Well, well, well WINTER is here and she’s a beast. There are days when I’m convinced I have some type of frostbite after standing in the winter cold at 3 AM…It’s New England after all…
There are some items I’ve found to help me stay as warm as possible. In general, I’ve also found that there are items that work well in the field, no matter what Mother Nature throws in my direction.
Some items are the basics: Advil and hand warmers. For the winter months, I highly recommend layering up with long johns underneath your clothing. I wore them one day and it was 45 degrees out and I was SWEATING. They work wonders when temps are below freezing. Mine are from Amazon and 30% off right now. I’d also highly suggest reporters in the winter season get mittens where the top folds over. WHY? A lot of the tech-friendly gloves aren’t strong enough to scroll on my phone during live shots. These allow me to expose my fingers only when I need to use or read off of my phone. You also can’t go wrong with a winter hat, if you’re worried about professionalism, the beanie below has a detachable puff.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The Lululemon fanny is a game-changer for running around. You can have your lav, chapstick, mints, and hand warmers with you wherever you go, especially if you’re quickly jumping out of the car to breaking news.
Other more basic must-haves (but items you may not know you need) are a planner, Aquaphor (for them chapped winter lippies), makeup touch-up bag, phone tripod (I often use this for live shots below me so I don’t have to hold my phone) and a more healthy energy drink. I love Alani Nu packets for a pick-me-up in the morning! You can see some of my favorite “healthier” options, here.
Everyone who knows me, knows I’m on a BOW kick. It started around the holidays and it has not slowed down….at all. If anything the love for bows has RAMPED up.
To me, bows feel classic and timeless, but I’m fearful just as fast as they came into style, they’ll go back out. I’m determined NOT to let that happen.
Here are some recent bow-themed shirts/tops, skirts, and accessories!
If I were doing it all over again in 2023 – these are the items I would want to put in my cart and buy. They’re my “college must-haves.”
I have a majority of these items and as I see girls get ready for college, it reminds me how helpful/ideal these items would’ve been in college. They’re not “necessities” per se, but they definitely would’ve made me feel confident and comfortable.
Starting off strong for my college must-haves – A Stanley. It really is worth the hype. Your water tastes clean, refreshing and stays super cold. Some plastic water bottles get that icky aftertaste, but not with a Stanley.
With that comes the need for straw cleaners. The Stanley’s can still get icky and you’re going to want to wash the straw well if you’re taking it around to classes all day. You definitely wouldn’t want to get sick from whatever is gathering up in there…
I don’t know about you, but I hate having my hair in my face. Not only are Amazon claw clips a life-saver but so are these zig-zag plastic headbands. They’re also super cute and make me feel somewhat put together.
The Lululemon fanny pack – it’s not going anywhere. It’s perfect to have around you when running to the cafe or on a walk with friends. You can hold all the must-haves like a lip treatment, hair tie, school ID and wallet.
If there’s one thing you take away from this college must-have post is BUY TRUCKER HATS. If you’re not feeling the hair day, two words, TRUCKER HATS. I wish these were as trendy when I was in school as they are now. They’re so cute, easy to throw on, and match with a variety of outfits. I’ve linked some of my favorites below as well as a TikTok where I style them (not to mention the outfits in those videos are perfect for back to school).
This workout jumpsuit is a 10/10. It’s from Amazon and has a million and one colors. If you’re between 5’3 and 5’6 the length is perfect! It’s so soft and well-made and can be worn a thousand different ways. I’m definitely going to grab it in more colors.
I’m telling you in college I relied big time on sneakers that were somewhat “fashionable.” Adidas Sambas and Gazelle sneakers have popped off this season and made a MAJOR comeback. I can’t say I hate it…
Can’t go wrong with a little self-care. Out of all the lip treatments I’ve used, Summer Fridays takes the cake. It lasts a long time and is so nourishing. The Sol De Jenario in 68 is the superior of the group. I have 40 right now and BLEH reminds me of high school. These little mists are perfect to throw in your backpack to take with you when you run out to a long day of classes.
I also included my favorite mascara because if you’re going to class and wear nothing at all – prioritize mascara. That’s just a big sister tip 🙂
Link to Huega House trucker hats (you can also use OLIVIASCHUELLER for 15% off)
I go to work at 3 in the morning. Yes, you read that right. I’ve tried my best to manage the change in my sleep schedule but inevitably, most days, I’m tired.
Here’s the problem – coffee at 3 am is not cutting it for me. TMI but my empty stomach cannot handle my Nespresso pods. I’m not hungry at 3 am so I’ve realized coffee is a no-go. Plus, being a news reporter, I don’t work from an office, I work from my car. If I gotta go, my options are gas stations in Hartford, Connecticut. You can imagine – it’s not the cleanest or safest.
SOOOO I went to my tried and true FB page, MMJ Jane. It’s a GREAT resource for female journalists. Whenever I’m lost/confused/needing help, that’s where I go. In the group, I asked for energy drink recommendations from other morning reporters/anchors and got a ton of feedback!
Below are the energy drinks they recommended! I bought the Alani Nu energy packets based on reviews. So many girls swore by it! In case it’ll help you, no matter your job, I put the most common recommendations below!
For some reason, I’ve been traveling SO much more now that I’m closer to home. Let me tell you, nothing is better than a girl’s trip.
I talked about in my last post how important it is to have something to look forward to when you work so so much. Man, oh man, it makes such a difference.
This girl’s trip to San Diego was truly something special. I hadn’t done a girl’s trip with my high school best friends in so long. Since I’ve been so far away the last two years, in some sense, it feels like life paused and now has resumed. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just nice to be closer to home again. I didn’t think I’d be able to get back here so soon. I know it would’ve been really hard to take another job so far away.
Anyways – back to the girl’s trip. It was peace, serenity, the BEST company, and just so refreshing for the soul (which I needed, I had a bit of a mid-life crisis beforehand LOL). I definitely can see why people live there. It’s like a permanent vacation.
We had sunset dinners, beach days, balcony chats, and drank wine until all we could do was laugh. It was as perfect as perfect can get.
Just a friendly reminder as a journalist to enjoy your life, prioritize your peace, and never say no when it comes to traveling with your girlfriends.
