With acceptance letters coming in for a lot of high school seniors, it can be hard which college to go to. I remember when I had to make this choice two years ago, and it stressed me out so much. I am a very indecisive person, so for me, this was something that I struggled and grappled with for many days. I had no idea where to even start, or how to even go about choosing the right college. I was already stressed enough about leaving home, and for college in general, so it was a scary thing to decide where to spend the next four years of my life. I completely understand how you might be feeling right now, so I decided to make my own guide on how to choose the right college for you!
1. If you can, visit every single college you are accepted to, and are considering.
This may seem like a daunting task, but if you are seriously considering going to a college, you should definitely visit it first. If you don’t think you are going to attend a college even though you were accepted, don’t bother visiting it, but if you are seriously considering going to a school, it is very important to visit it in order to get a feel for the campus. I cannot explain how important this is; you could potentially be spending the next four years of your life there, so you should visit to find out if you could actually see yourself attending the school. When I was making this decision two years ago, I was seriously considering two universities out of the four I had applied to. I was really struggling with the decision, so I visited both campuses to physically be there. As soon as I got the University of Washington campus, I knew I was home. I can’t really explain the feeling, but I immediately felt comfortable and could see myself going to classes there, and really fitting in. This feeling is like the “Say Yes to the Dress” feeling, but I don’t know if it’s something that everyone experiences. It’s really helpful, though, to visit all of the campuses of the universities you are interested in, and compare how you felt at all of the different locations.
2. Do it Rory Gilmore style and make a pro/con list.
If you are a Gilmore Girls fan like me (who isn’t?!), then you are probably very familiar with Rory’s pro/con lists when it comes to making decisions. I have always done this when I can’t decide between two things, and with this decision, it helped out a lot. It’s really important to take into account all of the different factors of college, like where it is located, what majors they have, their rank, class sizes, etc., because this is where you will be furthering your education in order to make a career for yourself. After you make your list, chances are you will have already made up your mind by the end, and if you haven’t you can mull over the list for a couple of days and see if any more pros or cons come to you.
3. Take into account what you think you will be majoring in.
This is very important, because you want to choose a school that actually has the major you want, or think you might want. It’s totally fine to change your mind later on down the road, so just make sure that you will have options at the university you will attend. Different universities have different majors, so keep in mind what you think you will study. It’s also important to know which schools have better departments. For example, University A and University B might both have a mechanical engineering department, but University A has a better one, so it would be in your best interest to choose that school.
4. Compare scholarship and financial aid offers.
College is very expensive, so it’s important that you are getting the best “deal.” If you are offered a really great scholarship to a school that is your second choice, and offered a lesser scholarship at your top choice, sometimes you can email them and let them know that. You can explain that you got a better offer to a different school, and see if your top choice school is willing to give you a better scholarship in order to get you to attend. This doesn’t work all the time, though, but it is worth a shot. Cost can definitely be a deciding factor, so do some investigating on how much you will actually be paying to attend a university. If your dream school is also very expensive, call the financial aid office and ask them about payment plans, loans, and scholarships that can help combat the costs. Most times, they are happy to help, and you can also find a lot of information online.
5. Think about your life and career goals.
I know this can be scary to do when you are only 18 or 19, but it’s important to think about where you see yourself after you have graduated college, and what your career goals are. Do some research on which universities have produced successful people, and also which one has a lot of connections to potential employers. Once you get to college, it’s very important to start thinking about what you will do with your life, and what kind of career you will have. The connections that universities have can be vital in having a successful career, so keep that in mind when you are trying to decide which college to attend.
6. Talk to people who attend the universities.
You won’t get an as in-depth view of what a university is like from anyone other than a current or former student. This will greatly help you to understand what life is really like at the university, because you will get a very unique point of view. If you are seriously considering attending a college, I would definitely suggest talking to someone who goes there. I did this, and it really helped to further envision myself actually going to the school. This can also be really useful to help make a decision if you are considering multiple schools.
Some things not to do:
Leave the decision until last minute.
This will only make you rushed, and probably leave you with a decision that you will not be happy with later on down the road. It’s very important to give this decision a lot of though, and the time you need to really find the right university that will allow you to be the most successful. Make sure you know all of the decision deadlines, because it might be possible that they are different for each university. You don’t want to miss a deadline because you are procrastinating on a decision.
Let other people influence your decision.
It’s very important to decide which university will be the best for you. What’s right for your best friend/boyfriend/girlfriend might not be what’s best for you, so make sure you are making the decision that will benefit yourself the most. It can be cool to end up at the some school as your friends, but don’t base your whole decision on that. One of my best friends and I ended up going to the same school, but it wasn’t on purpose, and we both made the decisions individually. If someone in your life is pressuring you to choose a specific school, don’t let them get to you, and make the decision for yourself.
How are you feeling about college?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
How are you feeling about college?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Tinder has been around for a while now, and I had yet to try it out until this past weekend. I wasn’t really interested in the whole aspect of it; I am more traditional in that I want to meet someone in real life rather than on a dating website. I understand the draw of it, because you are (theoretically) matched up with people who share the same interests as you. However, I like the spontaneity of meeting someone in real life and forming a connection by talking face to face. This is difficult for me, though, because I am very much an introvert, and it is hard for me to get out of my comfort zone and actually talk to guys who I’m interested in. So, I decided to try out Tinder just to experience it, and also I was curious about the obsession my generation has with it right now.
I went over to one of my best friend’s apartment while we FaceTimed our other best friend (Joycie and Rachel, as I’m sure you all know), and we made a Tinder account. This was slightly awkward, because it was like I was screening myself. I couldn’t post pictures that I loved because they weren’t “Tinder” enough: pictures have to be attractive, but not look like you’re trying to hard, smiling but not too much or too little, and you can’t post too many group photos, because apparently that is a bad thing in the Tinder-verse. I was already uncomfortable at the thought of potential dates perusing through my photos. It kind of freaked me out that guys who I had no idea even existed could look at my profile, and see a side of myself that takes me a long time to show to people. I am a shy person, plain and simple. It takes a while for me to completely open up to people, so it made me feel so strange to know guys were able to find out so much about me just from an App.
I think part of the reason why this made me so uncomfortable was because I knew guys would be initially judging me only on looks. If they didn’t think I was pretty enough, most likely they would just swipe left without any regards to what kind of person I might be. That’s one of my least favorite parts of Tinder, because it makes people super focused on others’ looks, when there is so much more to people than just how they look. I noticed myself just judging guys on their looks too, and it made me feel bad. It bothered me that guys were judging me, but I was doing the same thing! I tried to become more conscious about actually reading through a guy’s profile before I decided which way to swipe.
Back to the actual creation of my profile, there was a lot of pressure to make my bio punny (I’m sure you all know by now how much I love my puns), witty, and let guys know my interests. I kept mine pretty broad, made a Parks and Rec reference, and listed three of my interests – dogs and Harry Potter among them, of course. After that my profile was complete, and I could start swiping. This was very strange at first, and there were a lot of different kinds of guys. There were the studious ones, hunters proudly displaying their fish they had caught, and those who “weren’t looking for anything serious.” When I made my first match it was exciting, because yay! Someone liked me! I didn’t like that I had to be validated by a guy to feel good, but it was exciting knowing that there was mutual interest. Some guys messaged me, and some didn’t. The ones who did usually sent a cringe-worthy pick-up line, and then would ask me about my interests, etc. One guy asked me what my ethnicity was with no introduction, which bothered me because why should that even matter? If I didn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear, would he stop talking to me? I ended up not messaging him back, because he didn’t even send a simple hello. At one point, Joycie and I matched with the same guy and he ended up messaging us both the exact same pick up line. I mean come on use some more originality, man. There was another guy who sent a Parks and Rec pick-up line, which I thought was hilarious so I sent another one back, and he didn’t even watch the show.
While I was messaging guys, I was extremely uncomfortable. Like I said earlier, I am an introvert and extremely shy, so it felt so odd to message someone I didn’t even know. I like to know who I’m messaging, so it was really weird to be talking to a guy who I didn’t know in person. Basically, everything about actually messaging guys on Tinder was odd. It felt forced, and oftentimes the guys wanted to meet up after talking for all of thirty minutes. I of course did not meet up with any of them, especially at 9 o’clock at night.
I kept Tinder for a couple of days, and ended up deleting it three days after I had created it. I didn’t feel any regrets about deleting it, because the whole experience made me too uncomfortable. I was stressing about it far too much than what it was worth, and I did not enjoy the experience in the slightest. I was also super worried about seeing these guys in real life, or meeting someone who saw me on Tinder. Not that this would be a huge deal, I just felt like it would’ve been really awkward and a situation that I didn’t really want to be in.
Tinder is right for some people, and not for others, which is true for most things in life. I personally was not taken with it, but I have friends who absolutely love it and are able to meet people on there. I really like the concept behind Tinder, but at the end of the day it just isn’t for me. I don’t even know if I’m at a place in my life where I have time for a relationship, so the best thing for me to do was to delete it. I felt like I had to try it, though, before I could really have a valid opinion of it. The saying “don’t knock it before you try it” is definitely true for a lot of things, so I knew I should at least try it out before I wrote it off.
Tinder is right for some people, and not for others, which is true for most things in life. I personally was not taken with it, but I have friends who absolutely love it and are able to meet people on there. I really like the concept behind Tinder, but at the end of the day it just isn’t for me. I don’t even know if I’m at a place in my life where I have time for a relationship, so the best thing for me to do was to delete it. I felt like I had to try it, though, before I could really have a valid opinion of it. The saying “don’t knock it before you try it” is definitely true for a lot of things, so I knew I should at least try it out before I wrote it off.
Have you ever used Tinder?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I hope you are all having a good week so far! We are nearly to Friday, which means we are so close to the weekend, and the weekend=sleep. These past few weeks have been so incredibly busy, and my sleep schedule has definitely been suffering. I can’t wait to just sleep in this weekend and relax a little bit!
For today’s post, I’m going to be talking about Keratosis Pilaris, or chicken skin (not my favorite term), which are those pesky little bumps on arms, and sometimes thighs. I often get a couple on my cheeks in the winter when my skin is dry, and I have always had them on my arms. When I was younger, I was extremely self-conscious of them, because they can be very unsightly at times. As you already know, I didn’t have great confidence when I was younger, and my arms were a huge part of that. I hated wearing short sleeve shirts because they showed my arms and Keratosis Pilaris, so in turn, I hated my arms. This was problamatic because I was always in dance and swim while growing up, but I actually never really thought too much about it, because I was too focused on the activity at hand. My teammates were like family, anyway, so I felt comfortable enough around them to show my arms.
These bumps are usually white or red, and itch sometimes, but are otherwise not physically bothersome, other than not looking very nice. They are the results of the buildup of keratin in hair follicles, which blocks their growth and forms these bumps. The cause for this extra keratin is unknown, but has been linked to a couple of different things, like gluten intolerance. Funnily enough, when I stopped eating gluten because of my allergy, my bumps improved greatly. I can’t say with certainty that these two things are linked, but other people have noticed this as well. According to doctors, KP is supposed to go away by the time you are 30. My mom has KP as well, but once she was around my age (19), hers started improving greatly, and they were essentially gone when she reached her twenties. My KP did improve a lot once I got to high school, which was really nice. Today, I don’t have nearly as much as I did when I was younger, but I also know how to manage it a lot better now.
My mom and I tried most everything to get rid of my KP since it bothered me so much. We asked my doctor about it, who prescribed a couple of creams that didn’t really help, and I couldn’t use them continuously anyway since my skin is so sensitive (we’re talking extremely sensitive here, so much so that I have to use baby sunscreen). Then we heard of KP Duty from Derma Doctor, which you can get from Sephora, and the product seemed very promising. We excitedly bought it, hoping for the miracle results it promised. I gave the lotion a couple of months, and I didn’t notice a difference at all. It was a good moisturizer, yes, but for that price, it was not worth it at all.
After that, we decided to try all-natural products, so I started using a Burt’s Bee’s honey body butter. I absolutely loved it because it smelled really nice, and did improve my bumps a little bit. It wasn’t expensive, so I stuck with it for a couple of years, since there wan’t really an alternative that worked better. In conjunction with this, I read that coconut oil could help improve the bumps, so I made a coconut sugar scrub to use in the shower. It really helps to moisturize my skin, and also gently exfoliate it a bit. I don’t use it that often anymore, simply because it’s a little messy to use in the shower, and I don’t really have the time to keep up with making it in college.
I also tried the Lush Buffy Body Butter, which was a really good lotion bar, but didn’t do much in the way of improving my KP. It was a nice replacement for the coconut oil sugar scrub since I didn’t have to actually make anything, however, it wasn’t worth it for me to keep buying it. Plus, it was a little too abrasive for my sensitive skin.
Last year, I saw a commercial for a lotion from Gold Bond called “Rough and Bumpy Skin,” and was really eager to try it. I read reviews of it online, and they were all really positive, so I decided to give it a try. I again gave it a couple of months to really start working, since it takes a while for any treatment of KP to have an effect, and I was pleasantly surprised! No, not all of my bumps are gone, but they are greatly improved. I still have them, but I wasn’t expecting for this to be the cure-all bump-slayer, because these little suckers are incurable. I’m not sure if they are going away simply because I am getting older, or if this body lotion is really doing its job. Either way, this lotion is really moisturizing, and comes in a huge tub that lasts me for a couple of months. It doesn’t have a smell which is really important for my skin, because it typically does not tolerate scented products. I slather it on all over my body right after the shower (which is the most important time to moisturize!), and my skin is nice and moisturized for the rest of the day! This product is also really great for the winter when my skin is especially dry.
As far as how I manage my KP, I have found a routine that really works for me. I exfoliate my arms (gently!) once or twice a week with the Simple Smoothing Face Scrub, and use the Rough and Bumpy lotion everyday as soon as I get out of the shower. This works for me, and I have been through many different products to get here! Different things work for different people, so make sure you find out what helps you the most, and stick with it! My mom always told me my KP would get better as I got older, and it really has been true for me. However, waiting until you’re 30 for your KP to improve is really frustrating when you are young and unhappy with the way your skin looks, so try out a couple of different ways to see what helps!
I also made a video about this, which you can check out here!
I hope these tips helped, and that you find a way to manage your KP! Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
This is NOT a sponsored post, and all opinions are mine.
Before I get into this post, I just wanted to let you guys know that I got into the study abroad program I applied for in San Sebastián, Spain! I found out on Saturday, so now I’m just waiting to hear back from the London program, and depending on what they say, I’ll choose between the two! At least now I know for sure that I’ll be studying abroad this summer. I am so, so, so excited!! Both locations would be a blast, so I don’t think I can go wrong with either program. Hopefully I hear back from the London program soon, though, so I can decided and start getting ready for the program I choose, because they are both coming up in about 5 months! That really isn’t long, and I like to prepare early, so I’m itching to make a decision.
I also just found out last night that I got into my major, which is International Relations! I am so relieved to finally find out that I got in, because now I can start planning even more for my future. As you all can tell, planning makes me very happy haha. I went out last night with my friends and got ice cream to celebrate, and I ate way too much, but I was too happy to care! I just wanted to update you guys really quickly, because I’m just so happy! 🙂
I also just found out last night that I got into my major, which is International Relations! I am so relieved to finally find out that I got in, because now I can start planning even more for my future. As you all can tell, planning makes me very happy haha. I went out last night with my friends and got ice cream to celebrate, and I ate way too much, but I was too happy to care! I just wanted to update you guys really quickly, because I’m just so happy! 🙂
Now moving on to the post at hand: you may have heard the term “lampshading” here and there, and you’re probably thinking uh, why would I want to look like a lamp? When I first heard of this, I was super confused as to what it actually meant, so I looked around, and I am loving this trend! It just basically refers to wearing an oversized turtleneck sweater, with either tights and boots, or knee high boots. I always wear mine with sweater tights for warmth, but I think they also look so cute with knee high boots! I have really been wanting to get a pair of knee high boots because they can dress up any outfit, and they are just really cute in general.
When it comes to sweaters, I usually always go for more neutral colored ones, so I really wanted to try something new with this electric blue colored one! It’s great to brighten up your wardrobe in the winter, and it makes my hair pop, which is really nice. I got this sweater from H&M.
I usually wear this sweater with my sweater tights from Nordstrom, but it can also be worn with leggings! Whichever you prefer will be really cute, because you can’t go wrong with these sweaters.
I like to wear simple statement jewelry with my sweater, because I want the main focus to be the turtleneck aspect, and the color. Here, I have a couple of my favorite rings: my moon and star one from Tilly’s, my vine ring I always wear, and also a geode ring one of my best friends got me. I like the eclectic collection of all of them when they are put together!
Keeping my hair in a half bun also keeps it out of my face, which is really nice, and adds a little complexity to the look. Turtleneck sweaters also look really nice with your hair pulled slicked back into a ponytail, for a more chic look! I actually did that today with this outfit, and I love how it looks. You can also always go for an effortless down ‘do!
Here, I’m just wearing my classic baby pink bag from Ted Baker, since really anything goes with this sweater. It gives it a bit more of a girly look, but I think pairing this with a dark bag could make it look super cool as well. I was wearing this out during the day, so I tend to go for lighter colored bags when I am running errands. This one also happens to basically contain my life, so it’s easier to grab when I know I’ll need random little keepsakes from my purse.
I like to wear my classic combat boots from Steve Madden with this outfit, because it gives the look a bit more of a grunge style to it, but if you pair different shoes with a turtleneck, it creates a whole different feel to the outfit! Thigh high boots make it look super chic, booties can add a really cute night-out look, and I love my combat boots when I wear this during the day.
Those are my tips on styling an oversized turtleneck sweater, and how to achieve the lampshade trend that everyone is talking about! It’s a bit of a strange urban trend – I’ve seen it a lot in downtown Seattle – but I think it is so cute, and works for everyone. It seriously feels like you’re wearing a blanket all day, and is perfect for a cold winter day when you just want to cuddle in a huge sweater, but still look cute!
Do you like turtleneck sweaters?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I cannot believe it is February already. January really flew by, but overall it was a pretty good start to the year! It was one of the busiest months I’ve had in a while, which probably sets the tone for a very busy year. That is just fine with me, since it means a lot of opportunities! I just turned in my application to my major, as well as two for study abroad programs this summer. I applied to a program in London, and one in San Sebastián, Spain, so hopefully I get one. I will keep you guys posted!
As for today’s post, I’m going to be sharing an outfit that I wear a lot in the winter when I want to look a little more dressed up, or just feel like looking nice!
I thought the Seattle skyline looked so cool in this photo!
As in my Casual Winter Outfit, this is the cowl that I made myself with giant yarn! It is seriously my newest obsession, and I really want to make a blanket out of giant yarn!
My sweater is from Nordstrom, and it is definitely one of the staples in my wardrobe! It goes with most anything, can be dressed up or down, and is super comfortable!
My booties are from Nordstrom Rack, and they are super comfortable! I am super picky with shoe comfort, so I was really happy to find these.
This is the ring that I always wear, and I believe I got it at Tilly’s, but it’s been a long time! It’s a vine ring, and is one of my all-time favorites. I also always forget to take off my Fitbit when I take outfit pictures! The thing never really leaves my wrist, anyway.
My skirt is from H&M, and I love the burgundy color of it. Burgundy and maroon have both been two of my favorite colors clothes-wise for a while now. They are so pretty for the fall and winter, so I try and wear them as much as possible during both seasons!
I’m also wearing sweater tights here from Nordstrom, and ohmygosh if you don’t have sweater tights, you seriously need to get some! They amazingly enough keep you super warm, and they are so soft and cozy. I wear them all the time during the winter, because they allow me to wear cute skirts and dresses that I probably wouldn’t wear otherwise due to the cold!
All in all, this is one of my go-to looks when I want to look more put together, and can’t find an excuse to wear yoga pants and a sweater to something. These colors are all so pretty for winter, and work well really well together.
What do you like to wear in the winter when you have to look more dressed up?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
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! 🙂
The weather is still pretty cold here in Seattle, so I have been dressing in layers. My brother actually lives in Virginia, and he has over 26 inches right now, so I really shouldn’t complain about the cold! I cannot believe the snow storm that is happening right now back East, so if you’re there, I hope you are doing well!
I thought it would be good idea to share what I’ve been wearing this winter, so today I’m going to be doing a little OOTD!
I wear this outfit probably every week (oops), but when you’re in college, you tend to recycle OOTD’s pretty frequently!
Scarf: I actually crocheted it myself with giant yarn!
Sweater: Pacsun
T-Shirt: Pacsun
Jeans: Paige jeans from Nordstrom
Shoes: Macy’s
This cowl has been my favorite thing this winter! It’s so chunky and warm, which is perfect for this colder weather we’ve been having! I always feel so much warmer when I have a scarf on, are you the same way?
These shoes are always a go-to for me, because they go with everything! I really need to get a new pair of booties, though, because I’ve had these for so long.
We’ve had a couple of sunny days, so I am really dreading going back to the rain here in the city! The little rays of sunshine that have poked through the clouds have been so nice, and I’m excited for the spring, even though I have been loving giant sweaters and scarves!
What have you been wearing this winter?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I have never done a giveaway on my blog, so I have some very exciting news: I’ve linked up with a couple of other bloggers to host a giveaway worth $300! I thought this would be a really great way just to show how grateful I am to all of my readers, and also a wonderful way to start off the new year. Shall we get to the prizes?!
How pretty is this pallet?! I have swatched it, and these colors are so opaque and gorgeous. I don’t personally have this Naked pallet (I wish I did!), but I have the Naked 1 and 3, and they are two of my favorites! Urban Decay makes such good eyeshadows.
Wrap bracelets are super popular right now, and the black, white, and gold combo is so gorgeous and timeless!
I also really love the clear glass bead; it makes these bracelets look so graceful!
Okay, can we talk about how cute this mug is? I love the meaning behind this saying, because hard work often goes unnoticed! Good things really do come to those who work for them, and that reminder on a coffee mug (a.k.a. life in the morning) is perfect.
This is one of my favorite face masks. Ever. In fact, I just used it today after my shower! I use this once or twice a week, and it keeps my skin radiant! I always notice a difference after I use it, and it really helps to keep my pores nice and clean. Plus, it’s always nice to have a face mask on hand for pamper nights!
On top of all of these products, you will also win a $150 Visa gift card, and $10 Starbucks gift card! Overall, this prize package is worth $300, which is amazing! So, how do you enter? Just follow the directions in this nifty little box, and follow all of the other bloggers in the giveaway! Also, the giveaway ends at 12 AM on Tuesday, January 26th! Have fun, and good luck! 🙂
I always hated running while growing up; I was a swimmer and a dancer, so running was never an activity that I had to do outside of P.E. during school. I dreaded the mile runs that we would have to do throughout the year, and I knew I would end up having an asthma attack at the end. That was part of the reason why I never ran, because I had asthma pretty badly while growing up. As I’ve gotten older, my asthma has gotten a lot better, and I only have to use my inhaler when I’m sick, or run outside.
When I got to college, I decided I would start running, because I no longer had my swim team to keep me in shape. To preface this, I also had this irrational fear of treadmills, because I was convinced I would end up falling off tragically. I haven’t yet (knock on wood!), so all is well with that. I ended up starting to love running, and I was shocked. Running used to be the absolute bane of my existence, but now I look forward to my morning runs. I know there are a lot of people out there who hate running as well, but I really wanted to write this post on how I started to love it! So, here is my guide to how to enjoy running.
Start out slow
I think one of the biggest reasons why I hated running when I was younger was trying too much in too little time. I would throw myself into it full force, and not give myself a break. I like to really push myself when it comes to physical activity and working out, and it frustrated me so much when I couldn’t run for miles on end, or very quickly at all. When I started to run last year, I did a lot of HIIT workouts (High Intensity Interval Training) for beginning runners. Those helped a lot, because I was able to push myself for a couple of minutes, and then take a much needed rest. This really helped to build up my endurance, and I was still able to get a good workout in. I still do HIIT’s on the treadmill to this day!
Don’t go into it with a negative mindset
This goes for everything in life, but if you are already dreading a run, you are going to be miserable the whole time. You will be counting down the minutes to being done, and you will hate every second of it. It really helps to keep an open mind about it, so you will actually enjoy the run. Running can be very therapeutic, and it provides you with a lot of time to think about anything in your life. It also releases endorphin’s, so you will be happy afterwards! If you are absolutely unable to not dread the run, just think of how good you will feel afterwards! Which leads me into my next point…
Think of how great you will feel
I always feel so great after workouts, so the initial getting out of bed part is a little bit easier when I realize I will feel better afterwards. Running, and exercise in general, is a huge stress reliever. This is so important in college, because stress and worrying can quickly consume your life. For me, I feel so de-stressed after a workout, and I am ready to take on anything. That’s why I like working out in the morning; I start out the day happy from the workout, and with so much more fresh energy to tackle classes, work, tests, papers, homework…the list goes on and on.
Take it day by day
When trying to get better at something, it can be very easy to get frustrated for not improving over night. I am guilty of this, because I like to improve quickly, and it drives me insane when I can’t get something down. Gaining endurance for running takes time, and actually enjoying it does as well, especially if you don’t particularly like it. You can’t just give up after a week and you still don’t feel like it comes easily, or that you still hate it. Trust me, it’s going to take you a while to love running, but it’s really worth it!
Make sure you have good running shoes
Being physically comfortable while running is very important. If you don’t have good running shoes, your feet will definitely tell you the next day. It’s super important to make sure that your feet are well-supported, because it can cause a lot of issues later down the road. I have a couple pairs of Nike Free’s for running, and I really love them. Some people don’t like Nike’s, and that’s totally fine because there are a ton of different brands out there! Some of my friends swear by Brooks running shoes, so I would just look around and find your favorite pair! Try and get your foot fitted by the store, since sizes vary a lot.
Go on runs with friends
If you have friends who are trying to get into running as well, go on a run with them! This can be intimidating at first because you might be scared you can’t keep up with them, but just explain to them that you are a beginner and may need to go slow or stop often. I’m sure they will be totally fine with that, and it can be really fun to exercise with friends. This will help you enjoy running more, because you will be able to be social while doing it, and you can grab breakfast/lunch/dinner together afterwards!
Put together a great soundtrack
I love blasting fun, upbeat music while I’m running, because it really helps to pump me up! There are tons of workout playlists out there, so you can listen to one of those, or make your own! I like to just listen to my iTunes library, because I have a lot of upbeat songs on there, and my personal favorite bands to listen to while running are Bastille, Imagine Dragons, or basically any popular pop songs.
Alternatively, if you are running on the treadmill, you could watch Netflix or Hulu
I love to do this, because I don’t have a lot of time to stay caught up on my favorite TV shows, being a busy college student. This way, I can watch TV and run at the same time, so it’s really a win-win situation.
Do you like running?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you know that I’ve had long hair for the greater part of my life. I started growing it out around fifth grade because I always had short hair when I was younger. My mom always cut it into a bob to thicken it up because I had thin hair when I was a wee little tot, and that backfired because now I have enough hair to share with about five people. Okay, maybe it’s not that thick, but cutting it into a bob really must’ve done the trick.
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| Summer 2015 |
Because I had short hair, I always envied the girls who had long and flowing hair in my classes. I became obsessed with growing it out, and it was uber long until I cut it about a month ago. I loved my hair once it was long, and had no desire to cut it. That was all well and good until I started to really rely on it; my hair became my security blanket, and having it long made it easier for me to hide behind it in a way. I never did up-do’s for events like Prom, rather preferred to have it down and curled. I did not feel comfortable having it up because I truly felt naked without it. When I was in one of my best friend’s wedding a couple of summers ago, everyone suggested I put my hair up for the wedding, precisely because I never did. I actually went along with this, and felt super self conscious at first. As the day went on, I got more and more comfortable with it, and I began to put it up a lot more after that.
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| Spring 2014 |
The last couple of times that I’ve gone in to get my haircut, I played around with the idea of cutting all of my hair off, but I never did because I always chickened out. It wasn’t until I got six or seven inches cut off a month ago that I realized I relied on my hair way too much. I felt that it was kind of the last transition I went through in my 2015 journey to loving myself. (Will I ever stop mentioning The Year I Learned How to Love Myself? Probably not…) In order to be comfortable with myself, I wanted to challenge myself, and so I finally made the decision to cut off my hair. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but when you’ve had long hair for most of your life, it’s a big decision! All of my friends said, “Oh it’s just hair, Kendra…” and that was well and good, but to me, my hair had been my security blanket for the last ten years or so.
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| Summer 2015 |
I went to a new hair stylist to get my hair cut, and I’m really glad I did, because she didn’t know that I usually chicken out of cutting my hair. She just said okay, and chopped away. I think I worked myself up so much before, that I had no energy left to feel worried or stress about my decision. (I’m a very indecisive person, if you hadn’t already gathered.) After she cut it, I was so happy! My hair is so much lighter now, and it really fits where I’m at in my life, if that makes sense. I changed a lot last year, and learned just as much. I’m so much more comfortable with myself, and a lot more outgoing, so having short hair just felt right. It’s so much fun to play around with (is it strange that I feel sassier?), and I feel like it makes me look a lot older. It’s also a great decision logistically, since I workout every morning, and simply don’t have the time to deal with fixing long hair. Not that I make too much of an effort with my short hair, but it’s a lot faster to wash and look presentable.
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| The day I got my haircut! December 2015 |
My hair is still auburn, but it’s a lot shorter. I seriously couldn’t be happier with it, even though I can’t braid it anymore. That’s probably the only thing that I miss, but I can braid my hair into half-do’s at least! It’s so cool to have a different length of hair to play around with, instead of my ultra-long hair that I was getting pretty bored with. I think my short hair is around to stay for a while, and it’s a really good thing for me right now! I don’t rely on my hair to hide behind anymore, and having it short makes me feel a lot more confident.
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| January 2016 |
All of my family commented on how much older I look now, and that my this length really suits me. I just couldn’t say enough good things about this decision, and I have no #ragrets. I’m sorry, I had to. This was the perfect way to end 2015, and the transformation of learning to love myself! It forced me to take a different look at myself, and take a risk of absolutely hating my new hair length.
Do you like taking risks with your hair?
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! 🙂