• I started and finished an online class on Child Development through our local community college.
• The husband and I traveled to Hamburg, Germany for my cousin’s wedding ceremony for a week and spent a lot of time with families from all over the world.

• Earlier this month, I finished doing a maternity shoot with my trusted photographer friend Natalie (NatalieAlvarado.com) it was a ton of fun! Stay tuned for the photos later <3 but here are some low-resolution sneak peaks!

• Last weekend, we just wrapped up our baby shower with our dear friends (35 adults and 12 kids and 3 infants lol) and had a blast. I’m very proud of coming up with the idea of hiring a florist (Flowers A La Carte in this case) to have a flower arrangement workshop as my party favor!

Now, I am back today with a new post! In view of our recent trip to Hamburg, Germany, I learned of many hacks (some through painful lessons) that make a pregnant woman’s travel much more comfortable & easier.  That’s what I’d like to talk about today:

6 Pregnancy Travel Must-Have’s for Flying

1. Compression Socks ($15.98 via Amazon)

This is a common and self-explanatory tip. Get them anywhere you can, just not last minute at the airport because they’re always a rip-off at the airport. The reason behind wearing compression socks is to keep your pregnant lower limbs from accumulating so much fluid and from swelling. When you have a lot of swelling combined with long periods of inactivity, that’s when you risk for developing a DVT  (deep vein thrombosis) goes up.

2. Resistance Bands ($25.97 via Amazon)

If you read up online, you will find that it’s commonly recommended that you get up and walk around when you board a flight. Really, you should do that from prolonged periods of sitting, regardless of whether you’re on a flight. But space is limited when you are in flight, and that’s why the resistance bands come in super handy! To get some exercise (especially leg and quad exercise), you simply have to pop one of these on. In the discreet comfort of your own seat, you can get some leg exercise in without troubling your fellow passengers!

3. Babymoov Pregnancy Belt ($30.75  via Amazon)

This is maybe the SINGLE MOST LIFE-CHANGING pregnancy product I’ve purchased so far. It’s my most recommended pregnancy travel must-have. After about 28/29 weeks, I haven’t been able to live without it (outside of flying too). But when we went to Hamburg, I found this belt to make all the difference when I was trying to get comfortable in flight. What it does it make you ROUND around the middle of your torso so that it’s easier for you to lean against any surface. We had the luxury and privilege to board the flight in business class this time (thank you, United points!) and to my surprise, I still needed the Babymoov belt and was not comfortable without it. Now in my 33 weeks, I cannot sleep without this belt around my waist, and I have been able to do without a pregnancy pillow which is much bulkier and harder to store post-pregnancy!

4. Evian Mineral Water Spray ($12.75 for two via Amazon)  (1.7 oz, TSA compliant)

This water spray serves two functions, one more obvious than the other. It helps with moisturizing your skin during the ever-so-drying cabin air (and always works better in conjunction with lotion). But the pregnant body (at least mine) goes through these fluctuating temperatures… on our flight to Hamburg, I woke up multiple times feeling super hot, which never happened before I was pregnant. So the spray actually helped to cool my skin temperature down, and in turn, had an overall cooling effect.

5. Wired Headband (4 pack for $9.99 via Amazon) 

There’s no other time than during pregnancy that you need simple, easy-to-use, and quick methods to look put together. These wired headbands happen to be one of these shortcuts! I can totally see myself carrying this into my post-partum days. Basically, this is a way to keep your hair (esp. the pregnancy hormone induced little whispy hairs!) out of your face. It’s a little bit of a something that adds a bit glam to your ensemble. For me, I couldn’t wear my usual clothes anymore, so I needed new ways to add more glam to my looks.

6. Slippers/Sandals ($40 via ASOS)

Again, one of those no-brainers because you will probably not fit into anything else at this point. You lower limbs will also swell to some extent while you are in the air, due to the reduced gravity and cabin pressure change. Get comfortable shoes that you can slip in and out of easily. You will appreciate it so much… One additional thing is that if you expect a lot of walking on your trip like my Hamburg trip turned out to be (which I was not anticipating), get shoes with cushions. I didn’t, and I was OK the first day (we walked at least 10K steps around the city center in Hamburg). But on the second day, my lower back started to hurt and it was not fun…

7. Means of hydrating + access to snacks

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes around my 26th week of pregnancy. So on top of all the forbidden food and drinks for pregnant ladies, I’ve had to REALLY watch the type of food I consume. But even if you are lucky to have avoided GD, keeping yourself hydrated and fed is super critical during pregnancy. When traveling via flights during your pregnancy, I would definitely encourage you to pack granola bars, protein bars, dried fruits, anything that are small and compact and can provide some quick calories. And of course, bring a water bottle. Many airports are equipped with water fountain these days, so you don’t have to worry about buying water or finishing it quickly before passing through security.

Make sure you do before departing for your trip:

• Check your airline’s policy and limitation on when you may not be able to travel with them anymore
• Obtain a doctor’s note, depending on the stage of your pregnancy
• Check to make sure there are no on-going epidemic like Zika
• Get an aisle seat, if possible.

The post Pregnancy Travel Must-Haves for Flying appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

If you are a professional women working in a corporate office with a 9-5 life, and back to back meetings, 5-minute-lunches and PowerPoint slides are your best friends, and you sometimes just feel like your feet are the biggest source of your daily pain (other than those difficult customers/coworkers/managers) this article is written for you.

We are on our feet a lot. Like, A LOT.

There’s always more to accomplish than there is time to accomplish things. I get it. I lived that life. But if you forget to take care of yourself once in a while and keep your health and sanity in check, you won’t last long. Working in the corporate world is a marathon, not a sprint. (Although at times it may feel like a series of sprints.) On Cubicle Chic today, we’ll talk about a simple and quick way to find relaxation and reduce stress at work. Here it is…

Take care of your feet!! 

Our feet support our entire body weight as we move from meeting rooms back to our desk and back to meeting rooms. What do we typically reward them with, as stylish women in the corporate world? The cruelty of high heels and pointed pumps! With that… let’s talk about the first tip on taking care of your feet.

1. Wear comfortable shoes without compromising on style

The reality is that we wear those torturous shoes for the looks to begin with. So, if the resolution requires us to sacrifice the looks, it’s not much of a resolution, is it? Allow me to introduce me to Miss Madel here… they make perfectly stylish shoes for the corporate workplace, and yet their shoes come with zero compromises in the style department. You can use the code JESSICA10 to get 10% off on your purchase in the next two weeks! What I’m wearing in the photos is the Donna in nude, and I LOVE the color for the spring and summer season. If you wear a lot of black and white, these beauties will add a refreshing pop of color to your outfit.

There are a few other styles offered by Miss Madel that are really pretty –

Miss Madel Lana Orange

Miss Madel Charlie Rose

Miss Madel Mila Baby Pink

2. Utilize acupressure points to relieve feet pain.

If you, especially your feet, have had a long day, try massaging these pressure points that will help alleviate some discomfort. Every point is meant for different kinds of pain/pressure relieve, according to Smarter Healing. Click on their link above to see what each acupressure point is meant to do & how to massage them.

3. Wear well-ventilated shoes (or create a safe space to take them off at work.

This applies to those of us whose sweat glands are unfortunately wired in the downward direction. I’ll be the first to admit I suffer from sweaty feet syndrome (yes, that’s a term, coined by me). The mule design of the Miss Madel Donna shoes is obviously a very ventilating design. But other ways to find well-ventilated shoes include finding the right material. For example, I’ve heard that Rothy’s makes very well-ventilated flats. I haven’t tried the brand myself, but I would share with you guys once I have!

4. Manage your salt intake

It’s a well-known fact that consuming too much salt will cause more swelling. As we age, the swelling may occur more in the feet area or simply shows more prominently. If you want to understand the medical mechanism of how this happens, you can look into what is edema.  But this tip is simple. Avoid that salty food, drink lots of water, and you will be OK!

5. Exercise your feet/leg regularly at work

This is my personal favorite. Whether you’re stuck on a 3-hour spreadsheet spree or a dead-end teleconference that’s not going anywhere, these exercises are perfect for these occasions. On Live Strong, you can find a list of discreet workouts you can do at your desk. Glute clenches, stomach vaccum, or knee lifts… take your pick, and exercise (discretely) away! If you have the luxury of time and space, you can even do some lunges, calf raises, or mountain climbers. All of these exercises are meant to increase circulation to your legs and keep pain and swelling away from you!

Disclaimer: Thank you Miss Madel for sponsoring this blog post. I really enjoyed the Donna shoes and would be wearing it on the regular!

The post The Single Most Effective Technique to Reduce Stress at Work appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

As we go through life, we cross important milestones that mark different stages of life. Puberty, going to college, falling in love, working your first job, getting married, raising kids, and getting old… are all important phases that we encounter. We often hear about what it’s like to be in a particular stage that we are about to enter, and we build up anticipation, get ready, so we can transition smoothly into and get the most out of each stage.

As naïve as I was, I thought pregnancy was going to be one of these milestones. I thought, mistakenly in hindsight, that I would just naturally slide into being pregnant and smoothly navigate out of it. Boy, was I wrong.

Oh, by the way, in case you haven’t guessed it – yes, we are pregnant! As of the writing of this blog post, I am around 4 months pregnant. It’s been quite a ride, let me tell you. First off, if you’re a long-time reader, you probably sensed something from my lack of productivity (i.e. lack of published blog posts) in the month of March all the way to this month. I even left my full-time job in February to focus on my blog. On top of that, my Instagram activities have plummeted to an all-time low. All of this is to say that the pregnancy was a curveball that life threw at me. I can’t say that I was prepared for it.

But then again, how prepared are we for most things that happen in life, amirite? So, in the spirit of sharing the most honest, straight-forward, non-sugar-coated truth, here are 6 things that no one told me about being pregnant.

Your Body Is No Longer Just Yours

This is probably the most disturbing and unsettling realization I had. We own our body like we own nothing else in the world – it’s OURS, and we do whatever we want with it. If you want to workout every day and be on a keto diet so you look like The Rock, you can. Alternatively, if you want to sit in front of the TV and eat pizza every day (and look like The Potato or whatever the opposite of The Rock is…), hey, you also can. You can pop a painkiller when you have an ache here or there, and you can deny yourself of a good night sleep in the name of YOLO. Guess what? When you’re pregnant, you can’t do any of that (or have to proceed with a lot of caution). Most importantly, you’re no longer the only person in control in how you feel, physically and mentally. Out of nowhere, you will feel like someone just drained your battery and that you HAVE TO lie down. The urgency to go pee all the time is also something that makes you wonder “has someone been injecting water into my bladder without me knowing??“

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

You May Not Feel A Shred Of Joy, Happy Anticipation, Or Even Hope.

This was by far my biggest struggle. Like many of you, I have friends that have gone through the pain of IVF. The blogosphere also saw a recent flux of bloggers opening up about the difficult journey of trying to get pregnant (see Lace and Locks and Extra Petite’s stories). I KNOW this is a difficult subject and process for many people. I should be grateful towards how easy it was for me to conceive. But when people ask me how I felt when I first became pregnant, all I could say was that I felt like my future was stolen from me. I made plans, very specific plans, to leave the corporate 9-5 life and focus on my blog and turn it into what I know it has the potential to be. Spending 18 hours in bed and feeling not a bit of motivation to do anything (including getting out of bed) was not how I planned on spending the first month of my entrepreneurial life. On top of that, I was a wreck because of the hormonal changes. I’ve experienced bouts of clinical depression before, so I know when my symptoms set in. Literally, on some mornings I would wake up and I just feel like the world has taken on a layer of grayish gloom. Given my past experiences, I know it’s hormones affecting me. Yet knowing the cause of it doesn’t change the way I felt. On those days, I would remind myself to take it easy, allow myself to feel what I was feeling, and work on being OK. After all, it’s reported that between 14-23% of women struggle with some symptoms of depression during pregnancy. One motto that helped me a lot during this time was this: It’s hard, it’s normal, and it will change. I repeated it to myself over and over again.

Your First Few OB Appointment Will Be Somewhat Underwhelming.

I still remember the first time I saw the ultrasound of my 5-week-old fetus (I couldn’t really call her a baby at that point – she barely looked human!). I was thinking in my head “THAT is supposed to be the bundle of joy that all women rave about? This is such a scam.” I mean really, at that point, the “fetus” was merely a gestational sac, basically a lump of cells in a sac of some sort. Yes, I heard the heartbeat through the ultrasound, but in my head, it sounded like seaweed floating in the ocean. It did not sound like a lifetime of emotional ups and downs and the most fulfilling human experience ever. Maybe I expected too much. But I walked out of the first and second appointments feeling underwhelmed. OH, BY THE WAY, the first two ultrasounds are done ENDOVAGINALLY. It means they stick the ultrasound wand up your va-jay-jay to check on the baby. It’s not worse than a pap-smear but GOSH why didn’t anyone tell me about this?? I wasn’t mentally prepared to take my panties off and get in one of those humiliating women’s hospital gowns that leaves you butt-naked. But I did. *SIGH*

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

You Start Questioning The Root Of Your Beliefs, Values, And Foundational Understanding Of Things And Wonder Where They Came From.

Who am I to bring another human being into the world? I barely have a handle on my own issues, how am I going to help another little human prepare for the experiences, difficult or beautiful, of life? How do I teach her from knowing right from wrong, good from bad, and everything  else so she can make good decisions? Heck, how did I come to learn to know these things about life and decision making? Did my parents consciously teach them to me, or did they just showed me what was good by embodying those principles? Each and every doubt and question in my head is the beginning of its own rabbit hole. Not to mention the whole nature vs. nurture debate. What kind of personality is she going to have? Is she going to question every decision I make for her the way that I question my mom’s decision for me? (The answer is probably yes. Because KARMA.) What scares me the most is that they say parenting is caught not taught. So, you are going to want to consciously teach your kids certain things, prevent them from doing certain things. But there are the things that you are unconsciously doing that your kids will model their behavior after without you realizing.  That scares the shit out of me.

A Case Of Identity Crisis Begins

Growing up, I was never one to play with dolls and pretend to be a mom or have baby names picked out at age 12. I actually openly talked about my aversion towards kids. My excuse/reason is that kids don’t like me. I don’t know why. I also had a serious case of infant phobia. Yes, I invented the name but the condition is real – I was so scared of handling young babies!! The seemingly conflicting thing is, I have always known that I was going to have kids. Even though I don’t particularly look forward to handling a newborn/toddler/pre-teen and whatever monster they turn into after that point, I knew having and raising kids is an irreplaceable experience in life. But man oh man, motherhood is a loaded word that I am a. scared of b. don’t care for c. don’t know how to (or don’t want to) prioritize against other roles that I play in life. You see, being a (great) mother was not something I particularly aspired to be in life. I am not one of those people whose identity rests on the fact that they produced and raised another human being. This isn’t to diminish the hard work and difficulty of motherhood; it simply shows how little it means to me in my life journey. Yet, here I was, at the onset of burgeoning motherhood. Who am I going to be as a mother, how am I going to be as a mother, and lastly why am I becoming a mother…these questions hover in my head when I lie wide awake in the middle of the night due to, you guessed it, hormones.

Thank goodness for blog posts like 10 Reasons I Still Feel Like Myself While Being a Mom. It gives me SO much to look forward to and allows me to believe that there are elements that I can control in terms of how my identity evolves, instead of being dragged into this baby-raising hell that will forever change who I am.

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

The Struggle With Body Image Is Real.

This is probably a blog post entirely on its own. I won’t divulge too much here because it’s quite a dark place. But my ever-changing body during pregnancy has NOT left me feeling joyful and excited. I do not have the body type that enables the body to stay the same while only the belly swells. I, my whole person, swelled. And to call this swelling is putting it nicely. The weight gain combined with major lack of energy made me feel like a lazy bum. All of a sudden, I was watching my 600-Pound Life with this new-found empathy. When your weight changes (for the worse) uncontrollably, it’s a terrible feeling. None of my clothes fit anymore, including underwear. I was hesitant to buy new things for my new body because I didn’t know how much more it was going to change. I ended up buying some leggings and maternity tee-shirts through PinkBlush and I am OH-SO-IN-LOVE.

I will probably write another stand-alone blog post on this topic alone. Is that something you would find interesting?

Conclusion

I’d like to apologize if I came across as negative at all in this post. It’s something that I am quite conscious of. My intention in divulging on the not-so-joyful details is to share the realities that I don’t think enough people talk about. And more importantly, if you are pregnant and feeling the same way that I feel, you are not alone. Definitely do not feel ashamed of your questions, doubts, and questions that you haven’t heard anyone else asked. You don’t hear about them asking these questions because they’re hard to answer.

Remember, each woman’s pregnant journey is unique and uniquely difficult. Your difficulty should be at least acknowledged if not understood. For those of you who are echoing my sentiment, I want you to know that you are not alone.

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

Dress: Dailylook Elite (use CUBICLECHIC20 to get 20% off your first box!); Handbag: Palla Handbag

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse 

The post 6 Things No One Told Me About Being Pregnant appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Thank you BrainGear for sponsoring this post. Discover Your Highest Gear!

A Typical Work Day Afternoon

It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. You step out of the last meeting you have in the day, yawn for the 5^th time in the last hour as you’re reminded of the mountain of tasks you still need to get to before you leave. The idea of a mid-afternoon pick-me-up sounds not just perfect right now, but necessary. So, you go for the 3^rd cup of coffee in the day.

Tell me this doesn’t give you all the feels. Coffee makes me feel like I can conquer the world!!

For a brief moment, the warmth of the cup in your hand and the hope of feeling 100% focused, energized, and alert gives you a fuzzy feeling. But as soon as you sit down in front of your computer, the bitterness of coffee and your to-do list and triple-digit email inbox brings you back to reality.

As you inhale the coffee (that’s what I do anyway) you yawn some more due to the tolerance you’ve up because your body is so used to high levels of coffee now. As you gulp down the cup, you wonder if it’s possible to OD on coffee.

My Stomach Ulcer Problem

I certainly haven’t heard of people ODing from coffee. What I have more personal experience with, however, is stomach ulcer. Yes, years of working in the corporate world has made me a seasoned marketer but also messed up my digestive system semi-permanently. You see, I got it by drinking coffee in the morning on an empty stomach for years. Probably since college days. I started having problems around late 2016 when things got pretty intense in my first job as a manager.  First, I thought I was having just acid reflux because after meals I would often feel like I am so full that if I bent over I would vomit. After about 2 months of feeling this way, I went to a gastroenterology. And I had an endoscopy. The imaging told us that I developed these micro-abrasions in my stomach lining and they were the results of having over active production of stomach acid.

I was instantly put on medication, a diet plan, and I had to stay off of coffee for at least 2 months. It was torturous and I had to switch to green tea which is total BS (LOL. Sorry, no offense to tea drinkers). But it worked. I also never drink coffee on an empty stomach anymore. Occasionally I’d still get a flare up. But with the right diet management and careful consumption of coffee, I’ve more or less kept stomach ulcers at bay.

An Ideal Coffee Alternative

When BrainGear contacted me, I was ready to jump on the project and try out this novel drink with their patented formula. I had been looking for something that would power me through during the mid-workday lull that we all go through! The drink tastes fruity, slightly sour, not very sweet (which I like!) and basically like vitamin water. So guys, here’s the verdict. I’ve been drinking BrainGear drink for the last 2 months (not consecutively like they recommend though, I will explain later) and I have to say that it really does promote my overall focus and attention at work! 

Now Pay Attention to This

1. BrainGear is really transparent with their ingredients. Even though the formula is patented,  you can actually see everything that goes in this bottle. So you won’t need to worry about unknown or secret ingredients that you can’t read up on!
2. I don’t drink it on an empty stomach like they recommend on the label. Everyone’s digestive system is different, and like I said, mine is of the delicate sort. So I don’t drink anything sour or acidic on an empty stomach out of principle.
3. When I tried BrainGear the first time, I drank just 1/2 of a bottle. I did not drink any coffee that day or anything else that would change my energy level – and I had very slight jitters. They went away relatively soon (within an hour) and it gave me the effect I was looking for. I would recommend anyone who’s trying it for the first time to start small in terms of quantity. Slowly ease your way into the recommended level of consumption to the one label which is one bottle per day (4.5oz).

How I Make It & Drink It

1. Prep orange slices at home. Freeze them overnight and bring them to work in a tupperware!

2. Find an adult sippy cup (OK fine tumbler!)  like this one you see in the photos, make sure the bottle is glass so it’s see-through and the fruit slices on the inside will show! If you’re like me, beautiful things tend to help good habit stick better. So if your goal is to drink more water throughout the day, which it’s definitely one of my goals, you should get a bottle that supports that habit!

3. If you choose to, find a filler like La Croix sparkling water. Or you can just use water. My addiction with La Croix is serious, guys. It satisfies my soda cravings and has zero calories, like what? How did you not win a Nobel Food Prize?? OK. Right. It doesn’t exist…

4. Pour BrainGear into the bottle and leave it in the fridge for about an hour. Fun fact: BrainGear tastes better when it’s cold! Then, it’s ready for you to drink!

That’s it guys- if you ever do try BrainGear, can you tell me how you like it and how you drink it? I’ll let you in on a secret: I actually started carrying the small bottle with me in my purse. LOL. It almost feels like a flask. When I’m too lazy to make the fancy drink, I’ll just carry the bottle with me take a little sip here and there throughout the day.  I love it!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post How to Stay Engaged & Focused At Work Without Coffee appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Whether you’re flying for work reasons or going home to see family during holiday season, airplane travel is sometimes unavoidable in this day and age. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I travel a decent amount for work as well as leisure. Earlier this year, we’ve discussed how to dress for airplane travels and how to keep your sanity during business trip, Now, I want to share with you my secret weapon, ace up my sleeve, and the one and only method that’s TRIED AND TRUE… my “anti-sickness essentials” kit! 

The truth is that the airplanes that we travel in are filthy, filthy, FILTHY environments. Yes, they filter the air and yes other modes of public transportation are equally filthy. But there’s something about being in close proximity to the screen in front of you (which has been touched, sneezed on, and been in contact with GOD-knows-what), and being in that confined space for more than 5 hours that amplifies the effects of the germs. How many of you always get sick from traveling, especially via air? I know I used to. And with the advice of my genius fiancé, I now carry with me these 5 travel anti-sickness essentials. They have again and again prevented me from catching a cold/flu ever since I started using them religiously.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I happen to use a lot of Target products I think they’re easily found everywhere! Also, I am not a medical professional, nor do I have clinical evidence that these products are the causative agents that keep you from getting sick. These statements are only based on my experience and what has worked for me. 

Let’s look into what they are and what they’re for: 

1)      Hand sanitizer – to keep YOU clean

If you’re the type that is always unconsciously touching your face, rubbing your eyes, picking on that unripe pimple (ew…), you need this hand sanitizer by your side at all times.

I personally sanitize my hands (only when I travel, I have to admit) at least once every 2-3 hours when I’m traveling. That means I’m sanitizing my hands when I come out of the bathroom, when I pass through security when I’ve taken my passport back from the customs people, when I’m settled into my seat on a plane. Basically, whenever my hands have come in contact with other things, I sanitize them right afterwards.

2)      Sanitizing wipes – to keep your environment clean

This is my special weapon against the germs that you’re practically BURIED in when you’re in a plane. Yes, that includes first class. People go to sleep in those luxurious pods, too, don’t be fooled into thinking they’re cleaner! But for most of us, sitting close to the screen in front of you, arms of the chair, the window next to you, you’re being exposed to alllll sorts of germs left behind by the passenger ahead of you. To combat that, the first thing I do after I settle down and buckle up, is that I take out the sanitizing wipe, and just wipe the entire around that my hands could possibly touch. INCLUDING the air vents over your head! This is a good habit to get in wherever you are, truthfully, if you want to develop an anti-sickness lifestyle.

3)      Surgical masks – to prevent breathing in germs

This accessory is not for the faint of heart. And yes, I am recommending it to you poor unfortunate souls who EW ALWAYS getting sick. I am going to be honest in that I very rarely indulge in this practice myself. I tend to do this more on international flights where I am sleep deprived AND buried in germs. Because let’s face it, who’s not going to stare at a person that looks like this?

But trust me when I say that in those dire situations where I was forced to wear the surgical masks, it helped me avoid getting sick and combining this with all the other tricks I’ve shared with you, at the very least, gives you complete peace of mind. So it’s ugly, yes, but it’s also a really effective cold prevention accessory!

4) Immune System Boost – keeping you HEALTHY

I mean, if this supplement basically tastes like carbonated orange juice, why not? That’s how I feel about taking supplements like Airborne or EmergenC. Yes, in most scenarios you are just making your pee more nutritional than normal (most of the extra supplement you take is excreted in urine because your body doesn’t need it) but if it tastes so good and give your immune system a well-deserved boost for cold prevention, just do it!

5) Zinc supplement – nipping a cold in the bud

Despite some controversies about using zinc a remedy, it’s worked for me whenever I’ve felt the early onset of cold symptoms. I take it for about a day or two, and to me it feels like I nipped the cold in the bud. WebMD generally recommends it for shortening the common cold as well.

P.S. Please beware that there are other controversies and side effect of zinc supplement when taken in excess. Educate yourself on these side effects before taking them, and remember: moderation is key!

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I happen to use a lot of Target products I think they’re easily found everywhere! Also, I am not a medical professional, nor do I have clinical evidence that these products are the causative agents that keep you from getting sick. These statements are only based on my experience and what has worked for me.

The post Business Travel Must Have: Anti-Sickness Essentials Kit for Air Travels appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

I think I was lucky. I didn’t start my career in the corporate world until I was 26 because of grad school, so I think I got into the working world a little more matured and a little more ready. Maybe I was more ready to become, shall we say, a #GirlBoss?

But thrown into the midst of the workplace without much experience, I was facing a steep learning curve and some real growing pains. Like my manager told me on the day I started, “Be ready to drink from the fire hose.” She was not exaggerating. And this was how my career in biotech marketing began.

It wasn’t just the workload or the new processes and jargons I had to pick up. It wasn’t even the fact that I was hired to fill a position that required at least 2–3 more years of experience than I had. It was the fact that this is now a new environment where things operate based on completely different rules. I came to learn that the work place is a complex ecosystem with hidden intricacies. From what you casually mention to your boss, what you use as desk decor, to what perfume you are wearing; everything adds to or detracts from your reputation. And reputation, as I’ve come to know, could mean the difference between promotion and layoff, getting visibility and never being noticed, moving on and up and staying static in your position.

So here are a few things that I have learned from 5 years of working in the corporate environment. If I could go back in time and chat with my 25-year-old self, I would tell her:

1. Choose your work friends carefully

Your work friends are people you eat lunch with, seen going on coffee runs with, people that you actually directly work with (which you have less control over), and people that you do happy hour with. This is simple: birds of a feather flock together. If you associate with people that are lazy, overly casual, “loose”, and careless, you will be perceived as the same.

2. Don’t be labeled as “The Young One”

Even if you are the youngest on the team, don’t ever settle for a label as such. Labels like this often come with the association that you lack experience or even skills. Just because you are younger in age, doesn’t mean you don’t have more to offer. Labels like this are also very hard to get out of once you have it.  What’s worse, is that “the young one” is often used as a psychological crutch that hinders people’s growth. Stay away from it, for your development’s sake.

3. Know your core competency, and find ways to make it shine

In the early phase of your employment, try to find out why you were hired. Is it your analytical skills, sales experience, or technical know-how that got you your job? Find it out, and stick to what you are best at. Are you good at Excel? Add data to your presentation. Are you really good with PowerPoint? Create a presentation even when you don’t need to. And in your spare time, develop other missing skills. Not great at presentations? Volunteer to present. Not good at Excel? Find a co-worker who is, and ask nicely or bribe them – do whatever you have to do to have them teach you.

4. Know the job after this one

This doesn’t mean you start looking for the next job as soon as you find one. This means that the job you are interviewing for and preparing for should pave the way for your next one.  Never leave “figuring out what my next thing is” till after you get a job; you should do that prior to your interview. The reason is that so you negotiate terms that allow you to develop skills you are lacking (refer to the last point) and make you more prepared to go for a more senior, but similar position, or switch to a tangential kind of function.

Shoes: Kenneth Cole; similar here, here, here Blazer vest: Chelsea28 x Olivia Palermo; similar here, here, here Bag: Louis Vuitton Bag; similar here, here, here

5. Find a mentor

A good mentor can guide you through uncertain times and difficult decisions. They may have been in your shoes and know the consequences of taking certain directions  But finding a good mentor is not easy. Mentors are not floating around waiting to teach you the ropes or how best to climb the corporate ladder. Mentorships have to be sought out, fostered, and maintained. But mentorships could also come from places you least expect. If you’re lucky, your boss could be your mentor. Or our co-worker could be your mentor. The best mentor is the kind that is personally invested in your development.

Whichever direction you go in to look for a mentor, know to always prepare questions before you meet with your mentor. Your mentorship is as good as you make it out to be. It takes work.

6. Your boss is not your buddy

Don’t get me wrong – friendship can certainly exist between you and your boss. You can even have a friendship outside of work.  Your boss is there to make sure, as a team, you deliver results. Your boss may even be there to motivate you, encourage you, and help the team be efficient. What they’re not required to be, is to be your friend. They may look out for your benefits and crack jokes with you and that would be great, but they’re certainly not obligated to.  The point is to never default your boss to be your friend, or worse, your equal.  Because they are not.

7. If you think you are being underpaid… prove it

Rather than complaining about being underpaid, spend your time investigating your “worth”. Simply put, in the working environment, your “worth” is equal to what an employer is willing to pay you. Different employers may have different opinions. So if you think you are being underpaid, prove it by looking for other jobs and seeing if others are willing to pay you your ideal salary. If you do, you either have found a new employer or solid evidence that you deserve higher pay at your current job. If you don’t find an employer willing to pay you your ideal salary, then maybe it’s time to explore options to enhance your value and skillset, so that eventually you can find offers with your ideal salary.

Top: Zara; similar here, here, here Blazer vest: Chelsea28 x Olivia Palermo; similar here, here, here Bag: Louis Vuitton Bag; similar here, here, here

So what do you think? I used very specific examples that related to my particular experience. Do you have anything else that you’d share with your 25-year-old self if you could go back in time?

The post 7 Pieces of Career Advice I Would Give to My 20-something-Self appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

We always hear about slowing down, prioritizing, meditating, and taking breaks, etc for keeping healthy in general. But changing habits is not an easy task, so something simple and quick is in order…

How about some practical, easy to implement tips to improve your health in the cubicle life, mentally and physically?

1. Keep a pair of sneakers for a short afternoon walk

Athleisure is all the rage now! Go and get yourself a pair of super cute sneakers, or two, or three! (I am definitely guilty of having too many pairs of chic sneakers) Leave them under your desk, and they will do the job of reminding you to take that daily walk outside (or around) your office building! I like to do this around 2:30 or 3, with a cup of newly brewed coffee to go with it.

2. Get a Fitbit

This tip is pretty simple. A mobile electronic device that keeps track of your daily steppage and activity level, and it even yells at you when you are sitting on your butt for too long – how convenient! If you haven’t gotten around looking for one, browse away below!

3. Have a bottle of water within reach, always

Keeping our body hydrated has not only physical benefits and mental benefits. When you take a sip of water, your eyes are away from the screen, you’re moving your body/spine, and you are moving more than you would otherwise!

You can even take it to the next level by preparing bags of frozen fruits to add into your water bottle at work. Check out this Pinterest Board I have created on lots of Fruit Infused water ideas. They are totally fun to try!

Follow Cubicle ‘s board Tips for Healthy Cubicle Life on Pinterest.

4. Snack healthily

This tip is all about preparation, so when temptations roll around, you have strategies in place to fight them! Simply put, stock up on diverse but healthy sets of snack so you don’t fall prey to the birthday cakes, homemade cookies and pies, and unhealthy vending machine munchies!

My favorite is NatureBox. it’s a monthly subscription of healthy snacks if you haven’t heard of them. But other simple things like salted almonds, greek yogurt, popcorn, chia pudding, can all be good substitutes for sugary office treats. Another Pinterest board to inspire you!

Follow Cubicle ‘s board Healthy Office Snacks on Pinterest.

5. Alternate your drink of choice

 Organic Raw is a very common brand that can be easily found at local grocery stores. It’s one of my personal favorites!

If you’re a coffee fiend like me, you are probably all too familiar with the struggle of trying to curb your addiction, only to give in too soon to pedestrian office brewed coffee…

Try switching it up to different kinds of drinks! Japanese matcha green tea, white tea, rooibos, or my new favorite: KOMBUCHA! It’s kind of amazing how much health benefit kombucha provides, and how much energy it provides me in my personal experience.

6. Have an “item of joy” nearby

This is where we get into keeping our mental health in check at work.

Let me explain “item of joy” a bit here, before you jump to conclusions, ahem. What I’m referring to here is anything that brings a smile to your face every single time, instills positive energy in your head, inspires you, or even motivates you! I’ll make it easier… here’s a list of things that are MY items of joy. I think you will get the point!

7. Find inspirations on career improvement sites

This is for dealing with stress related to work issues. Gearing up for a promotion? Have difficulties dealing with a problematic co-worker? Needing to ask for a raise but don’t know how? There are websites chock full of advice, best practices, tips and tricks for dealing with difficult situations in professional settings. At the minimum, they provide peace of mind and let you know you are not over-reacting (or otherwise). Here are a few of my favorite sites:

Career Contessa – Honest conversations by real women about work and life – to help you achieve fulfillment and balance in both.

Punched Clock – Lifestyle articles for becoming a happy, healthy professional and continuing your success outside of work.

Career Girl Daily – Your daily lifestyle guide

8. Have a “person” to go to

If you’re lucky, you already have the image of that person to you in your head as you read this. It may be a co-worker, a mentor, a friend who works in the same company but a different department, who understands context without you having to explain every aspect of a “situation”, should you have one.

Believe it or not, this is very emotionally protective to have a person like this in times of trial. Having someone that “already understands” makes it easier to talk about what you’re experiencing, and they will see your perspectives more easily and readily. Find your “person” if you don’t have one already.

So those are my 8 tips for keeping a healthy Cubicle Life. What are your thoughts? Do you have more tips to share with me? Leave comments below and let me know!

All opinions are mine. This blog is being sponsored by Sodexo, global leader in Quality of Life Services (www.Sodexo.com)

The post 8 Practical Tips for Keeping a Healthy Cubicle Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.