Highs: Remember how I lost one of my favorite earrings last month? I found it!! I actually found it just a week later, but I'm so so so happy I found it. My ears feel complete again 😅.  Another high moment was that I got a promotion!!! This was long awaited and way overdue but it's finally here! Meet your new production coordinator for an international magazine 😜. Okay—another high is I was feature in THE LADY GANG PODCAST INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. Are you freaking out? Cause I'm freaking out. I took this photo last fall and the girls reposted it on their stories, but they just shared it as an in-feed post and it's freaking cool! Click here to see the post.

Lows: I'm back in the office. THE OFFICE! I have an hour long commute now and I miss the work from home life. With this commute I am also tired like all the time. I'm just exhausted with this commute and work, etc.

1. Morning Meditations—On my first day I just looked up "morning meditations" on YouTube and found this playlist of a 14-day meditation from Boho Beautiful. When I'm doing my skincare each morning I play one of these videos and reflect on the day with deep breaths on focus of my goals for the day.

2. Skincare Routine—I've mentioned once or twice the importance of my skincare routines. Yes, it's good for your skin, but it's also an activity or routine rather that you have to focus on while you listen to morning meditation or a podcast. I have a 8-step routine that I do every morning and it makes me look and feel rejuvenated. 

3. Facial Ice Roller—This is part of my skincare routine but even if you don't have a skincare routine you NEED one of these if you work early mornings. This thing gives me LIFE in the morning. It wakes me and my skin up because well its basically ice.

4. Planning My Outfits—Something else I have started doing is planning out my outfits for the whole week! I will pull 5 outfits out for the entire work week and have them ready to go. It saves so much time in the mornings!!

5. Coffee—Okay, this isn't a "new habit" but it's one I take very seriously. To save money—and time—I haven't gone out of my way to buy coffee during the work week. I've been making it at home and sipping on it while I get ready and on my commute. There's just something about sipping a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning that really soothes me.

Okay confession time: summer has never been my favorite season. It's not that I don't love the sunshine and the tan lines, it's just I'm always working and before I know it summer flies by. So this year I decided to make a summer bucket list so I could enjoy my season and do things for myself versus spending it at my office all day. With that, there are a few essential items you need to make sure you look and feel your best this summer! 

1. A good bathing suit—you need to radiate confidence and there are so many different body types and types of bathing suits that can help you look good. You really have to shop around to find what kind you like, but some of my favorites are from SheIn, Monday Swim and Good American.

2. Books—whether you have it on the kindle or a hard copy, a book by the pool or the beach can make all the differences! I have a goal to read 5 new books this summer and I'm halfway there! It's a great way to escape a computer screen and dive into a new world.

3. Sunscreen—maybe it's because I'm older now (almost thirty 😆)  sunscreen has become a staple in my skincare routine. The two products I'm using this summer are CeraVe and Super Goop!

4. Water—okay, this one is not as odd as it sounds. It's not me just saying "drink water" but rather inspiring you to do so. How I get inspired is I got a super cute Bubba tumbler cup and with a straw which makes me go through it so many refills. And when I'm on the go I love Fiji and Smart Water!

5. Hats—a good hat makes all the difference and this season I am really into bucket hats. This one from Amazon is only $13 and comes in a TON of different colors.

6. Sunglasses—just like hats, you need something to help combat the sun and sunglasses are perfect. My favorite pair is the pair that my boyfriend got me for my birthday a couple years ago from Tiffany & Co. 😍.

7. Tennis Skirt—this look became a trend during the pandemic last summer and I finally caved and got this one off of Amazon for $22!

8. White Shoes—this one sounds very particular but there's a reason. Just like the perfect pair of black heels, you need the perfect pair of white sneakers. They go with everything and you can invest in expensive ones or a bunch of affordable ones to see what fits your style best. I got these ones off of Amazon and this pair from SheIn.

9. A Good Playlist—It's so crucial to have a good playlist you can listen to when you're at the pool, on a run, at the beach or even just driving around with the windows down. I'm currently loving Olivia Rodrigo "Sour" album, "Our Song" by Annie-Marie and Niall Horan, and "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals.

10. A Good Skincare Routine—This is probably the MOST crucial for the summer. Between the sun, the sweat and your busy life, your skin needs some taking care of. Having your favorite products and a routine down will not only have you looking your best, but you'll be feeling your best too. Some of my favorite products are facial serums, pimple patches and Laneige sleep mask.

Holy crap it still doesn't feel real. This may not be a big deal to some of you, but this was my FIRST tattoo. And it's super meaningful to me and I wanted to show it off.

If you read my last blog post you know I got a custom temporary tattoo from Inkbox (click here for 30% off your order) to see how I liked it. I received so many compliments and I loved that it caught my eye every day and made me smile. So when my mom and I went to Texas (click here to read the blog post) we both got tattoos!

My mom got a beautiful heart with the initial "A" on her wrist to represent her granddaughter/my niece Anastasia. Her's took only about twenty minutes and it came out beautifully! Plus she was a total champ, she barely even flinched 😅.

I on the other hand.... I got a custom contemporary portrait of the outline of my dog's head and his two colored eyes. My tattoo should have only taken about 40 minutes, but I well ... did flinch. About ten minutes in I started to sweat really bad and felt nauseous. The artist gave me a break and got me a popsicle. He said they help cool me down and give me sugar since I almost passed out. He was barely even started and I couldn't take it 😅😅. It's not that the pain was bad either, he described it as a cat repeatedly scratching you and he was dead on. I just HATE needles so mentally I started to not feel great. Actually, even reliving it through this blog post kind of makes me dizzy 😅. Anyways, our tattoo artist—Jermey—let me eat four popsicles and watch Rick and Morty as he went slow to finish it up. 

I am OBSESSED. It came out better than I expected and Jermey even went above and beyond to make the eyes look super realistic. I mean it literally looks JUST like Oliver. And you know how important a dog is to a girl in her 20s. 

I seriously can't thank Jermey at Wicked Ways Tattoos enough. Please go follow and like his content, cause he was KICK ASS! And if you're ever in San Antonio, TX go to Wicked Ways Tattoos!

We started our fun-filled weekend by going to an Exotic Zoo where we were able to pet and feed animals. We also hung out by the pool, cooked dinner and played Monopoly Deal (super fun, highly suggest). My uncle took my mom and I shopping and like true Texans we tried on cowboy hats and boots. My mom's boots look so cute on her!!! We went to Spec's and I'm so glad we did because I FINALLY found The Brother's Bond Bourbon by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley 😍. We went to the largest gas station called Buccee's and got tons of Texas souvenirs. So much that we had to get another suitcase just to bring back all the stuff we got for my beautiful niece.

Then it was July 4th weekend and we watched fireworks at a community event and then had our own firework show at the house. My mom got us these super cute sparklers shaped as hearts ♥️. I also loveeed my outfit that day!

We ended the week with some more shopping in San Antonio! And, I can't believe this was even my idea..my mom and I got tattoos!! I almost passed out, but I didn't thanks to the popsicles and my mom's support. But that's for a later post 😉.

Thank you to my family in Texas for letting us stay with them and showing us around!! Love you guys! Can't wait to visit again soon 🤠.