💛things I've been LOVING lately💛

Hey lovies! How has your day been going? (Quick sidenote)  I want you to stop reading this for a sec and go look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how pretty you are. How much you love the way you look and the way you act. Name what you love the most about yourself. Tell yourself how bomb you are today! Because you are. Remember that today. 

Anyway, back to the post! Here is a list of all the things that I have just been depending on these last couple of weeks. Like I cannot imagine my life without these 10 and some things. I love every one of these things for different reasons that all come together to be such a game-changer and life hack.  I highly highly highly recommend EVERYTHING here!! Sorry if recent content is kind of lists and about shopping but I have a ton of new ideas and posts that are on their way, so look out for them!!

1. Happy Hour with Gretchen Geraghty Podcast- omg this has to be my most recommended thing on this list because it is a life-changer for real!! It is a self-help podcast that covers self-love, confidence, balance, organization, happiness, storytimes, body image, tough times, and more! Literally makes me laugh out loud every single episode, but still is relatable and hits hard. I get something out of every episode. I love Gretchen and how she acts like a real person and is so open and normalizes glossed over things. It is also SO CLEAN so my mom to my 8-year-old brother enjoys it! I cannot tell you how much I love this Podcast!! It is an hour of pure happiness every Friday!

2. Chai Tea- so chai tea is really hard to make very well so it's not spicy and gross and Starbucks has MASTERED it!! Also, Oregon Chai is delicious!! It is sweet without using sweeteners and still has caffeine without being bitter. It isn't like the coffee taste at all. It is really good iced, blended, or latte-d lol! In the morning I will usually get the chai latte and in the afternoon or on a hot day, I will get one of the iced or blended chai. As my mom described the blended chai, "It's a delicious grown-up milkshake" just for context haha!

3. Daily schedule and to-do list set up system- This seems confusing but it really is super easy and has helped me a lot find structure in my life and keep busy. I will insert an example pic of what I did but basically, it's a 4 sectioned system. One section is scheduled things I have to do today (like appts., zooms, etc.) and I always schedule in where I have free time to do things in section 2 and 3, the second section is to do's I have to do today (like finish writing this blog post, go for a walk, etc.). Then the third section is for things that I COULD do if I finished all the things on my to-do list (like make friendship bracelets, paint nails, etc.) and the last section is happy messages and quotes to motivate you. This helps me feel productive while still getting the things I want and need to do done with time to do fun things too! 

(this example doesn't have the 3rd and 4th section because this was one of the first I ever did sorry)

4. WaterLama- this is an I phone app that is for tracking your water intake. You can customize the water goal and set reminders. WaterLama also automatically sends motivating water facts hourly! It also makes it rewarding to hit your goal and is super simple to use! No sign-ins or anything!

5. Doing yoga- I know this is general, but I have started doing meditation and yoga in the mornings and before I go to bed and I've been loving it! It grounds me and helps me stretch gently instead of so intensely as in ballet. It is also good cross-training for dancers. Yes, it can be a bit hippy at times, but it changes my mindset for the world and my body physically. Especially in a moment like right now, taking time to just be present with yourself is important and rewarding in so many ways.

6. Platformed Adidas-  they kind of look like the ones I linked but not exactly. They have the classic stripes on the side except they are shiny and thicker than the classic. They also have a 1 inch and a half platform plus the strips also have a zig-zag edge. So they are super unique and have many more quirks. They are also comfy and add some extra height without wearing full-on heals or something. I wear it will everything and they are easy to clean (check out my cleaning shoes article I just posted here!!) 

7. Married at First Sight- omg so I've talked about this on my blog before but it really is amazing though!! It is about couples that meet at the alter and basically date during their honeymoon and act like they are married even though they don't actually know who the other person is. And over the course of 8 weeks, the couples need to decide if they'll stay married or get a divorce. There is drama, divorce, fights, affairs, stirring the pot, and actually stable couple goal couples sometimes lol! It's a real treasure but legit it sucks you in!!

8. Target- target is obviously something we all know and love but for me, I have been absolutely LOVING everything there!! They actually have such cute and inspiring clothes that I always forget are so good! They are trendy and affordable! Target's sunglass game is bomb and there are a ton of quality hair and skin products there!! Also, mine has a STARBUCKS so an automatic win!

9. Vaseline- This has been a key ingredient for so many things lately! I use it on my cuticles as a cuticle oil and growth serum. I use it on my lashes and eyebrows at night which makes them grow full and strong quicker! Also, it is my favorite thing for dry lips and as a makeshift eyebrow gel. 

10. Oversized crew neck sweatshirts- I have 2 that I have just been rotating and wearing with shorts ALL THE TIME. Like every day that's not super warm, I've just worn that! They are cozy but look more put together than a hoodie. For winter, wearing that with leggings and a collared shirt peaking out is apparently a trending right now which is funny because that's a thing I wear in the winter all the time lol!

11. Beachy bracelets- I love purevida and beaded word bracelets best and I have started wearing them so much!! I am currently wearing a 4Ocean bracelet and a beaded word bracelet one of my best friends gave to me that says omega cappa nu because that was a sorority we made up ahahahha!! But anyway, I love them during summer because making them is fun and they look aesthetic and beachy, but still modern and not crafty. 

12. Color Street nails- these are like stickers you press onto your nails that are basically just dried nail polish that have stickiness on the back. They are hard to describe... But I have gotten good at doing them and I have had so many compliments on them! They come in hundreds of colors and intricate designs! I have had the white, pastel yellow, pastel purple, and pastel blue. The nails last about 2 weeks which for me is a long time taking that they aren't harmful to your nails, aren't shellac, and take me 5 minutes to apply. I use them to protect my nails while I grow them out and they do a great job! They come in packs of 20 nails in 10 different sizes which can get me 2 full manicures and (if I wanted to) and 2 full pedicures! I am thinking about making a nail care tutorial including how I keep them strong, how to do color street, and my nails soak, so comment if you'd like to see that!

Please try some of these out because I strongly love all of these so much!! remember to follow and comment to see more of me! Thank you for reading this Xoxo see you on the next one!