Coachella Dreamin'

 

Whoops, did I say Coachella? I think I meant to say "couch-ella". Get it? Alright, I'll be quiet now.

 

 

Let's be honest...the majority of us wish we went to Coachella. The music, the clothes, the people, and the general positive vibes would all do us some good. So while I was scrolling through Instagram liking all the photos of people at Coachella, (and trying not to shed a tear...talk about major FOMO!) I thought it would bring us dreamers some peace if I created my own version of a perfect Coachella outfit...for under $60!

 

 

If you don't already know, my fashion posts are all about affordability without sacrificing quality or style. This is why I choose to shop at the stores that I do. Stores like Forever 21, H&M, Old Navy, and Charlotte Russe all provide insanely cute clothes for a reasonable price. However, there is one type of store that I am forgetting about that tops off the list... thrift stores.

 

 

Now, I know some people refrain from even stepping foot into a thrift store because they fear that the clothes are dirty and aren't their style. But for the majority of thrift stores out there, this is not the case; you just have to find the right one. One of my favorite thrift stores here in PA is called Plato's Closet. Oh my goodness you guys, this place is insane. They literally have everything from active wear to regular clothes to shoes, you name it. And all for an incredible price!

 

 

For example, you see that purse that I am carrying? I originally saw it in Target a few months ago retailing for $30. Guess how much I paid for it at my thrift store? Four dollars. And yes, I typed that correctly. Four dollars for a purse in perfect condition and with the money I saved, I was able to buy this romper from Forever 21 retailing for $26.

 

 

It's wouldn't be Coachella without bohemian statement necklaces, right? When I saw this gold fringe bib necklace from Forever 21 for only $8, I pretty much flipped. As for my shoes, I'm sure you've see them before on my blog because I am in love with them. However, Forever 21 doesn't keep items on their website for longer than a few weeks, so I couldn't find you the exact link. Nevertheless, I did manage to find a very similar pair for the same price of only $17! I managed to pick up these sunglasses from Forever 21 for only $5. This entire outfit, from head to toe, cost me only $55. At some shops, you can hardly buy a dress for this price, let alone an entire outfit!

 

 

And there you have it! A Coachella inspired outfit for a fraction of what people usually pay. While I won't be attending Coachella, I at least have a bad*ss outfit, and that's good enough for me!

 

Thanks for reading and let me know below what you would wear to Coachella!

 

Much love,

Gabriella xx

Links:

Romper: http://www.forever21.com/UK/Product/Product.aspx?BR=F21&Category=Jumpsuit_Romper&ProductID=2000185358&VariantID=

Necklace: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_jewelry-necklace-fringe-tassels&ProductID=1000205393&VariantID=

Shoes (similar): https://www.google.com/shopping/product/6130846340005290895?q=tan+ankle+boots+with+heel&ved=0ahUKEwiSsPaTgajMAhUKbD4KHaJQCngQhC0ICSgB&ei=fR4dV9L9GorY-QGioanABw

Polar A360 Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't say enough good things about my new Polar A360 fitness tracker. This little gadget can do so many amazing things for a compact and simple design. I mean, look at my face above! That's how happy I was when I got it in the mail...yeah, I was excited.

 

 

The Polar A360 comes with so many different features. For one, you can change the type of workout you are doing. The options are: running, walking, biking, group classes, strength training other indoor, and other outdoor. The purpose of these different features is so that the tracker can better calculate your heart rate and calories burned.

When you first hit the button on the side of the watch, the main screen is the time and date. You can change the date and time display to anything you'd like. Analog, horizontal, or the way shown above, there are so many options! Swipe up once, and you'll get to the "My Day" option, in which if you tap on it, you'll be able to see all the details of your day so far. This includes how many steps you've taken, the distance you've walked, the calories you've burned and all your workout details for the day. Additionally, you can see how close you are to meeting your daily fitness goal. Once you've reached your goal, the watch will buzz and congratulate you on reaching your fitness goal! How motivating is that?!

 

 

Now this hasn't happened to me since I've gotten the watch just a few days ago, but supposedly if you've been sitting around for too long, the watch will buzz to tell you to get your butt moving. I think this is both hilarious and smart. It's the perfect way to remind you to stop watching Netflix and get some blood flowing!

Swipe up again and the watch takes you to the training/activity screen. Here, you can choose which workout you'll be doing. Tap on one of the seven exercise options, and the clock will start going. The little green light on the opposite side of the screen will light up (you can only see this if you lift the watch slightly up from your arm), and this means that the watch is calculating the calories you are burning and your heart rate. Once on this screen, you can swipe up or down to see the different stats on how you are performing. You can see your heart rate, which heart rate zone you are in, time elapsed, the current time, and how many calories you have burned. To stop the workout or change the workout you are performing, simply hold the side button until the watch counts down from three. Tip: Make sure during your workouts that the watch is firmly tightened against your wrist. This will ensure that the watch is getting an accurate heart rate reading!

 

 

 

Swipe up again and you'll get to the "My Heart Rate" screen. This screen simply calculates your heart rate at that exact moment.

The battery life on this little guy is amazing. I've had the watch for five days and have worn it all day, every single day and the battery is only at half way! Polar claims that the watch lasts 12 days when fully charged and I think they are pretty spot on with this one!

Tip: Make sure after your workout that you let the watch air out. Before charging the watch, it is extremely important that the charger jack is completely dry. The warranty does not cover any damaged for this!

 

 

The accuracy of this watch is impeccable. I decided to give it a little test to see if the heart rate reading was accurate. I did this by calculating my heart rate the old fashioned way with a stopwatch and my fingers. I calculated my heart rate as 56 bpm. Lo and behold, the Polar A360 calculated my heart rate as...56 bpm!

 

As for the design of this watch, I don't think they could make it any better. Sleek and compact, the watch looks good for a sweat session at the gym and on a walk into town. It's not bulky like some other fitness trackers and I've actually been asked if it was an Apple Watch! This just goes to show that it truly is a attractive and sophisticated design!

 

 

Overall, I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I love everything about this watch and have yet to find something I dislike about it. I haven't tried out the sleep tracker feature yet, but with the way this watch has been delivering so far, I can only imagine it is awesome.

If your on-the-fence about purchasing this watch, I recommend it 100%. Accurate readings, amazing features, quality battery, and a sleek design, this watch is perfect for any fitness-lover like myself. I have actually even found myself more motivated than ever in the gym because I love the feeling of that watch buzzing telling me that I've reached my goal. Plus, seeing that my heart rate has gotten to the maximum area is pretty dang rewarding!

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you've found this helpful!

Much love,

Gabriella xx

Summer Wishlist

 

Summer is just a few months away, which automatically skyrockets my motivation and happiness! Except for the fact that it is currently snowing here in Pennsylvania...WHAT? C'mon Mother Nature; it's April now. Where's spring at?

 

Rather than dwelling on the fact that Mother Nature seems to think that it is still winter, I thought it would be the perfect time to post my Summer Wishlist! (Plus, it will help me forget about the current weather situation.)  I asked you all in my last blog post if you wanted me to do a Summer Wishlist blog post and everyone was up for it! You ask, and I deliver..so here we go!

Alright, first up on the list are these absolute beauties. I've been researching different brands and types of workout sneakers for a while now, but I think I've finally come to a decision. These gems are called the Nike Free RN Distance and they are an absolute dream. Comfortable and stylish, they will be perfect for both sweaty gym sessions and trips to the coffee shop. My current workout sneakers are black, and I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I chose that color. Because the majority of my clothes are already black, I was lacking some serious color. And to me, color equals energy, confidence, and happiness! That's why I'm choosing this stunning ocean blue color with the hot lava pink accents. With these shoes, I can guarantee I'll strut my stuff with confidence!

 

Now, this blog post is called a "wishlist" for a reason. I've seen these stunning leggings floating around some of my favorite fitness girlies on Instagram and I finally just found out where they are from! These are called the Knockout leggings in the "All Over Digi Cubes Reflective" print from Victoria's Secret. However, they are very pricey at a whopping $72.50! Quite insane for a pair of workout leggings if you ask me. Nevertheless, I've heard from may people that the quality of these leggings are out-of-this-world good. To be quite honest, I don't see myself making a purchase like this anytime soon, but I wanted to include these in this post for some inspiration! Like I said before, my clothes are typically all black, so hopefully this will motivate me to add some color into my wardrobe!

 

 

If you've never heard of the brand Tiger Mist, are you hiding under a rock?! Haha, just kidding. But seriously, Tiger Mist is an Australian clothing brand with the most insanely stunning clothes. Have you ever gone onto a website and started adding items to your bag, but then you realize that the total is like, $1000? Yeah, this is exactly what I do with Tiger Mist. When I saw this romper, I was an actual representation of the heart eyes emoji. This is called the "Palm Springs" playsuit and I'm in love. When I finally get a job after school ends, this will 100% be one of my first purchases.

 

 

I'm not quite finished with Tiger Mist.  I've been loving the trend of tops with ties that go around the neck. This "Casey Crop" top not only would look amazing with a pair of high-waisted shorts, but it would pair perfectly with a pair of boyfriend jeans and heels for a laid back, yet stylish look!

 

 

As I start incorporated more color into my active wear wardrobe, a neon-green sports bra is an absolute necessity. I am in love with bright colored sports bras that peek through tank tops, and this is the perfect color to do that. Plus, this little number is only $13 from Forever 21!

 

 

 

I told you that I was obsessed with the neck-tie trend! As I really only have one swimsuit, I cannot wait to pick up this Crisscross Halter Bikini from Forever 21. For both the top and bottoms, it totals to only about $25... a bargain you just cannot beat!

 

 

When I'm not wearing workout sneakers or flip-flops in the summer, I love a nice pair of chunky-heel sandals. I cannot wait to rock these Perforated Faux Leather Booties with a romper, little white dress, or high-waisted denim shorts; the possibilities are simply endless!

 

You know I could go on forever with wish lists, so I think I'll stop myself here before I get too carried away! For you lovelies who wanted to see a Summer Wishlist, I hope I delivered well! When these purchases finally make their way into my possession, I will 100% be doing some type of lookbook including everything I purchase, so keep an eye out for that!

Once Mother Nature gets her bum into gear and brings us some warmer weather, expect to see more content on the blog including more recipes and a heck of a lot more fitness posts! With the school year beginning to come to and end, I can't wait to finally be able to get a job (which means more money for new clothes...not going to lie haha!) plus have more time to dedicate to my blog.

Thanks for reading!

 

Much love,

Gabriella xx

 

Babydoll Dress and Knee High Boots

 

Hey all! I'm back today with another outfit post. I wasn't lying when I said that I have practically run out of outfits to shoot (I really need to have a shopping trip). However, I found this little number hidden behind my purses in my closet. It must have fallen off the hanger and gotten covered with my numerous handbags. Nevertheless, I was so happy to have found it because that meant I could shoot one more outfit post before I have to drag myself to the mall to pick up some new outfits. But let's be real, that won't be too hard for a shopping addict like myself!

 

 

I was originally going to pair this dress with my chunky tan boots that I've featured in multiple outfits. But when I tried this dress on and found that it was quite short on my growing frame, I thought it would be best to balance out the shorter dress with knee high boots. I'm not going to lie, I felt like a Bratz doll wearing this outfit...Is that weird?

 

 

This cute little number is from Forever 21 and is the perfect dress for a warm spring day. I especially love the crochet detailing and tassels on the neckline as it gives the look a bohemian vibe, which I love during this time of year. Speaking of, is anyone going to Coachella this year? If you are,  am extremely jealous and if you happen to have an extra ticket, you know where to find me!

 

 

I already counting down the days until school is over and summer is here. I don't think I've mentioned it on my blog yet, but I'm actually graduating high school a year early! I've nearly got enough credits to graduate, so I'll just be taking two online classes to finish up my credits to graduate. I'm incredibly excited to just be done with school and move on to more exciting things. I will be doing another blog post talking about my future plans, so look out for that coming soon. I have different dreams and aspirations than most kids my age, so my future plans are quite different than the stereotype for our generation, but I'll go into that more in that blog post.

 

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions for blog post, whether that'd be fitness, recipes, or beauty, be sure to let me know!

 

Much love,

Gabriella

 

Links:

Dress (similar): http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress_mini&ProductID=2000184530&VariantID=

Boots (similar): http://us.asos.com/ASOS-KICK-IT-OFF-Over-The-Knee-Boots/17v1dv/?iid=5726725&affid=14174&channelref=google+shopping&mk=abc&currencyid=2&gclid=CjwKEAjw_oK4BRDym-SDq-aczicSJAC7UVRtzOR8CS-hDaQ4vLoy0XHZvEQVk4XPyW1iYeSyS519-xoCP47w_wcB&mporgp=L0FTT1MvQVNPUy1LSUNLLUlULU9GRi1PdmVyLVRoZS1LbmVlLUJvb3RzL1Byb2Qv