Daily Dose of Design: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Last Minute Halloween Ideas

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Happy Halloween!!

I'm one of the biggest procrastinators I know, and although I'm better about it during the busy holiday season time still manages to slip by and I find myself rushing to get things ready and done. Since Halloween is a Monday this year, most parties were this weekend but that doesn't mean you can't still have fun! Whether you're venturing out, taking kiddos trick-or-treating or staying in, here's some fun and simple last minute Halloween ideas that you can get done in no time today:

Friday, October 28, 2016

7 Things You Didn't Know You Needed from the October POPSUGAR Must Have Box

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Seriously, where did October go?! I cannot believe that Halloween is on Monday already! But speaking of Monday, it's been such a long week so I'm SO happy it's FriYAY! This month has been a whirlwind, but every time I receive my monthly Must Have Box from POPSUGAR, I get so excited - the box that comes in the mail is bright pink so I always spot it from a mile away - and it always makes for such an exciting mail day! #bloggerprobs

I seem to find that each month gets better than the last, but I really don't know how October's Must Have Box can be beat; it was filled to the tippy top with SUCH amazingly fun items - all of which are essentials for fall you really didn't even know you needed, but totally do. ; ) Here's what's inside:

P.S. scroll down for a coupon code!!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Quick & Delicious Chocolate Covered Apple Treats


Apple recipes are always delicious, but there's really nothing better than an apple-based dessert in the fall! I always have so many apples in the house from apple picking so trying new fall themed desserts with them is my favorite thing to do during this time of year. I love candied and caramel apples, but am I the only one who finds them SO hard to eat and SO messy?! They're yummy and all, but I'm all about a fun twist on a traditional fall dessert - and that's where these yummy and quick chocolate covered apple pops come into play! They take all of 20 minutes to make and they're sure to be a crowd pleaser for everyone. Also a great way to use up apples before they go bad! Possibilities here are endless... ; )

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Skincare Must Have: Clarisonic Mia 2


I try a LOT of different skincare products - moisturizers, exfoliants, toners; you name it and I've likely tried it or have it on my list. There's some things that have become "holy grail" products, some that I've hated and some that I like but could live without - and I love trying them! If there's one thing I expect and absolutely NEED from a skincare product, it's to have my face feeling fresh and clean after using it. If not, I know it's something I'll never use again. Enter the Clarisonic Mia 2. Obsessed, guys!!

Monday, October 24, 2016

What to Wear Where: Fall Edition

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It's the time of year where things start to get SO busy, and don't cool down any time soon with the holidays coming up. I love nothing more than dressing in fall temperatures and having my scarves match the colorful leaves! I love sharing fall outfit inspiration and putting layering looks together is sort of an obsession - if I can layer, you better believe I will! Since so many busy things go on during the fall, I put together a look-book of outfit ideas for different events this fall:

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Photoshop Tutorial: Making a Horizontal Image Vertical

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When I began learning to use Photoshop, I had NO guidance. Everything I know is self taught, and I think it's been as easy as it is because Adobe's programs (Creative Cloud) are so fun for me to learn. There are SO many things you can do with Photoshop - more than anyone could ever solely know. I know Photoshop comes with a learning curve; since I didn't have much help other than some YouTube videos when I learned to use it, I love sharing my knowledge and helping make such a fun program easier in any way possible!

Whether you're a photographer, blogger or just enjoy taking pictures - this tutorial is for you! I think it's probably safe to say that we've all been in a situation wishing that the "perfect picture" you took was just a liitttle more perfect. In this case, vertical. This happens to me all the time. In so many situations, vertical pictures are so much more eye pleasing. They're pretty in frames, desirable for photographers and for bloggers, they're ideal for Pinterest. Here's a quick, easy and painless process to creating (most) horizontal images into vertical images:

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

10 Things to Do Before 10 AM

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No one said waking up early would be easy, but let me tell ya - it's almost ALWAYS worth it! I know all too well how hard it can seem to get out of bed in the morning no matter what time it is that the alarm is going off. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with waking up early; having a few extra hours to get things done is always helpful but that mid-afternoon slump can reeeaally hit hard! There's a ton of things you can benefit from doing first thing in the morning both for your health and even to benefit your day and the rate of which you get things done. Nothing is worse than waking up and not having a plan for the day or worse - waking up late and still feeling drained. Choosing to start each day off on the right foot helps you feel better, get WAY more things crossed off on your to-do list and best of all, you'll feel accomplished come bed time! Here are my top 10 things everyone should do every morning before 10 AM:

Friday, October 14, 2016

8 Ways to Be A Total #GirlBoss

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I think it's safe to say that we all have the book #GirlBoss to thank for this term, but there's something about it that's extremely motivating. A woman who is hard working, a go-getter and mature beyond her years is considered the ultimate girl boss. Working hard and setting goals - it's a lot of our millennial generations' goal and if you're a blogger or have an awesome business going, you know exactly what I mean! Whether you're already a girl boss or want to become one, this list has 8 ways to help you become a girl boss or legitimize the fact that you already are a girl boss. There's enough boss-ness to go around for all of us, so get motivated and motivate each other. Because in a world like this, we need ALL of the girl bosses we can get!

Thursday, October 13, 2016

BeBe and Bella Skincare: Probiotic Beauty

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This post has been sponsored by Bebe & Bella on behalf of the PRIMP Network. All thoughts/opinions are solely based on my experience.

The only thing better than trying new skincare lines is trying a new skincare line at the start of a new season! I'm completely obsessed with trying new things and I'm always looking for the best products to share that are worth the time/money and ones that I truly love. The fall in New York has started out pretty chilly - I'm talking low 40's at night and frost advisories! It's kind of hard to believe since just a few weeks ago, it was still reaching 86 each day. With the quick temperature change, my skin hasn't really been adjusting well... It's been red and dry and I've been needing something that works more efficiently for this kind of weather change than my normal favorites.

I've take probiotics before but I've never taken them as a part of a skincare routine. I was so excited to try these BeBe and Bella products, and after about 2 weeks of trying these out - I'm so excited to share how it's going!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Falling for Plaid this Fall

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Plaid is one of those timeless patterns that never gets old and that you can find nearly everywhere, especially this time of year! I've never been huge on wearing plaid myself but this year I'm finding myself loving it and I can't stop buying button downs, ponchos, scarves, etc. I love the color varieties and it's also one of those patterns that you can mix and match with and pair things with in so many different ways. There's so many colors and styles to choose from, and I found my 9 favorites that you need in your closet if you're obsessed with plaid!

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Family Game Night Must Haves

Thank you Ellio’s Pizza for sponsoring this post. Visit your local retailer to pick up your own Ellio’s Pizza for a pizza night in!

 photo Ellios Pizza for game night_zpsrazz0xin.jpg

Even on the busiest of days, making time to relax and laugh a little is so important! One of my favorite things to do to unwind is hang out with friends and family, enjoy good food and fun games both in person and on TV (we're huge sports fans around here!). I always loved playing board games with my family when I was little - and getting to have game nights with friends is STILL the best! Scrabble was always a favorite - we could play endless games without getting bored!

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

9 Ways to Maximize Your iPhone's Battery Life

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It's a touchy subject for most iPhone users... But let's talk battery life. I've had a lot of different iPhones now and I'm a total Apple girl so I don't have too much room to complain, but I think we can all agree that the battery life isn't always up to par. Most especially when a new phone comes out; is it just me or can you swear that they send little Apple elves into your phone to mess with it, basically forcing you into buying the new phone?! Don't get me wrong, I'm just as excited to upgrade next month as the next tech-obsessed millennial, but I try my hardest to wait out all of the small bugs and glitches that go on! Anyway, I figured this was the best time to talk about this because my battery life has flat out sucked since the iPhone 7 was released a few weeks ago.

Our phones seem to die at the worst times too, am I right?! After a lot of traveling this summer, I realized I really needed to up my battery game and find out what was going to work the best to maximize my phone's daily life until November rolls around and I can upgrade. Here are some of the tips that have helped me the most, regardless of what I've read and heard before:

Monday, October 3, 2016

Currently Craving: September Swoons

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Happy October! I saw something on Twitter the other day that said Happy HalloThanksMas and I was laughing SO hard because it's so true! I love this time of year (even though I miss the summer weather... so conflicted) and all of the fun clothes, accessories and more that come with it. September was such a fun month - lots of Yankees baseball games, my 22nd birthday and the transition between summer and fall. Now that fall is in full swing, I'm so excited to share my favorite products at-first-sight this season! September was a busy shopping month, but I think October will be even busier.. Here's my favorites: