Lifestyle Archives

4th of July Entertaining Idea

June 24, 2021 No Comments

4th of July is almost a week away and now that we are slowly going back to normal. Things are more exciting this time of the year since we are now starting to see friends and family we haven’t seen in a while. So here I am sharing 4th of July entertaining idea if you are hosting. It is indeed patriotic theme and most of these items I bought from the Dollar store.

SHOP THE POST:

Most of the items that I used here I got from the Dollar store. Similar items like 4th of July party supplies and this here for your party needs. I really do not have any plans myself as of now as we will be celebrating with friends a day before. but if we do, here are the things we will definitely use if it will just be us in the backyard. I was actually thinking of going to the pool that day so I will be posting some outfit ideas for you as well for this event.

I just put together some snack tray here mostly healthy stuff and some candies for the kids to enjoy. Barbeque is also another option and some salad bar to add for the adults attending. Drinks will surely be some soda, water and some alcohol to complete. Another idea if it will be a backyard party is to add an outdoor movie night. Just have a prijector and a screen and you are all set. So stay tuned for the 4th of July outfits I will put together.

Thank you for stopping by!

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

June 4, 2021 No Comments

SHOP THE POST:

Father’s Day is just around the corner, have you shopped yet? If not then here are some of the gift ideas I came up with by starting on some personalized items. All of these they will truly appreciate as it is custom made for them from the bottom of your heart. I always find it touching getting something personalized not just regular off the shelf. I also do know people who doesn’t like personalized stuff. The items below will be the best for them!

SHOP THE POST:

These items are from amazon and you can also visit my amazon store here for more inspirations. For those of you who just loves to shop at amazon and prime members these are easy ones as most of them are 2 day shipping! You know it will definitely come in time for the celebration.

SHOP THE POST:

And for those of you Nordy shoppers, these items are for you! I have curated some dad favorites and these are all very general. It totally depends on that their personality is. But Men are easier to get gifts compared to us women. Am I right? Most of the pieces here are for the general public mostly. The one that is unique is the sparkling water maker. My uncle actually got one before from my cousin and he truly appreciated it. It is actually pretty cool when they showed me how to use it. This is perfect for those who loves sparkling water!

I hope I was able to cover all your gift idea situations and will be happy to curate more if you need something in particular. Just let me know! I will be happy to make more Father’s Day gift idea collage for you all. What are your plans this weekend? Will be going hiking for us, so wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Places to Hike in the DMV

May 14, 2021 No Comments

Happy Friday! I have been getting a lot of questions from my followers around the DMV were have we been hiking so here are they. We are not experts, we actually just started loving hiking as a family last year. I just googled trails and if the reviews are good then we go. And along the way invested in some of hiking boots. If we can do the hike you can too!

1. Billy Goat Trail (Potomac, MD)

This is were we went hiking yeaterday for Mother’s day. We went to section A trail and it was a rocky ttail so I recommend you wearing hiking boots to prevent injuries.

2. Weverton Cliff (Knoxville, MDKnoxville, MD)

Thia trail is only almost 2 miles out and back but high, the hike is doable for first time hikers and once you reach to cliff, we you be relaxed with the view of the Potomac River.

3. Annapolis Rock (Myersville, MDMyersville, MD)

This trail we have been wanting to go for Fall as the colors of the trees looks good from this view as you can see here. The trail was not bad and families can go and they have rest room near the cliffs. We saw some rock climbers too.

4. Loudon Heights Trail

This hike was really a hike. Appalachian trail was not a joke this is a 7.5 mile hike out and back. It took us 4 hours to finish and it was us and the kids except Andi, we started out with hubby’s cousin and his wife but they had to go back down because they have prior commitments and we started hiking late. But it was also a breathtaking view at the top.

5. Maryland Heights Trail

This trail is good for families to a good 4 mile hike from Harper’s Ferry and once you get to the top of the cliff you will get to see Harper’s Ferry and the Potomac River. It looks so beautiful and I have seen pictures of it during the Fall and it was perfect.

6. Sugarloaf Mountain Trail

This one has so many grails to choose from depending on your liking from easy, moderate and hard and the view is also gorgeous on top as you can see here.

7. Patapsco Regional Park (Holliefield area)

This was our first mini hike during the pandemic. This one does not have a top view compared to all of them as we went down to the river were you can see the view of this nice bridge and it is near a railroad. We really enjoyed it there amd you can bring your swimsuit to if you just wanna get a tan. A lot of people are doing it. I should have done it because my tan line was a t-shirt. Lol! We really enjoyed the relaxing scene so we stayed for awhile and we we got home my tan lines was a T-shirt.

So if you do not have plans this weekend, you might wanna go for a hike. The weather will be nice for a Hike.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle, Outfit, Reviews

Activewear Sets Under $40

May 12, 2021 No Comments

SHOP THE LOOK:

Trying to find new workout wear since the weather is starting to warm up. So went to check Amazon to see all their beautiful activewear set to add to the wardrobe and here is what I got. This two piece activewear set is under $30 and it is true to size. It is very comfy and very soft and I have already used it to workout doing my HIIT and cardio and it is good, I also already have washed it and it is still the same quality after washing. The only thing is that is has this odor when I opened the packaging but hey, We can always wash it and it maybe during its transport. Also uses Samsung watch for my fitness journey here. And for those asking about my fitness routine, check out this old blog post here.

Also wearing cute workout wear motivates me to workout specially if it looks good on me. I don’t know about you but I just wanna share them all so we all feel the same and be fit and healthy. So follow along with my journey in case you are still not following me on instagram I always post me working out on my stories to get you all motivated too.

Thank you so much for stopping by and also I hope you find this post helpful if you are thinking of getting new activewear and to find my review of the product helpful. I am going to get me more new sets for this season.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Special Way to Celebrate Mother’s Day

May 3, 2021 No Comments

As a mom myself, Material gifts is just something but the gift of time and experience is the most valuable thing to give. So today, I am sharing all the special Way to celebrate Mother’s Day!

1. Take her to her favorite place or a place she has never been to.

We went boating and mom enjoyed it there. So if your mama is adventurous as mine. This is a good place to take her. If you live around the DMV this is at Burke Lake Park and they have motor Nd row boat rentals. The lake is so beautiful! We had a good time except for there was a leak in one of the boats we rented so we got a refund. They were nice and will give you a number to call in case something is wrong. We were not harmed or anything. Tickets were $16 per row boat and it allows max 3 person per boat.

2. Pamper her by setting up something at home like a spa station/self care station.

3. Treat her with breakfast in bed or a brunch at the patio or just take her out on her favorite dining spot.

4. Go hiking and reconnect with nature. It is relaxing! There afe different hiking trails depending on the level of difficulty you want, this is a good way to reconnect with mom too chic chatting while walking.

I hope I was able to give some good ways to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week ahead.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2021

April 26, 2021 No Comments

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and of course we always want it to be special. So here is some of the gifts I am sure every mom will love! Let me start of by sharing all these personalized gifts..

SHOP THE POST:

Mom’s like me will surely love these items as they are very useful and needed.

Make sure to save and share this post if you find it helpful. I will continue to add and update more so stay tuned.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle, Reviews

2 Ways to Clean Makeup Brushes

April 19, 2021 No Comments

For all the ladies who use makeup, of course we have to clean our makeup brushes right? From what I read we should be cleaning it at least once every two weeks. I know I am guilty I only do it when I really have to.

So today I am sharing 2 ways I found that is helpful to clean those dirty makeup brushes and the items you will be needing.

1.Makeup Brush machine, water and soap (4ml) or makeup cleanser (10-20ml)

SHOP THE PRODUCTS HERE:

You may have to use make up soap cleaner for non-water soluble makeup like foundation and you can use liquid anti-bacterial soap for water soluble makeup like loose powder.

Wet the brush
Choose the size of the collar base depending on the type of brush handle, connect it to the spindle.
Add water and the soap or makeup cleanser to the bowl
Dunk the brush and press the start button on the spindle, do not let the metal part go under the water. Please keep the brush underneath the liquid level.
Press stop on the spindle and rinse the brush on to running water and start the spindle again to dry it for at least 30 seconds.

2. Luxury Vegan Makeup Soap

Wet the brush
then start pressing it on the soap in circular motion until you see that it has gotten all the makeup dirt on the soap and you brush got its natural color back.
rinse the brush and you can use the make up brush spindle again to clean the brush it is faster and easier this way.

Base on these 2 I think I love using the Vegan makeup soap, for some reasons the brush feels smoother and cleaner.

Watch the actual video on my reels here…

Thank you so much for stopping by and if you find this helpful please do not forget to save and share.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Toyota Highlander Platinum Hybrid

April 14, 2021 No Comments

OUTFIT DETAILS LINKED HERE: TOP/ SHORTS/ SUN VISOR/ SANDALS

Today I am sharing our Family’s experience driving around town this Spring time. I am giving Toyota Highlander Platinum Hybrid Review in case you are looking to get a new SUV. First of all, all our cars have been Toyota except for the Lexus which is also a brand of Toyota Family. Why we love Toyota, it is the most efficient and reliable car, comparing our experiences with our family and friends who are using a different brand.

So Toyota lend us the SUV for a weeks use to drive around places we wanted to go for Spring break and we ended up going to parks. So will notice that if you have been following me on Instagram.

So now let me highlight all the things we love about the Highland Platinum Hybrid.

It is fuel efficient and that is a fact!
As a driver I love all the safety feature and the whole top view camera so it is really hard for you to get into an accident unless you are really not paying attention or it is really the other drivers fault hitting you.
The Moonroof is the best, We just enjoyed the panoramic view as you can see here on the picture.
It can fit 7 passengers comfortably so our family was able to hop in it.
The sound system is amazing!
It has 3 driving setting like normal, sports which you will notice it drives faster and Eco for efficiency.

OUTFIT DETAILS HERE: TOP/ BELT

it the back specially if you already have 6 people inside including my mom and bringing our luggage. But overall, it is highly recommended!

I would like to thank Toyota for this experience and for covering a portion of our trips.

Thank you so much for stopping by and would love for you to share if you find this post helpful specially for those of you or people you know who are planning to get the Toyota Highlander Platinum Hybrid.

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

Our Patio Furniture Update

April 12, 2021 No Comments

So it is Patio season again and we all can’t wait to be able to stay there comfortably like last year. If you have been following me, you know we hang out here a lot for date night, family outdoor movie nights and sometimes we also have put the inflatable pool there for the kids.

Our Patio looks like this last year….

This year we updated our rug, added 2 new outdoor accent chairs and bought a new Grill and got us a bigger one and the one that uses propane instead of charcoal.

SHOP THE POST:

ACCENT CHAIRS/ RUG/ TABLE FIREPIT/ PATIO FURNITURE/ WHITE ACCENT TABLE/ STRING LIGHTS/ THROW PILLOW COVER

and here we added this artificial grass and now I can sit on it and make it another instagrammable spot in the house.

The artificial grass is under $20 and looks so real and low maintenance. If you want to see how bad it looks before check out my post here. And my outfit details below…

I am so glad to have ever hosted a small group of friends for Easter and they are really loving the vibe and the ambiance of the patio. It was a good space to chit chat, grill and have a few drinks. I wanted to put out the outdoor movie night but it was going to be Monday the next day. I just love how this space we have here turned out to be our new hangout spot at the house. We found a gem, we would have not discovered this or do this if we did not have to quarantine last year.

I also love how the next spot were we have the air conditioner turned out after adding the artificial grass. We added different plants this time around as you can see here. We add up some daffodils and hibiscus at the back. next up will show you guys our front porch.

Have a wonderful week ahead and thank you for stopping by!

Simply,

Christianne

Lifestyle

My Workout Routine and Meal Preparations

March 19, 2021 No Comments

SHOP THE POST:

Happy Friday everyone! Thought of sharing this here today as I have been getting a lot of questions on my IG stories as I normally post all my lifestyle post there regarding my workouts and meal preparations. I am so happy that I am inspiring a lot of you on this lifestyle change that I just started doing last week of 2020.

What made me start changing my lifestyle? First off, I will be 40 this year and my goal is not to take a lot medications when I am 50. Secondly, working in Healthcare I have to be an advocate for a healthy lifestyle. So when I decided to change and also religiously work on meal prep hubby started to join the band wagon because he just realized he was overweight. And also, being slim doesn’t mean you are healthy, during my 20’s I was really skinny but to come find out on my lab tests I have a lot of values off. So I really had to work on changing the food I eat back then.

And now… Here is the breakdown of my routine… I use Body Boss Method for the meal prep and the workout. on MWF I follow the Body Boss Method HIIT workout plan and they are usually under 30 mins and I add extra 10-15mins to work on weights for toning. That is mostly my goal doing the HIIT is toning and also strength. TTH I do ab workout for 10 mins and 30 minute cardio working on spin bike or threadmil.

As for the meal prep, on weekend we do the shopping we look on what is on the list of ingredients and then we make sure to do it on Sundays and sometimes we had to work on it Mondays as I was not able to finish them all. The meal prep is good a lot of protein diet but trust me you will not starve. It is balanced! I am so happy as well as I know we are being a good example to our kids because now we limit our intake of junk foods. I also start doing the no junk food on weekdays and having Saturday as our cheat day.

What makes this even fun is that Adi and Aidan works out with us except Andi. lol! That is their P. E. class because they are tired of their virtual class all day.

I hope I was able to inspire to help you change for the better. I just wanna be stronger than yesterday!

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for stopping by.

Simply,

Christianne