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Well howdy there! Wow, long time no talk....honestly! It has been so busy for me I was unable to find the time to sit down and blog! But hey, I'm here now! And it is getting to be...summer, summer, summer, summer, SUMMERTIME!! Yes! Finally the warmth is upon us, and the sun is out to stay! So lets get you ready for this Summertime Loveliness. (ha --this is a play on words with Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVjsGKrE6E8 ... I love me some Lana) 1. Get your summer clothes in order!Summer is the time for shorts and tank tops. You want to look cute, so I suggest heading to one of your favorite stores to stock up on great summer clothing. I personally love Forever 21 because of the great prices. But I am a huge fan of longer shorts. Personally, I am not aiming to have my butt hanging out the back of my shorts, so I found this amazing pair of black shorts Madewell. (link below) They are a great length and soo comfortable. Just a little on the pricey side:( but I figure I will be wearing them for years to come, so it is a good investment! https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/PANTSSHORTS/shorts/PRDOVR~A7314/99103439189/ENE~1+2+218+22+4294967294+216+205~~~0~15~all~mode+matchallany~~~~~shorts/A7314.jsp?isFromSearch=true Also, tank tops and short sleeves shirts are a great and cute even in hot weather. Plus, you might even catch a little sun! 2. Buy your summer makeupI am not saying you have to go out and buy all new makeup, but you should look into getting a darker foundation, or product of that sort. Think about it, you are tanner than you originally were when you bought that tinted makeup. It probably just is not the right shade. For summer I recommend lighter foundations....preferably tinted moisturizers. Hey, maybe don't wear makeup at all! But I know that can be risky ;P L'oreal has a great tinted moisturizer called the Magic BB Cream: really light and great for summer. Hey, even SPF! If liquid products aren't your thing, then you can buy a bronzer. Physicians Formula has some of the best bronzers for what you spend. 3. SUNSCREEN!This one is simple gals! Just put on sunscreen. You only have one life...so take care of your skin...it will thank you later. I know I have super sensitive skin, so I have to be careful of what sunscreens I use. One that is really great for my face is the CeraVe Sunscreen which comes in 50 spf for really gentle sun protection. 4. Get together a great summer playlist!Music is a great way to set the feel for a vacation, an event, or even the entire summer. Put together a playlist of songs that you love to listen to. When you play them back later at some point in your life, it will remind you of that great 2014 summer you had. Lately I have been loving this artist Banks. She is awesome and so talented. I like her song Bedroom Wall, Brain, and Waiting Game. Also, I like the group Purity Ring and the artist Santigold. I have some music on my SoundCloud if you are interested! https://soundcloud.com/mad-charm
Thanks, and I hope I gave a little preparation for your upcoming summer! Have a great one...and have a great week. -♡ So whether you are going through the process of picking out colleges, or someone you know is....this will be helpful information to know and share. I just recently have completely finished this college picking process and have committed to a University! Alas, it is possible! If I can do it....ANYONE can! Trust me. Below I list my game plan and some helpful things to keep in mind when deciding on colleges and majors. Deciding on what major to pursue for your future...So this is it...yes this is happening. You are a high school student and it has come time for you to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. The great thing about college majors is that they lead to an array of jobs...not just one default boring job. Instead, college gives you the freedom to pick a major and expand and grow from there. So it is your Junior year and you decide it is probably time to decide what you want to do in college. The way you should break down this process is to think of your dream jobs. YES...these jobs are attainable and you can achieve them. If you put the work in, anything is possible. But also keep in mind what kind of person you are. Really get to know yourself and your personality. Are you sociable? Do you like working with people? Are you good with technology? Are you creative? Or is your mind more scientific/mathematically inclined? Ask your friends, family, and teachers where they can see you. Just don't let anyone TELL you what to do. This is your life and you only get one chance...so do what YOU want. Live to please yourself...and no one else. Choosing a COLLEGE ahhh!!-So if you are really set on one major for college, it is best to look at colleges that specialize in that major. You want to make sure you are getting the best education for what you want. But otherwise, really search for colleges. Really keep in mind what size you want your future college to have, what amount of Greek life, what amount of sports...and so on. And of course, always keep in mind...college is expensive, so keep in mind the price of tuition. -So how can you find out about colleges? Well, one really great way is through the amazing invention of social media. Keep tabs on those seniors that have graduated and look at those pictures they are posting on Instagram or Facebook. Those pictures will show the campus and student life. Also, there is this great website https://www.collegeboard.org/. This will be your best friend. Go make an account and then go to college planning and college search. It questions you on what you want in a college. There are pictures and statistics into how selective they are and so on. All the info that you need on colleges will be on that website. Truly...College Board is a gift from the education angels. -Also, really take advantage of Guidance and College Counselors. Even the college fairs that travel around to your city. They are all there to help. Don't pass up the opportunity. A GAME PLANFreshman year: enjoy high school...college really doesn't look at Freshman year anyway...yayyy Sophomore year: really get to know yourself and what you want for your future. Still have fun and enjoy high school. Junior year: this is considered crunch time. Just manage your time and nothing will be stressful. Decide on a major, or have an idea. Look at colleges and really narrow them down to about 5. The average high schooler will apply to about 5 colleges. At the end of your junior year ask 3 teachers for letters of recommendations. That way they will work on them over the summer and you can send them into your colleges by the beginning of Senior year. Senior year: in between junior summer going into senior year, get ready to fill out applications. Once applications open in early August, fill them out and get the applications in so you don't have to worry about applications while enjoying your senior year. Plus, the earlier you get in applications, in some cases, the earlier you hear back and the earlier you can commit and move on to the next stage of your life. I want to say you don't have to be 100% certain in what you want to do in college. You can go in undecided. College is about discovering yourself...and nothing is wrong deciding once you are there. Here is a video I made to vocalize my view on this experience...hope it sheds more light! to keep y'all happy and joyful I will give some recommendations for songs I am loving. - High Hopes -- Pink Floyd - Monks -- Frank Ocean - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/identity-ep/id829045080 here is a link to an album on iTunes. This artist's name is Chaine. This is her EP, Identity. It is amazing and every song makes me so happy. Show her some love!! Have a great day....don't forget to smile!
-Krissi♡ At home gel kits are such a great thing to have. They save you money and time! Personally, I love the Sally Hansen Gel Kit. It is easy to get your hands on...find it at Target, Walmart...you name it. But I have a trick that will surprise you and make your gel nails a whole lot more endearing! Read on..... What's the TRICK??My aunt actually told me this, and it is true. You do not need to use the colored gel polish. You use everything else in the system except for the colored gel polish. Instead, you can use any brand of nail polish that you already have. This is going to save you time and money. You will not have to go out and buy an entire new collection of gel polishes just to meet your desire for what color you want your nails to be. Instead, you just chose the color and follow the next couple of steps I am going to tell you. First, what you are going to need...-Nail Polish remover -Cotton Pads -Nail Files -Nail Polish -Nail Clippers -Sally Hansen Nail Kit (this includes....the UV light, Acetone Remover, Gel Base Coat, Gel Top Coat, and Nail Cleansing Wipes) How to....GEL NAILSDo not be intimidated. It sounds frightening but it is super easy. Plus, I am here to help you along the way! -First, I recommend using a regular nail polish remover to remove any polish you have on your nails. Put the remover on a cotton pad...but a paper towel works just as well. Use nail polish remover, this way you are not wasting the acetone that the kit comes with. -Next, buff and shape your nails with a nail file. If your nails are very long, cut them with nail clippers. When using a nail file, use one with a medium grit. This way it buffs, but does not harm the nail. -Now, take the Acetone Remover that the kit comes with and dab a little onto another cotton pad. Rub onto all of your nail. This dries the nail out and removes ANY possible oils that would ruin the gel manicure. -Now, you nails are ready for the polish. Make sure that your cuticles are pushed down and out of the way. Take the first polish, which is the Gel Base Coat. Apply a thin coat to all of your nails. Get the polish close to your nail beds, but do not get on your skin/cuticles because once you cure it, it will be hard to remove. - After applying the base coat, cure nails under the light for 30 seconds. The best way to cure your fingers is to do four fingers on the right and then left hand, and then do your two thumbs together. -After curing the base coat you will apply your nail polish. Choose any color and brand of nail polish you want. Any kind works! The more opaque the color is the better, because that way you will only need one coat of color, which makes the process shorter. Now cure the regular nail polish like you did for the the base coat. -After that you will apply the Gel top coat. Cover anywhere there is polish on your nail so it will be shiny and beautiful. A thin coat is best, that way you can assure it will cure and not smudge. For the top coat, I like to do the curing process twice. I like to be safe. - After curing your top coat you are almost done. Now all you have to do is take the Nail Cleansing Wipe and wipe the tacky layer that is left on the nail after curing all the gel polishes. This wipe has alcohol on it so it just really cleanses the nail and gives that great shine and freshly manicured look! Here is my video I made to show you how to do this! Hope it is helpful! THE END RESULTSThe results are awesome, and just like what you would expect from the nail salon! Just be careful and clean in the process. And if you make any mistakes, just take a Q-tip and clean up the mess with some acetone or nail polish remover! This manicure will last at least 2 weeks, and maybe even longer... if you are easy on your nails! Ha! Personally, I pick my nail polish off due to stress, but the gel is so hard to get off that it has beaten my habit a bit, which is great! Definitely try this out...and have a great week!!
-Krissi ♡ Oh yeah..HAPPY NEW YEAR!Only a few days late...but hey, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Crazy crazy craziness it is 2014. Let this year be better than you last. Ha, maybe it can be filled with less bored days with this helpful list I compiled for you. So...The List..We have all been there...sitting around your house bored to death. So here I give ideas to help curb the boredom and turn your day into something...productive, or maybe just more fun and memorable. 1. Check typical social media sites. Twitter, Facebook, and especially Tumblr and Pinterest. <-- these two are the ones I get the most inspiration from. I just feel so fulfilled when I get ideas from both of these social media sites. 2. Watch YouTube videos...they can be educational, funny, inspirational, or just plain stupid but so enjoyable. 3. Check out my latest YouTube video :) :) :) :) :) **pwetty please and thank yaaa** 4. Try fun makeup looks. Practice that smokey eye you want to try for prom or a party.
5. Doodle. Who cares what this looks like. Creativity is so inspiring and interesting. And everyone has a little bit of creativity in them, so let it free. 6. Write a story, or a journal entry. Sum up your day, or write an interesting tale that will make you smile when you read it back someday. 7. Paint your nails. 8. Look through a magazine. Get some inspiration from that. Whether it is fashion, cooking, beauty... 9. Dance. Turn on your favorite song and just DANCE...no one is looking! 10. Cook! This can get really fun. Turn on some music, find a recipe you have never tried before that you might like...and give it a go. Hey, it is better than sitting around bored all day. 11. Practice origami. I don't know. Sounds soothing. 12. Make little DIYs for your bed room to spice it up. 13. Take pictures. There is fun stuff all around you. Make them artistic and throw a pretty filter on it. There you go, you just got artsy hunyy. 14. Try on different outfits that you can wear in the future. Try something you haven't before. 15. Clean..gah yes this sounds horrid, but with the right music anything is possible. 16. Look at old pictures. It is so fun to look back at old memories and relive the good times that you had. 17. Go play that video game that you haven't in a while. Even if you aren't a video game person. That Wii can be quite addicting. 18. Make a funny video. That's what I do. It passes the time. 19. Read a book! I am not a reading type of person, but once you find that one good book, there is no going back...you get hooked. 20. Do a puzzle. Ha this sounds funny, but they are challenging and are good for the mind. Keep yo mind healthy, people, it's the only one you have. That's all I got! If you get bored come back to this list and try some of these ideas. Enjoy your boredom! ♣MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS♣ -Partition -- Beyoncé -Mine -- Beyoncé ft. Drake -Stay High -- Hippie Sabotage -Bloodbuzz Ohio -- The National -Graceless -- The National Have a great first month of 2014...and a great rest of the week! Keep warm, especially with the insane chill where I am! Comment any fun things you do when you are bored. Would love to know! -Krissi♡ Merryyy Christmas and Happy Holidays! Wow, winter has arrived and with only a view more days till Christmas, decorations are a MUST! So, whether you just like crafty schtuff, or are interested in some do-it-yourself decorations....this is for you...PAPER SNOWFLAKES! These are a classic, and super easy because it only requires -paper and -scissors...oh and a little bit of creativity. I am going to tell you of ways you could decorate with them, because they are so much more than just paper. So let's begin, shall we?? LET GO! 1. You are going to need regular white 8 by 11 computer paper. You can, of course, switch this paper out with any paper you would like, just remember, a thicker paper will be harder to cut...so investing in a heavy duty pair of scissors might be a smart thang to do. 2. Next, I like to cut my paper down to a not so exact small square. You can decide on whatever size you want. I went with a size similar to that of my hand. Then I fold the square over into a triangle and cut off the extra sides to make the triangle precise. This will be sure to give the snowflake a clean cut square canvas to start on. 3. After that, fold the triangle over a view more times to make an even smaller triangle. Once that is done you may start to cut. It takes a lot of planning to cut super intricate snowflakes. If you are interested in cutting intricate designs then it would be wise to use an X-Acto Knife. Otherwise, scissors work well. Just keep in mind that some cuts might make the entire snowflake fall apart. So be wise and always know that the "spine"...like the spine of a book.. can be cut and designed, but it is what it keeping the entire snowflake together, so be carefulll! Also, be careful with the scissors, you don't need any cuts on yo phalanges. (aka fingers) 4. CUT YOUR DESIGNS!!! make them unique and your own. Look online for inspiration. It helps to map out what you are gonna cut, so lightly draw on the paper with a pencil and then cut away! It helps to open the snowflake to see how you are going to plan your design. This is what mine looked like after all the cutting! 5. NOW, OPEN UP YOUR SNOWFLAKE!!! 6. And it is time to decide what you want to do with your snowflake!! You could add glitter to make them sparkle, or even go all out and make a snowflake chandelier.....really, they exist. Personally, I wanted to hang some snowflakes above my bed on my curtain pole on my window. So I did! I cut big, medium, and small sized snowflakes. Then I cut out small circles and put silver, purple, and blue glitter on them. Then I treaded thread through both the snowflakes and sparkled circles and hung them above my bed. I love them, and they add such a winter wonderland touch to my bed room. What is so great about these is that they are versatile and can be so intricate and fun to look at. Don't be afraid to have fun with it! And there you are, folks! Hope this was fun and enticed you to go and try it....heck, why not! It will surely get your in the mood for the holidays that are coming up! Anyway, have a great Christmas and New Year!! See you in 2014! Ah, so crazyyy.
-Krissi ♡ So, I have been pondering this thought for a while and I finally decided to bring it to life! I made a YouTube Channel named Mad Charm and I am going to make videos on there...very similar to the kind of stuff that I post on here. Like videos relating to fun girly things, but also things that happen in real life...who knew! I am so excited to get to talk to people and hopefully reach a bigger audience! My First VideoI wanted by first video to be original, so I thought of something that I have seen little to none of. (I think it is original, but the internet is so vast, who knows what is out there at this point!) Anyway, I made my first video on how to coordinate your makeup to your outfits... I hope it will help anyone out in this world who needs help with this issue, or just give some inspiration...that is what I am here for! But of course with one video, I will have to be posting more, so I will be needing help and ideas of videos that you would be interested in seeing. I want to please the people. Oh, and just because I will be posting on YouTube does not mean I will stop posting here! Of course I will! I will stay dedicated to this, because I love it too! So Without Further Ado.......Hope you enjoy the video...and please Like and Subscribe if ya wanna make me really happy and fuzzy on the inside.
PS...make the video HD, it is fuzzy otherwise....whatta pain! But thank you so much and I hope you check out my video and Channel in general! Thank you so much and have a lovely rest of the week! -Krissi ♡ Ahh...miles above the earth flying in a plane. Do not get me wrong, I love travel and I love flying. There is something about it that I like a lot. However, sometimes there is that one flight that goes just terribly wrong. No. I am not talking plane crashes or anything of that sort. No. I am talking about the annoyances that one may encounter upon flying. This is not meant to push anyone away from flying, it is simply here for (what I hope to be) comedic relief as well as a learning experience so when this happens to you on your next flight you will be prepared. Buckle up and fasten your seat belts and prepare for take off. The BeginningMy mother and I were traveling to Texas to visit family. I got pulled out of school early so we would be sure to catch our flight out at 2PM. This flight flew us into Chicago. And yes, this is where it all begins. Chicago, one of the busiest airports in the US. There are so many connecting flights and people going in and out that the entire Chicago airport experience is a whirl wind. We had about a 2 hour 30 minute layover, so my mom and I got dinner and walked around, and eventually sat down at our gate to wait till they began to board at 6:30PM. It was it this moment when I sat down...that I heard it....I heard the sound that would (ultimately) ruin the rest of my night. The most loud and obnoxious coughing coming from a hefty looking business man -- I will from now on refer to him as the man. And it was not just a cough, it was 3 coughs in a row...every 5 minutes. Plus, this was not even a cough, it was from another world. It was a hacking, coughing, disgusting gurgling coming from the man. And I just knew that with our luck, we would be sitting in close proximity to him on the plane...I just knew. The FlightWe boarded the plane, waiting 15 minutes in the freezing cold connector that connects the gate to the plane. But this did not bother me much, just more drama until we reach the climax of this story. We get to our seats, and they were nicely placed, right by the wing, could not complain. Except that the seats that my mom booked were next to each other, while the ticket had misprinted and put me on the right side of the aisle, and my mother was put on the left side of the aisle. A minor glitch, but we rolled with it. She sat next to me in hopes that the passenger with that seat would be kind enough to switch considering that we were mother and daughter. And when this passenger came along she was completely A-okay with this. But then, what to my wondering ears did I hear, but the coughing man from earlier, and where is his seat...oh, just right next to where my mother almost had to sit. My condolences went out to that kind woman, sacrificing her well being, but still, he was right across the aisle coughing and chomping at my last nerve. Luckily, I brought my head phones...sound canceling (thank you God)! However these were ones that sit on top of your ears, so after an hour, my ears hurt so bad I had to take them off and return to the everlasting hell of the man coughing. To make matters worse, this was a 3 hour flight. It spanned from 7 PM to about 10-11PM (the flight took longer than expected....dang delays), so anyway, this flight was a night time flight. All the lights were out in the cabin to allow people to sleep if they so pleased, however, your individual light to your seat was still accessible. The entire flight...up until the point we landed...the two women in front of me talked, in an obnoxious manner, about there life and their boyfriends, and they laughed till the point that their seats began to shake. I'm sorry, but I thought it was common flight courtesy to not talk or leave your bright light on during a night flight. I understand this may sound like I am being very judgmental and picky, however, in the moment, it was bad. My personality is not one to slander or judge. I really think that being up since 5:50AM for school, going through a half day of school, traveling, and not getting any rest all attributed to my extreme irritability. Continuing on, yes these women talked with their lights on all the way to our destination in Texas. I had to listen to it because of my stupid head phones. (yes, the headphones were my fault, but they do add in just another peachy inconvenience) Also spawning from my lack of headphones was the onslaught of coughing and repeated hacking from the man. Trust me, I understand getting sick and I understand that when you have to cough you have to, but this was just too odd for me. He could have done so many things to help the issue, in yet he didn't. He could have been sucking on cough drops or throat lozenges..maybe even both. He could have been drinking water or tea, but he wasn't...and trust me, they serve both of those on the airplane. But no, instead he drank a Bloody Mary. Sorry, but I do not think tomatoes are proven to cure coughing and hacking. Moving on, this entire time the woman next to him is a saint, simply ignoring his coughing while she read a magazine. She even offered this man some of her snacks! God bless this woman's soul. Once off the PlaneFinally, this sleepless flight filled with pain and annoyances all ended when we landed. I could not have been happier to get off that plane. Once off the plane, I gave one last glance to the man, and overheard the conversation he was having with his business partner who had been elsewhere on the plane. He said something along the lines of how the woman next to him was rude and unfriendly and blah blah blah and how she was a terrible flyer. It took just about everything in my power not to hit this man right across his face. If anything she was nothing but an angel and he was the terrible flyer. All in all, I moved on from this horrid flying experience. Honestly, this has been the only bad experience I have had thus far.... What can we Learn from this Experience?One, we can learn to bring comfortable head phones that will not force you to listen to the dreaded noises coming from the man across the aisle. Two, bring one of those night time eye covers to void the light streaming in through your eyelids from the lovely ladies in front of you. Three, prepare to see many walks of life on the plane. But not only on the plane, but in the airport, and anywhere on earth for that matter. Just know that there will be people you do not expect, but it is good. It is good to meet new people! (this is just about the only positive thing you might take away from this story) And fourth, don't be that sick coughing guy. Take care of yourself and your health. Not just for yourself, but for the people around you. No one A. wants to listen to you all sick and B. no one wants to get your sickness. Glad I could vent and share this story. If anything this is just a little example of what may happen on a flight. Glad it is over, but it will not stop me...or stop you.... from traveling and seeing the world. Till next time, bye bye! Have a great week!
-Krissi ♡ As a high school senior, I think it is my place to share some of my knowledge that I have learned to help out anyone that is looking for help with....(dun dun dunnnn)....COLLEGE. This info is going to be for those who are looking at what they want to pursue for the rest of their life, and for those looking into colleges. It seems scary and intimidating, it is a bit of a shock, just know that it will all be okay! And hey, maybe this advice will be your saving grace....let's roll. --Deciding What you Want to Do--It's crazy...right? Having to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life in just 4 short years of high school. But that is the way that the world works!! So let us go with it. Personally, I decided what I was going to pursue at the end of my Sophomore year of high school. For deciding a future career or place of interest, do something realistic for you and your lifestyle, as well as something that you will love to do. It is okay to have multiple ideas for a future college major (because..wow, there are so many out there!) And colleges will understand that. They don't not accept students for being indecisive in a major, that is why they have an Undecided Program, where you go to that college and find out more about yourself and your interests, and then get an understanding of what you want your major in college to be. I am the type of person that knows what I want, so deciding what I was going to do was easy for me. But for others it may be a bit more challenging. My tips for thinking of potential majors would be to get to know yourself. So many people go through their life not even knowing who they really are. Find out what makes you mad, what makes you happy, whether you are shy or social. (just the basics..they say a lot about your personality). And then get into the more detailed aspects of your life. What are your hobbies, what do you see yourself doing 10 years from know, do you enjoy the idea of an office job, do you want to travel...the list goes on. Write these all on a piece of paper and review. And if you need to ask your parents or friends some questions about the type of person that they see you as ... then do it. They are on the outside looking in. They may see something new or different you would have never noticed before. Looking for CollegesThis is the best part, it makes your really feel like an adult taking the next step in your life....because that is exactly what you are doing. You are designing your future! I believe that the college search should start during your Junior year, preferably at the beginning of it, so at the end of you Junior year and into that summer you have time to plan and visit colleges, so by the beginning of your Senior year, you are ready to apply. So....finding colleges....it seems harder than you might think, only because there are so many schools out there. My tips to narrowing it down would be to 1. go to those college fairs that your school talks about. There are going to be so many schools there, and it can't hurt. Just.Do.It! 2. use a website that will help give you options on majors and colleges. http://www.collegeboard.org/ <= this website is College Board (it is the website used to sign up for you SATs...so some of you might already be familiar with it) but there is a part of this website that will give you a little survey of the things you like and the characteristics you might be more drawn to in a college. For instance; school size, the distance from you home, in state or out of state, rural or urban, religious or not. There are many factors. This website will then take all of the answers into consideration and give you colleges that fit your responses. It is amazing to see what comes up. Then the next step would be to google that school and see if they have a good success rate of students and it they are good for your field of study. Visiting the school website is quite helpful, too! 3. Ask google the best schools in your field study. For me, I was asking google for the best Fashion Merchandising schools, and that gave a lot of insight and info that I needed to know. 4. Do not forgot that college costs money, and can be very expensive. Keep in mind that out of state is going to be much more expensive than in state colleges. Always check the tuition. However, do not let that number scare you, because there are always boat loads of scholarships that will save you your money. I just want to reassure you that you do not have to go to the top school in the country that costs you so much money, just because you think you will receive a great education. Yes, your education would probably be great, but a great college does not promise you a great job, that is up to you. Go to an average college and do well and succeed, and you will end up with a just as nice job compared to a kid from a top school would get. College and the experience of getting there is what you make of it. Do not let it take over your life. Take it all in stride...and good luck! Feel free to ask questions...I am here for you.
-Krissi ♡ My last couple posts have been fashion or beauty related, so I wanted to change it up and do something maybe a little different. Let us talk about food, shall we. Sooo, October has Halloween, giving wiggle room for delicious candy, November has Thanksgiving, giving the perfect excuse to eat all day and eat left overs, and December has Christmas or Hanukah, giving yet another excuse to eat all day and eat left overs. So, I think it is wise to think of a game plan to prepare ourselves for the upcoming months of food. I think what is important about these holidays is that we DO enjoy ourselves. That is why we look forward to these holidays, so let us eat cake! But leading up to these holidays, and in between the months, it would be wise to keep your diet clean and keeping up on exercise. I am going to divide the day into categories of eating (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks) and then I will talk about getting some exercise in to prepare for the yummy holidays that await us. ☯Breakfast☯I have been a fan of hard boiled eggs. You can prepare them in advance by boiling a dozen on a Sunday, and then peeling them and refrigerating them for the rest of the week. They are great and filling when you eat them with fruit or (my personal favorite) BelVita Breakfast Crackers. These crackers are delicious and great for people on the go. I have to go to school every week day morning, and these crackers are great to eat on the way, and they are filling! If eggs or these crackers are not your thing, I recommend yogurt, berries, and granola. Super delicious and super good for you too. Just make sure that your yogurt is low fat (I like Greek Yogurt) and that your granola is not being super processed or being made with too much sugar and unnecessary ingredients that are not so good for you. I personally recommend Kashi granola. It can be found at any grocery store. Lastly, smoothies! Smoothies are so delicious and very filling, especially if you decide to put a little yogurt or protein powder in them. They stay with you until your next meal, and you can make them in a variety of different flavors. Be careful of what you are putting in them though. A typical smoothies that I make has frozen fruit of my choice, vanilla low fat Greek yogurt, a little bit of milk to thin out the smoothie, and honey to sweeten (if needed). Keep it clean, that is the best advice I can give! But have fun with it, you may end up making something delicious you would have never thought of. ✮Lunch✮Lunch is always tricky for me because I am typically at school, and very hungry. I pack lunch every day, which can be limiting because only certain items fit into a lunch box. If I did not eat lunch everyday at school, I would really enjoy have a light whole wheat pasta salad everyday, or even some whole wheat pasta with a little marinara sauce on the top. Always be sure to include some sort of fruit and vegetable into your lunch. Fruit is easy for me, because I enjoy eating almost all fruits. Apples, plums, pear, oranges, and bananas are all very easy for packing in lunches. But do not neglect raspberries and black berries. Both of these have really good antioxidants that are great for your health, hey...and berries are delicious! Vegetables are harder for me to pack because I am much pickier, but carrots are always a good choice, they are crunchy and are very portable for school or work lunches. And in general, a salad with spinach and lettuce with olives, carrots, and a little sprinkle of cheese and light dressing is not bad either. Salads are really great because you can dictate the flavor profile of the salad because the lettuce is a blank canvas, so do what you will, and again...have fun with it! ∆Dinner∆Dinner is one of my personal favorite meals of the day because it is always hardy and delicious. Dinner, in my home, depends on what my family is hungry for that night. Sometimes it is something I want to eat, and other times it is not. For me, a small side salad is a good way to get in some sort of vegetable content for the day. Salads go with virtually any dinner, and won't fill you up too much to the point where you are not interested in eating your dinner. My general rule of thumb is to have a protein, and good carb, and a veggie for dinner. Grilled chicken is always a good protein. For carbs, I think that whole grain rices, or a slice of whole grain toast is good too. Vegetables are really up to you: green beans, broccoli, spinach, or sugar snap peas are all vegetables that are good sautéed or steamed. Try out some new things and get comfortable with what you like to eat. However, I must admit, there are those nights that I do not like what is for dinner. If this is the case, I am a huge fan of soups, because they are simple, fast to make, filling, and delicious. My favorite soup to make is wedding soup because you can dictate the vegetables and protein that you put into the broth. This is something that is really fun to play around with, so do not be afraid to get started. ❉Snacks❉Snacks are what will get me through the day. My school schedule really dictates when I will eat, but I always get hungry during school, and after school. Granola bars are a very filling and delicious way to hold over your hunger. I really enjoy any of the Kashi granola bars. There are many flavors to choose from and the ingredients are going to really hold over your hunger rather than make you more hungry 15 minutes down the line (because some not so good snacks will do that). Fruit, such as a banana or an apple, are good snacks to have, as these will also hold your over. Nuts are a good source of protein that you can eat with dried fruit, and maybe even a small amount of chocolate chips. These snacks are all easily accessible and delicious. ✦EXERCISE!✦Ahh, the dreaded exercise...it honestly is not nearly as bad as people crack it up to be. It will be what you make of it, so make it worth your while, because it IS! Cardio is the most important. This is what will keep your heart healthy throughout your life. I understand that not all people are running people, I know I am not! I am trying to train myself to like it, but it really can be tough. So rather than torturing yourself...walk. Walking is a great source of cardio, it is better on your knees than running, and you are virtually doing the same exact thing, only slower. Walk at a brisk pace to get your heart rate up, and pop in your audio book or music and have some 'me time'. Walking can be done anytime any where...in your neighborhood, around the corner and down the street, in the city...anywhere! Another important part of exercise is toning and stretching out your muscles. Just basic stretches will stretch your muscles and make you look leaner...it is proven. While toning will give your muscles definition. There are many exercises on the web for you to look at that help with stretching. While toning can be done with anything from a weight to a bag of flour at your home. Lunges are even better, because all you need is will power and your body! Do not make it complicated, just put your mind to it....and I promise, exercise makes you feel better about yourself inside and out. DO IT. That is all folks, just keep your diet clean and get some exercise in...every little bit helps! And just think how much better that candy and Thanksgiving dinner is going to taste knowing that you worked hard to be able to enjoy it! Have a great rest of the week...and as usual, here are some music recommendations. ♣MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS♣
-Chance the Rapper: Favorite Song, Coco Butter Kisses, Smoke Again -Toxic Wonderland (remix of the Melanie Martinez cover of Britney Spears's song Toxic) -Kid Cudi: Teleport 2 Me -Krissi ♡ |
KristenFrom Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Studying fashion. Hoping to travel the world. Archives
October 2014
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