Lifestyle
You Deserve It: Treat Yourself Without Breaking the Bank
With the stress of midterms, work, and life in general, we have to make sure to treat ourselves once in awhile. Being the broke college students that we are, here are some affordable and easy options to pamper our needs.
Make your own Chocolate Goodies:
It is a known fact that chocolate is one of the best comfort foods. It may not necessarily be a true scientific fact, but we can believe it anyway. While chocolate covered strawberries, pretzels, and other goodies are typically expensive, a more affordable option is a melted chocolate bar dipped in your favorite foods for a fondue party of one.
Exercise:
Yes, while part of us will always rather just lie in bed,
exercise is a major reliever of all anxieties. Yoga and meditation are a time
for you to clear your thoughts and "be one with the world." Running outside
allows you to feel a breeze and take in new surroundings while your body
unwinds. Exercise is a treat to your body, mind, and soul.
At Home Spa:
The ultimate self-pampering is to relieve your body and skin of all the dirt and germs it encounters. A hot shower or bath can alleviate tense muscles and open pores. Ravish your skin in body butters and lotion for the baby soft feel. You can invest in a $4 facial mask from your closest drugstore and cuddle up in a robe. An at home mani/pedi can be accomplished with a foot scrub and a simple coat of nail polish. All these simple affordable tricks can add up to a new and polished you, without the painful high price.
Indulge With Food & A Movie:
You should either go out and see the newest release in theaters or stream an old guilty pleasure movie. The perfect movie night can involve tears, laughter, and (the best part) food! Gorge yourself in a movie marathon with pals or just yourself and your pet. Entertainment is the number one way to treat yourself, plus the addition of your favorite snacks makes it all the better.
Shelby Light, Jasmine Valenica, Paola Jimenez
Acroyoga for Beginners
After having a good foundation for a plank, Kierra showed us "throne." This one was particularly tricky. It requires the flyer to lift and remove one leg at a time, and wrap it around the base's leg.
This pose took the most trial and error, but wow, it was cool once we finally struck it!
Our tips for anyone interested in learning acroyoga:
Practice with someone you are comfortable with.
Be patient and positive.
STRETCH STRETCH STRETCH (Your muscles will thank you).
Don't be afraid to look silly!
If you're looking for an activity to start with your significant other, then acroyoga should be on your list. If you are single, it should still be on your list because acroyoga pushes for trust between partners. Who knows? You may even find your "forever" partner *wink* *wink*. As mentioned on Acroyoga.org, "AcroYoga blends the wisdom of yoga, the dynamic power of acrobatics, and the loving kindness of healing arts. These three lineages form the foundation of a practice that cultivates trust, playfulness, and community."
Last weekend my team and I tried our hands at acroyoga, to see just how hard it really was for true newbies. Our friend Kiera, an experienced acro-yogi, guided us through the basics.
Our first step was to stretch, and when I say stretch I don't just mean touch your toes for a few seconds. You really need to stretch yourself as much as possible.
There are two parts to acroyoga, the base and the flyer; the mover and the moved. The base supports the acrobatics while the flyer sores through the sky. A spotter is recommended for beginners to make sure it is all practiced safely.
We started with a plank press, to introduce trust between the base and the flyer. From there we transitioned into a front plank.
From plank, we moved on into "Bird." - Look, mom! No hands!
Acroyoga can be awkward, and for someone who is completely new at it, chances are you'll do something wrong at some point or another and it'll make the pose look ridiculous, but have fun with those moments! It is a partner hobby, so your attitude affects your partner's attitude.
Danielle Dowell, Dhaval Shah, Andy Medina (feat. Kiera Brown)
Three Apps Every Fashionista Should Have on Their Phone
The Hunt
This highly rated and coveted app should become the heart of every fashion lover's phone. The main function of this app is for the user to post a picture of an item they have been wanting to find or buy, and other users can then help them track down where that item is from and if the item can't be found, they can link very similar items to choose from. It is also a great way to exchange style advice in a community that loves fashion just as much as you do. The app is extremely easy to navigate once you have created your account, so post away and begin finding all the pieces you only thought existed on pinterest.
Molly Curington, Sydney Harklau, Marissa McKenna
Cloth
Cloth is the perfect app for anyone who has trouble picking an outfit for any occasion. It allows you to store photographs of outfits you've worn before, and provides you with suggestions every morning. It even allows you to input your location and will suggest outfits based on the weather in your area. In addition to these features, Cloth allows you to follow other people and view their outfits, as well as perform specific searches for all types of outfits, such as Workwear, Activewear, and Everyday wear. This is very handy for anyone trying to up their style game or trying to make new outfits with the pieces they already have. The app is not very complex and very easy to navigate. All you have to do is create an account, snap a photo of your outfit, and you're on your way to a revamped wardrobe!
Polyvore
Look no further for your own virtual mood board. With Polyvore, you can create endless collages of outfits and home decorations. You can add individual pieces of clothing or furniture to a set to create the ideal outfit or room for your house. This helps you visualize exactly what your outfit will look like as a whole before spending the money on each piece. Gain outfit inspiration from other users' sets as well. Browse through already created sets and purchase any pieces that intrigue you. Polyvore also lets you search for a specific style, such as "sweater dress," and returns with numerous products that can be purchased directly through the app. In order to personalize it to your taste, Polyvore lets you "like" certain styles and pieces to give you suggestions and results that are more suited to your individual style. This app is great for finding new ways to wear your individual pieces and a staple for any fashionista's phone. With Cloth, The Hunt, and Polyvore, you will have the trifecta!
How to Stay Organized for School
It's nearly impossible to get through school without some type of organization system. From exams, to projects, to meeting with the professor, there are far too many deadlines and dates for an individual to keep track of off the top of their head. Here are some tips to stay on top of things and how to stay organized.
Use a planner.
Using a planner is helpful to keep track of important dates and deadlines. Although a planner may not be the most exciting thing in the world, you can certainly make it fun by investing in a cute one! Kate Spade and Lilly Pulitzer are known for their beautifully designed planners and popular amongst college students! Sticky notes, colorful pens, bookmarks, and more can be used in addition to add more sparkle to your daily to-do lists.
Use an online calendar app, such as Google calendar.
An online calendar app is a great resource, especially for students who have schedules that are constantly changing. Google calendar for example, can be a great virtual planner! You can set reminders about upcoming events which is especially helpful for forgetful students. This is also a great option for those that like to visually see what their day looks like and is convenient since the calendar can be viewed from your phone.
Use a journal.
A journal allows for you to build your own planner, essentially. A journal without any structured calendars, days, or months lets you write the way you want to. You can have one page for a to-do list, another page for assignments due that week, one for homework due, really whatever you want to make of it! Journals are also great for jotting ideas down or keeping track of important information.
In conclusion, no one person is the same and everybody stays organized in different ways. The key to staying organized in school however, is finding what works for you. Using one of the suggestions above or even a combination can be the key to making sure you stay on top of things. Once you find a system that works for you, make sure to always write down what you need to remember. It's easy to believe that you will keep it memorized or to "write it down later" but most often, it slips our minds. This is a great habit to ensure that you will keep note of everything in order to stay organized.
Christina Lau, Alejandra Martinez, Rachel Lawson
Whats in my Backpack: College Edition/ College Essentials
As we start off 2016 with a fresh new start to the semester, we need to restock our backpacks with the essentials in order to have a successful semester.
To begin with, you need your backpack:
Northface is always durable and is able to fit every little thing you can imagine in it. Also, Herschel backpacks have become very popular with its unique and vintage designs. You can always customize your backpack with your initials or name with Jon Hart classic backpacks. As an alternative, there leather tote bags from Madewell that are stylish, and still manage to carry all of your books.
Next, you need to stay hydrated:
Camelback water bottles are a go to, and people even have them printed to customize them with either their initials or with the clubs or organizations that they are involved in. There's also the beloved Yeti cup or Hydroflask, which manages to either keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold throughout the entire day.
Also, to add a little flavor to your drinks, the Fressko water bottle, which can brew tea or coffee, or hold fruit for flavored water in the water bottle!
You also have to stay up to date on all your assignments/events with a planner:
Lilly Pulitzer makes planners that are sure to brighten up your week with colorful patterns, sayings, and stickers. Passion Planners offer a clean cut, professional feel for their planners that will help you stay up to date and organized.
For more of a vintage feel, there are Gallery Leathers planners that have leather covers that can be customized with your initials
Next, you need to have a wallet to carry around your student ID, credit cards, license, etc!!
Michael Kors makes cute and good quality wallets and wristlets that are able to hold all of your belongings. Kate Spade wallets/wristlets have colorful and whimsical patterns that are sure to brighten up your day! Fossil wallets and wristlets are classical and timeless made out of authentic leather and sometimes contain fun patterns.
Gotta protect your laptop with a laptop case, so why not make it fun?
Marc by Marc Jacobs makes laptop cases and carriers that contain bright and fun colors and patterns. For a simpler feel, Speck makes plastic laptop covers in a multitude of colors that brighten up your laptop while protecting it!
Lastly, you have to keep your pencils, pens, calculator, etc. somewhere!
Ban.do makes pencil bags with girly and fun patterns and sayings that are sure to add a bit of happiness to your school supplies. Five Star also creates durable pencil bags in a variety of colors.
I hope this list of the college essentials leads you on a path to a successful, enjoyable, and fun semester!
Caroline Bolano, Erika Najera
