What to Pack for a Trip to A Theme Park

What to Pack for a Trip to A Theme Park

What to Pack for a Trip to A Theme Park is what I will discuss sharing our recent trip to Universal Studios Florida. This will help you plan your trip and also save you money! First up is to wear comfy outfits and especially shoes to make you last the whole day and get your money’s worth of fun!

Now, let me give you the checklist on what to pack so you will not have to be like me who ended up buying all the stuff I already have in the theme park which cost triple its usual price. These are all basic items everyone should bring. If you are a family of five like me you might need a duffel bag.

What to Pack for a Trip to A Theme Park

  • Portable Phone charger so your phone will last all day. I know you will be documenting and taking a lot of photos and videos on this trip.
  • Towel in case you will be riding something that you will get wet.
  • Slippers if you are not wearing waterproof shoes.
  • Rain poncho is it might rain and you don’t want the rain to stop the fun.
  • Sunscreen so you will not get toasted under the sun while enjoying all the rides!
  • Portable Fan, it might get too hot at the theme park. This can save you a lot and keep your energy level to last you a day in the park.
  • Scrunchie if you have long hair so your hair will not be getting into your face when you are screaming at the top of your lungs on a roller coaster.
  • Waterproof Phone case to keep your phone safe!
  • Sunglasses to protect your eyes when it gets too sunny and hot.
  • Hat to protect you from heat stroke especially if you are prone to getting one.

I hope you find this post helpful to make your trip to the theme park easy peasy and for you to be ready with all the essential items you may need for your next visit. This will save you money and less stress as well. Check out my video post of this item as well.

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Simply,

Christianne 

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Day Trip at Greenbrier State Park

Day Trip At Greenbrier State Park

If you live here in the DMV, and are looking for some places to go to for the weekend that is best for family and friends gathering. A day trip to Greenbrier State Park is a good way to do it.

Greenbrier State Park is a multi-use park that offers hiking, canoeing, boating and fishing, swimming, picnicking areas, and more. The park is located in the Appalachian mountains and features a 42-acre man-made freshwater lake. The visitor center is open year-round, offering information on the history of the area and its wildlife. It’s not too far from DC, probably about an hour or so. I live in southern Maryland and it was an hour and a half for us, which is not bad at all because the park is well-maintained and there are a lot of fun things that you can do there.

My advice would be to go early! When we were leaving by 2 pm, the line of cars trying to get in the park was sooooo long! Also, there’s an entrance fee of $3 per person who isn’t in a car seat but will go up this Memorial weekend to $5 per person. This is outdoor too, so there will be a lot of spaces for you to social distance!

Day Trip at Greenbrier State Park

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Day Trip At Greenbrier State Park

What To Do In Greenbrier State Park

Greenbrier State Park is a multi-use park on the shore of Lake Moomaw in Maryland. The park offers access to the Appalachian Trail, tons of nice picnic areas, and access to the beach as well as other outdoor activities. Here are some of the ways to enjoy yourself at Greenbrier State Park:

PICNIC

They’ve got tons of picnic tables here, just in case you’re thinking of celebrating something and want to do it somewhere different from your home that isn’t cramped and is outdoors. I don’t think you have to reserve them, but you can always call to make sure. We didn’t have a hard time finding any picnic areas under the shade either if you’re looking to stay cool.

BOATING, PADDLE BOARDING, PEDAL BOATING, AND KAYAKING

They have boat and pedal boat rentals, but for the kayaks and paddle boards, you should bring your own. The park’s man-made freshwater lake attracts a lot of swimmers, canoeists, and boaters. The lake is big enough for everyone to enjoy!

SWIMMING IN THE LAKE

Greenbrier State Park was a winner also since going to the other good beach was at least 3 HOURS AWAY! The freshwater lake and white sandy beach draw a lot of visitors who enjoy swimming and tanning. It was nice for my baby to play in the sand and enjoy the beach too! And there were other families there, which I loved seeing!

HIKING

The hiking trail was good according to hubby! He also went biking there too and said it was a good 5-mile hike distance. I thought Greenbrier State Park was a really great place to hike! The Appalachian Trail goes right through the park, and there are plenty of other trails to hike. Whether you’re looking for a short hike or one that will take you all day, Greenbrier State Park has something for everyone.

Day Trip at Greenbrier State Park

Greenbrier State Park Hours

The park is open 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to sunset. With daylight savings time, that could be anytime in between 5 p.m. in some of the colder months, and 7 p.m. during the warmer half of the year. If you want to see their park schedule for events and hours, click HERE.

You can see the beautiful lake behind me, and the hiking trail too! It was a great way to spend a day here!

 

When you’re looking for a place to relax, Greenbrier State Park has you covered. It’s got a man-made lake with white sand beaches, a visitor center that’s open year-round, and Bartman Hill—a mountaintop overlooking the lake and even the Appalachian Trail!

So, if you’re thinking about visiting Greenbrier State Park this summer but looking for some activities that aren’t as intense as hiking or biking on the Appalachian Trail (but still offer an amazing view), consider bringing your swimsuit along.

You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

Simply,

Christianne

 

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My Amazon Creator Summit Experience

My Amazon Creator Summit Experience
Amazon Creator Summit Los Angeles, California 2022

OUTFIT: TOP/ FAUX LEATHER PANTS/ SUNGLASSES/ NECKLACE/ SHOES

My Amazon Creator Summit Experience, sharing everything from this trip and about being an Amazon Influencer. So when I received the invitation to be a part of this first ever summit, I was in heaven. Even though we were just in California for our anniversary trip 3 weeks before the summit. I did not mind at all as I know that I will be able to learn more about the program and get to know other creators like myself and connect with them.

My Amazon Creator Summit Experience
pinch me moment to meet my girl crush/ inspiration. Jessica Alba the founder of Honest.

My Amazon Creator Summit Experience

The Amazon Creator Summit is invite only and the ticket to get in was free, but the cost to get there from hotel, food, transportation was my own expense (business expense). It was a 2 day event, Daytime was all education, creating content and connecting with brands and other creators and speakers, night time was concert and party. So now let me talk about how the 2 day event rolled out.

My Amazon Creator Summit Experience

Day 1

The Summit was located a few miles from downtown LA so I had to take Uber.  At the entrance they have flyers for the 2 day event itinerary. They have everything set up and there were a lot of speakers which I get to learn a lot on how to work on this business and also just by interacting with other influencers and how they do their own business. Amazon Creator Summit Day 1

There were booths setup and sponsored brands so we got to learn more about these brands and of course we got to take home a lot of freebies. There were stations were we got to make contents sharing all products to from Amazon to our Amazon storefront.

iced Matcha drink

The food at the summit was free, from breakfast, snacks and lunch, we were never hungry. There was no downtime as the day was filled with classroom moments and content creation time. After the first day, I was dead tired but was filled with new content ideas, and new learning how to run this business and meeting new friends. Then off we went to the Amazon Live concert at night and the uber was provided by Amazon and we get to party.

Amazon Live concert

Day 2

Amazon influencers
with @victorxia. I told here Gen Z vs Millenial
Christianne with Tiffany Ishiguro
with @Tiffanyish
Amazon Creator Summit influencers
with @alinelowry @tiffanyish @emmalynlove

Last day of the summit, It was kinda the same itinerary as the 1st day, got to meet new speakers and learned new things! Create more content and met new friends. Then we went to the red carpet event in Hollywood where we celebrated us, as influencers.My Amazon Creator Summit Experience

OUTFIT: DRESS

Overall, as you can read and see on all the photos. It was a wonderful experience, I will forever be grateful to be a part of this Summit to think this is their very first and it was invite only. So from then on I will try to be consistent on posting here and you will see a lot of Amazon products being shared here so if you love shopping on Amazon we will be bff’s. Also you can visit my Simplychristianne amazon Storefront and give me a follow. I also do Amazon live which is kind of a live review of all the products I personally purchased from Amazon.

Sharing some of my favorite Amazon fashion products here

and home products here

 

Thank you for following along.

 

Check out Look for Less on Amazon

Simply,

Christianne

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4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide to help you plan your upcoming trip around Los Angeles and nearby cities. So this trip has been on my bucket list for a long time now. I have been living in the USA for 14 years and been in and out to tour other countries but haven’t been to the west coast particularly California.

I have been hearing a lot of good things about this state, its beauty and the laid back vibe as well as the perfect weather! Finally we were able to visit as we scheduled it for our 16th wedding anniversary. We planned it as a long weekend trip, mind you we are from Maryland. Since it is a long travel, I looked for non stop flights from DC to LAX so we will be able to maximize our days when we get there.

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO EAT

Day 1

We took an early flight out of DC straight to LA and touched down at noon time. We still have a plenty of time to roam around the nearby area. I already booked a rental car that will be delivered at the airport upon arrival using the turn app, It was easy peasy and very convenient! When we left the airport we went straight to the famous IN and OUT Burger to see what all the hype is all about since we are early to check in to our hotel. It was alright! I still prefer Shake shack 🙂  Then we decided to check out Rodeo Drive since I already wanted to shop. driving in Southern California

Rodeo Drive

Our eyes was stunned by all the cars around the area, it just look like everybody drives those luxurious cars that you would only normally see on TV. So I did some shopping and got me the YSL medium Kate bag to treat myself. We then had another snack as this cafe nearby and then took off to check in to our hotel.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Hollywood area and I chose to book this boutique hotel called Tommie Hollywood. It was walking distance to Hollywood walk of fame and from the hotel roof top, you can see the Hollywood sign. So then we freshen up to relax but my husband got an invite from his long time childhood friend to meet with us at a Filipino Bar called Noypitz. Then off we went and fin ally was able to use my new purchase to complete my outfit.

Day 2

Joshua Tree National Park 

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide Joshua Tree National Park

In our itinerary, this day is to meet up my college GF with her family and have brunch then visit the Joshua Tree National Park which is 2 hours away from LA. So we left early, we had a beautiful weather, sunny cold in the morning and warmed up in the afternoon. We had brunch at JT country kitchen and we love the food then went to Joshua Tree National park to explore the area. I suggest you fill up your tank as this park is huge! We did not get to go around the whole park but was able to see a lot of beautiful hiking trails.

Pioneertown 

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

After Joshua tree we then went to Pioneertown which looks like a set of the wild Wild West. I really enjoyed it and met some other friends there. I even dressed up to fit in the background. They have shops and restaurant there but we did not stay longer as there was not much to see.

We then drove to check out the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, We were not able to see much since we got there late and its dark already. I suggest to go there probably before sunset to enjoy the view. There were a lot of hikers If you like hiking. We then had dinner there with our friends and went separate ways afterwards.

Day 3

Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, Malibu 

Griffith Observatory

On this day we then met with another girlfriend of mine who recently moved here from Maryland. She then gave us a tour and went straight to Griffith Observatory and we were able to see the Hollywood sign there closer. It was a free museum just make sure you have your vaccination card so you can enter.

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide 4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

We then went to check out the streets with palms (instagrammble spots) and we headed to the Sta. Monica Pier for Lunch and ate at a Mexican restaurant there and tried walking around the boardwalk, bright some gifts for the kids and then drove to Malibu to check it our and went sight seeing.

4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide Sta. Monica beach 4 Days in Southern California: Itinerary and Guide

Day 4

We went to eat at In and Out Burger again to see if it taste much better but still, I love Shake Shack! Then we went on a sightseeing trip going back to the airport driving around some cliffs and it was amazing! We then returned the rental car and went to the airport!

We were able to do a lot in those 4 days well actually 3 days because the first and last day was held day travel. So I recommend getting a straight flight to maximize your stay.

Simply,

Christianne

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How To Let Go Of Old Clothes

How To Let Go Of Old Clothes

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CLOTHING RACK/ HANGERS

How To Let Go Of Old Clothes

It’s a new season meaning it is Spring cleaning time! But how to let go of old clothes? There are several reasons why we need to let go of them.  Here are some of the why?

Decluttering

In just a year’s time, we can accumulate a lot of things in our closet, especially if you live in a 4 season area where you have to change the type of clothing 4 times a year. This is the time to declutter and make space for new ones. You deserve to have space in your closet to store your high-end items and keep them in good condition, and stay organized throughout the year.

If  they don’t fit anymore

Easy for me to say, I am also into the notion that if they don’t fit anymore I will have to keep them because I know I will get back to my old size. But how do you get to enjoy the now if you keep on holding on the old ones that don’t fit? If you hold onto clothes that don’t fit, they are just taking up useful space. If you lose weight or gain weight, it’s ok. Just adapt your wardrobe by first getting rid of the pieces of clothing that no longer fit. Then, invest in new high-quality longer wear pieces.

They don’t suit your current style

Going through my closet, I realized that my style is evolving, the outfits I used to wear then don’t suit me anymore and I have to let them go. If it is not sentimental clothing, I am learning to let go and allow my style to take a new course.

There are also a lot of reasons why people find it hard to let go of things. But let me tell you about the benefits of letting go of old clothes and how it can make you feel like a new person, how you’ll end up with a cleaner and tidier closet.

How To Get Rid of Old Clothes

Here are the tips to get started:

1. Take everything out and identify wardrobe staples.

Let go of the items you no longer need. If there is something you immediately know that you only wore once and never want to wear it again, or that you never ever wear anymore, go ahead and let it go.

But, make sure to not let go of those staples like a white button-up shirt, white T-shirt, tank top, denim jacket, trench coat, denim jeans, ballet flats, blazer, classic pumps, and classic handbags. Basically all the classics that you can wear over time. In the next posts, I can discuss more about making a capsule wardrobe.

2. Stop making piles of clothes, you will probably realize that some of your items still even have a tag on them.

Leaving piles of them in your closet will surely keep a messy mind. It always gets me that way. That is also one reason I always try to reorganize my closet so I can see which one I need to donate, sell and give away to some of my family and friends that I know might like them. Organize the clothes in your closet. Trust me, it will feel great.

3. If they don’t fit anymore, that is also about time to let go of them!

This honestly not the case for me as I maintain my weight pretty well. This goes for my kids’ clothes though as they grow up so fast. For them specially for my toddler. Most of the time they only wear clothes a few times and they outgrow it. I usually put them aside and give it to some friends or co-workers who just had a baby. This prevents clothes cluttering up my children’s closets as well.

4. Visualizing the end result

Just by thinking how your closet will look and being more organized, believe me, it will start to also clear your mind and decrease stress in your environment. Also think about what you’d like the end result of your wardrobe to be. What style are you going for? What is your vibe? This will help you better organize every single piece of your wardrobe.

5. Feeling good about donating?

There is no need to feel guilty about cleaning out your closet and getting organized. You are helping the environment, and helping other people in need too. P

lus when going through all your clothes, you will realize all the clothes you actually have. Maybe even ones you forgot about. And now that you know what you actually in your wardrobe, you can stop wasting money on items you already have. Just remember only keep the basics and the items you wear.

6. You can make extra money by selling some of the gently used items on apps like eBay or Poshmark.

Don’t let anyone tell you that selling clothes online doesn’t work. I have done this many times, you can also follow my poshmark to see what I sell there. That will also give you extra bucks to buy new items. YAY!

I hope I was able to give you all the good reasons as to how to clean your closet and let go of old clothes.

Simply,

Christianne

 

 

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Sisters Thai Alexandria

Are you looking for a new spot to check out here in the DMV? I recommend you visit this amazing dine in spot: Sisters Thai Alexandria. It is Thai restaurant and also a good dessert place if you just wanna hang out and grab something sweet with your coffee. New Dine in spot: Sisters Thai Alexandria

Sister Thai Alexandria

Sister Thai Alexandria serves delicious food. In my opinion, Sister Thai Alexandria says it best on their website:

“At Sisters Thai Alexandria we offer meals of excellent quality and invite you to try our delicious food.

The key to our success is simple: providing quality consistent food that taste great every single time. We pride ourselves on serving our customers delicious genuine dishes like: Thai.”

I completely agree and my family does as well! Now that you know what to expect…

Here is my review of Sister Thai Alexandria:

I have tried this Banana strawberry crepe from the Mongolia Dessert Bar on site and oh it did not disappoint. Also this Rose tea latte, the latte I got looks good and very instagrammable but I did not like the taste of it.

Hubby got himself a regular milk tea latte and it is good. As you can see below it looks like you are in one of the cafe in Paris right? That is were you desserts come from, very instagrammable and the desserts are really good, the kids got a matcha ice cream. It is very big that our whole family was able to share. Rose tea latte and choco banana crepe Sisters Thai Alexandria interior Magnolia cafe & bistro

Photo credit: The above 2 photos are from my friend Iris Lustan.

Now let’s talk about the Thai food.

The food is 5/5 rating for me, it tastes really good and the serving size is big, the presentation is perfect and also the price is very reasonable plus the ambiance and the friendly and helpful staff made our dining experience perfect.

We have not dined in in a while as a family and I am glad we took the kids here. As you can see in the picture they are having a blast. Sisters Thai Alexandria dessert Sisters Thai Alexandria newspaper menu Look how cute the menu’s are? It looks like I am reading a newspaper here… Sisters Thai Alexandria bar And the bar they serve good cocktail. I got a Yuzy latte cocktail and it was perfect! Thai food in DMV

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We got the crab friend rice, spicy eggplant with beef, chicken festival fried rice, crispy fillet fish, fried chive dumplings and Thai iced tea. We had at least 4 to go boxes that we ate for lunch the next day. I felt that we had a feast. This is a perfect place for family dine in experience, on a date with someone special or with your friends if you just wanna hang out an catch up.

P.S. they just opened in November, 2020 so support small businesses. They really need it during this time. They do social distancing and have barriers on each table, every staff was wearing a mask and it is very clean if you are concern about the safety and health. Also I have been trying to check out new spots around town, in case you miss this one check it out. If you are looking for restaurants with igloo.

Simply,

Christianne

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How To Plan A Holiday Party

 

 

 

 

 


How To Plan A Holiday Party

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DRESS/ SHOES/ CLUTCH BAG

How to plan a holiday party is one of the question that you might be having now. Holiday season is coming and Thanksgiving is just a few days away and then goes Christmas and New Year’s eve. Hosting a party is a great way to bring families and friends together. It can also be overwhelming. So I will be sharing some practical and realistic tips on how to plan a great Holiday Party. 

How To Plan A Holiday Party

Setting the Date.

You have to choose a date that works best for everyone. Make sure to ask a poll on everybody’s availabilities to make sure your family and friends will be able to attend. 

Also setting a budget

Make sure that you have a set budget and stick to it, as inflation is the current dilemma of a lot of people right now. Setting up a budget that won’t break a bank and that will better serve everyone is a must. Don’t stress yourself too much here. The most important part of a Holiday party is not how high your budget is but how everyone is getting along and merry!

Choosing a theme 

For this coming Christmas party, my friends and I already came up with a theme. We agreed to dress up in something velvet. This brings some excitement to the upcoming party. 

Making Guest list

If you are planning a big party then you might need to make sure to jot down everyone you are planning to invite. If it is just a small list you might just need to send everyone evite. Or what my family and friends do is do an invite on Facebook since most of us are on there and call or text the ones who are not on social media. 

Finding a Venue

This shouldn’t be hard if you have a space in your house to host, or if one of your family or friends already volunteered their place. If you plan to do it on an event place or maybe a hotel ballroom, you have to make sure to book the place in advance to make sure you get the place you really wanted that works for everyone. 

As for the food

You can create a menu and you can have it catered or if you have enough help you can cook and designate some tasks to some of your family and friends. Or what we normally do on the Holidays, we always make it a potluck. So everybody participates and the host is not so stressed out. 

Simply,

Christianne

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Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

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Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Thanksgiving is almost here so I am sharing my beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescape. We always celebrated with food, gathering with our family and friends. Planning your Thanksgiving menu can be both exciting and stressful and how preparing a beautiful tablescape can be equally overwhelming. During this time, we pretty much cook the same food so we do not have to stress out like a good turkey or ham, green bean casserole, and pecan pie. But a beautifully set table for Thanksgiving can impress your guests, so I am sharing a round-up of tablescapes that y’all can recreate for Thanksgiving.

Black And White Thanksgiving Tablescape

Black, white and gold Thanksgiving Tablescape

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This black and gold theme Thanksgiving table is one of my favorites. I went out of the box and decorated differently this time. And I do not normally use black but since I switched up the theme of my dining room to Modern French. I had to try putting these sets together adding again my mini pumpkin, gold flatware with this patterned cloth napkin. And I wanted the center of the table simple so we can put all the good food in it. I should say this is a combination of a modern and elegant Thanksgiving Tablescape.

Neutral Thanksgiving Tablescape

Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

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If you do not like stroking colors like black then this is for you. It is so neat and clean and perfect for minimalists, this is very easy to style because of the neutral color scheme. The table cloth is similar to the modern table, you can also add cardholders and gold napkin rings.

Farmhouse Thanksgiving Tablescape

Farmhouse Thanksgiving Tablescape

In this nature inspired dining table, the color palette is also very simple. You can also add pumpkins at the center of the table on top of the table runner. Maybe add a linen table cloth as well! I hope I was able to give a better idea in mixing and matching your thanksgiving table setting.

Simple Thanksgiving Tablescape

Beautiful Thanksgiving Tablescapes

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This was our thanksgiving table setting last year, just a simple one! I love the wood carved signs here.

Read next: Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas From Amazon

Simply,

Christianne

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Amazon October Best Sellers

Amazon October Best Sellers

Sharing all my Amazon October Best Sellers for Home and Fashion that you should snag, they can be perfect gift ideas too.

Amazon October Best Sellers

 

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These are the items that most people love in fashion last month. They will be perfect to give to yourself or the fashionistas in your life as a Holiday gift.

Amazon Home October Best Sellers

 

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These are the perfect addition to your home and a great gift idea as well for everyone!

Check out more Amazon Finds here.

Simply,

Christianne

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Amazon August Fashion and Home Bestsellers

Hello everyone! I have been thinking about making this as a regular monthly post to share all my monthly bestsellers from Amazon. If you are new here, I do share a lot of Amazon finds mostly fashion and home items and I also do amazon live and here is the link to my Amazon storefront. Sharing all my Amazon August Fashion and Home Bestsellers from my storefront from home and fashion finds that you might need.

Amazon August Fashion and Home Bestsellers

Below are my Fashion bestsellers.

These are the items you wanna snag  now. You can wear it for Fall and Winter! The dress is perfect as a wedding guest dress. The bag is a good one to snag too as it is a neutral color! The sneakers and loafers are classic shoes you can wear all year round even if you have 4 seasons weather.  The shirt jacket or the shacket as others calls it will be a good stand-alone outfit or as a layering piece. Amazon August Fashion and Home Bestsellers

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Below are my top seller for my Amazon home finds.

I personally love the rug grippers, cord concealer and the bento lunch box.

Amazon Home Bestsellers

 

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Don’t forget to shop my August Bestsellers!

Simply,

Christianne

 

 

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