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My HI Life

A collegiate's take on island life

Hey y’all! It has been a hot minute since I posted, and now that I’m back I wanted to kick off this final semester with a review of my newest addition to my morning routine: the cariPRO electric toothbrush. 

First, I wanted to talk about how I came across the cariPRO and why I made the change. Naturally, if you’re looking to make a sustainable switch, you’re likely going to be told that you should use a bamboo brush. I tried, and instead of getting whiter teeth I was left with sore gums and cuts on my lips. I didn’t want to throw in the towel right away, but I wanted to find a quick fix. Thankfully, Smile Brilliant reached out to me and introduced me to their electric toothbrush! There are some great benefits to using an electric toothbrush, and I wanted to share in detail a few of my favorite ones. 



First, let me just start by saying electric toothbrushes aren’t cheap. However, what I’ve found with using the cariPRO is that the brush pays for itself. The cariPRO has very gentle bristles, gives off gentle pulses to help guide your brushing, and even includes five settings to target specific styles of brushing (including: sensitive, gum, and even pulsing). Since using the cariPRO I’ve found that I spend more time brushing and am able to better recognize where I should focus my attention. Plus, how awesome is it that this brush can more gently clean sensitive teeth? I have loved being able to brush without fear of getting sore gums, cuts on my lips, or irritating my teeth. 

Second, I am a HUGE coffee drinker. Iced, hot, blended, you name it; I’ve likely already had a cup of it. But, as delicious as these drinks are, they don’t do your teeth any help. This means you either have to give up these goodies or limit yourself to using whitening treatments or a rinse that targets your teeth. For my sensitive teeth gals, these might not be possible, so being able to use an electric toothbrush that helps clean the stains has been a lifesaver. Will I continue drinking coffee as often as I do? You bet, but I definitely won't feel as guilty about my smile anymore. 


If I haven’t convinced you yet, then let me end with this: the cariPRO is not like other electric toothbrushes. Smile Brilliant truly cares about the consumer, and this is why the electric toothbrush is half the price of their competitors. Not only that, but they’ve also provided all of my readers with their own code to take an additional 20% off your own toothbrush (CODE: aboutmyhilife20). 

If you’re still hesitant, than don’t give up hope just yet! Smile Brilliant is also giving away one electric toothbrush to one of my readers, with absolutely no commitment necessary. Click HERE to be directed to the giveaway page, where you can enter your info and be entered into winning your own brush! 

I truly would not promote and share a brand and product unless I wholeheartedly believe in its working ability. I cannot share enough how much more confident I have become in my smile (and tooth brushing game!) since switching over to the cariPRO. Let me know in the comments below what you think and if you would consider making the switch!

October 17, 2019 No comments


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!
March 08, 2019 2 comments



Hey y'all!

Surprise! Here is a little extra something for all of you heading to school in Hawaii this year! This is an exciting time for many of you, and while you are undoubtedly going crazy with the thought of "Well what do I need?" or even the classic, "How am I getting my things over there?" I'm here to help. Without further ado, here is your Back to School Supplies List: Hawaii Edition.

First, you need to understand that it is hot in Hawaii and that the dorms don't have air conditioning. Seriously, your dorm room will not have AC. This means you're going to want to invest in a quality fan for your new space. I've seen everything from clip on fans to tower fans on top of desks. The number of fans you purchase are also going to depend on where you face, for instance my room faced Mauka (the mountain) and got a lot of wind, so I only had one fan for myself and my roommate had one fan, too. Funny thing is that the two of us actually slept with our fans on our beds! The other way you might be positioned is facing Makai (the ocean), and while your view is going to be incredible you're going to need three times the amount of fans because you're not going to get any wind. Here are three of my personal favorites:

Fan One: Holmes Lil' Blizzard Fan (I have this one)
Fan Two: 37 In. Tower Fan 
Fan Three: Vornado Compact Fan

Next, you live on an island now, which means you're going to need at least one beach towel (I recommend two to three). I've used various ones in the past, from ABC Store to Billabong, but they're just not as good as my newest: the Active Towel. Oftentimes towels bought from stores such as the aforementioned are too thick and take hours to dry. And trust me, when I'm driving from one side of the island to the other a damp, soggy towel is not what I want sitting in my car. However, I've found that the Active Towel dries extremely fast and does not retain water (or sand!). It is lightweight, durable, and gets more absorbent with every wash. This means that when whether you're taking TheBus to your destination or your roommates' car, you can trust that your towel won't stay wet and heavy during the trip. Plus, how convenient is it that Turkish towels are also easily compact? If you're a student who plans on going to the beach often, investing in a towel that you can roll up and won't take up a lot of space in your whole bag is a must. Also, for all of you marine biology students, the Active Towel is eco-friendly! Below is a link to buy your own Active Towel and, if you use the code STUDENTS18 for 18% off of non-sale items. Trust me, a quality towel is a must for the islands. 

Towel One: Aegean Cotton (My personal favorite and the one I'm sporting below!)
Towel Two: Cape Cod Cotton
Towel Three: Stonewash Turkish Cotton





Third, you're going to quickly realize that everyone and their mother owns one of those tin water bottles with the little man on them. If you don't already have one, you should really look into buying a hydroflask. Yeti's are comparable, but the go-to for many students at UH are the classic hydro. With no AC in the dorms and horrible humidity every day, investing in a water bottle that is going to keep your water cold all day is a must. Here are three that I personally like:

Hydro One: Wide Mouth with Straw (I have in white)
Hydro Two: Wide Mouth No Straw
Hydro Three: Standard Mouth No Straw

Last, and arguably the most obvious necessity for Hawaii life, is sunscreen. Seriously, sunscreen. I'm speaking from experience here, but sunscreen goes far beyond what you would slather on at the beach. You need sunscreen every day, and especially on your face. I can't tell you how frequently I started getting new freckles and red spots by not wearing sunscreen, and now I apply it every day to my face. Outside of class, where you can also get sun exposure! you're going to need sunscreen for the beach or for the numerous hikes you could do. Some classes, like Oceanography, also require you go out and do field work, so this isn't me suggesting something crazy but rather something you may need for a class you take! In my experience, I turn very red and will get a horrible burn if I use anything higher than 12 SPF (I'm not kidding) and I can't use spray-on sunscreen. While everyone prefers something different, here are three of my personal sunscreen favorites. Also, stock up before you leave the mainland because sunscreen prices are much higher on the islands!

Sunscreen Type One: FaceShop Natural Sun SPF 40 PA+++
Sunscreen Type Two: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 (for your face!)
Sunscreen Type Three: Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 15 

And that's it! Do you feel prepared yet? I hope you are as excited as I am to go back to the islands, even though I have a few more months. Best of luck to you this school year and, as always, leave me a comment if you're heading off and whether or not you'll use any of these products!


August 10, 2018 No comments
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About Me

About Me



Hey there! My name is Aislinn and welcome to my blog. Here you will learn all about my times at the University of Hawaii; completely raw and unashamedly myself. In addition to writing about the University I also frequently post about lifestyle, beauty, and travel. I hope you enjoy reading my words as much as I enjoy writing them. Thank you for stopping by,

XOXO, Aislinn

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