This post is sponsored by my friends art Bioré but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Hi Fam,
​
Happy Sunday! I'm all about self-care this year as you know, and what better way to make sure I get enough of it in than by starting a new weekly blog series, aptly titled "self-care Sundays"? Each week, I'm going to do my best to come at you with helpful tips, tricks and recommendations for living your best life.

To kick things off, I've partnered once again with my good friends at Bioré to show you how I relax at the end of a long day / week / month / year with a soothing skincare routine. This time, I'm using their new Blue Agave + Baking Soda Balancing Pore Cleanser + Whipped Nourishing Detox Mask - follow along!

There's truly nothing better than taking off your makeup and washing your face at the end of a long day, and as you can see, these products enhance that experience even further! These products include both baking soda (known for its ability to deep-clean) as well as Blue Agave (known to soothe and nourish) to simultaneously detox your pores while leaving skin plump, happy, and ready for more.

Would you try these products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments & shop them both below!

Balancing Pore Cleanser
​Whipped Nourishing Detox Mask
​
xoxo,
Lara

Hi Blog Fam, 
I've been thinking (and re-thinking) about my fashion identity a lot lately as I switch up my wardrobe for the new year, so I wanted to hop on and talk a little bit about staying true to your personal style in a world where Instagram tells us (or shows us, rather) how to fit in. While I definitely have a goal of exuding that "Cool NYC Girl™"  style, I also want to put my unique twist on what that means to me -- after all, fashion is one of the most visible ways we have to express ourselves, our true selves, visually. 

Recently, I partnered with ASOS to promote their fashion-forward (but budget-friendly) ASOS Design line, which was created to help wearers live boldly through their clothing. Through this line, they carry such a wide range of styles for every occasion, mood, and body type. From music festivals to everyday life, I find myself testing out and lusting after new styles daily, so I love that attainable brands like ASOS help me update my looks as needed. 

While it can be easy to stick to the same "safe" fashion uniform -- especially in NYC when you're constantly surrounding by a sea of black -- I'm all about playing with off-the-beaten-path patterns, designs and colors to stay true to who I am. So of course I said "yes" to exciting colors and beaded fringe details when picking out pieces for this partnership! 

How would you describe your personal style? Do you think social media expands your style interests, or do you tend to stick to the same uniform? Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,
Lara

Skirt + jacket gifted by ASOS.

This post is sponsored by Bioré, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

There's no way around it -- Winter in New York is a beautiful but terrifying thing. One day it's sunny and 45, the next it's snowing with a negative 10 windchill. And don't get me wrong -- I LOVE a good Instagrammable snow moment (see above...), but it can really take a toll on your skin. As you all know by now, 2019 is my year for #SkincareGoals, so I'm constantly on the hunt for products that will help me achieve those goals.

You all know how much I love Bioré now that I've partnered with them a few times, and I'm so excited to be working with them again to show you their latest Witch Hazel line!

Witch Hazel is one of the latest beauty "buzz terms" popping up on the Internet right now, but it's actually been a hidden kitchen gem for decades. It has so many properties that are amazing for your skin - from tightening your pores and clearing up blackheads, to refining your pores to prevent breakouts in the future. Enter Bioré's Witch Hazel Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips and Witch Hazel ​Pore Clarifying Toner!

First off, let's talk about this toner. I'm a big fan of starting my morning skincare routine with a lightweight toner, and this one is amazing because it has a powerful combination of Witch Hazel and Salicylic Acid that works wonders for your skin.

While the idea of literally putting acid on your face can be intimidating -- don't stress! The exfoliating properties of the acid along with the classically astringent properties of Witch Hazel creates a natural, skin-healing toning product.

Next up, we have everyone's favorite Bioré product -- their famous pore strips! These ones are unique because they have everything you love from Bioré, but with -- you guessed it -- Witch Hazel included. These strips use a special blend of C-bond technology that safely removes dirt, oil, and blackheads from your pores, and of course, they're dermatologist tested and approved as well. And there's nothing better than taking one of these bad boys off and seeing all of the dirt that was removed from your skin!

----

I love using both of these products on their own, but they also work great together to create a power-packed Winter skincare regime - perfect for waking your skin up when it's so cold out in the mornings that you barely made it out of bed.

What do you think of the Witch Hazel trend - would you try these products? Head to your local Walmart to pick these beauties up, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

xoxo,
​Lara

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's been a hot minute here on the blog, but I'm back in action to talk about a topic that you all know is very important to me -- skincare. 

Now that it's winter, it's more important than ever to keep your skin in check... but with it being the busiest time of the year at work and otherwise (anyone else feeling the Q4 crazies?!), it's becoming harder than ever. BUT, thanks to my amazing partner Clarisonic, I can now take care of my skin with or without my busy schedule -- whether I'm on the road on a work trip,  at home or staying the night at the boyfriend's. 

No matter where I am, I make sure to stick with my skincare regimen at all times -- if anything, having this little routine helps me feel like I know what I'm doing, even when my life is all over the place. Check out my nighttime routine below!

Step 1: Remove Makeup
There is NOTHING better than the feeling of taking your makeup off at the end of a long day. I typically use a micellar water with cotton rounds to take it off easily, and to ensure my skin is clean and ready for the rest of my skincare routine.

Step 2: Apply Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser
This Kiehl's cleanser is an absolute godsend. Once my face is clear of makeup, I take a small amount of the cleanser and spread it across my face, so that I can get to work with Clarisonic's Mia Prima Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush.

​Step 3: Massage Into Skin w/ Clarisonic's Mia Prima Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush
This step is my absolute FAVORITE. It's so relaxing and almost therapeutic, cleansing away any remaining makeup, dirt & debris. And the best part? It's gentle enough that you can use it up to twice per day -- and if you'd like, you can even use it to remove your makeup (sometimes I even like taking it with me in the shower!). Once I'm done, I rinse my face with cold water to clear off the suds + close my pores.

Step 4: Moisturize!
With temps lingering around freezing here in NYC, moisturizer is more important than ever. Once I've completed the above, I apply my favorite night cream or moisturizer and roll it in with a quartz roller (both stored in my fridge!) to soak it in and give my skin a nice cooling effect.

And that's it! Want to give the gift of happy skin this year? This Clarisonic + Kiehl's duo is honestly the best gift for anyone on your list this holiday season, whether it's your Mom, your SO or your BFF. 

Have you tried one of Clarisonic's brushes yet?! Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo,
Lara

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your week is off to an awesome start.

Last week turned out to be quite the adventure-packed week with a ton of fun new experiences, so I thought I'd recap it all here. Keep reading below to see what I was up to, and hopefully get inspired for your own NYC adventures -- enjoy!

MONDAY, JULY 23RD
Monday is Bachelorette night (duh), but it's also Lara-Get-Your-Life-Together day in general. I successfully completed my routine of picking up my weekly groceries at Trader Joe's (see here for one of my grocery hauls), doing laundry, cleaning my room and making dinner, all while squeezing in our typical Bach viewing party / cheese and wine night. Successful night all around if you ask me. 

SUNDAY, JULY 29TH
One of my friends recently celebrated a birthday, so my friend group planned a trip upstate to go rafting along the Delaware River (we rented through Kittatinny). I hadn't been tubing/rafting since college, so I was super excited to get back on the water! 

The starting location was about a 2 hour drive outside of the City, so we all met up in the morning to road trip up there together. Cue collaborative playlist making and Dunkin' Donuts to go. Once we were finally there, it was a pretty easy process of signing wavers, shuttling to the start of the route, and picking up our life vests, oars and raft. 

The route we went on lasted for about 5 hours, and it was the perfect mix of soaring over exciting rapids and floating around in calmer waters where we could hop off and swim for a bit. We even found a spot that we could cliff jump off of, which was a first for me! Hopefully you got to enjoy that little number on my Stories this weekend. All in all, it was the most relaxing + incredible way to spend the day (cellphone free, natch), and I'm already looking forward to doing it again. Preferably, with a floating cooler full of beer, cider and snacks. 

We ended the night with a semi-spontaneous trip to the Sugar Factory for dinner and their famous Goblet drinks, which was a fun way to end the day and overall weekend (even though, it wasn't so much fun when I had to get up early for work this morning, slightly hungover). 

Happy almost-weekend, fam!

I spent the majority of last weekend watching movies, shopping, and aimlessly meandering around the city, which means I didn't snap too many photos. So I figured that in lieu of my typical Weekend Recap post, I'd share the what I picked up at Trader Joe's this week. I get a lot of questions about how I manage to cook dinners and lunches at home when I live in a city filled with endless amazing food options, so hopefully this will start to inspire your own home cooking, too! 

Read on to see what I picked up this week:

• Frozen Orange Chicken: This is my absolute FAVE TJ's product. It's easy to make, easy to store, and it seriously tastes so good. PLUS the bag has enough for 3 servings, so it's great for a quick shared meal, or for meal prepping during the week. 
• Frozen Veggie Medley: I always love mixing up the veggies I match with the orange chicken above to keep things fresh. This time, I tried their Vegetable Melange mix, which was a hit.
• Frozen Hamburger Patties: I've been really craving a good cheeseburger lately, so I was stoked to snatch up the last box of beef patties available in the store. I LOVE their buffalo patties, but these would hold me over for now.
• Mayonnaise, Dijon Mustard, 1 Head of Lettuce, 1 Tomato, Colby Cheese Slices: Let's be real, I picked these up exclusively for said burger craving mentioned above. Will I be able to eat all of this before I run out of patties / they go bad? No, probably not. But a craving is a craving. 
• Various Cheese Cuts:  Because Monday night is Bachelorette night, I picked up some cheese cuts (including my all-time fave Brie, plus some Baby Swiss Madrigal and Gruyere) for a good old DIY charcuterie board. You can actually find some pretty cheap options in TJ's deli section that are perfect for mixing and matching!
• Savory Thin Mini Crackers: These are a TJ's classic, and I couldn't resist picking some up for cheese and wine night with the girls.
• Bag of Lemons: I've been trying to avoid drinking juice / soda whenever possible (so that I can feel better about all of the alcohol I consume, tbh), so I've been a big fan of lemon water lately. This cheap lil bag is perfect for bringing to work or using at home!
• 1 Dozen Large White Eggs: I plan to use these in a few ways; both on top of my cheeseburgers (there's seriously no better burger topping...you can peep my masterpiece below), and in egg salad sandwiches, which have always been an easy fave of mine.  

Total for the week = $49.37
One of my favorite things about Trader Joe's is how they get new items in every week, so there's always something new to try! Pro Tip: In general, I tend to heavy-up in the freezer aisle so that I can stock up on items that won't go bad if I eat out more than usual during the week. 

Some of my other staples from them include:

• Frozen Rice Bags (these are literally so amazing, they come with (3) bags of rice that you pop into the microwave for (3) minutes and BOOM. Perfect rice every time without the wait).
• Pork Buns -- these make the perfect snack.
• Cold Brew Concentrate. 'Nough said. 

That's all from me! Leave a comment if you have any fave TJ's products or recipes to share, and have an amazing weekend!
xoxo,
Lara

Hello loves! 

I'm a little late this week, but it's better late than never... right?

I tried to keep this weekend pretty chill since it was following a basically 2-week long OOO spree, but I still managed to pack in a ton of fun + adventures in along with some downtime. 

FRIDAY
Being the end of a week that felt like a weekend, but also like a game of post-holiday catch up with work, I took Friday night off for some much needed me-time. I went grocery shopping when the Trader Joe's line wasn't insane (gotta love TJ's, but not on a Monday evening), took a stroll through the park, and cooked dinner at home. I followed this by re-starting The Office for the billionth time, and tbh it was the best decision I've ever made. I needed to rest up, because the next day was quite the adventure.

SATURDAY 
On Saturday, I got up bright and early to take the ferry out to New Jersey to see one of my BFFs, Alexis, who also happens to be a coworker (aren't they the best that way?!). I hadn't taken the ferry out to deep NJ before, so it was a fun and refreshing way to spend a Summer morning. If you're looking to take a trip from the city out to the shore, I took the Seastreak ferry.

When I got there, we were STARVING, mainly because Alexis insisted I waited to eat until I could try NJ's signature pork roll. I'm not sure how I would describe it, other than a very thin version of SPAM. It was good, but I wouldn't give up my baconeggncheese for it ;).

After that, we explored her favorite neighborhood haunts, including a stop by the Asbury Biergarten, which has the cutest little rooftop patio that was perfect for soaking up rays while knocking back a cold one. I highly recommend the Schofferhoffer, which is a delectable sparkling grapefruit beer that they have on tap.

After a TV / nap break, we headed to Lighthouse for some cool Summery treats. The Italian Ices looked amazing, but I opted for a classic mixed cone. 

After taking the ferry home I was ready for bed (the last ferry leaves NJ around 7:30, but it was late so I didn't get back to the city until 9pm), but I decided to rally and see what my friends were up to. I ended the night bar hopping on the Upper East Side, which never disappoints. 

SUNDAY
After basically two weeks OOO, I was really starting to feel the Sunday Scaries, so I was looking forward to a chill Sunday to end my extended weekend. 

I started off by walking to Strand Books, arguably the best bookstore in NYC. I had just finished the previous book I was reading (The Futures by Anna Pitoniak), so I was in the market for a new casual reading book. After scouring the discount racks outside (at $1-$5 you have to check!), I meandered around inside and settled upon Neon in Daylight by Hermione Hoby, which I've just started but am already quite enjoying. Can you tell I have a thing for books about people who change their lives by moving to NYC? I took my new book out to the park, and read while I laid out in the sun with a friend, which was exactly what I needed.

As Summer progresses in NYC, I have lots of exciting things planned including concerts, day trips and more! Stay tuned for my next adventures, and as always, leave a comment below if you have any recommendations or questions regarding things to do around the city :).

xoxo,
Lara

It's that time of the week again! 

I'm back with a super exciting weekend recap, as I took a trip out to Provincetown, MA for my boss' beautiful wedding. It was an absolutely incredible weekend of partying, celebrating and exploring, and I'm excited to share my adventures with you all. Let's dive in.

THURSDAY
This weekend recap starts one day early, as the entire office left on Thursday to head out to P-Town. We took an Amtrak train out to Boston around lunchtime, and were lucky enough to snatch a table in the café car. Hello, dreams of working on a scenic train route whilst heading off to an even more scenic beach locale, where I could then work by the pool/ocean! Although the train ride was long, I really enjoyed getting that old American experience (with food and alcohol, natch). 

When we finally arrived in Boston, I could not believe how  beautiful the city was! I had an idea of what New England looked like in my head from movies and the like, but I had never actually seen much of it in person. I quickly became obsessed with the mix of modern and old-town architecture, as well as the overall culture of coastal towns. 

However, what I gained in cultural exposure and experience I unfortunately lost in personal belongings... while waiting for our ride to P-Town, we decided to stop at a Shake Shack nearby. I'm a HUGE shake shack fan (though it'll never be better than Burgerville, for all my PNW'ers out there), so I was excited when we decided to stop by. Somehow, I set my wallet down while I was in the bathroom, and it was stolen shortly thereafter. FYI: suddenly becoming ID-less and money-less at the start of a vacation is not fun. 0/10, I do not recommend it. This is the second time in about a year that I've had my purse/wallet stolen, and while replacing all of my cards and belongings is expensive and incredibly frustrating (especially over a holiday weekend), I'm trying to keep a positive mind frame about everything. Thank God for Venmo, forgiving bartenders and good friends!

Once we made it into Provincetown, we arrived at the cutest little ocean-side hotel, Surfside Hotel and Suites. It has its own private beach, a pool, and the cutest beachy aesthetic ever (not to mention a few of my favorite things -- free breakfast and pool-side margarita service). The men who ran the front desk were the sweetest ever, and made us cocktails until the hotel's bar closed down for the night. Needless to say, after a day of travel and wallet-losing, I was ready to pour some back and hit the hay. 

FRIDAY
On Friday, I started the day off lounging by the pool, getting some color and working by the water. I've now decided it's my life goal to figure out how I can do this all the time -- traveling and working by pools and oceans full-time sounds a lot like how I want to live my life. Anyone have any leads here?

For lunch, the team had an off-site outing at Pepe's Wharf, an adorable waterfront restaurant that was legit Instagram aesthetic goals. We sat right by the water, sipping tropical cocktails (although basic, I highly recommend the Strawberry Daiquiri) and catching up. I felt like I had to get at least one Lobster Roll while in MA, so I wasted no time and got one here. It was SO good, and was of course the perfect first meal in P-Town. After lunch, we all went out on the beach to talk about our goals + desires for the rest of the year. 

We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the rehearsal dinner, which took place that night at the historic Provincetown Inn. I wore the above matching set from Necessary Clothing, which if you follow me on Instagram, you'll remember is a fave that I also wore for my birthday this year. They're one of my absolute fave places to shop for occasion outfits (and everyday outfits too, tbh). 

The evening was absolutely beautiful -- the weather was perfect, the food was delicious (a traditional North East BBQ, featuring decadent chicken wings, potato salad, lobster rolls and more), and the open bar was flowing all night with Summery drinks. We even played some good ol' rounds of bingo and corn hole, which I can never say "no" to! Overall, it was a great night of celebrating love with some amazing friends + coworkers.

SATURDAY
Saturday was wedding day (finally!), but we also had some extra time during the day to explore more of the area, which was great. We started the day off by the pool once again (how could you not?!), and then headed off to scout out a place for brunch. We started at the cutest rooftop spot Spindler's for some tiki-themed cocktails, and then walked over to a Mexican-type eatery called Yolqueria, where I had some amazing chicken & french toast. They also had the STRONGEST Spicy Paloma of my life, which I tried to soak up with one of their fresh-made cinnamon rolls. Life is all about balance, amiright?

We had some spare time to kill before getting ready for the ceremony, so we headed out to the beach for some sunshine + sand. There's nothing like laying out with the seemingly endless ocean a foot away from you, sand between your toes. Bonus points if you have a great cocktail in hand, too. 

The wedding ceremony, which also took place at the Provincetown Inn, was absolutely beautiful. The bride and groom were stunning, the backdrop was insane, and the ambiance was incredible. I always get teary-eyed at weddings, and of course, this one was no exception. It's so heartwarming witnessing so much love shared between two people, from their subtle gestures of intimacy, to the way they looked at each other with excitement while promising a forever together. It makes me that much more excited for my special day sometime down the road! For my look, I wanted something that was breezy and light, so I opted for this flattering H&M slit dress. It comes in a few colors, and was only $25 (I also had a coupon!), so it was a total no-brainer. 

After the ceremony, it was of course time for even more celebrations. We started with well-appointed appetizers ahead of the speeches, and then settled into dinner (the steak was INSANE) ahead of the traditional first dances before the entire venue took over the dance floor. It was such a great time, making some amazing memories with some amazing people.

Once that venue died down, it was time for the after party! They even had "party trollies" to transport everyone from the ceremony to the next stop, which was a fun little dive bar on the water called Pied Bar. They had a pool table, dancing, endless drinks, and of course, pizza for all. It was absolutely amazing, and the perfect night cap to an incredible day and weekend in general.

SUNDAY
Sunday was mainly a travel day for me, but I'm also gearing up for a week of remote work as our CEO and her new hubby are out on their honeymoon. I'm excited to take some time to explore and work from different parts of the city, meet new people, and squeeze in some Independence Day celebrations with friends. If anyone has any recommendations for fun spots to work/hang at during the week in or around NYC, let a girl know in the comments below! I'm all about a great coffee spot, pool, bar, etc.. 

That's it for now! Thanks for following along all weekend on IG and IG Stories, and for reading this post if you've made it this far. I'm excited to continue sharing my adventures with you all, so stay tuned for another post next week!

xoxo,
Lara

Hello loves!

I'm back with a quick recap of what I was up to this weekend. I love reading what my favorite bloggers are up to, so I figured I'd start sharing more of my life in New York City with y'all, too! I'm truly blessed to live here, and I feel like I don't share my insights on this incredible city with you enough, so here we go. This weekend was VERY eventful for me, so buckle in, kids. This one's a long one. 

FRIDAY
My Friday was supposed to be like any other Friday -- get up, go to work, make it to the weekend -- but it turned out to be anything but. 

I got up bright and early to head to Times Square (I know, why?), because my Dad was being featured on a Billboard! I sat out there for a good long while, which was very difficult being that A) I was in Times Square; B) It was 7am on a Friday; and C) I had no idea where I was supposed to be looking and when; but after a while I finally saw him and it was so worth it. I felt like I made his day when I sent him the pics/video I snapped.

I didn't have any solid plans for Friday night, so I decided to do something unexpected. I booked myself a spot in the Write-In at Gotham Writers, an organization that offers writing workshops + classes of all kinds in NYC. You can pay cash at the door, but I decided to pay + register online so that there could be no turning back, no matter how tired I told myself I was on the subway ride over. 

I'd been wanting to get back into writing for quite some time (and by writing I mean really writing, not just the typical rambling I do over here on the blog), and this seemed like the perfect way to start. Their Write-Ins are super casual and take place every Friday night, and at only $20 a pop (or $45 for 3), they are super accessible, too. The Write-Ins last for 2 hours, and are essentially filled with two 15-minute free writes (based on random prompts given out by the instructors), with free food, wine and socializing stuck in the middle of them. The nice thing about the quick writes is that you can read your work aloud for non-critique-y feedback, or you can opt not to. It's basically a writer's paradise.

Because I'm feeling extra vulnerable today, I'm gong to share one of my quick writes from that night with you below. I haven't sat down to actually write write since college,  so take it easy on me!! 

Prompt: Cringeworthy
"Why am I like this?" I'd ask myself for the umpteenth time after doing something even slightly embarrassing. It could be anything really -- an awkward intro, a trip on (or, more likely, down) the subway stairs, a text message sent before its prime. And while it would only take a second for that feeling to sink in, it'd take me an hour of sipping wine and searching through cheesy Pinterest quotes like "Don't try to be perfect, just be yourself!!!!!", with too many exclamation points added to the end for emphasis, to soothe me down to normalcy again. But what even really is "normal," anyway?

"I'll sure never know," I grimaced to myself as I pressed "send" on a half-baked reply: "Sorry, Jack, I can't make it tonight." 

His name was James.

---

On my way home after class, my BFFs texted that they were heading out to one of our favorite local haunts, so (fresh off my regained writers' high), I switched directions and met them out for some much-needed drinks and catching-up. It was the perfect way to kick-start the weekend. 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, y'all!

I don't know about you guys, but to me long weekends should be filled with good people, good food, good music, and good vibes. To help with those last two at least, I've created a quick lil playlist for you to enjoy this weekend.

The playlist features a mix of my favorite easy, breezy, "I'm OOO"-vibey songs -- and it's a fun combo of EDM, R&B and more. Give it a listen while you do you this weekend -- whether that's practicing self-care with a bubble bath, jamming out with friends over a grill, or tanning away on your fire escape (guilty... outdoor space is highly coveted here in NYC), and let the worries of your work week melt away.

Random fun fact: My sister realized recently that she and I know Trevor Dahl, head Singer/DJ of the Cheat Codes trio -- he was the son of our middle school science teacher, and he even previewed some of his OG songs for us as he got his start with Plug In Stereo! The world is insane. 

Let me know what songs you're currently loving in the comments, and have an amazing long weekend!

xoxo,
Lara