My Summer 2021 Fashion Haul

Ever since quarantine, I've been dreaming about that first day of summer and what that would look and feel like....the sun shining on my body, breathing in the salty air at the beach, the feeling of sand between my fingers and toes.

I had a step by step process in mind. I couldn't shop until that first post quarantine haircut. That day felt so liberating! I thought I would keep growing my hair out and was excited for some lush long bouncy beach waves, but I felt like I wanted to start fresh, so I cut my hair about chin length and love it so much shorter for the summer!

Once I had my post quarantine haircut, I felt some sense of style again and I felt motivated to update my wardrobe. I really wanted to streamline my closet, so I donated or sold a lot of my clothes on Poshmark.

I recently found a bunch of cute and chic pieces that I wanted to share with you. Here are a few new pieces I've added to my summer wardrobe....so far..

Elizabeth and James Smocked High-Waisted Shorts

I am OBSESSED with these Elizabeth and James shorts from Mary Kate + Ashley Olsen's clothing line! They are beyond soft, incredibly comfortable (gotta' love an elastic waistband), and super lightweight! They are available at Kohl's in 4 different colors: Chambray (which I have), Dull Black, Tan + Spanish Vanilla. BONUS: They are currently on sale right now and you can find them here .

Elizabeth and James Casual Crewneck Sweater

For those cooler summer nights, I found THE cutest, softest, chic sweater to wear all summer long! I love the loose fit on the arms, jersey construction, drop shoulder sleeves, ribbed cuffs, crewneck (I despise tight fitted t-shirts & sweaters around my neck) and I especially LOVE the fact that this cotton sweater supports more sustainable cotton farming practices. This Elizabeth and James Casual Crewneck Sweater is available in 2 different colors: Yellow Tie-Dye (which I have) and Light Blue Tie-Dye (which I need). BONUS: They are currently on sale right now and you can find them here

LC Lauren Conrad Squareneck Volume-Sleeve Top

The first store that I went to post-quarantine for "just a few things" was Kohl's. I found so many great pieces and the prices were insane! I purchased a top similar to this one on the right, but it looks like it's sold out. It's the same exact style & fit though. This equally chic squareneck volume-sleeve top is available in 3 different colors: Kismet Blooms Teal (on model), Surat Fleurs + Champagne Rose Stripe. And once again...BONUS: They are currently on sale right now and you can find them here .

Short Sleeve One Piece Rashguard - All in Motion - Black & White Stripe

A functional rashguard combines with your favorite features of a cool swimsuit for a swimwear staple. A one-piece design makes for slick dressing while keeping everything in place, and short sleeves keep your shoulders covered — wonderfully paired with a UPF 50+ rated material for protection from the sun. You can always adjust the coverage with the help of a full-length zipper down the front, making it easy to layer over your favorite swim top as you can pull down the zipper when you’re feeling toasty. You can find this functional rashguard at Target here . I am such a big fan now of the brand, All in Motion. They make it easy and comfortable to embrace a bustling lifestyle. From running errands to running intervals, the collection AIMs to propel you forward with thoughtfully designed pieces that fit and feel great — movement is the core of this performance line, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Here are some more deets (aka details): on why I am in love with this brand and my new rashguard:

• Remove-able cups

• UPF 50+ Rating: Sun blocking fabric that protects from UV rays - Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) a fabric allows to reach your skin. With UPF-protected clothes, the weave is different and often times is made from a special fabric to help form a barrier against the sun's rays.” UV light can penetrate through the micro holes in the weaves of regular clothes or can even travel directly through a light-colored shirt.

• Recycled Polyester

All in Motion designed this product using at least 20% recycled polyester (excluding trimmings, ornamentation, interlinings, and linings, a fabric that's created by turning old plastic into new polyester fibers. Making products with recycled polyester helps prevent plastic waste from ending up in landfills - another way All in Motion is committed to promoting sustainability.

Stars Above - Striped Beautifully Soft Notch Collar Striped Long-Sleeve Nightgown

I don't know about you, but I still need a long sleeve pajama option during the summer, especially when the air conditioner is on and I like that fine balance of not too hot or too cold when I go to sleep.

Slip into a sleepwear option that's equally comfy and chic, like this Beautifully Soft Notch Collar Striped Long-Sleeve Nightgown from Stars Above that I just scored a few days ago. This nightgown is made from the most buttery soft fabric (ala Barefoot Dreams...IYKYK) for heavenly comfort, with a long-sleeve design lending a touch of extra coverage that's exquisitely complemented by the longer fit. You can always accompany this nightgown with pajama leggings, a long-sleeve sleep tee or plush robe on chillier nights, allowing you to create your own warmth level to suit your comfort needs. A pink and white striped print, notch collar and button-front silhouette add to the chic look, making this a thoughtfully styled piece you’ll love to incorporate into your morning and evening rituals. You can find this buttery soft nightgown at Target here .

GAP - Fresh White Muscle T-Shirt

I love a classic white t-shirt, but I was looking for a more elevated style of this classic. When I saw this soft knit, sleeveless, crewneck fresh white muscle T-shirt with sewn-in shoulder pads for added definition, I was SOLD! This top looks so damn chic with literally anything! Pair it with jeans, shorts, a long or short skirt, biker shorts + sneakers, sandals or a sexy pair of heels. This top is beyond FIERCE and if there were more in my size, I would have bought them all! There are a few sizes + styles (regular / tall / petite) still on sale, so grab them while you can here !

Rag & Bone - Mac Bodysuit

Rag & Bone is one of my top go-to shops for basics and this bodysuit is no exception. Cut from a lightweight rib jacquard, the Mac bodysuit has the look of a henley tee with a button down front but creates a body skimming silhouette. I love the contrast white snap detail with raw edge jersey trim at the neck. There were only a few left on sale the last time I checked, so find your size before it's too late, here !

Birkenstock Essentials Unisex Arizona EVA Sandal

I absolutely love my Birkenstocks! I have extremely soft and sensitive feet and I seem to get blisters so easily, but with these Birks, NO BLISTERS whatsoever! I have them in Metallic Silver to go with everything and now I want to get a few more pairs of the fun bold colors like, Bold Jade + Pink.

My Mama Joy was so in love with my pair that she just got 2 pairs for herself in Scuba Blue + Metallic Copper (which are really pretty and have a slight iridescence to them). We used our Amazon Prime account to get ours. Check out all the colors on Amazon here .

ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY - Outdoor Boost Animal-Print Trainer Sneakers

She may be Paul McCartney's daughter, but Stella McCartney earned her way into the ranks of fashion's most elite designers. She learned tailoring while working on London's Savile Row, did an internship with Christian Lacroix, and served as creative director at Chloe (succeeding none other than Karl Lagerfeld). She launched her own label in 2001 and has made her mark with sweet and sophisticated designs that reflect both her signature style and her personal philosophy by incorporating a natural confidence and consciously avoiding all use of leather and fur.

These trainers are literally like WALKING ON CLOUDS. I have never worn a trainer this comfortable EVER! They are a wee bit pricey, but worth every penny. Check them out at Neiman Marcus here .

Universal Thread - Puff Long Sleeve Tiered Dress

The day I wore this dress, I got over a dozen compliments! You'll love to style yourself a look that works well for anything from a lunch date to a fancy dinner to a stroll around town with this Puff Long-Sleeve Tiered Dress from Universal Thread. Cut from 100% cotton construction for breathable comfort, this dress features a flowy silhouette with tiers that lends lovely movement and charming flair. Puff sleeves with cinched cuffs add extra definition and sweet style, while a square neckline with extra cinching creates a neat and polished look. You can wear this dress with a pair of sandals during warm weather, and then layer with tights and switch to boots for a cool-weather twist. I loved it so much that I snagged it in both green and orange, which you can find here.

The Puff Long-Sleeve Tiered Dress from Universal Thread is available in XS-XXL. A few more reasons I love this dress:

• Easy to transition through the seasons with the right layering

• Tiered silhouette makes for a charming look

• 100% cotton construction lends comfortable wear

Where are you finding your summer wardrobe this season?

What stores + brands are your favs?

Let me know and/or snap a picture and tag me if you get any of my suggestions above!

Instagram: @nicolederosalifestyle

OWL VENICE - Pre Reset Guide - Follow Along with Mama Joy and I on our Health Journey!

Mama Joy + I have the OWL Reset on our horizon. I will be showing you how we go about it + you can follow our journey on my Instagram: HERE! I will be talking more about the Reset + why we wanted to do it in my next blog post + on my Instagram. For now, learn + follow along on how to prep your mind + body prior to the reset.

Below are all the helpful tips all provided by Health Coach, Lillian Jacobs on what to do before you begin the OWL Reset.

"Diet, lifestyle and environmental factors leading up to the reset will all impact how you feel, so don’t fret if each time you cleanse it feels a little different than it did the time before. From my personal experience, I’ve noticed that when I adequately prepare for a cleanse I feel better all around from day one. I’ve also noticed that properly exiting cleanses allows for the feel-good-cleanse-glow to last a lot longer. Ready to begin? Here’s my top pre Reset tips below."

PRE-Reset

Ween Off The CAFFEINE

"Don’t panic, it’s just temporary. I also love my cup of coffee in the morning but it’s important for your adrenals to give coffee a rest a few times a year. The OWL Reset is a caffeine-lovers breeze because we incorporate matcha into your morning mylkshake. You’ll still get a light dose of caffeine that will support you throughout your day but is gentle enough to allow your adrenals to rest. If coffee is a part of your daily routine, start weaning off of it a week or two before you’re ready to start the reset. Trust me, this way is much more pleasant than the cold turkey approach (and yes, I’ve tried both)"

1. Leading up to the reset start to cut down on your coffee consumption by half a cup every few days. For example, if you drink 3 cups of coffee on the reg, try for 2.5 cups for the next few days, then 2 cups… you get the jist? If you feel yourself crashing in the afternoon, reach for a cup of PIQUE green tea, you’ll get a gentle boost of caffeine plus all the extra antioxidants.

2. Once you’re down to half a cup of coffee/day, give yourself a pat on the back - that’s not an easy thing to do! Then move on to PIQUE green tea or their ceremonial grade matcha. I recommend making sure you’re comfortable on this lightly caffeinated beverage for a day or two before starting the reset.

Say Sayonara To SUGAR

"When you eat sugar your brain releases dopamine, a neurotoxin connected to feelings of pleasure and happiness. This is why sugar can be so addictive, when we feel those happy feelings our body starts asking for more, more, more! I’ve found that I don’t realize how much sugar I actually consume daily (and how addicted to it I am!) until I have to cut it out. If you attempt to cut out sugar cold turkey during the reset you may be knocked down with symptoms of sugar-withdrawal. Take my word for it, it’s not a pleasant feeling. Here’s how to go about easing the symptoms of withdrawal in order to make your reset experience more enjoyable overall"

1. A week or so before you start your cleanse you’ll want to become aware of how much sugar you’re actually consuming. The key to this is to read every label. You’d be surprised by all of the foods sugar sneaks into, even in so-called “health foods”.

2. Spend a few days swapping processed sugar with more nutrient dense sugar substitutes such as maple syrup, honey or coconut palm sugar.

3. Once you’ve managed to get the refined sugar completely out of your diet start to cut back on the sugar substitutions as well. Do this incrementally, similar to wean-ing coffee above. You deserve another pat on the back here too! If you find yourself crashing + craving that sugar boost - try reaching for a piece of fruit instead. Once you’ve gotten sugar out of your system fresh fruit will start to taste much so much sweeter!

Simplify, Simplify...You Guessed It...SIMPLIFY!

"It’s nice to give the gut a break as you ease into a liquid based cleanse. Focus on easy to digest meals for about 3 days before your cleanse. One of the easiest ways to do this is to cut out condiments. The sauces + spreads that make our food so very tasty often have multitudes of ingredients, sweeteners, thickeners + preservatives. None of that is easy on the gut. Swap it out for fresh herbs + spices, which have healing properties as well. It’s a double win! Here’s a few of my favorite pre-cleanse food ideas"

Simple soups: take your favorite veggie or two (I personally love carrots and/or broccoli for this), boil them in a saucepan with the OWL Vegan Mineral Broth (or whatever your favorite flavor is) + let simmer until the veggies are soft. Add a splash of full fat coconut milk (the canned kind) + blend all together until the soup is a creamy consistency.

I also love OWL's Savory Summer Gazpacho - it’s one of the best ways to incorporate the Broth Elixirs in the warmer summer months. You get all the healing properties of their Broth Elixirs plus cucumber to keep you hydrated, cilantro to help detox the body + avocado to keep you feeling full!

All photos above provided by: Owl Venice

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Disclaimer: Information provided in this post is for informational purposes only. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided in this blog post for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this post.

How To Heal LEAKY GUT

While “leaky gut” might not sound pretty, the description is pretty spot on and refers to when the walls of the intestine become chronically permeable. Here’s what it means—and how you can heal a leaky gut.

Photo by: Harvard Health Publishing

I've always heard the term "leaky gut" and started to hear it even more and more the past couple years. One of my family members was just told they have "leaky gut" so it perked my ears up again to really dig into what exactly it is and how one has the power to heal themselves from leaky gut by getting control of their body and learning more.

Please feel free to share this post with your family and friends and on your socials as well to help educate others so that they may feel more empowered with their choices and their body. Ok, let's dive in....

Special thanks to Mara Santilli for Parsley Health for the information below:

The lining of your digestive tract is just one cell layer thick. These highly specialized cells, called enterocytes, form a barrier between you, your bloodstream, your immune system, and the outside world that comes in through your mouth in the form of food, drink, medication, bacteria, and toxins.

These cells are cemented together with proteins called tight junctions, which form a protective barrier that ensures that everything you eat is properly processed by the enterocyte cells in a way that your body can handle without getting sick. Things like chronic stress, poor nutrition, bacterial infections, and autoimmune disorders can all cause gaps in this protective barrier. When these proteins, or tight junctions, break down, you get “Leaky Gut.”

Symptoms of leaky gut

There are many ill effects of leaky gut. As a result of your immune system being exposed to foods, bacteria, and chemicals it was never meant to see, it can flip into a permanent state of “on” sending a constant barrage of inflammatory chemicals through your body.

These immune chemicals and the inflammation they cause can lead to symptoms as diverse as acne, eczema, food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, body pain, brain fog, insomnia, and even autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and rheumatoid arthritis.

How is leaky gut diagnosed?

Leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability, is common. It’s hard to know exactly how many people have it because few doctors test for it. Parsley Health doctors usually diagnose leaky gut through a combination of specific specialty testing such as comprehensive stool cultures and detailed assessment of your symptoms and medical history. If you are diagnosed with intestinal permeability, the good news is, there are ways to heal a leaky gut.

Here are 9 simple things you can do to heal leaky gut syndrome for good.

1. Cut out toxic foods from your diet.

Gluten, dairy, sugar, processed foods, pesticide-treated foods (aka GMO crops), and alcohol, are some of the most common foods that mount an assault on the sensitive cells lining your gut. If you want to heal leaky gut syndrome, we recommend cutting out these foods for at least three months and avoiding them in excess thereafter.

2. Work toward a heavily plant-based diet.

If you’re experiencing leaky gut, a diet that’s fiber-filled and plant-based can decrease inflammation and irritation from gluten and other sugars. Meat and fish are fine to consume, but focus on gluten-free grains, vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats (bring on the avocado). Plus, the prebiotics found in high-fiber whole foods like asparagus and whole-grain oats are crucial to feeding the probiotic bacteria in the gut microbiome and keeping it healthy.

3. Eat more healthy fats.

N-butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, helps feed the cells that line the gut and help them heal. Your gut bacteria can produce more n-butyrate if you feed them soluble fibers in fruits and vegetables. You also can get n-butyrate in the form of Ghee, which is clarified butter. Another source of healthy fat is coconut oil (we love Dr. Bronner's Regenerative Organic Coconut Oil), which contains medium-chain fatty acids that are good for the gut!

4. Manage your stress through mind-body practices.

Stress hormones attack and break down the tight junctions that hold the cells that line your digestive tract together. When you reduce stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine through rest and relaxation, eating mindfully, and meditation, these tight junctions can heal.

5. Take digestive enzymes.

Enzymes taken regularly with meals help break down large proteins and bacterial products that can damage the lining of the gut. We recommend taking a broad-spectrum enzyme prior to eating protein and fat-rich foods to support digestion and prevent irritation of the intestinal lining.

6. Increase your collagen consumption.

Collagen contains the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline that are needed to repair and rebuild your gut lining. Regular consumption of collagen containing foods like bone broth, gelatin, and collagen powders can be therapeutic additions to the diet that may help mend and prevent leaky gut. Studies show that supplemental collagen peptides can help to strengthen the gut barrier, making it less permeable and more likely to retain nutrients from food. Eating foods that boost your body’s collagen production like eggs, citrus fruits, broccoli, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms can also help increase your body’s natural collagen production.

7. Try anti-inflammatory supplements.

To repair your gut barrier, there are plenty of vitamins and supplements you can choose from, says Dr. Palma. L-glutamine is commonly used in treating leaky gut. Licorice root and Omega 3-heavy cod liver oil, which is high in Vitamins A and D too, have anti-inflammatory benefits to tame the inflammation in the gut barrier.

High-quality medical-grade herbs such as slippery elm and cat’s claw can also help leaky gut (and other inflammatory bowel diseases) by soothing the gut lining.

8. Up your cardio.

Studies show that cardiovascular exercise improves the transport of oxygen within the body and through the digestive tract helping to promote the presence, activity, and diversity of gut microbes—especially the ones that produce the gut-healing fatty acid n-butyrate. To support improvements in both digestive and cardiovascular health, we recommend opting for a goal of at least 150 minutes per week of heart rate raising physical activity.

9. Get some sleep.

Make sure you’re getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to ensure you’re giving your body and brain the time it needs to rest and recover. It’s while you’re asleep that your mind is able to fully process the day and create new memories. Sleep or lack thereof not only impacts our brain’s ability to process, but other mechanisms in our body related to immune function, disease resistance, and heart health. Even just one night of poor sleep can make you more irritable, increase carb cravings, and bring on brain fog. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night on a regular basis has even been associated with more adverse health effects, such as weight gain, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

Source: Mara Santilli for Parsley Health

Disclaimer: Information provided in this post is for informational purposes only. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product. Do not use the information provided in this blog post for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or other supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this post.