Cassie DeNisco

Where I’ve Been…

December 1, 2019

In life I believe we all go through phases in our lives when we’re feeling the least creative or unmotivated to do things we love. For me, I was really dealing with that during November. I love blogging and taking/posting Instagram photos but I soon found myself drowning from school work, my internship, new puppy, and dance work. I felt like my life was fully out of my control and the stress I was under just kept piling up.

I knew that my blog would take some sort of side position in my life once school started back up but I didn’t realize that it would become my last priority. I had so many other things on my plate that my energy was going towards that trying to write blog posts just became mechanic. I was writing merely just to not miss my Wednesday-Thursday deadline. I often would forget to announce the new post on Instagram on my story and I haven’t even been consistently posting on Instagram.

For something that was supposed to be a fun side hustle, it turned into in my eyes my biggest failure. Over the summer my analytics were threw the roof when I was posting consistently. After realizing how much I’ve neglected my blog, looking at my analytics is painful. This paired with the stresses of everyday life left me not at all wanting to blog. I had just too much on my plate that I couldn’t even allow myself to just blog for fun, I turned it into basically a competition for myself.

I finally realized something needed to change in mid November, when I actually stopped uploading. I let my last few scheduled posts go up but I just took the time off to not write blogs and focus on one area of my life at a time. I got my recital dances picked and somewhat choreographed, Sky’s older so she is much less needy, and my internship ended so I had free time again during the week. Finally, I just had to focus on my schoolwork and my puppy and I had the down time I was so desperately looking for.

In that time though, of course I couldn’t sit completely still. I started really posting on Sky’s Instagram and I swear it has really taken off. She has 81 followers in like 2 weeks of consistent posts and I realized how much FUN social media is. When I was doing it for my blog, it seriously became a chore and with Sky, I get to interact with other dogs and the dog moms behind the accounts. This really helped to inspire me to get back to blogging and actually having a desire to want to post. (Follow Sky @skythefrenchgirl)

Blogging never was something to get me Instagram followers or gain lots of money easily. Blogging was an outlet creatively for me and a way to show future employers that I am capable and able to help build an online brand. When I started to focus on the artificial and fake aspects of the internet, I lost myself and the reasons I love doing what I do. Even if you’re not a blogger, the lessons I’ve learned from having my blog can be applied anywhere. You need to remember why you’re doing something and make that the reason you do it. I love sharing my life and my ideas and my style with my audience and that’s what matters most. The numbers don’t matter and they shouldn’t affect why you want to do what you love.

So that’s where I’ve been. I really have been doing some soul searching and I can confidently say I’m back to blogging regularly. My podcast also will be back starting in January. I needed some time to get some better equipment and plan out more podcasts.I will always have a new blog post up on Sundays at 4pm EST but I am not sure yet if I will be posting on another day or just twice a week in general. I will keep you posted and let you all know once I’ve figured that out! Thank you all so much for sticking with me, it really means the world to me.

Be sure to follow me on my socials because those are also coming back hot!

Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter: @cassiedenisco

Sky’s Instagram: @skythefrenchgirl

Also be sure to sure to subscribe to www.cassiedenisco.com to stay up to date with my latest posts!

Moisturizers for Winter You Need

November 17, 2019

If you live in the North East then you know that it’s way too cold for November. Now of course we’re supposed to start having colder weather but this is just way too soon. I’m not here for it. Just this past week we had wind chills in the single digits!! With the change in temperature brings changes in your skin and the need for moisturizers for winter. Most of our household heat sources cause our skin to be extremely dry and just being out in the cold leads to your skin just not being great. I’ve found that having thick moisturizers for winter are key to keep skin hydrated and looking great. Here are my top 3 for winter:

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream $60

This is actually a new favorite of mine. I only recently found this moisturizer but I absolutely love it. It definitely is very thick so I like to only use it at night when trying to really reset my skin but I wake up with a glowy, supple skin. It is pricy but a little truly goes a long way with this product. I highly recommend this moisturizer if you have really rough dry skin in the winter.

2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer $27

This is my all time favorite go to moisturizer. I use this both in the summer and winter. It’s a really light moisturizer but it gets the job done. I like to use it in the morning for winter when I don’t want my face to feel so heavy with so many products. It definitely helps to make your skin look and feel different. It a real bang for you buck and lasts forever because you just need a dime size amount to moisturize your entire face!

3. Sephora All Day Hydrator $16

I wrote my Sephora Skin care review in June and I am still in love with this product. It is very light similar to the Clinique but it does keep my skin feeling hydrated all day which is what the product claims to do. It’s so inexpensive that I highly suggest you just try it out and see how you feel about it becau nse it is really great. I find myself wanting it to be a bit thicker when I put it on but it is a great morning product! Shop here!

Whether you try them all or just one, remember that moisturizers are the key to keeping your skin healthy for winter. Maintaining moisture is essential in the dry months of winter so finding your go to moisturizers for winter are essential. Skin care needs to be an all year round process, especially during the winter so be sure to love your skin a little extra in those months!

I hope this is helpful when trying to navigate the crazy world of skin care products. There are so many great products but these are all my top go to products. Stay hydrated and warm this winter!

Balancing it All

November 6, 2019

My life these days just feels like a hamster wheel. I’m just constantly running from one thing to the next and having trouble figuring out balancing it all. Often we feel like we need to be doing something 24/7 in order to prove something to ourselves or others. For me, I know that I have to be doing something or else I just feel lazy. I don’t know why but I literally will beat myself up if I treat myself to an after internship nap. Even writing my last blog post took forever to get through because I was juggling so much.

Having that mindset though isn’t healthy. It’s okay to treat yourself sometimes to a little you time. Balancing it all means you’re balancing everything, including your mental health which is often so neglected. I’ve recently found that on a busy day, I need a few minutes to myself to gather my thoughts and get it back together. Living life in the fast lane is fun but can lead you to burnout which is not something you want to go through.

Burnout for me means I don’t want to do anything at all. I don’t want to be bothered by homework, or work from my internship, or even choreographing dances (which is something I love to do). I become uninspired and unmotivated which is a seriously dangerous path to be on. Once you’re uninspired and unmotivated, nothing will get done and you be in a worse position than you were before just trying to balancing it all.

Overcoming burnout can be difficult, but I give myself whatever necessary time I need to recharge. I get myself back into the headspace that I need to be in to get things done and I just get to it. Being your own pick me up is a serious skill that will take a lifetime to develop. Knowing your limits and what you can handle is also something you need to develop.

I believe that a huge component of balancing it all is learning to say no. It’s absolutely okay to tell someone you can’t do something for them. You have to focus on your own life. You need to do for yourself before you can do for others. Now of course, you can’t say no to work or homework. But you can reach out if it is really getting too tough for you. Unless your boss is totally awful, they probably understand what you’re going through and know that balancing it all in life sometimes gets tricky. The same goes for professors.

If you find yourself struggling when trying to balance it all, reach out to friends and family. Just talking through your problems will already help to combat them. It’s so important to keep yourself together when it might feel like you’re being pulled in a thousand different directions. Let me know in the comments below if you have any times to balance it all!

Follow me on Instagram: @cassiedenisco

My October Favorites

October 30, 2019

I cannot believe that October is practically over as I write this. October was such a fun first month with Sky but was also a month where I found a lot of my new favorite things! I’ve put together my list of October favorites that you totally need to try in November!

Clinque Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam

If you read my skincare routine, then you know that I am obsessed with my Clinique face wash. I recently stumbled across this new version with foam and I fell in love. I feel like it does such a better job of cleaning my face. I love to use this with my face brush and I swear that my face is so smooth every time.

Yogi Detox Tea

I’ve recently been more into having tea before bed because it is getting so cold. I love this detox tea because I feel like it helps me digest all the food I’ve eaten during the day and I often wake up not bloated. I know some detox teas do a number on your stomach, but this one doesn’t seem to do anything crazy to me except make me less bloated.

Wild Fable Puffer Jacket

Okay, I know that I just uploaded my favorite fall jackets post, but I didn’t have this amazing one yet. Target seriously does it again with this one. This jacket was only $30 and is so trendy and cute. It’s the perfect mix between comfy puffer and boxy cute jacket. For the price, run don’t walk to Target for this one!!

Good and Gather Snacks

I am obsessed with Target’s new healthy line of food. Good and Gather from Target is all organic and is seriously so yummy. The apple cinnamon bars remind me of a fig newton but like with apple pie filling. I also think these Lemon Bars are so yummy and might be even better than Rx bars. These bars were definitely cheaper and their whole line is worth checking out.

Purple Halloween Lights

These lights added a fun glow to my room for all of those October nights watching a Halloween movie. I actually think I might leave them up at least until before Christmas because I love these. I wanted to include them here because they might go on sale after Halloween!

Selena Gomez’s New Music

This is a more recent favorite but I am absolutely obsessed with Selena’s new songs. I’ve been listening to them non-stop. Younger me is living for the Bieber Gomez drama and the fact that she dropped some awesome songs about it just makes it even better. Follow me here on Apple Music!

Thanks for reading my October favorites. October was such a fun month and I am literally obsessed with all of these awesome products that I have tried. Let me know in the comments below what your October favorites were or if you’ve tried any of mine!

Follow me on Instagram: @cassiedenisco

Life Updates!

October 16, 2019

Wow I can hardly believe that we’re halfway through October so I decided it was time to do some life updates. Seriously can’t figure out why time moves so quickly. We’ve had Sky now for 3 full weeks and I honestly am absolutely in love. She is the most perfect pup and I am so impressed with her intelligence.

Overall, she’s doing really well with potty training. We only have accidents in the house once every few days and she really knows when she needs to go out. One of our biggest challenges is still putting her in the crate overnight. I know that it’s best for her but she cries so much. I would let her sleep on my bed with me but I’m worried she might fall off and my bed is quite high off the ground. We also don’t totally trust her yet for that long without going potty, and I don’t think I even want to imagine cleaning up that mess. Other than that we are doing great and she seriously is such a fun puppy to have!

In other news in life updates, I have also accepted an internship. I’m currently working with a digital marketing agency and I absolutely love it. It’s exactly what I want to be doing. I am so lucky that I was able to find something with such flexible hours and so close to home. I’ve also been with this internship now for about 3 weeks and I feel like I’ve learned a lot. At the same time, I also am working on the skills I already had.

Digital marketing is basically what I do for this blog. From writing and designing websites to promoting it on social media, in a sense I’m my own marketing person. I think it’s so cool that this is actually a job that people have because it’s fascinating. I work on the social team so I get to create graphics for Instagram and come up with captions. There’s a lot of hashtag research involved as well which is something I can apply to my own blog and posts.

With all that is going on in my life I definitely have had moments that I feel overwhelmed. I actually wrote a blog post about all of this change as it was happening. Although, I just didn’t share the details but you can read it here. I was doubting myself for so long and now that I’ve let go I am seriously so happy. Friends in life come and go but you have to be your own cheerleader 100% of the time. I really was able to learn that this year and I know how capable I am of handling any type of situations. 2019 so far has been a crazy year and I can only imagine where else it will take me.

Hope you enjoyed reading my life updates. Stay tuned for more because 2019 is not over yet and there’s still so much more to come!

Sky’s Instagram: liifewithsky

Homemade Halloween Costumes

October 13, 2019

It’s officially spooky season and Halloween is right around the corner. Halloween is absolutely my most favorite time of year because you can dress up however you want without any judgement. Every year I really try to step up my Halloween costume game but I’ve noticed that the best costumes are the ones that are usually homemade. Often the costumes you get at like Target or Party City don’t really fit right and leave you looking awkward. At least if you make your own, you can make sure that it looks exactly how you would like it too. Here’s a list of some of the homemade Halloween costumes you could do this year!

Wonder Woman

This might be one of my all time favorite costumes ever. It was made entirely from clothing that I had from home. I used a red leotard and blue tutu that I already had. All I needed was to just purchase the gold and white sticky foam from my local craft store. For the crown, I got it at my local craft store as well and just used paper cups for the cuff. I seriously love this costume because it looks so cute and it was actually so easy to create.

Black Widow

Even more basic, Black Widow is so easy to put together. I had black pieces already in my closet and just paired them together. Not only does it look cute, but it matched Jordan’s super hero shirt so it looked like we somewhat arranged our costumes together.

Minnie Mouse

Probably one of my most reused costumes is my mini mouse costume. I just took a basic black bodysuit and paired it with a red tutu. I hot glued some white dots onto the tutu and then purchased on Amazon some Minnie Mouse accessories. This costume is so timeless because she’ll never go out of style and is perfect if you’re looking to do a family or group costume.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

ninja turtles homemade halloween costume

This costume wasn’t for Halloween but we did do it for my cousins birthday party. We just went out and purchased the Ninja turtle shirt and then paired it with black leggings. I made sure to get the same color fabric for all the arms, legs, and eye ties. My family also used an aluminum foil turkey tray and spray painted it brown for the shell. This was such an easy costume to put together but is one that seriously was one of my favorites.

Clearly you can tell I take my Halloween costumes very seriously. I start planning them over the summer so that I have time to gather everything. Making homemade Halloween costumes really just adds to the fun of the season. Let me know in the comments below your Halloween costume plans this year!

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How I Let Self-Doubt Hold Me Back

September 25, 2019

I think for most of us, we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to self-doubt not feeling good enough for the things in our life. For myself, I know that I easily could let my stress and anxiety about change and new experiences control my life but I try my hardest to not let it. Letting things that scare you control your life isn’t a healthy way to live but a lot of us decide to not overcome the things that stress us out.

Self- doubt has been a huge factor in my life and honestly has controlled some of the decisions I have made. I often feel either not worthy enough for the things in my life or I let the fear of the unknown consume me. It often consumes me so much that I sometimes won’t do certain things or will not go all out in situations that I really would have liked to. I know for a fact if I started truly believing in myself whole-heartedly, I wouldn’t be as anxious of a person as I am.

For a little context, I used to think I was just an extremely indecisive person. Once I dove deeper and tried to get to the root of my problems, I realized that I just wait for “signs” on how to handle situations and and make decisions that may or may not come. And if they don’t come, I let fear take over and not do whatever it is I really want to do. It literally took me almost 22 years of my life to realize this but once I got to the root of my indecisiveness, I realized it was my own self-doubt that was holding me back.

This week alone I have had to make some major “big girl” decisions for myself and I almost talked myself out of them, even though they were things that I really wanted. Just take a moment to think about that, I almost let two amazing opportunities pass me by because I was scared. It was comforting to know that I had other people’s support no matter what I did but ultimately it had to be me making the decision as to whether or not I would pursue these things. Although I’m super nervous, I know that I just need to in a sense rip the bandaid off and get to it.

Having the courage to fight yourself in situations is definitely not easy but is so necessary if you’re like me and are constantly in your head. You can let your internal fears and doubts run your life. Just because something scares you and you’re nervous about it, doesn’t mean you can’t do it and succeed at it. Once you’re in a mindset where you are confident with yourself about your decisions and situations, you’ll realize the life filled with self-doubt that you lived before wasn’t healthy. Whether it has to do with body positivity or fear about how you life is going to turn out, you just have to let it go and start living your life for yourself.

I wish I could tell you an easy way to overcome whatever mental struggles and self-doubt you’re going through, but like I said, it truly took a long time to become at peace with myself. I realized that I can handle situations and I shouldn’t allow the things that make me anxious to live my life. It is truly so liberating when you are able to take your life back and start doing things that make you happy. The light at the end of your tunnel will come and you will make it through whatever scares you. I mean, at the end of the day, if it doesn’t scare you at least a little, is it even worth doing?

Don’t for get to listen to me new podcast Chit Chats with Cass on Apple and SoundCloud.. new episodes every Monday!

Major Announcement: Chit Chats with Cass!

September 15, 2019

I am so excited to finally share this secret that I have been hiding for months now…. my very first podcast Chit Chats with Cass is now LIVE on SoundCloud and iTunes!!!!

Having a podcast has always been a dream of mine but I was never sure when the right time to start it would be. After having my blog for a few months now and growing steadily, I felt like it was the perfect time to be able to connect with all of you on a different platform. I could not do this without all of your love, support, and kind words so seriously THANK YOU for following me on this journey.

Chit Chats with Cass will have a new episode each week talking about a different topic.In the weeks ahead, I will be covering everything from boys and relationship drama to navigating college and healthy living. My first episode is all about inspiration and getting inspired. I thought it would be the perfect topic to start with because getting inspired was the key to launching this podcast. This podcast will be a way to continue our conversations and make it easier for us to connect on another level.

So, you might be wondering what will happen to my blog and my answer is, nothing will change. Right now, I still plan on posting twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Also, check out my new page dedicated to the podcast here on cassiedenisco.com. The only change is you’ll be able to hear me any day of the week once a new episode of my podcast is live!

Again, thank you all so much for your love and support! We have created such a cute little community and it feels like you all are turning into my best friends. I’m so happy that we now have another platform to connect on and continue to grow our friendships!

Be on the lookout for a brand new Chit Chats with Cass on Monday September 23rd!!

5 Time Management Tips You Can’t Live Without

August 31, 2019

It’s the best and worst time of year for college students: syllabus week. This is the week of easy transitions back into college classes after a great summer. It’s also the week that reality sets in and you realize how much work and responsibilities that you have again. Have no fear though, I’m here with my best time management tips and tricks to keep you stress free this semester!

Invest in a Planner

I can’t stress this enough, if you don’t have somewhere to write your events and due dates then you probably won’t remember them. Using iCal, Google Calendar, or a good old fashion planner you write in is absolutely essential in maximizing your time and not missing out on important things.

2. Prioritize Assignments

If you’re like me, reading for classes is something quick and easy where as it takes me much longer for written assignments. At the beginning of every week I like to make a to do list with when I need to have certain assignments done by so that I can stay on track and know exactly what to do which assignment when. Half the battle is starting and its so hard to start when you know you have so many other things to do.

3. Know When to Ask for Help

There’s literally no worse feeling then being seriously stumped on some math problems but just wasting time staring at it hoping it’ll come to you. Professors have office hours multiple times a week and I’m sure other people in your classes will be so willing to give you a little help too. Don’t spend the whole week struggling when you could’ve easily had the answer right away.

4. Getting Balance takes Time

Having a work, live, and social balance will take you more than just one week of back to school. Give yourself time to figure it out and know which classes will take you longer to do during the week. By feeling out what your week is going to look like, you’ll easily know how much time you can have to spend with friends and know when you need to do a little more studying so you aren’t stressed at work. Make sure you ALWAYS make time for yourself because self-care is the best care!

5. Don’t Procrastinate

You’ve probably heard this one a thousand times but here’s your friendly reminder that procrastination just adds to stress. I know a lot of people like the excuse that they do well under pressure but why even add that pressure to your life. If you start assignments early you’ll have plenty of time to be able to finish it and get to do the things you want to during the week. And with the technology we have today, you never know when uploading an assignment will go wrong and then you won’t have the chance to correct the problem before the deadline.

Time management is a skill and I don’t care what anyone has to say about it. Knowing how to prioritize things and balance your life is something that you’ll have to do for the rest of your life so you might as well start getting into the habit of it now. There’s no better time than the beginning of the school year to work on time management to get yourself into a routine that helps make your life much easier!

6 Ways to Save the Planet as a College Student

August 1, 2019

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.

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.

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