#Friday Finds: News in a New Way! The Skimm!

I'm someone who likes to be updated on what's going on around me whether its the economy, international politics or New York fashion trends. Though it's important to me to be in on the news, sometimes it's harder to keep up with than I'd like. In college it can be so easy to be consumed by the bubble around me, to read my homework instead of the New York Times and to catch up on The Mindy Project rather than CNN. For a while, I was getting my news solely through Facebook trending! Although Twitter and Facebook can give you a hint as to what's going on, its fairly inadequate as far as knowing anything about the bigger picture. Yes, the Economist gets sent to me weekly but honestly I never have the time to read through cover to cover. Sometimes it feels like I live under a rock while I'm at school!

So here was my predicament: I don't have the time/energy/patience to read through a newspaper to learn about the world around me. 

Solution? theSkimm

This. Is. Brilliant.

TheSkimm is a daily email newsletter with, well, skimmed news! They break longwinded news stories into the important facts. It's one of the best finds I've had so far this semester and I can confidently say that I've been keeping up with the news skim-style for a month now. As I eat breakfast in the morning, I simply scroll through the newsletter and catch all of the big headlines. Nothing is worse than being caught like a deer in the headlights when someone asks about a current issue. 

TheSkimm founders are absolutely brilliant and they're making my mornings so much better!

Have you heard of theSkimm? What do you think of this?

Emily

{Click the logo below to be taken to theSkimm website and sign up yourself!}

                                       

The Undeniable Report has officially launched!

The Undeniable Report officially launched yesterday and I'm super happy to show it to you all! UR is a lifestyle website for girls that covers everything from style, beauty, wellness, business, travel and more! The latest articles are about self-love, how to get great travel photos and fall boots at any price! There's really something for everyone and a great thing is that it's all coming to you from the amazing group of girls on the Undeniable team! Take a look around Undeniable and see what you think! Make sure to hit that email subscribe button to get a little Undeniable in your inbox every morning!

{Check out the Undeniable Report for yourself here!}

 Hope you love everything that you see! I'd love to hear in the comments about what you think!

Emily

P.S. Keep an eye out on the site for posts from me!

September Favorites!

Yet again, another month absolutely flies by. Now that it's the end of the semester, school is completely in gear and a set schedule is now rolling. It's a good feeling to be back in the groove of things but with increasingly busy work days I've had to remember how to juggle it all! These favorites really showcase what I've done to take a timeout and how I battle those hectic mornings after a long night of studying! So here we go, September favorites:

Simple Dresses // This summer I made it a point to stock my closet with a handful of easy-to-throw-on dresses. It allows me to get dressed in a total of .2 seconds in the morning and look totally put together. My go-to stores for these dresses are ASOS and J.Crew Factory, plus they always have great deals! Check out J.Crew Factory right now for {this navy dress} on sale!

Scarves // I wrote a post earlier {here} about my love for scarves and let me tell you, it's real. They easily spice up any oversized tshirt or pair easily with simple dresses like the one above. They make getting ready and looking stylish super easy in the morning and I am oh so thankful for that!

New Girl // Now we're talking breaks. New Girl has been my favorite break lately. The Sit-Com aspect lets me watch a short 30-minute episode without the urge to continue procrastinating because of a last minute cliff-hangar. Zooey Deschanel is so hilarious and quirky and can you say style icon?

Brooks Ghost // I recently bought these shoes over the summer because I quite literally ran through my other pair. I've come to find that running gives me another great (and more productive) option for a study break. Just a thirty minute run allows me to clear my mind, break a little sweat and get back to the grind. Feeling healthy never felt so good!

Camelbak // This has been attached to me by the hip lately and it's definitely a good thing. You really can't get enough water! Once I made a conscious effort to drink a little more I saw an immediate response in my skin and even alertness. Sipping throughout class keeps me awake and while studying keeps me from crunching on other snacks! Also, what's a Camelbak without a monogram. Grab decals {here, made by one of my friends!} to throw on it and make it your own!

What were your September favorites for the month? Did any of these make your list?

Emily

                              

Closure: It's all about You

This weekend I got a surprising text in the middle of the night from my former significant other. My two year relationship ended at the beginning of this summer, so to say that this text was a surprise would be an understatement. Really for one of the first times in my life, I was pretty speechless. In being completely honest, I would have done anything for that text message a few months ago but the way I reacted showed me how far I've come. To break it down, he was reaching out and looking for closure, something that I had wanted all summer. Over the summer I had wanted to sit down with him, talk about it together and figure out what the split really meant. In that text he was asking for the same thing, to figure it out together, but what I've come to realize is that closure after a relationship isn't about the both of you anymore. It's not about talking out why it ended and continuing as friends. It's just about you. It's about you, individually finding admiration of the past, acceptance of the ending and ultimately it's about finding yourself and moving towards your own individual future.

It takes some time, it does. It's hard to wholly love yourself again after someone stops loving those little things in you. You no longer have that safety blanket to run to. You have to learn to build that trust and confidence in yourself and you have to learn that you can handle it all on your own.

I loved dating someone long distance for two years of my college career and I will never say otherwise however I am happy that it is not continuing.You know, sometimes we outgrow relationships and it's okay. I'm lucky that he was able to see what I couldn't: our relationship wasn't perfect. I can honestly say that I think I've grown more in the past five months than I have during my two years of college combined. Why? Because I've truly been making independent decisions. I'm the one making my decisions solely for me, planning my time solely for me and loving solely me. I feel more me than ever. I get to focus on the things that make me, and only me, happy. I get to direct my future towards my own goals and I don't have to sacrifice and compromise my dreams and aspirations.

So yes, it is a few months of battling but the result is beautiful and oh so rewarding. No one ever said it was easy, but I'm telling you it's worth it. There are little steps along the way to remind you that you can handle it and that really you're doing okay. For me, it was throwing a gifted bracelet off a boat in Paris that was truly liberating. Maybe for you it's burning old photos or simply dying your hair a crazy color but closure is all about you and your progress and ultimately, your acceptance. The hard part is that you can only get there by yourself. But you know what? It feels pretty great to be able to text him back and tell him that.

What do you think about closure? Have you ever dealt with this after a breakup?
Emily

Find Your Sunset

Any time I see a sunset I whip out my phone and take a picture of it. It's definitely one of the cheesier things that I do but I can't resist. They're truly one of my favorite things in this world. Yesterday as I was taking the photo below, I got asked by a friend why I always take so many pictures of sunsets and my answer was pretty simple. I figured I'd share my answer with you all as well.

{See this on my Instagram}

So why sunsets? 

Well, it's because they give me something to smile about. In the middle of a busy and stressful day they make me me stop and think of all of the beautiful little things around me that are more important than the work ahead of me. On the flip side, after a long and perfect day, they're simply the cherry on top. Sunsets with friends are as picturesque as it comes, but a sunset alone is just as internally satisfying. Every once in a while we need something to make us pause and simply take our breath away. Sunsets give me that inspiration daily and the truly gorgeous ones I will always want to capture. So I'll keep going through the trouble to drag my phone out and take a picture of every sunset I see because its my daily documentation of the more important things in life. For me it's all about the little things, and life will always be about the little things.

What is your sunset? What's the little thing that makes you smile?
Emily