Cassie DeNisco

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!

My Quick Dinner Recipe

November 13, 2019

I’m back with a super yummy quick dinner recipe. This is probably one of my favorite meals for fall and winter because its a one pan meal. This means you literally chop it all up and then put it on a pan in the oven and you have a meal in no time. This quick dinner recipe can be made vegetarian. You also can easily swap out any of my ingredients for something that you love. I love meals like this that you can easily swap out ingredients for whatever is in season. It helps to make healthy eating that much easier. Let’s get into my favorite quick dinner recipe.

Ingredients for Quick Dinner Recipe:

Brown Rice

Sweet potatoes

Carrots

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Chicken breast

Olive Oil

Directions: (it’s literally so easy!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Start by chopping everything up into cubes or just smaller pieces.
Place veggies on one side of pan and the chicken on the other. Sprinkle the olive oil over just the veggies.
Put it in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked and the veggies are to your liking. It’s usually about 25-30 minutes for me.
Plate with brown rice and top with salt, pepper, or any other seasonings you love.

Guys I wasn’t joking when I said I had a recipe by Chef Cass. I’m so so obsessed with making this because it makes great leftovers. This quick dinner recipe also can be meal prepped on a Sunday night and used throughout the week. I absolutely love this recipe because it’s so yummy and easy to make! Let me know if you have any other easy one pan recipes that you are obsessed with in the comments below!

Check out my Pinterest for more recipes @cassiedenisco !

Click here for my last post!

Winter Workouts I Love

November 10, 2019

Major disclaimer here: I am definitely no fitness coach but I do love to workout it unconventional ways. Most of my favorite workouts are outside but during the winter workouts are way too cold for that. I hate going to the gym so I like to make sure that whatever workout I do is one that I can either do at home or do somewhere else that’s not a traditional gym. Here is my list of winter workouts that I love.

Kayla Itsines Program

I actually have been through this program twice and I love the results. It’s for 12 weeks and it gives you set workouts to do. Most of them don’t require equipments but some just need like a medicine ball or dumb bells that you can grab at Target. I definitely think this program is perfect for winter workouts because you don’t have to leave your house but you’re also pretty much guaranteed a great bikini body in summer.

Pilates/ Yoga

Depending on where you live, you might not have a stand alone studio to do pilates or yoga in so you might have to go to your local gym. Luckily for me I have a studio near me and I love going to classes here and there. Pilates will always leave me with that really sore feeling that I love. I feel like I got an awesome workout in that really toned my body. Yoga on the other hand I love because it keeps me nice and flexible as well as somewhat toning me up. For a challenge, try a hot yoga class!

Home Gym

I know this one might not be feasible for everyone but investing in a spin bike or a tread mill at home might make all the difference. You have the comfort of your own home to workout however and whenever you want. I find that in winter I crave a better workout but I never want to actually leave because it’s so cold. I found my equipment for super cheap on Amazon and I am absolutely obsessed!

Winter workouts don’t need to feel like a chore. Just find something you love and stick with it. I hope these winter workouts will inspire you to stay healthy even in the hardest and coldest months to do so. Let me know in the comments below your winter workouts.

Check out my last blog post here and follow me on Instagram: @cassiedenisco !

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 Fall Night Routine

November 3, 2019

Fall is totally my favorite time of year because of the change in weather. Summer is fun but the coziness of fall is my absolute favorite. My first night routine post was pre puppy so everything is so different now. I thought it would be fun to show you my chill fall night routine. Here’s a night in my life!

10/30/19

I get home different times from dance but the first thing I always do is take a shower. Because I’m a dance teacher and I’m moving around for my job, it’s inevitable that I’m going to need to shower. After that I start my dinner. Usually I’ll have already meal prepped for it, meaning that I have already cut up the veggies and the meat and just need to throw it all in the oven. Prepping it beforehand seriously makes like so much easier and it helps me to make sure that I’m eating healthy. While we eat, we like to feed Sky too around 7. This ensures that she eats but also that she won’t be around begging us for food. She usually doesn’t but just in case she decides to start that habit she can’t.

After dinner in my fall night routine, I like to hop right into skin and hair care. Usually while we eat I like to keep my hair up in a towel. It soaks up the water and then I use the It’s a 10 leave in conditioner to detangle it. I really love it because it makes my hair so smooth. It also acts as a heat protectant for when I’ll style my hair in the morning. After that, I’ll always wash my face in the shower so I start using my Drunk Elephant and Clinique products. I use my Clinique toner first and then go in with Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C Framboos and Eye cream. Skin care is so important so no matter how tired you are make sure you get to it!!

Once all of that is done in my fall night routine, it’s finally time to walk Sky and head to bed to watch a show. Since I’m writing this in October we did watch American Horror Story and Halloweentown High last night to get us in the Halloween spirit. Sky will usually head right to bed once I put her in my bed which means that I have time to actually sit and watch a show without her running around and being her crazy little self. I usually will walk her one more time around 10pm before bed and then I’m in bed before 10:30 since someone likes to wake up at 7am.

I hope you enjoyed reading my fall night routine! It’s pretty chill and relaxing which I need after a long day with the puppy, school, work, and my internship. Let me know in the comments below if you do anything special for your fall night routine.

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

Halloween Party Ideas that you Have to Try

October 27, 2019

The count down to Halloween is now in the single digits which means my annual Halloween Night party is almost here! I love hosting a Halloween night party because I live in a really high traffic area for Trick or Treaters and houses that give out candy. We have my little cousins and family all come for dinner and then we trick or treat and finish the night with dessert and handing out candy. Now my parties aren’t too crazy but everyone always has a great time so I’m sharing some halloween party ideas!

Decorations:

Carving pumpkins isn’t only fun it also provides for some great decor. I love to carve the pumpkins prior to trick or treating so that we can display them for all to see. I also think getting a cute banner that says like “Happy Halloween” or “Trick or Treat” is a great addition. Target has some really cute ones! Having the perfect table setting also sets for a great vibe. I like to get the tougher table clothes so that I can reuse them year to year, especially if I really love the design.

Food:

In my house, it is a tradition to have “bat balls and worms” for Halloween dinner. It might just be spaghetti and meatballs to some but it’s definitely an easy meal to throw together. It’s also awesome to have ready when your guests arrive but leave it on the stove while you’re out trick or treating. You get to come back to an easy meal to reheat. For dessert, cupcakes are always my go to. I made these adorable mummy cupcakes by using white frosting and a straight icing tip. I added these candy eyes and they are a total hit!

Games:

Making sure your kids are entertained all night might seem hard but having games on hand to keep them busy. Target has an entire aisle with some really cute games. I grabbed this pumpkin bean bag toss game and the kids absolutely love it. I also have bingo and a pin the skull head on the skull. All of the games fit the Halloween theme perfectly and were really inexpensive. They’re great to reuse year after year and are always a crowd favorite!

I hope that these halloween party ideas help you get inspired for your own party. Halloween is the best time of year and I seriously love the spooky season. Let me know if you have any of your own favorite halloween party ideas in the comments below!

Here’s the link to my last blog post!

Jackets for Fall You Can’t Live Without

October 23, 2019

My favorite fall accessory is a jacket. Jackets during fall are the perfect accent to any outfit and are generally going to be your statement piece because it’s going to be most visible. Jackets for fall are the first thing people will see because it’s not like summer where you can leave the house without one. I’ve gathered all of my favorite fall jackets for you to hopefully break down the idea that jackets have to be bulky and made out of weird materials. These jackets for fall are perfect for all style tastes!

The Peacoat

This is a classic fall/winter jacket for me. It might not be the most warm but it gives off a really classy, put together vibe. I suggest having a peacoat in a few different colors so that you’ll have one for all of the events you need to go to and it can match your outfit perfectly. My peacoat is from J Crew a few seasons ago but here is a link to a similar one!

The Puffer

Now puffers might be a little more winter related but I love starting to wear them on those cold fall nights. I have two really cute puffers here with different material. The white is a classic winter jacket material but the cut makes it so flattering. It’s boxy and slightly cropped so it would look great with a workout outfit or anything street style related. On the other image, I have a suede pink puffer. I’m obsessed with this because it gives the classic puffer a really fun twist. The suede puffer is from Abercrombie but the other is from Target. Here’s a link to the similar one!

The Denim

I love love love a denim jacket with a hoodie. I think it gives such a cool and cozy vibe. Denim jackets scream fall to me and I couldn’t imagine fall fashion without one. I like to get my denim jackets for fall a little more oversized so that I am able to layer with them. It helps to make it so much easier when I’m not trying to shove my bulky sweatshirt into a cropped jacket. I also think it could be fun to get a colored denim jacket. I know black ones are really cool but I also think a red one could be perfect for fall. Here’s the link to my exact one!

The Teddy

These were huge last year but I think that they’re back again this year. The I.am.Gia craze might be over but nearly every store has some sort of teddy jacket. I’m obsessed with mine from garage when I want to be extra cozy and warm. I definitely don’t wear this jacket out as often but I think it is a staple in most people’s wardrobes. Here’s a link to a target dupe!

The Fun Ones

I am literally so obsessed with a fun jacket for fall. I love this pink fuzzy one from Lulus but I also am obsessed with any kind of statement color jackets. I have a gorgeous yellow from Brooks Brothers but I think statement jackets for fall are a must. Find one you’re obsessed with and just rock it and live it.

The Leather

I had to finish off this post with my all time favorite fall jacket, a leather one. Leather jackets are the perfect accent to fall because of their texture and warmth. Adding a scarf to a leather jacket is the perfect accessory to any fall outfit. This one is from Topshop and is real leather but you can totally get a faux leather one for much cheaper.

I think fall jackets are so important in putting together the best fall outfits. Jackets are what people will see so you have to make sure you’re choosing wisely. I’m a bit jacket obsessed but for good reason, not only are jackets for fall key to keeping you warm they also are great to add to any outfit. Check out my last fashion post here. Follow me on Insta for more fall fashion: @cassiedenisco!

What’s your favorite type of fall jacket?

Fall Foundations I Can’t Live Without

October 20, 2019

Something I rarely talk about here on the blog is makeup. I definitely don’t wear it that often but I find myself in the winter putting it on more often. I self-tan a lot over the winter and I also just feel like no matter what you do, your skin is just duller in the winter. Although I am wearing foundation, I make sure it’s still clean and not too heavy. There is literally nothing I hate more then a thick and cakey foundation that you’ll wear on your skin all day. Most of my favorite foundations are actually CC creams or tinted moisturizers because they provide coverage but they’re not too heavy. Choosing your fall foundations might be hard but it’s so important to set your skin up for success in the winter.

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.

It Cosmetics CC Cream

This seriously is my go to winter foundation. It helps to keep my skin moisturized in the winter months and gives me some coverage to help with the dullness in my skin. Buyers beware though, the shade range is very little. I wear Light but honestly it only looks great when I’m self tanned. I like to apply this with a beauty blender because I feel like it helps to blend it out much easier.

Tarte Amazonian Clay

Don’t be afraid of this foundations because it may look like full coverage. I find that if I use a little bit, it not only covers but its also not cakey at all. This foundation is seriously one of my favorites of all time because it’s create in the summer and winter. It’s super moisturizing for those winter months which is something that I really like to have. If I’m using it in the summer, I just apply extra setting powder and I know I’m good for the day. Highly suggest trying this one out and this has a much wider shade range. I also like to apply this with a beauty blender.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

Bare Minerals is definitely stepping up their game and coming into modern times. I used to use Bare when I was in middle school and needed something for my sensitive skin. Now I like Bare minerals because of how light coverage this foundation is. I really think that this is merely a tinted moisturizer but it is so great. It’s not heavy on my skin at all and it feels like its barely there. This product is also awesome because it comes in a gel formula and also a face stick. Seriously an amazing product and definitely a go to for a fall foundations.

As you can tell, my reoccuring theme is that I do not like heavy coverage foundations. If I’m going to wear makeup, I want something that’s barely there and these are definitely my top three. Fall foundations are so important because as the air gets cooler, your skin starts to need more moisture. By choosing a lighter, more moisturizing fall foundation, you’re sure to keep your skin happy and healthy all winter long!

Check out my latest Blog Post here!

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

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