hey all!

happy sunday!

by now you’ve likely already read the title, and decided to keep tuning in, or you’ve already clicked the page closed, which is actually stopping conversation, which is perfectly okay with me. i am not trying to change anyone’s mind, and i  am super open to conversation, feel free to email me (macaronsandmusthaves@gmail.com or find me on instagram & dm me!).i am also definitely not one to get aggressive (although this is something i am really passionate about) and i am totally willing to agree to disagree and i love listening to other points of view.  i am trying to remain as politically undivided as can be, because i know i have readers from both sides, and prefer my blog to stay positive!

getting past all that, here we go:

i will start very basically (simply and cliche-ly) with the definition of feminism:

feminism:

the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

(from merriam webster)

its as simple as that, the belief that women and men are equal, and should be treated as equal: politically, economically and socially.

because i totally agree with this basic idea, i call myself a feminist (without getting into politics of any side). since starting at all-girls school i have really learned through my experiences how to be confident, powerful, strong and ambitious. i feel like such a community that uplifts people for who they are, and who they can be is my vision of an inclusive community. this experience has also taught me that girls are freaking awesome. i mean we run all clubs, sports teams, community service AND student leadership. a school that allows for such compassion and strength is creating a new generation of girl who will run the world, which is so awesome and empowering to see in my daily life.

because of my experiences, i am a huge feminist. i totally believe that women should be equal in all facets of the world.

that’s my opinion, feel free to comment and let me know your opinion too so that we can talk!

xoxo

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hey all!

since its the beginning of the year, i still feel like its ‘new year, new me’ the whole thing, and one of the things that i always wanna add to myself is to read more, and honestly, i tend to overdrive everything (which just means listening to audiobooks) which i actully love because i can put my aux in my phone in the car and just play the downloads off of my phone! it is an awesome way to get the reading in. i picked some books that sound good for me to read – and ones that i am looking forward to reading.

again, a note to all my readers – this post does not mean i own any of the above, or that i will buy any of the above. it just means that i like it visually and (unless noted) i do not own it; all that i will write about is stuff i hear from friends and other users of the product as well as the visual aspects of the product which i will mention in the comment below!

so here we go with the post,

#1: little fires everywhere by celeste ng

according to amazon :

“Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.”

#2: this could hurt: a novel by jillian medoff

according to amazon:

“Jillian Medoff explores the inner workings of an American company in all its brilliant, insane, comforting, and terrifying glory. Authentic, razor-sharp, and achingly funny, This Could Hurt is a novel about work, loneliness, love, and loyalty; about sudden reversals and unexpected windfalls; a novel about life.”

#3: meet cute by jennifer armontrout

according to amazon:

“This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.”

#4: andy warhol: the series by hilton als

according to into the gloss:

“Instead of watching another television series, why not read this instead? A script written for a potential series on Andy Warhol’s life by New Yorker staff writer Hilton Als, it’s as good as anything on TV, only you can fit it into your smallest carry-on.”

#5: green by sam graham-felsen

according to amazon:

“Infectiously funny about the highs and lows of adolescence, and sharply honest in the face of injustice, Sam Graham-Felsen’s debut is a wildly original take on the American dream.”

xoxo

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hey all!

it’s been a really long time since i’ve done another post on the LA guide, so i thought in the height of the california winter, i might as well write and post about ice cream today. so in my LA guide series, i decided to post a little about ice cream because ice cream is a huge part of my food chain and is so important to me.

here we go!! (in no certain order!!)

#1: carmela (locations in pasadena, LA, woodland hills and they travel in farmer’s market)

carmela is a super interesting place because they have very interesting flavors, i have tasted everything from raspberry rose sorbet to brown butter sage ice cream to chocolate sorbet! i love seeing these unique flavors and they make super awesome ice cream!

my all time favorite flavors: pear champagne sorbet and matcha green tea ice cream!

#2: sweet rose creamery (5 locations around LA)

one of the first ice cream places i went to on my more recent artisanal ice cream tour a few years ago! i am always blown away with their flavours and they always have AWESOME sorbet.

my favorite flavors here are: roasted apricot sorbet and mango sorbet

#3: jeni’s splendid ice cream (locations in los feliz, venice, larchmont and calabasas)

of all the ice cream this is the place where my family and i are always going back to, just because they always have fantastic flavours, awesome service and just a cute store. we just have a slight obsession with it, and keep going back.

my favorite flavors here are: birch and marshmallow and intelligentsia black cat espresso

#4: fosselman’s ice cream (they have one location in alhambra)

finally, fosselman’s is such a old and classic place. i remember going to fosselmans being very young and i have always loved it. the store is so classic inside and they have been a constant artisanal ice cream place which will be there before and after the trends!

my favorite flavors here are the: peach sorbet, green tea ice cream and the green apple sorbet

enjoy!

xoxo

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hey guys!

do you remember my christmas gift post? i talked about one of my highlighted gifts – the QVC “TILI” – Try it Love it box – its much like birchbox without the subscription which is actually super awesome because it doesn’t lock you into anything.

TILI box :

so, they offer 3 full sized products and the rest trial products of different of their favorite items. in my  box i got a ‘julep konjac sponge‘, a ‘skinfix hand repair cream‘, a ‘becca jaclyn hill shimmering skin perfector‘, a ‘mini first aid beauty bouncy mask‘, ‘mini philosophy amazing grace shower gel‘, a ‘vita liberata body blur‘ and a mini ‘it cosmetics confidence in a cream‘.

so here we go on the review:

full sized products:

#1: julep konjac sponge: this is the first product i used and i made a HUGE mistake, i threw out the package, and with the package, the instructions. i didn’t read the instructions so when i went to use it, i did not know what to do. but with that explantion, i did what i thought was right and used it as a sponge without soap, because it was soapy inside. it seemed to make my skin a bit softer and i found it much easier to deal with the little filled pores on my arms and legs.

#2: skinfix hand repair cream:  not sure if you guys will believe me, but i have incredibly soft hands. like no lie!! i don’t use hand lotion because i don’t really need it, however, i do rub the remaining sunscreen on my hands – and i use pretty moisturizing sunscreen. so i passed this product off to my dad because his hands were extremely dry this winter! i think he liked it, but i am not entirely sure!

#3: becca jaclyn hill shimmering skin perfector: this is an AWESOME highlighter,  i am obsessed with highlighter – its one of the three main products i use when i apply makeup, and i go crazy looking for the best and brightest highlighters that will match well with my complexion. i absolutely LOVE this highlighter, it looks great on my skin color and its super easy to apply and blend on my face.

sample size products:

#1: ‘mini first aid beauty bouncy mask:  i am a skincare obsessed person because i have pretty bad acne, not like cystic stuff or anything but like on my chin and my forehead it can get pretty bad. so because of this, i am mask obsessed, always looking for the best new stuff that i can throw on my face and wait 10 minutes to see what happens. so i was more excited about this mask than i should have been, i am not really old – i am 17 and don’t have too many wrinkles so i wouldn’t exactly say that i needed this mask but the smell was great and it was a great experience.

#2: ‘mini philosophy amazing grace shower gel: i am a philosophy fan, i just use a ton of philosophy products, so this wasn’t exactly a new product for me, but the scent was new – and exciting and was super exciting to try something new.

#3: a ‘vita liberata body blur:  this is also a product i wouldn’t really find myself using. i am an extremely pale individual and don’t love to fake the level of tan i am, so i  tried this product, but just as i thought, i didn’t love it.

#4: it cosmetics confidence in a cream: not to reiterate again, but not a product i would necessarily find myself using, just because i am still young. but i loved the moisturizing affect- and hey they say that you are never too young to use anti-aging stuff, so i guess i am getting ahead of it all!

so i am just gonna say this, many of the products didn’t exactly apply to me because i didn’t need them for whatever reason, so the box was interesting to try products that i didn’t think i needed, and i definitely turned myself onto a new highlighter which was really exciting! next i would actually like to try birchbox because i heard they actually (more or less) personalize it to your likes, and skin type and etc!

enjoy this post!

xoxo

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hey all!

i know its a little late for a post now but i’ve actually been sick all day so its been pretty crazy, because in addition to being sick, its the last week of the semester for me, so that means all of the possibles tests, quizzes, presentations, essays and whatever else the teachers can assign before its too late. i get it, i understand, but its so hard on us, but its super hard on me because i am feeling cruddy, so let’s actually get to the post:

stress = more food and for me, at this point if i am gonna go crazy on the whole eating thing i might as well eat good food am i right? and good food for me is a charcuterie board. not only are they aesthetic, i mean cheese is pretty awesome, but they also taste fantastic, so that’s a perpetual win.

today my plan was to share my must-haves for my own charcuterie boards, without further ado…

here’s what i love:

• gusto sopressata – i buy it from whole foods
• trader joes brand burrata
• columbus calabrese salami – i buy it mostly at trader joes (because its cheapest there!) but you can also purchase at sprouts or whole foods too.
• dried apricots – i get them from the bulk section at sprouts
• pistachios – i also get them bulk from sprouts
• pita bite crackers from trader joes

finally, i love to pair my board with an argula salad with lemon and parmesan!

enjoy my post – let me know what your favorite foods are too!

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hey all!

with the new year in full swing, and the always goal of almost everyone i know to get organized (and while its planner and new calendar season because it’s finally 2018!) that means its TOTALLY stationery season – and what could be better than that! well today, for this new year, instead of calling them ‘wishlists’ or ‘favorites’ they will be MUCH more on brand, being called ‘must haves’ instead! i am so excited to grow the M&MH brand for this new year of 2018!

as always, a note to all my readers – ‘must haves’ does not mean i own any of the above, or that i will buy any of the above. it just means that i like it visually and (unless noted) i do not own it; all that i will write about is stuff i hear from friends and other users of the product as well as the visual aspects of the product which i will mention in the comment below!

here we go!

#1: shinola sketchbook

you might have seen my new sketchbook in my ‘what i got for christmas 2017’ because i got it monogrammed, but these shinola notebooks are beautiful in every color and are totally versatile whether you write, make to-do lists or create a bullet journal.

#2: ban.do mark it stamp

these are such cool little tools/ stamps with ink already in them, they would be perfect for any pre-built planner as well, but they would be awesome in my bullet journal as a little tool – which would require less drawing or stickers.

#3: sugar paper ‘my post to yours’ notecard set

these notecards are beautiful for any little message, the scalloped edges are beautiful and i absolutely love every time i get to see the sugar paper supply because their cards are always so beautiful.

#4: rosanna ‘take note’ pencil bag

 i have been coveting this guy for awhile, but since i carry so many pens it makes so much more sense to carry a huge pencil case, otherwise the price is nice and the design details on it are super cute.

#5: rifle paper thank you card set

as always, rifle paper makes amazing cards especially this design with the floral, and i also love the gold envelopes.

#6: ban.do ‘be nice’ notebook

i have to say that i am not a huge fan of spiral notebooks but the ban.do notebooks are always beautiful, with the most adorable designs – especially this ‘be nice’ notebook because the type is so cute on the front.

#7: rifle paper travel journal 

lastly, i wanted to share this freakin’ adorable travel journal. i am not much of a notebook writer, besides in my bullet journal, but i absolutely love the journaling on a trip, because it allows me to – when i get to go to bed, to wind down from a crazy day and clear my head to make me sleep better.

enjoy my friends!

xoxo

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