Summer Reads

My summer book collection is nothing fancy in the slightest, but I have gone through a collection of great books to read by the beach! Here are just a few that I have read or am bringing to the beach with me this next week. 

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - simple, classic romantic summer read. I could not put this book down! It is also a movie now, so read the book then watch the movie :) 

The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller  - this book will likely make you cry, but it truly is a great book, especially if you love New York City! 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I read this one in high school and loved it (not to mention the fact that I also loved the movie) so I thought it would be a good one to re-read this summer! 

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling - after watching her Dartmouth commencement speech this year and having listened to her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, I thought that this one would be a good one to add to the list for the summer. I haven't bought the book yet because I think I am going to listen to it on Audible because she is the narrator! What gets better than having Mindy Kaling teach you life lessons while sitting by the beach? Not much. 

Xoxo, 
Salut Sophie

Friday Favorites (April)

1. Nike Air Force Ones

Yes, I have a million pairs of white sneakers, but I swear they are all different (kinda)! I finally took the plunge and hopped on the Nike Air Force Ones band wagon. Still to be determined if I have enough style to wear them, but I have been loving wearing the sneakers with cute dresses or skirts. They're fun and add a nice sporty vibe to the typical summer outfit. 

2. OLLY vitamins 

They may be the placebo effect, but I have been loving these chewy vitamins. I have the sleep and energy ones, which I strongly believe they actually work (since the sleep one has melatonin and the energy one has caffeine). I also have the skin and stress ones and I don't know how well they work, but even if its all a mental game I will still buy into it. I have seen an improvement in my skin in the past two months that I have been consistently using these vitamins, but I have also been drinking a ton of coconut water (spoiler alert for below) and trying to stay on top of my skin routine so who knows. The anti-stress vitamin impact is still to be determined, as I am constantly stressed anyways and I think it will take more than a few vitamins to really have an impact on me. All in all, these have been a favorite for the month and I will totally keep using them in the future!  

3. Coconut Water

I have kinda been on a health kick this past month (knock on wood this lasts) and have been getting back into running and really focusing on keeping my body hydrated and ready for the day. As part of that, I jumped back on the coconut water trend. While I still do love my health-ade kombucha to death, the coconut water is just easier to have in bulk in my dorm room. I drink at least once a day and really feel like they help to hydrate me, improve my skin, and give me a great kick start to my day, especially after I run or work out. A wise woman (my mother) once told me to ALWAYS drink organic coconut water, so that is what I do.  

Happy May! 

Xoxo, 
Salut Sophie

Spring Smoothie!

Over the past few weeks, as the weather has been getting warmer, I have been drinking more smoothies again. I love smoothies because not only are they healthy and refreshing, but they also are easy to make and eat on the go! During the colder months, I do not drink smoothies as often, usually just after a work out class or if there is a good smoothie place around. As a result, I tend to eat oatmeal more because it is warm and filling, but in the spring and summer I am all about the smoothies. My favorite smoothie is one that is inspired from the Barry's Bootcamp Smoothie Bar, which if you have not tried Barry's or their smoothies I highly recommend. For my smoothie, I add one packet of acai-berry mix, which you can get at your local grocery store, frozen strawberries and blueberries, vanilla protein powder, and a non-frozen banana. For the liquid, I use water or coconut water, as I think that they maintain the flavor of the ingredients while also providing a liquid base. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup of water
1 acai-berry frozen packet
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tbs vanilla protein powder  
1 unfrozen banana 

Enjoy! 
Xoxo, 
Salut Sophie 

Friday Favorites (March)

1. Vans High Tops 

I know I talked about these in January, but they are still my go to shoe - I have almost worn them into the ground! I absolutely love them to just throw on with any casual outfit: they are super comfortable, match with everything, and are just a great pair of kick around shoes. Since I have been wearing these shoes, I've been really into the whole casual sneaker trend and am considering getting a pair of nike air-force ones... thoughts?

2. Unemployed Denim 

I have been a supporter of Unemployed Denim for about a year now and I absolutely love their pieces. Founded just a few years ago by Sydney Isan while she was a senior at Cornell University, this brand has taken off. Most notably known for their vintage, custom, embroidered jean jackets, almost every piece is one of a kind. In other words, you will never be walking into a party wearing the same outfit as someone else if you've got Unemployed Denim on! I have bought a lot of pieces for myself, but I also have loved giving their jackets as gifts to friends and family, as they are so personal and unique everyone has been loving them. I love Unemployed Denim not only because of the unique and cool pieces that they have, but also because of the inspirational and entrepreneurial women behind the company. It is companies like Unemployed Denim, that share their story and promote a positive message within the industry, that encourage me to keep creating. I have recently become a brand ambassador for Unemployed Denim and I could not be more excited to represent this company! I have a coupon code for 15% off the whole cite (SOPHIE15) and don't forget to post a photo of your unique piece with the hashtag #UnemployedDenimSalut! 

3. Health-Ade Kombucha and Coconut Water 

More recently, I have been trying to drink at least one coconut water a day and at least 4 kombucha's a week. I don't have a specific preference about what brand coconut water I have, though I do try to make sure that it is organic and not in plastic bottles, but I have really enjoyed the to-go coconut waters from Trader Joes. I have found that coconut water has really helped to clear up my skin as well as provide a clean way of hydrating after a big work out, as opposed to a gatorade or other power drink. As for the Kombucha, I 100% swear by the Health-Ade Kombucha (my favorite flavor is Pink Lady Apple)! This Health-Ade Kombucha has replaced coffee for me, providing me with energy and a kick start to my day. I feel rejuvenated and my stomach feels so much more settled after drinking these. I strongly recommend both the Kombucha and the coconut water if you are feeling under the weather or even looking for a way to get rid of the caffeine in your diet!    

Xoxo,
Salut Sophie