Holiday Gift Sets And Nostalgia!

by with 9 Comments beautygift ideasgiveawaysholidayholidaysinspirationlifestylereviewsvideo

This post was sponsored by Britney Spears Fragrances as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Can you believe the holiday season has gone by so quickly! In only SEVEN more sleeps it’ll be Christmas morning, and believe it or not, a lot of people (myself included) have not begun gift shopping yet! I mean, it kind of just crept up on us this year am I right?!

Since I don’t want any of us to end up on YouTube as one of those crazy-last-minute-cart-pushing-bahhumbuggy holiday shoppers, I want to share with you what I’m gifting my Corriney, my bestie from college, and my niece who’s 16!

For starters, hands in the air if you were like me in the 90’s and lived all things Britney Spears! I mean, I made my mom crochet me that infamous crop top she wore in “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know“, you know the one! The beach scene! Ugh I swooned for love stories and her songs were LOVE STORIES! And then she came out with her own fragrances and I knew what all my girlfriends were wearing because I was wearing it too! Can I get a hayyyoooo from everyone who wore Fantasy?! It’s sultry and sweet, you knew instantly when someone walked by with it on … it’s sexy!

So of course I’m gifting my Corriney (and fellow Britney obsessed babe) with the Britney Spears holiday fragrance gift set <3 Since she loves options, I’m gifting her the Fantasy + VIP Private Show scents. Girl loves her options! It’ll also be nostalgic for her to smell it since I wore it when it released in 2014 haha ohhh for my daughter to consider anything I do nostalgic! They’re both so different that if when I steal them from her, I’ll wear the Fantasy during the day and VIP Private Show at night. Just a personal preference on occasion, but to me Fantasy is unexpected and charming and VIP Private Show says glamourous and sexy!



Am I the only one who wears a different scent for different occasions, seasons, moods?! I love sharing products I’m excited about with the people I love, gets them excited with me! I hope this inspires you to take something you’ve enjoyed and regift the fun because, tis the season! But wait there’s more! To one-up the last minute madness, I’m gifting THREE readers this holiday set each including a set of two (2) Britney Spears fragrances and a $50 Kohl’s gift card! The dates to enter are December 8th through December 22nd, 2017! I-C will randomly select 3 winners from all qualifying program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes. Good luck!

Britney Spears Fragrances Giveaway


If you feel so inspired to gift someone this holiday season with this beautiful gift set, you can find the Britney Spears Fragrances here at Kohls.com!

A post shared by Jess Lizama (@jess_lizama) on


Have you done any of your holiday shopping yet? What’s something you love that you plan on gifting to a friend or loved one?

Happy holidays to you all and safe travels babes!

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation body care and hair care product hacks!

by with No Comment adventurebeautybridalget the lookhoneymoonlifestylemom lifereviewsskin caretips and trickstravel

I say hacks because with these products you won’t have to do much to look done up. So here we are, midway through our nearly 24 hour travel day to get to Bali and I’m happy to report that all things considered, my skin is looking refreshed and pretty normal … can’t say the same for my sleep schedule though! Here’s to hoping jet lag doesn’t kick my butt when we settle in. I had all the time in the world to draft this post for you where I share my top body care and hair care products for your next vacation! I’m all about convenience and versatility, the less I have to do with my appearance, the better. Oh and the smell, you know I’m all about how products smell 😉

  • Nelson’s Beverly Hills surf spray– free of parabens and alcohol, this beach spray smells fresh and gives your locks some body and texture. The less I have to do with my hair on vacation the better, and this spray gives you that undone tousled beachy look without having to curl, set, toss, spray.
  • Oribe dry texturing spray– for those days that I don’t feel like washing my hair (most days) but want it to feel and smell clean I use this spray. The surf spray I use as almost a spray on mousse after I’ve washed my hair, replacing styling. This Oribe is more for in between washes to refresh and give your hair tons of volume and tons of vavavoom smell goodness!
  • Coola SPF 50 sport– light and silky smooth, this spf is my go-to! It’s absorbed quickly but still gives you that dewy youthful glow. And like everything else I listed here, smells so good! I don’t like fragrant skincare and this Coola is light and clean smelling like fresh cucumber water.
  • Brazillian Crush body mist– I 100% care about how I smell 100% of the time and this body mist is so sultry and sexy- it’s vanilla but not too vanilla-y if you know what I’m saying. It smells like hot Havana nights I swear! I love this scent so much and it’s light enough to wear daily. And how do I pack it you may ask? In this awesome and super cute Scentbird atomizer! It’s sleek and just the right size to slip into your clutch and in this case, your carry on.
  • Coola Body SPF 50– it’s all about the mango guava baby! My all time favorite scent, this spf is light and never gives your skin that heavy, greasy feeling a lot of SPFs do. Trust me, you’ll love this!
  • Native all natural deodorant–  my favorite scents are coconut vanilla and lavender rose! I never thought I’d be the person to say that going all natural with a deodorant was the way to go, but it is and here I am telling you to switch! It’s free of all the icky things you don’t want going into your body and won’t stop your body from doing the natural thing- which is to sweat and rid your body of toxins. You’ll sweat with this deodorant but you won’t smell. If you perspire heavily, you may want to apply a few times throughout the day but I stand behind this product and all it’s naturalness.
  • Proplenish collagen powder– call me crazy but if I’m gonna age I’m gonna age at the slowest rate possibly and graceful as hell haha. So this is me ingesting collagen, straight up putting collagen powder in my tea every morning. I’ve been doing this on and off for the past few years- when I remember to purchase the to go sachets (I like the lemon flavored ones and I mix it into an early grey and chai tea) and I they make my skin look all plump and rejuvenated!
  • Bliss hand cream: for all the times you’ll wash your hands at the airport and during flight (because germy) your hands will be thank you for the quench of hydration. It also smells citrusy which is refreshing for any long haul and isn’t thick and greasy. Do you see the trend here? lol

I love all things that smell like an island vacation, that’s hydrating without the heaviness, and all mostly natural.

I hope this list helps you pack for your next vacation or trip and up next I’ll be sharing how I packed 2 weeks into a carry-on and backpack, AND how you can travel comfortably and still be cute!

What are your go-to body care/ hair styling tricks for travel? 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel Skincare Routine – For The Long Haul

by with No Comment adventurebeautyhoneymoonlifestylereviewsskin caretips and trickstravelwellness

Bali bound baby!!! In just a few hours we’ll be boarding a two part, nearly 24 hour long flight to Bali in celebration of our honeymoon! Two weeks of blissfulness and my face may just fall off from all the excessive smiling, also my hair may just fall out from all the stress. You know the drill, with packing and preparing to leave your home for a few weeks- the laundry, the cleaning, and did I mention the packing?

As you know, the air on an airplane is not the best for your skin and as you also know I really really care about skin care lol So I’ve packed some of my all time favorite skin soothing, healing, and hydrating products so that when we land, I may be tired but my skin will look rested, refreshed, and ready to party! I wanted to share with you here my travel skin care routine – for the long haul. It’s a long one so jot these down and lets do this!


Body care: first, I showered like it would be my last shower for a few days because it would be, and I splurged on the Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Scrub. It’s super luxurious and will make your skin feel like silk. Just put it on your Christmas wish list 😀  Then I moisturized by mixing a bit of Shea Moisture Argan Oil with shea butter body lotion and guys my skin was pure satin I tell you.

Skincare: I can’t express enough how important clean, hydrated skin is for your every day routine yet alone your travel routine. The air at 30K+ feet is cold and doesn’t hold moisture so here’s to making sure that your skin does <3

  • Ocean Cleansing Milk-Travel Size + Ocean Cleanser-Travel Size: one of my all time favorite brands, OSEA Malibu was the only skin care I packed because it’s organic, pure, and hydrating at its ultimate. They both cleanse your skin and leave it feeling hydrated without leaving behind any kind of residue. I couldn’t choose between the two so I packed them both! Pro-tip: you don’t need water with these, I simply rub a few pumps in between my fingertips and onto my face and then remove with a cotton round- super helpful when you don’t want to wash your face in the lavatory.
  • Sea Vitamin Boost-Travel Size: the perfect toner after cleansing it’s full of antioxidants, refreshing and hydrating. I just spritz my face 3-5 times in a clockwise kind of motion and boom you’re misty.
  • Hyaluronic Sea Serum: remember how I said you should move through your products from thinnest to thickest in formula … here we are 😀 This serum is everything, it protects and strengthens your skin’s moisture barrier for that dewy youthful glow! I pat a few pumps around my face and move on to my moisturizer.
  • Atmosphere Protection Cream + Undaria Argan Oil: a staple in my skin care routine, I roll the argan oil around my palm and then mix in a few pumps of the cream for legit deep moisture. The upside to mixing these two products (and using any product from this line for that matter) is that your skin won’t feel greasy or heavy afterwards. They absorb into your skin quickly leaving only behind that velvety feeling.
  • Undaria Algae Oil: I love to use this oil as an eye cream, lip moisturizer, and overall hydrating oil for any dryness I have i.e. cuticles and elbows! It’s smooth and full of antioxidants- also in my makeup bag at all times.
  • Red Algae Mask: I packed this baby right here because my skin is prone to breakouts during travel and also gets finicky, so this mask is perfect. It’s purifying and non-drying yet perfect for blemishes and the tea tree oil smells refreshing and kicks up the cleansing properties.
  • Lumion oxygen mist + Nano atomization facial mister: game changer! I’m such drama and if I can kick hydration up from a 10 to a 12 – you know I will! I fill the facial mister with the Lumion oxygen mist and use it throughout the day. The BEST for travel because it’s super refreshing and cooling. Also a must have for post workouts as it kills bacteria, hydrates, and illuminates! You’ll thank me for this one.
  • Oil free protein remover and primer: for all my eyelash extension babes this one’s for you, with lash extensions you have to avoid oil based products. The way you care for them and also environmental elements (aka Bali humidity) have an effect on the lifetime of our expensive habit. This primer is awesome to remove oil throughout the day and cleanse your lashes of any makeup residue. I just dip a qtip into the primer and allow the opening to remove excess product and then swipe it along my lash line. I got my lashes done for the wedding … on through the honeymoon … and honestly I don’t know that I can live without them now!

I think it goes without saying that I will be packing snacks, lots and lots of snacks! For me, raw almonds, toasted coconut chips, chocolate, and oats-to- go are my favorites! They’re protein packed (chocolate is like a veggie in my book) and satiating enough to tie you over until the food cart comes around haha.

Ok babes, now that your skin is all silky, smooth, clean, and most importantly- hydrated, you’re ready for the long haul! Oh yes and drink water, lots and lots of water <333

What’s your go-to for travel skin care routine? Do you up the hydration? The exfoliation? 

Coming up- packing body care products,  my honeymoon hair care routine, and how to travel comfortably and cute-ly! 😀

 

 

 

Wine Not Wednesday – Dairy Free White Russian!

by with No Comment hostinglifestyleparty planningrecipesSaturday Shake upssaturday sipspiritswine not wednesday

It’s #WineNotWednesday babes and today we’re making a dairy-free White Russian cocktail with a twist! A lil zing of coffee cold brew baby!

I particularly like this recipe because I’m dairy free now, it tends to upset my stomach and this version still has the richness of the original minus the kick, literally. I replaced the dark liqueur with cold brew and this Stumptown is one of my favorites! ps chocolate liqueur everything please and thank you!

For today’s shake-up you’ll need:

For this deliciousness you’ll just need to pour 1/4 cup cold brew, a few shots of vodka, some ice, and a shot of liqueur into your shaker and shake it up!

Pour that into your glass and stir in gently 1/4 cup almond milk and garnish with nutmeg! Enjoy babe!

Does this recipe sound just like an espresso martini? LOL it just may be! I didn’t google it before making, I just threw it together for you so try it out and let me know what you think! 

 

 

 

My morning routine and why you need one too!

by with No Comment familyfitnesslifestylemom lifemommy diariesmotivationreviews

This post was sponsored by Café Bustelo as part of an Influence Central campaign, however all opinions expressed here are my own.

I recently uploaded a video to my YouTube channel where I share with you some highs and lows I’ve experienced being a teen mom. I believe that so much of being a parent revolves around patience, understanding, and the desire to teach over the desire to punish. So much easier said than done when your emotions are high and your tolerance is low, I know. Though my Corriney is 19 years old, this mama is still very much a part of #TeamNoSleep!

Something I touch on in my video is the importance of setting aside time each day that is just for you. As a mom and a generally compassionate person, a lot of my time is spent making sure that everyone around me is okay. So much so that sometimes I forget that I need to do that for myself too, or I start to feel like the walls are closing in.

My morning routine, that’s just for me. I’m a coffee and carbs kind of morning person and I love waking up before anyone else does. There’s something really special about enjoying quiet, still mornings before the day begins. I’m up around 6am to doodle in my planner, prep for the gym, and set my intentions for the day over a cup of coffee and puppy snuggles. The pups love our morning routine just as much as I do because they get 100% of my attention before I run a muck for the day.


As a part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Café Bustelo® K-Cup® Pods launched at Target and I couldn’t wait to try them. They’re espresso style and just what I need to literally kick start my day- I mean I head to bootcamp before Joe leaves for work on most days. My favorite way to enjoy a cup each morning is cafe con leche style with warm milk, cinnamon, and sugar … oh and whipped cream!

During the week it’s a cup of cafe con leche with toast and eggs, something simple and fast that I can just run out the door with. On weekends when both Corrine and Joe are home, their favorite lately has been my huevos rancheros quinoa bowls! It’s spicy, protein packed, and delicious!



I didn’t know if my Target was going to have the Café Bustelo K Cup Pods but lucky for me they were easy to find- bright in color and displayed with the rest of the K Cup Pods. I’ve got to tell you, as a coffee connoisseur, I’m swooning over Café Bustelo’s bold flavor that I can still taste through the milk, sugar, and whipped cream I pair it with. It has this full bodied, rich flavor, that you can both smell and taste. I know that sounds a bit woo woo but once you’ve tried it you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

Do yourself a favor and adopt a morning routine that’s just for you, and however you take your coffee, try Café Bustelo! It’s available at Target in whole bean, ground, K-Cup Pods, instant, and brick, so pick some up and try it the way I have it each morning. You can get 10% off with the Target Cartwheel app, you know I love a great bargain!

I’ll link you to my video here, please Subscribe if you haven’t already, I have a whole series where I just chat mom life <3 You do you and get on a routine that’s realistic and manageable, and remember that mamas need a break sometimes too.

Do you have a morning routine? How do you carve out time each day just for you?