Celebrating Chinese New Year with Toyota

I'm a gal who needs to get places. Client meetings, photo shoots, yoga, dance class, events - you name it and I'm probably on my way there. Having since left the city for the East Bay, my commute has changed in every possible way. Before, I'd call a car, take the bus, or just huff it. Long walk across the city? Been there, done that. Sit on the bus for an hour to move three miles? Unfortunately, yes. Drive myself there, though? That's one I didn't really touch. That is until I moved to the East Bay. 

Now my preferred mode of transportation is almost always the car. And, I'll be honest, before my move, I forgot about the joys of driving. Get there faster? Almost always. Heater on my feet? Oh yeah. Zen out with a podcast or two? For sure. Now, imagine adding in seat warmers, a compact size perfect for city parking, and bright LED headlights to light up night drives like never before. That, my friends, is known as driving with Toyota. As you know, I've been partners with the brand since late last year. Over the course of our time together, I've had the pleasure of testing and driving a handful of cars. Each time, it's always so much fun. This time around, we worked together to celebrate Chinese New Year, which is a really amazing time in the Bay Area. (For all you fact fiends out there, San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest one outside of Asia!). Needless to say, it was a good time out. 

Get Grill-Ready for the Fourth with #LuckySummer!

The more time I spend at home, the more time I love trying new recipes and putting my kitchen to use. I've gotten pretty good at all of the breakfast and brunch dishes, so have been concentrating on nailing the perfect meals for entertaining now that summer is on the horizon. One thing I love about summer is all of the summer barbeques! Though, I'll admit that I'm usually attending a BBQ rather than hosting one... until now! For the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, I was asked by Carusele to share my grilling chops and recipe ideas for the season, by participating in the #LuckySummer campaign, sponsored by Save Mart. But don't worry, even though I have been compensated, as always, all opinions are my own! Derrick and I were excited to get some pre-4th practice in with a few easy grilling options for veggies and meat. After the jump, see what we made, how we made it, and grab some tips for your own Fourth of July fiesta.

Getting Ready for Lunar New Year with Ling Ling Asian Kitchen

This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. 

One of the resolutions I made going into the new year was to cook at home more. Last year, I spent a fortune on take-out and wanted to find a way to cut down on costs. Well, the universe must have been listening to me because I was recently invited to take part in a Lunar New Year-themed cooking class with Ling Ling Asian Kitchen, hosted by Chef Katie Chin. Who here is familiar with them? I remember when I was younger, my mom used to purchase the Ling Ling brand potstickers for me at Costco (and boy did I love them!). So, imagine my glee when I got invited to cook with the brand! Full circle moment, you guys. I had always been familiar with the brand's potstickers but had no idea that they also made noodles and fried rice products. If you're just finding out about these products, or even the brand for the first time, then keep on reading - because I've got more for you. 

Stacker Style: Kickin' it with Keds

Time and time again, I will tell you that I cannot settle when it comes comfort. In fact, the older I get, the less I'm willing to compromise when it comes to what makes me feel good and happy. And, because I'm embracing the less is more mantra, it's even more important that the things I fill my closet with are good quality, versatile, and, of course, worth my money! I recently slipped on a pair of Keds and took them for a whirl. I had always known about the brand, but never had the opportunity to try a pair on for size. First off, I had no idea how many different styles of Keds there are out there! I'm a classic gal and really wanted a pair of basic white sneakers, so I went with these. I couldn't have been happier with my selection - not only do they go with everything (jeans & tee? yeah! dress? no problem!), they also happen to be comfortable as comfortable gets. I've been wearing them on long walks around town, to work, and everywhere in between. I even wore them to Outside Lands. What's a better test than a 3-day music festival, right? And yes, my feet survived and my favorite new sneaks passed the festival footwear test. 

Stacker Style: #SayHi to My New Favorite Jeans Thanks to Old Navy

There's a lot of simple pleasures in life, and one of mine is finding a really good pair of jeans. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that many women get just as giddy when they find a pair that feels and looks good. Think about it - think about how many pairs of jeans you have in your closet that are stretchy, comfy, feel good, make your legs look long, and make your bum look good. Theoretically, all our clothes should make us feel that good, but the truth is sometimes we strike out! A few months back, I was introduced to a pair of jeans that I now have two of in my closet. Want to hear more? Of course you do, so read more after the jump!

Stacker Style: Outside Lands 2016 - Day 3

We made it! The final day of Outside Lands and what do you know... the sun came out to play! Which couldn't have worked out better because I saved this pretty set for last in hopes that it'd be warm enough to wear. Luckily for me, it was. You know from posts past that I love me a good maxi. What do I love more than a good maxi? A good maxi set. Tobi, you sure came through for your girl.

Stacker Style: Outside Lands 2016 - Day 2

Day two was colder than the first, which surprisingly enough, wasn't something I prepared for. Yeah, yeah - I went on and on about how prepared I was for day one, but couldn't get it together for day two? Well, let me just tell you that everyone I was with was equally as surprised by how much colder it was on Saturday. Thanks a lot, weather app! But, in all seriousness, I didn't do too bad. On day two, I came back in black. At one point I looked like I was from The Craft - I wore this beautiful matte brown lippie that actually made me look super goth, so I had to pull a switcheroo right before stepping out the door to a deeper tone. All in all? I think I nailed it... (come on, I had to!).

Stacker Style: Outside Lands 2016 - Day 1

There's no place that makes me happier than a festival - the music, the food, the good vibes - it's all bliss. Outside Lands is my second festival of 2016 (Coachella being my first of the year), and I still have two more to go (Austin City Limits at the end of next month and Treasure Island in October)! In fact, I think this year marks my sixth year in a row of OSL-ing (check out some of my past OSL years, here). So, yeah, I guess you can say I know a thing or two about that festival life. One of the best things about festivals is the creativity associated with what to wear - I, myself, am much more partial to the warmer festivals, because it seems sort of wrong having to lug around a parka, scarf, beanie, and more, right? Well, OSL is one of the festivals where the cold is just a given (thanks, Karl). Luckily for me, this year Tobi had my back.  

Food Friday: Charcuterie with Columbus Craft Meats

If there's one thing I love, it's a three-day weekend. They're far and few, so when they come around, I'm all about them. More often than not, I prefer to get out of town and get to exploring. But, when an extra day is involved, I love hosting, having people over, and sometimes, taking that extra day just for me! Sometimes, it's nice to put together a little somethin' somethin' - whatever the occasion. Girls' night? You betcha. Date night for two? Yes, yes. Solo night in? Absolutely. So, in the spirit of the three day weekend, I've partnered with Columbus Craft Meats to give you three easy peasy charcuterie plate ideas. You can take one, take all, mix, match - whatever works for you!

Festival Footwear with Restricted Shoes + GIVEAWAY!

WooHoo! It's my favorite time of the year - you know what it is. Festival season! I'm a festival girl at heart - the music, the food, the atmosphere, the overall joy of dancing with zero inhibitions - it's all my favorite. I've gone to a my fair share of festivals -  Outside Lands, Treasure Island, Austin City Limits, BottleRock - but there's nothing like the one that kicks off the season, my dear, Coachella. This year, I'm partnering with Restricted for another round of my take on festive footwear and all-day dancing shoes. You may remember we worked together for Coachella (here) and Outside Lands (here), so I'm super stoked to head to another festival with them! I'm obviously a big proponent of comfortable, but fashionable footwear, and if it matters anywhere, it matters at a music festival. You're on your feet for hours on end, dancing, walking, running, you name it, so it's important to keep your feet happy - especially if you want to make it for a full three-day stint! Read more to see what I've picked out to keep my feet company this time around, to learn about my Coachella plans and how you can see live updates from the festival, anddd, to find out how you can find a gift card to Restricted! 

Food Friday: Four Favorite Foodie Spots in San Mateo

Alright, you guys. Here's the scoop. I recently partnered with HP, who is currently on tour with Meghan Trainor (you know her from her catchy "All About the Bass" hit), to #BendTheRules bring you a different kind of Food Friday stack today. Taking inspiration from their HP x360's four modes (laptop, tablet, tent and stand), they've asked me to interpret the number four in any way I'd like. What a better way to do so than with a super stacked Food Friday post, right? (Four times the noms, y'all!)

You know that I'm always sharing what I eat with you over on Instagram, but not all the places I dine at are SF-based. Take for instance, last week's trip to Oakland. Thought I'd flip the script once again and take you to the other side of town. Having grown up in the Peninsula, I have more than a couple of favorite places that I like to give my money to on the regular. And because I love them, I thought you just might, too. So, if you find yourself in San Mateo, here are four foodie spots you've just got to visit.

Beauty Bites: bareMinerals' Complexion Rescue

It's that time again - another Beauty Bites post, y'all ready? Here we go. I recently had the pleasure of partnering with bareMinerals to test out their new Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Cream, which launched just last week. I was really excited to try this because as someone who doesn't use powder or foundation, a light, moisturizing tinted cream is basically about as "foundation-y" as I will get. I know that sounds a little silly, but it's true! While I love what powders and foundations do for the skin, I personally tend to overheat (seriously) when I wear them, so I stick to moisturizers (or BB creams, if I am feeling especially fancy). So, when I was invited to try out bare's newest product launch, I thought it couldn't have been a more perfect fit.

Winter Whites with Nordstrom Rack

Who would have thought that the holiday season would get here so quickly? I swear one minute we were in Indian summer mode and now all of a sudden here we are preparing for the winter. However, I will say that one thing I love about this time of year is how cozy everything gets. Chunky knits, wool coats, fuzzy sweaters and scarves -- all things I very much look forward to snuggling up in. I have to admit that I do the summer far better than I do the winter, but thanks to Nordstrom Rack, I was able to stock up on some cold-weather essentials without breaking the bank.

Dream a Little Dream

I've always been a gal chasing dreams. Ever since I was younger, I've been a goal digger -- listing out my dreams one by one and crossing them off, line after line. I'll admit that sometimes I get caught up in trying to make my dreams come true and forget to enjoy the journey that goes along with it. Luckily, sometimes there are outside signs that find you and remind you that the journey to the dream is worth slowing down for.

Outside Lands 2014: Day One

Another Outside Lands festival has come to an end, and boy, am I having withdrawals. It's no secret that I am an avid festival-goer. I love the free-spirited feelings, the loud music, the dancing-with-no-inhibitions, and the good, good vibes. There's nothing that music can't heal, so imagine three days of non-stop, back-to-back jams! This year, I was so very excited to partner up with my pals at Chictopia to give followers a look at Outside Lands through the eyes of an true Bay Area native. From the fashion and art to the music and food, I tried to capture it all for my Instagram-takeover. If you didn't catch all my snaps on Instagram, fear not - I've got dayssss worth of posts to catch you up, starting with this one.

look up challenge

When it's time for me to unwind, and more importantly, unplug, I like to do things for me - read a book, take a yoga class, buy some fresh flowers, get a mani, or just go outside and enjoy the day. It's tough to unplug, especially when you work full time in social media and then run a blog, but it's also really refreshing and freeing. So when smartwater asked me to take part of its "look up" challenge, I couldn't be more on board. Whether it's for a whole weekend, or even just ten minutes long, smartwater is asking us to take a break from tech, head outside, and look up at the world around us.

MeUndies x Chictopia

In college, I remember scolding friends (yes, really) for wearing sweats in public. I always considered it as a sign of defeat - you gave up on trying and the result was that you wore sweatpants. BUT (and here's where you get to call me a hypocrite), I loved, loved, loved wearing sweats in the comfort of my own home. There was nothing more satisfying then taking off work clothes and putting on a pair of sweats and lounging out. Now, many years later, I still cringe a bit when I see people wearing sweats in public (sorry - can't lie to ya), but my love for wearing sweats at home has grown deeper. Since those days in college, I've found that the sweat pants game has gone up a notch or two. Case in point: MeUndies.

Join Me! FREE Target C9 by Champion Boot Camp Class, 6/14

You all know that I love to work up a sweat. Even more, I love to work up a sweat in some cute threads. I have to admit that I haven't been on my A-game lately, especially due to last month's whirlwind weeks, but it's a new month and the perfect time to get back into tip-top shape. Luckily for me, beach body season doesn't really start until September or October, here in San Francisco, so I'm not too, too far behind. I finally got myself back into my yoga routine this past weekend, and I'm looking forward to incorporating more gym time in the days to come, starting with a free boot camp class by Target C9 by Champion this Saturday, June 14th at 2:00 PM at Marina Green Park in the city. 

#WeShopStyle with Popsugar & ShopStyle

Photos by: Jesica 

I recently participated in Popsugar and ShopStyle's latest campaign, "We Shop Style!" It was definitely a tricky one, as shooting a lay-down-style blog post was no easy feat. Though, with a little help from my ever-so-patient friend, Jesica, I think we got the job done.

When I thought about creating my lay-down look, I was inspired by the simplicity of a great workout. All you need is a good pair of shoes and some fun gear and you're ready to go. And what's more motivating than working out in fun clothing? I personally love to make a statement in my workout gear, and anyone who has seen me at the gym can attest - I like to keep it bright and bold (with some basic staples, too, of course).



Be sure to check out ShopStyle's latest campaign here and make finding your personal statement pieces that much easier!

This post was sponsored by ShopStyle.

#KiaWarped Photo Diary

Get ready for a hugeeee photo haul - I told you one was coming! Delicious donuts, bountiful brunches, delightful dinners, behind the scenes brew tour, backstage boy bands, and plentiful photobombs: enjoy the rest of the snaps from my weekend with Kia.