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So, where’d we leave off? Oh yeah, I was talking all about adjusting to my new city. Well, I have to say New York City wants you to be adjusted and ready to thrive in a short period of time. Contrary to my recent Instagram caption, I wouldn’t say I’m 100% thriving but I can take the metro to SoHo or the Upper East Side without Google Maps. I also have a bagel, coffee, and brunch spot. So basically, I’m settled. What else have I been up to? Keep reading to see!
What’s The Roast: Life
I am in this period where I am extremely grateful and thankful. ICYMI, #NYFW just ended here in the city. There are tons of sad “bye NYC” posts on my Instagram feed and tons of skylines are being added to stories. You know what I realized, I don’t have to leave. Sure, I can’t leave because of school and my lease. But, I don’t want or have to leave. Man, that really put a smile on my face this morning.
Life ain’t all butterflies, rainbows, and roses though. I have a serious budgeting problem. I’m sure that most of you reading this are true blog followers. We see you! And, I know you probably saw the tweet from a couple weeks ago about how budgets are hard and require a huge amount of self-discipline and prioritization. I’m struggling with making and sticking with a budget and it’s so frustrating. I think I’m coming off of furnishing my apartment and paying off all of that. My goal is to really dig into saving money and spending frugally.
I spend a ton on food. LIKE A TON. Brunch is my favorite meal and I almost always get a mimosa or freshly squeezed orange juice. That’s 100% fine because it’s budgeted and this is when I hang out with my ~new~ friends in the city! We’re all so crazy busy on the weekdays and this is our time to bond and enjoy breakfast food that’d you kill for. {maybe?}
What I really need to do is get back into meal prepping and making my own meals. Eating out is so expensive especially for every meal of the week. I filmed a What I Eat In A Day and posted it on Youtube so check it out! I rewatched it to inspire myself to get cooking. The audio is bad, but I’m looking into investing in a mic! And, no I don’t plan on starting a Podcast even though I have a couple linked below that I think all of y’all will love!
Baby’s first NYFW.
Oh, did I mention that I went a #NYFW party this past weekend? Did I also mention that Michelle and I felt like actual celebrities the entire time? I am in no way cool enough for all of that! I had a blast bonding with all of the bloggers who were visiting for Fashion Week, but I also met some gals who just moved here too! We also got to have a couple of drinks in the VIP area of The Crown Rooftop bar in Hotel 50 Bowery. Who knew we’d get stopped by photographers who wanted to snap our picture under the iconic Manhattan Bridge Arch and Colonnade? Not me, especially since it was raining.
Life is good. Money is tight. New friends are being made. I’m grateful.
What’s the Roast: Current Loves
Technology
My Airpods are 10/10. If you live in a city or on a college campus, you NEED these. I’m not lying. They stay in your ears, miraculously. Super easy to sync to all of your Apple devices. We all have 20,000 of them at this point. The new Keurig that I keep raving about is the bomb diggity and has saved me so much money on coffee. No more expensive lattes on the weekday for me.
Entertainment
I’ve been listening to the Waitress soundtrack non-stop and yes I’m all good. Still trying to recover from the crazy amount of #BlackGirlMagic from Nicolette Robinson. I’m on a little Broadway kick right now; so don’t mind my Spotify “Now Playing” for a little bit.
I also rewatched the first season of Smash. Now, I bit the bullet and I’m rewatching the Pretty Little Liars Series. My September playlist is being queued up if you want to check it out below! I’ve been binge-listening to Abigail and Caitlyn’s podcast, Girls Talk and Katy Bellotte’s podcast, Thick and Thin. All incredible humans. 10/10 would recommend.
Health & Fitness
I’ve been loving the Hard Knocks classes at the gym. Imagine a fusion of Hip Hop and Kickboxing and you get a class made for me. Also, my smoothie making skills are off the charts. Plain Greek Yogurt + Frozen Mango (or Banana) + Frozen Berries + Chia Seeds + Spinach(or Kale) = a masterpiece.
It makes a beautiful breakfast option. I also love to make them after the gym for a recovery snack. I’m a fan of the RX Bar for sure since I tried one last weekend. I think I’m still a gomacro bar gal for sure! I also almost always share my current Trader Joe’s loves and newbies-to-my-pantry on Instagram stories, so make sure you’re following along there and on my personal account, @gabbywhiten.
Style & Beauty
My makeup collection is in major need of a revitalization, and I’ll probably do a huge restock on my favorite products next month. I also did a little bit of damage in Forever 21 last weekend because they were running a sale and I never find sales on non-clearance items there. I picked up some super fun fall pieces that I can’t wait to shoot all over the city!
The first look is what I wore to the NYFW party. It’s a cute little white striped wrap dress that is so comfy and flattering. Ideally, I would have paired this with these Steve Madden booties [please sponsor me already]. But, I opted for my Steve Madden wedges and my BLANKNYC leather jacket from this year’s Nordstrom Sale. You can shop almost all of my looks with the LIKEtoKNOW.it app or on the SHOP tab of the blog!
That’s all I’ve got for the past two weeks! I hope you enjoy these little catch ups. I’ve been vlogging most weekends, so be sure to check out the Youtube channel for even more updates!
keep on keepin’ on,
