Lifestyle

For anyone that doesn’t know – I work with Wafiq in Residential Real Estate.  My history in real estate goes as follows:  I assisted several people through multiple positions with commercial real estate after college, when I moved to Dubai I worked in residential real estate because they don’t separate commercial from residential, and now I’m assisting Wafiq in residential real estate in Austin.   HE IS SO GOOD AT IT.  I just wanted to cut to that point.  There is nothing better than coming home to someone who is happy in their work everyday.  It makes the worlds difference to our everyday happiness, relationship, and goals.  SO MUCH BETTER than complaining about work.  And he thrives, it’s the most fun to be a part of it!

We are both of the mindset that life is short & we should spend every day figuring out what we love doing – and do it.

Since working in Residential Real Estate in the U.S. we’ve met several first time home buyers (& the experience is much different than it was in Dubai).  We have a few tips that we see w almost all our first time home buyers in the market right now.  I was overlooking sharing this here but it finally clicked for me, this is some good info if you’re trying to make your first BIG purchase; a home.   Once you have these 5 things figured out – you should have a smoother & smarter process.

5 Tips For A First Time Home Buyer
Don’t be Afraid of Multiple Offers:  This is a tough one to get people to believe, but it’s true.  All you can do with a multiple offer situation is put in your best offer & see if it works.  If it doesn’t, it wasn’t meant to be.  I KNOW that sounds very cliche but I have proof!  In almost every deal Wafiq did in the summer – the clients lost homes in multiple offer situations, and were obviously bummed.  BUT 100% of them ended up closing on a different home saying  “I’m so glad that other offer didn’t get accepted, we love this one so much more.”  Guys, I’m not lying to you.  Trust the process, trust you’ll find what’s right for you!

Have you ever tried not eating or drinking?  Since my allergy attack I’ve cut out almost everything.  Any complicated food & all drinks besides water + topo chico.   I had one allergy doc tell me I was fine to eat anything & another recommended sticking to basics until my results come back –  but I chose to stick to basics, where I know every ingredient I’m consuming.

I don’t like the idea of risking another allergy attack, and for me – food & alcohol isn’t worth it.

I think I had an emotional attachment to food you guys.  When the attack first happened I was almost depressed thinking about not eating french fries & nachos anymore.  I have an anxious mind so I’ll blow up any idea I can, and in my head I was cutting out all my favorite snack worthy foods & wine – for life.  I felt a best friend leaving me, food.

But I saw this basic ingredient diet of mine as an experiment.  Remember when I did the Master Cleanse?  I view this allergy attack, and my new diet, the same way.  A challenge, and I live for challenges.  I want to re introduce ingredients to my diet one by one to see how they make me feel.  Having this approach to food after my allergy attack is better than fear & anger, right?   I’d rather create a challenge out of the whole debacle than sit around being scared of it.

So, I’ve also stopped eating at most restaurants.

And let me tell you, this is the most challenging part.  I’m 100% fine w my new “constrictions” because it’s part of my challenge.  In my mind, I adjusted from being depressed about food, to tackling it.  I have my main foods, that I absolutely love eating, and am full every single day.  + I love cooking at home.

The challenging part?  Everyone around me.  I get a lot of teasing about not eating because “oh yeah! You’re allergic to everything (eye roll)” and “try this! try this!” and “why can’t we just meet at a restaurant, you can find something to eat, or just sit w me” OR the best one – while putting something up to my face “don’t you just want to eat this?”

FML.

I recently downloaded a ton of new albums because I needed a total refresh of the music I have on my phone.  Pandora & Amazon music stations were absolutely not cutting it anymore.  There’s not enough variety!  Am I right?  No matter where I am, I feel like I’m listening to the same things over & over again.

And music is important to me.  Like I’ve said before, I listen to different genre’s for different moods & can always depend on music to give me the perfect lift.  & I like to dance.  The deal w downloading an entire album rather than a single, is that you get the full story.  PLUS, the radio stations don’t play full albums soo – it’s all new new new.

New music was a must.  These albums below are the favorites from my downloads,  if you’re needing a refresh too – go try them!

What a perfect Tuesday thought!  BLAZERS.

I remember I had this New Years Eve moment w a red sequin dress & a black blazer that I was pretty happy about – but that was the extent of my Blazer history,  until recently.

A few reasons I’m bragging about this current wardrobe staple:

Professional:  I hate professional because I’m bad at it.  I’m always too tight, too short, cheap or uniform.  I prefer sparkle, shimmer, pink, fluff, short, tight, creative.  Without any effort, a blazer makes you look professional the second you throw it on, pretty much no matter what you’re wearing under it.

Easy AF:   I loooooove easy.  Love love love.  A Blazer WILL make you look put together w zero thought. No matter where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Smart:   People talk to me smarter when I’m wearing a blazer.  Almost like I’m a little more business intimidating?  Ha!  Try it, you’ll see.

Rich:  Maybe it’s the buisness-y look?  The idea that suites are expensive?  But even a cheaper blazer makes you look $$$.

Skinny: The structure of a blazer kills compared to a heavy jacket or baggy cardigan.  You gonna look gooooooood girl.

Grace:  Do you watch Grace & Frankie on Netflix yet?  I have major wardrobe envy from Grace; blazers, popped collars, beautiful scarves – they’ll all be staples soon.  Work in progress…

Versatile:  You can wear a sequin dress under a Blazer for a night out, or throw on your blazer over a shirt + pants for work.  Any place, any combo – a blazer keeps you looking put together.

You’ll probably NEVER guess my favorite clothing brand & place to shop.  You’ll never be able to guess because I only recently discovered it & claimed it as my favorite – now I’m sharing the deets.

Last time I was in Dubai, it was the Dubai Shopping Festival.  Which means: SALES.  EVERYWHERE.  There couldn’t be more glorious news for me to hear.

The Dubai Mall has SO many amazing stores, but lucky for me I stumbled into & Other Stories.  I’m telling you, everything. And I mean literally everything – was perfect.  The range of styles, the customer service, the gorgeous dressing rooms, the fabrics, the pricing, the smells, the fucking lighting.  SPOT ON.  I grabbed a stack of clothes, as one does when they step in a new store not knowing sizing, and every single item fit like a glove.  The experience was magical.  Don’t tell me that wouldn’t tickle your pickle.

The only issue?  I tried on way more than I was expecting to actually buy, assuming something wouldn’t fit or I wouldn’t like it.  But when everything fits so perfectly… you have to buy it all!   Right?

Here’s the deal, not only do the pieces fit perfectly.  The fabrics & quality are incredible.  A simple T-Shirt has quality & detail like no other.  At a decent price.

Also, prior to my trip I was willing to spend hundreds/thousands/millions of dollars on a new pair of jeans because I could NOT find any that I loved at an affordable price & became desperate.  I’m extremely picky when it comes to jeans & was searching for years you guys, YEARS!  I finally decided I’d throw down a lot of money on a pair, because more money has to mean a better jean.  I order several popular brands, assuming one had to be amazing, but returned all of them.  I hated them.  Every single one.

Fast forward to my experience in & Other Stories, I bought 2 pairs of jeans! (Big deal for me.)  And this brand will be my go-to jean going forward.  They’re the only ones I own right now.  Again, they fit like a glove.  EXACTLY what I was looking for.  And a fraction of the price compared to the other popular brands.  If you’re looking for a real jean, I found them for you.

I hate to say perfect so many times throughout this post but everything about this place is – perfect.

Of course I quickly made sure they had an online store, and fantastic news, they do.   And free shipping to the U.S.  They also have a few actual store locations throughout the, WORLD.  I believe there’s one in L.A. & obviously Dubai.  But I think also throughout Europe.

I’ve been wanting to share my ideas to shake away anxious or depressing moods for a few weeks, & I think it happened at the perfect time!  My list was recently tested since the big ol allergy attack & now I’m pretty confident in it.  At least one of the ideas below can get your spirits lifted, because there’s nothing uglier than a bad mood or ANXIETY.

DISTRACT, DISTRACT, DISTRACT.  That’s kind of the ultimate goal.  Distract your mind.  Typically, I’m trying to steer clear of sadness, anxiety, stress, or worry. 

When I graduated college, I listened to gangster rap 24/7 – afraid of the other radio stations.  After receiving a college degree & barely getting an interview at Starbucks, I was having a rough time.  And gangster rap had it’s special way of keeping my mind in a “fuck you” spirit, which was better than sad pop or country songs pushing me closer & closer to a quarter life crisis.  

I suggest, starting with one idea & moving to the next if it doesn’t work.  And when you find one that does work – milk it for awhile.

10 EASY WAYS TO CHANGE YOUR MOOD
1. Talk to Yourself:   A loving dialogue.  I learned this from Yoga.  Have you ever tried telling yourself nice things??  WAY more difficult than it sounds. Be nice to yourself, tell yourself kind things:  “I am happy.  I am brave.  I am strong.  I am healthy.  I’m doing the best I can.  I’m powerful. I am ok.”   Try it!

2. Podcasts:  Podcasts basically cured my anxiety.  I can 99% depend on them to relieve anxiety.  I listen to Joe Rogan when I need a distraction or Juicy Scoop when I need background noise & a quick laugh.  All of my Insta Stories at the park? I’m ALWAYS listening to a podcast.  I bring my headphones everywhere & pop them in w a podcast –  waiting rooms, shopping, when I’m getting ready, cleaning, working…

3. Music:   Even if you’re around other people – at work, next to your boyfriend, at the park.  Put your headphones in & find music that makes you feel good.  Try a few different genres, even if you’ve never heard of them.  i.e. Rap, when I need a confidence boost.  Country, when emotional.  Kygo Station when I have anxiety.  Pop, for a distraction.  Explore.

4. Shop:  I mean don’t get addicted here, but if you’re stressed – browse at the store or online.  Buy something that makes you happy or that you’ve been needing.  Even if it’s super small.  You’ll feel accomplished.  (Enter >> Amazon.)

5. Driving:  Take a break. Go for an easy/no traffic drive.  With music.

If you follow my Instagram account you’ll know I experienced an allergy attack (aka Anaphylactic Shock) a week & a half ago.  I don’t use that horrible technical term because I WILL FREAK OUT –  so I’ve been calling this incident an allergy attack & I’m sticking to it.

I was eating at a restaurant downtown.  My first meal of the day, & on the way back to the car we stopped in a little boutique shop.  I started feeling my stomach cramp, ran outside, my ears started itching, decided to go home to get an allergy medicine, but on the way to the car noticed my throat hurt & I started coughing.  When I got to the car my eyes, tongue, and face were swelling fast.   Then my feet started itching & full body hives.  I knew that was bad & different from my regular allergies. We rushed to the urgent room – 4 min away according to the GPS.  And I was injected with EpiPen.    From the first symptom to the EpiPen, was probably 10 minutes.  So that’s fucking scary.

I read my own writing from a few years ago & want to throw up.  “I just want to be positive, like all the time, and be bright & think about the positive part of everything. Fuck negativity.”

But this year, 2018, I’m OVER IT.

I was following this one chick on Instagram that shares how she remains positive about everything.  Yes, even positive about her one little zit she named, Joseph. OMG!  How can she be SOoO positive in such a difficult time?!  Don’t worry, she’s always sharing tips on how she keeps her positive attitude so you can be just like her.

I don’t think she’s ever heard someone say Fuck.

If she did, she would probably pray afterwards.

The thing is, I wanted to be like her.  Positive AF.  Because even if there’s negative shit happening in the world, I don’t want to talk about it.  All we hear are opinions & negativity & annoyances, so I wanted to contribute to the positive side of things.

I asked Wafiq what he thought.  Should I keep striving for this positive image or should I just… be myself.

That’s when it hit me.  These “positive” people are the same people that would have voted to convict the man in my experience on Jury Duty – to 26 years in jail.  The same people I didn’t know existed.  They’re the same people who are either perfect or are trying to appear perfect.  And I just can’t stand for that anymore.

I was following a ton of bloggers & people on Instagram like this.  Perfect, Positive, Perfect, Positive.  And for awhile I was inspired to be the same way.

But wait a minute, this doesn’t make sense in real life.  In real life, there’s a lot of people that don’t have perfect circumstances.

I pretty much ALWAYS make my own hummus.  You might think I do this because I’m trying to be a health freak & prefer eating my own, homemade badass delight – but you’re wrong.  I make hummus at home because the containers of hummus at the store are either too much money, too small, or yes – full of crap.  Also, I always have the ingredients at home so I make it when I want it.   I don’t typically crave hummus while grocery shopping

I pretty much ALWAYS make my own hummus.  You might think I do this because I’m trying to be a health freak & prefer eating my own, homemade badass delight – but you’re wrong.  I make hummus at home because the containers of hummus at the store are either too much money, too small, or yes – full of crap.  Also, I always have the ingredients at home so I make it when I want it.   I don’t typically crave hummus while grocery shopping.

When we were in Dubai, we stalked up on the largest jar of Tahini we could find.  The Middle East has Tahini everywhere & it’s affordable, so Wafiq’s mom made sure we brought a HUGE jar home with us.   While we were on the subject of Tahini she asked me what I use it for & I explained hummus.  She casually said “ooOOo yes, easy. very easy hummus.  A little beans, oil, yogurt…”  Excuse me… what?  Yogurt?

The secret ingredient: yogurt!

What the hell was I thinking before with my regular, rookie hummus?  This is the real deal right here, hummus w/yogurt.  The difference – besides the slightly added flavor, the hummus turns out smoother w/a little added fluff.

I’ve been making a batch at home once a week since I’ve been back… (am I going to get fat?)  Because hummus goes with everything!  Sandwiches, veggies, chips, crackers, pita, salad.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

This is my favorite holiday because it’s all about LOVE & being kind.  Take the extra step to be thoughtful to everyone around you, ultimately that’s what Valentines Day should be about.

I tend to support single people during Valentines Day, because I think they bitch the most?  Like, I’ll stay in with my bottle of wine & The Notebook & cry myself to sleep style.  BUT this time I’m coming after people in a relationship.  Because, when you’re in a relationship for a long time, little gestures can get lost & Valentines Day can end up feeling dumb?  Single people – you’re GOOD on Valentines Day. The possibilities are endless, I used to love this holiday when I was single, read this post: HERE.

You know the CRAZY part about being in a relationship?  The amount of time you’re choosing to give someone besides yourself.  When you spend every day with someone, sleeping next to them, waking up next to them, making decisions with them, creating a family with them, living with them – in a way, you’re choosing to dedicate your life to them.  Think about it.  Because if you recall, we only have ONE life.  How intense is that?

I started thinking about this because I often hear people bitch about their significant other.  Often times joking, sometimes serious.  This typically happens after a few years together, right?  The fucking dishes, the annoying friend, the job.  At my age, it’s typically deciding about taking the step to marriage, or once in a marriage it’s about the pile of other conflicting situations that come up. But at the end of the day, we have one life.  When we’re in a long relationship,  we’re choosing to lay down next to the same person every day, for years & years.  We’re giving our lives to each other.  I can’t think of anything more significant than that, in our entire lives.  Or anyone more important to get along with.   Your kids will come, but they’ll also go create a family.  Your own family will do the same.  Your friends will come & go… But damn, that one “person” you lay down next to every night will be laying down next to you forever.  They’ll be there when people come, and they’ll be there next to you when everyone goes.

What a commitment. And what a journey.

That makes me realize bitching & moaning about little things is pointless.  Worrying about small annoyances shouldn’t matter.  Let it go, let it go.  We should be gentle with our partners, we’re giving them a humongous part of our one life. You know what I mean?

Let’s not pretend furniture shopping is affordable.  I was fooled into believing I could go buy unique furniture pieces that I loved for reasonable prices due to the fairytale that is: INSTAGRAM.   On my last move I knew it was time to be an adult & purchase my own furniture.  It appears as though everyone else can easily make their home pristine so I should be able to too!  Well well well, little did I know you had to be a multi-millionaire to purchase new, quality, unique furniture that you actually liked.

I don’t know how it works across the world, but that’s how it works in America.

Who would have thought 1 single, basic dinning chair would be $500?  Not me.  I have a new appreciation for fully furnished homes, & Ikea.

Needless to say, I’m glad most of my major furniture shopping is done because it was a fucking gut punch & took a lot of time.  I’m here to help, even if you didn’t know you needed it, you do.  The new furniture experience will hit you someday too.

The perk to badass new furniture?  How your home will make you feel.  The energy can change dramatically when you have furniture that you love – trust me.  After redoing my bedroom, I realized everything else had to change as well.  As painful as furniture shopping is, it’s worth it.

5 Tips For {Affordable} Furniture Shopping

1.  Look For Sales
Yes, furniture goes on sale.  And even then, it’ll be sickening to pay for, but a sale can make it manageable.  I have a Pottery Barn Outlet close to my house & I went OFTEN.  One lucky day that I stopped in the store, all sale pieces happened to be an additional 40% off.  I ended up getting one of my comfy, white sofas for $100!  That’s fucking insane pricing btw.  Try shopping for a badass sofa & you’ll feel me.  So pay attention to sales & outlet furniture stores, that was as close to finding a gold mine as I can imagine.

Better late then never sharing all my favorite things of 2017.  We shall call this a mix up, because why limit ourselves to one category of favorites?  These products were not all created in 2017, rather things I used through 2017.   Weird but true, I typically don’t like something right when I get it.  I put it down.  Stare at it.  And on one random day pick it up & use it consistently after that… or throw it out.

CHANEL Soleil Tan De Chanel

The obvious.  Bronze anything will make my list, just be happy I’m not talking about my at home spray tan.  I try not to wear a lot of makeup most days & bronzer is one of the few products I need daily.  I ditched powder bronzer most of the year for this cream bronzer.  I take a medium sized brush & blend it on my cheekbones to look alive everyday.  Because it’s creamy I don’t feel like it drys me out & I like how it blends into my skin.  I’ve had this one jar of bronzer for 45 years, used it every single day & am just now at the point where I need to repurchase.

ColourPop Echo Park Satin Lip

I’ve had this lip color for a long time & used it almost every day in 2017.  I realized using a natural color on your lips, even without anything else on your face, makes you look like you’re trying.  It’s such a cheat to looking ready, that or a nice lip gloss.  (My fav: here)  This one in particular keeps my lips super moisturized which is hard to do, and doesn’t rub off in 1 mili second.  I put the smallest amount on my lips in the morning after I apply chapstick, and then use my finger to smudge it around.  Au naturel.