I do the majority of my blogging from home and know the struggle when it comes to being productive while in the comfort of my own space. I also was the social media manager for a popular fashion app and frequently spent my work days in my living room tweeting away. Here are a few of my favorite tips if you're trying to get work done at home.

1. Get Dressed 
Putting on actual clothing in the morning will prevent you from thinking that it's cozy lounging around time.

 2. Don't Work In Bed
And if you can avoid it, don't work from the couch either. Sitting at a table will help you crack down and work. If you have a designated work area, that's even better.

 3. Eat Breakfast & Prepare Snacks Before You Start Working 
Don't start work on an empty stomach. Preparing your snacks for the day will help you to make healthier choices & will prevent you from taking a handful of breaks to grab food.

 4. Stay Off Websites That Are Known To Distract You
Can you spend hours upon hours on Pinterest? Stay off of it during the time you set aside for work.

 5. Get Exercise
Take a break halfway through your workday and get your blood flowing. Go for a quick run or go through some pilates moves. This will help keep you feeling refreshed.

 6. Plan Your Breaks 
Plan out what time you will take your breaks and for how long. I recommend a 15 minute break and a 30 minute break if you're working a full work day.

7. Plan Your Workday
Write down what you need to work on throughout the day and any deadlines you may have. Prioritize and start with what needs to be done first.

8. Lay Off The Energy Drinks
I know, I know...Red Bull is just SO good! BUT it will make it harder to focus. Try sipping on green tea or black coffee if you need a work day caffeine fix.

Let me know your favorite tips for working at home by tweeting or snapchatting me @linelizabeth89!

Tips For Working At Home

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I'm sure you've already noticed that the branding on this site and on social media has been updated. Yay! I loved how basic and clean my site was, but wanted something that exuded my personality. I actually designed the new blog header and other digital materials myself, which was a first for me. I also decided that it was time to delete Google AdSense and to get rid of some other affiliate ads on my site. I was making way more money than I expected on those platforms (which I will post about later) but as of now have decided that user experience is more important to me than monetizing at the level. I still make money by working directly with brands, but don't want to clutter my site with ads that may or may not fit my brand. I do still have a few affiliate ads at the bottom of some of my older blog posts. I hope you enjoy the new changes! I'm keeping this short and sweet for you guys since I just wanted to share this quick update. Let me know what you think about the new branding by hitting me up on Twitter or Snapchat @linelizabeth89


New Branding + Less Ads!

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We've all fallen victim to bloating and carrying around excessive water weight. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite remedies for getting rid of that excess water and looking my best! My number one tip, aside from consuming all of these items on a regular basis, is to lower your sodium intake. Whether your bloated from hormones, traveling, or your diet - these foods and drinks should help you out! Let me know your favorite ways to get rid of bloat!

1. Water! (At least 60 oz per day!)
2. Green Tea
3. Leafy Greens
4. Bananas 
5. Avocados
6. Watermelon
7. Lemon Water
8. Apple Cider Vinegar
9. Carrot Juice
10. Parsley
11. Cilantro
12. Berries
13. Black Coffee


 & remember to move! Getting your blood flowing will help get rid of some of that extra water!

Goodbye, Water Weight!

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I received all five of Studio Gear's True Whipped Stain Glosses. I instantly fell in love with the True Pebble gloss, which is completely different than what I usually wear. It was also the easiest to apply of the five glosses. These did bleed a little and I had to do a bit of clean up after applying most of the colors. All of these colors are highly pigmented and do a good job at keeping my lips moisturized. 
*photo credit of Niki's Bubble*
The five colors in this collection are True Burgundy, True Wine, True Red, True Fuchsia, and True Pebble. True Pebble and True Wine are my two recommendations for colors that will flatter the majority of skin tones. 
*photo credit of The Beauty Puff*
You can purchase these glosses for $17 a piece on the Studio Gear website. Let me know what your favorite shades are! I've been sharing snaps of these colors on my Snapchat (@linelizabeth89) be sure to follow to learn more about my favorite beauty finds!

*The products mentioned above were sent to me free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Studio Gear True Whipped Stain Gloss

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When Terra Bella me asked if I'd be interested in reviewing their new bridesmaid box, I jumped at the chance. I always love Terra Bella's monthly boxes and I love the idea of a box that can be given as a gift to your bridesmaids. This box has lots of floral items and an amazing strawberry champagne bath bomb; it is all about light fragrance and femininity. This box starts at $30 and goes up to $35 (depending on the amount purchased). You can purchase this box by going to the Terra Bella website. 

This box includes: 
1. Frisky Fish Essential Oil in Fly -- $14
I love this scent! I was bummed because the essential oil included in the April box had eucalyptus oil, which I'm allergic to. I'm obsessed with grapefruit essential oil and this scent is a great mid-day pick me up!

2. Ariya Apothecary Anti-Aging Lavender Face Serum -- $25
This smells amazing and seems to work well! I've only used this twice, but am really glad they included this is the box. This is great to put on your face when you're finishing up a day (or night) of pampering.

3. Blue Blossom Bath Bomb in Strawberry Champagne -- $5.99
Ugh! How I wish I had a bathtub at my house! Bath bombs are amazing and this smells delicious. I will definitely be bringing this on vacation.

4. Live Beautifully Southern Peach Rose Lip Balm -- $5
I've been toting this one around in my bag. This balm is moisturizing and doesn't dry out your lips over time. This scent is incredible.

5. URBNBODY Rosewater Cleanser -- $22
URBNBODY is my favorite brand that I've been introduced to through Terra Bella. Another spot on product that fits perfectly with the rest of this box.





*This box was sent to me for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.*

Terra Bella Bridesmaid Box

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I was born and raised in the Napa Valley and currently live walking distance to the downtown area with my boyfriend. Napa is known for having incredible restaurants so I want to share with you my favorites from a locals perspective. Some of these are often overlooked by magazines and the big online websites and will hopefully give you new ideas for places to try if you're ever in the area!

Eiko's
Eiko's has a great lounge area and is one of my favorite places in town to grab a cocktail. Andrew and I frequently order sushi to-go and eat it back at home when we're feeling lazy. They have liquid nitrogen drinks and desserts, which are always a delight to watch.

1313 Main
Hands down the best brunch in town. Unfortunately, they only have brunch on Sundays. I would go every day of the week if it was open. They are also a wine bar and have one of the biggest wine selections in town.

The Pear Southern Bistro
Southern food! This is right on the waterfront and they have live music outside on Sundays. The cobb salad is one of my favorites here. I'm also a big fan of the fondue as an appetizer - delicious!

Bui Bistro
This is easily our most frequented restaurant in town and are number one go-to for to-go food. We always get the pho and usually throw in an appetizer or two. This place is gem and there is never a wait to get seated!

Napa Palisades Saloon
This is one of the newer places in town, but is quickly becoming a favorite if we want a burger or mac & cheese with a beer. This place has a laid-back atmosphere and the servers, cooks, and bartenders are all very knowledgeable. 

Napa General Store
This place has been in Napa as long as I can remember. The Napa scramble is one of my favorites for breakfast. We don't have many breakfast places in town and this is an oldie but goodie.

Don Perico
My favorite Mexican food in town! Don Perico used to be in another building, but the wall collapsed after our big 2014 earthquake. The new place is bigger and spiffier, but you still get the quick and  friendly service. This place is family-owned and it shows. If you want a good burrito, taquitos, nachos, or a taco salad this is your place! They also have a full bar (which is rarer than you would think in Napa) so you can grab a mai-tai or margarita with your meal.





Downtown Napa Restaurant Guide

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I've been spending a lot of time recently thinking about my current goals. I want to share with you what I'm going to be striving to complete over the next few months. I would love to hear what your goals are, as well! Be sure to leave them in the comments below or tweet/snapchat me! (@linelizabeth89)

1. Set Up My Home Office
As of yesterday, I officially have a chick pit! Now that I have my own room in the house I'm excited to set up my home office. I also just purchased a desktop computer, which I'm excited to use for editing.

 2. Podcast!
Speaking of editing, I'm starting a podcast next week and it's a goal of mine to stay up-to-date and get all of my editing done on time...or early!

 3. Drink More Water
Need I say more?

 4. Exercise Daily
I've been slacking on this one the past few weeks. It's time to get my butt back in to gear! I'll be posting weekly workout challenges again to stay motivated. I used to dance for more than 30 hours a week and haven't taken a class in a couple years now. I'm signing up for a ballet class to help me with this goal.

 5. Instagram More
I often forget to update my Instagram. I want to start posting more regularly and to grow my followers to 5k.

 6. Grow My Twitter Following
I've been hovering around 150k on Twitter for quite some time now. My goal is to get back to using Twitter more and to grow my following to 200k by the end of the year.

7. Buy Land
I'm wanting to build my dream house and step one is finding and purchasing a piece of land! I've found my dream floor plan, so now it's just deciding where I want it!

 8. Throw A Party
I love throwing parties, but haven't taken the time to plan one in a long time. I want to take the time to plan and host a cocktail party or luncheon.

 9. Read Daily
I have been reading a few times a week, but am working on taking time everyday to read for at least 30 minutes. I've started reading books in the Very Short Introductions series and am enjoying learning about history, science, and religion. I would like to go through at least one of these a week.

10. Weekly Dates
With our busy schedules, Andrew & I don't go out on dates very often anymore. We live together so we've gotten a little lazy. Weekly dates are something we've been talking about recently and something we would both like to implement.

 11. Stay Organized
This was my New Year's Resolution. I am not always the most organized person and often get behind schedule. I bought the new Epic Blog Planner and it's been helping me stay on top of things. Keeping my house organized is a biggie for me too.

12. Unplug
I am addicted to my phone and want to start taking time everyday to unplug and really relax and connect without any electronics.


Let's Talk Goals...

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I recently wrote about the HASK Kalahari Melon Oil collection and am excited to share some more HASK products with you guys! This time, I had the pleasure of trying out their bamboo oil collection. I was incredibly happy with the first HASK products I used so I was hoping that these products would live up to the those. The hair collection I was sent came with the shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, oil, and an adorable bag. Andrew had liked the other HASK products, but was even more excited to try these since he said they were "less girly". These had a great smell and I am happy to say that they were just as fantastic as the kalahari melon oil. HASK has yet to disappoint me & my hair has been on point for weeks. Another home run! Not only do these products work well for me, but they also come in at a great price point. You can buy the entire collection for under $20! I have to admit that I normally wouldn't have purchased the oil or deep conditioner if I saw them at the store since I'm very low maintenance when it comes to my hair, but after trying them would definitely purchase them in the future.

You can check out the HASK Bamboo Oil Collection by clicking here 

I also recommend checking out HASK on social media to learn about their other incredible products

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaskHair
Instagram: https://instagram.com/haskhair/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HaskHair
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/haskhair/

*The product mentioned in this post was sent to me for free for review purposes. All opinions are my own.*

HASK Bamboo Oil Hair Care Collection

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I have compiled a list of all of my favorite apps of the moment. I don't usually play a lot of games on my phone, but included the two games I do play. Most of my favorite apps just happen to be photo related. I use a lot of these to help edit photos or add text to photos for my blog. I hope you enjoy! Let me know your favorite apps, so that I can check them out!


Retype
Retype is my go-to app for adding words to photos. I am constantly using this app to make header images for my blog posts. 

Project Life
I have several physical Project Life scrapbooking kits, but really enjoy the app. I make make scrapbook pages right on my phone and print the pages and slip them into my scrapbook. SO EASY! They're constantly adding new kits with journal and title cards.

Snapchat
Who doesn't love Snapchat?! Now that they've updated the chat and have all the fun filters, this is easily becoming my favorite form of social media. You can use my snapcode above or add me by my username (linelizabeth89) to keep up with my daily life!

Neko Atsume
This is a guilty pleasure game that was introduced to me by a co-worker. I'm obsessed with collecting the rare cats on this game.

Kendall and Kylie
Another guilty pleasure game. I don't play many games on my phone, but find this to be addicting. It's a great way to waste time and it's a game that I never feel tempted to spend real money on.

theSkimm
theSkimm e-mail used to be my favorite way to get my news in the morning, that is until they came out with the app. They also just introduced a new service that syncs upcoming events to your phone, like when the deadline to register to vote is and when the new season of Orange is the New Black will be on Netflix.

1967 - Vintage Filters
This is a great app if you feel like Instagram doesn't have enough filters. There are SO MANY filters to chose from and you can post to Instagram straight from the app.






My Favorite Apps

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