This past weekend was incredibly busy. I had work every day, and also a ton of other things to do. Even though it was very busy, I ended up really enjoying myself! Friday was spent doing homework during the day, since I have finals coming up, and then I had work that evening. On Saturday, I woke up bright and early (we’re talking 6 A.M.) to go to yoga in Chihuly Garden and Glass here in Seattle! My roommate and I bought tickets a while ago since we both love yoga, and it was so much fun. Core Power Yoga put the whole event on, and they are known for giving incredible classes. It was so awesome to be able to do yoga in a huge room with a giant structure of glass flowers hanging overhead!
For those of you who don’t know, I go to school in Seattle, and I’ve really been wanting to blog more about “being a tourist in my own city” because there are so many incredible things to do in Seattle! I am not from Seattle, so it’s a lot of fun to go on adventures around the city, and experience all that I can. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to start this series! Chihuly Garden and Glass is essentially a museum of beautiful structures made of glass. Most of the structures represent plants of some sort, and it was truly incredible to look at all of them. Along with getting to do yoga there, we got to look around the museum! Here are some photos:
 |
| This was part of the ceiling of one of the rooms! |
 |
| This is the room where we did yoga! |
 |
| As you can see, the museum is right under the Space Needle. |
 |
| It ended up being really sunny, so the light looked gorgeous through the glass! |
 |
| All of these pieces are so intricate and unique. |
The whole experience was so cool, and my roommate and I ended up having a lot of fun! It was really cool to do yoga in a place that you don’t usually do it, so the change of perspective was really refreshing. There were people at all kinds of different levels in their practice, so it was something that anyone could do! I think that’s one thing that I love about yoga; no one is yelling at you to be better, or telling you you have to do things a certain way. Yoga is up for interpretation (as long as it isn’t harming your body, of course!), and there is absolutely no pressure to be perfect.
After yoga in the morning, I had work all day until 4. I went home for the night, because my aunt and one of my cousins came into town to see our new property! I mentioned briefly on my blog that my family moved this past summer, but I didn’t say anything else about it. Most of my family hasn’t seen the new place yet, so it was really fun for my aunt and cousin to come up and see it! Our family that now lives close to us also came over, so Sunday was spent with the family, which was really nice. I have been so stressed out lately due to the impending doom of finals, so it was great to be able to spend some time with my family, and especially my dogs and cats. Speaking of which, here’s a cute picture of one of our dogs and cats!
Even though I was only home for less than 24 hours, it was great to get a relaxing start to the week. This week is dead week, but I actually have all of my finals before the real finals week. That means lots of stress and studying in the next couple of days, but at least spring break is close!
What did you do this past weekend?
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 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.
–
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! 🙂
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! 🙂