What's in my Carry-On Bag?

Hello everyone! Happy Monday! Hope everyone is doing great. I thought it would be fun and helpful to share with you guys what I carry in my carry-on bag when I travel. I have been very fortunate to travel quite a lot throughout the years. We usually opt to vacation in South America since that is where my boyfriend is from and he gets to see his family when we are here. Since I have travelled quite a lot I think I have managed the art of what to carry in my carry-on. Before I used to be so overwhelmed and thought I would need so many things on the plane which would cause me to panic. Now I know the essentials that I will need and only carry that. This is coming from a girl who would travel with 2 large suitcases (which I would obviously check-in), a small carry-on, a fairly large purse, and a standard size pillow. Yup, I know what you are all thinking... crazy. Can you imagine how hard it was when I used to travel alone to go to the bathroom? A nightmare!

I really hope this helps anyone who is planning on traveling or is going to travel anytime soon. I wish I never put myself through all the stress, but then again you have to go through some bumps along the way to learn a valuable lesson. From carrying all the things I mentioned I now travel with my luggage that I check in and just carry a backpack. Yup. Just a backpack. Proud moment lol.

1. Passport- First and foremost. ALWAYS make sure you have your passport with you. I cannot begin to explain how many times I thought I had left it at home- mind you the airport is 30 minutes away from my home, but still.

2. Anti-baterical wipes/Hand Sanitizers- These are a must! Planes can be so dirty sometimes, I feel so much more comfortable knowing that I sanitize the arms rest and the pull out table before I settle in.

3. Laptop- I like bring my laptop with me all the time when I fly. If I ever have work to do, I take advantage of the fact that I will be on the plane for quite sometime and once I'm done I watch a movie if I don't fall asleep.

4. Wallet/Cash/Credit Cards- Even though I always travel with my credit cards I also like to bring some cash with me. While I'm waiting to board my flight I like to grab a coffee and a snack before hand. You never know how long it will be until you take off.

5. Snacks- If I'm traveling to South America which is about a 10 hour flight I like to bring snacks with me just in case I get hungry. Sometimes I don't like the food that they offer in flight, so I like to have a backup just in case. My boyfriend is really picky so I always bake a batch of banana cake and bring it on the plane with us. (Recipe on the blog. Youtube link)

6. Small Toiletry Bag- I liked to bring a small toiletry bag where I carry small items that I don't want to find at the bottom of my bag such as, hair ties, hair clips, kleenex, earphones, phone plug, Advil, bandaids, couple of teas which I would then ask the flight attendant for some hot water.

7. Pillow- I know I mentioned I used to travel with a standard size pillow (which I still do but I keep it in my luggage lol- I have this weird thing about sharing pillows. I like to sleep on my own pillow. PERIOD). I carry a travel pillow with me now. There is nothing more uncomfortable then the pillows that they give on the plane. You would think that since you paid a lot for your ticket you would get a decent pillow. So this is a must for me.

8. Cellphone- Once I'm on the plane getting settled I keep my phone on so I can text my parents and my siblings that I'm on board and when I'm about to take off. As soon as the flight attendants ask to turn off devices that's when I do and as soon as I land I switch my SIM card out depending where we are going.

9. Socks- I know you guys are probably saying ..what? Don't you have socks on already? When I travel I like to wear leggings and running shoes. With that said I wear really short slip on socks you can't tell I'm wearing any (I don't like showing my socks when I'm wearing my cute leggings and runners; I don't know that's just me lol) so I bring the thickest and comfiest socks with me because my feet get super cold on the plane.

10. Notebook/Pen- I get the best ideas on things in the weirdest places and very randomly. I know, weird but like to write things down. Plus I need a pen to fill out the forms that they hand out to you on the plane.

11. Sunglasses- Just in case we aren't looking so cute after a long flight- we can fix that with sunglasses.

12. Make-up Bag- Last but not least, my make-up bag. I don't bring a lot of make-up in my carry-on just a few little things such as travel size moisturizer, face mask, mascara, lip balm, hand cream, and perfume. The rest of my make-up I pack in my luggage.

I really hope this helped you ladies out. If there's anything you think I am missing, I would love to hear about it.

xoxo,

Life Lately // Via the Camera Roll

Helloo everyone! I was just going through my phone which by the way has a million and one photos on. Is it just me or am I the only one who leaves it to the last second to delete photos from your phone? Anyways here are a few photos from the last couple months that made me smile as I chose to add them to this post. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the post that I have posted so far.

Halloween fun!

Catwomen

I always have space for desert lol

Long walks are always nice.

Beautiful..

I need this bag in my life!

Home <3

Birthday boy!

Happy birthday to me!

My beautiful baby niece- Giulianna Gisel <3

xoxo,

How to: Peach Tarte

Hello everyone and happy Friday! It is currently 23 degrees where I am right now, which is awesome given that it was 12 degrees for the last couple of days and it's summer here.
I had mentioned in my last couple posts that I had a whole bunch of new content I wanted to share but I had gotten really sick and things didn't go according to plan. Non the less I have a few post heading your way these next few weeks so stay tuned!
As you guys know by now if you have followed my blog before, I love to be in the kitchen. I love to bake, cook, eat you name it. It's always nice to get together with family and friends, whether it's at someone home or out somewhere and no matter what- there's always food! I've always been the type of person that if I'm going to someone house I like to bring something- preferably something homemade.  Plus it's nice to feel like Martha Stewart when everyone compliments how delicious what you made was.
My boyfriend's mom shared this recipe with me around Christmas last year and I have made it ever since. I absolutely love it and I think you guys will too. This is a super easy recipe and it consists of just a few ingredients. Now, I'm all about keeping it simple so don't worry you don't need a fancy kitchen appliance to whip this up.

Ingredients:

 2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

4 tbsp of butter

1/2 cup of milk

1 egg
2 tbsp of baking powder

To decorate:

1 can of cream

1 cup of peaches cut into small pieces 

First of all, your going to sift your flour. Now some of you might be thinking- "what the heck? what's sifting your flour mean?" and why? Sifting flour is a way to lighten your flour with a mesh sieve to get rid of clumps that was caused when it was packaged. It also makes it way easier for you to mix your ingredients together. 

Add your sugar and baking powder. Once all that is incorporated together your going to add your egg, and butter. Once that is done add your milk. I prefer to add the milk last as I feel since your mixture is already semi wet it's easier to incorporate. 

Butter your pan up with butter all around. This will help prevent it from sticking to the pan. Leave in the  oven for 20-25 minutes at 360 degree. Once cooked, let it completely cool down.

Add your peaches and spread equally on top. If your using canned peaches, drain the liquid.

Whip up your cream and spread on top of your peaches. Refrigerate for a couple hours.

Ready to enjoy! Hope you guys liked this post, would love to hear if you guys tried it out.

xoxo,

Last Minute Valentine's Gifts

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope everyone is having a fantastic day and for those who are just starting their day, I hope you guys have a good one. I feel like Valentine's day is one of those holidays that your either love or hate, and to be honest I love it. I remember when I was little my dad would always come home with a bouquet of flowers for my mom and chocolates for us and we would all share them after dinner. My mom would walk us to school and we both would be so excited with a bag full of Valentine's day cards and chocolates we prepared the night before with her to exchange with our friends in class. When we would get home from school we would be so excited to show my parents all our Valentine's day cards we had received. My mom would wait for us with a special dinner that she came up with ( my mom is known for putting a meal together with what ever she had in the fridge, it was her "inventions"). Now that I'm older I hold all those memories so close to my heart and think "wow" we had such a beautiful childhood. I like to spend Valentine's day with those I love, this year I'm away from home but I'm still very lucky to spend it with Andres.

Andres and I spend the last few years keeping things very low key, cooking at home, which I love, and then we would always end up watching the same movie- Titanic lol. Restaurants are always very packed and if you don't have a reservation, well- you'll be waiting along time.

As you guys already know I'm currently in South America and to be honest I didn't get a chance to buy my boyfriend a gift as our trip was really last minute. So here I am contemplating on what I should get for him. I know that he'd be happy if I just baked him something but, I personally really like buying him a gift. So I have narrowed down on what would be a great last minute gift that I can just run to the mall and pick up. I think I'm leaning more into the Resident Evil game- since I'm also a nerd for video games LOL!

I hope these ideas will help you out if your doing a last minute gift. No matter how you are celebrating or with whom I wish you an amazing Valentine's day filled with lots of L-O-V-E.   

For Him:

1. Puma Clyde Court  2. Apple Watch Series 4  3. Dior- Sauvage Eau de Parfum  4. Bose SoundSport In-Ear Wireless Headphones  5. H&M Joggers   6. JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Wireless Speaker  7. Resident Evil 2 (PS4/ XBOX One)  8. Nike- Brasilia X-Large Backpack

For Her:

1. Givenchy- L'Interdit Eau de Parfum  2. Pandora- Shape of my Heart Jewelry Set  3. Victoria Secret- Short Satin Kimono  4. Herbivore Hydrate + Glow Natural Skin Care Kit  5. Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Melrose Watch  6. Steve Madden Dulce Blush Heels  7. Bath and Body Works Lotions 

xoxo,

Quick Update

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is doing great! First of all I'd like to apologies for the lack of posts. I feel like I haven't posted a blog post in awhile. I had a whole bunch of cool DIY. recipes, and decor that I wanted to post back in December, but I ended up getting so sick that I ended up having Christmas in bed (which totally sucked!). I didn't even finish my Christmas shopping which was a first for me, but being together with my family was still very nice.
I'm currently in South America enjoying the weather, and extremely grateful I was able to escape the cold weather back in Canada. I've been working on a few blog post that I hope you guys will really enjoy. Stay tuned!

xoxo,

3 DIY Face Masks

Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing fantastic. As promised I wanted to share a couple of my DYI masks that I make at home. I love trying out new things especially if it's in the comfort of my own home. Like I mentioned before in my previous post, masks are one of favourite things that I like doing regarding my skin care so I thought it would be a fun idea to share some of the masks that I've done before.

Egg Mask

First off is the "egg mask". Seriously guys, all your going to need for this one is an egg and 2 bowls.. yup, I know your probably thinking- "what the heck is this girl talking about?" I swear that's all you'll need. Basically your going to separate the egg white into one bowl and the egg yolk into the other. Make sure you have a clean face before applying. Whip both egg white and yolk with a fork. Start applying the egg yolk first, all over your face. Leave on for a good 5 minutes. Once this is done, rinse with warm water and then apply the egg whites on your face. Leave on for 5 minutes or until you feel like your skin is tightening and you look like an old lady lol. Wash face with warm water, pat dry and add your preferred facial cream to finish.

Eggs are great for deep cleansing treatments. Since eggs are a source of protein, it actually helps firm your skin once you apply it as a mask. It also helps shrink and tighten your pores. I like to do this regularly because it helps avoid accumulating dirt on my face.

Avocado Mask

The next one includes avocado. Some of you probably have already tried this one at home and don't we agree this one is awesome? There a lot of DIY masks that you can do at home with avacados. Avocado oils helps hydrate your skin and also help reduce dark circles under your eyes. Avocado oils are often a main ingredient in lotions, gels, bath oils and masks. It has also been proven that an avocado mask is the best type of mask for people with acne-prone skin.

Your going to mash 1 large avocado with a fork. Add in about a teaspoon of plain yogurt and a teaspoon of honey and mix together until you form the consistency of a paste. Apply on your face with a brush or your fingertips and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and apply preferred facial cream to finish. 

Coconut Oil Mask

Coconut is a natural antioxidant which helps soften your skin making it look healthy and hydrated.

It's the perfect kind of mask if you are looking to brighten up your skin. All you need is 2 teaspoon honey, juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Honey will help moisturize your skin and it also helps hydrate it.

The juice of a lemon helps kill the bacteria on your face, shrinking the pores and tightening your skin.

Mix all your ingredients into a bowl and apply to your face. Leave on for 10 minutes and then rinse off with warm water, pat dry and add preferred facial cream.

Hope you ladies give these mask a try. I know you guys will love them just as much as I do!

xoxo,

Sheet Masks!

Since I was a kid I've always been fascinated by those ladies in movies that have masks on with cucumbers on their faces- yes! and don't act like you didn't like it lol. I've done a few DYI masks at home which I will share with you guys on a post I've been working on, but when I don't have the time or really don't feel like making one I throw a sheet mask on, put some good old Netflix and chill on the couch. There are many different types of masks, which people typically use to give their skin the maximum amount of hydration and lock in moisture. These are fantastic to use all year round especially on those hot summer days or those brutal cold winter months. At this point in my life I consider them a total skincare staple! I love them so much that I make sure I stock up and have back-up all the time. 

With the weather getting colder I like to really dedicate myself in protecting my skin as much as possible and that includes wearing little make-up or sometimes if I don't need to go out all fancy and just run to the store really quick, then no make-up at all. I'm very lucky to have been blessed with good skin but I also think it has to do with the dedication that I put in taking care of it. My 30's are right around the corner, and with that said, it is very important to me to do everything possible to take care of my skin. Sheet masks really help to hydrate your skin so it doesn't feel dry. I personally feel like it helps give my skin a healthier look and even a natural glow. There's no better feeling when your in the middle of a conversation and someone asks how old you are and can't believe your age. Yes! I'm that person that feels amazing for the rest of the day when someone tells me- "oh my God, you look 25!"... hahaha

If anyone knows of any good sheet masks that I can try, I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Some of the masks I brought on my recent trip.

One of my favourite masks ever! So refreshing.

                                     

Filters are always fun lol- all clean!


xoxo,