Happy Tuesday everyone!

In my feeble attempt to procrastinate my homework once more, I have found myself in the Pinterest rabbit hole of graduation content. I could not decorate my cap at my high school graduation, so this time around I am looking forward to decorating my college one. With so many options online, here is my round-up of the cutest, most badass caps out there. Enjoy!

Which one is your favorite? Personally, I'm still trying to decide, although when I do get around to decorating I'll be sure to post an update with my own cap!

Hey guys!

Wow has it been a minute! Somehow the fall semester has flown by and I am now just one month shy of graduating. While I haven't been posting much (sometimes life takes over) I did want to jot down my thoughts about where I'll be taking this space moving forward.

My HI Life was started in an attempt to bring news and information to people who would otherwise have a very hard time learning about the University of Hawaii at Manoa. To be frank, the university doesn't do a good job relaying important information to students on the mainland. Over the years this space grew to be less about the school and more about me, which in turn changed the direction of this blog. I no longer wrote about semester thoughts, life in the dorms, and events on campus, but instead I wrote about my favorite beaches, things to do around the island, and my travels abroad. It would be silly of me to say that when I graduate, this space too will cease. 

Like many others, I find myself trying to navigate post-grad life with many questions. Right now, I know I want to continue blogging, but I know in order to do that I will need to change host sites and, along the way, revamp the blog in its entirety. So, for now, I will be continuing to write on My HI Life but just know that once graduation comes and goes that I will likely change sites, change names, and thus move forward.

Many will probably find this to be the wrong next step, or at least a mistake in the making. However, I've been blogging since I was in seventh grade, and each year I would change names and then change URLS, essentially starting from scratch each year. This is not scary to me, this is exciting. I look forward to my blog maturing alongside me, and I look forward to seeing how my little slice of the internet can transform with me. 

Until next time.

Hi everyone,

With the May quickly flying by I wanted to make this post introducing to you some of my favorite new pieces I've added to my collection (if I can even call it that) of gym clothes. I am confident that a great set of clothes can improve your workout tenfold, so needless to say each of these pieces, in some way or another, make me feel confident while working out. With that in mind, I hope this post inspires you to take the leap and treat your self to some new, cute clothes. 

If you haven't gotten a chance to read my previous post on working out, click HERE to get up-to-date on my current workout. 

I won't lie, I have a quick growing collection of leggings and athletic wear now that I have made it my mission to go just about every weekday. While this sounds fun and fresh, the reality is that once I get into a routine I will quickly find myself reaching for the same pair of leggings and athletic shirt. However, I challenged myself to go above and beyond for all of you and, with that, I wore a new outfit every day to the gym.

FTC: Some of these pieces have been gifted to me in return for my honest review. When a piece has been gifted I will mark it with a '*'. Thank you for your support! 

Monday

Ah, the beginning of the week. The time when I feel the most motivated and the least likely to feel burnt out and ready to quit after half an hour. Monday. 






Today I opted for a sleek pair of blue-gray leggings and sports bra from Sew Mia Boutique. HERE is a link to the pants* and HERE is a link to the sports bra*. 


Tuesday

Alright, so by now I'm a little sore from my workout but I have not yet lost my motivation! Since it's summertime in Hawaii, the humidity has been out of control, so for this day I decided to go with a simple tank top and a cute pair of running shorts.





Running shorts and grey sweat-wick shirt are from Target!

Wednesday

Well, it's that time of the week where I can either be hitting personal records or starting to slip. To keep me motivated I like to wear a pop of color on the bottom and a cute piece on top. For today I went with a cute pair of pink leggings from QueenieKe and decided to pair it with a white sports bra to match. I also threw on a lightweight tank top since I focused more on upper body. 




HERE *is a link to the pants online and HERE  * is a link to the white sports bra. The tank top I am wearing is currently unavailable, but HERE is a link to the website where you can buy other items. 

Thursday

We're almost there, everyone! For Thursday's I don't have as much free time to workout, so what I like to do is reach for something I can throw on real quick and run off in. For this reason, I usually wear a light pair of running shorts and a fitted tank. 







Both pieces are rather old, so I'm linking some similar ones instead. HERE is a link to a similar, fitted tank top. HERE is a link to a similar pair of running shorts. 

Friday

Yay! The week is done; time to celebrate! To end the week on a happy note, I always go for a bright and fun outfit. This week I wore the blue ombre set from Nepoagym. I love wearing this set because I think the fit is flattering and the colors are fun! 






HERE * is a link to the ombre leggings. HERE * is a link to the crop top. 


Which outfit was your fave? Is there any you would wear, or any you would style differently? Let me know in the comments below; I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hello everyone!

A few weekends back I completed my first hike on the westside of Oahu. Since I have previously shared so much information about hikes on the eastern side of the island, I felt it fitting I tell you guys about this one, too!

Maili Pillbox (aka Oahu's Pink Pillbox)

Getting to the pillbox is an easy feat. Located in the area of Nanakuli, this hike is surrounded by hills and breathtaking views of the ocean. While safe for children, animals, and pregnant women (I can confirm this because I actually saw a pregnant woman hiking this) I cannot help but caution all of those interested in doing this for themselves. 

Whether you're a daredevil or a hiker who's more on the cautionary side, this hike has a trail for you. For mine and Daniel's wellbeing, we opted for the safer route out of the two. The path we took starts immediately after the 9th light pole on the right side of Kaukama Road. Once you reach the 9th light pole (I counted) you should park and, from here, begin your hike! 

The hike itself is a moderate one that winds its way up the mountain. With little shade, I advise you to stop and rest early at one of the big rock walls before hiking up to the top. Daniel and I took a break twice and found that we got tired much earlier on than we had anticipated. Once you're done resting, continue on up the path. 

While the path is easy to follow, I want to mention how slippery it can be. Much of the ground is rocky and dry, and I actually found myself slipping on occasion. There is not much to hold on to besides brush, so don't try and run up the trail! 

The boxes themselves are all quite easy to get to, but the one that is most popular is the pink one. Painted in honor of breast cancer awareness, this pillbox is a vibrant pink that can be seen all the way from the highway below. 

After taking our fair share of pictures inside of the pink box, we made our way back down the trail to some of the earlier pillboxes, where I sat at the top for more of an aesthetic picture. 

On the descent down I would caution all of you to go slowly and with intention. Like I said there isn't much to hold on to, and as you can see I had to nearly tip-toe my way down the mountain. 

While the sun was brutally hot, the great thing about this hike is the proximity to the beach! Once down on level ground I wanted nothing more than to go running into the fresh, west-side water. 

What do you think? Are you a fan of the pink pillbox or prefer the ones on Lanikai side more? Personally I think I favor the ones in Kailua, but each of these hikes offer something different, so I'm happy to have completed this one. 

Hey everyone!

It is with a very happy heart that I conclude my spring semester at Manoa. After taking 18 credits, 6 classes in total, I can finally say I am done! I have taken a short *unannounced* break from posting for a while and am so happy to be back. This summer I am planning on staying dedicated to posting once a week and cannot wait to share all of my new ideas with you all. Rather than start now, I wanted to share this post in hopes that you would all feel more at ease knowing that yes, I am still alive and yes, I will be posting starting next week. 

I hope everyone had a successful finals week! Here's to having only one semester left!

Until next time,  

Hello everyone!

Inspired by my efforts to live a more green lifestyle, I have become quite a fan of the beauty and skincare store, LUSH. Today I wanted to talk about my favorite LUSH products and, hopefully, inspire you to try out some of them for yourself!

Cup O' Coffee

When I say this kicked off my obsession, I mean this kicked it off! The smell is amazing and the scrub itself works very well at riding your skin of dirt and grime. I love reaching for this after a long day, applying a thick layer on my face, and just taking in the coffeehouse smell. After each use I can attest that my skin has felt softer and looks more even, which is perhaps why I always try and apply a layer when I can tell I have a break out coming. I purchased my cup in January and there is still half left! I cannot recommend this mask enough. I like to do a mask on Sundays, before the week starts, and again on Wednesdays, when I'm halfway through the workweek. 


Montalbano Shampoo Bar

One word: legendary. The holy grail for girls with oily hair, this shampoo bar exceeded my expectations from the first use. My hair type is thin, flat, and oily, making for one heck of a look after a few days. Because of this I have become accustomed to washing my hair every day! I know, I know, you don't need to lecture me on why that's horrible for my hair, I already know. I just didn't know what else to do. So, in a moment of desperation, I decided to try a shampoo bar at LUSH. Maybe I was intrigued by the lack of packaging, maybe I was curious if the bar would hold up to it's claims. Whatever the reason, I went home with two samples; one of the Montalbano and one of the Honey I Washed My Hair. Simply put, the Montalbano actually did what it is supposed to do, whereas the other bar did what any other drugstore shampoo would do, mask the problem for a day and then require I wash again. If you have overly-oily hair, I cannot stress enough that you should go to the nearest LUSH and, at the very least, ask for a sample. From what I understand, each bar is made with natural, safe ingredients and can last up to 100 washes. That's over three months packed into such a tiny object! All I can say is that I am excited to go back and buy another one. 



Sleepy Lotion

Now that LUSH has successfully converted me into a believer of their shampoo bars and a fanatic of their coffee mask, it's only natural I would move onto my next sought-after item: lotion. You've heard me say time and time again how my skin is sensitive and even the slightest application of a lotion other than Hempz has my skin breaking out into what feels like flames. If you couldn't tell, I am very, very hesitant when it comes to buying lotions. I have heard great things about the Sleepy lotion but, given my skin, was too afraid to take the leap without trying some for myself. I will say that the lotion takes a while to absorb, but for the most part I enjoy putting some on my hands before bed and using it to help me unwind. One thing I do like is that the lotion isn't overtly lavender. Meaning that when you apply it you aren't slapped in the face with the fake lavender that some lotions have. The lavender Sleepy lotion is subtle and makes for a very relaxing, soothing feeling once on the skin. 

What do you think? Have I convinced you to try your hand at any of these products yet? Let me know if you use any of these or if there is a different product that you enjoy. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Hey everyone!

I can't believe I'm saying it but we are only a few short weeks away from ending yet another year of college. I have truly not had a school year go by as fast as this years has gone. With that being said, I have had my fair share of moments these past few weeks where I feel more stressed than usual and itching for some time off. I wanted to come up with a few ways that would help us all destress during those weeks of tension and stress, and I hope you enjoy!

Tip #1: Start a Show

Alright, so I might be a bit subjective here, but I'm not someone who gets addicted to shows easily, so if you're one of those people who finds themselves falling in love with characters after the pilot episode then I might not recommend this to you. However, if you're like me then I highly recommend interrupting your hours of studying with a break spent watching either an episode of TV or youtube. I'm currently watching American Idol and am loving this season so far!

Tip #2: Settle Into Bed and Read

While I'm not an avid reader, I certainly know quite a few people who are and who swear by reading as a way to destress and unwind. I was recently suggested the book, "The Girls" and can easily say this book is going to be my go-to for the next few nights! Reading a book during times of stress, or even before bed, can help your body unwind and allows you to focus on one simple activity rather than have your thoughts racing all over the place. 

Tip #3: Play Around on Pinterest 

Maybe I'm hopping onto the bandwagon a little late here, but I have really been loving Pinterest lately. I find just mindlessly scrolling through the pictures to be relaxing and am confident that you will, too. Shameless plug here. 

Tip #4: Create a Mini-Oasis 

We all have our nightly routines, and if you think you don't then now is the perfect time to start one! For me, I always turn on my salt rock, light a few candles, and go through my skincare steps before bed. Once done, I finish up my homework and proceed to unwinding. I like to spray my room with the Auracacia "Pillow Potion" oil and follow up with wearing my vegan eye mask from La Aquarelle. It sounds extra, but this is another one of those pieces you need if you're seriously considering being sustainable, as it is naturally dyed (meaning your skin isn't going to absorb any nasty chemicals) and is filled with lavender to help you sleep better.  I love ending my days with these pieces because, once I'm laying down, I feel so much better and relaxed.

Tip #5: Listen to Relaxing Sounds

Kind of arbitrary, but hear me out on this one. If I'm really stressed, the kind of stress where I have an oncoming headache and can feel myself losing motivation, I put in my headphones and listen to sounds. Personally, I'm a fan of the sound of the beach, a thunderstorm, or just plain white noise. These sounds are perfect for creating a soothing ambiance in your environment and easily make me feel like I'm somewhere else. It sounds foolish, but whatever helps you is worth doing, and if you find that listening to the wind and rain helps soothe you, then by all means do it. 

There you have it! Those are my five tips on finding ways to ground yourself and relax. I wanted to give you some options that are less of me telling you to go to the gym and more of me being honest and real. Let me know in the comments if any of these tips helped you or if you unwind by doing something else! Let's all help each other through these last few weeks; you've got this!

Hello everyone!

Now, I understand that I haven't been very diligent in my posting, but I would like to make it known that I am graduating early (this fall!) and have been overcome with a lot of assignments as of late. However, I did want to end March on a good note and publish a few of my thoughts surrounding my upcoming graduation. 

First, I never thought I would be graduating early. In fact, I aimed to do college in the most traditional way as possible: finding out my first two years what I like, spend my third year abroad, graduate the fourth. But, along the way, my plans shifted and I found myself considering a change in direction. There have been a lot of changes, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and whatever changes I might go through have led me to ending my college career with two majors and plans to say goodbye to Oahu this December. 

Looking back, nothing at Manoa has really gone the way I had thought it would. But, if there's one thing I don't want to change, it's my graduation date. 

I'll be frank, my biggest motivator to graduating early is the financial gain. Why would I willingly dig myself into a deeper hole of student debt when I could instead graduate early by taking an extra class during my spring semester? Why would I choose to add more to the burden of debt when I could have just taken a summer class and sucked it up? Why would I want to sign away dozens of my future paychecks to pay something off that could have been avoided? Even more, why would I want to drag out my time here when I'm ready to move on? 

You all know I'm not one to shy away from how I'm feeling online. You are all familiar with the uphill battle I've had while attending this university. But I've chosen to allow these years to motivate me to try harder, do better, and get out quicker. And, quite frankly, I don't mind it. Taking 18 credits both semesters this year was rough. It is rough. But I believe that the payoff will be better than the fight, and what better payoff is there than by making the smart financial decision to cut out thousands in loans just by graduating early? It's funny, but one of the quotes I have always liked is: "Our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory at the end,". Most certainly mistranslated, by me, I look at this as a reminder that the hard work I put into my education now will pay off tomorrow. 

Believe me, I understand why students may want to take the full four years to graduate. I understand why some students take even longer than that. But I stand by my decision to graduate early. I am ready to get out of school and be done with classes. I am ready to start my life and see where I'll go next. It is an exciting time and I cannot wait. 

Hi everyone!

For those of you who have not been following me through my social media (ahem, click here) then this is likely coming out of left field for you. This week, rather than highlight a number of ways that you can be sustainable, I wanted to talk more specifically about one method that is an easy switch and is something that almost everyone can do. Yes, you guessed it, I'm talking about period cups. Before I divulge too much, I wanted to give a special thank you to the company who has been working with me over the past few weeks while I prepare this post: Saalt Co. 

Saalt is a company I have been working closely with these last few weeks to bring you this post and I hope that this is a safe enough space for us to talk about them and what they do. All opinions are my own and I was gifted a cup to help aid me in my post. Thank you, Saalt!

I want to start off by telling you guys why I became interested in period cups and why I chose to go with Saalt. For me, in this journey to become more aware of myself and more aware of my impact, I realized there had to be easier alternatives to many of the things I was used to doing. While researching ways to make quick changes, it just so happened that I came across another blogger talking about her work with period cups. This spurred me in the direction to learn more about why cups should be prioritized over other things such as tampons or pads. Now, I won't go into all the crazy reasons on why these things aren't the safest for your body or for the planet, but I will share with you the compelling reasons that made me make the switch immediately. 

Reason One: Chemicals

• If you're an avid consumer of all things trendy, then you've likely come across "organic" products now on the shelves for women. When I first saw this I was confused, why would there even be a difference? Isn't it the same product? Naturally, I was wrong. There is a huge difference between regular tampons and regular pads and organic tampons and organic pads. The difference is major, and it all comes down to ingredients (more on that later). With tampons in particular, much of the material used is often farmed using pesticides and other nasty chemicals, like chlorine. Once removed, there is a risk that fibers can be left behind, and that can lead to infections or harmful bacteria growth. (Source: HuffPost "Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients) 

Reason Two: Limited Regulation

• Did you know that pads are considered a "medical device" by the FDA? I was shocked when I found that out, and even more surprised to learn that because they are considered a medical device that companies are not required to list ingredients on the labels or even so much as disclose information to consumers about what is in the product. Thinking back, I can't tell you with certainty what I was consuming, and that's when I realized that if I don't know what I'm using and what ingredients are being used then it's likely not something worth using. (Source: Bustle "Are Tampons Safe? 7 Reasons We Should Be Concerned")

Reason Three: Environmental Footprint 

• The average woman uses anywhere from 11,000 to 16,000 tampons in her lifetime. Once used, those tampons have nowhere to go but in landfills, where they sit and take a very long time to biodegrade and break down. Even worse, the plastic in them does not break down. Furthermore, one of the "regular" (ie: not organic) pads contains an equivalent to four plastic bags.  (Source: HuffPost "Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients) 

Now that I know all of this, I began to look at my products in a different way. I gathered up all of my products and took a tally of how much I had. Truthfully, I didn't want to use any of them after learning about the risks. With that, my story with Saalt begins. Remember how I said I saw another blogger talk about her work with Saalt? This was my first time hearing about them and, overwhelmed by all of the options out there, I decided to look more into their cups. Sure, I could have started with organic substitutes, but organic doesn't mean environmentally safe. For me to still use those products defeated the whole purpose of being sustainable, in my humble opinion. So I looked into the ingredients of cups, I watched videos on experiences, I learned about the benefits of using cups, and I reached out to Saalt. 

Short time later I had received a box from Saalt with information on their brand, statistics about periods around the world, information on how cups can benefit me, and more. I'm not going to lie, I was intimidated. Even after all of my research I was suddenly face-to-face with something that made me nervous all over again. But I thought about the bigger picture, and I knew that the least I could do was try it. 

The reason I have stuck with Saalt, rather than bounce from brand to brand, comes down to their customer service. Many women, like myself, are afraid to talk about these things with other people, but why is that? Half of the world goes through this natural cycle, so why am I so afraid to be open about it? This fear made me feel constrained, almost like if I had a problem I couldn't tell anyone about it, much less message them on instagram and vent. It just wouldn't work. But that's where I was wrong, and this is where Saalt did right. Saalt has created a cup group on Facebook for all of its users (or those interested) to congregate and ask questions, seek information, and learn. Having a brand be so in-tune with their audience, reach out to me when I've shared my highs and lows of the cup, has been such a warm experience and is a major part of why I recommend Saalt. 





Period care, especially care that is better for the body, is something that needs to be discussed more. I hope to be able to bring this conversation to light and that, by publishing this one post, you have been inspired to reevaluate what is in your cabinet and make the sustainable switch. 

If you are interested in learning more about Saalt, click HERE to be directed to their website. 

If you want to learn more about period cups, and find which one is fit for you, click HERE to take a survey on PutACupInIt.com. 

If you're still a little intimidated and unsure if you are ready to make the switch, don't feel bad!  Here are three brands that make natural products you can use in the meantime and not feel as guilty about using. I recommend Cora, but there is also L. Organic, and Rael. 


Lastly, if you are curious to learn more and hear about my experience I encourage you to reach out in the comment section below. We're all here to support one another, so even a simple word of encouragement is helpful. 

I hope you're all enjoying this series; happy Friday!