Music to Capture the Seasonal Feeling: Christmas Session

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you all are enjoying the holiday. I probably should have uploaded this yesterday, but here are some songs that I like to listen to on Christmas. These songs are new, old, and everywhere in between. I love listening to them, they definitely gets me into the holiday spirit. I hope you all enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

Toni Braxton- "The Christmas Song"

Boyz II Men- "Let It Snow"

Justin Beiber- "Christmas Eve"

Whitney Houston- "One wish for Christmas"

Chris Brown- "This Christmas"

Monica- "Grown Up Christmas List"

Jackson 5- "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

Jaime Foxx- "Christmas List"

Mariah Carey- "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

Music to Capture the Seasonal Feeling: Winter Session

Hey everyone! So in my last "Music to Capture the Seasonal Feeling" post I focused on music that would capture the Autumn feel. Well, now it's time to create our own Winter Wonderland. When I think of Winter I think of cuddling up in a warm blank or with a significant other. Winter is definitely a season for love. And Christmas and the giving spirit of course. Here are some of the songs that I've been listening to and enjoying during this bundle up season. For me, these songs aren't too energetic and not too slow to where they bore me, They're perfect. :) Enjoy!

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

"Blue Electric Roses"- Travis Garland
I recently came across Travis Garland on YouTube and apparently he's been an active artist for awhile. This song is amazing! I've had this song on constant rotation on my iPod for awhile. He's a really good artist and this song is perfect for that cool winter feel.











"Wrap Me Up"- Jhene Aiko
I decided to explore Jhene Aiko's music after noticing her appearances on Drake's most recent album 'Nothing Was the Same'. This song has been out for a few years I think, but I have a feeling that when it was first released it was released around Christmas time. Since a line in her songs says, "Every December you'd make sure you're here...". It's a great song to cuddle to, haha.












"Christmas Eve"- Justin Bieber
This song is like a year or two old, but I still listen to it. It's so cute! I love this song a lot. I'm not going to lie, I listen to this song year around. It's a great song for any couple, young or old. It's just a cute song, I love it, it's perfect for the holiday season.

"Kiss Me"- Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is an amazing artist. I think I've said that before in my last music post. This song is one of my all time favorites by him. The lyrics make me think of staying inside the house by the fire with a significant other while it's raining or snowing outside. I listen to this song all the time.

"Furthest Thing/ Hold On We're Going Home"- Ginette Claudette
Ginette Claudette is an up and coming artist that I came across on YouTube. She has an album already out called "Everything's Coming Up Roses". It's a really nice album. Ginette recently did her own rendition of two of Drake's songs "Furthest Thing" and "Hold On We're Going Home". It's one of my covers. It has a really nice r&b feel that I love oh so much.

"Woman's Worth"- Maxwell
This song is pretty old, but it's still so beautiful. This guy's voice is amazing and he still has his phenomenal voice today. "Woman's Worth" is one of many songs of his Now album, which in my opinion is one of his best albums ever. To be honest I don't have a clear understanding of what the song is about. I think I know, but regardless, if someone dedicated this song to me I would be flattered.

"Latch" (Acoustic Version)- Sam Smith
I think this song has been out for awhile, but I never knew what it was called. I found this song from watching a choreography done by Julie Zhan on YouTube. Her choreo to this song is one of my favorite choreo videos ever. I highly recommend you to go and check it! Click on the link, It's so romantic. The feels are definitely real from watching this. This song alone is super romantic. Can this be my wedding song when I get married? Lol, just kidding, it's too soon for me to be thinking out that kind of stuff. :)
















What songs do you all love listening to during the Winter season?

Stressing Over Finals

For some people finals are over or just about over, but for me I start finals next week. I feel pretty good about my finals this semester, but I'm still a little stressed. Since it's my first experience with college finals I want to create a healthy habit when it comes to approaching finals. Here are some tips on how to ease a little bit of the stress of finals. These stress relieving tips can be used for other things than just finals. It can be used to help ease the stress of work, relationships, personal life, and financial stress. You can even modify and personalize these tips to make them fun or more suitable for you. Make your routine unique! I hope you all enjoy. :)

Your Truly,

Carla Renee

xoxo

Stress Relieving Tips:

Listen to Music

Listening to your favorite artists will instantly relax your mind and body. Take a few minutes out of your day to sit back and clear your mind. Don't think of the things you have to do, just enjoy the moment for what it is. Music that is great for relieving stress is nature sounds. As cliche as it may seem, it's really helpful. Stop what you're doing, turn on some tunes, and enjoy the moment.

Talk to a Friend

Human to human communication is important, specially if it's communicating with a good friend of yours. You don't have to spend a whole day with that person. It can be a trip to a coffee shop or a 25 minute phone call. Talking to a friend eases stress because that person will either get your mind off of that stress or will tell you they're going through the same thing. If that's the case you won't feel alone and knowing that you're not alone will help you cope with stress a little bit easier. Laughing and chatting with a friend is always a good time and a fun stress reliever. It's something that shouldn't be taken for granted.

Eat Right

When we have so many things to do during the day we tend to grab the quickest and closest thing to us and sometimes the quickest and closest things to us aren't the healthiest. If we're studying for long hours we'll grab chips or a bag of candy. Anything that's easy to take with us and easy to eat. That's not always the best thing to do. Instead, grab some fruit and water. Fruit are known to help reduce stress. Eating right makes you feel more alert and it's healthy for you. It's basically a win win situation.

Be Mindful

Meditating and things like Yoga, Pilates and tai chi are great for long term stress relief. Try taking a class or just sit and meditate in a quiet room for 10 minutes. I personally like meditating. After 10 minutes of clearing my mind and deep breathing I feel a lot better and like my mind had organized itself. Making me feel less stressed out.

Drink Tea

Tea is a really soothing drink whether it is served hot or cold. To relieve stress, hot tea is the way to go. Tea has less than half the amount of caffeine and has healthy antioxidants. There are also different types of teas that are great for healing. Whether it is digestion, immunity, or to aid in alertness and relieving stress. I love tea, it's one of my favorite drinks and whenever I drink it I never feel stressed.

Sleep Tight

It's recommended to get at least 8-9hrs of sleep a night but honestly I haven't gotten that much sleep since I've started college. Turning your room into the perfect sleeping sanctuary will help you feel rejuvenated in the morning. To do this make sure that you try to avoid doing homework in your bed. If you accustom yourself to doing work on your bed whenever you get in bed you're gonna feel as if you need to be doing something and you won't feel as relaxed. Before it's time for you to go to sleep neatly pull back your covers so that your bed looks more appealing and more like it's welcoming you to go to sleep. If your bed is tempting you to go to sleep when you get into bed you'll feel more at ease and fall asleep. And lastly, turn off all of the lights and have the room temperature to your liking. A dark room will help you fall asleep because you can't see in the dark so you can't look around. All of these steps will turn your room into a sleep sanctuary and will help you feel rejuvenated for the next day, no matter how many hours of sleep you may get. 

Staying Cute and Warm in the Crisp Winter Weather

Hey lovelies, even though it is technically still Autumn, December has brought in the Winter chill and it is definitely starting to set in, especially in San Francisco. Here are some ideas of staying warm and cute in the wind chill of the upcoming winter. Below are some of my favorite individual items and outfits.
Hope you enjoy. :)


Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

Cardigans: Recently since I've moved to NorCal I have fallen in love with cardigans. They're so cute and warm. You can wear them with jeans or leggings. I personally love wearing cardigans with leggings and knit beanies. 

Infinity Scarves: Before moving up north I didn't really like scarves. In the area that I lived in scarves weren't really necessary because it never got that cold. Since I didn't need them I didn't wear them and I didn't feel like wearing a scarf as a fashion statement. But, now that I need them in San Francisco they've become one of my favorite things to wear! I wear them for warmth and as a fashion statement.

Boots: Boots are now one of my obsessions, point blank. Whether they are heeled boots like these, under the knee high boots or cute flat boots like the ones below. I'll wear them. Especially with a cardigan and a cute pair of leggings.

Here are some outfit ideas for the winter season that I find super cute!

Over the past season or two I have gotten into neutral colors like beige. I've also found a new love for the color maroon. I feel like neutral colors can go with anything. That's probably why they're called neutral colors in the first place, lol.

Purple has always been a favorite color of mine since I could remember. The knit cardigan and grey boots go perfect with the jeans and what's great about the color of the cardigan is that any pattern and color scarf goes well with it. Another pro to neutral colors. :)

Here is a simple outfit with a cardigan and boots. I couldn't turn it away because of the light brown and dark brown combination. The boots are cute and can be worn in any weather because they're made out of leather.

I really like this outfit because it's not dressy, it's simple, and it's still really cute. All that's needed is your favorite pair of skinny jeans, a zip up sweater, warm knit boots, and a purse. I personally don't think the kind of purse matters. It can be a backpack purse or a regular purse. You'll still look cute.

Another outfit that I love now that I have to dress warmer is definitely the combination of long skit sweaters and leggings. I feel like it's a cute and innocent look. There also isn't anything difficult about the outfit and it's still really cute. It can be an easy go to outfit if you don't know what to wear. Another thing I like about this outfit is that you can do so much with it. You can wear boots, add a scarf, and/or a beanie with it. Either way, you'll look and feel warm and comfortable.

 I hope you enjoyed these outfit ideas. Hopefully they inspired you to create your own personal winter wonderland wardrobe. No matter what, the best outfit is the one that is stylish and one that you love. <3

More Than Just Water

I don't know about all of you, but I've always heard that it's important to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I've gone online to find out how much water we really need to drink a day. From all of my findings it is safe to say that we should all drink at least 8 glasses a day, or a little over a liter of water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated. I don't mind water too much, but after awhile the plainness of water gets tiring and I give in to juice and soda. I've found some ways to make water more enjoyable and naturally tasteful. It's easy to make and you can make an abundant amount of it so that you can take it in a travel cup and store the rest in your refrigerator for later. It's a great way of staying healthy and enjoying great flavors. All of these recipes are natural. The only ingredients you need are water and the fruits and vegetables of your choice. Don't be afraid to experiment and add your own little spins to these recipes. Think of them as a foundation to something healthy and delicious that you can make on your own. Enjoy. :)

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

With making fruit/vegetable water there are only 3 easy steps:

1) Cut up the fruit/vegetable of your choice and place it in a pitcher

2) Fill the pitcher with water. (ice is optional)
   *I like using ice in my individual servings, I feel like the chill of the ice enhances the flavors*

3) Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse
 

Here are some fruit/vegetable water ideas and the benefits of drinking them:

Lemon Water: Lemon water is probably the most common known infusion of fruit and water. In restaurants the waiter/waitress usually asks if you want lemon with your water. Well, there are health benefits to this simple and common known combination. Lemon water helps stimulate and regulate the digestive track. It also helps fight infections and promotes the immune system due to it's Vitamin C content.

Cucumber Water: Cucumber water is rich with vitamins and calcium. Cucumbers are 95% water so you're adding more water to your water, if that makes sense, lol. Cucumbers are great for hydrating your skin and helps filter the liver and kidneys. To add even more flavor to your cucumber water, mint is a good complementary flavor. Mint can help with a more effective digestion and help relax cramped up stomach muscles.

Sweet-Tart: Stir 2 cups pineapple chunks, 1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries, and 3 cored and thinly sliced granny smith apples.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)










Strawberry Basil Blast: Scrunch 8 fresh mint leaves to release their flavors. Combine 3 cups of halved strawberries and gently muddle with a wooden spoon or spatula.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)

Orangeberry: Gently muddle 5 thinly sliced oranges and 2 cups raspberries.

(This recipe makes 2 quarts. Top ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill jar or pitcher with water, stir, and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors infuse)











The last 3 recipes I got from Prevention.com. Click on the link and it will take you to the page with these recipes along with 23 other delicious fruit water ideas and recipes. Hopefully these recipes help and hopefully these will help us drink more water and enjoy the natural taste of fruit and water.

ChinaTown and JapanTown, San Francisco, California

ChinaTown and JapanTown are definitely their own towns within San Francisco. Once you step into one of these towns it's like you've entered a whole new realm. I've been to ChinaTown a couple of times since I've been in SF and I love going there. Before any shopping or exploring I have to go to a tea shop for free tea tasting. The tea is freshly brewed right in front of you and the guy, Kenny, really knows his stuff about tea. Kenny's shop is the only tea shop I go to for tea tasting. Here's a link to his website, it's worth a look. I'll also have the address to his shop down below.

One day when I explored ChinaTown with a friend we decided to head over to JapanTown since I had never been there. Once we got to JapanTown my heart exploded, haha. I love JapanTown. The mall there has to separate buildings. There's an eastern side and western side. The mall has a lot of anime stores, for those who love anime like I do, and it also has a lot of Japanese restaurants that I would love to try one day. If you're in San Francisco I recommend visiting ChinaTown and JapanTown at least once. Enjoy. :)

Yours Truly,
Carla Renee
xoxo

Tea tasting in ChinaTown! 

Here is the address to the tea shop: 

Vital TeaLeaf 509 Grant Ave. San Francisco, CA 94108 

The bridge in the JapanTown mall. I forgot what building it is in. It's really cool. You have to walk on the bridge to get to the second floor. :D 

Macaroons in the JapanTown mall at a little stand called Cako. The macaroons are so cute and delicious and cheap too!