I have found a fun activity that I think you will all love. The best part is this is great for any occasion, a fun date night, a girl's night out, or just a great gift for any occasion. It's a mystery picnic from Amazing co. and as you can tell from the name it is a cool way to have a picnic, I would describe it as a mystery room meets the picnic. You select the adventure that fits your need and the company sends over a location to start and through your phone, they start sending over clues you and your plus one (Or group) need to solve to find the first spot you need to stop to pick up an item to add to your basket to build the picnic. The fun thing is these clues take you to amazing businesses where you pick up your goods, but can also do some shopping at these local shops.  

Check them out Here 

 Favorite Brand For Any Size ( Intimates, Swim, Loungewear)  

Shop Knix  :   JACKIEOXO_10OFF

1. Swim: This is the High Energy One Piece as a plus size women I love the fit and the coverage it gives me, plus the color and cut are amazing 

Here are my top 3 items but Knix has many options for what ever you might be looking for. If you like to save some money I do have a discount code: JACKIEOXO_10OFF

Happy New Year! 

I wanted to share with you Items my friends and I love, That we call Items "That Girl's" have.

 If you don't know what That Girl means it's a TikTok reference but here is the definition according to the internet, "an easy way to level up your life — a snapshot of what it'd look like if you committed to a morning routine, ate healthy, and had a skin care routine." 

Here are some items that make it easy to become That Girl, because who are we lying too we all at least have one of those down as our new year goals. I included like from high end(original) to affordable (Dupes) of the items I am mentioning. 

* Affiliate links are used. 

1.Arm Wrist Weights.

I think they are a must have! You can easily use them for easy quick walks, to an intense hikes, or if your doing 12-3-30. Its also handy to have around if your doing Pilates, dance cardio or starting out in your workout routine for 2022. I have be enjoying them for light workout classes on Peloton.  

Bala

Dupes (Just as cute)

2.Initial Necklaces. 

This is one "That Girl"  item I never thought I be into, but it has become an outfit staple. Initial necklace could be worn with any outfit and make you look put together. Even if you got out of your bed. The best part is you can personalize this to your personal style from minimal, funky, preppy. I been loving a gold one 

 My Go To Initial Necklace 

3. Athleisure sets 

Sets in my opinion are a must have for everyone! They just make you look so well put together and on top of your stuff. You can get the original inspiration Set Active or find dupes on amazon. Here are some of my favorite: 

Set Active ($10 Off $75)

Set Active Dupe *Still looking for the prefect dupe, but this one is close

4. Lip Masks

Anyone else addicted to them ? I use them all day and have become a big part of my skincare routine. These are my two must have, and I know "That Girls" have in  every TikTok Video. 

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask 

5.Water Bottles.

Hydration is key in "That Girl " aesthetic! One of the major reasons I am here for this trend. I have always been someone who loves to carry water bottles  around and thanks to the trend there are so many aesthetic affordable bottles out there right now. 

Tracking Water Bottle

Simple Modern Water Bottle

These are my top five but there are many more items. let me know if I should do more blog post like this. 

As some of you know in the last couple of years my siblings and I have fallen in love with Yosemite. 2020 gave us the opportunity to explore it more and this year 2021 we decided to invest in .. pass to visit any time and any national park and we have definitely used it. With my brother moving across the country to Spain we decide to do a family trip and bring our parents with us. My mom is not a hiker she can walk on the treadmill for hours, but add some inclined and she is done. So we plan this Yosemite hiking tripe tailored for non hikers and It was very refreshing and just what we all needed. If your a first timer going to Yosemite or just not the best hiker then I have couple option you would truly enjoy. 

1. Tunnel View

This is a view point you can drive up to and find parking. this view point is one of the best to see  El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall. Unfortunately these last couple of times the smoke has been in the way but a great starting point to see the park from. 

2. Taft Point

The actual hike we did is Taft Point its 2.2 round trip but leads to a beautiful view  wide views of Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls and El Capitan. The main attraction of Taft Point is the giant fissures in the mile-high granite rock. This was the perfect hike for non hikers my parents were able to complete with no difficulty. there is a slight incline on the way back once seeing the view. Do be on the look out to make sure Glacier point road is open, they do close it certain time's of  the year so check Yosemite website. 

3. Yosemite Village & Lower Yosemite fall trails.

Perfect for non hikers you are surrounded by the valley and can stop to get food at the village and gift shop. Also close by is the lower Yosemite Fall trail that can take you to the view point of the falls for a flat small hike with an amazing view. This is also a great spot to stop for the bathroom and take a seat to enjoy a lunch or rest they have tables.

4. El Cap View point.

One of the best things to do before you leave or driving through the park is go see El cap. El Capitan Meadow provides a view straight up and there usually is a lot of parking on the side. Located along one-way Northside Drive, it is best to stop here on your way out of Yosemite Valley. You can look up Yosemite Valley from alongside the Merced River at Valley View. This a great spot to take in the amazing view and honestly no hiking involved. 

I have a money saving trip for all of us Nespresso coffee lovers. On top of that it helps us save planet. As we all know most of the time coffee pods end up in land fills, even when we try to recycle. Then there is the cost of the pods themselves and those starts adding up. (We all know those pods go by fast!)

Here is where my tip comes in handy!  I found The Coffee Seal on Amazon. They sell Aluminum Foils Lids that you can use to refill Nespresso pods. So now you can re-use them with your own coffee blende at home. It's super easy and it helps save money and the planet. According to the brand foils are made from environmentally friendly, safe, non-toxic, food-grade, BPA-free material and produce an excellent cup of coffee. These lids are truly high quality and easy to use. 

Honestly if you love your Nespresso coffee, you definitely needed these. On top of saving money and the planet, your able to make your own blend the way you like it. I love reusing my pods, and the money you save let me splurge on other items for my little coffee corner at home.  

Down below you will see how easy it is to refile the pods, but I also have a video on Tiktok. I want to thank The Coffee Seal, for gifting me this set of seals so I could do the video and blog post. All opinions are my own and I was already buying the product even before I reached out  to the brand.

With spring here, I wanted to share some of my favorite items and apps that I have been in love with for the last couple of months. These are items and apps I have been using every day and plan to keep on using during the new season. 

* Some links are affiliate links 

1.My Nespresso:

 You can say that my Nespresso machines is the only reason I get anything done. This coffee machine has also saved me lots money on top of being productive.( Yes I have cut that Starbucks addiction)  My favorite pod is the Carmel Cookie, I love creating me own personal drinks and Tiktoking them or posting them on Instagram. Makes me feel like a major barista. 

2. nutpods Creamer:

 Since getting my Nespresso, nutpods creamers have been my go to plant based creamers. They have no added sugar, mix well in coffee & tea, and  froth amazingly. On top of that nutpods have different flavors and are made of many different plant based milks like almond, coconut and oat. My current favorite flavor is : Cinnamon Swirl 

I do have a discount code for 15% off you like to try them use code : JACKIEOXO   Shop here!

3. A good agenda:

My favorite thing right now is having a good agenda. I have this small one from Esty that is well made and I can carry in my bag without it taking space. Yes, I know can use your phone, but I just found that for me personal its better to write it all down. 

4. Playlist : 

My go to playlist right now off Spotify is perfect for all the spring feels.  You can find it here  

5. Peloton: (was this a surprise)  This had to make my-list! Since I got it back in December there hasn't been a day, I don't ride or workout using the bike and the app. Definitely a purchase I don't regret. Should I do a list of my top rides ? 

I have a code to get apparel or shoes with your purchase of the bike:  H3N6CC

6. Candy: Aka SmartSweets, it's officially my favorite candy with zero sugar. I love snaking on them during the day or when watching my favorite show with no regret especially after a hard workout. The have many different styles of candy from gummy bares to liquric style. My personal favorite is the Watermelons. Full disclosure at first dose have a taste but that goes away once you get used to eating them.

10 % off with Code: JACKIEOXO10

Discount code :  

7. TikTok:  I can officially say I'm addicted to the app! ask me a year ago and would have never said that or believed it. I find it entertains me and has taught me a some amazing hacks. you can follow me on the app Im @simplyjackieoxo on there.

8. Pinterest: Fell back in love with Pinterest for inspiration when it comes to my blog and Instagram and just want to brows around the internet and learn what's in style. I have actually done a couple of recipes I had pinned In the past. 

You can Find me here @jackieoxo 

9.Thinx: Thinx's Is a company that makes some of the best & comfy  Period underwear. I am going to be honest, I wear them as double protect. You could just wear them like underwear by themselves. I personably like that they are reusable and deffnitly save me lots of money and I no longer need to be constantly checking if I have not leaked.  You can fin out more here and get a discount of 10%

10. Static Nails : I been In love with press on nails because I can not do my own nails, butt at the same time I been trying to save money. So that's why I been loving Static nails they have popular designs and on top of that there press on nails are reusable. 

Check out Static Nails

These are some of my current favorite items and apps I been using since winter. I know that these will go into summer with me. 

If you follow me on social media you know I have a love for coffee and creating my own drinks at home. Who wants to spend over five bucks when you can make a delicious drink from the comforts of home just the way you like it for a fraction of the cost.

 Today I want to highlight one of my favorite products to make all my delicious coffee recipes with, Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce. What I love the best about this sauce is that it can add so much flavor to any coffee drink no matter if you have it cold, blended or nice and warm. With March being National Sauce Month I thought what a better way than to celebrate with Torani Puremade Sauce and my go to Coffee recipe.

Caramel Iced Latte spiked with caramel whip cream! This is my go to for a post long workday or on weekends when I want a nice creamy coffee with a little something extra. The best part is you can also make this coffee without the spike and enjoy it every day, but let’s be honest the best thing about this drink is the Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce. This caramel sauce blends in so well in many different ways to give my coffee drink the best flavor. What I love the most is  the fact that it has no artificial flavors. So I love to add it to my coffee in different ways like caramel whip cream that helps make my drink more special.

 Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Torani, but all opinions are my own

To make this drink you will need the following ingredients.

-Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce ( Torani Puremade Sauce can be bought online at torani.com)

- 1 shot Espresso

- ½ cup milk of choice 

- 1 ounce coffee liqueur (if you like to make the spike version)

- 1 cup heavy whipping cream

-Ice

When it comes to an Iced latte there is something you need to keep in mind, an Iced latte is different from iced coffee . A latte is an espresso shot with steamed milk. Making it a little stronger in taste but if that ain't what you like you are welcomed to substitute the espresso shot with iced coffee and follow the remaining directions down below.

Directions :

First off I like to start off by making the espresso and adding the steamed milk. And letting it cool before pouring it to a different cup. At this time I take the Kahula and pour it into the latte with around one tablespoon of the Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce and mix it into the latte.  While I let this cool, I move on to making the caramel whipped cream from scratch.

Now I know making the whip cream from scratch sounds daunting but honestly I promise it is super easy. When I make the caramel whipped cream I like to make enough for the days to come, but if you would like to just make enough for your drink you can do that but trust me it’s so good you’re going to wish you made more than just one drink. Now there's two ways you can mix the heavy whipping cream - by hand, which is a guaranteed arm work out, or by using an electric mixer. I will be taking the electric mixer route but that's just me. In the mixing bowl, I add the heavy whipping cream. I whip until stiff peaks are just about to form. At this point I would add in Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce. Add in as much as you desire, I love caramel so I tend to add a good amount, roughly around 3 tablespoons. Once added let it whip until it blends together. And that's it, I told you it was super easy. 

Once I have the whipped cream done the next step will be the caramel wall, aka - adding caramel around the cup. I would add some Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce to the bottom and around the sides of my glass followed by ice, then at this time I would pour in the cooled spiked latte I had made earlier. For the finishing step I top the latte off with the freshly made caramel whipped cream and sit back and enjoy!

 #allaboutthesauce

Living in the bay area we have many options for day trips but with the pandemic the option of finding somewhere you feel safe and not over crowed is very important for me. Finding out that Yosemite was limiting the number of people in the park and only allowing reservation until the end of the month moved it up my list and made it my destination last weekend. Reservations open up one day before the new week starts, aka Friday. They have different pass open but the best to get is the seven days one. 

With it being 3 hrs and a 16-minute drive from my home we deiced to start the day early on Saturday to enjoy as much time in the park as possible especially since our main focus was hiking. It was a simple and easy drive leaving early is recommended especially with the lines to get in the part. But once you are in you have so many options of where to go. 

I so recommended you come up with your plan before you enter the park because once inside your phone service will not be the best. I also recommend making sure you bring your snacks, lunch, and water to make it a more enjoyable trip. especially after a long hike, or enjoying your lunch in one of the breathtaking views. 

Overall Yosemite is the perfect spot to visit. there is ample room to keep social distance and most people wear their mask or make sure to put them on when they are near other and are mandatory in certain areas. If you do want to rent an Airbnb or stay in a hotel do keep in mind most are an hour or two away from the park, there are a couple of options in the park but book up fast.  We stayed in a mammoth lake that is a nice ski and trail town but with the pandemic it's not as busy and a good close option. If you have any question please let me know or suggestions for my future trip comment down below 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CGs19COgUnB/