An Update On My Handbag Collection + My Everyday Essentials

No doubt about it, this has been a favorite accessory of mine for as long as I can remember since getting into fashion. However, I have noticed that as I have experimented with my style over the years, my preferences have changed and I'm happy with where my collection is at. I’d be lying if I were to say that I don't care about the quality, construction or function of a certain bag, because I do. In addition, I would say that I care more about how each piece serves me and my personal style, but at the same time, I'm also willing to admit that there are certain designer brands that I really love as they hit all the bullet points of what I typically look for. With all of that said, let’s get into the list of handbags.

2 bags from ThredUP:

Large, multi-colored tote bag

Clutch with multi-colored embellishments

5 bags from Poshmark: 

Small cognac cross-body (Dooney & Bourke)

Large black and brown messenger cross-body w/ adjustable strap (Fossil)

Red mini satchel (Michael Kors)

Nude/pink satchel w/ silver hardware (Kate Spade)

To be added soon- Light pink cross-body w/ gold hardware (Tory Burch) 

Other handbags in my collection include:

Brown bucket-style shoulder bag (Kate Spade; Christmas gift from my mom)

Large Michael Kors satchel in black (purchased from Mercari)

Black Nautica fanny pack (from Mercari)

Mini backpack w/ multi-functional straps (from TJ Maxx)

I feel like I’ve come to accept that when it comes to this one interest I have, I cannot hold myself to a minimalist’s standards when it comes to either the size of my collection, or when it comes to what I consider to be essential in my everyday carry. I enjoy switching out my bags as they’re like the icing on the cake; it just completes the outfit for me personally. Granted, the things I deem essential or can’t leave the house without do change sometimes based on where I’m going or what I’m doing on certain days of the week. Here’s a bit of an outline to give you an idea of what I like to carry inside my purse:

1. Keys

2. Wallet

3. Chap-stick

4. Hand cream

5. Hand sanitizer

6. Tissues

7. Mints 

8. Hair brush

9. Hair tie/scrunchie

10. Sunglasses

On a typical work day, I like to keep my Samsung buds with me so that I can use them during my lunch break. I also find it handy to keep a small cloth for cleaning my phone or prescription glasses if they get dirty or smudged up. Some other small products I like keeping on hand just in case are a mini perfume, extra feminine products and a travel-sized bottle of poo-pourri (we all know how gross public restrooms can be sometimes). 

If you are not following me on Instagram as this post will come with pictures, my new username is @amyh029. Thanks for stopping by to read this post, and have a great day! 

Character Analysis: Disney's Encanto (Isabella and Luisa)

In the family Madrigal, there's no shortage of chaos or drama when it comes to being in this family. The only three characters who don't have a magical power are Augustin, Felix and Mirabel. Of course, this whole movie is seen through Mirabel's perspective, but for many fans around the world, the different themes that are explored in this movie have proven to be relatable in some way. And as a disclaimer, if you haven't seen the movie yet for some reason, then I advise caution when reading this post as it contains spoilers.

Isabella is the oldest sibling within Augustin and Julietta's family. Isabella's ability to grow flowers and other plants on a whim are explored fairly well, but her development as a character is just as interesting. One thing that makes me relate to her on a very small level is how the pressure of expectations can either make or break you over time. The pressures that are put onto her revolve around perfectionism, and with my Astrological sign being a Virgo, I very well understand how perfectionism is a hard thing to combat or deal with sometimes. In the case of this movie however, the standards or excuses for Isabella's situation stem from Abuela Alma and her need to preserve the magical candle that harnesses the family's powers, which subconsciously made her seek the need to give an overbearing amount of responsibilities to those whose powers seemed to be the most useful to the family and the community.

It's somewhat implied in the script that Isabella's powers have left her feeling isolated, sad and eventually resentful, but she would always cover this up with a smile. Given the situation that she was forced into, one conclusion that could be made is that because she is one of the older grandchildren that Alma had, upon receiving her power growing up, Isabella only took at the chance to be "perfect" because she loves her Abuela and wanted her approval, and any other feelings she had of her own were just hard to navigate or deal with. If all she wanted was for her Abuela to approve of her, then why did she spend so much of her life putting on a facade to the point that no one ever questioned if she herself truly felt happy on the inside? A lot of fans like to debate on other points of emotions like jealousy of her sister or some other notion that has to do with Mirabel, but any history between the two characters when putting them side by side just doesn't seem to be well fleshed out. The only reason that Isabella has for "hating" on her sister would be that she continuously messes things up for her, but within the context of the entire movie, we only see this happening twice, and the reasons in each situation are different. 

In reality, a dynamic like this between two sisters is very much common, and while things in reality may work a little different (or maybe not), you really can't expect much realism from a Disney movie in this current era at least. That's like expecting the players in a sports show to be less gritty and dirty with each other, but when everything's said and done, Encanto does a great job of portraying different themes that all connect together. 

To tie this in with my next analysis, the dynamic between Luisa and Mirabel is definitely less catty, but it still holds a lot of interest for me. Mirabel's gift, if anything, is her ability to bring the family together through empathy, kindness and understanding, and she gives plenty of that after the song Surface Pressure comes to a close. Like Isabella, Luisa is handed over a lot of pressure. Some of it obviously comes from Abuela Alma since Luisa is seen as "the strong one", being able to lift basically anything, but a lot of it also comes from the community and the many duties that they can't seem to fulfill on their own, like rallying up a bunch of donkeys or re-shifting the structure of a church building. Speaking of the song that spotlights Luisa's struggles, it's pretty telling that she struggles with seeing her own sense of worth or purpose because of her gift, thinking that her strength is the only thing that makes up her identity. When Mirabel runs up to hug her after the song is over, saying "I think you're carrying way too much", this very quickly leads to the two of them bonding, which makes for a very sweet and vulnerable moment, especially on Luisa's end. 

Another thing that makes Luisa's relationship with Mirabel feel different from the other people in her family is that Luisa still tries to hold onto whatever youth she has, even with all the responsibilities that get pushed onto her. Not once does she display any signs of anger or resentment, and even when she does blow up the one time when Mirabel asks about Luisa's eye twitching, she's quick to apologize, even in the face of her struggling to keep her pride. Even in the beginning song ("The Family Madrigal"), she doesn't hesitate to do what she's told of Abuela or even the townspeople. Another thing to note is that during the chaotic dinner proposal scene, when Abuela asks Luisa to get the piano, her lip starts to quiver and she starts to feel sad, but once again, she does what she's told do anyways. She has a strong sense of duty and does what is asked of her, even if she doesn't feel happy doing so deep down. The amount of love that Luisa has for her family is apparent and that trait alone makes me not only appreciate her character more, but it's something that even I can relate to on a small level, working in retail where the staff is small and "like family" in some ways. 

With both of these analyses on the table now, I think it's safe to say that I'll be making more Disney-related content this year than I have in the past. It's just a lot of fun to watch these movies for pleasure, and then sharing my thoughts and opinions on the different themes or topics that are represented in each one. Encanto has gotten so much attention and appraisal since it aired last year, and to me at least, it's well worth every nomination it's gotten so far. Thanks for reading this post from start to finish and have a great day!

Self Care Habits for 2022

I realize that I haven’t talked too much about wellness yet this year, so I figured the best way to start the conversation is by sharing some self care habits that I think anybody could easily implement. I’ll be separating these into 3 categories: physical wellness, mental/emotional health and spirituality.
Starting off with spirituality, let’s just spill out the obvious and say that for the most part, I am a spiritual person. This is different from saying “I am religious”; I don’t identify as that personally. However, if you do identify as religious or belong to a certain religious group (Christianity, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, etc.), then that’s okay. Here’s a compiled list of what I’d consider to be good self care habits in this category:

1. Meditation/prayer
2. Journaling/self reflection
3. *Reading (ie. a bible, self-development books, books on Astrology or some other spiritual interest). 
4. Practicing grounding/centering yourself- whatever you decide to call it, the ideas surrounding this concept are all about remembering what you value the most and what makes you feel at peace the most, or can help you feel like you’re “at one with the universe” or in unity with what you believe in.
5. *Practicing gratitude

*Reading in general is also great for your mental health as it challenges and stimulates your mind, and the same can be said for gratitude. There is a connection between our mental/emotional well-being and our spiritual well-being, and so in saying that, I’d say that gratitude is necessary, but it’s also okay to see reality for what it is and to work on accepting that. 

Mental & Emotional Health
1. Slow Down!- it can be as little as ten minutes per activity within your day, but in more professional settings where breaks may feel sparse, try utilizing your bathroom or coffee breaks as a time to just decompress and breathe. It’s just as easy to pick up your phone and look through your messages or scroll on social media, but when you slow down and learn to separate yourself from all that external chatter, the pace of life starts to feel less rushed/hectic. 

2. Set up consistent routines- whether it's getting enough sleep, cutting back on unhealthy foods, limiting the use of technology or becoming more physically active, the biggest roadblock that prevents these habits from becoming routines is what we tell ourselves inside our minds. Saying things like “I don’t have time” or “I don’t know where to start” is understandable, but we all have to start somewhere. Break down these routines into tiny steps that feel more achievable and you’ll be able to make better progress once you have started.

3. Positive self talk vs. Negative self talk- I know this is something I still struggle with sometimes if I’m being honest here. It’s not easy to maintain a positive mindset when we’re faced with conflict either within ourselves or with other people, but truly, being critical towards ourselves is more likely to complicate the process rather than making it easier. That, plus is aids to our mental/emotional health in a negative way (that's why it's called negative self-talk). What are some negative comments that you know you can work on within yourself? How does saying those things make you feel about yourself? Identify the accuracy of your thoughts and see if you can work on improving your own self-talk as a little bit of effort really does go a long way. 

4. Reset days/do nothing days- if you have the ability to take a day off from school, work or any other responsibilities, then please do so. Life is hard and can be chaotic sometimes. For me, I always enjoy it when Monday comes around because that allows me to reset my life and my physical surroundings. So whatever your demands are in life, remember that it’s okay to say “I need time alone” and to not do anything for part of an afternoon or for an entire day.

5. Talk to someone. It can literally be anyone that you trust, like a friend or family member. There’s no shame in speaking up about a certain situation you’re in, and if you feel like you need it, then there’s no shame in talking to a therapist either. 

Physical Health
It may be cliche at this point to say that physical activity greatly benefits our quality of life. There are many different exercises that one could do either out in public or in the comfort of your own home. I know what works for me, but if I had to put together a condensed list, this is what it would look like:
A. Going to the gym
B. Walking, swimming or jogging
C. Outdoor hobbies (ie. hiking or sporting activities)
D. Indoor hobbies (ie. yoga or other at-home routines)
E. Dancing/aerobics 

Food is honestly one of my favorite pleasures in life, but part of what makes physical health important is not just getting enough exercise, but also making sure you're nourishing your body by giving it what it needs. There’s also a mental component to this because if you’re trying to lose weight or become more healthy for reasons that don’t make you feel good or like you’re constricting yourself, then that’s just going to make the process more complicated. Eating healthy foods because you know it’s good for you and because you enjoy it makes the process feel less like a diet, and more like a lifestyle. It would be easy for me to say that you should ban all processed sugars from your house or stop eating certain things that are high in sodium or carbohydrates, but in all honesty, that’s not a mindset that feels healthy to me. Eat what you love and work on those other foods that are “bad for you” in baby steps. Life’s too short to always be putting yourself in a place of deprivation just for the sake of reaching your goals. 

*DISCLAIMER: Some of what I’ve expressed in this post comes from my own personal experiences. I am not a dietitian or health care specialist, so if you’re in a different position from where I am in life, that’s okay. We have doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers and other health care professionals within our system who are looking to add value to your life and well-being, so truly and honestly, make sure that your own needs are being met in a way that works for you.