Brands I Love Update: Warby Parker and Bellabeat

I figured, you get a lot of reviews on products but the follow ups are rare. I'm putting two follow-ups in here because..well they time up well and are both fashion/productivity based.

First off,

So I love my Warby Parker glasses. Seriously, you have to pry my Laurel or Edgar frames off my face. Sometimes I wonder why I ever made the switch to contacts, but they have their use...trust me.

I'm just accepting that I'm one of those people who will definitely need to balance both in her life.

Even though I'm stupid happy in love with my frames, I keep up with the new releases from WP and when I saw the new frames they released with a partnership with the wonderful and amazing Amanda de Cadenet, I just swooned. These glasses are in collaboration to support Amanda's fem-powering organization of #GirlGaze an organization founded by Amanda for providing "young female-identifying photographers with the tools and support they need to hone their craft. Backed by a who’s-who of female creatives, #girlgaze is a multimedia digital community showcasing the ways in which girls see the world."

Of course, the frames I fell in love with the most were the "Ella" frames. They're similar to the "Edgar" frames, in the sharp matte black wide frame sense, but they have fashionable curves and edges and details. Ugh, I want them so bad. To be honest I'm going to need some sort of organization station for my glasses and my contacts.

There's another pair from the collaboration that was released, they're called, "Silvan", a pink-transparent frame that's available as both clear vision and tinted sunglasses. I've never been one personally for translucent frames, but these are gorgeous. Check them out if you get a chance, I'm sure you'll fall in love. 

I'll let y'all know if I get a chance to try them on. If you do, definitely be sure to click through the images above and let me know how you like them and Warby Parker overall!!

Now on to Bellabeat,

I'll preface this by saying, I have yet to hear back from them on this issue but nonetheless it's very frustrating.

I've taken very intricate care of my Bellabeat Leaf Nature. It has never been exposed to moisture exposure nor experienced severe trauma of being hit or dropped or anything of the sort. I've had it less than a month and it has been treating me well, except suddenly it stopped responding out of nowhere.

I restarted my iPhone, reinstalled the app, put in a new battery, let it rest for a couple hours then a day, removed all my Bluetooth connections....everything! Nothing. Now I just have a beautiful but useless piece of wood and metal sitting on my desk.

I'm so frustrated. Really hope I don't have to buy a new one, it is still a pricey device, at least for when I have another tracking device, it seems a bit frivolous to attempt to buy a new one.

Sigh, I hope they can fix this. I love my Bellabeat, so much.

Tech Review: Turning On of a new Leaf

The silver leaf clip on my collar at all times this week, compliments and questions as to what it was, the familiarity of the image peaking the curiosity of those around me.

"I've seen that before", "Oh, that looks familiar", "How is that thing?"

Let me tell you, I was skeptical about my Bellabeat and was sure I was going to return it after my trial run. But my goodness it has changed my life for the better.

Tech Review: Fossil Q Right for You? I Think So

A few months ago I was out and about at the local mall picking up my prescription contacts when I strolled by the Fossil store.

Now, it'd been about a year since I'd been in a Fossil store. Last time I made a purchase from Fossil, I went into the store looking for a leather Celine look-a-like and ended up walking out with a beautiful "Perfect Boyfriend" watch.

But this time was different, I walked in and was perusing just to see if any other face colors had come out for the "Perfect Boyfriend" watch and stumbled upon the Fossil Q watches. Immediately I was confused looking at this non-digital face watch and yet reading that it was a smart watch. Before I could even attempt to touch the watch demo myself, a store attendant was at my side and I was sure that she was some sort of witch or wizard manipulating the watch to do all these amazing things.

Fossil Q Gazer on the left and Fossil Q Nate on the right

I don't know why or how, but I was completely enthralled and made the choice to purchase not only one for myself, but one for my best friend. (For the record, the watch was so economically priced for the quality, brand, and features also, Fossil was having a 25% off sale). I had felt behind in the smartwatch trend, but I just wasn't one for a digital face on a watch. Something about a classic face with two hands and hour markers just seemed to be more...me? And I know my friend definitely had the same preferences.

So there I was walking out of the store with a Fossil Q Gazer in Rose Gold with a matching chain-link band for me and a Fossil Q Nate with a matte black chain-link band for my friend.

Here's a rundown of the hybrid features on each watch:

Applies for both watches mentioned

As a smartwatch, or as any smart wearable goes, there's an app that is used to set up preferences and sync activity recorded with the wearable. The "Fossil Q" app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play store, is the official designated companion app for the watch.

The hybrid watches use Bluetooth Connectivity and depend on this connection to sync data and connect. If you use it to get notifications from your phone (social media, calls, texts..etc.), you must keep Bluetooth on. Once you set up alarms or goals on the watch, your Bluetooth signal on your phone does not have to be activated for those to be activated which is actually pretty nice.

TopShop dress and Gazer 

I really like the activity tracker and sleep tracker aspect, but I won't get too much into those since step-tracking and sleep tracking are pretty much a commonality in most major market smart wearables. What I will say is the sleep tracking feature has, for the most part, helped me get over this irrational fear of wearing a watch to bed. (inherited from my dad's behaviors, always fearful of waking up in the middle of the night and seeing my watch hands stop completely stopped a la some Twilight Zone kinda story).

So what I love the most about the Fossil Q watch is this feature called "Q Link". This feature syncs up with a preferred function (that's changeable through the app), and you can activate this function with your watch through your phone...again as long as Bluetooth is on.
The functions available through Q-Link on my Gazer are: Ring Phone, Change Music, Take a Picture, and Goal Tracking.

Setting up through the app, you can use the lower button on the side of the watch face to activate these functions. My favorite two are Ring Phone and Take a Picture, especially because the latter is functional with Snapchat (my favorite personal social media app). You can record video and snap pics from a distance with this button and it's just absolutely my favorite.

Also, the phone ring function is perfect for those of us who lose our phones hella frequently, especially if you're in the same room/area you misplaced your phone. The only downside to this is that you have to be certain you left your "Q Link" setting on phone ring and not on one of the other functions for this to work.

I'd love for future versions of the software and/or app to include the option of being able to change the function of "Q Link" by multiple presses or something along those lines. (I'm not an engineer, don't grill me).

Collage of my app stats

Overall, I love this app and watch. It's beautiful and versatile (especially the chain link version in which the band is replaceable with official leather bands as well). Because it's a watch and it runs on a watch battery, there's no need to charge it. Battery replacements are expected once a year at least, and that's a great pro.
The app does get a bit confusing when designating a number on the face to a notification. I had to play around with it for a while before figuring it out. But nonetheless, the ability to sync up with almost any social media app and contact is perfect and a great pro over my Fitbit Alta, which only notified me of calls and text messages.

It can get a little heavy at times, especially when I'm relaxed or trying to sleep. I feel a bit odd wearing a fashion watch when I'm having a lazy evening or weekend around the house. But, that's just me.

I do love my watch and I love Fossil products overall. The real challenge will be the next time I walk into a Fossil store and see if I buy a new watch (for instance I'm kinda in love with the perfect boyfriend sport multifunction blue stainless steel one), or if I buy a new Fossil Q (I really like the Wander in silver or rose gold) or maybe I finally get a Fossil bag (Maya Hobo, Kinley Crossbody or Kendall Satchel are callin' my name). But who knows...time will tell....and I'll tell that time on my watch!

For Items Talked about in this post, visit my Pinterest Page and the board: Name Dropped in the Blogs!

The One Where I Praise Warby Parker

Growing up I was glasses-dependent. My vision is terrible and I was consistently relying on glasses. Part of me was fearful of the whole concept of touching my eye....eye horror is a real squeamish fear of mine. But somewhere along the line, last year, I came to the decision I needed contacts.

2015, 2014, 2013 - Ray Ban Faithful

Let me tell you, it was a journey. For the first few weeks of wearing contacts, I still would go and try to adjust my "phantom" glasses that weren't on my face, my average "install" time was 5 minutes per eye, and I had have had a terrible habit of sleeping in them. There was the time I rubbed my eye and the contact folded towards the back of my eye so I awkwardly drove to the optometrist and had them remove it, or that time I had a fleck of glitter stuck to my eye and begin to embed it'self there....and even now I still can't deal with eye horror despite my own experience with it.

A few weeks ago I was a bit annoyed when, after getting out of the shower, I realized I didn't want to deal with the hassle of putting on contacts for 2 hours before taking them out to go to bed. Sitting down I realized that I needed glasses again.

Now,  I have been aware of Warby Parker for a few years, but the time had finally come for me to make the decision and do the home try-on and subsequent purchase.

Photo by Me/Logo via Warby Parker

When it Comes to Birth Control, I Do What Nurx for Me

Like that pun there? eh eh

Thanks to California Senate Bill 493 passing April of 2016, a simple visit to the pharmacy or consultation with a licensed medical professional has made birth control access for women 18 years a nearly completely painless process.

wow much logo very nice wow

I came across the app Nurx...well I'm not completely sure how, but I assume it was most likely advertised on either Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.




What caught me was the whole concept of it. All I had to do was take a questionnaire, upload my insurance information, and consult with a doctor via their system. My privacy was completely protected by HIPPA and I was even able to choose the birth control I wanted.

After all was said and done, there was some initial trouble last spring when I first signed up and they couldn't process my insurance information correctly. They apologized and actually forwarded the information to my local preferred pharmacy and the information was cleared up there!

But I will say, their customer service reps were really kind and actually forwarded me Amazon Gift Card credit after all the trouble of the insurance confusion and mix-up.

Using my refills, I hadn't really been in touch with  Nurx until this past month again. Realizing I was slacking and needed to pick up on my health, I changed my address to my new one with a rep and next thing I know, I had my prescription in my mailbox less than a week later!

Nurx keeps me in touch with text messages and their mobile friendly/desktop friendly site.

via sevendesign.com

Part of me really does wish they had an app, it would be great to use a specialized interactive platform to keep track of past shipments and maybe weigh some options on what works for me. I think they'd greatly benefit from a phone app.

I really enjoy the fact that Nurx, as a company, is very transparent with their funding and employees. The site "CrunchBase" really gives you a breakdown of their funding process and supporters as well as the medical professionals who are working with them and more. Crunchbase is great in general for finding info on most start-ups or grassroots companies.

But I do think on-demand apps for items beyond food and services beyond transportation and food really are something we should support more of, depending on the practicality of it and the demand.

There's a lot of start-up apps like this that are popping up here and there. It really takes finding the best, and seeing as that's really subjective to your preferences and experiences, the trial and error period is something you have to decide if you want to put up with.

Podcast Nation: Podcast-lebrities?

In my journey to adulting, I fell in love with podcasts this year. Yes, I openly choose to listen to people talk about random things in 20 minute to 1 Hour plus long increments.

Here's 3 of my favorite podcasts that are hosted by some of my favorite famous dumbasses celebrities that I thought made me smile before, now I just blame them for ulcers that come with laughing and the ugly snorting and occasional tear.

1. Anna Faris is Unqualified
    Favorite Episodes: Jenny Slate/Chris Evans(17/18), Jenna Dewan Tatum (14), Aubrey Plaza solo & w/ Retta (5, 36,37)

   - I love Anna Faris, okay. I love her!! I always have and always will. From "Fuck you, Sim" to the skits and Not so Rapid Fire...this show has saved my life beyond the ugly laughter that has me in tears and shaking. An episode with Tatiana Maslany actually gave me a lot of insight on a relationship I was having a hard time dealing with. So I get more than just laughs from my favorite comedienne and fellow famous dumbbutts.



   *Bonus: Chris Pratt is almost a regular sneak in on these and it's sickeningly adorable to listen to him and Anna banter.
2. The Basement Yard with Joe Santagato
   Favorite Episode: Sixth Base on the Third Date, What the Hell Happened in Vegas, Orange Titty Party

   - Joe Santagato is hilarious. It's like listening to my guy cousin's back home. I get a sense of nostalgia. That idea of being kept company and laughing at the dumb shit that comes out of their mouths but still feeling a warm cuddly sense of belonging and non-loneliness.
3. Grown Ass Women Coffee Club
   Favorite Episode: Uterus for Hire (13)

Via: @grownasswomencoffeeclub on instagram

   -  I came across these lovely funny as fuck ladies when I was deep in a midst of binging Cutthroat Kitchen and was borderline obsessed with Chef Antonia Lofaso. This Instagram came up and then their podcast and long story short, this was the best accidental Instagram ever. These badass ladies have me crying and laughing without fail every damn time. I'm quite jealous I don't have my own grown ass women coffee club, but now I just make my own espresso or iced coffee and let these ladies do the bitching talking.

Apps that Help Me With Adulting

A Listicle of Apps that Help me Adult

When you're 22 and living outside of your parents home, your peers and people tend to think you have it all together, when in reality you're kind of a mess that just knows how to contour and realizes that getting your oil changed is more important, albeit sucky, than going to that new club in Newport over the weekend.

And not only do I live out of my parents home, I live 2,000 miles away from my mom's place. See, she's in Northern Illinois and I'm in Southern California. So not only am I "on my own", I'm really out here on my own.

me internally everyday

Before you go accusing me of being a spoiled brat who is supported financially by her parents....I am not that person either. Now, I really don't see anything wrong with being supported financially by your parents. If they're able to do so, that's great and you're lucky. (I know my parents would if they had the means.) I digress, though...there's a reason I work full time and have my own freelance consulting. Let's just put it this way, I really do keep the roof over my head, make sure my phone is always paid for, and know that there's always something in the fridge.

But really, behind the scenes, I still call my mom at least 4 times a day and I still make immature choices. I acknowledge I don't know everything...hell I probably only know .0003% of things. 

This is turning into a paragraph based article, let's get to the list, shall we?

• Prosper Daily - Financial - App Store - Free - $6.99 ID Protection Monthly

• Outside of my regular mobile banking app, this app is great for all-in-one finance tracking. It's connected to my bank accounts and cards. It's also connected to my social security number so I can see when new accounts are opened in my name or there's an inquiry on my credit. I'm able to see what's being deposited and withdrawn and trends in spending.
  What I love the most about this is what also kinda digs into my anxiety. Every morning I have to swipe and "approve" or "flag" transactions to follow up on. It keeps me accountable for my actions. Almost a double acknowledgement. Once when I actually click or press "approve" and then the next morning.
  I pay for the monthly ID protection but might disable that because I just remembered I have ID protection through Legal Shield.

Image Via: Prosper Daily

• Unroll.Me - Email - App Store/Desktop - Free

• This app is a godsend, especially around the holiday season when every single website that you clicked "subscribe to" at some point or another is inundating your inbox with "last minute holiday ideas and sales". They're almost as annoying and frustrating as political ads during elections seasons. But what Unroll.Me does is scan through your inbox and find subscriptions or repeated impersonal/bot sent messages and then presents them to you in an almost "tinder-esque" format. You can swipe to unsubscribe, keep in your inbox, OR have it sent to you in a daily "roll up". instead of having 30 emails to look at (or press "delete/mark as read"), you have one email to scroll through and see if something catches your eye.