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Category: Health

How my IUD has Helped my Endometriosis

Happy February!

I realized the other day that I’ve now had my Mirena IUD for over a year – I don’t remember the exact date I got it, just that it was sometime in January of 2017. A lot of my friends and coworkers have an IUD or are thinking about getting one, and I thought I would talk about it on my blog since I’ve mentioned that I have endometriosis in previous posts.

IUD + Endometriosis Back Story

Let’s start out in the beginning: when I first found out that I had endometriosis I was 14 or 15 (how has it been that long?!), and my family and I had absolutely no idea what that diagnosis meant. The months following my diagnosis were filled with countless doctor visits, ultra sounds, and even surgery, and finally a treatment plan. I was on birth control pills for about five years before my new gynecologist mentioned I should get an IUD, or at least read more about them.

From my understanding, IUD’s were only for women who had already had children, especially since my own mother had gotten one just a couple of years prior. After reading up on them, I realized many women my age – I was 20 at the time – were getting them and foregoing other birth control methods. I was interested, but after years of being poked and prodded, the last thing I wanted was to have a painful IUD insertion. Honestly, I’ve been in and out of the hospital so many times as a kid, so I’m generally a trooper, but if you have endometriosis, you understand that you can be in so much pain already so the thought of adding even more can be daunting.

The whole reason my doctor wanted me to switch to an IUD was because I get blind migraines, or aura migraines as they’re sometimes called. It basically means when I get migraines, all it looks like I can see is the classic “ant screen” on old TV’s – all gray and fuzzy. The first time I got one I was terrified I was going blind, but now I can recognize the warning signs and I’m able to get myself somewhere, hopefully my bed, and just sleep off the aura part.

Apparently this puts me at higher risk for strokes when on birth control pills, so my doctor really wanted me to switch to a different birth control method, like an IUD, to reduce that risk. Of course I wanted to be safe, so after a couple of months of thinking, I decided to give the IUD a shot.

I’m not going to lie, the insertion process was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was a baby and had to have my mom in the room with me to hold my hand, and asked the doctor for anti-anxiety medicine to help me calm down. My doctor was really sweet and talked me through the whole process, and continuously checked to make sure I was okay.

Honestly, the pain afterwards once the numbing gel wore off was the worst. I unfortunately cannot take ibuprofen because of a severe allergy, so tylenol was all I could have and it definitely wasn’t strong enough. I had extreme cramps for several days afterwards, and I’m wondering if it’s because I have endometriosis that I had such a terrible experience the entire week after I got the IUD put in. My friends who have IUD’s say that they only really had pain a day or two afterwards, but for me, I had cramping much longer than that.

My parents were absolute saints and made a ton of food for me to have for leftovers at my apartment, so the “healing” process was a little bit better. Like I said earlier, it took about a week to start to feel normal again, and for about 8 months I didn’t have a regular period cycle, just spotting every now and then.

In September, right in the middle of my vacation to Disneyland, actually, I got a full blown period. It came out of nowhere, and the cramps were awful. It lasted for about two weeks, and in October and November I had a two week period for each month, again with terrible cramps. In December and earlier this month, I had more of a “regular” period that lasted about 10 days, but still with terrible cramps. My doctor said this was all normal and probably just my body getting back on a regular cycle again. I honestly don’t mind the periods since I didn’t have one for about five years while on birth control pills. I guess we’ll see how February goes!

Looking Back on the Past Year

As far as how my IUD has affected my endometriosis, it’s helped a lot. I haven’t gotten any cysts that didn’t resolve themselves, they’ve all gone away with time. While I have had horrible cramps again (I had forgotten how bad mine are!), I’m used to it and my cycle seems to be getting more regular. It’s nice to not have to remember to take a pill at the same time everyday, something that I was terrible at before.

I am a bit of a paranoid person, so I went into my doctor’s office to get my IUD checked out when I started getting my period again. They did an ultrasound to make sure it was in place, and they found no problems with it. I check the strings every month, something I was initially scared to do, (I don’t know why) and it’s nice to have that reassurance that it’s still in place.

My IUD has been great in regulating my endometriosis, and I’m glad to have found a method that doesn’t put me at a higher risk for stroke, as many people I’m sure would be! If you have endometriosis, or just want a different birth control method, I highly recommend getting an IUD. While it sucks at first, and is really painful to get, the benefits far outweigh that part. I definitely do have a love hate relationship with it since I get pretty bad cramps again, but that also just comes with having endometriosis and is something I’m used to.

Getting an IUD is not for everyone, and you should definitely talk to your doctor extensively before getting one. Everybody reacts differently to different things, and not a single solution works for every woman’s endometriosis. I’m not saying an IUD is the end-all cure-all to endometriosis, but I just wanted to share how it’s helped mine. If you do end up getting one, I hope that it helps!
Do you have an IUD? If so, what’s been your experience?

5 Ways to Start the School Year in a Great Mental State

Mental health is a hot topic among college students – mainly because so many struggle with keeping up with it. College is a super exciting time, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed when it starts to get busy. In order to avoid all of that, here are…

….five tips to get the year started right and stay on top of your mental health!

1. Make sure you have a planner or organizational system that works for you

Oftentimes, a huge part of stress is feeling underprepared and unorganized. Avoid this by getting a planner (or starting a bullet journal!), or putting together an organized system in place so you can stay on top of everything you have going on, and all of your school work! This is also a great idea if you have a job and are going to school full time – it’s super easy to get overwhelmed, and consequently your mental health will suffer, which is what we don’t want to happen!
5 Ways to Start the School Year in a Great Mental State

2. Get enough sleep!

If you’ve followed my blog for a while now, you know that I throw this tip in whenever I can. I truly believe you feel so much better when you get plenty of rest. Your brain is more awake, your body feels better, and your overall health is better both short and longterm. Anyone who knows me can attest to how much I love my sleep – whenever I can, I get in a quick nap and I’m seriously transformed into a new person. I really cannot function on less than seven hours, which is bad since I sometimes don’t get a lot of sleep during the night, but I remedy this by taking naps! If you can’t get a full eight hours of sleep, try your hardest to take naps throughout the day!
5 Ways to Start the School Year in a Great Mental State

3. Have a relaxing outlet

We all have interests and things we love doing, so make sure to actually make time to do them! If you have a favorite tv show, carve out an hour to watch it during the day, or read a book while you eat breakfast. I help keep my mind at ease by working out everyday, and reading during meals when I can. Of course I love to slip in episodes of New Girl, Criminal Minds, or Game of Thrones of course when it’s finally on. Keep up with this, though, to give your brain a break! Having fun is also important, so break up those study sessions with something you love doing.
5 Ways to Start the School Year in a Great Mental State

4. Spend time with people who make you happy

Keeping up with friends can be hard in college, especially if you’re living off campus after freshman year, because you all aren’t next door neighbors anymore. Try and hang out with people who make you laugh so you can just relax and not worry about anything but taking the newest Harry Pottter/GOT/Disney quiz from Buzzfeed. Alternatively, you can also study with them or do homework, so you’re getting work done and having fun.
5 Ways to Start the School Year in a Great Mental State

5. Get outside

REI is really moving in the right direction with their “Opt Outside” movement on Black Friday: it’s important to get outside and get some fresh air every once in a while. Go on a hike with friends, go for a walk, or just sit outside and do homework. I find I feel a lot better after being outside for a little bit, and my head feels a lot clearer. Hiking is also one of my favorite things to do, so I always feel better after I’ve spent a couple of hours getting out of the city.

How to Succeed in College: Mental Health

Stress, anxiety, and depression affect so many people, and it’s extremely prevalent in college students. I’m sure if you’re a college student, or have been before, you completely understand why. Between classes, homework, studying, and trying to have fun, it’s easy to not make your mental health a priority. Going into college, I definitely underestimated how much stress I would be under and how it would affect me. I’ve always been a pretty anxious person, but college definitely made it a lot harder to deal with.

Through all of this, though, I learned how to become stronger, and how to calm myself down when it all gets to be a little too much. I also learned how important it is to make sure you are not only physically healthy, but mentally healthy. Mental health is something that more and more people are talking about, but there’s still stigma surrounding it, especially when many college students want to appear as if they are just fine at balancing everything in their lives. It’s also really important to talk about right now with the popularity of 13 Reasons Why!

In my new series, How to Succeed in College, I knew I wanted to do a post all about mental health, so here it is! I’ll be giving you my tips on how to make sure your mental health isn’t suffering, and how to not let the stress of college get to you too much.

You can also watch my video about it here!

Preventative Measures
1. Try and organize your schedule as much as possible.
If you read my last post in this series, Balancing Work, Classes, and Fun, you know how organized I like to keep my schedule. I can’t stress how helpful this is; if you’re anxious like I am, it’s nice to know what I have to do, when I have to do it, and where. There’s no worse feeling than thinking you’re forgetting something, because that just makes you worry even more than you probably already are. Getting a planner and writing your schedule down in it is super helpful, as well as keeping track of work, assignments, tests, and due dates. I usually have my planner with me, and I also use Google calendar so I have my schedule on my phone for the times I don’t have my planner.
2. Try and get assignments done early, as well as study early.
This is so much easier said than done while in college. Chances are if you aren’t doing homework or studying, you’re working or in class. When you’re struggling with your mental health, though, it’s nice to get things done early so you have time to focus on relaxing and unwinding from the day. I’ve been trying to do this lately, and it’s really made a difference on the amount of stress I put on myself. When I get my assignments done a couple of days before they’re due, I have ample time to look over them and change things if need be, as well as be at ease that I won’t be missing a deadline.
3. Get enough sleep.
Again, this is a lot easier said than done in college, but trust me it helps a lot. When I’m tired I’m so much more cranky and can’t focus on the tasks at hand, and my mind feels like it’s in 1,000 places at once. I like to try and get at least 8 hours of sleep per night, but that hardly ever happens. When I at least get 7 I can function a lot better, but a lot of times this is difficult to do. If you find that it’s hard to have time to sleep for 8 hours, try and take a short nap during the day, to do a mini reset on your mind. This helps me a lot, because I’m able to focus more on the homework I have to get done, instead of yawning the whole time.
4. Workout as much as possible.
I feel like I mention working out in any of my “wellness” posts, but that’s only because it helps me so much. When I workout everyday, my mind is able to focus so much better, and I’m just a generally happier person. My parents joke that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed if I don’t workout in the mornings when I’m home for breaks, which is probably true. I get so cranky when I don’t workout because I feel so much more anxious during the day; being able to clear my head for an hour in the morning and only focus on my workout and how I’m physically feeling is so wonderful. I’m not worrying about anything else in my life because I’m so focused on the task at hand and my mind is occupied. 
What to do When You Feel Overwhelmed
1. Get your mind off of what you’re stressing about.
When you’re extremely stressed out or are feeling overwhelmed, it’s really important to give your mind a break. This can be hard to do, because you feel like if you stop stressing about something, or stop focussing on it you’ll fall behind in some way. If you give yourself a break, though, and focus on something else, you’ll feel a lot better. Read a good book, take a nap, watch TV, anything that helps you relax. This will give your mind a small reset, and you’ll most likely have a different perspective on the issue you were facing before. I end up doing this all the time – I’ll stress and stress about something, and force myself to get my mind off of it for a while, and when I go back to the thing that was stressing me out, I find that it’s much more manageable because my view on it has changed. It’s no longer as scary or overwhelming, and I feel like I can actually solve the problem, or get it done if it’s a task.
2. Talk it out.
It can be hard to talk about the things that are stressing you out, but it can also be extremely helpful. Whenever I feel like I have about 5,000 things going on at once, I call my parents or talk to my friends about what’s stressing me out. I don’t know if it’s them giving me advice, or just the fact of me talking through my anxiety that is most helpful, but either way it ends up making me feel a lot better. They offer a new perspective, and my parents are especially good at helping me feel less anxious since they have almost 21 years of experience with talking me down from my stress. Try it at least once; talk to your friends when you’re freaked out over tests, or are just generally really stressed out, because chances are they feel the same way, or have in the past, and can probably offer some great advice.
3. Get some fresh air.
Feeling anxious, depressed, or just generally unwell can make you feel like you’re cramped. I know I always feel like this when I’m feeling especially anxious, and I have found that getting outside and getting some fresh air helps leaps and bounds. Being in a large open area helps stop the feeling of being swallowed up by both my stress and whatever room I’m in, and it also helps to clear my air. Even if you aren’t a super outdoorsy person, getting fresh air can be great for helping you feel better. You’ll most likely be able to get your mind off of the stress, even for just a couple of minutes, and it will help change your perspective.


4. Change your scenery.
Similar to the last point, getting out of the space you’re in can also help change your state of mind. If you’ve been studying (and probably stressing) in the library forever, or your own room, try and go somewhere else. This will stimulate your mind in different ways, and sometimes it’s just great to have a different view. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in anxiety, stress, and depression when you’ve been sitting in the same place forever, or if you are always in the same space day in and day out. Switching up the place where you spend most of your time can be really helpful. Your mind has muscle memory, and you’ll start associating a certain place with certain emotions, so if you tend to feel anxiety or especially depressed in one place, try and go somewhere else.
5. Laugh.
This seems obvious, or even a little ridiculous, but I can’t tell you how much it can help. One of my professors who has a doctorate in psychology told my class that even just smiling at yourself in the mirror can help you feel happier, so try this out. You will feel absolutely ridiculous at first, but it truly does help. Trick your brain into thinking you are happy – it actually does work – and you will feel less anxious. Watching a show that you know makes you laugh, or talking to people who always makes you laugh will help you to get out of your head and just have a good laugh.
6. Make some art, or do something else you love.
For me, watercolor is something that immediately sets my mind at ease. It’s relaxing, and makes me focus purely on creating, something that I love to do. Art is extremely relaxing, and it doesn’t matter if you have a lot of experience, or none at all. When you’re stressed or anxious, get some paper, paint (or pens if you don’t have paint) and just create. This puts your mind at ease, and trying to think of something to paint or draw will take your mind off of whatever is causing your uneasy mind. If art really isn’t your thing, then do something else that you love and relaxes you. As long as it makes you happy, it will make you feel even a little bit better.
Mental health can be hard to balance and handle while in college. It’s extremely important to take care of yourself, and treat yourself kindly when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or just generally unwell. While all of these tips are great for helping you deal with stress and anxiety, if you ever feel like hurting yourself, or you see someone you care about harming themselves, reach out for help. There is no shame in needing to talk to a professional, or take medication that helps you control any sort of mental health struggle. Resources like Suicide Prevention LifelineCrisis Clinic, or The Trevor Project are all great organizations to contact if you feel like it is an emergency.

I hope you are having a wonderful day, and remember that you are worth it 

How to Succeed in College: Balancing Work, Classes, and Fun

As I’m sure you know, I am a junior in college, and lately it feels like it’s flying by. This year I have felt a definite shift in how busy I am and the work load I have for classes; things are starting to get serious, and while it’s very scary, it’s also pretty exciting. I’m starting to figure out what I want in life, and I feel like I’m finally getting a feel for balancing my life with everything that is in it – classes, work, clubs, and a social life. Because of this, I thought it would be fun to do a whole series about it on my blog, especially since there are a lot of people starting to think about their first year in college in September!

For the first post I’ll be talking about how to balance your schedule, especially if you have a part-time job and want to have time for studying and having fun. It can be difficult, but it can definitely be done. Here’s a couple of tips on how to get done, and what I do to keep my schedule balanced!

1. Get a planner and write in it religiously.
I’m sure you’ve seen those people in your classes who whip out their planners anytime the professor mentions any sort of date, but let me tell you, those people are ahead of the game. During my junior year of high school I started using my planner more, and once I got to college I made it a point to write everything down in it, because it helped me figure out the times I would be working, studying, going to class, or hanging out with friends. It can be difficult to remember to write everything down in your planner, but once it becomes a habit, you won’t think twice about writing all your important dates down in it. I also like to sit down on Sunday or Monday and write down my work schedule and any other time commitments in my planner so I already have those dates in my head and I don’t forget anything. This also makes it a lot easier to figure out the free time I have to have fun!

2. Additionally, make a to-do list for the week in your planner, or another notebook.
Whether those involve homework goals, errands you have needed to run for weeks now, or groceries you need to buy, this is super helpful for getting things done. It can be so easy to forget to get tasks done in college because you’re extremely busy, but I find doing this helps to make sure I don’t accidentally miss a due date for a class, or get swamped in random things I’ve needed to get done for weeks. This is also great to write down anything you need to get done for work, or anything you can do in advance to help clear up your schedule later.

3. Dedicate a certain amount of time to each part of your life.
Blocking off time for things like studying, doing homework, or having fun can be extremely helpful for balancing all areas of your life. This helps break your life up into a routine that will get more and more natural over time, so you’re able to do all of the things that you want to do, while still getting the things you need to do, done. For me, I make sure I spend the time I have between classes doing homework, and if I don’t have any to do, I will usually call my parents to make sure they know I am alive and well. I also usually have a lot of time during work to study (it’s a campus job, so it’s more geared towards students, which is really nice!), so I know that I’ll get a lot of that done during my shifts throughout the week. After work I give myself some de-stressing time, and will usually watch something like Friends or Parks and Rec – something that doesn’t need a lot of attention. It’s so important to give yourself these structured times to get things done, that way you know you’ll have time to give yourself a break both mentally and physically.

4. If you’re looking to get a job, try and find a campus job.
Getting a campus job is super helpful for students, because oftentimes your boss understands that sometimes you’ll have to have a shift covered due to class conflicts, midterms, or just needing more time for studying. My boss gives us all dead week off in order to have ample time to study, and so we don’t have to worry about devoting too much time to work rather than doing homework and such. This really helps alleviate stress during a usually high-stress time, and it’s great to be surrounded by other students who also understand, and can cover a shift when you need it. Also with campus jobs, usually you have lots of time to do homework and study during the shifts, because they’re usually desk jobs, secretary work, or front desk/welcoming positions. This makes it easy to get two things done at once – you’re able to work and earn money while also getting work done for classes.

5. Communicate your class schedule to your boss clearly and early – school comes first!
Around the time of registration, my boss asks for all of the class schedules of the student employees in order to make sure there are no time conflicts. She understands that school comes first for all of us, so she wants to help us have the time to not only have time for classes, but work and still be able to finish all of our homework. It’s really important to communicate to your boss the time that you know you will not be able to work, rather than telling him or her later on that you can’t come in for a shift. No one likes it when a person cancels suddenly, because all of your coworkers have to scramble in order to get the shift covered, and there isn’t always someone who can cover the shift. If you have any other time commitments, like club meetings, make sure to also tell your boss so you know you’ll be able to go to those.

6. Hold yourself accountable.
Don’t slack off on homework time, or sacrifice it constantly for hanging out with friends. Yes, being social is important for your mental health, but if you find yourself always having fun and slacking off on classes, you have a problem. It’s important to always put school first because you’re there to get an education, and are most likely paying a lot of money for it. If you want to spend more time with friends but still get work done, you can have study dates, go to the library with friends, hang out at a coffee shop while studying, or hang out at one another’s houses/apartments in order to do homework together. Doing this can actually motivate you to actually do homework, especially if you’re surrounded by people who are getting work done as well.


7. But also understand that sometimes you just need a break.
At the end of the day, it’s really important to check in with yourself and see how you’re doing. If you feel like you’re absolutely drowning in tasks, or are feeling extremely overwhelmed take a break. This can be hard to do when you’re super busy, but it can make you feel better mentally and physically, so in the long run it’s highly beneficial. When you feel good, you can do good. Take a nap, take a bath, read a good book, or watch some Netflix in order to de-stress; give yourself the time you need to recuperate, so that you’re able to go back and tackle homework and other tasks with full energy.

Alright, those are my tips on how to balance your work, classes, and fun! It’s important to do this to stay both happy and healthy, but it can be so hard in college. I hope these tips helped, and that you’re able to figure your schedule out!

How do you balance your life?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

How My Fitbit Keeps Me Motivated | Fit Friday

It is once again Friday (did this week fly by or what?) and I have another Fit Friday post! I have really been loving doing these because I’ve been super motivated with fitness for the past couple of years. I always swam and danced as a kid, so when I got to college I really wanted to make sure that I stayed fit. This meant I would have to learn how to use the gym – I never had to use it before because I always had my sports to keep me in shape. It can be hard to get up every single morning to go and work out, but it’s definitely worth it when you feel energized and happy afterwards.

Because it can be hard to stay on track, I love to use my Fitbit Surge to keep me motivated! I am the kind of person who is really self-motivated and goal-oriented, so I love beating my own personal records from my Fitbit. Since my Fitbit keeps track of my daily steps, my first goal is to get to 10,000, and then I like to try and beat my previous day’s steps. This keeps me constantly in motion, and really helps to keep my day on track!
I workout everyday but Friday (it’s important to have a rest day!) and I use my Fitbit to keep track of my exercise. I run about three miles, and then do workouts for my abs, legs, upper body, etc., depending on what day it is. It’s really cool to see how I am progressing with how fast my miles are, if I run a little bit farther, and how many calories I burn. The calories part I tend to focus less on because it isn’t the reason why I work out; I like to stay in shape because I like how I feel mentally and physically when my body is at its best. Staying in shape allows me to stay motivated in all aspects of my life, gives me energy, and makes me a whole lot more happy!

There are also a ton of settings that Fitbit’s have, so I can choose which activity I’m doing in order for my Fitbit to better track my heart rate, and other stats. This is so helpful for when I’m running, doing general workouts, biking, or doing yoga! I have been doing a lot of different kinds of exercise so it’s awesome to have all of the different settings to choose from so I can best track my workouts. It’s cool to compare all of my workouts, too, and compare how I feel physically to all of the stats.

During my workouts, my Fitbit tracks my heart rate, which is really important. I can make sure my heart rate isn’t too high, and that I’m not pushing myself too hard. It’s also great to look back on and compare all of my workouts of the week, and see where I can improve upon. It’s also important to know what your maximum heart rate is for your age so you don’t exert your heart too much. My Fitbit helps me with this, since it tells you what your peak heart rate during a workout is, and displays your heart rate in charts and graphs, so you can easily track your progress throughout a workout.
One feature I really love is the “Free Run” selection, because it tracks my location through GPS, and tells me how far I’ve ran and all that. It also does this on the treadmill, and lets me know my mile splits. All of the sub-sections under “Run” are really great and useful to use, and are designed really well! Under “Exercise” there are a lot of sub-sections as well, and the “Hiking” selection tracks your location through GPS like the running one, so it let’s you know how far you’ve hiked! I really love that feature since I go hiking a lot with my friends.
Fitbits also track your heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, and miles walked throughout the day, so it’s fun to see your stats at the end of the day. You can swipe through all of the stats right on the Fitbit screen, so you can track them during the whole day. I track my steps more than I care to admit, because I really like hitting that 10,000 step marker. Your Fitbit vibrates like a mini-celebration once you’ve hit 10,000 steps, so it makes you feel very accomplished haha.

The regular clock display is also really cool, because it’s a visual representation of your heart rate throughout the hour. As you can see in the photo above, my heart was really going at the beginning of the hour because I was walking back from class, and then it slowed down to my resting rate once I got back to my dorm. That feature is really cool to me, because I love seeing how my heart rate has differed throughout the hour without opening the Fitbit app on my phone.
All in all, I am pretty much addicted to my Fitbit, which I’m perfectly fine with. It keeps me motivated, which helps me stay on top of my workouts, and by extension, my fitness and wellbeing. Being in shape is important to me because I feel more energized, and I am able to do so much. Taking care of your body is a great way to love yourself, which you guys know I am all about. With my immune system being so terrible as well, staying in shape helps it out a little bit so it can fight off pesky colds more quickly.

Have you ever used a fitness tracker?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

Product Empties!

I am the type of person who gets very set in her ways; I literally eat the same breakfast – oatmeal with peanut butter and dried blueberries – and lunch – greek yogurt parfait with strawberries and blueberries – every. Single. Day. I don’t get tired of it, and usually I end up eating the same dinner on most days, which is either quinoa or rice, edamame or some other type of veggie, and fake chicken (which is so delicious, let me tell you). Beauty products are no different; once I find something that I like, I tend to use it for years and never switch. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, especially since I have such sensitive skin, but it’s something that I’ve noticed lately! I mean, if it ain’t broke why fix it, right?
As I’ve been running out of a lot of my favorite products lately, I decided to keep the empty containers so I could do my first empties post and video! I’ve seen so many other bloggers and YouTubers do these, and I love watching them, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to do them for myself. I adore all of these products – except for one, which we will get into a little later in this post – so I have a lot to say about them!

Make sure and check out the video I did on this, too!

I have used this face moisturizer for a long time, we’re talking like two years. First Aid Beauty used to have just a daily face moisturizer, which I actually liked better than this ultra repair one, but they got rid of it a couple of months ago, and I don’t really know why. It was the perfect amount of moisture for my skin, and this one, I’ve found, is a little too much for my skin. Due to that, I decided to get a different face lotion since I’ve used this one forever, and also because I felt like my face needed something different.

I told you guys about this body lotion in my Keratosis Pilaris post, and I love it so much! It really helps with my KP, and it’s just generally a really great moisturizer. It doesn’t have a smell, which is also really nice for my sensitive skin. I use it right after I get out of the shower, all over my body, and I’m good to go for the rest of the day. Even though it’s meant to help KP, it’s also a really great lotion for your whole body.

This has been my go-to B.B. cream for at least a year now! It works really great with my skin, and has a very slight shimmer that gives my skin a nice glow. It also has SPF 27 which is great to have in order to protect your skin from the sun! I don’t know how much I actually buy into the whole “self-adjusting shade for all skin types” selling point, but the color does match my skin, regardless. It blends in really nicely, and provides a great base for the rest of my makeup, like concealer and bronzer.

Okay, this stuff smells amazing, to the point where I want to bottle up the scent and use it as my perfume. It’s really great for the ends of my hair, which is good since that’s what it’s actually meant to be used for haha. I use about a dime size pump of the cream and put it into the ends of my hair on the days that I wash it – which is every other day. This helps keep the ends of my hair healthy and moisturized, two things that are very important since I color my hair.

I have expressed my love for Tarte before, and this is my favorite mascara! Not only does it make my lashes look great, but it’s supposed to be good for them as well. I actually do think that it helps the general health of your lashes, and helps to condition them. My eyelashes aren’t picky at all when it comes to mascara, however, I found this one and I haven’t felt the need to try any other brands since it works so well! It’s also a huge plus that it’s from Tarte, because as I have preached before, it is a great beauty brand and doesn’t test on animals. The wooden package is also really cool, and environmentally friendly! Yay sustainability!

Usually I get the makeup removing wipes from Burt’s Bees, but this last time I didn’t have time to run to Target, and I was in desperate need for something. I knew that the little District Market on campus had these Yes to Cucumbers facial wipes, so I thought they would be fine to grab. About a week into using these, my face started to get a small rash, and these wipes slightly burned while I used them. In the end, these really messed up my skin because I had a pretty big rash on my cheek, and they just generally stung my face and were pretty abrasive. I thought they would be really nice, because they smelled so fresh, but they were truly terrible for my skin, and it took it a good week to recover from them!

I’m so glad I remembered to not recycle all of these containers after I used them, so I could do my first empties post and video! It felt oddly liberating to recycle all of them at once, and I also enjoyed reflecting back on what I like, wanted to change, and what products I didn’t like at all after using them. I really hope you guys enjoyed this post, and hopefully I’ll remember to do more in the future!

What products have you been using lately?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

Why I Stand With Kesha

I have been sick now for the last couple of weeks, and somehow got worse again this weekend, so I’m finally going to the doctor tomorrow. Winter is definitely the worst season for health! I hope you are all powering through this rough flu season with plenty of orange juice.
Today I wanted to talk about something that I am sure you have all heard about: the Kesha court case. I think it is so horrible that in today’s world, a woman still has to work with a man who abused her after she spoke out about it, and made it known to a judge. The fact that our society gets to “judge” whether or not a woman actually got raped is scary; we should never make a woman who was abused in any way feel like her experience is not valid. The way some women are treated after they are raped is horrible, too. They should not be looked down upon in any way, be blamed for what happened to them by another person, or lose any of their merit in regards to their professional life or career.

It is heartbreaking to hear sayings like “she was asking for it,” or “well, dressed like that, what did she expect?” Women should now be blamed for actions that are done to them without their consent. It does not matter in the slightest what they are wearing, no means no. Just because a woman is wearing a mini-skirt and a tank top, as opposed to head-to-toe clothing, does not in any way constitute them being asked to be raped. The fact that I, and every single woman, have to question our outfits as being “acceptable” or not too risqué, shows just how wrong our society is in the way in which women are viewed, and have to act in order to protect themselves.
It is also incredibly sad that women do not feel safe while walking home alone in the dark. It is natural for us to have at least one other person with us in order to feel safe, and even then, will cross the street if there is a group of guys making sexual remarks to us, just to be safe. My parents never had to worry as much about my brother being raped, or assaulted in any other way, as much as they did (and still do!) about me. The fact that their worries are extremely valid is the most sobering part. When I went out in high school, it was expected that I would send them quick updates throughout the night telling them where I was, my expected time of arrival back home, and if I had any problems with anything. Their concern comes out of a place of love, which I appreciate greatly, but it is also sad that they had to worry so much about letting their daughter go anywhere only with friends. Even my older brother (read: overprotective older brother) worried about me going out when we were younger, and still does with me being at college. My parents were also super anxious about me going to college, because they wouldn’t be there to constantly know my whereabouts, but we talk everyday which allows them a little (tiny) bit of relief.
Back to the Kesha case, it is tragic that she is going to be forced to work with a man who abused her, and that she can’t do much of anything about it. No woman deserves that. The fact that a judge gets to decide whether or not she can break her contract after she was sexually abused by the man is also terrible. It should not be up to debate; because she was abused by this man, Kesha has every right to break it.

I have never posted anything like this on my blog before, but I think it is a super important topic that everyone should be talking about. The Kesha case is just one of many, and though it is really well-known right now because she is a celebrity, it is bringing a lot of awareness to the disparities women still face today, especially in regards to rape and sexism.

Do you stand with Kesha?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

The Importance of Yoga and De-Stressing | Fit Friday

Ahhh, let us all have a collective sigh of relief that it is finally Friday, and that we all have some much needed R&R time. It seems like the weeks get busier and busier as I get farther into college, so weekends are definitely a small blessing in the endless sea of work, tests, and papers. For today’s post, I thought it would be a great idea to talk about de-stressing, and how I do that through yoga. I have been doing yoga a lot lately, and I always feel so fantastic afterwards!

College can be super stressful, and it’s difficult to find time to actually unwind and relax. Whenever I do find time to do nothing, I always feel guilty and like I could be doing something productive. It is a never-ending vicious cycle, and one that makes de-stressing very hard!

There’s a club at my university that is $5 for the whole quarter of yoga, so it’s basically unlimited yoga classes! It’s pretty amazing, and the classes are great because they have fantastic yoga instructors. I have done yoga here and there in the past, but never consistently, and ohmygosh does it do wonders for your body and mind! During the classes, I can feel myself relax into a place where I don’t think of anything else but what I am doing in the current moment. It’s calming as well, which is fantastic for my anxiety.

It can be really hard to be present in the current situation at hand; we are always so worried about the future, and how we handled the past, that we forget to live in the now. This is so important to do, however, because your whole life will pass you by without you even knowing it. Living in the moment is one of my goals this year, because I want to make sure I am making the most out of everyday. I am so guilty of worrying about the future to the point where I’m not even paying attention to the present. Yoga has really put that into perspective for me, because it makes you focus on the here and now.

Okay, I just had to quickly show you guys my new Nike’s as well! I got them for Christmas, and I have been loving them so much. They are so bright and cheery, but also super comfortable!

Look at those pastels, oh my gosh.

If we are talking about the logistics of yoga, I usually wear short or long yoga pants (okay, duh Kendra), with either a flowy long sleeve shirt, or a tank top of some sort.

Shirt: This was a Christmas present, so I don’t actually know where I got it. I think JCPenny’s!
Pants: Lulu Lemon
Shoes: Nike

I am so in love with these pants! The marble print is so cool, and they are really comfortable for yoga.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to make time to relax, and forget about the stress you are feeling. These last couple of weeks have been so difficult and stressful for me. I have been applying to my major, applying for study abroad programs, and I have had a multitude of tests and papers. Basically, it’s just been what every normal college student goes through by their sophomore year! As you get further into college, the stress gets more and more overwhelming, and I am trying to adjust to that. Going to yoga, though, has helped me have at least an hour a day to find time to relax and forget about all of my worries.

Even if it isn’t yoga, find something that de-stresses you, and allows you to have some relaxation time! It is invaluable to have an activity to alleviate stress, so go out and find one, and feel better. Your mental health will thank you.

How do you manage stress?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂