Cassie DeNisco

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Comfy Clothes for Campus Style

One of the serious perks of online school is that I generally don’t have to get up and dressed everyday. It’s truly a blessing but sometimes I do feel like I want to at least look somewhat together but still comfy since I’m not really going out anywhere. My wardrobe has transitioned to more leggings, joggers, long sleeves and hoodies but I really like to try to buy things that I could possibly wear out if I go anywhere. I mean, I don’t need to look like a bum all the time.

Here are my favorite stores to get the comfiest back to school clothes!

Victoria’s Secret Pink

I seriously love VS Pink because of their comfy material. They have a cool, comfy campus vibe and that’s exactly what I would want to wear if I were at school or at home. From leggings to cute bralettes, VS Pink seriously has you covered in the comfy cute department. Make sure you utilize the Pink Nation app because it usually has all the deals in it and keeps you up to date on when things go on sale!

Target

Have you been in Target recently? Their Stars Above and Colsie lines are serious dreams come true. The material is so comfortable and soft. I like that they’re comfortable like pajamas but they have cute styles that you could wear them out in public and not look too bummy. I also love Target because its so affordable for us college students! (PS Click the picture to shop the set)

Old Navy

I used to hate Old Navy, like seriously could not even walk through the store because for the longest time they just didn’t have anything cute but Old Navy is really on the come up. I love their athletic line because for the prices, the quality is pretty great. I also love that their athletic line is really tailored to athleisure so you get the comfort of athletic clothes but they actually look pretty cool and put together. Like seriously how cute is this matching set??

One thing that I always like to stress is that you should never pay too much for clothes. With trends changing like the drop of a hat these days, never pay too much for clothes. Investments in bags, shoes, and acessories are generally your better bet because they are classics and won’t go out of style too quickly.

I hope you liked this first mini blog post in my Back to Campus Series. Don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss any posts!

Body Positivity + Self Love is Different for Everyone

Before I had even started my blog, I already had a million and one topics together that I wanted to write about. I wanted a place to share my experiences and hopefully inspire others to start living a life that they absolutely love. My blog has turned into an amazing platform for me to do that but I still haven’t even begun to discuss the topics I am most passionate about. One of those topics is body positivity and self-love.

I never want people to think of self-love and body positivity as an end goal that once you reach it, you don’t have to keep working for it. It’s not like that at all and if you neglect it, it’s only going to turn into a cycle of self-love and self-hate and that’s not something you need to be in the center of. I also want to stress that body positivity means that you love yourself the exact way that you are but that you also love everyone else for who they are regardless of their size, gender, sexual orientation or race. It’s 2019 and we all need to be inclusive and start acting with kindness towards one another and also remember that Instagram isn’t always the full story.

From the outside looking in, a simple scroll through my Instagram feed could tell you that I love the way I look. I’m constantly posting bikini pictures or revealing pictures that put my body on full display. I’ve always been told by boys, and even girls, that I have a great body and I have no reason to ever feel bad about myself. While this could be true, I had been constantly battling with my image for awhile until I just decided, it’s not worth it to constantly put yourself down.

For a little backstory, I went to a private Catholic School for most of my life. I transitioned to public school my freshman year of high school and that’s really where my perception of confidence and image got distorted. High school is already difficult enough but starting a new school with no friends was challenging. I had to navigate through high school with people that were really new to me as opposed to having the people that I had spent my entire life with. Not to mention, I went from wearing a bulky sweater, long plaid skirt, and knee high schools to whatever I wanted to wear everyday. I can remember thinking “Wow I look awful in this pair of jeans” or “I wish my stomach was just a little flatter to wear this crop top” but the people around me were always saying the opposite. It turned into this mess in my mind of what the heck do other people see that I’m just clearly not getting.

I worked out quite regularly from cheerleading and dancing, I ate super healthy and plant based-ish (I didn’t really eat meat but I don’t like to label myself), and I really did not drink or do anything too wild that would make me unhealthy but I constantly could just find something wrong with me. I always felt like no matter what I did I didn’t see results and just didn’t feel great about myself. It wasn’t until post high school when I wasn’t with the same people people everyday that I could finally start to see my worth and realize that image isn’t everything, regardless if being hot and skinny makes you feel more confident.

And while we’re on the topic of body confidence, let’s talk for a second. I have a love hate relationship with the concept of being confident. I think being confident is absolutely important and really can set the tone for how a person can act and interact with people. The problem that I have with confidence is where you get it. I could post a picture on Instagram, get 700 likes, and instantly feel great that people like me and that whatever picture I took looks great. Now, if that’s what you need to do to validate yourself then by all means do it but what happens when the numbers fall the next week and you get less likes or that Instagram shuts down and people don’t use it anymore? I also think confidence from other people is a tricky line because boys could tell you you’re hot one day and super ugly the next. You can’t rely on other people to feel good about yourself. You have to find a way to love yourself exactly how you are from within, not from anyone or anywhere else.

Once I started taking my own advice, I could feel a world of difference. I stopped placing my worth and value in other people and really focused on building myself up from the inside. As I write this now, I’ve never been happier with myself. It’s such a hard journey to take but it’s worth it knowing that you are content with who you are and how you look. For so long I listened to my friends say to me “You have no need to feel bad about yourself, so just stop”. Regardless of how everyone else thinks you look, the only person that matters is you.

And I think that’s really the message that I want to get across to you reading this. Body positivity and self love is so different for everyone and the journeys to get there could not be more different but that’s okay. This whole topics means something different for everyone. There’s no one size fits all in anything in life so you can’t think that you will be able to love yourself for the same reason that another person loves themself. You also can’t try to force someone to love themselves or else it will only be a quick fix. Stop comparing yourself to others because you need to live life on your own terms. The key in all of this is kindness. Remember to not only be kind to other people but also take the time to be kind to yourself.

#unfiltered #notsuckingin #don’tcare

A Day in My Life as a Blogger

Recently, I’ve been getting so many questions about what exactly I do as a blogger. A huge misconception about blogging is definitely that all bloggers have to do each week is write a blog post, upload it, and share it on social media. While that is true, it’s literally only a fraction of what I do each day, let alone each week.

A lot of people have different views towards bloggers and what exactly they do. From an outside perspective, it might seem like an easy hobby that you can make some money off of but I was seriously shocked when I started blogging and realized how much work actually has to go into it for your blog to be successful.

From brainstorming blog ideas to dealing with SEO tools, blog posts will typically take me at least 3 days to be completely finished. I constantly think back to when I started my blog and wonder how I thought uploading a blog everyday would be a good idea. After almost 3 months of consistent blogging and website traffic, I feel like I can share my typical day and maybe inspire one of you to start a blog of your own!

Just putting it out there that this day in my life is geared more towards the summer. I haven’t gone back to school yet and I haven’t started teaching dance again every night so I definitely see this routine drastically changing once September rolls around. Also, I decided to choose a Monday because I absolutely love Mondays. (I know you probably think I’m crazy)

Monday August 12th

7:30 am: I wake up every morning at 7:30 am, now this might not mean I’m out of bed but I am definitely awake and starting to check my social media accounts. I know how bad of a habit it is but I just like to get it over with first thing so that I kind of know what I need to do for the day.

8:00 am: I’m an avid morning workout person but lately I’ve been opting to stay home and workout instead of going out to a class or the gym. I like to go on walks or runs around my neighborhood or use the gym equipment that I already have at home. I try to at least do an hour and then hop in the shower, brush my teeth, and do my skincare routine.

9:00 am: By this time, I’m ready to sit down and get to work. I start every work day with checking my emails to answer back brands or people. I also make sure I’ve responded to any comments on my social media account or dm’s. After that, Monday’s I write my blog post for Wednesday’s so I usually get to work on that. Blog posts can take me anywhere from an hour to 3 hours to write based on what they’re about or if they’re a lot of images to include. Once my blog is written, I send over the pictures to my graphic designer and he puts together all of the promotional pictures for my Pinterest or my Instagram story. He works super fast so usually I’ll have them back that day. I wait a day to schedule and edit my blog post so I move on to researching keywords that are trending for my next blog post. Using more trending keywords from Google helps to boost your post on Google when people also search that term. I also like to schedule Pinterest pins using an app called Tailwind. It basically will automatically repin your posts which is good to help get more views on your content. I like to schedule my Instagram posts and stories for the week on Monday so that I have them all set and don’t really have to think about them during the rest of the week. Generally, I finish off my work day interacting on social media by liking and commenting on posts. This helps to boost your engagment numbers which helps brands want to work with you.

5:00 pm: As you can tell I usually work for like 7- 8 hours a day on my blog. It’s never just a quick and easy day for me. By this time I plug everything in and put down all of my electronics. I LOVE going to Starbucks to grab some sort of drink to reward myself after a long day.

6:00 pm: I start making whatever I’m having for dinner and begin to unwind for the night. Since it was a Monday night, I watched Bachelor in Paradise from 8-10pm. I really try my hardest to not be on social media during this time and just like sign off for the night by doing my night time routine.

10:00 pm: Any day of the week you will find me in bed at this time. Sleep is like my thing and if I don’t get enough of it I can’t function the next day.

As you can see, I have a pretty busy schedule and most of my days look like this. I’m currently doing a lot of preplanning and scheduling of blog and social media posts so that once my life gets crazy again I am not missing out on any of my obligations. For awhile, a lot of my friends thought that I was just wasting the day away not really doing much but I seriously have something to do every minute of the day as a blogger.

I think a key takeaway to this blog post is that you will get out of your blog what you put into it. If you’re spending as much time a day on your blog posts and website as I am then you probably will be pretty successful. I’ve only been blogging for 3 months and I’ve seriously already surpassed where I thought I would be when I started so for me, I must be doing something right.

Blogging is really rewarding and I am seriously so happy I got into it because getting to share my life and my ideas with all of you is so cool. I hope you got a little glimpse into the life of a blogger and that it’s not the sunshine and rainbows that people always think it might be!

6 Ways to Save the Planet as a College Student

@jordanmavradesigns

It’s so important now more than ever that we start to realize that similar to our bodies, we only get one earth. We only have one chance to treat it right and to enjoy the beauty and resources we get from it. For years I never cared at all about reducing my consumption or making switches to more eco friendly products but now it’s seriously all I think about. Here are my favorite ways that college kids like us can save the planet.

  1. Bring your own bags to the store

I absolutely love stores like Urban Outfitters or Lululemon that give away free reusable bags with every purchase. It really helps to not use plastic but most grocery stores aren’t so helpful. I went on Amazon and found a pack of super cute reusable pink bags that were so cheap but I also know they sell them literally everywhere. What do you actually use that plastic bag for after you bring your groceries home? Probably nothing, so you might as well bring your cute one from home. Pro tip: as soon as you bring your groceries inside, just put the bags back in your car so you’ll always have them.

2. Plastic straws aren’t cute

That iced latte you just got from Starbucks might taste good but it might kill your favorite little sea animal in a year. Seriosuly, if you’re bored do some research on what actually happens to plastic straws, it’s not pretty. I made the switch to glass or silicon straws at home. There’s also some cute travel straws that you can bring out with you wherever you go. Pro tip: ask for a nitro lid when you’re at Starbucks. You can still enjoy your iced drink but won’t need a straw for it.

3. Read what’s in your makeup

Guys this one was so shocking to me. Just because a makeup product is certified safe for your face, it doesn’t mean its safe for the planet. Certain preservatives in things like moisturizers have been linked to mutations in aquatic life. (Those poor animals!) Also, things like microbeads in exfoliators have been showing up in lakes and completely messing up the ecosystem of them. I know it might be so hard to give up your favorite products but with so many clean makeup brands popping up, I am so sure you can find something you and the planet will love.

4. Invest in reusable containers

This one a lot of us already do but single use plastic containers definitely are awful for the environment but they’re also so expensive. Think about how many containers and Ziploc bags you’ve purchased and then just thrown out after. Brands now make reusable bags that are basically Ziplocs but you never have to throw them out. You also can find really good quality plastic and glass containers that will last you for the rest of your life. Also, try your hardest to not drink bottled water. I know how convenient it is to buy that case of water but just get a gallon for your fridge and a cute reusable water bottle.

5. Educate your friends + family

I think this is my biggest tip. So many people don’t live their lives thinking about the environment most of the time because they think it’s too hard to make changes to their life or more expensive. Little changes here and there seriously will make a huge difference. The best way to change something is to educate people about it.

6. Donate!!

Even if you can’t give a lot, there are so many organizations out their that will benefit from your small donation. I love Project Aware, which is a global force of divers that work with communities to form policies for Marine conservation. Another organization that I love is the World Wildlife Fund. First, I think its so cute that you can symbolically adopt an animal with your donation but aside from that, this organization works to preserve endangered species and help keep animals safe. Make sure you do your research and donate to organizations that will do go for not only animals but also for the planet.

The planet and our environment is something I am seriously passionate about. The way we treat it right this second will seriously affect how we will live the rest of our lives’ and our kids. Making super small changes now will help in the long run and its cooler to be for the environment then against it. Hope this post inspired you and you start making more environmentally friendly choices in the school year!

Here’s a few of the products I suggested:

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

College Dorm Room Essentials 2019

It’s that dreaded time of year where when you walk into any store and the school supplies is already out. We all know how awful that feeling of despair is knowing that the summer is quickly coming to an end and we have to actually head back to school. Lucky for you, I’ve done my research and found some of the cutest college dorm decor and necessities that you NEED to have for back to school 2019 all from Amazon.

Here’s a money saving tip: if you’re a student, you can get Prime for way cheaper. Click here for 30 days free!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

But on to the fun stuff, here’s some of my top dorm essentials from Amazon.

Decor:

Bedding:

Organization:

Tech:

As you can see Amazon is literally your one stop shop for all things college dorm. We use Amazon all year long so we might as well make our lives easier by using it for back to school. I’m heading over to Amazon right now to go buy that comforter set because it’s literally SO cute.

Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on any posts. Also check out my ultimate dorm essentials list below. ↓↓↓

Click here to download my FREE dorm essentials checklist!Download

Face Masks for Glowing Skin

My favorite part of a Sunday night is easily a face mask. I love resetting my skin with a face mask because they help to purify your skin and reveal your healthy, glowing skin. With so many face masks on the market these days, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you walk into Sephora or Ulta to try to pick one out. I have tried so many types of face masks and products and these are my top 3 face mask brands for healthy, glowing skin.

GlamGlow:

I think the name says it all. I love these face masks because they are some of the best products I have ever tried. I love their Supermud mask because it really helps to clear up your skin. I like to leave it on for like 30 minutes and when you’re ready to take it off, you can start to see how it sinks into your pores and really helps to clean them out. Sometimes I’ll use the Supermud as a spot treatment as well because its really great at clearing up acne. GlamGlow masks are super expensive so I highly suggest you get the small sample kit, Glow Essentials Masks, so that you can try them out and see which mask you love the most.

Drunk Elephant:

I may sound like a broken record but Drunk Elephant products are AMAZING. This baby facial mask really helps to perfect my skin and help even it out. It does tingle a bit when I apply it but I kind of like it because it feels like its working. I put this mask on for like 20 minutes and any little bumps or imperfections on my skin will disappear by the morning. This face mask is pricy, I’m not going to lie to you but I think its worth it for you to give it a shot.

Sephora Collection :

I am obsessed with this mud mask! For the price, it really is a steal because it leaves my skin so bright and glowing. This mask reminds me a bit of the Supermud by GlamGlow so you might want to check this one out before you make the commitment to the Supermud. I do caution though that this one is definitely not as powerful at skin clearing as the Glam Glow mask but I literally love this mask because it does exactly what I want a mask to do. After using it my skin is left so soft and looking amazing.

Neutrogena:

Now I know that a lot of us are college kids on a budget who prefer to not break the bank on a face mask which is why I tried out this clay/cleanser mask from Neutrogena. I was seriously impressed with this mask. It does exactly what it says it will do on the package. I also love that its super affordable and you get a lot of product for the price. I also thought it was super cool that you can use this as a cleanser too because when wet it turns into a milky, creamy soap to wash off.

I am so obsessed with all of these face mask! They seriously are the best in helping to reset my skin and give it that glow that I’m looking for. Let me know if you’ve tried out any of these products in the comments below!

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My Secret to Staying Organized

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am insanely organized. Organization helps to keep me on track and not stress out so I definitely know the trick to staying on top of what you need to do. My secret isn’t even that revolutionary but the type is.

I know for sure that growing up we have all had a love hate relationship with planners. I went through a phase where a piece of paper was all I needed because I couldn’t get myself to use those little academic planners the schools would hand out. Once I stumbled across the brand “Day Designer” my life was forever changed and my level of organization instantly skyrocketed.

Day Designer agendas are not your typical planners. They have all the same components but so much more that it actually makes it so simple to plan out your day and accomplish things on your to do list. I love to sit on a Sunday night and plan out each day’s to do list in the section for that day. To do lists keep us accountable for what we need to accomplish and it feels so good when you cross something off them.

Not only is the to do list section on each page so helpful, but the fact that it breaks the day down into each hour really helps you start to learn about your time management skills and see where your time is going. I love spending time writing in my day and then following it. It not only helps you stay on track but all of your information is in one spot as opposed to on like 3 apps on your phone and then a sticky note somewhere in your car. Between the days being on their own pages, a big section for a to do list, and the days broken down by hour, I will never go back to a regular planner.

I also found that Day Designer has all different sizes for different needs. I originally had their mini version but found that I needed something more in depth for each day. I have also found that Target has the a line of Day Designer planners that tend to be a little cheaper then on the actual website so don’t freak out that these agendas can’t fit your budget.

Now, I know not everyone has the time to plan out their day to day schedule but you will thank me if you at least give it a shot for this back to school year. My number one tip that I give out when people ask how I stay so organized is my planner and that I specifically use one by Day Designer. Being organized is a serious life skill that we aren’t really taught in school so once we head out to college and the real world, if you don’t have any sense of time management it will get so stressful so fast. Believe me, I was there until I found my holy grail organization product.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram + Pinterest for more organization tips! Here’s the link to my exact planner ★