Three doable resolutions that need to be on your list for 2017!

Happy 2017! I cannot explain how excited I am for this fresh start, because lets face it, 2016 was kind of a nightmare for most of us. The New Year is a time when we all promise to ourselves that THIS is going to be the year I do_____, and then we feel bad about ourselves because didn’t accomplish what we were hoping to do.

But this year, I came up with three things that we all NEED to add to this list of resolutions to be a better young adult! And no, these do not include losing weight or procrastinating less.

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These are also things that I need to also add to my list of resolutions! Let’s get started…

  1. We are not getting any younger, so we all need to get on a good skin regimen! I just picked up a wrinkle cream and moisturizer to add to my daily skin routine. I realize that I do not have many wrinkles currently, but my recent research told me we stop producing collagen at the age of 16, so it all goes down from here… (haha I’m just kidding, but not kidding about not producing collagen anymore!)dsc_0053
  2.  Start saving those dollars! So, after many years of my parents yelling at me about my spending habits, I realized over this winter break how out-of-control my spending habits really can be (do I really need to eat out as often as I do?). I graduate college in August, which is crazy because I do not have any savings to my name. While it is really hard to save money when I do not have a job, I can help my parents out by not spending as much each month. My dad and I had a money conversation, and he told me what he used to do when he was starting out, was to save at least 10 percent of his paycheck each month when he started his salaried job. This allowed him to gain actual savings! While this is easier said then done, I am going to attempt to be a little bit more money conscious and you should too!dsc_0047
  3.  My third and final resolution to add to your list is to make more time for yourself! This one would actually be the hardest for me because I completely understand as college students, we are constantly busy doing work, going to this for our sorority, etc., but it important to sleep in one day, read that book that you’ve had on your list or just honestly chill and not do anything sometimes.  I am one of the biggest extroverts out there, so it hard for me to be alone for too long, because I love being with people constantly, but when I do take a few hours for myself, I realize how rejuvenated I actually feel!

I hope this list sounds like things that are doable for you! I am going to really try my hardest to accomplish these.

Did you notice the adorable champagne bottle I have in my hand? It is the Chandon and Rebecca Minkoff wine holiday collaboration! Rebecca Minkoff designed the bottles, and I am in love with them! To read more about the collection, check it out: here.

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I hope all of my amazing Defining Danie readers had a great holiday season! Thank you all for your support and I look forward what 2017 holds for us!

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Thank you to my friend, Amanda Beall for this fun photoshoot! Find her on Instagram @Onemillionwonders!

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NYC Will Always Have My Heart

I cannot believe it, but my NYC summer experience has come to an end. Unbelievable, right?

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New York City became my home this summer and I feel like I legitimately left a piece of my heart there. When I first arrived in the city, I kept saying “I think I am going to have a great summer but I definitely do not see myself here after graduation.” WELL, I WAS WRONG. This summer my heart grew fonder as the days went on.

From learning the subway to mastering the different areas of Manhattan, to becoming closer with girls in the classes and internship to discovering so many amazing restaurants, my summer in NYC is one I will never forget.

I lived in the Upper West Side, which I always compared to the suburbs of the city. My internship was in the Flatiron District and my classes were in Midtown. I loved my classes and I definitely learned a lot of about myself and what I want out of my future at my internship.

I interned at a fashion PR firm, which was definitely an experience I always dreamed about. For the past three years I have said my dream was to work in fashion PR, but after interning in a fashion PR firm, I learned that I LIKE fashion PR, but I don’t LOVE it. I am so grateful for the experience I had at the agency I interned for. I was able to work at both New York Men’s Day (the opening event for NYFW) and at New York Men’s Fashion Week.

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This summer was amazing, and I think one of my absolute favorite things was getting to try all the different trendy foods that were all over Facebook and the internet this summer. For example, Frosé, the roll-up ice cream and I went to the bakery , Union Fare, which sells the rainbow croissants, but they were sold out by the time I got there so I tried their cookies and cream croissant, which was just as fabulous!

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Exploring was also amazing. You would think in the eight weeks I was there, I would have been able to do everything I wanted to, but I didn’t. If I did not have class or my internship, I probably could have, but I know that I will definitely have to do the things I wanted to do this summer first as soon as I am back in the city!

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Another thing I loved about being in NYC, everyone wants to come and visit! My sister, Payton and best friend, Amanda came twice, my friend Mary came with Payton and Amanda on their second trip and my friend Erin came up for a weekend trip. The FUNNIEST thing was Erin and I sleeping in my twin sized bed in my dorm room, haha!

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During my friend’s visits we explored all around Manhattan and went to Brooklyn! In Brooklyn, we adventured in Williamsburg and DUMBO, which is in the picture below.

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DUMBO: Down Under the Manhattan Brooklyn Overpass 

Dumbo was gorgeous! The architecture, the view of the Manhattan Skyline and the view of the Brooklyn bridge are out of this world. The area is located right in the middle of the Manhattan bridge and the Brooklyn bridge.

This summer also included going to Her Conference. Her Conference is a conference hosted by Her Campus, an online magazine for women in college. I am a writer for Her Campus Kent State and I am also in their blogging network! They hosted a kick-off event, hosted by Rebecca Minkoff. I attended the event and had the chance to meet her. I fan-girled so hard! She was so sweet and even signed the inside of the bag I purchased that evening.

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I cannot believe all of the things I did within these past eight weeks. These were just a few highlights from my summer. I truly cannot believe this summer is almost over. Summer 2016 is definitely my favorite summer yet!

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