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If you had told me 2 years ago when I first visited LA that I would have been booked on back to back segments on the biggest news channels on the West Coast when I turned 20-years-old, I’d have thought you were nuts. But life is nuts right?

I appeared on KTLA Morning News in LA this morning, and will be on Fox LA tomorrow, to discuss back to school trends & gadgets for young adults and parents. These are some of my favorite products and that I see many young adults and children using while heading back to school. Click on the links below to learn more about them, and enjoy the segment!

1. Headspace

Headspace is a meditation app that has nearly one thousand hours of mindfulness content.

Some fun facts about Headspace: Just ten minutes of meditation a day using Headspace has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, increase compassion and productivity

And there is amazing content that is PERFECT for kids and families going back to school like a 10 session content pack on Leaving Home and Distractions, and singles around Exams and Focus.

2. Meet Circle

 Circle monitors and filters screen time across all devices in the home. Through the dashboard, parents can create unique profiles for each family member with specific parental control settings such as: Time Limits, Bedtime; Filter, and Pause which gives parents the ability to turn off and turn on network Wi-Fi at any time! It’s available for $99 at meetcircle.com and Amazon.

3. Acer Chromebook

The Acer Chromebook R 13 is ideal for students in elementary through high school — and the affordable $300 makes it great for students on a budget. Plus, 10 hours of straight battery life!

4. The Moshi Portable Charger

A portable charger is my go-to product for teens to carry in their backpacks with them, and more importantly, a product that every parent should buy for their child the minute they get a cell phone. You never want your child to be unreachable- in or out of the classroom!

See you tomorrow morning on Fox LA!

Episode 36 is a solid one. If you’re tuning into this blog post from my KTLA segment this morning, hi there! If you’re a This is Life Unfiltered regular (you totally are, righttt) then you’ll likely feel like you can relate to this episode. Depression & anxiety are one thing: but burn out is another, and it’s not the easiest feeling to recover from unless you’re truly willing to take a step back. I have a very hard time taking time off, and because of that, I have weeks like this week in particular where I feel like my head may just spin off. But I’m used to feeling overwhelmed, and there are some things that I do to help myself get my head back in the game when I feel overwhelmed. I dive into my strategy for staying mentally and physically happy and healthy, and hopefully the tips will give you some support if you’re feeling burnt out too.

As alone as you may feel sometimes, know that you are never alone. You’d be surprised at how many millennials experience burn out before age 30: what can we do as a society to fix that statistic?

Enjoy Episode 36, and let me know your thoughts via Instagram & by writing a review on the app store of TILU! #livelifeunfiltered

Being fearless means getting out of your comfort zone: whether that’s doing something like skydiving or opening a door for someone. I launched a giveaway with Acer yesterday to give one of you a laptop (the giveaway is still live on Instagram) and was reading through your responses this morning…I am so inspired! Being able to write online what you did that was scary this week can be intimidating, yet all of you were so open and honest with me, even if it didn’t end up playing out in your favor! Life is all about trial and error: take it from most of the guests you’ll hear from on This is Life Unfiltered: we’ve all had our fair share of ups & downs!

Creating clothing is something I never imagined myself doing, because I can’t draw for my life. Through a Craigslist ad searching for a graphic designer, I became connected with an incredible girl in LA who has been helping coach me through all of the steps of designing clothing: it’s actually much more involved than I imagined. We’ve been meeting for breakfast every week, going over colors & text while talking about our lives: it’s an hour of my week that I wake up looking forward to.

In the video below I describe everything I’ve learnt about making your own merch, and what my advice is for saving money and not following the “traditional” merch path. Whatever I release, though it’s simple stuff, is clothing I want young girls & guys to be able to wear to a school event, a business meeting, or an internship. Growing up, I could never find appropriate & affordable tops that matched by style and weren’t $50 for a piece of cotton: so I’ve kept that in mind during this entire process.

The shop should be ready for pre-order within 10 days!

Yesterday I had the honor of interviewing one of the founders of FEAT Socks, Taylor Offer. I’m originally from a town in Connecticut called Mansfield, and someone I know from the gym in Connecticut told me about a friend of his who is also from Connecticut and made it really big in college with a sock brand he started. When I moved to LA, I became pretty invested in searching for unique talent via Instagram and on lists like Forbes 30 Under 30, and I recognized both of the founders on the 30 Under 30 list. I reached out to Taylor to interview him for This is Life Unfiltered, and was thrilled when he replied. This is one of the best episodes I’ve ever put out- Taylor’s story is fascinating: a story of resilience, strength, and the battle to be successful even when the world is pushing you down. He’s the definition of a true entrepreneaur.

Enjoy Episode 35! #livelifeunfiltered

Being a teen is not easy! If you ask your parents (or me!) we’ll probably all agree that the teenage years are some of the roughest years you’ll face. I promise it does get easier. There is so much pressure surrounding you and sometimes it can be hard to handle. With pressure from parents, school, and peers stress management is essential. You’re still learning your way in your teens and growing into an adult. High school brings many challenges with tougher classes, bullying, deciding what college to go/if you want to go, and figuring out who you are too. That’s why you need to take time to de-stress and make sure you’re taking care of your mental health as well. Here are some great stress management rules that we at Life Unfiltered love to abide by!

• Exercise and eat healthy! Exercise can be such a great tool for stress. I’ve written about how exercising completely changed my life. Whether you decide to play a team sport or even just run around your neighborhood, make time in your schedule for it. Even 30 minutes a day can be very beneficial. Eating healthy goes hand in hand with exercise. The better that you eat, the better you will feel. It’s okay to eat junk food sometimes but make sure that you eat mainly healthy foods. When you feel better health wise, your stress levels will go down. Feel like ice cream? Grab some Halo Top! Feel like Swedish Fish? How about organic gummy worms from Whole Foods or Trader Joes! 
• Spend quality time with friends, without technology. As much as technology has become an important part of our everyday lives, it’s important to take a step back occasionally. Try and turn off your phone 30 minutes before you go to bed. You’ll realize how much fun you can have without technology the minute you put your phone down! Go for a bike ride, walk in the park, shop at the mall, or find another fun activity to do together.
• Get organized. Having organization in your life can make a huge difference. Buy a planner and make sure you write down what you need to do each day. When you finish a task, cross it off. When you know what you need to plan for and start early too, it’ll make life easier. Organization is a skill that will be important all of your life and your teens is the best time to start!
• If you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out. Whether it’s your parents or a professional, you should never be afraid to ask for help when you need it.  Sometimes it can be hard to ask your parent for help, but there are always other options: a school therapist, a therapist outside of school, or someone on a hotline you can call. You should never feel ashamed about it either. Everyone finds themselves overwhelmed at times and it’s important to address what is causing it so that you can feel better mentally and physically. I can’t tell you the amount of times I felt overwhelmed and the minute I called my friend or my mom felt instantly better. My morning earlier is a perfect example! 

Can you believe summer is already almost over? When I was in middle school, summer felt like the best time of year. During the school year, lunch was the best time of each day. Now that I’m older, summer doesn’t bring the same excitement it did when I was younger…but I still find myself looking for vacations and ways to explore without having to take too much time off of work!

School is important and there are many ways to prepare to get the year started on the right foot without becoming anxious the minute you step foot in your school.

 Here are some tips that should help you out!

• Prepare early. Make sure that you know what classes you’re taking and are prepared with any supplies you may need. Parents, don’t be afraid to be a little tougher on your kids come mid-August: the more prepared they are, the more prepared you will feel! The worst trend I see with young adults is procrastinating: school work will creep up on you if you’re not using your time wisely. Buy yourself a planner and extra supplies (I always keep 2 pens on hand) so that you can start jotting down ideas you might have before school even begins!
• Stay focused on what’s important. When you’re in high school and there is so much going on, getting distracted is really easy. Make sure you focus on getting your homework done and studying for tests! When you know you have an important assignment to do, turn off the technology. It can be a huge distraction and harm how you perform in school. 
• Join a club or sport. Maybe you are already involved in one but if you are not, look into what is available at your school. Or, make your own club! The beginning of the school year is a great time to try something new. It’s a great way to meet new people and stay busy outside of the classroom. Options like yearbook, debate team, choir, and soccer will keep your parents and you happy! High school is all about learning who you are and it’s a great time to try something out of your comfort zone. You may wind up finding something that becomes your passion!
• Make time for yourself. Most importantly, you need to have time to relax and take care of yourself. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with everything. Mental health has to be a priority. Take a bath, read a book for leisure, listen to your favorite music or do whatever makes you happy! It’s so important to take care of yourself. If you are struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for help from a trusted friend, parent, or professional. Everyone goes through struggles sometimes and you’re never alone!

Okkkk so every time I go on TV my face gets REALLY red.  The minute I talk to anyone, I instantly start blushing and turning the color of a tomato and it’s honestly frustrating because for once in my life I’d love to be able to have a conversation without blushing. But, learn to always love and accept yourself rightttt. RIGHTTT.

I was in Houston for about 48 hours to speak at a girls camp called Chicks with Class, and for a morning show segment on HoustonLife last week. After landing around 7 PM, I went straight to the mall to get an outfit (the one I’m wearing I tried on 5 minutes before going on-air) and straight to my hotel to check-in. I always stay at the Royal Sonesta next to the Galleria, because everyone is so nice, they give me free water (most hotels don’t nowadays, btw) and lots of cool celebs stay there. Like G-Eazy and a rapper who I met on Saturday. Obviously, I have important priorities when I travel somewhere.

So I went from the airport to my hotel to a camp talk to a TV segment (that aired today!) with Lane Bryant, wearing this fun J.Crew outfit. I don’t love any of these pictures but Houston was 7,000 degrees and I felt like I was melting, and didn’t have time to wash my hair, so made that part of my #fearlessfridays last week.

See, you really can be fearless when you’re not even trying to be. Being fearless applies in every aspect of your life- never second guess yourself!

Watch the segment below- all of my models wore Lane Bryant, which is one of my favorite brands because they truly embrace all sizes. I’ve worked with Lane Bryant on a ton of different TV segments, and it’s incredibly refreshing to work with a brand that embraces all body types! Whenever I see a brand that isn’t promoting all body types, I shake my head. It’s 2018 people: get with it!

Have a great rest of your week!

  

I woke up in Houston, Texas today ready to speak to a girls camp & do a TV segment with Lane Bryant! On Wednesday, I went out with some friends and was having so much fun that I ended staying out till early morning Thursday, which is so unlike me especially during the week. I’ll usually be at the gym by 6 AM, not going to bed then! I’m very much an in the moment person, and if you know me: you know that I really love working just as much as I love enjoying life. I think that balance is so crucial, and incredibly overlooked, because everyone is always looking for what’s next. Instead of looking for the next best thing every time something awesome happens, how about you just sit in the moment and be present? What’s the rush to speed through life when you can let everything digest a little more? If something negative or positive happens, realize that we’ve all got life plans written for us that we don’t know about: let everything sink in because I guarantee you you’ll be learning something while you embrace whatever it may be.  You’re only given this one life, and if you think about it, we’re all pretty lucky to have even been given life.

Next week, I’m pumped because one of my friends and I are are doing something really funny and unique for #FearlessFriday. She’s super into skydiving and bungee jumping (all of that wacky stuff) and I’m very much a stay on the ground kind of chick- so just hanging out with her is already getting me out of my comfort zone! She had a bunch of brochures of activites to do in LA that she picked up at a hotel, so we’ve created an entire list of crazy experiences we want to tackle. I really thought skydiving would be the most uncomfortable thing I could ever do, but I’m slowly learning there are lots of ways to get out of your comfort zone, some ways safer and some ways unsafer, than skydiving…sorry, mom!

So this week, in light of Demi Lovato’s overdose that made headlines, I’d like to see everyone be kind to the people around them. Everyone is battling something. And be kind to yourself If you see someone in pain, ask them if they need help. Don’t overlook being kind just because we’re living in this world of instant gratification and stress. If you’re being fearless, why the heck wouldn’t you want everyone around you to be fearless too?

The #1 (I swear, #1) question I’m always asked by you guys, and my parents (um, mom!?) is what I do during the day. Social media has created a culture where you may think you know someone, but you never really know them. You never know how much effort goes into that one picture, editing the lighting, filming a video, writing a blog post, having a 2-hour conference call…depending on what project I’m focusing on is what determines what I do during the day. However! I stick to a pretty strict routine regardless of where I am in the world because activities like meditating and exercising help keep me really sane.

When I’m in LA, my daily routine is usually waking up around 6 or 7 AM (I make a conscious effort to not follow a routine during the weekend) drinking a ton of water, going to the gym by 8, and then editing podcast episodes, blog post, pitching TV segments, filming video content, taking picture, phone calls with potential brands (I had a 3-hour lunch meeting with Headspace last week!) etc. When I’m traveling, like on Thursday when I fly to Houston for a TV segment, I’ll be meeting with my models, speaking at a school, getting my hair and makeup done, taking pictures…etc!

Yesterday was a hectic but exciting day. Enjoy my video below!

 

Does anyone else feel like This is Life Unfiltered has been around for multiple years? I can’t believe I’m only 34 weeks into my little baby. I love this podcast- and I love you guys for sharing your honest and raw stories with me all of the time!

This week, I welcome Rachel Gersten, founder of Viva Wellness to TILU! I won’t ruin the episode for you, but Rachel has inspiring advice for young people who are concerned about staying in college if they know they want to run their own company, and for people who go on Instagram and instantly feel depressed and “not worthy” of being happy.

Listen to Episode 34 on iTunes & SoundCloud!