Cassie DeNisco

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It Happened One Summer- Book Review!

I am so excited to be launching this new series on the blog for a book of the month! Reading is one of my favorite things. I know a lot of you have found me because of my book recommendations. I thought I would share one book I read from the previous month as a way for us to form our own book club!

To chronicle this book journey, I made a separate Instagram @bookchatswithcass to not only share these books in real time but keep myself accountable as I read! I hope you’ll give it a follow as we start this new series together!

For the first month of the year, I decided that I was going to share one of my favorite books from December, It Happened One Summer. This is a funny rom com style book that was such a light and easy read that I got through it in one night. You can shop for it here through my affiliate link.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

it happened one summer

I have read I think one or two other books by Tessa Bailey but this one seriously was so great. It had me laughing out loud and almost made me feel like I was watching a TV show. The characters she wrote were people that you could really feel what they were feeling.

The review on the back said it is like Schitt’s Creek which is so funny. This was not disappointing because it really was just that.

The main character is a rich girl who gets sent away after partying too hard. She finds herself in small fishing town that is connected to her late father. Through fixing up her family’s old bar and falling in love with an average fishing captain, she realizes the life she was living wasn’t at all what she needed.

I so appreciated the humor and little bit of spice🌶 from this book. This one is great when you’re in the mood to finish a book in one night. Once you pick this up, you can’t put it down until it’s done. Another great part of this book is it is actually the first in the series so you get to meet characters from later books.

This series is so exciting to have on my blog and once a month you’ll get a bonus post, like this one, where I’ll recomend a book! You can read it and leave your thoughts in the comments below! If you’re just here for the review, I hope you’ll give this funny rom com a try!

For more book reviews, click here!

New Year, New Goals: My 2022 Resolutions

I cannot believe I am writing the final blog post of 2021. As each year passes, I realize it’s less about the resolutions you make and more about the new goals you set. For many of us, it’s easy to write down things that we want to do each year. I find that it’s more important to have actual steps to get your there. That’s why for me, I don’t make resolutions. Instead, I set goals with tangible steps that I can follow.

Last year, one of my goals was to create and upload a blog post every week for the year. I ended up with 49 posts instead of 53 but I don’t feel defeated. The consistency of writing and posting every week was more valuable to me than a number. This goal showed me that my blog can be a stream of income for me if I’m consistent. I wouldn’t have realized that unless I prioritized posting regularly.

Although I’m hoping for another year of getting things done, this year I’m actually less focused on things and more focused on myself and experiences. By the end of 2021, I was journaling every morning and reading every night, causing my anxiety to drop significantly. The theme of consistency came to my head as I was writing this list of goals for 2022 because when you continue to show up for yourself, you’re able to do so much more.

My 2022 Goals

My first and most important goal for 2022 is to be consistent with everything I do. Whether it’s getting in a little bit of movement everyday or continuing my morning/nigh routines, forming good habits is top priority. I saw first hand what consistency can do from last year by accident so I can only imagine when I’m mindful of it, how much I can benefit from it.

Be consistent with everything I do and form good habits.

I really think it’s important to look to the past year to create new goals for the next. Other than consistency, I found myself needing to create boundaries. Whether it was on a vacation or just spending time at home with Sky, I always online.

I found myself so burnt out this year. This was because I was always online doing something, even at night when I should have put it down. This year I want to create boundaries to limit time on my phone. Also, for after a certain time during the day or on the weekend so I’m not always working. I want to prevent burnout from before it even happens.

Create boundaries to prevent burnout before it happens.

My last goal for 2022 is to be present. Similar to my last goal, I want to not focus on getting a picture out of something I’m doing. I also want to just enjoy events and experiences for what they are and not focus on how I can post about them. Often, I find myself not able to shut off my content creating brain but I really want to focus on living in the moment.

I often find myself as a planner and thinking, if I do this I can post that. This leads me to not really enjoy where I’m at or what I’m doing. It’s so important to me to live in the moment and enjoy the time I’m spending.

Be more present

My biggest tip to you when setting new goals for the new year is to look back and take inventory of what made you happy or upset during the previous year. People love to say all of these huge and crazy resolutions but because they have no real substance, you most likely won’t achieve them. By making small changes based on your previous year, you’ll be more likely to form habits.

Habits are the most important part of goals because you have to form good habits to have your goals stick after you achieve them. I love the new year as a way to reset and be inspired. I also want the momentum to last throughout the whole year, not just until I reach my new goals.

Here’s to a great new year! Check out my past resolutions post here. Be sure to follow me on Instagram since I am really going to try to share more of my everyday life on my stories this year! @cassiedenisco

My Book Review for 2021

I was so excited to write this book review recap as a wrap up for all the books I read this year. During the pandemic, I fell back in love with reading so I really made it my mission to carve out time to read everyday this year. I have read over 50 books so far and we still have a few more days left in the year.

Any content that has to do with a book review is seriously my favorite so I hope this helps you find some new great books. If I broke down every book I read this year, we would be here all day so I’m going to break down my favorite, least favorite, and a few other honorable mentions.

If you like my book review, I highly suggest you check me out on Good Reads and follow me there because that will update you with every book I read! You can also check me out on instagram @bookchatswithcass for my new book instagram!

Least Favorite 2021 Book: Love & Gelato

book review

This was absolutely my own fault with this book. I gravitate towards YA books and I know this is a series so I thought I could get away with it. The book was so rough to get through not only because it was so young but the story itself was like a Mamma Mia wannabe. Honestly I don’t even have much else to write about it other than I would not recommend this to anyone.

Non- Fiction Must Read: The Forever Dog

book review

If you have a dog or even any pet, I would say run to your nearest book store . This was so hard to get my hands on so I actually have a hard copy and a kindle copy. I love the information in this book. It’s written by vets, backed by science, and easy to understand. I want Sky to have the happiest, healthiest life and this book has helped to make some great changes in her life so far.

Opened the Door to a new Genre: Next Year in Havana

As a kid I was very much into Historical Fiction but as an adult I couldn’t really get myself into it. I found Next Year in Havana on a whim in the bookstore and I am so glad it did. Chanel Cleeton did a fantastic job of weaving in important historical events with a story that was written beautifully. After reading this book, I read the second book in the series, When We Left Cuba, and then started to incorporate more Historical Fiction books into my reads.

Top Recommendation: The Giver of Stars

I honestly believe everyone should read this historical fiction book. This was based on a true story about the women would worked under Eleanor Roosevelt’s library program. This program brought books to everyone, even in the most remote locations. In addition, this book shows the lives that women led during this time period and the friendships they formed. This is probably the book I will tell everyone to read. It shows how powerful books and reading really are.

Favorite 2021 Book: Beach Read

I actually struggled with this category because I thought about putting The Giver of Stars but I thought that book wasn’t necessarily my favorite that I read. It is more of a book that I will always refer to when people ask me what to read. Beach Read is actually the second book I read by this author and I love it. Essentially, two others are both dealing with grief and end up being next door neighbors who essentially fall in love. I just loved the twists and turns that it took to get them to the end of the book. I really love this about Emily Henry’s writing.

There’s nothing I love more than a cozy bed and a good book! I hope this book review gave you some inspo for your next read. Be sure to check out some other posts I’ve done one books recommendations too!

Neutral Basics You Need this Winter

As many of you know, I rarely wear color so I found it fitting that I share my neutral basics you need this winter. Not only are neutrals trendy but they’re so great to have in your closet year round. I’d like to think I have a capsule wardrobe where I have only what I need and can mix/match but that’s just not true.

My closet has some fun pieces but is many built around neutrals and there’s no better time to rock them then the winter. Bright, fun colors to me are more spring and summer and the neutrals are perfect to pair with the snow.

Here are my must have neutral basics for winter:

Cream Knit Sweater

neutral basics

I put this one first because a cream sweater is seriously the first and most important neutral basic in my winter closet. Whether you pair it with jeans or a skirt, this single piece can get you through the whole winter. I am obsessed with the mock turtle neck on this one from H & M.

Beige Flannel

neutral basics

One trend I’m really into this fall and winter is a flannel to layer with. I paired this beige flannel with my matching set and it seriously looks so cute. It gives you all the fall and winter feels but also makes the outfit complete and warm. This flannel I’m wearing is thrifted but here’s a similar one from Amazon you can shop!

Tan Jacket

I feel like everyone has the big puffy jackets but I think a good tan or camel color is essential for the winter. Peacoat’s are great to elevate a look while still staying super warm. I love this one from J Crew because it’s not too long for my short legs, but it is longer then others. I invested in this piece a few years ago but here’s a similar one from Lulus!

Black Long Sleeve

neutral basics

A black long sleeve is so essential to a winter wardrobe. You can layer with it or wear it alone which makes it the great piece for your closet. A black long sleeve has great versatility so finding one you love and will wear is actually a great addition to your closet. I love the neckline of this one from Lulus because it’ll be flattering on so many bodies!

I love reading posts like these because they really help to get you thinking about what’s in your closet. It also helps me to think about what I should have in my closet and how to create outfits from that. I am a firm believer in you probably have an outfit in your closet but knowing you have basics is so important to ensure that.

I hope you liked this post and got thinking about neutral basics you need in your closet! To read more posts like this, click here!

My Princess Polly Review

As the fall weather starts to creep in, I wanted to start building up my fall wardrobe. Princess Polly is a site that I have always wanted to order from but for some reason just didn’t. I finally placed my first order and thought I would share my Princess Polly Review with you!

As you can tell from this haul, I like the color black. It truly is one of my go to colors especially in the fall so I wanted some nicer going out shirts which is what I got. Princess Polly reminds me of an elevated Forever 21. The prices are slightly higher but so is the quality of the clothes. Overall, Princess Polly also is pretty inexpensive for the trendy pieces it sells.

I purchased 5 things and only spent $280 dollars which isn’t bad. I also paid for the fastest shipping so that things would come in like 2 days later.

Ariah Long Sleeve

The first shirt I got was the Ariah long sleeve in black. I usually am a size 6 or 8 but I sized up in pretty much everything which I’m glad I did. The cut of this top is super flattering and it’s great to pair with a skirt or jeans depending where you’re wearing it.

princess polly review

Elouise Crop Top

I love this Elouise crop! This is literally the perfect casual to dressy top because it’s easy to pair with anything. I will note this top is not the greatest for larger chest gals. I just fit into this top even in the bigger size and I don’t have the largest chest.

princess polly review

Jamison Reid Crop

You’re probably shocked I have something white in this princess polly review. This top is so flowy and cute. Again, not the best for people with a larger chest because it doesn’t have any support at all. I paired this with jeans when I wore it and it was the most effortless look.

Charvi Mini

This dress literally wow’ed me when I tried it on. The material is actually pretty stretchy which makes this dress the best little black dress. I also think that for the price, this is the perfect staple piece to have in your closet.

Cottage Hill Mini

On to the only item I returned, this pink dress. It was just not it. I felt like there was almost too much material for it to look as good as it does on the model in the size I ordered. Definitely wasn’t in love with the color because on line it looks pink but it was much more muted and almost nude in person.

princess polly review

One of my major take aways is to order up if you are unsure. I am so glad that I sized up because most of the pieces I would have had to reorder. I think it might have been my own fault with the pink dress but other than that I was super happy with my Princess Polly order!

If you liked posts like these, check out my other hauls here!

My Veggie Couscous Bowl for Back to School

This recipe is seriously one of my favorites to meal prep. My veggie couscous bowl is so easy to make and reheats well so I love to make this at the beginning of the week. Another great part of this recipe is you can really choose any veggies you like. I picked sweet potato, zucchini, and tomato because they’re my favorite but you can use whatever you like. Here’s my veggie couscous bowl recipe!

veggie couscous bowl

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

2 tomatoes

2 zucchini

1 box of couscous (I like instant)

Olive oil

Thyme

Paprika

veggie couscous bowl

Directions:

  1. First preheat your oven to 425 then I start chopping up all of my veggies. I dice them into about 1 inch pieces so that they don’t cook down to small.
  2. I prepare 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and place the sweet potatoes on one with a sprinkle of paprika. On the other I put my tomatoes and zucchini with a sprinkle of thyme.
  3. Bake the zucchini and tomato tray until soft for about 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes will need to be in longer for about 25 to get soft.
  4. While everything is baking, I follow the directions on the instant couscous box and then let it sit until my veggies are ready.
  5. Once everything is cooked to how I like it, I stir together and I’m all set!

I wasn’t kidding when I said this was such an easy recipe. The instant couscous seriously makes life easier because you don’t even have to do much to it. I like this as back to school or work meal because it’s somewhat healthy and gives you all the nutrients you need to continue on with your day.

Let me know in the comment if you loved this recipe! Subscribe to the blog for more recipes like these!

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My Shower Routine

One thing I can’t live without is my long showers. Showering to me is so therapeutic and I have gotten my shower routine down to a since. I love nothing more than after a long day taking a shower to just get rid of all the stress of the day. This post is dedicated to all of you out there who love the shower as much as me!

The first step to any good shower routine is ambience. I like to turn the lights off so it’s dark. Sometimes I’ll even drop in a few drops of essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus to help me relax. I also have recently been incorporating music into my routine. I got this adorable little water proof speaker and I’ll play some Taylor Swift or spa music to unwind.

After I set the stage for a relaxing shower, I’ll hop in and get to the nitty gritty with my products!

Dr. Teal’s Lavender Body Wash

This is my go to body wash when I’m needing to unwind. Because it’s epsom salt, it relaxes the muscles and the lavender scent just takes it to the next level. I can’t get enough of this body wash and it also makes a good bubble bath soap too!

Shampoo and Conditioner

My shampoo products often switch up during the week. I’ll go in with Olaplex when I’m needing something to help refresh and hydrate my hair. I use the Not Your Mother’s Purple Shampoo and Conditioner when I really need to refresh my blonde. I try to only wash my hair every other day so I will make sure to switch off between these products so that my hair always gets what it needs.

Shower Tools

This is probably my favorite section of products for the shower. I love to use a loofa with my body wash. It helps to really soap up the product and get it into a thick lather. Similar to a loofa, I love this hair massager. It helps to get the buildup off your scalp while also giving you the best scalp massage. My final shower tool is my face brush. This is great to use in the shower because it cleans my face and then I don’t have to do it when I get out.

This was definitely a more up close and personal blog post with sharing my shower routine. I cannot explain just how much I love a good shower so I hope these products and tools help you get the most out of your shower. Let me know in the comments below if you’re a night shower person or a morning. I am definitely a night person!!

You an read about my other relaxing night routine essentials here.

How I Use my Day Designer Planner

With the summer half over, I thought now would be the perfect time to share how I use my day designer planner. Back to school is right around the corner. There is no other time like the present to get your stuff together. This is going to be a bit of a mix of why I love Day Designer and how I use it.

If you know me, I am a huge planner. My resolution this year was actually to go paper less but that just didn’t work out. I need to write things down so that I remember them and see them. My go to planner is the Day Designer Weekly Academic Planner. I have tried so many planners and this is the one that perfectly fits my lifestyle.

The first step in my planning journey is to fill out the month calendar. I like to do this either a few days before the new month or on the start of the new month. I write down all of the events I know of and my work schedule so that there is no need to wonder what goes on. This post is written in July so I don’t have much other then work and a grad party on the calendar!

day designer planner

After I have everything written on the month, I go in to each week and re-add the events the day they take place. This helps to keep me in the loop each day of what is going on. It also ensures I won’t forget anything.

For each week, I actually won’t plan it out until the week of. I sit on a Monday and fill out each day with the tasks I want to get done. Sometimes I will pre-write these things down if I know they are coming up. I use my planner as almost an organized sticky note. I make to-do lists for each day and also have the bigger things like work and events too.

Because this post was prepared in June and I didn’t want to write out my whole July to do list yet, I included this picture of my previous planner. This is a day designer mini. When I was in college, this was literally my favorite type of planner. I liked how each day had the times so I could block off what I was doing when.

day designer planner

Now that I am out of school and working for myself, I need to see the whole week. It’s important to just write down a list of tasks. I also needed more room which is why I went up to the next size day designer. I also rarely use the top 3 sections so it was a waste.

If I know anything about planners, its that you really have to try them for yourself. I could tell you all day why I love Day Designer but you just wouldn’t know until you try it. This is what works best for my lifestyle and how I like to plan. It might not work for you but you never know until you try!

Let me know in the comments below how you like to plan.. are you a paper planner or a digital one?

You can read my other planning posts here.

5 Ways to Stress Less in 2020

Welcome to 2020, the year where we all will stress less! I am an over thinker which leads me to have some seriously stressful days. I’ve put together some of my ways to stress less to ensure you’ll have a stress free year!

1. Meditate

Meditation started out as a simple 2020 goal but it has seriously helped me as a way to stress less. I swear that just spending those 10 minutes in silence can do wonders for your mind. I like to let those stressful thoughts just pass through my mind but I don’t act on them. Once I’m done meditating, I am so much happier and all around less anxious.

2. Spa Shower

This might sound bizarre, but have you ever showered with the lights off? I swear that it gives off this spa vibe and seriously can help to relax you. Whenever I’m feeling stressed out or worried, I make sure to save myself time for a good long shower. I’ve also heard some people use the Himalayan Salt night light which just adds to the spa atmosphere.

3. Treat Yourself

I can’t tell you how easy it is when you’re stressed out to completely ignore your self-care. I know an easy trick for my stressed out days revolves around spending a little extra time on myself. Whether it’s a face mask or self-tan lotion, just spending a few extra minutes alone and on yourself can help clear your mind.

4. Don’t Deflect the Stress

The only way to really rid yourself of the stress is to let it pass. Don’t try to compartmentalize your feelings or else they could just come back at a later time. As with all things, it’s important to attack them right away and head on. I like to write out what’s stressing me out and then I almost always realize it’s not that big of a deal once on paper.

5. Plan for the Next Time

If you stressed out over a grade or a deadline, make sure next time you study more or do your work earlier. It’s important to realize that a lot of our stress we inflict on ourselves. We overthink or put ourselves in situations that will stress us out so why not just try to avoid it before it gives you anxiety?

I hope that these ways to stress less in 2020 will be helpful for you. I feel like I’m the queen of thinking myself into stress and I know that doing these things seriously helps me to stress less. Do you have any good tips to stress less? Let me know in the comments below!

Follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco! And check out my latest blog post here!

stress less in 2020

January Tech Favorites

With the new year in full swing, I’ve decided to implement a new series on my blog call “monthly favorites”. For the next 12 months, each will have one post in the middle with my favorite products and things I’m loving that month. To kick of my favorites series I’m breaking down my January tech favorites!

My first January tech favorites is my iPhone tripod. I got it for Christmas and it has seriously changed the game. It makes taking photos so simple because you don’t need someone else there to take them for you! All you have to do is pop your phone on the tripod and then sync it to the bluetooth from the remote. You can happily take all the photos you want easily and they all come out great!

My next favorite is my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Yes, I did get the most extra iPhone but I’m not gonna lie, it’s worth it. The camera lens on it is insane and since I take pictures for a living it replaces my big bulky cameras. Having such a powerful camera in my pocket ensures that I can easily take photos on the go and always get the best shot.

Now that I’m a dog mom, I literally cannot live without my Furbo Dog Camera. This camera makes leaving my sweet Sky a little easier knowing I can check in on her. The camera resolution is awesome and I love the treat throwing feature!! I can keep her happy and my sanity in knowing she’s okay with this simple and easy to use camera.

January Tech Favorites

Another tech favorite this month is actually an app. I’ve been loving the app Headspace. One of my 2020 goals (click here for the post) was to meditate more and this app leads you through meditations. I love it because you can choose between 3, 5, and 10 minute meditations that are revolving around things like sleep, anxiety, or confidence. This app is so useful and I’m excited to continue to use it on my journey of happier mind.

January tech favorites

My last tech favorite is another app and is called 8fit. It’s for working out. I feel like everyone wants to start the new year happier and healthier so they look to working out. As a dance teacher, I get most of my cardio in at night but I like to do something in the morning to start my day. This app has guided workouts that are like 10 minutes each but they seriously work. I love turning the app on and working out while watching the trainer do the same workout. It’s like we’re working out together and because it’s an app, it sends me daily reminders to work out.

January tech favorites

This January tech favorites post is the first installment of my 2020 favorites series! I hope you love it and that these posts help you to learn about and try new products. These are things that I have been using everyday so far this month and I plan to keep using. I am literally obsessed with them and hope you will be too!

Be sure to follow my blog so you don’t miss a post and check me out on Instagram @cassiedenisco.

iPhone Tripod $23.49: Amazon

iPhone 11 Pro Max: Apple

Furbo Dog Camera: Amazon

Headspace

8Fit