Tag: NewJersey

Trip home to New Jersey

by Olivia

– Work-life balance –

It’s all about balance baby! A lot of times when you work in the News industry, it’s a struggle to have a work-life balance.

I don’t have any tips myself on that because I struggle with keeping work as work, and life as life.

I went home for about a week! It was a nice chunk of time home to decompress. It was the first time in a while that I only picked up the work phone a FEW times (that’s an improvement). In this industry, you don’t want to be out of the loop about what’s going on, but you also don’t want to obsess over what you’re missing.

We don’t get unlimited paid time off, summer Fridays, or most holidays off. That’s why when we have time off – we need to treat it as time off! Writing this is a mental note for myself too, HA!

I went home for a wedding with my boyfriend’s family for the first half of my trip, then to the shore, and then lastly to my parent’s house.

It felt like a short trip just because of everything I had planned. That’s the other hard thing. When you move away from home and then come back, there are so many people, places, and things you want to do and see in just a few days. Another struggle of the work-life balance.

It was an amazing trip. Coming back to your home after a vacation back to your hometown is ALWAYS bittersweet. But, you remember, it’s all a part of the news ~journey~

See you soon New Jersey!

work-life balance

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Honey, I’m Home

by Olivia

When you come home from college there are two things you want to see. One being loved ones and two being good food on your plate. You come home exhausted from the frozen, fried and foul food you’ve been indulging in while at school. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is better than biting into freshly made food. Going out to eat is the most extravagent of occasions for me these days and oh have I missed the food by the Jersey Shore. I’m all for a home cooked meal, but I treasure a moment to put on an outfit not consisting of leggings and a pullover (my college uniform) to go out for a bite to eat. Going out to eat  and catching up with friends makes coming home for spring break so much sweeter.

With just a week home, I knew I had to take the 20 minute drive to Stay Gold. The coziest beach cafe found in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The smell of freshly made coffee fills the space and immediately I feel at home. They have everything from coffee to freshly squeezed juices, from burgers to acai bowls.

Now on nearly any day of the year you can find me on the beach, but when it hits 30 degrees and the wind is taking me like a kite, I just can’t get myself to step onto the sand. Thursday, Rosie and I drove up the beach from Belmar to Point Pleasent. For a moment I forgot it was the middle of winter. Thankfully, the beauty and charm of a New Jersey beach is not seasonal.

In just two days spring break has ended and I head back to my other happy place, Quinnipiac University.   I have about seven weeks left of that delicious college food. The countdown to summer and good Jersey Shore food is on.

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A Day In My Life + Outfit

by Olivia

It is officially shorts weather!! It felt like the time would never come again but finally, the high temperature by the Jersey Shore is calling for tank tops and shorts. I am hoping the 80’s don’t leave us. It happened to be a perfect, sunny Saturday so my friends and I brunched at a cute inside/outside restaurant called The Robinson Ale House. It has such yummy food, you can check out the menu here if you’re from New Jersey! I got the BLT+A which was a BLT but with avocado, sooo tasty.

I love New Jersey and one of my favorite towns here is Red Bank! It has the cutest downtown area, full of shops and restaurants. I hope the pictures below capture just how adorable this little town just is.

Outfit Details: Top//Primark     Shorts//Uniqlo     Belt//unknown     Watch//MichaelKors     Shoes// SteveMadden     Rings// gifted or Pandora     Glasses//Ray-Ban     Satchel// H&M

Jesses Outfit: Top//Nordstrom BP     Shorts// American Eagle Outfitters      Choker//Forever21      Glasses//Francesca’s

* I could only link some items directly, some pieces are sold out or gone! 🙁

Check out Stargaze Jewelry for really cute, dainty chokers, click here.

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Take A Stroll With Me

by Olivia

My heart is so happy when I’m in Red Bank, New Jersey. Nothing feels more like home. Shops, cafes, restaurants, a bay and more can be found scattered across this lively and thriving town. Broad Street is a favored area, where its cobblestone path can lead you to shop after shop. On this afternoon I was more relaxed then usual. The breeze captured me, with each inhale of air I felt at peace.  As perfect as this afternoon sounds there was one thing I needed as a cherry on top to this day and of course that “thing” was food. I would be crazy if I didn’t get food while in Red Bank, it has the best of everything! I am obsessed with Earth Pizza an organic and all natural restaurant. Ryan and I shared the Vegan pie (due to my dairy allergy) and we ordered it dressed up with multiple toppings to give our pizza some extra pizzazz. My tastebuds went straight to heaven as I crunched down on my first bite of pizza. The crunch of the crust and gush of the tomatoes made me crave each bite more and more. Being a girl who can’t typically enjoy her pizza loaded with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella, I finally found a place that made all my food dreams come true! I no longer envy all of the pizza eaters out there. Here’s pictures from a fulfilled day of relaxation and yummy food.

 

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Asbury Sun & Sushi

by Olivia

On a day full of endless sun and toasty weather we all just want to be outside. When I began to get tired of the same routine summer activities I decided I’d head just a half hour south to Asbury Park. They’re focusing on modernizing the space and creating a relaxed, slower paced urban area. A hotspot for older teens and adults to enjoy a nice bit to eat, the boardwalk, concerts at The Stone Pony and so much more. You may even catch Bruce Springsteen strolling around (that is if you’re lucky). I adore the atmosphere and relaxed vibes the area gives off. It reminds me a little of West Village in NYC based on its ambience.

I just can never get enough sushi! At this point I’m surprised I haven’t turned into some type of sushi roll. Is that possible? Technically no but at this rate you never know. My friend and I headed over to Taka, an adorable Japanese restaurant in Asbury where you can be seated inside or outside. The Japanese restaurant seemed very modern, young and hip with its vibrant colors and fun furniture. I went the basic route in all my sushi choices although, I dressed each piece up with a number of different sauces. My sushi rolls were constantly soaked in teriyaki, eel and soy sauce to kick up the flavor of my not so exciting choices. Needless to say I ended up in a food coma but it didn’t matter because I enjoyed every bite of my sushi, to the last slice of ginger. The day was filled with the aroma of salt coming off the beach and savory pieces of sushi being guzzled down. I think it’s time to learn how to use chopsticks!

xx

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