Thoughts on Health and Fitness

We live in a world full of contradictions. One of the most prominent contradictions present in my daily life is to be living a healthy and active lifestyle, coupled with the cool and hip trends of finding and eating great foods and desserts. Like.....what?! We're supposed to be skinny and fit, but also Instagram the amazing desserts we ate with our friends at that trendy restaurant. There is too much pressure put on young women from the media to be these perfect humans and I think that it is ridiculous. Obviously, it would be amazing to naturally be stick skinny and also be able to eat anything that looks good; however, that is not realistic. So, my philosophy has evolved to be "everything in moderation". Workout in ways that are fun and social, but don't become obsessed.  Eat what you desire, but don't pig out to the point that you're always saying "oh, I ate too much". 

 My weakness!

This summer, I have managed to practice my philosophy.  I have started taking Cardio Barre classes with my mom and friends. The hour goes by really fast, the music is awesome, the instructor is inspirational and I actually leave the class thinking how much I enjoyed exercising!!  When I can't make it to class, I've made plans to join friends at the gym, or go on a hike.  This has been a great way to combine socializing with exercise. As for eating all these delicious new food crazes, I say go for it. Honestly, it's all about moderation, so don't go overboard. Have the cronut you've been dying to try or enjoy that plate of pasta without dwelling on the number of carbs your ingesting, just make sure your other food choices for the day are on the healthier side. Although it is great to be very health conscious, you don't want to live your life without trying some of the best foods!

Image from Cardio Barre Woodland Hills

My Favorite Summer Dress

Every summer I yearn for a perfect summer dress. Something that is effortless, easy, and won't go out of style. These are a lot of requirements, which is why I usually never find my "perfect" dress. However, this year I think I have finally found it (or close to it). While shopping with my mom at Free People I stumbled upon THE frock! It is a black, loose fitting tank dress with lace and eyelet fabric. When I tried it on, I absolutely fell in love. I wore it for my birthday lunch with a cute pair of summer sandals, but I was also able to dress it up for work by adding a colorful, yet more conservative blazer! Unfortunately I cannot find it on the Free People website (even though I have seen it recently in stores), but here is a picture of me wearing it!  Let me know what you think?

I'm the second from the right. I love how the dress is simple but fun!

Here I am with my friends being silly. I'm in the middle pointing at you, and from this angle you can see the detailing on the side a little better!

Where Has the Summer Gone?

So, here's the deal, I've been on summer vacation for the past three months; however, I have yet to post. What's up with that? Well honestly I don't really know. Blogging has always been something I loved doing, but the past few months I just haven't felt it. Fortunately, those days are over and I'm back on the blogging bandwagon thanks to some inspiration from Carly. Lets do some catching up, shall we?

I got home from school April 27. Yep, that's right APRIL. Like what kind of school ends that early?! Apparently the University of Michigan does! So, I got home, excited to be on summer vacation only to realize that absolutely none of my friends were home. Lets just say I spent a lot of time with my parents and Netflix. I started my internship at Giorgio Armani the second week of May for a few days as a little preview of the rest of my summer, and then I was off to the Holy Land!

From May 12-22, I was in Israel on a program called Birthright, which provides a free trip to Israel for Jewish individuals ages 18-26. I went through a program at Michigan, which was great since I was able to meet new people that I go to school with, as well as bond in new ways with existing friends. Traveling to Israel was my first time out of the country (besides a one day trip to Canada) and once I made it through the long plane ride, I was thrilled. My experience was fantastic. I had a taste of almost every aspect of Israeli life. Obviously my favorite parts were the fashion (lets just say I bought a tad too much jewelry) and the food (iced coffee and falafel...YUM). On the more serious side, I did feel a much greater connection with my heritage and religion. The trip was only 10 days, and I'm counting down the days until I will be able to go back and explore more of the beautiful "Land of Milk and Honey."

Once I got back from Israel, I returned to my internship. As I said, I'm interning at Giorgio Armani in the Beverly Hills VIP PR Office. I work in the showroom and the office, maintaining and organizing the VIP room for daily fittings with stylists and editors, researching runway shows and events, and performing various administrative duties. It has been an amazing experience, and I am grateful to have a glimpse into the international fashion world. 

Aside from interning, I have been hanging out with friends, relaxing, watching a million different tv shows, and reading lots and lots of blogs! With school being about a month away I have become very excited and motivated to return to sparklesmileandshine....my own blog.  So look for regular (or semi regular) postings from me on topics such as fashion, food, and college fun.