cheap but cute but cheap

The worst part about being a blogger is the fact that you’re constantly reading other blogs. 

Ok, reading other blogs isn’t the issue, it’s the content within these blogs. Everything is always so cute and perfect and I am always wanting new things. That being said, I was perusing Caroline’s blog from Citrus and Style and discovered a pair of booties from Forever 21 and I knew the second I saw the price tag that I needed to purchase them. So I did. And then I also bought a sweater, because in my mind, getting free shipping by spending more money seemed cheaper and more reasonable than just buying the booties and paying the shipping costs. 

These are the booties that I bought and now I’m going to go sit in the campus post office until they arrive. 

Do you know of any cheap but cute but cheap things out there that I should buy?

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe

virtual closet

Finding an outfit before an 8am class is a challenge within itself. Finding a cute outfit before an 8am class is beyond challenging, it’s equivalent to running an ultra marathon with no prior training. In fact, if you look cute the day you have an 8am, you deserve an award (preferably a Starbucks with extra shots of whatever has the most caffeine). 

I happen to have an 8am three days of the week, and the struggle has been real as of lately. I decided I am going to make virtual outfits (because I can and it’s easier than buying new clothes) to prove to people that I know what cute outfits look like, I just don’t have the time or the money (thanks, college) to actually look put together on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. 

So here’s outfit number one. Also, mom, if you’re reading this, consider it a prequel to my birthday wish list (love you). 

1. jeans
2. sweater
3. backpack
4. shoes

Thanks for reading! 
xox
​Chloe 

Pedaling into Fall

This post is sponsored by Flonase® Allergy Relief. 

One the days I don’t have time to hike, I still have to get outdoors. Biking saves me when I’m in a time crunch, when I’m looking for a low-impact way to spend the afternoon outdoors, or when I feel like exploring Denver.

Luckily, I’m not the only one in the family who enjoys riding bikes. In fact, our garage is completely overrun with cruisers, mountain bikes, and road bikes… and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Although a few of us in the family enjoy hiking, everyone looks forward to our bike rides. It may have something to do with the fact that our favorite pathway leads right to our favorite ice-cream shop!

I also love how biking has become so popular. There are tons of new products on the market, and some other items that every rider must-have! A few of my must-haves (and wants) for my bike rides include:

1. Bike: Go high tech, go cute or go both. In pink, obviously.

2. Pink helmet:  Since you’re going to wear a helmet, make it a fancy one that also protects. Bonus points to this helmet for also fitting with the sunglasses.

3. FLONASE® Allergy Relief: Blowing your nose on a bike ride is not only hard, but annoying. My allergies won’t give me a rest! Fall is one of the worst times for my allergies and Flonase is my go-to remedy. Suffering from fall allergies? Here are some fun facts that may explain why:

“Ragweed pollen is the source for many common fall allergy symptoms. It grows throughout the United States and releases pollen from August to November. Mold is also a typical trigger for autumn allergies. Molds are fungi (not the ones you eat in salads) that thrive in moist, damp environments. The rotting leaves of fall provide an excellent home for mold growth, and to the detriment of allergy sufferers, release spores into the air to reproduce. These tiny spores are often the culprit for those runny noses and watery, itchy eyes you see in allergy sufferers.” You can read the full article on Flonase.com here. 

4. Bike bell:  Don’t be that person who scares runners by not letting them know you are coming!

5. Pink sunglasses:  Why wear cycling sunglasses? Well, yes, they are definitely a fashion accessory but lightweight, polarized sunglasses protect your eyes from bright sunlight and harmful UV rays, and also offer shield you from the wind, rain, dust, grit and bugs that can impair your vision. 

6. Smarthalo:  I’m dying to get this smart hub for your bike. The SmartHalo finds routes and bike paths by syncing with your phone and giving you directions on a light halo right on your handlebars. It also tracks your progress as soon as you start pedaling. It’s a night light, that can’t be stolen. But wait, there’s more. SmartHalo notifies you of incoming calls and SMS, directly on your handlebar and also gives weather alerts. But the best feature is that if anyone bothers your bike, a loud alarm will sound. Seems like the only thing it can’t do is pedal for me.

Image by Terry Bicycles via Pinterest

After your bike ride, wind down and check out the Flonase® Fall of Fame to see some of the cutest pets in the country. Be sure to vote for your favorite submission here.

Have fun pedaling your way into fall!

~Kim

an embarrassing story

I’m the queen of embarrassment. Not a day goes by where I don’t embarrass myself somehow, in someway, somewhere. It doesn’t matter if I’m with my best friend, my mom, my brother, a boy I have a crush on, or just by myself. I will embarrass myself. 

So with that being said, I have an embarrassing story to tell. Every time I post an embarrassing story on the internet, I ask myself why, but then I think it could make someone chuckle (and therefore make their day a little bit better) or someone can relate to me and make me feel like less of an embarrassment to society. Either way works, really. 

So, it all started Sunday morning. I woke up pretty early for a weekend, we’re talking 7am, and a boy on my floor also happened to be awake. We went outside to sit by the pond by our dorm so we could talk without waking everyone else in our dorm up, and while chatting, we decided that we should take a little drive up to the mountains by our college. I was super excited to get off campus for a little bit and explore the beautiful scenery up close, because I usually only stare at it from afar. 

So we then hopped in his car, took a pit stop at Starbucks for some breakfast, and then headed up the mountain, windows down, music playing. 

When we got there, we parked in a little parking lot and walked to the lookout point. It really wasn’t too far of a walk, but there were a ton of rocks that we had to climb over. I jokingly told my friend that if I hurt myself it was his fault.

We finally made it to the lookout point and sat and enjoyed the scenery. It seriously was prettier than anything I had ever seen before. After we finished taking in the beauty, we headed back to the car. 

I made it past the big rocks, and by the time I got to the little rocks I stopped paying attention because they really weren’t that intimidating. This was a big mistake. I ended up tripping on a little baby rock, falling to the ground, and severely hurting my ankle. 

I didn’t realize how badly I had hurt myself until I stood up. Luckily, my friend had taken my arm, because the second I stood up, I felt intense pain and all the blood rushed to my head. I then proceeded to faint. On top of my friend. 

I remember waking up sprawled across him wondering how the heck I ended up on the ground. I was absolutely mortified that I knocked him to the ground, but luckily he only ended up with a few scratches. 

So not only did I severely sprain my ankle, but I fainted on top of my friend. 

This story is so embarrassing that I feel like it will be one that I end up telling my kids and eventually my grandkids. Everything that could have gone wrong on our little adventure did go wrong. 

As I type this, three days later, I have a big boot on my foot and can barely walk across campus. Life is rough as a clumsy college student, let me tell you. 

Do you have any embarrassing stories that I need to hear about?
Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe

limited edition listerine bottle

There are cliché parts of every season that scream happiness and contentedness. 

In the summer time, it’s feeling of sand in your toes and salt in your hair. 

In the spring, it’s feeling the sun on your skin again for the first time in what seems like forever.

In the winter, it’s snuggling up in a big cozy blanket while sipping a delicious hot cocoa. 

But, in the fall, my favorite of all seasons, it’s flannel and plaid and leaves on the ground, and giggles, and blankets, and earlier sunsets. 

This is a sponsored post by Social Stars for LISTERINE®. #RinseMadeMad

Plaid just screams coziness, and well, homeyness. It’s just that thing that brings comfort to your life, effortlessly. I can’t put my finger on exactly what makes plaid so comforting, but there’s something about it, something special, that just makes it quintessential to the season. 

It feels like I was just at the pool, soaking up rays of sunshine and sipping cold lemonade. But, this morning, out of no where, the leaves were just on the ground. Fall appeared so quickly and suddenly and it makes me so happy that the seasons are finally shifting and another “new” is upon us. 

Speaking of new, LISTERINE® just released a new, limited edition, plaid bottle. LISTERINE® has always been a trendsetter. They're now taking it to a new level through a partnership with Target's Mad for Plaid collection. Find this awesome limited0edition bottle of LISTERINE® until October 31. It screams happiness, and all my friends are jealous of the fact that my LISTERINE® looks like it belongs hanging up in my closet. Seriously, who would have thought how much packaging could change the way you feel about rinsing your mouth.

That being said, run, don’t walk, to your local Target and pick yourself up a bottle. It’ll inspire you to have a more comfy fall and to break out the flannels and sweaters, even if it is still 80 degrees out. To find out more about LISTERINE® Brand products, visit www.listerine.com. Cartwheel Offer- 10% off, Buy 3 bottles get one free (in-stores) at Cartwheel.
Feel free to check out LISTERINE® on Facebook and Twitter as well. 

Also, side note, can we just talk about the pictures in this post for a minute? They're taken by a boy named Marshall who lives in my dorm. He is absolutely amazing with photography, and I'm just so impressed with his skill. College is so amazing, because it has allowed me to meet so many talented people, including Marshall. Please check out his Instagram account and give him some love! 

Thanks for reading!
xox
Chloe 

when i grow up

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

It’s the question that has kind of been relevant our entire lives. From drawing our dream job in kindergarten (I fluctuated between teacher and princess, depending on the day I was asked), to writing one page papers in middle school (still wanted to be a teacher, and on some days, a princess), to picking our major in college (moved away from teacher, realized princess wasn't in my cards, and moved on to strategic communications), we’ve been constantly asked this question since before we can remember. The nurse in the hospital probably asked me what I wanted to be the second I came out of the womb. 

Now that I’ve started college and picked my major, I’m feeling like this daunting question has become a reality. I’m officially starting the path of my future. Sure, I started my path in middle and high school, but in college it feels more official. 

When I grow up, I want to be a creative director. I want to be in charge of the creative side of marketing and I want to help with branding. I want to live a creative lifestyle that influences and affects people’s lives in the best and most inspirational way possible.
I want to make change through creativity. 

In college, I’m taking courses that apply to this dream. One of my courses is called Concepts and Creativity: Digital Storytelling. Yesterday, in my class, we had a discussion on Barbie. Where she came from, how she’s changed throughout the years based on social norms, and how many people are affected by her… even college aged boys. I never imagined how much Barbie affected my life, but she can take the credit for most of my love of all things girly. Weird how such a, seemingly, small part of my life can have so much influence over me. 

Another class that I’m taking is called Idea Industries where we discuss the behind the scenes of the marketing and media world. You know the eTrade baby commerical?  Well the guy who came up with the entire concept came and spoke to my class. How cool is that? We’ve also had a ton of other phenomenal guest speakers, and my professor is absolutely out of this world amazing. 

Learning what I want to learn, and learning about my possible future is this crazy cool thing. College really is an amazing place, and I regret rolling my eyes every time someone told me that “college is the best four years of your life.”
Five weeks in, and I’m already understanding why it’s true.

Thanks for reading! 
xox
Chloe