SimplyChristianne

Wardrobe Pieces you should be Investing On

June 18, 2015 No Comments

I am the type of shopper where I think about where my money goes. I want to look fabulous but doesn’t wanna break the bank and be broke. So I splurge once in a while into shoes and handbags that I know will stay classy overtime and has good quality.

Why? most of the time you get what you pay for. And if you really want things to last long and will still be of good quality and remains classy. Those (shoes and handbags) are the 2 things you need to invest on.

On Shoes
If you are just Starting, get shoes and start with black. I always tell myself that you can never go wrong with black shoes, you can always pair them with anything and It stays classy and eventually Add different colors.

I am not a wealthy person who can afford to buy designer brands all the time but when I get a chance and have extra, I invest on those things that I know I love and will not go out of style. It also become my go-to outfit and style staples.

And because I used to buy a lot of shoes here and there and that are cheaper they usually don’t last long. Most of the time you’ll see the sides chipped of already. But if you are really into fashion and wants to change style every time. It will be practical to buy the average priced shoes and have every color and style you want.

Handbags

If you will compare designer handbags to others, you can really say they are really in good quality and style usually last long. Like my Louis Vuitton speedy, it remains in style and goes pretty much with most of the outfit.

You don’t want to invest much money on clothing, Because when you wash them then their quality usually fades through time. Plus you don’t wanna be wearing the same clothes over and over. For myself, I just want them under $30. And with clothing you always want to be in style. I stand corrected by the way, you can also invest in good jeans.

Travel

10 Free Things to do with your kids in the DMV this Summer

June 17, 2015 No Comments

1. National Zoo – introduce then to different animals we have. They will definitely enjoy what they will see when they get to see those animals in person. They have Pandas there.

2. Smithsonian Museums – this is very educational for the whole family. Kids will enjoy what they will see.

3. National Park – can go picnic in the park and you get to have nice view of Washington, D.C. Around you.

4. Beach (Virginia beach and Ocean City) – take them to the beach, there are a lot of things to do there, they have boardwalks and everything. Virginia has dolphins, sometimes you’ll see them. The 2 most recent visit that we did, we saw them, oh my daughter was jumping for joy.

5. Live music at the Plaza (National Harbor) – on Fridays they usually have this free show. This is relaxing for the whole family, some kids was just dancing everywhere.

6. Family fitness (National Harbor) – there are free programs for the whole family, it is usually Wednesdays.

7. Jones Point Park – they have bike, jogging trail, basketball courts, playground, very clean and nice restroom, fishing area.

8. Stroll at The Old Town Alexandria – when I am in this area specially the King Street I feel like I am in Europe.

9. Rock Creek Park – this is a planetarium sponsored and they have a tour of night sky.

10. Kite Flying (Washington Monument) – take your kites with you and this is a big space for kite flyers. Or you can just watch those kit flyers there.

Travel

Luray Caverns

June 15, 2015 2 Comments

If you are an adventurer , lover of nature and a photographer. Then this is a place to be for you your eyes and your lens will definitely enjoy all the views. A wonderful site when you’re around Virginia (Shenandoah Valley area). There are also other amazing views and places to go to after you visit the caverns.

In the cave You’ll get to see another wonderful creation Mother Nature has. Like in your mind you’ll ask how was this rocks formed. It was so gorgeous that you would want to just take pictures after pictures. When we went there it was September so it was already a little chilly but it wasn’t bad. In there, they also have guided tours and they will talk about the history of the cave and who discovered it.

Luray Caverns also have other attractions like the Car and Carriage Museum where you’ll get to see different cars they used back in the day and the Luray Valley Museum. They also have a gift shop to get yourself some souvenirs.

After your trip make sure to blow up one of your best picture because it’ll definitely a be good addition for your home decor.

Overall experience was great. 2 thumbs up, the whole family enjoyed. Not a common place where everybody have already seen it.

Photos taken by my husband.

Fashion

Tropical Print Pants

June 13, 2015 2 Comments

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Thank God I am feeling better now. For the past two days I have been trying to fight this head congestion and sore throat.

I am back on track for an outfit post. Feeling inspired of going to the beach in this hot weather so weari ng this tropical print pants was a good idea. I forgot to add a Margarita, i should have been holding that instead of the pocket book.

I also tied my hair and put in the side to give tou an idea of a hair style to beat the heat this summer.

Details:

Pants – Banana Republic (bought it last summer)

White shirt – Mossimo from Target

Shoes – Vinci Camuto

Bracelet – HM

Clutch bag – Mango (old)

Uncategorized

My Way of Relaxation

June 12, 2015 1 Comment

What is stress? According to Wikipedia… stress typically describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on a person’s mental and physical well-being.

I just want to share to all of you one of the things that helps me feel great when I have body aches and feeling stressed. It is what we call massage. Yes, massage!

In our everyday life we get so busy that in times we feel stressed. It is a feeling of muscles being sore, tensed. You need to de stressed definitely. Give yourself a treat. You only have one body. You gotta take card of it because specially if you are a parent you gotta take care of your children.

Since the last year, my husband and I set aside a budget for massage because it is expensive here in the USA. But for me it is worth to have a budget for it once a month. Because like what I always say, health is wealth. Prevention is better than cure. And studies says that stress can cause cancer and a lot more health conditions you don’t want to have.

If you are on a tight budget there are massage therapist at a mall that offers massage on a specific body part you needed the most attention and it is cheaper. There are also massage chairs that offers few minutes of massage relaxation for a very minimal amount.if you really want a full body massage you can check out Groupon they usually have good deals. My friend just bought 3 full body massage 1 hour each for $90.

Here are the benefits of massage:
It relaxes tight muscles thus reduces spasm and cramping
Alleviates back pain
Helps relieve migraine pain
It improves your bodies circulation
Helps you recover from strenuous activities
It helps reduce post surgery adhesion
It can help lessen depression and anxiety
It release endorphins (natural pain killers)

It is worth you hard earned money.

Fashion

Navy Blue Summer Dress

June 9, 2015 No Comments

My husband was craving for some Pho noodles, so we all went to go get some. I wanted to dress comfortably and I put on the Navy Blue dress. What I like about this dress is that the material is so cool, good for summer and the details makes it looks like an expensive dress but believe it or not. I only got it for $9.99. Who will not fall in love with it.

I paired it with my silver gladiator sandals and my Saffiano handbag.

Details:
Dress – Ross
Handbag – Prada
Sunglasses – Coach
Watch – bulova
Sandals – American Eagle Outfitter

Uncategorized

Good to know from CNN: The exercises physical therapists know lead to injuries

June 8, 2015 No Comments

It was so nice to ran into this article online specially if you are into fitness, exercising and or going to the gym.

As a physical therapist this is so true. That is why we always tell our patients about warming up and cooling down before exercises. It is also helpful to have a personal trainer and to do stretching before and after. I can get into details regarding how to prevent an injury when exercising.

Here is the summary of those exercises:
1. Bicycle crunch
2. Lat pull downs (behind the head)
3. The kettle bell swing
4. Bent over rows
5. The Romanian dead lift
6. The overhead squat
7. Back medicine ball rotation tosses (against a wall)
8. Seated leg extension
9. The pull up
10. The preacher curl

This is the link straight to this good article to find out why.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/05/health/exercises-injuries/index.html?sr=fb06615exercisesinjuries1pStoryGalLink

Fashion

Striped Chambray Dress

June 8, 2015 7 Comments

I got this dress from sheinside. Their sizes usually runs small so if you are a US small try getting a medium from them.

I got this dress because it really looks good online and I want you to be judge if I was able to give justice to this outfit.

I paired it with a light pink shoes and a blazer. I was planning to put on a denim jacket but that style is too common so I decided to give it a twist.

Details:
Striped Chambray Dress – Sheinside (www.sheinside.com)
Blazer – Charlotte Russe (old)
Shoes – Vinci Camuto (old)
Handbag – Tosca Blu (Italian brand) (old) link http://www.toscablu.com/en/collezioni.aspx
Sunglasses – forever 21

Fashion

Wardrobe Malfunction

June 5, 2015 No Comments

I just want to share to all of you this embarrassing moment I had when we went to the museum.

I bought this cute dress and it was under $15 so who wouldn’t buy it right? Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that cheap clothes don’t last. You know accidents do happen. I always buy clothes on sale.

The Museum day, I was so excited to wear that dress. The weather was kinda cold so I decided to wear my denim jacket to match the outfit. I put the clothes on and I looked at the mirror and everything looks good.

We all went to the car and drove to the museum. When we got there, I was the one who got off the car to unbuckle my daughter seatbelt. My mom followed and she noticed that the back part of the dress was ripped. She told me and I couldn’t believe it. She told me she can see my undies. My husband looked at it too and I was panicking. Thank God I had my denim jacket to cover it, tied the jacket around my waist. It was another fashion statement but it was cold I must admit not to wear the jacket but I gotta do I gotta do.

By the way, I returned the dress to the store 🙂

Lesson learned. It’ll be nice to have a spare clothes in the car just in case this happens or a sewing kit maybe.

Travel

National Air and Space Museum STEVEN F. UDVAR-HAZY CENTER

June 5, 2015 No Comments

It was a gloomy day but that did not stop us to go visit this museum. My 5 year old daughter was so excited to see those airplanes and space shuttles. So After work we headed straight to the Museum.

Admission is free for all, parking fee is $15 but it is free after 4pm, you can also get a refund for parking if you are just dropping off.

They have a souvenir shop, vending machines for drinks and Mc Donald’s inside so you will not get hungry.

In the Museum, there were lot of things to do and to see. We got to see the airplanes used during the World War II. A lot of Nazi airplanes, trivia and facts about those planes and who flew them.

They also have those commercial planes exhibited there. Like the Concorde airplane, which was the fastest commercial plane, NASA space shuttles, rockets, the things that the astronauts had when they went in space. It was really educational for everybody.

IMAX theater, observation tower, flight simulators, free group tour around the facility are the other things to do.

We ran out of time because they were closing soon, we didn’t get the IMAX because it was 35-45 min long and my 21 month attention span is not that long. We tried the flight simulators, It was a nice ride, my 5 year enjoyed it. She really thought that she flew the space shuttle.