Sunday, May 29, 2016

Capri Leggings

I recently got some capri leggings to wear during the warmer weather. Since I’m tall and usually get long leggings and pants, these are a bit short, but the length has actually grown on me...

The other day, I wore the capri leggings with an old striped dress from Banana Republic. I love brown and black together, and I love stripes, so the dress is a winner in my book. And since the dress is a bit short, I really love wearing it with leggings.

Brown Black Dress 3

I also wore my denim jacket as it was a cooler day.

Brown Black Dress 1

And I’m still loving my Coach Pebble Satchel. A great “little” bag that holds a LOT of things.

Brown Black Dress 4
Outfit Details: Dress: Banana Republic old (I love this striped Banana Republic dress), Yummy capri leggings, denim jacket old (similar), Coach Prairie Pebble Satchel in rose gold (I really love it in bright pink)

Questions: What’s your go-to outfit at the moment? Is it hot yet where you are? It's been warming up toward the end of the week, but before then it was quite cool at times.


Be well,
Andrea 


[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]


Thursday, May 26, 2016

Conscious Eating and Living to Deal with Stress

Life has continued to be stressful over the past few months with a busy job, a kid who is involved in many activities, a young adult with “interesting” ideas, and aging parents with too many health problems to list and a certain level of stubbornness.

Unfortunately, I haven’t taken care of myself the way I should for a while now. I don’t eat enough vegetable and fruits, drink too much coffee, and take very little time for myself. As a result, I haven’t been feeling my best.

A Conscious Cleanse to Reset Everything

Those who have been reading my blog for a while will know that three years ago I was introduced to the Conscious Cleanse. At the time, I decided to do the cleanse at the spur of the moment after learning that it is not what I had imagined a cleanse to be (no or little food, basically a crash diet). Rather, the Conscious Cleanse focuses on whole foods. The results I got from the cleanse were truly amazing. I slept better, had clearer thoughts, little aches and pains went away, I was calmer, and I lost some weight. 


The results of the Conscious Cleanse were life changing as I felt better than ever before. And the way to get there wasn’t that hard (except for giving up caffeine, which was tough; I did really well without caffeine for two years after my first cleanse and really don’t know why I let it creep back into my life as I always end up drinking too much caffeine once I start…).  

But I’ve continued many of the principles I learned during the cleanse up to this day (warm lemon water to start the day, green smoothies, interesting salads, delicious vegetable soups, etc. - the Conscious Cleanse comes with a manual as well as the Conscious Cleanse book and both contain many, delicious recipes). 


 
The Conscious Cleanse felt very doable because you eat real food and there is no measuring, rather you eat until you are satisfied while paying close attention to your hunger signals. The key for me is to do some prep work on the weekend and every morning while I do the cleanse to always have something to eat around that’s cleanse-approved. And that’s really also the key to living a less stressful life for me.

There are some foods and beverages you are asked not to consume during the cleanse (caffeine, gluten, added sugar, dairy, eggs, etc.) because they are common allergens and many people cannot digest them properly. After the cleanse you can reintroduce them back into your diet one by one and see how you feel.

 

Support Makes all the Difference

I’m going to do another Conscious Cleanse starting on June 8. Having done the cleanse numerous times over the past 3.5 years, I certainly know what to do. But sometimes doing “the right things” when it comes to food and taking care of yourself isn’t all that easy.

I have found that support makes it all doable. And if you participate in the Conscious Cleanse there is lots of support:
  • five live tele seminars where you can ask questions (or listen to the replays on your own time)
  • a private Facebook group where other cleansers share struggles and ideas and Jo and Jules (the founders of the cleanse) and their team answer questions
  • daily email support where you can get all your questions answered
  • daily “love notes" that highlight one area of well being you should focus on for that day

One element I always enjoy about the Conscious Cleanse Facebook groups is that people participating in the cleanse are from all over the world. It’s fun connecting with cleansers in different countries and learn a bit about them, the food they eat, and their countries in the process...

 

A Gift to Myself

Life is busy as I said above, and when I considered doing another cleanse I thought “Do I really want to add something else to my plate?” And the answer is “yes” because taking care of myself has to be a priority. Only if I take care of myself will I be able to take care of others. I’m still following many of the Conscious Cleanse guidelines I learned over the years, but several things that are not the best for me have crept back into my diet. I know that doing another cleanse and really focusing on what I eat, how it makes me feel, and doing things for myself will be very beneficial to how I feel.

Here is some information in case you are interested in the cleanse. The next Conscious Cleanse starts on June 8, and registration closes on June 6. You can get $25 off the registration fee with code Andrea25. Click here for more information and to register for the Conscious Cleanse.

I have written about the Conscious Cleanse numerous times over the past few years. Here are some of my old posts, so you can get an idea of the process and what I have learned.

Questions: What do you think you should “clean up” in your life? Among other things, I know it will be good for me to stop drinking so much caffeine. What should you add into your life? I need to make the vast majority of my food vegetables and fruits again. I also need to be more consistent when it comes to exercise. The barre studio I used to go to closed down, and I’ll have to find a replacement.

Linking up with: WayWow, Inspire Me Monday, Sweet Inspiration, Blogger's Pit Stop, Thursday Favorite Things, UpsDaisy

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: I’m a Conscious Cleanse ambassador, and I will earn a commission if you sign up for the cleanse using one of my links in this post. As always, the opinions in this post are 100% truthful and my own.]

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Colorful Dress & A Mainly Neutral Wardrobe

The weather is still all over the place here in the Bay Area - 90s at the beginning of the week and low 60s and rain by the end of the week - actually quite typical for the end of spring around here. I’m not complaining as we are blessed with mild weather year round, and we are definitely thankful for any rain we get.

I don’t wear a lot of purple, but this pink, purple and black dress caught my eye when it was on major clearance - I think 80% off - when a Macy’s closed down close to us a year ago. I tried it on just for fun and ended up liking it. I love the fun geometrical pattern and the slight flare at the bottom. And by pairing it with a black cardigan, I toned down the busy pattern a bit.  

Black  Pink Dress 1 2

 

Mixing Colors into a Mainly Neutral Wardrobe


I’ve been trying to streamline my closet and have been mostly replacing neutral foundation pieces in the last six months. My loud Trina Turk pants being the exception! What I have found is that it’s fun to have a few colorful pieces in your closet. I may not get as much wear out of them as out of my well-made neutrals (like my beloved Trina Turk Accomplice top), but color spruces up my wardrobe and I love to wear it on occasion. I wear something colorful once or twice a week; the rest of the time I wear neutrals but may add color with accessories. This may not be apparent from the blog as I’ve been showing a lot of colorful clothes lately. A typical outfit of mine is more in line with my black & white maxi skirt outfit from a few weeks ago.

Color Can Affect Your Mood


I love color because it can really affect my mood. When I’m in need of some cheer, I wear my yellow cardigan. On a beautiful summer day, I love my raspberry top; it just screams summer to me, and somehow I always feel I “need” to eat some ice cream when I’m wearing it... And on a rainy day, nothing cheers me up like my colorful Desigual coat

Black  Pink Dress 2 1
Outfit Details: Purple/Pink/Black Dress (fabulous splurge; fun Robert Rodriguez dress on the RealReal), Yummie leggings, Coach Prairie Satchel (I love the one in bright pink)

Question: Do you wear colorful clothes or neutrals? Or both? What affects your decision what colors to wear on a particular day? 

Linking up with: 
Saturday: Up, Down, All Around 
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Wednesday's Wardrobe, Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday:Upsy Daisy, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sheela Writes, Sweet Inspiration, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday


Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Another Look at the Trina Turk Accomplice Top

Trina Turk Accomplice Top


I still love my Trina Turk Accomplice Top. Last time I wore the Trina Turk Accomplice Top with a black blazer.

This time I wore the top to a trip to the Farmers’ Market. I paired it with capris and a black and white neck scarf. I also carried my Coach Pebble Satchel. It’s a great little purse that holds a LOT of things.

Trina Turk Accomplice Top 001

Perfect Black Travel Top


I love the Trina Turk Accomplice Top because it is comfortable and loose but not too loose. Plus, it drapes well. It truly is the perfect black top. In fact, it’s the only black top I’ve been wearing since I got it in March… I like that I can wash it in the washing machine using the delicate cycle and then hang it up to dry. It comes out perfectly every time. 

I know I’ll take it on our summer vacation and will get a lot of wear out of it. My travel wardrobe is neutrals (denim, black, white, grey, and some colorful accessories), so it'll go with all skirts and pants. Plus, it's plain enough not to stand out too much, so people (hopefully) won't say, "Oh, she is wearing THAT top AGAIN!"

Trina Truk Accomplice Top 003

Questions: What’s your current favorite top? 

Linking up with: 
Saturday: Up, Down, All Around 
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Wednesday's Wardrobe, Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday:Upsy Daisy, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sweet Inspiration, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Yellow Cardigan & Blue and White Striped Dress

I love yellow, but I don’t look very good wearing a lot of yellow, especially close to my face. I got my yellow cardigan about five years ago but haven’t worn it very often over the years. One way I enjoy wearing it is with my blue/white striped Lauren by Ralph Lauren midi dress.

Yellow Cardigan 3

 

How To Wear Yellow When You Are Pale

By adding a little more blue near my face with the mainly blue neck scarf, I think the yellow works. It may not be the most flattering color on me, but I love the bright yellow, and it always makes me happy! And I think sometimes it’s okay not to wear one of your best colors if an outfit makes you happy.   

Yellow Cardigan 1

I decided to wear my brown sandals. The sandals have a pretty high (for me) heel, but the platform makes them very comfortable. These days, I rarely wear the same colored shoes and bag as matching shoes and bags is certainly out of fashion. But I really wanted to carry my new, brown Coach bag (bought at the Coach Outlet for 70% off).

Yellow Cardigan 2 
I have been pretty obsessed with finding the “perfect” brown bag for at least six months, and I even have a Pinterest board devoted to finding one. The more I looked for the “perfect” brown bag, the more I realized that there isn’t a perfect one as there are so many different bags and occasions. While I would love a brown bag with beautiful soft, delicate leather, I know that for my current life that wouldn’t be very practical as I need a bag that’s durable and versatile.

Yellow Cardigan 4
 Outfit Details: Dress: Lauren by Ralph Lauren (I love this Lauren polka dot midi dress), yellow Banana Republic cardigan (similar), Coach bag (I also love this one).

I really like the look of the brown Coach bag, and it’s a nice size - big enough to carry some things (I was able to stuff an amazing amount of items into it during a recent, unplanned emergency shopping trip where I had forgotten to bring bags), but not too big. Plus, it’s easy to care for and can be wiped down if need be. It’s perfect for everyday life right now and, in fact, many years to come.


Linking up with: 
Saturday: Up, Down, All Around 
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday:Upsy Daisy, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sweet Inspiration, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday


Questions: Is there a color you like but you don’t look your best in? Do you wear it?  Do you like yellow? Do you ever wear it? If so, what yellow clothing items do you own? 

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Signature Look: Leggings & A Tunic

One of my signature looks is leggings and a tunic or short dress.

The dress in this outfit is another one of those items I recently “found” in my closet. It lives in my “overflow” closet (= one half of my son’s closet that is very hard to access). I bought it about five years ago at Loft. Unfortunately, it shrunk the first time I washed it, and then I put it in the dryer once by accident. It’s therefore too short to wear on its own. I didn’t wear it for a while until I realized that it is perfect paired with leggings.

The weather in Silicon Valley has been all over the place lately - from the 90s to the low 60s, including some rain and wind (which made it seem much colder; and, yes, we are weather wimps here in the South Bay...).

I wore the dress/tunic on a rainy day to run some errands. I paired it with leggings, my denim jacket, and a striped scarf.
Tunic Leggings 3
Outfit Details: Dress Loft old (I love this fun tee shirt dress), Yummie Leggings, Denim Jacket old (I love this one), Scarf Loft (I love this spring/summer scarf from Loft)

I wore the outfit again on Mother’s Day for lots of walking and a casual brunch outing. Since we walked quite a bit before and after brunch, it made sense to wear comfortable and casual clothes. I usually spend “special days,” like Mother’s Day and birthdays doing something active with my boys, rather than getting dressed up. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy getting dressed up once in a while, but birthdays and Mother’s Day are usually reserved for doing some physical activity together. 

Tunic Leggings 4

The best part of the day: Family FaceTime with my parents in Germany!

Tunic Leggings 1

Questions: What’s one of your signature looks? Again, one of my signature looks is definitely a tunic and leggings.

Linking up with: 
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday:Upsy Daisy, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sweet Inspiration, Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday
Saturday: Up, Down, All Around 

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Summer Color Combo: Raspberry & White and Visiting Stanford

One of my favorite color combos for spring and summer is raspberry and white, and I wore my raspberry tank (I last wore it with my white Desigual coat) and white denim jacket when we visited Stanford University last weekend. I also wore my raspberry-colored Black House White Market sandals, which I love as they are comfortable, secure and more polished than flip flops. Unfortunately, BHWM doesn’t make them anymore...

Stanford 4

Stanford’s campus is beautiful, and there is plenty of space to walk around. You can also visit the art gallery, the museum (Cantor Arts Center, which has a nice permanent collection as well as amazing temporary exhibitions on display; plus admission is free!), and Hoover Tower (there is an exhibit on the bottom level, and you’ll have a wonderful view from the top). Stanford University is a nice place to spend a pleasant afternoon. 

Stanford 2
Stanford 3

And on a hot day the stunning, covered walkways provide shade and coolness.

Stanford 5
Stanford 1
Outfit details: White denim jacket (similar), raspberry tank (similar), pink Coach bag (similar), raspberry sandals (I really like these pink clogs)

Question: What are your favorite spring/summer color combos? 

Linking up with:
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Up, Down, All Around, Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Upsy Daisy, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sweet Inspiration, Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Trina Turk Montezuma Pants - My Loud Pants

My everyday style is casual, classic, and often includes neutrals. However, once in a while, I like to acquire a true standout piece. When I attended the blogger meet-up at Trina Turk in Burlingame in March, I not only bought the Trina Turk Accomplice Top but also some “loud” pants.

I had done some research before going and knew I very much liked the wide legged pants that are part of the current swim line. My favorites are the Trina Turk Moroccan Medallion Roll Top pants, the Trina Turk Shangri La pants, and the Trina Turk Montezuma pants.

I liked them all but ended up choosing the Trina Turk Montezuma pants because they were long enough (unfortunately, the others were just a bit too short). I’m glad I picked them though as the turquoise in the pants matches one of my bathing suits perfect. And the more I look at the colorful print, the more I like it! I took the pants with me on our trip to the California Central Coast. But, unfortunately, it was just a bit too cold to hang out at the pool. 

Trina Turk Montezuma Pants 1 
While I originally had only intended to wear the pants around the pool and on vacation, I decided to give them a try in everyday life during a casual weekend outing as I realized that they are really very much like the pajama-style pants that are currently popular. The pants are definitely “loud,” and I feel a bit out of my element, but I like them and they make me feel alive.   

Trina Turk Montezuma Pants 2
Trina Turk Montezuma Pants 3
Questions: Do you own any “loud” pants? If so, when do you wear them?

Linking up with:
Upsy Daisy, Sweet Inspiration
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Waywow, My Refined Style, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Black and White Maxi Skirt and Visiting the Presidio in SF

Last weekend we went to the Cider Summit in San Francisco at the Presidio. We love visiting the Presidio because of its beautiful location right on the bay.

Black White Maxi Skirt 4

I was again in a black and white mood and decided to wear my black and white maxi skirt that I got at Loft three or four years ago. I did some pattern mixing by pairing the horizontally-striped skirt with my vertically-striped blouse from Banana Republic (also old). I also wore my black and white necklace from White House Black Market. My denim jacket added much needed warmth and kept everything nice and casual. To add just a bit of color, I decided to wear red sandals and carry my rose gold Rebecca Minkoff MAB bag.

Black White Maxi Skirt 1
Black White Maxi Skirt 2
Black White Maxi Skirt 3

Outfit details: Black white striped maxi skirt Loft (similar), black white striped Banana Republic blouse (similar), cropped denim jacket (similar), red Naot sandals - very comfortable (similar Naot sandals in black), Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB bag in rose gold (I also really like the mini MAB bag in guava)

We tasted some delicious cider, and the kid and I played nine rounds of Connect Four (I won once...).

Cider Sumit SF 1
Cider Summit SF 2

After the Cider Summit we walked around and explored a bit.  

Presidio San Francisco 1

We checked out the Gold Rush exhibit. It’s only a one-room exhibit, but it’s very interesting with diaries, medical instruments from the time period, etc. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the exhibit.  

Presidio San Francisco 3

We also got some coffee in the Walt Disney Museum but didn’t have time to actually go inside the museum as our parking meter was about to expire.

Presidio San Francisco 2

We took one last look at the Golden Gate Bridge before we drove back home.

Golden Gate Bridge  
Questions: Do you like wearing maxi skirts? Do you like cider? Have you ever visited the Presidio in San Francisco?

Linking up with:
Sweet Inspiration
Monday: Classy Monday, iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Ageless Style, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Waywow, My Refined Style, Thursday Moda, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]