Serial

So if you've been living under a rock for the past 12 weeks then you probably didnt listen to Serial, the podcast that changed my entire view of podcasts.

If you did listen to it, then you know how great the podcast was! Every Thursday I was tuned in to a new episode about Adnan and his story about the murder of his ex girlfriend Hae Min Lee.  This SNL spoof of Serial was so amazing I had to share it just in case you missed it.

Bored...

...with my hair, and job.  Need a change asap. 

2015 be good to me *crosses fingers*

Thankful

I woke up this morning full of gratitude. I feel like Thanksgiving is becoming alot less personal and alot more mainstream ans materialistic. Black friday is no longer on FRIDAY but on thursday aka Thanksgiving. The time when you're suppose to be spending with those you love and may not have seen all year has been hijacked by deals and sales. 

This year my family and I didnt rush out at 6pm to go black friday shopping, for more than one reason, and stayed at my aunt and uncles house and enjoyed everyones company. People spend so much time preparing food and decor for their family and then they leave early to fight people for a 50in tv. 

No matter how you spent your Thanksgiving remember the importance of the things and people in your lives that you cant put a price on. I hope everyone had an amazing and safe Thanksgiving. 

Hugs and thankful love, 

Kenzie

Dear White People,

Saw this movie the other day (by myself might i add) and it was great! I thought the characters were pretty accurately portrayed.  

Did you see it? What did you think?

Hugs and love :)

Hello Keurig!

There is rarely a day when I dont have coffee or tea to help me start my morning.  Because of this daily ritual I have a pretty mean addiction to caffeine and when I dont have some form of it  the headaches I get are REAL!!

When I bought my first Keurig for Christmas in 2011, I thought it was the best thing ever.  It was quick and easy to use and I didnt have to do all the other things that traditional coffee makers required.  Fast forward to about a month ago, Influenster sent me the new Keurig 2.0 to try out and I gladly accepted! I was already looking to buy an upgraded Keurig because I only had the mini version so the 2.0 was right on time.  

The great thing about the Keurig 2.0 is that it gives you the option now to brew an entire pot/carafe of coffee for those extra long days as opposed to just a single cup like the past brewers did.  The water reservoir holds 80oz of water and you can pick different lights for the brewer for an added personal touch. You can also set the 2.0 to auto-brew for the Karafe and have an entire pot ready for you in the morning. The only bad thing that I would say about it is that you cant use older k-cups for this model because the new sensor does not read them, luckily I still have my old Keurig so I am still able to use those K-cups.

Are you guys obsessed with coffee and tea like I am? What do you think of the new Keurig 2.0? Let me know! 

Hugs and Love :)

#hellokeurig

*I was sent this free product from influenster for reviewing purposes. All thoughts are my own*

Work out

I try to workout or have some form of vigorous physical activity atleast 3 times a week. 

A few weeks ago I was sent this Victorias Secret Sport Sports bra and pants (not pictured) from influenster to try out during my workouts!!

The sports bra is super comfortable to wear and has great support. The bra does have padding which gives you a little extra lift (for those women with smaller chest) and the back has a clasp like a regular bra. 

The only con I would give was that because its not built like a regular sports bra its kind of hard to get off because there is no elastic band to go all the way around. Other than that its a great bra and very comfortable to wear!!

*disclaimer: the items were sent to me for free from influenster for review purposes*

27.

So last Thursday (9/18) was my 27th birthday, and I can finally say that it kinda feels good. For the past few months tho I was freaking out about turning 27 partially because it means that im getting super close to 30 and I am no where near close to where I thought I would by this age. When I was younger I had so many plans for myself and where I wanted to be and should be in life by now. Granted Im still young and I have time to figure it out but why didnt anyone tell me that being an adult would be this difficult??

The time leading up to my birthday I was clueless as to what exactly I wanted to do to celebrate it, because I usually keep it low key and just go to dinner.  This year my friend and I went to San Francisco and loved every moment of it.  It was a long overdue vacay seeing that my last real vacation was back in 2013 :( and because one of my  friends already lives in San Fran it was a perfect chance to see him and also have a place to stay! We got to San Fran the day before my birthday and hit the ground running. My friend's brothers got there later that night and made the time there more fun than I could have imagined! 

The night of my actual birthday we went out and I think it will go down as one of my best birthdays yet! I was so happy to just be living and experiencing new and different things. I was overwhelmingly full and grateful. Celebrating my birthday that way in a different place made me realize that 1) I should take the time to live more 2) 27 probably wont be as bad as I made it out to be and 3) I have been blessed with an opportunity that most people dont get and I was humbled.  

Wake up. Kick Ass. Repeat.

This summer hasn't been all that I had it would be. Every now and then I fall of my active and take charge wagon and get into a habit of go to work, go home, eat, sleep and do it all over again the next day.  I wasn't feeling motivated to do much and work seemed to take the majority of my time.  When I did have free time I was trying my best to hang out with friends and see who I could. 

Now that September is here and fall is around the corner I feel more motivated to get up, get out and do something lol! I made this custom shirt courtesy of Hicustom.net during the summer and totally forgot I had it!  This saying helps me remember to always give each day my all even when I may feel otherwise.  

So start Kicking Ass when you wake up!!

Hugs and Love!! :)

No Flex Zone

Tracee Ellis Ross is hilarious as she explains what the no flex zone is! Personally I just like the hook lol

Neutral Nails

essie | rgb | butter

It seems like the older I get the more simple the things I wear get.  I am super minimal when it comes to clothing and recently the same can be said with my nail polish.  Neutral nail polish to me always polishes a look (no pun intended) and makes it a bit more classic. 

What nail colors do you gravitate toward?

Hugs and Love :)

Whats in my purse?

You ever look at another woman's purse and wonder what she may have in it? If they have carry the same things you have? Or maybe that extra plastic spoon you keep at the bottom of your of your purse is just something you do?!

I teamed up with Credit Card Insider and some other bloggers to share what exactly we have in our purses. Since I change bags frequently I like to make sure to keep the contents as simple as possible and easy to transfer between bags. Below are my essential items! 

I got my bucket bag from Zara a few months ago and I love it so much! Its the perfect size to fit what I need and more and goes with everything!  My wallet is 3.1 Phillp Lim for Target that I also use as a clutch for nights on the town. 

I tend to have a million and one different things going on in my head so I write them down in my journal that I take everywhere with me. Some people say why not just put it in your phone so you wont forget, but its something about writing those ideas and thoughts down and having them forever thats appealing. 

Next up...the small things that play big roles. My Burts Bees lip balm, They're Real mascara, Sephora Lipstick in charmer, Apple earbuds and my travel charger from J.Crew are very important functioning components for my day to day life. Oh and mints! Lol Im pretty sure the small things are the common thread amongst us women and our purses. 

So tell me, whats in your purse and does anyone else have a plastic spoon in there? 

Hugs and love :)

Mother's Day | Gift Guide

Mom. The ones that brought us into this world and filled our lives with love. They are also the ones that threatened to take us out of the world when we were younger if acted up lol.  Either way our moms are our worlds and we love them. 

(click the pic for the entire video, its hilarious!)

So what do give a mother that has everything? For me its always kinda tough trying to figure out what she would actually want and/or use.  My mom for instance isn't really demanding, picky or expensive when it comes to gifts but if she doesn't like it you can definitely tell. 

1) A bottle of her favorite wine with a bottle stopper (here)

2) What Mom doesn't like a new purse?  Michael Kors Bag

3) My Mom loves tea and teapots! This teapot has a loose leaf tea infuser, its perfect! (its on sale here!)

4) Her own personal at home spa day ( love this etsy shop!)

5) Tell time in style with a simple yet classy two tone watch. Kate Spade 

6. If all else fails you can always get her beautiful flowers :)

Have you shopped for your mom yet? What did you get her?

Hugs and Love :)

Finally!

Spring has finally showed her pretty little head and I am out of my winter funk and my forced hibernation mode! With the current break in weather, I was inspired to swap out my cold weather clothes with more weather appropriate items like dresses!! 

During this swap I realized that I have a ton of dresses and I never realized that I had so many that still had tags on them. I clearly have a problem and I think I might have become a dress hoarder. YIKES! So I came up with the idea to post the days that I wear a dress for two reasons, 1) I will kinda force me to wear these dresses, especially the ones with the tags still on them smh and 2) I will have more things to blog about! So its a win win!! :)


What do you wear alot of during the spring?

Dressy hugs and love?

February | insta recap

Seeing as though I havent said two words to you guys all month I thoight sharing this instagram recap would help with the happenings in my life during February. 

Its not much but this weather has def taken a toll on me. 

Snow day with Tug ☺️

Glass of wine after a long day

Making paper hearts at West Elm for kids at St. Jude childrens hospital 

Tug sitting on our shoes so we wont leave lol

New lipstick from sephora called cougar...oh and curls 

Divas Drag show through living social...such a great show!

 

If your on IG let me know and leave your username below...follow me as well at Kenzief 

Hugs and love :)

Modcloth Parade Dress

Modcloth Parade Dress by kenzief918 featuring a zipper purse

dress | scarf | boots (similar) |

I don't know about you guys but I'm ready for some type of break in the cold weather. Until that happens I'll try to add a little bit of spring into my wardrobe!

You guys over the cold weather yet?

Hugs and Love :)

Winter Essentials Boots

One day we have spring like weather, the next we are covered in snow and running the opposite direction of the wind. So whats on your feet to protect you from the elements and changing mind of mother nature?

For me boots are my go to from fall until the spring with a few other shoes thrown into the mix. Boots are so versatile and can easily become transition shoes for those crazy weather days. Below I created winter weather essentials for what I think are great boots for those cold snowy days that turn into slightly warmer rainy days.

Hunter | Dr. Marten | Frye | Ilse Jacobsen

What are you guys wearing on your feet?

Hugs and Love :)

Winter Essentials | Moisture

With the recent drop in temperature the weather outside is definitely frightful with crazy winds, gray skies and the occasional snow fall. And, with it comes chap lips and dull dry skin which is even more frightful!

Seeing as though we can't just stay in the house snuggled up in our warm beds and watch seasons 1&2 of scandal on Netflix and wait for spring to come, although it does sound inviting, we have to live our lives (i.e work) and face winters cruel air one way or the other.  Below I decided to share what helps me get through this tough dry season with 4 key essentials that we all need.

Tocca Cleopatra Hand Cream
First let me start off by saying that I love anything that is paraben free and has natural ingredients because ingredients that you cannot pronounce are probably not that good for you anyway.  I received a sample of the Tocca Hand cream in a  previous birch-box and fell in love with it! The scent is amazing and it leaves your hands feeling silky and moisturized.


Philosophy Hope in a Jar
I usually have dry skin no matter what time of year it is but the winter is a lot worse.  Finding a face moisturizer that doesn't make your face look dull and feels like it just sitting on top of your skin is hard to find for me but this moisturizer is great!


John Masters Lip Calm
For the past two years my go to lip balms were EOS and Burts Bee's, but recently neither were helping with my chapped lips. I'm not sure how I came across John Masters Organic but I'm glad that I did because this lip balm is AMAZING, and with all Certified Organic ingredients, I really couldn't pass it up.


Brown Sugar Lip scrub
Using a brown sugar lip scrub helps get dead skin off those dry lip and makes your lip feel incredibly smooth and moisturized. I usually apply the scrub before bed to help my lips recover from the day and then I use my Lip Calm lip balm to lock in the moisture. I'm thinking about making my own DIY brown sugar lip scrub so if your interested let me know :)

What are your go to winter moisture essentials??

Warm Hugs and Love

Fitness Friday | Green Smoothie

Happy New Year guys!! I know that the new year brings a new start for alot of people something like a clean slate. Whether it be to start going to church more, or to work out more and even to start eating healthier, Im sure we all could use a clean start for something new.

In Sept 2012 I started doing Fitness friday post to not only inspire others to live healthier lives but to also keep myself motivated and on track. Ive learned that being healthy is more than a temporary fix and once your committed to it, it becomes a lifestyle and you feel amazing about it. 

A great thing about green smoothies and incorporating them into your weekly eating habits is that its super easy to make and dont require too many ingredients! Its also a great way to get the nutrients and vitamins that your body might be missing.  At least 2-3 times a week I make green smoothies and maybe once a week I will do all fruit smoothies mostly consisting of blueberries and bananans and whatever else I can throw in the mix. The one that I made below is my go to green smoothie, give or take a few ingredients.   

I call this smoothie Green Coconut Dream :)

Key ingredients:

-Organic baby spinach (1cup)

-Kale (1cup)

-Pure coconut water (1 1/2 cups)

-1 banana

-1 cup of pineapple tidbits

-1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil 

Put the ingredients in the blender the same order they are listed above. You can always add more coconut water if you want a more liquid result and more fruit to taste but I find that these measurements do well. 

I usuaully get all my ingredients from Trader Joes but any grocery store would do.  I use a sunbeam blender that Ive had for a while, but Im trying to save to get a better blender so that it wont take as long for me to make the smoothies. So if any of you guys know of some good  quality blenders please let me know. Ive heard of blendtech and vitamix but Im sure there are others out there. 

We don't necessarily have to make resolutions just because its a new year, because honestly they rarely work but do try to improve your life and way of living slowly day by day. I think once you want something bad enough then you will be willing to do what it takes to make that change. Make becoming a better you a lifestyle and not just a resolution. 

Hugs, love and a prosperous new year!