{via}

Admittedly, I hate mornings. Why on earth I had decided to take an 8AM class this semester is beyond me. What's even more troubling than my rash decision to take an 8AM is how I used to wake up at 5:45 every morning in high school so that I could shower and make it on time to class everyday. Regardless of these facts, mornings and I have never (and probably will never) be the best of friends.

All is not lost though- from the struggle of my morning class, I have found ways to make mornings more bearable and more productive than ever before imaginable. I'm sharing my tips with you, so hopefully, you can despise mornings a little less, too (because let's face it, mornings are a fact of life).

1 | Move your phone / alarm out of arms reach. At school, I prefer to put my phone on top of my fridge since turning off the alarm means that I have to physically get up and climb down from my loft. By moving the alarm, you are forced to get up and get moving.

2 | Chug some water (cold specifically). This is going to wake up your body, boost your metabolism, and in general alert yourself. I always keep a mason jar of water in my fridge so that in the morning not only is the water cold, but so is the glass- giving me an extra shock of cold to wake up my system. It's also really important to hydrate before you caffeinate.

3 | Give yourself a good stretch. This could be anything as simple as shaking out your limbs or something as routine and ritual as yoga. Whatever you choose to do, get your body moving so that you're not all stiff when you're in the likely rush to get out the door.

4 | Stay off the social media. This is probably uber shocking coming from me since I adore social media, but it will only distract you in the long run. Plus, you don't really want to start your mornings off by seeing your least favorite person on twitter insistently tweet about how great their bagels are.

5 | Wash your face with cold water. This is for nearly the exact same reason as #2. Wake yourself up with a shock factor if you have to (plus your skin will love you for this and you should be doing it anyways).

6 | Make time for breakfast. While I don't need to remind you why breakfast is the most important meal of the day (brunch / lunch are my faves anyways), I am going to remind you that by getting food in your system, you're more likely to be able to focus on the day ahead of you, to binge eat less, and to not interrupt your peers from your obnoxiously loud stomach as it grumbles in dire need of food. When I've got an early class, I eat something as small as grapefruit before class just to replenish my body, but when I have more time, I never turn down the opportunity to make myself a waffle. Moral? Eat something.

7 | Prep the night before. Whether this be laying out your clothes, packing your backpack, or getting parts of your lunch together the next day- do it. You'll spend less time mulling around what to wear/bring/do and you'll be better equipped to mentally prepare for the day ahead.

Still not a fan of mornings? Don't worry- you don't have to breakup with your afternoon naps.

Why You Need Coconut Oil

There are tons of claims constantly going around about how great coconut oil is for you. Being curious by nature, I picked myself up a jar of the stuff and decided to put it to my own little test. I've learned and you will all be benefiting from my mistakes, lucky ducks! Here's my 5 favorite uses for coconut oil:

Makeup remover | My favorite way to put coconut oil to work is to remove my makeup. I wear waterproof everything, so getting my makeup off can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. With coconut oil, it's not. Like, at all. Seriously, rubbing this into your eyelashes for a few seconds gets waterproof eyeliner / mascara off like it's nothing. 

Lip balm | I like to swipe a thin layer of this across my lips every few nights to ensure they stay moisturized (every night if it's the winter). Your lips will never be softer, I promise. 

Shaving | This was a little bit weird to do while living in a college dorm room, but lathering up your legs with coconut oil not only gives you a close shave, but it will also keep your legs smooth for days after shaving. 

Feet | I'm prone to getting rough heels (I got it from my momma?) and it can be extremely frustrating at times, especially now that it's sandal season. At night, rubbing a dime sized amount of coconut oil into each heel softens up my feet better than anything else I've tried (just be careful, your heels will be a smidge greasy). 

Hair | If your hair is in serious need of some TLC, rub a small (and I mean small) amount of coconut oil into the ends of your hair. If your hair is fine like mine, only put it in the ends and then rinse it out thoroughly. If your hair is a little more on the course side and you're feeling ballsy, go for your full head of hair. Again, rinse it out thoroughly. Your hair will be feeling soft and oh-so touchable for days on end. 

Do you use coconut oil in any other ways? 

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LMJ

Mas Agua Por Favor

{via}

It's heating up outside and the season for being active is on our heels. As exciting as it is to be free to run around and soak up the sun, sometimes remembering to stay hydrated is put on the back-burner. To help fight dehydration this summer, I'm sharing my best tips for consuming enough water plus some simple ways to spice up your agua. Happy hydration!

tips:

Drink 8oz as soon as you wake up - through the night, your body has used up extra water and is in need of hydration to start functioning again (drinking cold water in the AM will also help with alertness).

Carry a water bottle around with you so that you never have an excuse not to drink water. It's easier to be out and quickly pick up a small bottle of pop, but the sugar in it won't hydrate you the way water will. (and who says water bottles can't be treated like accessories? this one is fab.)

Eat spicier foods if you can handle the heat. Having something hot with your meals will leave you running (maybe literally) for a glass of water. Isn't that a sneaky way to get more water in your day?

Eating water rich foods will also keep you hydrated. Foods such as melon, cucumber, or celery are packed with water, so while you're not exactly drinking your H2O, you're still getting it!

Make a water goal that you want to hit every day and treat it like a competition with yourself. This year I made a goal to drink 128 oz (that's one gallon!!) each day. It was super easy when my bottle was 64oz and I just knew I had to refill it completely 4 times. Moral is: create a goal that works for you and challenge yourself to stick to it.

jazz it up:

Add some lemon - it's simple, it's understated, but man does it make the difference. Adding a few slices of lemon or squeezing some lemon juice into your water gives your water some flavor, plus the lemons are great for aiding digestion and cleansing your system of toxins! 

Watermelon and mint are also great twists on water. The watermelon will add a fruity flare while the mint will keep your water refreshing. Not to mention that this drink could help curb your soda cravings if you added some sparkling water instead of tap! 

Lime, orange, and lemon combined are also a fun and citrus-y twist to add to your water. Plus all of that citrus will help give your immune system a boost!

How do you like to add water into your daily routine? 

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LMJ

Pack Like A Pro

We all know that packing can be a pain in the butt. As an over packer myself, I know how tricky it can be to pack up and not feel like you're leaving something behind. Since I'm sure I'm not alone in this, I rounded up some of my best packing trips and secrets to share with all of you! Some of these tips may seem obvious, but they can sometimes be overlooked and are always helpful!

My tips: 

1 |  Before you pack, know how many days you'll be on vacation & how many of those days will be devoted to traveling - this will help when it comes time to pack your clothes

2 | A couple of days before you leave, check the weather of your destination so you know what's appropriate to wear 

3 | If you're going on vacation for a week, pack 3 pairs of versatile bottoms - it'll save room in your suitcase (and who doesn't love extra room?)

4 | Bring enough shirts for each day plus one extra - you're mind will probably change while you're on vacation (I know mine always does)

5 | If you're going someplace warm & will need a swim suite, pack at least two (one to wear while the other one is wet)

6 | To keep shoes from getting grime on your clothing, wrap them in a shower cap (easily purchased at a dollar store)

My secrets:

1 | Wear your bulkiest shoes while on your way to your destination - cuts down on suitcase cluttering & opens up room for that extra dress you wanted to pack or for anything you might bring home

2 | Use straws to pack your necklaces. Thread the chains through the straws and clasp them together - this keep tangling from happening and will save you time that could be used to apply another coat of mascara before a night out 

3 | Stuff any shoes in your baggage with things such as socks & underwear - the shoes are taking up space anyways, why not make them work for you? 

4 | To keep leaks from happening, put a small square of plastic wrap over bottle openings and screw the cap back on

5 | Use old contact lens cases to store your liquid foundation/makeup

6 | Wrap your valuables or breakables in your bulkiest items to ensure they don't break 

I hope my tips have helped you in some way! What are some of your packing secrets?

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LMJ

Stress Less: My Top 6 Methods for Reducing Stress

{via my favorite yogi}

If I had to describe this week in one word, it would be stressful. Second semester came at me like a train, and I am so thankful it is finally Friday (though it's still not giving me much peace of mind...). My brain has been swarmed with thoughts and plans that I just cannot seem to jot down on paper quick enough, and my to-do list is way longer than any Kate Spade notepad could handle - not even my Lilly planner can keep up.

With the stress of the new semester upon myself, I have been spending my free time seeking out ways to relieve my stress, and I've compiled a list of things that have been really helping me trudge through the last few days. Since I know that many of my readers are now back to the grindstone, I figured this list could be helpful to others as well.

Drink something hot ||  Sipping on a hot drink is a great way to relax. Because you can't just chug it and go along with your day, you are forced to drink slowly. Make yourself some tea, cocoa, or coffee and set aside your work for the remainder of the cup. By giving yourself some time to just focus on your drink, you'll clear some headspace and treat yourself to some much needed quiet time.

Practice yoga || Something I've recently gotten into is yoga. I practice first thing when I wake up, and right before I go to bed. By giving myself 15-20 minutes of quiet time, I find I'm more ready to start my day and I'm totally relaxed before heading to bed. Click below to see what poses I've been loving!

morning yoga | bedtime yoga 

Hit the gym / workout || This goes along with yoga, but sometimes throughout the day you just need an hour to focus on something else. Be productive and hit the gym for an hour. The break in your day will give you a chance to put your frustration into something worthwhile, and the endorphins you release during your workout will be sure to make you feel much better. If you don't have access to a gym, I highly recommend the blogilates videos Cassey posts on her youtube channel, which you can find here! 

Plan your day before you go to bed || This one I have to give credit to my mom, since she's the one who floated me this tip. Every night before I go to bed, I make a list of what I want to get done the previous day (I am a list-a-holic, and the sense of accomplishment I get from crossing something off of my to-do list is a relief I simply cannot describe). I work on these small tasks throughout the day, and whatever is left on my list goes directly at the top for the next day's to-do's. It keeps me on task and gives me a goal to reach at the end of the day. 

Journal || A lot of people think it's silly to keep journals, but for me the experience is extremely cathartic. Being able to let go of everything swarming my mind and put it on paper keeps my head clear and gives me a healthy release for my stress. I highly recommend it to everyone who feels they simply have way too much on their mind all of the time. 

Give yourself an end time || This last tip is something new that I've been muling over in my head. I frequently check out Dale Partridge's blog, The Daily Positive, and he has given me something to thing about. In his productive morning post (read it here!) he talked about how he always finishes his work day at 6. While sometimes this is simply not ideal for a college student, there are many days where I do not need to be killing myself by staying up well past midnight working on my studies only to get up the next morning at 7 (remember when I said I want to condition myself to become a morning person...). By setting an end time, you give yourself a time limit on when you can accomplish your goals for the day. After that, use your time for whatever else you want to do. 

Is there anything different you do to relieve your stress or anything you think should be added to my list? Let me know in the comments below! 

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LMJ