Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Ultimate GiftGuide for the Travel Savvy Gal in Your Life!



This year is all about travel for me and I'm making it a mission to visit as many places as possible during my around the world adventure! In honor of all these travels I have decided to create a travel themed gift guide that includes all of my favorite travel products that are essential for a girl on the go!

1. Holland Valley Coffee
https://www.hollandvalleycoffee.com/
Every travel lover knows that between planes, trains, and long drives you're not getting much sleep on travel days no matter how comfortable the seats promise to be! That's why I love Holland Valley coffee because it is 50 percent stronger than other brands and makes waking up early after a long day of traveling that much easier!

2. Boscia Skincare Clear skin Mist
https://www.boscia.com/shop/product_detail.php?products_id=109
This refreshing mist is something I never leave home without because traveling can be really hard on your skin leaving it dry and tired! The clear skin mist is easy to spray on night or day and helps to keep any blemishes from cropping up as well as gives your skin a refreshing glow while you're on the go!

3. Joico Blondelife Shampoo and Conditioner

https://www.joico.com/blonde-life/
The Joico Blonde life haircare set is my favorite travel hair product because it always leaves my hair looking shiny, smooth, and easy to style!

4. Shiseido Under Eye Cream
This Shiseido under eye cream is a travel essential for me. I apply it day and night as part of my skincare routine no matter where I am because it keeps my eyes looking fresh the next morning and throughout the day no matter how little sleep I get! It reduces puffiness, under eye bags, and works to prevent wrinkles as well!

5. Boscia Skincare Konjac cleansing sponge
https://www.boscia.com/shop/product_detail.php?products_id=196&showonlytravelsize=0
This facial cleansing sponge from Boscia is the perfect travel companion to make washing your face easy and fast. It doesn't require any additional soap because the natural cleansing ingredients are already infused in the sponge! Just wet it down, wash, and go!

6. Kollectin Jewelry Statement Pieces

https://www.kollectin.com/
My Kollectin jewelry statement pieces are a travel essential for me because they easily glam up any outfit and give me the option to change up my look without packing too many clothes! Adding a statement necklace or a set of bracelets can change my whole look so no one notices I'm wearing the same thing twice in one week! Of course that leaves more room in my suitcase for shoes which I always tend to overpack on! You can check out my current pieces available in my Kollectin boutique on the app now!

Check out any of these products and trust me your jet setting friends will love you forever after finding one of these items in their stocking this year! Happy Holidays!
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Sunday, December 15, 2019

Meet Olivia Ooms the New Face of California Country


The California Country music scene has always been unique and Olivia Ooms is the singer who's decided to take the beach lifestyle to Nashville! With her latest hit "California Country" and her powerful vocals she is making a name for herself as a star on the rise. I got to speak with the singer about her inspirations, career, and her latest exciting news!
This girl really represents the best of both worlds bringing her California flare and love of classic country together to make her universally appealing hits. 
 While California has always been a popular destination for country artists to perform and inspires many household names, Ooms brings a personal touch to her music video shot in her hometown of Huntington Beach and up and down the California coast. She talked about the process for filming the video saying, "We knew the vibe we wanted to go with." She even told me one scene was shot at the cafe where she used to work. She also brought along her friends to film with her giving the music video an even more authentic California vibe. 
Ooms is set to perform at the annual California Country Christmas celebration at the Anaheim House of Blues this year on Wednesday December 18th. She told me she was very excited for the performance since the theme was 90s country music. This will be her second time performing at the annual event and this year several other up and coming names are on the line up including Honey County the band that made their breakout performance at Stagecoach this year. 
We also talked about some of Ooms's favorite musical inspirations which include Kacey Musgraves and Old Dominion. 
Ooms was excited about her many upcoming performances and we talked about her style and favorite things to wear on stage. 
She told me, "I'm always changing it up but I would describe my style as edgy. I wear lots of long skirts and flowy styles. I like a lot of variety because what I wear really depends on my mood. My everyday style includes lots of jeans and black boots." 
She added, "I would always wear my silver cross necklace on stage but recently it broke so I'm looking for a new one." 
So what's next for the breakout singer? She's just released a new song called "baggage" and revealed some really exciting news about her latest plans. 
She told me, "I'm moving to Nashville in 2020 so I'm really excited for that and to take the next step in my career." 
I talked with the singer about how she felt about the move and she said, "Huntington Beach turned me into the person I am today." 
We talked about her music and what inspired her the most and she said, "I tend to write a lot of emotional songs but California Country was different. I want to brand myself. I ended up writing it in my publicist's basement one night in 30 minutes it just came to me." 
Ooms is inspired to keep pursuing her dreams as a female artist in the country music industry. She told me, "There is definitely a lack of female representation on country radio and streaming services. It's incredible to see what's happening right now with the female singers. We work just as hard so it's great to see what's happening right now." 
I can't wait to see what happens in Nashville for this California country girl! 




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Sunday, December 8, 2019

My 7 Day Travel Guide to Scotland




Scotland is a must see destination in Europe but the rugged northern countryside and spread out tourist attractions can make it difficult for newcomers to plan their trips. I knew Scotland was on my bucket list so that's why I decided to use the DK travel guide to plan my trip and fit in as much as possible during my week in the land of plaid!

Day 1

I arrived at the Edinburgh airport where I rented a car and drove the hour trip to my resort in the Trossachs national park. This beautiful resort was the perfect base for my stay because it is very central to lots of tourist attractions including castles, hikes, and cities. Plus, it is surrounded by the natural beauty of Loch Ard which is literally right across the street! 

Day 2



I headed up into the highlands out to my first castle which I found thanks to my travel guide. The Kilchurn castle in Kinlochard is an amazing place to visit if you are looking to get some views of the highlands without going too far off the beaten path. It was about a two hour drive from my resort and we had stunning views of the castle, mountains and loch in the background on the sunny day. The castle has all kinds of interesting history dating back to Medieval times that you can learn about on your visit!
Pro Tip: You do have to walk along a muddy path to actually get up close to the castle so remember to wear comfortable shoes! 

Day 3


I woke up early and headed out to Glasgow for the day. Instead of driving all the way to the city the locals suggested we drive to Stirling and take the train in to avoid the hassle of parking. This definitely worked out well since driving on the wrong side of the road was already tricky enough! Some of my favorite spots in Glasgow included the University Cloisters, the National Gallery of Art, and the Hidden Lane tea room! The hidden lane tea room is the perfect spot for lunch to get the true Glasgow experience. It is nestled away down a hidden lane in the city that opens up into a colorful courtyard where the tea room is located. They offer scones, flavored tea, and finger sandwhiches!


Day 4


After a busy day in the city I took a break and decided to explore some of the local hikes around the Trossachs as well as check out Loch Ard. I started my day off with a kyaking adventure to Eilean Dorn which is a small island in the middle of Loch Ard. The kayaking trip took about an hour altogether but the views from the island were amazing! In the afternoon I headed out to the Queen Victoria Park which has several easy hikes to explore the natural beauty of the Trossachs. I spent about an hour exploring the park and even hiked to a waterfall! 

Day 5


Edinburgh is definitely a can't miss stop in Scotland. I spent the whole day in the city and took a bus tour of all the highlights. The castle is one of the most amazing sights in the city and the neighborhood surrounding it is full of fun shops and restaurants to explore! I got a delicious dinner at the Castle at Arms pub before heading back to the train station. It was really hard to see everything in just one day and I will definitely be coming back to this fun city to see more!

Day 6



Aberfoyle is the cutest little Scottish village and is right next to the MacDonald Forrest Hills resort. I decided to take a day to explore the town and found out some really interesting facts! First I headed out to the Aberfoyle golf course and got some practice in since I couldn't visit Scotland without getting some golf in! The course is beautiful and was very quiet during the week so I had a great time! Then I headed back into town and stopped at Maggie's kitchen for a snack. They serve the most delicious scones with fresh cream as well as cookies and cupcakes! I met a local craft lady selling home made fairy figurines who told me about the legend of the fairy tree which is said to be located right in the woods outside the village! She gave me the directions for the hike you can take to the fairy tree and so I headed off to see it for myself! And there is an old oak in the woods decorated with ribbons and notes that people have left over the years! After that, I also stopped into the wool center where they have real live sheep and every kind of wool product you can imagine! It was definitely a nice day exploring the local sights!


Day 7

My DK travel tote with my Scotland guide inside! 

On my last day at the resort I planned to head to the famous Glen coe in the highlands for more hiking and amazing views. I got lucky and had great weather and didn't even need my jacket! It was about a 3 hour drive to Glencoe where we stopped into the visitors center to get a map guide of the best hiking spots. There are also some great views from the visitor center of the "three sisters" which are the three mountains in the glen. I decided to hike the devil's staircase which is about a two hour long hike in total along a narrow winding path up to the top of a hill with amazing views of the whole valley. I would definitely recommend this hike even for beginners as long as you are in shape!




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