Q&A

What editing app do you use for your Instagram? Your pictures always look amazing!

Thank you so much! I use LightRoom to edit all of my pictures for Instagram and my blog. I have the paid subscription but they do have a free app you can download on your phone! I use the Apsyn Ovard presets on all of my pics! I will link them HERE if you want to check them out!! I love using presets because they give all your pictures the same feel and makes your feed more cohesive!

What is your dream job? What is the more realistic job you foresee yourself doing?

For as long as I can remember I have always dreamed of being a teacher! I will be a senior this upcoming fall and I will graduate in the spring with my degree in early childhood education! My dream is to teach kindergarten in an inner-city school. I really want to make a difference and being the love in someone else’s life. I will also continue to blog and share the things I am loving! My blog means so much to me and I am so lucky to have to this platform. I will continue to work hard on my blog and we will see where it takes me! I

Please!!! Talk more about your diet and fitness routine and what you do to stay fit.

I wrote a blog post talking a little about living a healthy lifestyle: Liv’s Tips for a Happy Healthy Life
But I will share what I wrote about my diet and my fitness routine!!

Workout

I’m definitely not the queen of the gym and don’t know how to use all the fancy equipment, but I really do love working out! As Elle Woods once said, ” Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy.” Now, who doesn’t want to be happy???? I can honestly say, on the days I workout I am happier, more productive and I feel great. Sometimes it can be very challenging to stay motivated to go to the gym or go for a run, I just try to go and get it over with. I think of how great I am going to feel and the good that it will do for my body. I workout to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, not really to look a certain way. I am truly confident in my body and the way I look, I have noticed over the years that if you are working out to look a certain way, it is so much harder. You feel like you are never doing enough and that your work and dedication is never paying off. Once I took the mindset of working out to feel good and to live a healthier lifestyle, it all changed for me. I became confident in my body because my body rewarded me for it. I look and feel the best I ever had and it didn’t feel like that much work at all.

From then on I wanted to treat my body will respect and fuel it will everything it needs. Working out shouldn’t be a chore but something that enhances your life and your day. I would say I workout on average 4 times per week or less, whatever my body feels like doing. This just works for me, I feel good inside and out. For me, I don’t want to workout every single day or do super intense workouts. I really try to listen to my body and see what it needs. If I’m feeling tight, I will walk on the treadmill and then stretch and train my arms. If I have a lot of energy and I’m feeling like I’m ready to go then I will do some HIIT cardio (high-intensity interval training). I really love doing this because I blast my music and sprint on the treadmill, it’s honestly fun! I will train my abs every time I workout out too! Sticking to this routine and eating healthy makes me feel so confident in my body and I hope everyone can achieve that. You are beautiful inside and out and you need to believe it sista!

Eat a Balanced Diet

Eating healthy is one of the things that makes me feel my very best. I am by no means perfect at eating healthy or a nutritionist. I am going to share what works for and hopefully, it can help you out too! Now I’m not saying I don’t treat myself to chocolate or ice cream because I usually do every day. If donuts make you happy, you need to eat some donuts girl, but in moderation. It is all about balance and finding what works for you by listening to your body. I have found what works best for me and what makes me feel amazing! I like to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and good sources of protein like chicken and nuts. I have pretty much eliminated dairy out of my diet because my body doesn’t really have a tolerance for it and I don’t like the way it makes me feel. I do still eat small amounts of cheese from time to time, but I usually regret it lol but it just tastes so good! This is an example of never putting any food off limits that you really love because they are “bad” for you, one salad isn’t going to make you healthy and one bag of chips isn’t going to make you fat. It’s all about moderation and balance, I’ve learned. So I’m going to give an example of my favorite meal, breakfast!! I’m also going to share some of my fav junk food because I can’t eat healthy for every single meal or I’ll go insane, anyone else with me on that one? lol

Breakfast:

-Avocado Toast and Berries

– Daves killer bread

– Half of an avocado

-Pinch of salt

-Handful of raspberries

This is just my go-to breakfast because it is so yummy and filling. Raspberries are my favorite fruit and I have to have them on hand at all times. Now I’m gonna share my a few junk food favorites because, in my opinion, it’s important to treat yo self and not restrict yourself from the goodies you love. When I’m in the mood for something salty I love eating salt and vinegar kettle chips. When I want something sweet I go for Reese’s peanut butter cups or ice cream!

What is your favorite restaurant, fav snack, fav drink, fav meal? 🙂

My favorite restaurant is Barrio, love me some tacos!! As a snack, I really like eating a banana or a granola bar! I love love love coffee! My fav meal is the lemon thyme chicken my mama makes, so yummy!!!!

Can you talk about your bf! Cute things you guys do together or your favorite memory? How did he ask you out?

Of course!! We meet freshman year of college and we have been dating for about two and a half years, so crazy how fast time has gone by!! He is the most amazing boy and we have the best together! We love to go on dinner dates, play mini golf, go see a movie or go on a walk. My fav memory is when I beat him in mini golf for the first time, he was so mad, it was hilarious!!!! I haven’t been able to beat him since. You better watch out Tommy John!!

How to stay cute and in style on a budget?

One of my biggest tips is to shop at places like Forever 21 and H&M! They have really been stepping it up lately for cheaper options of clothing that are currently on trend. I always shop at Forever 21 and will continue to! I am a firm believer that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to look good. I also recommend thrift shopping, you can find lots of good things. I always buy Levi jeans for like $4 and then cut them or distress them. My sister even found an authentic Gucci belt at our local Salvation Army! Another one of my greatest tips is to shop on eBay!! A lot of the bloggers I follow on Instagram recommend the same! I bought my Tory Burch Millers with the original box and dust bag for only $50!!! Isn’t that crazy??!!! I have also purchased 2 Tory Burch purses and Lulu Lemon leggings off of eBay! It’s basically just like thrift shopping. I mean really why not buy designer things used, I’m too clumsy to be trusted with a brand new designer item anyways lol

Do you make money off of your blog?

I actually do!! With RewardStyle and Like.to.Know.it I make a small commission, usually, 15%-20% of all sales purchased using my links. I am so grateful for all of the support, it means the world to me when you use my links!!

How do you make your outfits look cute all the time what do you look for when you go shopping?

I believe accessories and a good pair of shoes are key!! I LOVE adding statement earrings to my outfits and I really think they add a lot. You can buy them so cheap at Charming Charlie and they are so cute!! Also, a really cute pair of nude sandals will take you places. When I go shopping, I will either look for basic items that can be styled many different ways or I will look for a statement piece.

Fav hair products?

100% It’s a 10 leave in conditioner!!! I have a blog post that talks all about my fav products for keeping my hair healthy. You can read it HERE! I also have my hair products linked under my shop tab!

What are your favorite scents, candles, lotions and then perfumes?

I really love fresh floral scents. I love gardenia scented candles and Gucci Bloom is my favorite perfume!!

What are your top 5 favorite stores??? Cheap and affordable!!! What are your little tips and tricks for getting cheap clothes or finding cheap places?

Fav stores: Forever 21, T.J. Maxx, Shein, Nordstrom, and Target. Always always always head straight to the sale section and work from there. The Forever 21 sale section is amazing and I always end up getting really cute pieces for around $4. T.J. Maxx is also a great place for cheap items, I can never leave without something in my cart! Just be picky about what you buy, I would never spend $50+ dollars on one item because I could buy 3-4 items with that money! Just shop smart and save yo dolla bills!!!

Fake tanning!!!!!!! Do you constantly keep up with it?? How do you manage to look tan and AMAZING 24/7!!!!! Do you always lather? How do you keep it from not shedding?? Staying intact? Favorite product/routine when it comes to fake tanning?

The only tanning product I continue to use again and again is from St. Moritz in the color dark or ultra dark. I fake tan about once a week and this tan never streaks or anything! It is so easy to apply, I just us a mitt that I bought at Ulta. This is the only tanning product that works for me and is soooo affordable.

What are some products that no matter what you always go back to using because they always work for you????

What are your all-time favorite holy grail products? I’ll list categories: foundation, concealer, mascara, eyebrow products, lipgloss/lipstick!!!!!!!

I will combine the last 2 questions and link everything!!!!

How did you build your website?

I used a WPZoom template on WordPress and bought my domain name on GoDaddy.com. I really had no clue what I was doing so I watched a lot of YouTube videos for help. It can be very frustrating if you do not understand the WordPress software, but you will get used to it!

How did you start to promote your blog and make it bigger/more successful?

Once I started being very consistent with my blog posts I started to see the views increase. Also posting more frequently on Instagram and just being yourself. I used to be so nervous (still a little am) to share more about myself on social media. But once I started to, my numbers went up! I have been trying to focus on Instagram and grow my following there and then, in turn, direct them to my blog!

Best advice for a long distance relationship within college… I’m really nervous because I don’t want to lose what we have and want the relationship to keep progressing forward, but I want us to be able to meet new people at our separate colleges and still have fun. Ahhh://

I would just try to be on the same page in your relationship. Before you go away to college, talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend about how you want the long distance relationship to work. I recommend facetiming them or chatting on the phone while at school. Don’t be too attached to the point where you don’t go out and try to meet new people and make friends. You still have to be your own person because you never know what will happen in the future.

I’ll be moving to Cleveland soon, and I want to know all of the go-to musts for the city. Anything from shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, anything! Thank you!

How exciting!!! I love shopping at the Beachwood Mall and Legacy Village. My fav restaurant is Barrio, best tacos, and queso ever!! I also love Nervous Dog coffee shop and love Chagrin falls, such cute shops and restaurants!