Emme turned 4 today! So, of course her party had to a LOL Surprise Doll Party and boy was she happy. She is obsessed with LOL Surprise (who isn't?)... low key I am pretty hooked myself. So I searched high and low for the best kids party place for the theme, I have to be honest the LOL theme sold me and I knew she would love it so I booked it immediately. Finding a place for kids party in New Jersey can be difficult but every year I end up finding super cute spots for the kids. You guys requested all the deets so below you will find details on where I had the party, where I bought her outfit and of course photos of the cake! 

My sweet girl is growing up right before my eyes and this is my favorite age by far but still think time is going by too quickly. She's my last baby and I tried very hard to not cry this weekend. I am so grateful she is healthy, smart, happy and very very loved. Emme is truly the cherry on top in our home! Ok before I start to cry... without further a do, here are some pictures and details of her fabulous LOL Surprise Party.

I hosted Emme's party at Princess Dreams in Roselle Park, New Jersey. From the moment I saw it (on a friend's instagram pic) I knew this would be the perfect place for my daughter's party. But then I saw that they had a fabulous LOL doll theme and I booked it immediately. What I loved best about Princess Dreams was that it was the least stressful party of my mommy life. Their party packages include everything... from the cupcakes, pizza, juice, favors, dress up, makeup, craft, party hosts to all the decor you se on the pics. All I had to bring was food for the adults. It was such a stress-free party. I decided to have an all girls party (my son came of course) but you can have an unisex party, whatever you prefer they cater to both boys and girls. 

Finding a cute LOL doll outfit was hard, you guys! And I ended up purchasing her leotard on Belle Threads. It was super cute and I love that she can use it over and over, even for ballet of course! She didn't wear it like this for her actual party. She wore it with a denim skirt but it ended up being covered up because during the party, the little girls got to dress up in costumes, so Emme was dressed up as an LOL doll:) The next day I got her all dressed again and did a mini photoshoot for memories and these are the pics you see here of her with the blush tutu. 

Emme had been dreaming (literally!) about her LOL party for months... not exaggerating. So I am so happy I was able to plan this sweet and super fun party for her. All the kids had such  blast, they dressed up, danced, got their makeup done, did crafts... it truly was one to remember. I got so many compliments about the party from our guests and it made my mommy heart very happy to see my sweet girl happy. And today I am more than happy to share all the details with you! 

Have a great start to the week mamas! Oh and if you book a party at Princess Dreams, tell them I sent you! 

So how do you motivate yourself when you feel discouraged? Well, the truth is that on my good days, I could fly if I tried hard enough. That's the level of confident I am on. At least that’s what I feel in those moments. On my high days, I am invincible and I don’t take no for an answer... from anyone. And you get to see those a lot of those moments on my Instagram reel. And that's exactly what it is, the best moments of life. And of course that’s not me every day. There is no way I can be high on life and feel that level of confidence, every single day… I’d love to but we are human after all. We are flawed and we don’t realize that everything we tell our minds is true. Good, great, the bad and the worse, those are all true if you tell yourself that.

And if I am being honest, I don’t like myself during my low days. It doesn’t feel like me. But I guess you have to ride out the storm to catch sight of the sun-rays, right? So how do I deal with the days I am discouraged and unmotivated? I have to let it out. I have to talk it out and tell someone how I am feeling. I have to release all those negative thoughts. 

After I've talked out my feelings and thoughts with someone, I strategize because I don't want to feel that way. Yes, it's normal but no, it doesn't feel good. So I wrote out the steps I take and what works for. I wanted to share 5 tips on how to motivate yourself when you are feeling discouraged: 

1. Write out your goals - not on your phone... write it out on paper! #oldschool - And be precise, be detailed on what you want to achieve and remind yourself that these are, in fact, attainable. You are your only competition, you can do it all but you have to work for it. 

2. Envisioning your higher self. Write out how you want to feel, how you'd like to be and who you see your future self as. Most importantly put it into gear, act like the boss that you are or aim to be. For me, writing things down is helpful because it's part of the vision. 

3. Always be grateful. Write down your blessings on paper. It's a nice reminder that life is not so bad after all, #blessed. Being thankful for what you have right now will get you on the right path to achieving your future goals, gratitude is essential to succeed. 

4. Write down a plan of action. So now that you have all your ideas, feelings and thoughts on paper, write down how you are going to act on your goals. Make a realistic plan of action and even include dead lines. 

5. Affirmations. You all know I am a big believer in affirmations because they really can turn your day around. I promise. I say my affirmations in the shower, on the way to drop off Ben at school (he says them too) and anytime I feel I need to remind myself go who I am.

Most importantly, ACT. Just like the late Kyrzayda said during her last days, "Go and do it now!". But honestly, what are we really waiting for? The only way to get sh*t done, is to begin. A lot of people message me saying “I want to start a blog; how do I begin, can you help me?” and guys I tell you time and time again, make a plan and START. That's the big “secret”, that's the simple answer: JUST START!

I hope this helped you in some way... and if you want to check out my post on affirmations for kids, you can see it by clicking HERE. But before I go, of course here are the outfit details...

Here are 3 tips when styling animal print if it's not in your comfort zone:

1. Make sure the fit of the dress is comfortable. Nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable, it will show! 

2. Add fun but solid pieces (like a blazer or motto jacket) to make this outfit versatile. Remember you already have the print on the dress so you want to stay away from more prints in this case.

3. Be you! Wear the shoes that make you feel like you! Sneakers, booties or strappy sandals - what matters most is how YOU feel in the clothes. Confidence is the sexiest "thing" you can wear. 

When styling this look we went with this super sexy leopard slip dress and added this blazer. The dress alone is super sexy and great for a night out but the way we styled can really be worn during the day too. I knew I wanted to cinch the dress with my go-to Express belt that I love and use so much - it's such a cool resemblance to the famous Gucci belt. 

So we went ahead and styled added my Nike Huarache Sneakers (in sand), then my Celine sunnies and Gucci bag for a cool busy-girl-on-the-go look. I love love love this entire outfit because it was so comfortable and still a little sexy and yet super versatile for all year round. 

It was super easy to go from day to night by simply adding some fun patent leather booties. To add more fun, put on some lipstick and let your hair down like I did here. Fashion is all about having fun anyway and making the look your own. Can't wait to wear this on a date night with my babe or even to lunch with my gals. However you wear it, have fun with it! 

ps: I've linked all the pieces below. Have a great week amigas!

Blazer by Vici Dolls | Dress by Vici Dolls | Sneakers by Nike | Patent Leather Booties by Aldo 

Bag by Gucci | Belt by Express | Sunnies by Celine

One of the questions I get the most is "How do you do it all?" My answer is "I do it all with help! Takes a village" a team, a squad, you need people! I remember about 3 years ago I use to stress so much because I was wearing myself thin and literally doing everything on my own, I used to think "doing it all" meant you had to do it all on your own... I was so wrong and so tired. These days I've learned to ask for help and I outsource as much as I can so that I am able to make the most out of my days so that I can enjoy my jobs and my family as much as I can. 

Between two jobs, a husband, two beautiful energetic children and a very tight-knit family, 24 hours in a day are not sufficient. The big secret? I've learned to always put myself first, just like the airplane safety rules, mamas. And that includes working smarter, not harder. Whether I am getting ready for a night out, cleaning up the house or when I am making dinner, I always use products and brands that help me make the best out of my days and work most efficiently. I am a clean freak and I am most relaxed and happy when the house is clean and in order. Sure, there are days when the beds don't get made and the laundry is a hot mess, the toys are everywhere but I cannot live in a dirty messy house. And I love Clorox® Scentiva™ because not only does it help me get the house nice and clean effectively but mostly because it smells like a vacation. Still the same effective cleaning power of Clorox® but smelling like a dream. This is the type of support I need in my life in 2019, you guys! Once the kitchen is clean and the kids are in bed, I am relaxed, happy and ready for my Netflix and wine.

There are two scents that I love: Tuscan Lavender & Jasmine and Pacific Breeze & Coconut™. I use Pacific Breeze & Coconut because a) I am obsessed with everything coconut! Its blend of coconut, pineapple, peach and apple surrounds you with a rich mixture of citrus, waterlily and peony and b) it leaves my house smelling like a refreshing pacific escape! There are Clorox® Scentiva™ Multi-Surface Cleaner, Disinfecting Wipes and a Bathroom Foam Cleaner. I use Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes everywhere to kill bacteria and viruses and I use the Multi-Surface Cleaner mostly in the kitchen and bath. I've even got my mom and tias hooked! 

I've taught my children from early on that if they make a mess they better know it's their responsibly to clean it up and put everything back where it belongs. Makes my job easier and cleaning the house with Clorox® Scentiva™ becomes a breeze. Their mama has 2 jobs, runs this house and needs her time to get her spirit right to be the happiest (and stylish) mama on the block, so yes, my little humans are trained well.

Here are some easy ways to improve your skin texture instantly: 

1. Facial oils are my best friend. I use them mostly at night because I have combination skin and my T-zone tends to get oily naturally but now a days we have amazing oils that don't over grease you anyway. These are some brands I use: Pixi Rose Oil, La Mer Face Oil and a Vitamin E Oil. Not all at the same time, just depends on the day I am having. 

2. Make a brown sugar scrub at home! Add honey + coconut oil... I shared my mom's recipe HERE.

3. Greek yogurt adds so much moisture. Check out THIS Pinterest idea for details. 

4. Water, water, water! I am guilty of forgetting to top my water intake daily but I do drink water every single day, at least 3 bottles a day. Water is your bestie... hello hydration! 

5. Sheet masks are life... easy peasy, even right before bed, no rinsing needed. I love the Yes To brand, which is sold almost everywhere. I use the coconut one;)

If you follow me on IG, you know that my skin was not it's usual self last week. It felt extra dry - even for winter, so dull and I was having breakouts per say... they weren't actual zits but more like little bumps. But this has never happened to me so I did what I do best in times of beauty emergencies and clicked on my Pinterest app. Guuurl, I found the best Greek Yogurt Face Mask, you can use different ingredients for different concerns so I headed to my local Target to get some plain greek yogurt and avocados. Added olive oil, honey and voila! I did it twice over the weekend and I can see a big difference instantly. En serio! Here's the little tut video I posted on my IG.

I was listening to A Drink with James this morning and he mentioned how annoying 2018 reviews were on IG Stories... and you guys I have to agree {insert monkey covering mouth here} it was just too much IMO and some were super cool to see but then people took it to a whole other level and it was never ending - I honestly just skipped, skipped, skipped. If you follow me on IG you remember I did a little poll asking if you wanted to see mine... you all were kind enough to say yes but I ended up not posting because there were so many bloggers doing it and truthfully, the way I see it... if I am bored looking at them, then I am sure you will probably skip through mine too. If I am not feeling it in my bones, I don't do it, I don't just follow trends because it's "the thing to do", that's just not my style and now I am glad I didn't do it because James gave me this great idea to instead share 20 never before seen pics, so much more fun! So here we go... some are iPhone, others are shot by Geri and the rest are just some cute moments I loved.