The Christmas Tag! (and other announcements)

Happy Holidays, lovelies! Look, I've actually posted a video for the past 3 weeks each week (: If you haven't already seen I have The Best Friend Tag, a new vacation Vlog from my Thanksgiving in Nashville, and The Christmas Tag all posted.  Also, I am going to Disney for New Years and I will be vlogging and I am sooooooooooo excited. Hopefully I will have two videos up for you until then.

Thanks for watching and reading

XOXO

Gretchen

Fall Look Book 2014

Hello my lovelies! As many times as I claim to be a summer girl, loving the heat, the freedom, the pool, and all things that fit into the giant pool bag of summer things, deep down I really am an autumn girl at heart. So what a better season to do my very first look book. 

The Classic

To me, this is a typical fall outfit: sweater, jeans, riding boots. I absolutely love my Gap jeans. They are so comfortable and have so many different styles and fits. I've been finding a bunch of cute sweaters at T.J. Max for $15-$20. And these boots are from Macy's. They always have amazing boot selections in the fall.

Athletica

I love my oversized sweatshirts but I don't like how casual wearing them looks. So here's the solution: sweatshirt dresses! I found this one at Macy's and it's Style & Co. Sport. I will wear this with leggings or tights in the fall, as it is too short to be worn practically without, but it was much too hot when I was filming. I paired the dress with coral converse high tops and a black knit scarf. 

Jasmine

This reminds me of the movie Aladdin just because of the pants and crop top. You can't see in this picture put the crop top is a tank and has gold, silver, and jewel beading on the neck-line. I'm obsessed with it. The pants are the genie/harem type and they have pockets!! I love pockets. I paired this with a black sweater and some leather flat laced shoes. They look like men's but I don't know the actual name for these shoes.

Sunset Ride

I love this for a casual party or date night. I love wearing boots in the fall and as I said before over-sized sweatshirts are a must-have! This one is also from the Style&Co. Sport collection and it is just as comfortable as the other one. I would also wear tights or leggings under this dress.

Paris Nostalgia

The name says it all, I want to go back to Paris. This outfit just reminds me of Paris in the Spring and makes me want to go back. Pink is a little much for me usually in the fall when it's so pastel but for some reason I love this. My Sperry boots are another part of my closet that I absolutely cannot live without once it cools down. If you don't have a pair yet invest in some. They are ridiculously warm and functional yet cute.

Tribal

This is definitely a more edgy look than I am used to wearing but I am really trying to be more out there this fall. The hues of reds, yellows, and oranges are not only super autumnal but resemble fire as well which I adore. It adds that edge I was referencing before. I bought this skirt on clearance at T.J. Max a year ago. I'm telling you, you gotta check that place out if you haven't already. The top is an old one from American Eagle, it's a simple cotton top with a gathered waistline and a large round neck. I love this top to add a classy touch to any outfit. It's a wardrobe essential to me. And of course I finished the look with my high tops Converse. Quite honestly, I don't love them with the skirt. The colors ended up clashing. I think I would instead pair this outfit with a pair of black heels, as this is more of a 'going out' look than casual. And I'm rambling....

So, if you aren't sick of me and want to hang out some more I have a video with all these looks and me acting like a goof over on my YouTube channel and here below. I really love this video. It was so fun to make and is to one of my favorite singers songs. (: Thanks for reading and watching if you chose too. 

XOXO

Gretchen

  

Back to School Make-Up Tutorial

Hello my lovelies! It's that time of year again, back to school. Everyone's favorite, right? Well, with the first few weeks ending the pressure to look extremely cute is hopefully wearing off and now it's time for a simple make-up look to perk up your eyes but not have to go too crazy. I am very in to neutral tones and in this look I use 4 different shades of a very neutral pink that just help to give the eyes a pop. I also shared some of my skin favorites at the moment! Enjoy the video and excuse the poor editing. My computer really doesn't like me sometimes (:

XOXO

Gretchen

Life Update!

Hello lovelies! Once again I've been thrown a curve ball and that curve ball took out my editing software again. But I am getting it back next week! So I apologize for that but there is no excuse for me not writing! After all tat is why I started the blog, to write! 

For me, the summer is winding down. I am coming down from the last weekend of summer. I head back to school next week in preparation of welcoming the incoming freshman and helping with their orientation. It's crazy that I am the on doing that for them now. It feels like yesterday I was a little freshman walking into school for the first time. I was so nervous. Little did I know things would go a lot better if I were to just act on my excitement not on my nerves and insecurities. As soon as I was able to let go of all my negative emotions I flourished. So here's to year 3!

Coming up is a favorites of summer look book, a back to school make-up tutorial, and I am working on a fall fashion haul but that won't be out for a while. I also have one summer vlog from almost a month ago that I haven't been able to edit. Once I get my computer fixed next week I should have that up pretty quickly. 

Thanks for your support throughout this summer!

I LOVE YOU ALL

XOXO

Gretchen

Yet Another Summer Haul

Hello lovelies! For some odd reason I was under the impression blogging in the summer would be easier but wow these last few weeks have proven me wrong there. But I am so happy and thankful for you all. The blog has no had over 1,000 views!! Wow, thank you! I can't believe it. (: 

Why is it that in the summer girls just go shopping, then go shopping again, and again? I've been shopping so many times this summer with friends. On my most recent trip I said I wasn't going to buy anything but ended up with a few beauty purchases that I have been wanting to make for quite sometime and other classics I needed to refill the stock I had at home. 

1. benefit The POREfessional

This is a pore minimizing cream that is put on under make-up to make your daily look even more clear. I've been eyeing this product for probably 4 months. I am very skeptical about any make-up claiming they can minimize pores and cover up any imperfections. When I found the mini-sized product I was elated to finally be able to try it without spending a large chunk of money on something which might not even work. The woman working the register then asked me if I had used the cream before and when I said no she began to go on and on about how great it was, and I do have to admit her skin looked great. So, I was excited to go home and try it. I can 100% agree with the cashiers words, the cream is amazing and does everything it brags to do and more. If you haven't found a good pore cream for you yet, go check this one out.

2. benefit They're Real! Mascara

If you have been following my blog for a while you most likely already know of my love affair with this product; brought together by chance but fell in love by fate. This is one mascara that I can always go to and not worry about it clumping on my lashes or not bringing them to their full potential. I absolutely love it, if you hadn't picked up on that yet ;) I bought the smaller one  because it lasted forever last time I got it and I use a cheap water proof mascara almost everyday of the summer since I am always at the pool. But, this mascara is perfect for getting the total full lashes look.

 3. Lush Twilight Bath Bomb

I am not a bath person by any means but after watching countless videos from my favorite British YouTubers I had to give Lush a try. We don't have an actual lush store near me but they do have a counter at Macy's. I went with my friends and they did an example presentation using this bath bomb and wow was I surely pleasantly surprised. It felt like satin and smelled so delicious. I had to buy one. In case you don't know, hot baths soothe menstrual cramps like magic (this is a girl's guide) so pair that with this amazing bath bomb and your time of the month is not nearly as miserable as usual (: I am going back to get a lot more of these to have on hand because they have officially converted me to a bath lover. 

4. Lush Pink Bath Bomb

I didn't want to walk out with just on bath bomb so I bought this one also. It smells like a nice spring day full of flowers and sunshine so I couldn't resist. I have yet to try it though.  I will update this once I have tried it with a review.

 5 and 6. Bath & Body Works Body Wash Forever Sunshine and Coconut Water Chill

There was a giant sale going on for discontinued products at Bath & Body Works so I got these before they go away forever. I love Forever Sunshine. It is a sweet flowery scent but it is not overpowering. I love to use it when I don't want something super strong smelling on my skin. I have never used the coconut water chill body was before but it smelled delicious and was $3 so I said why not. I love it.

7. Bath & Body Works Tiki Beach Candle

8. Bath & Body Works Oceanside Candle

9. Bath & Body Works Rainforest Sugarcane Candle

I don't know how to review candles because I feel like you just have to go smell them for yourself. People have so many varying opinions on what smells good and what doesn't. I like these personally. I am all into summer scents and these really capture summer to me. 

Well, that's it for this week (: I am not going to promise anything more this week just because I don't know how crazy it may get. I did film a little vlog footage over the weekend but finding time to edit is another story. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! 

THANK YOU

XOXO

Gretchen

Summer Treats | Fitness Friday 9

Oh wow, where did this week go lovelies? I am just getting home from a full day of friends and activities when I realized I hadn't uploaded my Fitness Friday post for today. Oops! I'm sorry about that, I meant to upload this morning. My fault, no excuses! 

Happy Fitness Friday, Lovelies! Today I wanted to share with you my favorite trades for treats on a hot summer night! You know when you are craving that sugary and sweet treat to quench the thirst of a busy day or just something to relax after a day in the sun but don't want to splurge on sugar loaded ice cream or other desserts, yes? Well, here are a few things I have started as trades for these occurrences.

Recipe 1: Take a cup of raspberries and 70% dark chocolate chips. Take a chocolate chip and place it in the center of each raspberry then place them in the freezer in a cup, bowl, bag, tray, basically however you want to store them.

Recipe 2: If this recipe were a beauty product it would be sold on high street and you all know I am not one to endorse things like that but I can't resist because this next treat is so delicious. My grandma and I make ice creams in the summer and the great thing is you can control what goes into it. So if you have the means and motivation, go out and buy and ice cream maker and blend together a delicious blueberry ice cream. Just remember to make the smart switches in ingredients for it to really be healthy.

Recipe 3: This is the simplest of them all but my ABSOLUTE favorite! Buy a giant watermelon and cut it up into slices. Then put them in bags and put into the fridge and eat when you get that sweet tooth at midnight. (: I love love love this. It is so refreshing and sweet and the perfect end to a summer day!

Thanks for reading! Tune in Monday for a new post and Wednesday for a vlog. I apologize for the lack of a post on Monday but I got a stomach bug and was pretty much down and out for the count on Monday and by the time I got around to it it was Wednesday but something will be up this Monday for sure! And the lack of vlogs was because I had uploaded 4 the week before!

Thanks,

XOXO,

Gretchen

Vacation Vlogs

Hello, hello, hello my lovelies! What a week this past week has been, in an amazing way. I spent the week in North Carolina visiting my cousin and spending a whole family vacation there. Friday was our last full day which is why there was no Fitness Friday but I did vlog so you all could come on my adventures with me and my family. It was an amazing trip and I could not be more blessed to have such a loving, fun, and nurturing family. I am also putting together a post with details of the outfits and swim suits I wore on the trip to go up by Tuesday morning at the latest. Sorry it might not get up tomorrow. Here are all the vlogs in order. 

Enjoy,

XOXO,

Gretchen

Girls-Night-In/Spa Night

Hello lovelies! My sister from another mister, Jordan and I filmed a girls-night-in/spa/pamper night video and we absolutely had the best time. 

We took a little shop at Target to get some new beauty products to try. I had heard great things about the individually packaged face masks in the past but wasn't one to take the risk of buying them but while in France a friend had brought some and I tried it out and loved it! 

So, Jordan and I found the que bella Bath & Beauty face mask which were $2. I picked out the deep cleansing aloe vera cream mask  because as you can see in the video my face was breaking out in quite a few areas. I also love the feeling of a face wash or a mask clearing out my pores and by the title this sounded to be the best choice for me. It was. 

We then ran the bath to be about to our ankles and put in some Bath & Body Works bubble bath in Coconut Lime scent. We soaked out feet, put on our favorite songs, and let the mask do it's magic for 20 minutes. Then we rinsed our faces, moisturized, I used the Dr. Renaud Pairs Cream Nuit. To finish this portion of the night we picked on last song and danced in the bath tub.

It's not a spa without candles and an ambiance, so we lit candles and picked out some Disney songs and sat to paint our nails. I picked a turquoise & Caicos by Essie  and Jordan went for the classic nude/beige color by Covergirl. Once our nails were finished we popped in a film and cuddled up for some relaxed movie watching to end our night. 

Thanks for reading. I hope this can offer you a few options of things to do/use on your next spa night whether it be alone or with your best friend or you sister or your mom or a group of 10 girls.

XOXO,

Gretchen 

20 Question Tag

I filmed a short (but actually long) video to make up for my absence. It is the 20 Question Tag! Thanks for your support, always! I hope this will give you some insight to who that girl behind the blog really is :)

XOXO,

Gretchen

3 Pool Side Summer Snacks | Fitness Friday 8

Hello lovelies! Welcome to yet another Fitness Friday. Today I wanted to give you 3 pool/beach side snacks that are on the healthier side of things. They are all easy to make or package up and grab out of your pool or beach bag during those long days by the water. Speaking of water, also make sure you are drinking lots of water this summer so you never feel thirsty. Everyone says it but it's true, drink water before you are thirsty. I've already had a scary summer dehydration mishap at a water park and therefore cannot stress enough to drink water! I apologize for the lack of photos in this post also. I

1.  Celery, peanut butter, and craisins
 I slice up celery all the time and eat it so why not slice it and throw it in my bag in the morning as I head out to the pool? JIF now has individually packaged natural peanut butter which is not the healthiest you can get when it comes to peanut butter but it does simplify things when rushing out the door. Raisins are the traditional topping for celery and peanut butter but I prefer the flavor of craisins but the calories are a little higher. Although, craisins do contain a lot of necessary nutrients and vitamins.

2. Bell Peppers with hummus
I feel like this is becoming a no-brainer for some people, especially in my area, and I am falling into conformity by loving it too. My favorite food is bell peppers; I could eat them with every meal and do some days. Hummus is very popular around where I live and for good reasons. It has health benefits and is low in fats and calories even though it is a topping. These are also easy to pre-cut and package to throw into your bag in the morning or on your way out the door.

3. Chips and guacamole
For the past 5 years my mom and I have grown our own vegetables in our garden and the reason for starting this was to grow our own peppers to put in guacamole. Since then the garden has grown and all the ingredients are home grown minus the avocado. Home gardens raise the nutrient and vitamin level of all foods grown in them because of the lack of processing and chemicals that grocery store food encounter before reaching the shelf. So find a healthy chip and grow some veggies to make guacamole to bring to the pool. It's my favorite pool side dip.

Thanks for reading :) I recorded an extra special video for you all to hopefully make up a little for my extended absence and it will be going up this weekend and Monday is Spa Night! I cannot thank you enough for reading and watching!

XOXO,
Gretchen

Old Vlog | Vlog Wednesday

Hello lovelies! This post is coming out waaaaay later than I thought it would but I have been having so many technical difficulties. I know, excuses, excuses. I feel horrible but technology is not something I have control over working or not but I do have control over opening my big mouth. I shouldn't have made promises before fully investigating the situation and I apologize for that. Therefore I have decided to attach a reflection on why I enjoy vlogging and my motivations for starting a vlog. 

I started watching youtubers when Marcus Butler was just a small little channel and through him I found Zoella but I did not watch them regularly or subscribe or like or any of that because I did not even have a YouTube account. Last Summer was when I really got into YouTubers, British YouTubers actually. I don't know why but I just enjoyed the Brits from the beginning, haha. I watched and watched and watched all Zoe's videos, then all of Louise "Sprinkle of Glitter"'s videos, then Alfie "Pointless Blog", then Marcus' and just discovered the little British YouTube family and started watching them all but still did not subscribe or pay close attention to when they uploaded and the details of it. Then this January is the midst of snowdays I found vlogmas. I stayed up long into the night each night for a long weekend watching all of the Vlogmas' and absolutely loved the idea of daily vlogging and just vlogging in general. I knew I had my France trip coming up and thought that would be the perfect oppurtunity.

By the time March rolled around and term 3 exams were done I was itching to start a vlog. I had bought a new camera and everything and was ready to go. So one day I decided to start this blog and it has been the best decision of my life. I love this blog so much and not because people read it, although that is an amazing feat! I love you all! But I am a very creative person and I had no outlet for that creativity until I found blogging. I love sharing my life and just everyday things for a reason I will never understand. Writing posts and sharing things I love gives me such a high and this too I still have not found the reason for but if it makes me happy do I need to explain it? No. Since starting this blog I have seen and felt my happiness skyrocket. 

Now for why I love vlogging. I have always had an obsession with observation, not on purpose and for an unknown reason I am just a people watcher. I heard someone once say, "I'm a writer, I observe every little detail," and that is the blame  of this fixation. Observing others has lead me to enjoy observing myself and picking myself apart to improve which is the stem of my love for videos and watching videos. Now it has turned more into I love the videos for the memories. You can look at a video of a person and read a thousand things from body language. 10 seconds of film can transport you back to millions of sensory memories. This is what vlogging does for me. This is why I vlog and I am so thankful for it already.

Thanks for reading and watching (: 

XOXO

Gretchen

Summer Announcements!

Hello lovelies! I feel horrible for my absence as of lately especially since I just announced I would be adding a Wednesday update and then I went totally missing. I didn't realize my home computer didn't have movie maker so I was unable to edit the video footage I had together to post. But, I got my computer back today and plan to take full advantage of that.

 Here's the line up: If I can I will have vlog footage from an old vacation up and editted for tomorrow and have that be the first official vlog Wednesday (say it with a German accent so it sounds like an alliteration). Tonight I have my brother's grade school graduation and family dinner though so I am not sure I will have the vlog up first thing in the morning but keep your eyes peeled tomorrow for that.

Friday I will have a Fitness Friday post up on summer snacking and staying away from the pesky pool snacks that I myself and others seem to gravitate towards.   

Monday I will have my spa/ girls night in video up! I am so excited about this one. It's not an official collaboration because the person I did it with doesn't have a blog but she's also my best friend so it was super fun to film for you all. I will write a post to go with the video with reviews of the products we used. 

Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with me. It was great to come back and see that the page was still being viewed and was not completely forgotten in my absence. Thank you for that! 

I LOVE YOU ALL!

XOXO

My DWTS Top Dances Pick

If you don't follow me on Twitter you probably don't know that I am obsessed with Dancing With the Stars. I have watched the show since season 1 when I was 8 and have been an avid fan ever since. I will be live tweeting the finale tonight (just request to follow me, I am going private for a bit)and my pick to win is Maks and Meryl <3 Since I didn't get my video out yesterday partly because I am so into this DWTS finale, I wanted to do something related to DWTS tonight while I wait for the finale to come on. Over the seasons I have had many favorite dances but last night topped them all, I have to agree Carrie Ann (judge). 

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-nnLIExbd8

This first one is quite a throwback to Season 10 Week 8 with Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas. I normally am not a fan of Mark's because his theme and choreography is usually too out there for me but this dance stunned me. I was 12 at the time and I can remember sobbing after this dance. 

4. Shawn Johnson and Derek Hough Freestyle All Star Season

I love this dance. It is such a fun and celebratory piece not only of their journey that season but the spirit of the show in general. Plus Derek was my babe at the time ;)

3. Maria Menounos and Derek Hough Viennese Waltz Season 14 Week 8  

I am a sucker for Viennese Waltzs and this was no exception. I also sobbed after this dance epsecially after seeing the package because I feel like everyone can relate to this dance and what Maria was struggling with that week. It still amazes me.

2. Kelly Monaco and Val Chmerkovskiy All Star Season Week 4

Wow, I am realizing how much I adore these emotional dances. I cried after this dance too mostly because of the personal meaning of this song for me and Val and Kelly's chemistry. I shipped them, no shame. This dance was pure art and vulnerability made into beauty. 

1. Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Season 18 Week 9

I cried again, who is surprised? This is a beautiful song and a beautiful dance to match. I have probably watched it 500 times since last night when it aired and it takes my breath every single time. Standing alone it is powerful and emotionally driven but for me, having seen Meryl and Maks' journey and knowing that he said this dance was from him to Meryl it made it all the more enchanting.

Thanks for reading,

XOXO

Gretchen

Breakfast On The Go | Fitness Friday 7

Hello Lovelies! Early mornings are hard for me and I can't eat breakfast as soon as I get up anyway so this year I have been bringing breakfast with me to school. Here's my typical morning: I wake up at 7:10, I put my computer in my backpack, pull back my hair, brush my teeth, put on deodorant and my uniform then grab food and get out the door by 7:20. Sounds like a speed race, right? That's one of the perks of going to an all girls school, no need to do my hair and put on make-up. Well, you might also be wondering how I can get an actual breakfast and do all that other stuff in 10 short minutes or maybe you go to an all girls school and understand. Either way I am going to share with you my tricks to getting in a healthy breakfast without much preparation time in the morning.

Here's my number one trick: Pack up your lunch the night before. It has been my saving grace for healthy eating. I cut up fruits and vegetables and make my lunches and now my breakfasts too.

Breakfast number 1: My favorite breakfast is a quite simple one and the one I eat most often. Vanilla Greek Yogurt, Natural's Granola with Dark Chocolate, and one banana. This is about 400 calories which is actually, from what I have learned is a little low on calories for breakfast. I chose these three items to have together because you can get some of the benefits from dairy products and the granola and banana are high in fiber. And the granola also is high in protein which helps get the body awake and ready for the day.  I buy individual yogurts so I can just blend in the granola and eat the banana separately but honestly I could chop it and put it into my granola if I wanted but I normally won't eat both at the same time. This is easy because I put the granola in a bag the night before and put that, a plastic spoon, and my banana in my lunch bag then leave the yogurt in the refrigerator with the other foods for my lunch that need to remain cold.  And grab them all in the morning on my way out the door.

Breakfast Number 2: This is also a new discovery but I found low-calorie apple cinnamon crunchy oatmeal made by Quaker. Take a thermos and put hot water in it. If you have a Keruig use that to heat and pour the water into the thermos. The thermos keeps the water warm and then you can add the oatmeal when you're ready to eat it. It's simple and delicious.

Breakfast Number 3:  This is more preparation time but it is still easy to grab in the morning because all the prep can be done at night. Hard boil two eggs the night before and put them in the fridge. Then I have a grapefruit with it to complete my meal.

Once again, thanks for reading. I hope you can find this useful. Also, sorry for the lack of pictures and the weird format. I'm not sure why it is like this or how to fix it.

XOXO

Gretchen

April Favorites and Announcements

Hello lovelies! I meant to get this video out last Monday but life and jet lag happened while I wasn't at school so even though it is now the second week of May I am sharing my April favorites. April was an exciting and crazy month for me so most of these items are things you have already seen I just added some reviews to products from hauls and some things are from France so those are new.

The absolute best part of my month was getting to go to France. I don't want it to seem as though I get to go on amazing trips just for fun and I can at the drop of a pen. I have been saving up to go on this trip for 3 years and it has been a dream of mine since I was 6. It was a huge deal that I actually got to go and I enjoyed every moment of it. Now of course, I cannot wait to go back. France is a gorgeous country and has an beautiful culture. 

Now for the announcements:

First, I am devastated I lost the rest of the vlog footage from France. Not only am I loosing the ability to share those experiences but I no longer have that for myself to look back on years from now when the memories get a little foggy and being a sentimental girl that breaks my heart. 

Enjoy the favorites video and feel free to let me know any of your thoughts.

Second, since I loved vlogging so much I am adding another day of posts to my schedule. On Wednesdays I will now be posting vlogs. This will be starting next Wednesday since I just made the decision today to add this into the week. I have a little bit of a treat for then, I found some old footage I took about 3 or 4 years ago on a family vacation to Walt Disney World and the beech in Florida. I am working on editting it now and hope to share it soon.

Thanks for you support!

XOXO

Gretchen 

Work-out Playlist | Fitness Friday 6

Hello Lovelies.  I am almost done with school which means summer finally and those summer playlists. I've been listening to a lot of summer style music lately just to get me in the mood for summer and today I want to share 5 of my favorite summer songs that I love listening to while I workout. So take this as either fitness or summer or maybe both.

1. "I Luh Ya Papi" by JLo and French Montana

This is my favorite song right now. I listen to it over and over again. I love the feel of it because I could be sitting burried under blankets on my bed but it takes me to a beech in the Caribbean and I can't help but get up and move. 

2. "XO" by Beyonce

Has been and will forever be one of my favorite songs. It is such a vibrant song that just makes me want to go out and live some adventures. It's not the best song to dance to which stinks because that is my favorite exercise but it puts me in a wonderful mood and ready to face the world.

3. "SURFBOARD" by Cody Simpson

Now I am not a fan of these solo teen boy acts just because I can't deal with bunches of screaming girls so I just don't even get into these teen boys to save myself frustration. But since Cody Simpson was on Dancing with the Stars and I happen to be giant fan of that show I ended up hearing him dance to this song on that show. I absolutely fell in love with it. It is such a fun song and has the pop feel but then brakes down into a tropical acoustic part that just pulled me in. 

4. "I Love You More Than You Think" by Rizzle Kicks

I just discovered this song and have no clue how long its been around or if it was a popular song at some point but right now I love it. This one is another one that just gives of that summer romance fun flirty vibe and I love songs like that at this time of the year. Plus, I can really get down to this song.

5. "Problem" by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea

Ariana Grande is one of my absolute favorite female singers of all time and of course I jumped on her new song. It has an amazing upbeat and fun feel to it that just makes me want to work off every problem of my past and release those happy endorphins.

Thanks and enjoy some of these songs!
XOXO
Gretchen

tbt pic circa 2010. Go fitness and fun!

No More Vlogs

Hello. I hate to say this but I can't continue my vlogs. My computer crashed today and they were only saved on there anymore so I lost all the footage from France. I am devastated that I lost all those memories. I can't even wrap my head around it at this point. I am so very upset. I thought I would let all of you know that I can't continue the vlogs and my computer crashed so that is why there has been a delay in posts. 

I'm sorry

France/Travel Lookbook

Bonjour Lovelies!! I have just returned from my trip to France and thought I would share a lookbook of my favroite outfits from the trip because I honestly love a lot of them. They are all comfortable but fashionable and reasonable for sight seeing or city days.

I wore this outfit for the flight and then for our first day. Since it was an overnight flight we had the entire day in front of us and knew we wouldn't really get time to change before the full day in Paris. Everything in this outfit is comfortable material and can be folded into very small sizes which is helpful when traveling. The sunglasses are from the Gap Outlet. They are just your everyday plain aviators and I wore them the entire trip in almost every picture I took with me in it. The knit black scarf is also a basic piece by BP. I got it as a gift but through a little resaerch I've found they carry them from time to time at Nordstom and Nordstrom Rack. The shirt is also Gap. It's actually a scoop neck long sleeve tee. It's the most comfortable shirt I own. I have this mint one and a white one and they are the perfect shirts to dress up a pair of jeans or anything because the shirt looks more formal but feels like pajamas.  The skirt is already featured in my First Weekend of Spring Haul video and it is a basic gray cotton skater skirt from H&M.  My jacket is a simple black rain coat/windbreak that I've had for ages. It ended up being chilly so I had to throw on leggings last minute which didn't exactly look great with my TOMS but it was okay. I wore gray TOMS around on the first day and my feet didn't hurt at all so I strongly recommend TOMS for any kind of city touring.

Day 2 in Paris I am once again in the black scarf and jacket. My purse I found at Nordstrom Rack a couple weeks ago. It is also featured in my March Favorites video and it has honestly became one of my favorite purses that I've ever had and I've been a bag carrier since I was about 8 so that is saying a lot. My dress I bought at T.J. Max it's by Cynthia Rowley. It's made of a spandex and cotton mix of material. It's a thick tank sleeve top with a scooped kneck. It could almost be qualified as a skater skirt style dress but it isn't quite there. I wore gray tights today with brown leather boots which was a mistake for a day full of walking. Watch out for my vlog to see the reprecussions. Don't worry, it's more bubbly than bloody.

This was one of my favorite looks I had planned out before I went on the trip but I ended up not liking how it looked as much as I thought I would but it was extremely comfortable. This is a cotton dress by Eliza J that I bought at Nordtrom Rack. The sweater is just a basic gray sweater but they are actually super hard to find, at least for me. This one I don't know much about other than it's from T.J. Max and my mom found it and I "borrrowed" it from her closet. My clutch is Coach and I bought it in Florida at an outlet mall. These metallic clutches are becoming really popular. Everytime I go to T.J. Max there is always a mulitude of different sizes and styles. Scarf is from Francesca's and since it is also a metallic color it's also pretty common to find similar scarves at most sotres in the mall. This outfit was comfrtable and warm which was perfect for a windy, chilly day of touring. 

I have had this top for ages but never wear it for some odd and unknown reason. The blue thin striped sweater is from Hollister Co. and under it I have a Gap t-shirt. Both items are actually quite odd things. The shirt is like a normall t-shirt but the sleeves are cut off so it is almost a tank. The blue sweater is sheer with stripes on it. It's very light but also keeps me warmer on a cooler sunny day in Spring. Skirt is the same gray skirt as before. These boots are ones I bought at Macy's. You can pretty much find boots similar at Macy's year round. Scarf and purse are also the same and for warmth I finished the look with black leggings. I actually ended up loving this look. It was practical and comfortable. On trips like this where you spend time on a bus or car to get from place to place it's good to be comfortable and this outfit did that for me.

This was an outfit I put together last  minute on the trip actually. I had brought a botton up white shirt to wear with this shirt but changed my mind from wearing it to this shirt because it is more comfortable and felt more liek a Spring shirt. The shirt is from Abercrombie and Fitch and they carry similar shirts every Spring although I don't like to support that store anymore. It feels like a basic shirt when wearing it but it actually has a lace overlay on the front with three buttons. It's simple, comfortable and a little more fancy. The scarf is the same as the gold one featured in an early outfit. It was quite chilly in the morning so I threw on a grey 3/4 length crop top sweater from Old Navy but once it came to be around 1 I got warm and just hung it over my shoulders. The skirt was also featured in my First Weekend of Spring Haul. It's from H&M and it's a double layered marron skirt with a black waist band that has a bow on the front. I love this skirt. It seems so classy to me. This outfit ranks lower on the comfort level because i don't like wearing non-elastic materials around my waist and stomach but other than that I love this outfit. 

First off ignore the black grease stain on my pants. We biked at this chateau so it got a bit of grease on my pants, arg. Pants are American Eagle and the shirt is from Old Navy. It's a plain button up shirt that I took to get monogrammed. Do a little research to see who monograms in your area. I wore my TOMS with this outfit. Not a complex outfit for this day. It was very comfortable though.

So here I have the lovely gray skirt again with my leggings and boots. This time I paired them up with a plain black tank from Target and a denim button up from Eddie Bauer. The scarf is from American Eagle. I like this scarf because not only is it knit but it also has some silver metallic woven into the knit which adds a sparkle to it. This outfit wasn't as comfortable as I thought it was going to be. I am on the look out for another denim shirt to go with this outfit becuase this one isn't the right cut. With a denim shirt of the right cut though I will fall in love with this outfit.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this post. If you are interested in this trip don't hesitate to check out the vlogs. I will be uploading one a day for the next 5 or 6 days.

Merci,

XOXO

Gretchen

FRANCE VLOG | DAY 3 AND 4

Hello lovelies! France day 3 and 4 are clumped into one short video for you all to enjoy. We didn't have as many things packed into the days so there wasn't as much footage.

Day 3 started early again. We woke around 6:30 and had to be ready to get on the bus by 8. At 8 the bus left Paris for our journey to Loches where we would be staying with host families for the remainder of our trip. On our way to Loches we stopped at two places. First we stopped at Versaille and visited the insides of the palace. It was amazing and grand. Then we got back on the bus for another 45 minutes and went to Chartre to see the church there which is one of the oldest churches ever. It's been standing since medival times. We also had lunch there and got to explore the town. We found an adorable open air market selling all types of old antiques so we got to test our French skills there. Then we got back on the bus and dorve for 3 hours to Loches. It was 8 pm by the time we got there and Elizabeth and my host mom came to pick us up. We went back to their house and had dinner and went straight to bed. We were nervous about the stay after dinner because we didn't understand nearly as well as we did in Paris. The accents is much thicker and stronger in Loches so it was a struggle that first night.

Day 4 was the families celebration of Easter so for lunch we went to the mom's mom's house where the family was gathering and celebrated with them. Thank goodness our teacher happened to be staying at that house or else that day would've been just as rough as the previous night. Let me tell you, it is hard, very hard, to keep up with a family conversation in another language. After lunch everyone walked to a festival that was happening in the town square area. It happened to be USA old west themed, what a coincidence. We only stayed there for a short time before walking back to the house where the little kids all played some more and at 7 we finally left to go back to our house. 

Thanks for reading and watching

XOXO

Gretchen

FRANCE VLOGS | DAY 2

Hello lovelies! I've just realised I never shared France day 2 with the blog here. 

Day 2 was our busy day. We woke up early to get to the Louvre. We did some shopping there while we waited for our tour guide to get our enterance tickets. Then we toured the museum. After we had lunch in the shopping area there. Then walked across the Seine to Musee D'Orssay. Once again we had to wait until our tickets were ready so we had mini photoshoots outside the museum. Once we got in we had a rather long tour there and no photos or videos were allowed which bummed me out. Everyone's feet were dying also so it was a rough tour of a beautiful place. Next we were heading to the Eiffel Tower but it got very cloudy yucky after we were stuck inside on a beautiful morning. Once we got there the lines were too long to fit into our schedule to go up the Eiffel Tower and it was raining so we just went around the area to the best photo ops for pictures. Then hopped back on the metro where we were serenaded by an accordian player which felt very classic French-esque. We were heading to Notre Dame for Easter Saturday mass but they cancelled the 6:30 to prepare for the world-wide televised 9 mass so we couldn't do that. Instead we headed to Shakespeare and Company which is one of only two book stores in the world. Then we stopped for crepes and treats and began to walk through the Latin Quarter on our way to dinner. Dinner was delicious and we stopped for gelatto after then went back to the hotel. Our feet were dying so Halle and Jordan  came over for a spa night then after they left Margaret and Annie came and we had a lovely chat. Then I filmed a Paris Haul to finish day 2.

Thanks

XOXO

Gretchen

BANANA PANCAKES | Fitness Friday 4

Hello Lovelies! It's Fitness Friday (let's pretend it's not past midnight right now) and I decided to try out the healthy banana pancake recipes everyone is raving about. Here's how things went.

Recipe

1 Banana

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Flour or pancake mix (depends how healthy you want to go)

1. Mash banana in small bowl

2. Add eggs

3. Mix well

4. Add cinnamon and vanilla

5. Stir in flour until you get a pancake consistency

6. Turn on burner or stove to medium-low heat

7. Once pan is hot butter it then pour on a small section of your batter

8. After a few minutes slide spatula around edges. If it's not sliding off the spatula go ahead and flip it.

9. Let it cook for a few more minutes then remove from pan and repeat steps 7-9.

10. ENJOY!!

FRANCE VLOGS | DAY 1

Hello lovelies! I am back from France and have one of the vlogs editted. The trip was amazing and I hope the vlogs can show that. Here is day one. Enjoy :)

Day 1 included seeing Notre Dame Cathedral, Chams Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Galeries Lafayette, Monmatre, and Sacre Coeur. Sadly I didn't get footage of everywhere we went. Thanks for watching. I am working on a post of all my outfits and also the rest of the vlogs of course. 

Thanks. XOXO

Fitness Friday 3: Motivation

Hello lovelies! It is once again Fitness Friday. Wahooo! I wanted to make a little motivational video chat but no one seems to be watching the videos so I will be taking a break from filming them. If you want more videos please please let me know. Today instead I want to share what helps me stay motivated in keeping my body healthy. In no way am I promoting weight loss. I am promoting a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE and a step to that is taking care of your body. Yes, I do want to lose weight and yes, part of that is so I am less self-conscious. But everyone is beautiful as they are and I am in no way promoting weight loss as a way to become a prettier person. The reason I am on this fitness journey is because my doctor told me that for my own safety and health that I need to loose a little weight. This is for my health.

I feel like a lot of people wonder how I have such a strong self-confidence and am barely ever self-conscious but that comes from something I started years ago. Seven years ago a guest speaker or someone on TV saidd something that stuck with me. At that time I was very self-conscious and was at the age where I was discovering my body image. The advice I heard was to get up every morning and look in the mirror and tell yourself how beautiful you were. You didn't have to believe it at first but soon you would start to see all the beauty in yourself if you did do this every morning and night. And so I did and ever since I have barely had any body image issues. I honestly believe it is as easy as that to treat your body image right.

This past week has been the most difficult of my healthy habit change so far. I have slacked off in eating healthy food and haven't exercised nearly as much as I should be. Now, a cheat day isn't such a bad thing but I am getting in the habit and making it more a cheat week and that is a bad thing. So I've been really trying to find a way to re-motivate myself. I feel like I can just quit now because I have lost some weight and am seeing a difference. But it is the exact opposite; I should be pushing harder now because I am all the more closer to a healthy body. I pinned (fitness board) and printed a list of 50 reasons to exercise and hung it next to my bed so when i cuddle up for a nap after school it is there to remind me to exercise first then I can have my nap. Also, it is good to keep in mind that walking one mile burns is just as helpful as running one.

Looking at old pictures of me also keeps me motivated. And when I say old pictures I don't mean pictures from 4 years ago when I was 12 because that would be unreasonable. Our bodies change and grow so I like to look at pictures from when my body finished for the most part growing and I know I was merely taking better care of myself. The picture above is from December 2011. I was a 4 season multi-sport each season athlete at the time although I didn't care to watch what I ate. The only thing about my body that has changed since this picture was taken is fat has built up in my stomach area. I know that this is a reasonable picture to help me stay motivated because it isn't unreasonable. 

Music is another key to motivation. I find Beyonce to motivate me the best. I have a playlist on my phone and I just start playing it and put on my workout clothes and that puts me in the mood to work-out. Also, check out last weeks post to see my ab work-out that I do to Beyonce. Find music that makes you want to go out and do and put that on a half hour before you want/need to work-out.

Another thing that helps me is to think of something I want to look good for and be confident partcipating in and use that as a goal date. Like with this journey to fitness it has been so when I go to France I don't look back at the pictures and say "wow, I wish I wouldn't have been so lazy and just taken care of my body." Let's be honest, no one likes to go through a thousand pictures and hand pick the ones that are taken from the best angle so they way I see it do what you can about it. Once again, the main reason for this weight loss journey is to get my body in better health not to become skinnier. 

Finally, wake up every morning believing in yourself. As cheesy as it sounds believing in yourself is the most important step to staying motivated. Look in the mirror and congratulate yourself on your progress and your strength to keep going. In the end all the hard work pays off.

Thanks for reading, lovelies. XOXO

Follow me:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gretchent4771 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bulldogg/

Subscribe to me:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/girlsguidebygretchen

 Blogger subscription link on right pannel.

March Favorites

Hello Lovelies! I've decided that I am going to share my March favorites. A firend requested I do another video so it is in video form. One thing I did want to include in the written part is my appreciation for everyone reading my blog so far. It is my number one, biggest favorite of March. So thank you all, lovelies! Enjoy the video!

Tumblr Page- Sorry I haven't posted much on here yet but I will be updating it for sure on Mondays and Fridays just like my blog on here.
Pinterest Page- Feel free to check out any of my other boards too ;)
Twitter- I live tweet shows sometimes F.Y.I.