Cassie DeNisco

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What to Get at Starbucks

My name is Cassie DeNisco and I’m addicted to Starbucks.

Yes, you did read that correctly, I am absolutely addicted to Starbucks and will get a drink there at least once a day. There’s just something about going to a Starbucks that’s so calming knowing that you’re about to have that caffeine that you are seriously in need of. My friends always ask me, “You don’t even drink coffee, so why do you go there?” and I tell them, Starbucks isn’t just coffee, it has a whole bunch of other drinks that are just as yummy. Here are a few of my favorites:

  1. Iced Green Tea Lemonade Sweetened

This is literally my all time favorite drink and my go to Starbucks order. It’s so yummy and gives me just enough caffeine to get me through the day. Not to mention, green tea is really good for you so this is a really good option if you’re trying to stay healthy.

2. Strawberry Açaí Refresher with Lemonade

I like to call this my “dessert” drink. This drink is so great but super sweet. I call this my dessert drink because it’s just like a sweet that you would have for dessert. I also like to make sure I order it without the dried strawberries in it so that they don’t get in my straw.

3. Iced Blonde Vanilla Latte

I still am not a coffee drinker but I do like a latte here and there. I am seriously obsessed with blonde lattes though. They are so smooth and really don’t have a bitter coffee taste. I think that might be why I drink this because it is coffee but doesn’t really taste like it.

4. Hot Chai Tea Latte

I am a chai tea enthusiast. I love chai and it is hands down the best tea to have. I used to drink the iced chai’s from Starbucks but I don’t really like the concentrate that they use cold so I only get chai’s from here hot. I love the frothed milk and absolutely love this drink on a cold day.

5. Mint Majesty Tea

I don’t think anyone cried the day Teavana closed down their stores like I did. Mint Majesty is my absolute favorite tea but seriously the only place I can get it now is at a Starbucks, and sometimes they don’t even have it. This tea is so soothing because of the mint and is a really great option if you want something from Starbucks but don’t really want the added sugar.

As you can tell, I’m basically a Starbucks expert and I’m passionate about the drinks I love. Not to mention, Starbucks is starting to really care for the environment by switching to straw free lids. I literally will support this brand forever, as long as they don’t get rid of my favorite drinks.

(RIP Mango Black Tea Lemonade)

Summer Street Style Ideas

If you’re like me, then you’ve reached the point in the summer that jean shorts and a crop top just aren’t it anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I love the comfort of them but I feel like they get old so quick in the summer. One trend that I am usually pretty hesitant to try is street style. If you know me, you know I’m a pastel, floral loving girl so the dark colors and structured apparel of street style is not something I usually try. I do however realize that it’s always good to try something new and being in a wardrobe rut this summer, I decided to style some pieces that would be perfect for a walk down 5th Ave this summer.

Cargo Pants

I was super hesitant to even try these pants on in the store. I just wasn’t sure how they would fit on my pretty curvy body but I ended up loving the structure to them. They’re cut like a jogger but they give such a cool vibe to them with the mesh cut outs in the knees. I decided to pair them with a bright neon green tube top and a white sneaker. This look screams street style and I seriously love this color combo. I think it’s perfect for summer.

Bike Shorts

The second I put these biker shorts on, I felt like Kim K. I mean, they are seriously comfortable but just not something that I usually gravitate towards. I found them to be so comfortable and really no different then leggings. I would even argue that these pants are even more comfortable then leggings for the summer because they’ll help to keep you cool. The night that I wore these was a little chilly so I put on this neon pink sweatshirt. I seriously love this combo of the tight shorts with a bigger hoody. Again, I paired it with my go to white sneakers and I thought this look was perfect. I also tried this look with just the same neon tube top from the cargo pants, and it looked great with that as well.

Black Skinny Jeans

I feel like so many people stay as far away from the color black in the summer as possible but I love it. I love my black skinny jeans and think they add such a cool vibe to any look. I paired these Top Shop Moto jeans with this super cute band tee from American Eagle. I love this outfit because it’s so comfy but looks so cool. This look is perfect for a night out for dinner or even just a day of shopping.

Iridescent

I tend to think iridescent clothes are definitely not for me but this tube top from Target is so fun. I paired it with my black Top Shop skirt and absolutely love this look. I think iridescent looks are perfect for summer because they’ll really play with the light from the sun. I do caution that not everything iridescent is cute and should be worn. While I was in search of something that was this cute, I came across a lot of festival pieces that wouldn’t really make sense in everyday life. This top is just enough fun that it’ll light up your night but not make you stand out like a sore thumb.

I really hope you enjoyed these looks! This post really forced me to get out of my style comfort zone and try something new. I actually have since purchased a few more pairs of biker shorts because I just love them so much. Let me know down below what your favorite look was and check out my IGTV for the outfit video!

How to Make the Best Cake Pops

My absolute favorite 4th of July dessert is a cake pop. Why? I have no idea how but I love making . Every time I make them though, I’m surprised at how many people either don’t know how to make them or think that they’re so difficult to make. I’m here to tell you today that they are actually so easy to make, as long as you leave yourself plenty of time to make them. Also, patience is key and feel free to use whatever flavors and colors you want to customize this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Box Cake Mix
  • 1 16oz Can of Frosting
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cake Pop Sticks
  • Melting Chocolate
  • Sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Following the directions on the box of cake mix to make the cake.
  2. Let cool and then take a fork and start to break up the cake so that it ends up being in little pieces. Place those pieces in a bag and stick it in the freezer for at least 4 hours. (This is my secret step)
  3. Once the cake mix is frozen, mix in the frosting. Add only a little at a time until the combination is sticky.
  4. Melt a little of the melting chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. If it doesn’t all melt, stir it and then put on again for 20 seconds.
  5. Begin to make the cake into small balls, about 1 inch in size.
  6. Take a cake pop stick and put it in the melted chocolate and then directly into the cake pop ball. This will help to make sure it won’t fall off when its up right.
  7. Stick the pops, cake side down, onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. I like to freeze for at least a day but as long as the frosting and chocolate is frozen it should be okay.
  8. Once the pops are frozen, melt 2 cups of the chocolate and begin to cover the pop with it. I like to use a spoon and gently glide the chocolate over the pop as opposed to just sticky it in the chocolate and turning it. This step is going to be the most tricky so be sure to stay patient.
  9. Before the chocolate hardens, this is the time to put your sprinkles or decorations on the pops.
  10. Put the pops back in the fridge until you are ready to serve them!

As you can see, it really isn’t that hard to make cake pops, it just takes a lot of time to make sure that they don’t fall apart. Cake pops are so yummy and really a great dessert for any party. There’s so many ways to decorate them that they can fit any occasion.

For the full video of how to make cake pops, check out my IGTV video on Instagram!

Summer Vibes Playlist

One thing I absolutely love about summer is the music. Music helps to connect people and really can set the mood for whatever you’re up to. At the beginning of each summer, I love putting together a playlist with all my favorite artists that I’ll use on a long car ride or even at a pool party with friends. This summer, there are soo many new great songs and artists that this playlist is sure to be a favorite for whenever you’re listening to it!

playlistDownload

Don’t forget to follow me on Apple Music for this playlist and use this link to get Apple Music FREE!

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 ★

My Simple Skin Care Routine

I have always gotten compliments about my skin. From the even skin tone to the smooth complexion, people always ask me what I do to maintain it. My skin care routine is so simple that when I tell people they are seriously baffled. Let’s see what you think!

Step 1: Clinique Liquid Face Soap

I use this product morning and night as my primary face wash. I love it because it’s not scented and seriously cleans my skin. In the morning I’ll put a dime size amount of this product on my face brush and massage it into my skin for about a minute. At night, I’m usually super lazy and just rub this into my skin with my hands and then rinse it off. I always make sure to pat dry with a towel and not rub my face.

Step 2: Clinique Clarifying Lotion Exfoliator

This product might sound like a moisturizer but it’s not. I use it as a toner with my little cotton rounds morning and night. I love wiping my day off and actually seeing all the dirt and grossness coming off my skin. This product is pretty tough but they make a gentler one for more sensitive skin.

Step 3: Drunk Elephant Serums

It should be no surprise that the final step in my skin routine is Drunk Elephant. I use the T.L.C Framboos Serum at night and the B Hydra Serum in the morning. I seriously cannot get over how amazing these products are. I know how expensive they can be but they’re clean beauty and have seriously transformed my skin.

Other than the these 4 products, I don’t usually use anything else. On an occasion I’ll use a face mask from Sephora Collection, Glam Glow or Drunk Elephant but sometimes I find that face masks actually break me out. For break outs I love using the Mario Badescu drying lotion. Putting a small amount on a Q Tip and sleeping with it on my breakout literally helps it to reduce in size and redness over night.

Another major step in my skin routine is water. I can’t stress enough that water is key to clear, healthy skin. Seriously, if you don’t believe me then believe the results I’ve had. Drinking water is not only good for you but great for your skin. Water and these products has turned into my skin care holy grail. I very rarely find products that work as well as these do so I will never trade them! Just a reminder that drinking water is key but all skin types are different . These are only my results and may or may not be the same results you have.

Vegan Starbucks Lemon Loaf

I have two go to sweet treats when I go to Starbucks: birthday cake pop and lemon loaf. Both are so yummy but super sugary and not the best to have. Starbucks is also pretty expensive for just a slice of a loaf cake so I made it my mission to find a recipe similar to Starbucks’ lemon loaf that would be much cheaper and healthier. I finally think I have found the perfect vegan recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:

Loaf

– 2 c Flour

– 3 tsp Baking Powder

– 1/2 tsp Salt

– 3/4 c Sugar

– 1 c Dairy Free, Unsweetened Milk

– 1/2 c Vegetable Oil

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

– 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Icing

– 1 c Powdered Sugar

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ by 5″ loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
  2. Stir all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.
  4. Slowly add dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients mix.
  5. Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove and place aluminum foil tent over it to prevent the top from browning.
  6. Put it back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted is clean.
  7. Let cool and prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until combined.
  8. Drizzle icing over cooled loaf and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set!

Although the cook time is kind of long, this loaf turned out so yummy. It is definitely so similar to the Starbucks Lemon Loaf that you probably will want this loaf over their’s any day. It has way less sugar and is a lot healthier of a treat. Let me know if you try this recipe out or if you want me to make more Starbucks recipe dupes in the future!

My Travel Essentials

Whether you’re traveling internationally or just taking a road trip to a local destination, what you’re packing is pretty much the same. My summers are always packed with vacations so I like to think of myself as a travel guru. I posted an Over Packers Guide to Packing before my Pennsylvania trip in May so definitely check that out if you’re like me and feel like you need your whole closet for a weekend trip. Here’s my list of travel essentials that I can’t live without while on vacay.

  1. Headphones

Traveling with headphones just makes travel so much better. Whether you’re trying to block out noise on a flight or listening to your favorite podcast on the beach, headphones make everything better.

2. Your Own Skin/Hair Care Products

You would be surprised at how many people I meet who say that they use hotel soap, shampoo, & conditioner. Of course there’s nothing wrong with them but being consistent with your products from home is key to getting the best results and looking your best while on vacation. So many brands have come out with travel size of their products or you can buy containers like these that you can put your products into.

3. A Jacket

Regardless of if you’re going on a tropical vacation or not, you should definitely bring a jacket with you. I know it might sound silly but often times places will get super cold at night or a restaurants AC will be unbearable. A simple jacket is a must have for comfort and will usually make any outfit super cute.

4. Rain Gear

I can’t tell you how many trips I’ve been on that I’ve left my rain jacket at home and it just rains for days. Being wet from the rain is the worst feeling and even if your rain jacket or umbrella takes up some space in your suitcase, you’d rather be safe and dry then wet and sorry on your vacation.

5. Laundry Bag

I might sound crazy but it is so annoying to have your dirty clothes with your nice clean clothes in your suitcase. Not to mention, it already makes the dreaded laundry day post vacation so much more difficult because you have to stand their and sort through what’s clean or not. I like to use a either half of my suitcase for dirty clothes or some sort of bag that can fit in my suitcase with the dirty clothes.

6. Chargers

Make a sticky note or put a reminder on your phone but don’t forget to bring the chargers for your electronics!! I hate when I’ve left a phone charger at home and then have to go out a purchase a brand new one knowing I have a perfectly good one at home.

7. Bring Sneakers

Even if you don’t plan on taking a hike on your vacation, I always like to bring at least one pair of good, comfortable sneakers to wear. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten blisters on my feet from the only cute sandals I packed with me on vacation. At least if you bring a pair of sneakers, you’ll be able to give your feet some relief.

These are just a few of my travel essentials. I love making sure that bring the comfort of home with me while I’m on vacation. I know how hard it is to want to make sure you don’t forget anything while worrying about being over packed. Let me know in the comments below if you have any travel essentials you can’t live without!

My Nightly Rituals for Better Sleep

After sharing my morning routine with everyone, so many people messaged me to share my night routine too! It varies depending on what time I finish teaching a dance class but for the most part everything else is the same. After such a long day, I look so forward to coming home and relaxing. Here is my night routine and rituals I can’t live without!

Regardless of whether I’m home for 5:45pm or 7pm, my first step is to always shower. I love a hot shower to help unwind and put my night in the right direction. Because I either meal prep in advance or just prepare everything before I go, dinner is always quick and almost ready for me after a shower.

After dinner, I like to make my Pukka Tea to detox after a long day. This tea is my favorite because it has ginger, lemon, and honey in it which will help with digestion. Caffeine free tea at night also has been proven to help you sleep better and just reset your body during the night.

Either while my tea is steeping or once I finish drinking it, I move on to my skincare routine. This will vary from night to night because sometimes I’ll use a face mask or sometimes I’ll actually just wash my face in the shower. What doesn’t change is my Clinque Toner and Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos serum. This combo leaves my skin looking great when I wake up.

After my skin care, I loveeee curling up in bed and watching a great TV show. Some of my favorites to watch right now are the Bachelorette on Mondays and Big Little Lies on Sundays. When I’m not watching those shows I am definitely watching either the Office or Gossip Girl.

Once I start myself getting tired, usually around 10pm because I’m a grandma, I’ll start reading whatever book I’m currently into. Right now I’m reading the first book int he Game of Thrones series and it is so great. I like to also put on my Sleep Cycle app to track my sleeping because I’ve found that using it helps me sleep so much better.

Getting into a routine is so hard but so worth it. Of course all of this looks so much different if it were a weekend or a special occasion but for the most part I stick to this format. I thrive on routines and find that it really helps me relax and get the best night’s sleep.

4 Ways to Heal Your Sunburn Fast

I get asked all the time how I get so tan over the summer. I used to lay out in the sun with only tanning oil on but once I became more aware of the harmful effects of sun damage to your skin, I quickly made skin care my top priority. This post is dedicated to healing that painful sunburn that we all get a least once a summer.

  1. Quality Sun Tan Lotion
$8.99

Let me tell you, this may seem like the most obvious tip but a lot of people don’t take the quality of their sunscreen into consideration. Quality suntan lotion is generally a little more pricy then the cheap stuff but it is so worth the cost. For example, this Hawaiian Tropic’s sunscreen has built in moisturizers so that even if your skin starts to burn, it has moisturizer on it to start working fast to reduce the burn. I also love Sun Bum’s products as well. It’s important that you’re getting quality suntan lotions so that you can prevent the burns before they happen and prevent long term skin damage.

2. Don’t Exfoliate or Peel Your Skin

It might be extremely tempting to sit and peel off that dead skin or use an exfoliating scrub in the shower but DON’T DO IT!! Stripping off that dead skin prior to it naturally coming off will leave your skin extremely damaged and stripped of the moisture that it needs to recover. That dead skin is helping retain the moisture that your skin will need to heal. You can purchase Sun Balm’s to apply to the peeling skin that can help speed up the process of your the dead skin coming off if you don’t like the way it looks.

3. Moisturize Immediately

$6.79

I swear by this tip to keep my skin tan and not getting burnt. Even if I’m red after being out in the sun, whenever I get out of it I make sure to use an “after sun” moisturizer that is designed to help replenish what my skin lost from being out all day. Moisturizing is your best friend in the summer and so many people neglect this step. I really believe that moisturizing after I get out of the sun and using a sun lotion infused with moisturizer, I get the best tans that are long lasting.

4. Solarcaine

$6.31

I was so surprised when people have never heard of this product. Solar Cane is basically used like aloe except its in a spray bottle and is cooling when applied. I don’t like to use aloe because it’s too sticky for me and also rubbing damaged skin isn’t the best idea. This product does the job of aloe except works so much better for some reason. I’ve seen people who get the worst sunburns put this on right after being in the sun and they’re not even pink. I highly recommend getting this and adding it to your after sun routine. It also will help take away the pain and burning sensation that sunburn leaves.

I also just want to put out a disclaimer that being out in the sun all day is not good for you. I love laying out and getting tan but as I get older, I realize more and more how harmful sun rays can be to your skin. A once in awhile sunburn is not the end of the world but please be cautious this summer because sun damage is irreversible.