HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2018: GIFTS FOR HER

My second Gift Guide this Holiday season is a round up of gift ideas for HER. The ladies in your life whether it be your Sister, Bestie or Girlfriends you Brunch with on weekends. There is something for all the Gals in your life.

1. Winesulator w/ 2 Wine Tumblers- For the Wine Lover. And the perfect excuse to have a wine night at your besties house. Available in other colors.

2. Urban Decay Naked Cherry Palette- This gorgeous palette includes matte and metallic shades that any beauty lover will gush over.

3. Block Letter Monogram Necklace- If you’re looking for something a bit more personalized, this necklace is perfect!

4. Hudson Bleecker Lava Jewelry Case- A compact jewelry case to store baubles and more for the gal who loves to travel. Use code: HOLIDAY20 for 20% OFF

5. Mother Hood Life Lightweight Sweatshirt- For the friend who is also a MOM. She will love this comfy sweatshirt that she can wear on those busy Mom days.

6. Rose Quartz Face Roller- The newest beauty obsession makes for a great gift for the skincare lover.

7. LUSH Hygge Holiday Gift Set- What’s better than giving the gift of relaxation?! This bath & body set is ideal for anyone.

8. Drybar Full Size Favorites Holiday Gift Set- For the gal who always gets blowouts at the salon. This set will help her maintain her mane from home.

I hope you find this gift guide helpful when shopping for your best Gals! Comment and let me know who you’ll be shopping for.

XO, Rae

BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND SALES 2018

Black Friday is HERE! Who’s EXCITED to Shop til you drop?! It’s one of busiest shopping weekends and there are so many good SALES going on IN-STORE and ONLINE. So to kick off Back Friday, I’ve rounded up some of the best Sales happening at your favorite stores. Everything is linked below so you can easily shop and cross off your Christmas list.

updated as of Sat. 12:09pm

Old Navy- 40% OFF ONLINE ON EVERYTHING (SATURDAY & SUNDAY)

M.A.C- 25% OFF ONLINE & IN-STORE| FREE SHIPPING on all orders

DryBar- 20% OFF all products, tools, kits & accessories | FREE ground shipping

LOFT- 50% OFF your purchase w/ CODE FRIYAY

Madewell- 25% OFF your purchase w/ code DEALWITHIT

Pottery Barn- 25% OFF | FREE Shipping w/ code CYBER

Crate & Barrel- 20% OFF Select full-price items | 30% OFF Decor, Entertaining, Ornaments, Kitchen & holiday items. | FREE Shipping on eligible items for orders $49 or more

Anthropologie- 30% OFF Everything | FREE Shipping

Ulta- Beauty Busters (so many great deals/bundles) | FREE Shipping for orders $35 or more

Target- SO MANY GOOD DEALS on Electronics, Toys, Kitchen & Home, Clothing etc. Black Friday Doorbusters extended all day SATURDAY.

Nordstrom Rack- Black Friday Clearance w/ an additional 30% OFF until 11/26 | FREE Shipping Sitewide through Monday

Express- 40% OFF Everything | FREE Shipping on orders $50 or more

Charlotte Tilbury- 40% OFF Beauty Kits | 33% OFF Lip Trios

Sephora- Get 50% OFF select items each day this week for the DAILY WOW Online & In-Store

Tarte- 25% OFF w/ code WEEKEND

Kylie Cosmetics- 40% OFF Lip Products | 30% OFF Face Products

Banana Republic- 50% OFF all regular priced items | Extra 10% OFF when you use your Gap Inc. credit card w/ CODE BRCARD

XO, Rae

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2018: FOR THE HOSTESS

The Holiday season is upon us and you know what that means…invites galore! So whether you’re going to a Friendsgiving, an Ugly Sweater Party or just to your besties Cookie Swap Party. You’ll need a hostess gift and I’ve got you covered with something for everyone.

1. Cravings: Hungry for More by Chrissy Teigen - For the hostess who loves to cook & entertain.

2. Kate Spade Wine Bottle Tote - Just add a nice bottle of wine. And ta-da, perfect gift!

3. CAPRI BLUE FIR & FIREWOOD JAR CANDLE - Candles always make great gifts. And this candle not only smells AMAZING but comes in this gorgeous jar.

4. Gray Plush Throw with Tassels- Under $20 and makes a great cozy gift.

5. Plaid Monogram Mug - On SALE! A great personalized gift on it’s own or you can pair it with some hot chocolate or coffee.

6. The Cellar ‘Chill’ Carafe- Under $15 with promo code BLKFRI. Such a fun gift for the SASSY hostess.

7. Filigree Gold Stemless Wine Glasses (Set of 4) - You can never have enough glassware. Cheers!

8. Wood Marble Tree Cheese Board - This beautiful serving piece is functional and festive.

XO, Rae

THANKFUL & GRATEFUL

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, y’all! This morning I woke up feeling excited for the Holiday season ahead. And then immediately felt anxious for everything that needs to be accomplished today and in the days ahead. The cooking, baking, shopping, traveling, attending holiday parties, hosting out of town guest and the added stress of trying to find the perfect gift for friends and loved ones.

I reminded myself in that moment to stop and take a breathe, because all of those things are NOT what’s important. Gifts are nice and shopping is fun, but it’s the little things and moments in between that matter the most. It’s time spent with family & friends, giving back to those who are less fortunate, sending hand written cards, sharing recipes with friends, decorating the tree and most of all making memories.

So as you start to prep for the holiday weekend, take a moment to reflect on what you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving. I know I will be doing the same. Practicing gratitude is something that can quickly change our mood and certainly gives us perspective on what really matters in life. I hope you all enjoy the Holiday weekend with your friends and family.

Image via Pinterest

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

XO, Rae

VOTE IN THE POLLS AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Happy Monday, y’all. While I don’t typically get political on my social platforms or the blog, I felt compelled this morning to share this with you all. This is just me sharing my opinion and outlook on this topic. And I appreciate the fact that I have a platform in which I can express that freely and openly.

This morning while on the Subway, a young woman went to go sit in an empty middle seat between another woman and gentleman. The young lady took notice that the space was small and cramped, but she made eye contact with the gentleman first showing her interest in sitting in the seat and politely said '“excuse me” before taking the seat. The other woman already sitting next to the empty seat quickly scooted over as much as she could making room for the young lady. But the gentleman didn’t budge. As the young woman sat down in the empty seat, the gentleman quickly started to argue with her on why she would choose that seat seeing there was not much space. Another gentleman standing nearby covered in tattoos, looked at the young girl who took the seat, and said in disappointment “so much for chivalry”! He was in disbelief that the other gentleman was so reluctant to move slightly over to accommodate the young woman and he let his voice be heard. I immediately took notice how the young woman looked surprised that this stranger stood up for her. I have to admit, so was I. You see, on the outside you could easily assume that this rugged, tattoo covered guy was a bad guy or a tough guy and couldn’t have cared less about the woman trying to get a seat on the Subway. But it was in fact the complete opposite. I’m telling you this story because I think we all have been guilty of being too quick to judge others by their appearance or what we can only see on the surface. And you may be wondering, what’s the point of this story?

Well, tomorrow is a big day for our country as we head out to VOTE in the polls for the mid-term elections. And I encourage you all to look deeper into each candidate before you vote. Look at more than the color of their skin or their appearance. Look at more than the party they are representing. Look at who they are as a person. Ask yourself; Do you like the characteristics that they uphold? Ask yourself; Do they represent your morals and values? Ask yourself; Do they stand up for the rights you believe in? Ask yourself these questions without the opinions of others or the media or what you see at first glance. Because too often as humans we jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts or looking deeper. I was also reminded of this myself during my commute this morning. The simple truth is, we are all just trying to have a seat amongst our fellow Americans and want our voices to be heard.

I’m encouraging everyone to make an educated decision when it comes to VOTING in the polls tomorrow. You have a VOICE and it is powerful. Make sure to put it to good use tomorrow to speak up for what YOU believe in.

And if you’re needing more information on VOTING and which candidates are up for election. Head over to theSkimm to enter your information and receive a sample ballot for your area.

XO, Rae

5 THINGS TO DO IN NYC THIS FALL

Hello, November! We are post Halloween festivities which means we are on countdown till Thanksgiving. Anyone else excited for the Holidays?! The leaves are in peak foliage all around the city, which means there is still plenty of Fall to enjoy in New York. And like other seasons, there is no shortage of things to do. Here’s a round up of places to go, things to see and events happening around the city.

CENTRAL PARK FALL FOILAGE

Fall wouldn’t be complete without a walk through Central Park to peep the leaves. There are so many areas to see the leaves change during peak season. A few of my favorite spots are 86th & Central Park West, 72nd & Central Park West near Strawberry Fields, The Bow Bridge and of course the iconic Bethesda Fountain & Terrace and The Mall. And if you don’t feel like walking, you can rent Citi bikes or even take a carriage ride through the park. Here is a map of NYC Fall Foliage.

CIDER WEEK

From November 2nd-11th, several events take place all over the city bringing you classes, cider tastings and more in celebration of New York’s orchard based cider. You can click here to find events near you. Cheers!

Arlo Hotel Orchard

Located in the Arlo SoHo hotel’s courtyard. A pop-up complete with apple picking, pumpkins and photo ops galore. Stop by for an Instagram worthy photo or sip Fall inspired cocktails every Thursday at their “Happle Hour” from 4pm-7pm.

MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

November 22, 2018, the 92nd annual parade will start at Central Park West and West 77th Street and head down Central Park West and travel east along Central Park South to Sixth Avenue. From there the procession will travel south on Sixth Avenue from West 59th Street to West 34th Street, ending in front of the Macy's in Herald Square. And if you would rather avoid the crowds the day of Thanksgiving, you can opt to see the floats being inflated the night before. Located at the Natural History Museum on the Upper West Side. Public access is at the entrance on West 79th Street and Columbus Avenue. Both events are FREE and open to the public.

West Village/Grove Courtyard

The West Village is known for it’s charming streets. And it’s no exception during the Fall months. You can usually spot several Fall inspired decorated stoops while walking around the neighborhood. There is also a hidden gem known as the The Grove Courtyard, which is unfortunately not open to the pubic. However, you can see the well landscaped courtyard through the iron gates just on the other side. The tree lined streets of the West Village with it’s picturesque brownstones makes for the perfect area to take an afternoon stroll on a crisp Fall day.

What are your favorite things to do in the city during Fall months?

XO, Rae