8 Affordable Campus to Corporate Looks

Thank you to Kohl’s for sponsoring this post, and thank you for supporting the brands that make Dani Dearest possible!

During my 3rd year of college, I landed an internship at a large corporate publishing company. One of my first thoughts after accepting the job offer was “I need a new wardrobe, I need professional clothes.”

My wardrobe consisted of t-shirts, jeans, sneakers, and sundresses… not exactly considered professional attire.

Since I was on a college student’s budget, I had to be selective in the professional items that I did purchase, and I had to find creative ways to incorporate clothes that I already owned and clothes that I could also wear to class into my professional wardrobe to save money.

Kohl’s was my first stop. With incredibly affordable styles and great sales, their Junior’s department is perfect for any college student, no matter if you’re looking to add to your lecture hall outfits or start a professional wardrobe like me.

Through working and going to classes, I learned the value of being able to quickly transition my outfits from classroom to professional with a few simple changes to save time and money.

Today I’ve partnered with Kohl’s to show you how their SO clothing line is full of stylish and versatile items that you can easily wear in the classroom, alter slightly, and then go rock it in the corporate world. Read More!

How to Have a Productive Week Off Work

Today Anthony is back with a great post helping those of you who may not be working full-time right now to be productive and make the most of your days off of work. Anthony's work schedule changes drastically each week, and this post helps to give insight into what he does on his days off to make sure he stays ahead!

For those working a full time 9-5 Salaried position a full week off sounds like heaven, but for those of us working hourly, party time, or seasonal work a full week off can really hurt you. My job schedule is a unique one, sometimes I’ll work three 70 hour work weeks in a row and sometimes I’m lucky to get one four-hour shift. We call it feast and famine – unpredictable and quite often frustrating, but I love the work.

…I may or may not be writing this on my 2nd of 9 days off but that’s irrelevant. 😉

Here’s how I make those unexpected days off productive:

5 Things I Learned Moving From Boston To Los Angeles

Today's post is another great guest post from another great person who is very near and dear to my heart - my best friend Sara! Sara and I met 2 years ago, shortly after she moved across the country from Boston to LA, and we instantly clicked. We ended up walking together at graduation, and we recently launched our own podcast, The Quarter Life Crisis Club. Sara is here today to share her tips on moving cross-country, some great things to keep in mind if you are planning a move soon. Enjoy!

Hi! I’m Sara, Dani’s friend and co-host of The Quarter Life Crisis Club.

I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, but moved to the Los Angeles area in 2016 to pursue a degree in marketing and to close the gap between myself and my long-distance boyfriend of 3 years (at the time, now 6.5 years :)).

Moving cross-country was a huge decision, but I’m so glad I did it, and I learned a few valuable things along the way.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 most important things I learned when I moved across the country. Read More!

Introducing: The Quarter Life Crisis Podcast

The Perfect Podcast For Your 20’s

A little over a year ago, I graduated from college and started working full time. This last year has been a whirlwind of change for me, and it keeps getting faster and more complicated to navigate… as it does for anyone in their 20’s. From navigating career growth, relationships, and finances to complicated life lessons such as car accidents, moving on your own, and dealing with rejection, there is a lot to learn at this step in our lives.

Throughout the last nearly 4 years since I started Dani Dearest, we’ve grown together in all aspects of our lives, and continue to do so as we start to step into this new territory of “adulting.”

A little while ago I asked you to take a survey and let me know where you’re at in your life, what your goals were for the next 2-3 years, what you’re struggling with right now, and what you want me to help you with. You answered and I listened.

You want to find and step onto your career path, become financially independent, and feel happy. Some of you want to graduate from grad school, some of you want to move across the country, and some of you want to get married. Some of you want to build your own business, some of you want to land your dream job, and some of you want to travel the world.

Throughout everything you said, there was one major consistency: Learning.

Learning how to budget, how to get healthy, how to nail a job interview, how to plan a wedding, how to travel frugally, how to make friends outside of school, and even learning more about me (how cool is that!?)

Dani Dearest is going to continue to be your source to learn, grow, and excel in your life and studies – like we’ve always been – but today I’m excited to offer you something more.

When thinking about what you are struggling with and want to learn about, I thought “what do I do when I am struggling with something?” My answer? Talk with my best friend, Sara. Sara and I are at very similar places in our lives, and when we’re dealing with something we sit down and talk it out for hours to find the best solution way to navigate through it. Afterall, that’s what best friends are for.

Your 20’s can often feel like you’re experiencing a Quarter Life Crisis – feeling stuck, unsure, and like you’re waiting for your life to begin. That’s why nearly a year ago I launched the Quarter Life Crisis Club Facebook Community: a place where women in their quarter life crises can connect, share, seek advice, and help others. A few months later, my friend Sara joined as my co-owner of this group, and it gave us an idea. Read More!

Traveling on a Budget

Today's post is a guest post is about traveling on a budget and is brought to you by my boyfriend, Anthony. 
Anthony and I have successfully gone on numerous vacations while staying to a strict budget, helping us save a ton of money to prepare for our futures. Today, Anthony is sharing his frugal vacationing/travelling tips with all of you!

When thinking about traveling or going on a vacation, it’s easy to worry about the large amount of money which it can cost. As someone who lives frugally, this is something that’s constantly on my mind. Recently, I have learned how to unlock the secrets to traveling on a budget.

However, over the years, Dani and I have discovered how to travel and take simple vacations on a budget!

While the first step to being able to take a vacation on a budget is identifying the budget and the amount that you would like to stay under – how do you make sure that you’re able to enjoy yourself while not going over or stressing about your budget?

Here are some tips to getting in those vacations for cheap.
Read More!