, you should be talking with your kids about social media from a young age. If you don’t know anything about social media, pick up a book and get educated parents) be discussing all of this content with their kids.

1. Group texting should be discussed 

Back when I was in middle and high school, I wasn’t talked to about texting. Our school didn’t educate us on Snapchat, sexting or group texting like they should. But it’s not just my school that failed to educate the kids about social media: schools across the globe are failing to discuss necessary topics to help kids maintain healthy minds. After speaking with the girls, I became aware that group texting should be heavily monitored and can be a grey area when tracking your child’s social media. Young kids become overwhelmed and anxious when their friends are group texting (meaning multiple people are texted at once in a group, usually on iPhones) and that leads them to get distracted or angry. How should you handle this? When you’re monitoring their phone (not helicopter parenting, just staying involved) don’t stray away from texts with tons of different names in one thread. Question your child about how group texts make them feel, and make sure they know that they can be removed from a group text.

2. The struggle to keep their family happy

I began to move into questions with them about what stems their anxiety during the school year, and I was alarmed but not surprised to see that the pressure parents put on them is almost outrageous. For one particular girl, she was struggling to balance swimming as an extracurricular, do well in school, other activities, and dance: dance being the once activity her mom was forcing her to participate in. I felt so bad for her, and wished I could have helped her sit down with her mom to explain why she didn’t think dance was benefitting her. It can be easy to get carried away with wanting your child to be the best at everything: but they’re only human, and giving them too many tasks at a young age will lead them to become anxious and possibly depressed when their workload increases. Instead, listen to your child. If they don’t like dancing or swimming, help them find another activity that keeps you pleased and doesn’t have your kid resenting you.

3. Friendships 

When I was in 7th grade, I was friends with a group of girls who ended up completely ditching me and kicking me out of their friend group. From 7th-8th grade I felt isolated and alone, constantly wondering what I did wrong to have my best girl friends hate me. Now that I’m older, I know that the girls were jealous of me and I didn’t ever do anything wrong. But when I was 12, I felt like I was going to kill myself because I had been kicked out of my only friend group. When I spoke to the girls, they all agreed that losing friends and feeling like they were drifting away from friends they had in elementary school was really difficult to cope with. Drifting away from friends as you get older or switch schools is inevitable, which is why you can help ease situations like this by introducing new activities or family activities to your kids so they don’t get too caught up in certain friendships. Though the time will eventually pass, friendships at a young age can affect a child in and outside of school, so opening up the conversation with your child will help them know that you are there for them no matter what.

 

When I first started my website, it was a fashion blog. I called it A Life in the Fashion Lane, and that’s what many of you know me by. When I decided to change the name of the website, I planned to move away from fashion because I don’t see a calling for me in fashion ever again. Having lived in Connecticut, Boston, New York and LA over the past 20 years, you could consider me being at the forefront of so many different trends and patterns from East to West Coast. I’ll never forget the days I used to go to New York Fashion Week, sitting front row, feeling so starstruck and inspired by the trends walking down the runway.

Fashion has changed so much over the past 5 years. Body trends have too: Instagram has made unattainable bodies (kind of like the Kardashians) the standard, which leaves many young girls feeling worthless if they can’t achieve that body type. Kiddos, just so you know: I don’t have that body type either, and I don’t want it. I’m happy just the way I am, and you should be too. When you scroll through Instagram and see someone with a body type you wish you had, remember that people have ways and means offline to look certain ways, and you’ll never know what those people are doing to look that way unless you ask them. So stop wishing for something else and start being content with your beautiful self!

I was working with a stylist in LA for a while and I recently decided that I didn’t think we were on the same page when it came to the aesthetic I’m going for, so I have been shopping around with different stylists. If you see me when I’m not working, I’m probably in workout pants and Supergas, or sweatpants: I stopped caring about being stylish or what people think of me earlier this year (when Gabe moved back to Connecticut). Around that time, when I was debating if I wanted to move back to LA after going back East for 1 month, I told myself that if I was going to come back to this city, I had to stop giving a s*** about what people thought about me. 7 months ago, I felt like I had to get dressed up for every event. I felt like I needed to be wearing makeup and heels because I didn’t know who I would meet in public that might view me differently if I looked how I usually do.

I’m 21 in October, and I go to brunches in LA, NY or Boston now in yoga pants if I want and heels if I want. When I’m working, I have a stylist I work with who makes me look just a little better than I would if I had sweats on. But that doesn’t mean I care either way about what I look like when the outfit gets returned and the makeup comes off. I’d rather have someone judge my mind than my outfit. That’s what is going to matter when Instagram closes down one day.

So you know what I looked like when I started A Life in the Fashion Lane. Nerds are cool. Don’t try and change yourself, ever. 

I know it’s not a Friday, but I wanted to do a little mid-week update on how I’ve been fearless this week! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that yesterday I had a pretty bad accident on a bird, pictured above. Birds are located around tons of tech forward cities like Austin and LA, and are basically segways that you rent and scooter around on. They have little emissions, are super cheap, and really savvy for getting somewhere quickly. I’ve been ill for the past week, recovering from a bad cold I got after returning from Spain: and though I preach being kind to your body and mind, I fall off the wagon sometimes because I’m human. When I can’t work or be active, I get mad at myself and angry with the lack of progress I don’t think I’m making when I’m sick. I’m only human, and I would like to be kinder to myself: but I struggle with that often. You may be an entrepreneur like me, or a student, or a mom and still find yourself beating yourself up the minute you fall off the wagon. I truly believe that learning to accept and be kind to yourself is a process, as well as learning when your body is giving you signs that you need to take a step back.

Fast-forward to yesterday, I couldn’t spend anymore time in my apartment feeling sick so I decided to schedule a few meetings and navigate my way to Santa Monica. I was running late to meet my manager for lunch, and jumped on a bird: to eventually fly off the bird and face plant into the ground. I’m okay, but it was seriously painful and now I have a bruise the size of a lettuce plant on my face to vouch for it. Being fearless is rad, and so is getting out of your comfort zone: but you don’t have to push yourself to extreme lengths to be fearless. Take my advice and be kind to your body and your mind: on the days you’re feeling like you could push yourself a little harder, take a step back instead and breathe. Maybe meditate for 10 minutes, go on a run, or eat some chocolate. Avoid pushing yourself (easier said than done) like I occasionally do because then you’ll end up burnt out, tired, and potentially injured!

Listen to more talk about burn out & self-love on episode 37 of This is Life Unfiltered with another CEO below!

P.S. I have big news coming August 30. Stay tuned!

A few months ago, I was somewhere in LA when I stumbled upon the cutest bar of chocolate. If you know me, you know that I’m pretty obsessed with adorable items. I thrive off of being surrounded by unique people & things! I’m also a chocolate addict, so when I read the ingredient list and found out that Beauty Bar Chocolate was completely paleo and sugar-free, I freaked out.

After emailing the founder asking for samples, I dove a little further into her background and asked her to be on This is Life Unfiltered! Candice is a true example of someone who practices what they preach, and she’s someone to look up to whether you’re older or younger. Enjoy Episode 37 and listen on Spotify/SoundCloud & iTunes!

I returned from Ibiza late last night, and I had the most incredible 72 hours of my life. If you had a chance to listen to last weeks episode of This is Life Unfiltered, you’d know that I was supposed to go to Ibiza with a friend of mine from Boston and she canceled a few days before we were supposed to leave. I had been looking forward to this trip for a while, especially because last year I went and felt like I could’ve had a better experience. If someone canceled on a trip like this via text last year, I would’ve moved on and not really cared. I’ve learnt so much about myself since I moved to LA alone, and have learnt so much about toxic people vs. positive people: it’s easy to get sucked into being unhappy or surrounded by people who you realize are using you, until you learn enough about yourself and the type of people you deserve to be around. Now that I’m 20 years old and I’ve had my fair share of positive and negative friendships, I’ve realized that I’d rather have one solid friend than 100 friends that wouldn’t be there for me when I need them. If you find yourself struggling with meeting the right people, know that your time will come. In the meantime, focus on making yourself the happiest and strongest version of yourself so that when you have that solid group of friends (like I do now) you realize that all you had to do was hold on a little bit longer. I promise, that period of time you spent growing yourself will have been so worth it. I decided to reply to her text, and tell her I was honestly disappointed and surprised that she’d cancel via text with no explanation. Why would I waste my time being friends with someone who doesn’t at least call to cancel a major trip, right?

Upon landing in America yesterday, I got kind of anxious and almost felt depressed. I didn’t sleep much in Europe, and I didn’t work at all- which was very needed because I was about a day away from getting burnt out and depressed. After spending 3 days in Spain, hanging out on a boat, doing nothing but eating and sightseeing and having so much carefree fun, coming back to reality is hard. I am the type of person who is always looking to what’s next: the minute I landed, I started focusing on what could go wrong over the next month instead of focusing on everything that I have to do. I try as hard as I can to always push negative thoughts out of my mind, but it’s easier said than done. We’re all only human: emotions are normal.

The title of this post isn’t about teaching you how to follow and unfollow, get more followers, DM a guy or a girl properly…it’s to have an honest conversation with you about why I truly feel Instagram can be such a negative space. You probably wanted my life over the past 72 hours with all of the cool pictures I posted on Instagram, right? I’d never post something that wasn’t cool and inspiring because that’s what I try and preach: but that doesn’t mean I feel happy and on top of the world every hour. I tried very hard to stay present and in a carefree, 20 year old mindset for the 3 days I was in Ibiza because I feel often that I lost out on a huge part of my life without having gone to college. So I take every opportunity I can to act like I’m in college, even if it’s 3 days a year and not in a normal college setting. Work a lot, and have fun just as often because you’d never want to regret having missed out on opportunities you could’ve been a part of.

It sickens me that Instagram is such a highlight reel of anyones life. Celebrities, influencers, bloggers…everyone is posting what they know people want to see. I wish I could let every one of you into my life everyday because you’d know that boats and trips are not what I spend 99.999% of my time doing: same for every other celebrity and influencer out there. When you find yourself wishing for a life different than yours, remember that I find myself wanting someone else’s life too. Until I remember that I’m satisfied with my life, and there’s no real reason to want someone else’s life because social media isn’t an accurate representation of what most people spend their time doing.

One like, one picture, one cool video…is nothing compared to real life. Take a social media detox. Fly to Spain alone like I was about to do. Take risks OFFLINE: because one day Instagram probably won’t be there, and then what will we have besides friends, family, and memories?

During my Good Day LA segment last week, I had the chance to include an eyewear brand that I recently found called Zenni. When I came across them, I was thrilled because as someone who has glasses, contacts, and tons of sunglasses, I know what a pain and added expense buying glasses and sunglasses can be. I spend $180 every 3 months on contacts! Brands like Zenni and Hubble contacts are making vision problems easier and even more affordable every minute. When you’re heading back to school  or helping your kids prepare, here are a few of my favorite styles that Zenni has to offer- all for under $50! To find the pair that works best for you, make sure to use their virtual face shape guidance piece on their website so you can virtually try any pair on!

The Classic Cat-Eye: $19

Cat-Eye glasses are always in style. My mom has a pair and I ended up purchasing a pair last year from Warby Parker (obviously before I came across Zenni) because they fit almost every face shape, and for $19: you might as well buy 4 different styles on their website to fit your every mood.

2. Pattern Round Glasses: $29.95

My current eyeglasses are the above style but in a clear color. For me, the shape of the frame works really well because I have a “longer” face shape. They’re also super comfortable, and I like that they’re plastic so I know if I drop them they won’t break on me!

3. A Little Color: $19.00

I wouldn’t personally wear this style because I know the shape of them wouldn’t suit my face, but I love that they have the pride colors towards the back of the glasses. They’re affordable, trendy and a solid choice for parents & teens!

4. Teen Prescription Heart Glasses: $19.00

Okay, these are totally my vibe. Though they’re labeled under the teen section on Zenni (did I mention they have a whole separate category for teens & pre-teens?) these glasses are fun and funky. Impress your friends at school and your crush by thinking outside of the box and letting that show through with your style!

Meditation has completely changed my life. Before I get into this post, make sure to follow my Instagram takeover on the Headspace Instagram page today! I also posted a new YouTube video about my meditation journey which you can watch on my page today.

Anxiety and depression are incredibly difficult to battle. During many episodes of my podcast This is Life Unfiltered, I have talked about how I’ve struggled with just about everything under the sun, and it’s taken me a solid period of time to find the techniques that work best for me to keep my anxiety under control. In no way do I think I’ll ever be able to avoid dealing with anxiety altogether, but there are ways you can decrease your stress and anxiety. My therapist recommended I download apps like Headspace and Calm back when I lived in Boston, and when I moved to LA, I purchased a monthly subscription to Headspace. A girl in Connecticut from my town had me meditate a few times with her last summer, but I never really go into the idea of sitting alone in a room and completely forcing my thoughts to turn off. Unfortunately, my brain is always on overdrive so I struggle with sitting still!

The thing about therapy and meditation that people don’t realize is that 1) you don’t have to start your therapy/meditation journey because you need “help” 2) you don’t have to become a legit Buddhist and travel the world preaching one love and happiness. You should totally do that anyway, but since most of us won’t pick up and move to Tibet, 10 minutes a day or 1 hour per week of therapy can alter the way you view the world in such a positive way that you’ll feel like a new person.

Follow my journey with Headspace on Instagram and remember to NEVER feel ashamed about going to therapy or battling anything that you struggle with: we’ve all got something. Meditation has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and think outside of the box, which has been such a fun and unique experience for me!

 

Man you guys, I am EXHAUSTED! Two back-to-back TV segments and 5 AM wakeup calls this week, I feel like I need a nice long weekend with no technology and no stress! This morning I appeared on FOX LA to talk about back to school style options for ladies on a budget! Since I don’t focus too heavily on fashion anymore, when I do participate in a fashion segment, I like to make sure that it focuses on social media and mental health too. In my opinion, the Internet can stem so many negative feelings and emotions for young women, like depression and anxiety, and because of that we’re all left feeling like we have to fight on our own. This world is cutthroat, and survival of the fittest doesn’t even begin to describe what the entertainment industry is like. To see these 5 models be so confident and happy with themselves & being surrounded by other strong, powerful women this morning was so freakin’ inspirational for me: you can waste your time trying to change parts of your body and your mind, or you can do something completely different and fully accept yourself! How cool would it be if EVERY chick & guy loved themselves from the inside out?

The outfits were provided by:

Glasses by Zenni Optical: $50 & under for prescription & regular sunglasses, with a massive variety

The first two models are wearing looks by Curvy Sense with glasses by Zenni

Backpacks supplied by T-Shirt and Jeans

Jewelry from Fitz+Hen (hi, Margie! Check out her podcast episode on This is Life Unfiltered)

The last three looks were supplied by Avenue 

I don’t care WHAT SIZE YOU ARE: you are BEAUTIFUL. You are worthy. You are the definition of strength. Believe in yourself and all that you’re worth!