Tuesday, April 13, 2021
48 hr in Orlando
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
11 Savvy Ways to Spend Leftover Spring Budget
Living on a budget...
Living on a budget is REWARDING and has its pros. One of the best results is having LEFTOVER money to spend on things that will bring us the most joy and benefits. In hopes of kicking my own spending addiction to the curb (girl, the struggle is real), I comprised a list of 11 SAVVY ways to spend that leftover cash after staying on your Spring budget.
I comprised this list with most things taking only $5+ to start doing. Yes... that's right, one whole five-dollar bill. Y'all, it only takes a little bit and some creativity to change things up! Instead of blowing the hard-earned leftover money that you held on to because, you know, you're a responsible queen, here are some good places to start out in your conquest of rewarding yourself.
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Let me start off by saying, EVERY DOLLAR SPENT TRAVELING is WORTH IT. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk... but on a serious note, traveling is the gateway to memory-making, learning about yourself, and the world around you. The awesome part about traveling is that it isn't as expensive as you may think. I bet you that there are great places within driving distance to you that wouldn't cost a plane ticket or even a hotel. If you are an explorer/let's just get on a plane and go somewhere type of person like me, though, there are great tools that I'll dive into that I use ALL the time to get the best deals.
Although this isn't a step-by-step walkthrough on how to use Google, it's the holy grail for finding those places and gems near you that you've never heard of. You're going to be shocked by all the results that will pop up by typing, "places to road trip near me." Another free tool that is great for exploring is INSTAGRAM. Hop on the discover page and search "destination (your city here)" and see all the results that pop up. This is a tool I use to find new places to shoot photos and get new content.
"But CorofCor, I want to get on a plane" - I got you! Here are my favorite sites I use to get cheap flights to cool places: Skyscanner, Skiplagged.
Taking that extra money and starting a new avenue of income in your life is a great idea. You have to start somewhere, so why not now? When I started my Louis Vuitton Resale business, the start-up fees were nothing to set up on Facebook and Instagram. Getting the shipping items and everything else needed to start promoting costs under $50. Now, of course, the most expensive items for my business were the vintage Louis Vuitton's; however, that initial investment WILL pay off, and I've already sold my first wallet, doubling my profits.
It's 2021, start an online business, start that business that you keep thinking about, start that business that people say you couldn't do. Lift your head up high, don't overthink it too much, and remember one of the most important steps is starting. Taking that extra money and putting it into a new business is a savvy investment.
When it comes to this, always remember one question, "Do you remember 2020?". I hope that through all that 2020 had to offer us, we all learned the importance of having a stash of emergency funds to cater to the unknowns. David Ramsey, financier legend, always encourages people to have AT LEAST $1,000 in an emergency fund for unexpected dire situations. Having an emergency fund should be of the utmost importance with everything happening today, and you shouldn't sleep on this savvy move.
This is a savvy way to spend some extra coin! A capsule collection is basically all the essentials needed to make basic outfits in your wardrobe. Last summer, I spent under $150 on Amazon for all the basics needed to create over 25+ outfits. Honestly was the best money spent at that time because I got the staples needed to create SO MANY outfits. Here are some of the links I used to get my Capsule Collection on Amazon:
I'm sure by now it is safe to say that everyone has heard of Bitcoin. Fun fact, Bitcoin's starting price was mere pennies in comparison to what it is now. There is an app I use called Coinbase that I personally use and love. Coinbase's cool thing is that you can actually invest infractions instead of paying for an entire stock. In other words, you can buy .25 of Bitcoin instead of having to purchase one whole Bitcoin for tens of thousands of dollars.
You only have one body. Period. So taking some leftover money to invest in your health is honestly crucial. Whether that means investing in a gym membership, setting up an at-home workout space, or buying workout clothes that will motivate you to hit those fitness goals, that is true money that is well spent. During quarantine, I bought a jump rope and, for $9, got the best workouts in and lost 10 pounds during the madness of the stay-at-home orders. It got me in shape and made the situation way more bearable. Here is the jump rope I purchase and use regularly:
I saved a perfect one for last. Whether you're in a relationship or trying to build a relationship, doing good for others always gives you that warm sense of accomplishment that you did something selfless. It's never too late to try to reconnect with someone or reach out to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Of course, calling, texting, and messaging on social media are free ways of communicating, but spending a few dollars to write a letter with a card to mail out is always so impactful. Maybe taking some of that money to get someone flowers will do more for that person than you know.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Quarantine Workouts
With all the chaos of stocking up on supplies and social distancing in place, the one thing we can always focus on is our fitness and well-being. Now I know with the COVID-19 spreading it's best for everyone's health to stay at home as much as possible but this doesn't mean we should give up on our fitness altogether. Of course, the gym does make it convenient and easy to workout BUT you don't need the gym or fitness classes to get a hard intense workout. The workouts in this post can easily be done in a bedroom, a backyard, or in a park. You won't need any fancy equipment, just the willingness to push yourself to the max.
HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training workouts are my favorite because they make the workout interesting and fun by constantly changing up the type of exercise. HIIT workouts pack a lot of energy exertion during a short amount of time thus you burn more calories... that's right, less time burning more calories... its the cure to that bottomless mimosa bar you indulged in last weekend. I get bored easily, especially doing the same workouts and with HIIT you can customize it to how hard of a workout you want.
It's so intensive (depending on how hard you do it) that you don't and probably physically won't be able to do it every day. Doing a 30-45 min HIIT workout will wipe you out if you truly do all the exercises with all the reps. If this is your first time doing it I recommend starting to do two to three HIIT sessions a week because you'll be sore and you'll need to rest your body. Raising your heart rate is fundamental to the workout itself. Just tell yourself "it's only 30 min I got this" you'll be golden and you'll thank me later.
Here is a break down of an at-home workout, again no equipment or weights needed:
*If you're not sure how to do an exercise reach out to me or drop into a web browser for proper form. If you're doing the exercises right you WILL feel the burn so keep that in mind as you're going through the workouts.
By this point, you're probably really feeling it and that's the whole point of HIIT. Make sure to drink lots of WATER and not sugar-filled drinks afterward. At this stage, you're wiped and will need to cool down. Sugary drinks can lead to muscle cramps which will hurt more than all those squats you just conquered. Enjoy the "high" you get after enduring such an intense workout!
Feel free to add more reps or switch out the type of exercises out, for instance, if you hate jumping squats as much as I do, you can switch it out for wiper abs instead.
If you live in an area where you're able to work out in the park then check out my YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/4gzTQ9m556Y
If you're looking to shed weight it's best to do HIIT sprints first thing when you wake up on an empty stomach BUT since it burns so many calories, this route will also burn little amounts of muscle if you're doing it on an empty stomach.
Want to see more? Be sure to drop some comments down below. Subscribe to my new Youtube Channel and Instagram @CorofCor
Monday, January 20, 2020
Where to take a date in Orlando
- Picnic at Lake Eola (Directions here)
2. Cooper's Hawk (Directions here Idrive)
Looking for a more upscale date? Cooper's Hawk offers different wine tastings at the bar and it's a great way to try a variety of wines as well as engage with your date. It is a great place for dinner too and they often offer you free wine samples, so between the wine tasting and the samples you get at the table you should probably just Uber there. Cooper's Hawk is a perfect date venue and you certainly won't be disappointed! Wine tastings excluding dinner cost anywhere from $14 per person to $40 per person depending on which one you select.
3. Dave & Buster's (Directions here)
If you've never been you're really missing out on a fun time. Dave & Buster's is like Chucky Cheese for adults. It is a huge arcade with a bunch of games to choose from, a full bar, and a restaurant in one. If you're looking for a variety and a memorable date that is far from boring then this is a great option for date night. They're always offering promotion deals where if you purchase dinner you also get a play card to use in the arcade area. Prices for the promotion range from $20-$36 per person.
4. Earl's Kitchen (Directions here)
Another more upscale place to take a date, and it's a personal favorite of mine. The food is awesome and they offer a wide variety from avocado toast to sushi rolls. I'm a true fan of Earl's Kitchen because their drinks are so good. I recommend getting their Moscow Mule, its to die for. They have a $5 alcoholic drink of the month that they switch out and their Happy Hour, in my opinion, is one of the best in Orlando.
5. AMC Dine-in theater (Directions here)
If you're going to take a date on a movie date, then take the extra step and take your date here. It isn't your "average" movie theater, it is basically dinner and a movie. The chairs are big and spacious and there were like 4 chairs in a row making the experience more comfortable. You press a button and you have your own server who grabs you whatever food and drinks you order off the menu. It is more expensive than your normal movie theater but you're getting a luxury experience with superb service, a great way to impress your date. The ticket for the movie is around $15-$20 per person and of course, food/drinks are an added cost.
1. Topgolf (Directions here)
2. Orlando Magic Game (Directions here)
3. Helicopter Tour (Directions here)
4. Eddie V's Prime Seafood (Directions here)
One of the best seafood restaurants in Orlando located along the prestigious "Restaurant Row" in Doctor Phillips. Pulling out all the stops with this restaurant, if you both enjoy seafood then this is one of the premier choices. They do offer a Happy Hour from Monday-Sunday 4 - 7 pm... however starting price per person for dinner is $60+.
5. Four Seasons, Dinner at Capa (Directions here)
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
How to take an amazing selfie
Let's be real it's 2019, and we still see people who can't take a decent photo of themselves. Time and time again we browse our social media accounts and we see bad angles, poor lighting, or just awkward photos of people. I am personally annoyed by these bad photos on the dating app platforms, you're trying to make a good impression and instead, people are distracted by the terrible picture and from that will most likely swipe left.
In this post, I will show you how to take not only a good photo but, also how to edit your photo. For years I have perfected taking self-portraits of myself and editing them in a way that you would never guess that I did them all myself. Here are some of my favorite photos that I've shot of myself and edited myself.
These were all shot in 10-second intervals on my Sony Cybershot on a tripod... in other words, if I can shoot these incredible pictures in 10 seconds, then you can take a good selfie in the matter of minutes with these tips and tricks. With the advancements in cellphone cameras, you don't even need a crazy DSLR camera anymore to achieve impeccable photos.
Let's start off with what not to do and some real-life examples of just bad photos. If you're going to take a selfie and post it to social media or a dating app then own the photo and be confident.
By holding the screen and scrolling your finger up and down you can filter how much light you want in your photo. This also focuses on camera more on you by placing yourself in the box like so.
As you can gauge from my self-portrait pictures, a background can add value to your photos tremendously. You should decide on whether you want a simple background like a solid-colored wall, or a textured background like rocks or trees, or even a landscape background. For the pictures above, I wanted them to be dramatic and wanted them to feel like they were taken for a magazine so I mimicked my backgrounds to mirror that image. For let's say a Tinder or dating app profile picture, you could wear a colorful outfit and snap a picture in front of a white wall. The colors would contrast nicely and adding in a candid laugh makes the picture feel less posed and more natural. So you should think of a general theme for the photo, whether you want it to be simple or a little more complex.
I wanted to add depth to the picture so I incorporated the buildings in the background with the road. The background adds to the photo, yet I'm still the focus, that's how a good selfie stands out over a mediocre one.
This next part of the photo is critical. To avoid looking awkward, or "too vogue" work on your poses and make them look natural. Want a cute smiling photo? Then my tip to you is to literally laugh out loud... sounds stupid I know BUT you will honestly get the best results for a natural unposed smiling/laughing photo. For iPhone users, you can hold down the shutter button to take burst photos to get the perfect candid pic. Burst mode is amazing for walking or action shots that you want to look more natural instead of posed. If you don't have an iPhone or want to try a different method you can shoot a video and screenshot the stills that you like as well. Either method expands on the notion of getting a candid natural photo without a superposed vibe. The pics smiling/laughing pics below were taken using the "laugh out loud" method... and you would think a friend told a funny joke and you snapped the perfect picture in that exact moment...
For the selfie I took for this post, you better believe I was fake laughing to get that candid natural smile.
Techniques
For camera pictures, invest in a cheap tripod and utilize the self-timer function. You'll probably have to take like 20-30 pictures just to get a few really good ones but it's well worth it. You can also get a tripod for your phone. iPhones have a self-timer that you can use in the same way as a camera. The self-timer technique is great because it's not like anyone can tell you took it yourself.
For smiling/laughing pics - Burst mode or take a video and screenshot
Walking/motion pictures - Burst mode or take a video and screenshot
Take advantage of the golden hour in the evening for bright lighting, also overcast days provide bright lighting that is excellent for photos.
If the self-timer function isn't your thing you can plug your headphones into your iPhone, open up your camera and use the volume switches to take photos, this way you can take a fuller picture and you can snap as many as you want without having to reset the self-timer.
Another inexpensive tool that does wonders is a Bluetooth photo clicker. They're $6 on Amazon and you use it to sync to your phone. It works similar to the headphone jack method, you open your camera and press the clicker which takes your photos automatically after pairing the clicker through your phone's Bluetooth. This is an excellent way to take self-portrait shots from a full body view and capture the background. The clicker is small enough to conceal in the palm of your hand out of view from the photo itself. Shutter Button Via Amazon
Editing
Editing is such a fundamental step of photography whether it be a selfie or a fashion editorial. I will show you two ways that most people use to edit their photos that isn't complicated like photoshop. In recent years, Apple has really advanced its iPhone editing tools and it is pretty spot on. Using the unedited picture I took, in the beginning, let me walk you through the steps of using the iPhone editing functions to get the most out of your selfie.
The end result is that I don't look as washed out and the added color makes the picture pop more. Less than 3 minutes of editing on the iPhone and the picture looks more lively and not overexposed.
Another really popular application that I've used for years for my own photos and for my clients whose photos I've taken is VSCO. It is a free download with the option to purchase more filter packs. Taking the same photo, let me show you how to properly edit your selfie to get the best results.
It is a little duller in color than the iPhone edited picture, but it creates a slightly different vibe. It is still a better photo than the original, again, took less than 3 minutes to edit.
If you're serious about your pictures and what a consistent theme to work off of then I recommend getting a preset and using Adobe Lightroom. I bought mine off Etsy for $4 and it has changed my content and Instagram theme for the best. I highly recommend it and you simply just apply the preset to the photo and it pretty much does all the work for you, it's well worth it in my opinion if you're looking for a constant look and theme to your pictures. Check out Esty's preset selection here.
I hope this post helps your selfie game and gives you the tips and tricks to take confident effortless pictures. If you liked the content in this post please repost and tag my social media handles. If you haven't already please subscribe at the top so you can get notified about all my new posts! Also, comment below and tell me what you want me to cover next... Till next time
- CorofCor
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