Hey everyone,

I hope you all have a great holiday this past week. On my end, I was able to get caught up on some homework and, since watching Marie Kondo's "Tidying Up", I was even inspired to organize up bits of my dorm room. 

In doing all of this, I realized that I tend to place emphasis on things that either don't matter or are simply bad for the environment. I've shared a few of my goals for the new year on here before, but this time around I really want to take charge with controlling more of the things I carry with me and want to strive to be more sustainable. I have teamed up with some amazing companies and hope that you will be inspired by each of the brands I work with and aren't as afraid to be more sustainable in your own life! 

Sustainable Option #1: A (Cute) Reusable Cup

This was the first major change I made in my day-to-day life, and I honestly don't regret it at all. I am a huge fan of hydro flasks and when I saw the tumblr that Angie, shop owner of "Simply JLynn", made I knew I had to have it in my life. What I love about reusable cups is that they are portable, easy to customize, and, in some ways, more versatile than traditional cups. In some instances, stores will even give you a discount for using your own mug. For those times when you want to grab a quick cup of coffee but don't want to lug your heavy water bottle, I highly suggest buying a tumblr. The one I have is the personalized tumblr cup, viewable HERE, with initials in the rose gold color with the interlocking script. I can't stress enough how much I love this cup and how many compliments I have gotten with it around campus. For those of you more interested in hot drinks, HERE is a link to one of her mugs I am obsessed with!   

Sustainable Switch #2: Aromatherapy Candles

Believe it or not, many scented candles contain ingredients that release tons of harmful chemicals into our air; some of which end up ingested into our bodies. To name a few, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and lead are all popular chemicals that have harmful side effects (Source: Molekule Blog) to our environment. In my search for new ways to care for myself, I wanted to find more natural, safer ways to clean the air around me and through this found that candles with a soy wax are healthier for the air and your body (because, hello, you're not inhaling those gross toxins!). Even more, companies are beginning to employ essential oils and even crystals into their candles. Using essential oils, rather than unnatural scents, are overall safer for you and also help to create a more enjoyable experience. Now when it comes to crystal candles, I'm no expert by any means, but I do know that many people believe in the power of crystals and their properties. Whether you do or don't, the nice thing is that companies like The Divine Femme include an informational sheet on the crystals and oils in their candles, ensuring you learn a little something with each purchase. Even better, companies like The Divine Femme are entirely self-supported, meaning each purchase goes directly into helping support a small business. What's better than supporting small businesses rather than large corporations? 

Sustainable Switch #3: Laundry Dryer Balls

Now, in the spirit of sustainability I wanted to share with you my new holy-grail: dryer balls. Rather than spend my money on dryer sheets that I'm likely going to use once and just toss, I have decided to invest into dryer balls. They come in various forms, ranging from wool to plastic, and can be reused for years. Depending on which you try, you might find that they reduce static, help speed up drying time, and are safer for your clothes. I personally use two dryer balls from target, but have not used them enough to say if I've noticed a difference. HERE is a link to view the most popular one on Amazon, where you can learn more about the benefits to switching to dryer balls. 

How are you making strides to being more sustainable? While only three, I hope this post inspired you to make switches to the things you drink out of, wash your clothes with, and even decorate your space with. Next week I hope to tackle clothing, and how I am choosing to be more sustainable in my fashion choices! This hasn't been easy, but it has certainly been eye opening! 

Until next time, 

Hey everyone,

I am so excited for Valentine's Day this year because, unlike last year, Daniel will be on island and we will likely be able to see each other! With this in mind, I realized how little I had prepared on what we should do or where we should go. I know I can't be the only one overwhelmed here, so I decided to bite the bullet and come up with 5 creative date ideas for those looking for ways to enjoy the holiday with their S.O. 

1. See a Movie

• The Prodigy: A horror movie starring Taylor Schilling
• Isn’t it Romantic: A comedy starring Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth
• Cold Pursuit: A drama starring Liam Neeson

2. Spend the evening indoors (thanks, polar vortex!)

3. Dinner and a museum

4. Go ice skating

5. Play hookie and explore your city

What do you think of these ideas? Let me know if you and your S.O end up doing these dates, or if you decided to do something different entirely!

Hello everyone!

It's no secret that I have been obsessed with going to the gym lately and I knew I wanted to touch base and update you guys on my routine, what's working, what's not working, and what I'm doing differently! I hope you enjoy!

I try and set aside approximately one hour every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for the gym. Last year I was very much dedicated to my lower body, but this time around I have tried to expand my reach and have been doing workouts more targeted to my upper body. From when I first started things were hard, but even in the few weeks that I've been going I have already noticed myself building strength and stamina. So first, what do I do? 

I always start my workouts with a quick warm-up set. I start on the machines and stick to my traditional lower body regime. The biggest difference in my lower body workout now is the weight I use, but I know that I'll soon catch up to what I used to press, curl, and push. 

If you're curious about my lower body workouts click HERE!

This part of my workout typically takes me anywhere from half an hour to 45 minutes, and after I'm done I head to the yoga room and begin my upper body workout. 

Now, I'm not going to front. It's a very simple, no equipment necessary, kind of workout. In fact, I actually found it on Pintrest, so that should tell you how informed I was about this kind of thing. For my upper body workout I grab two 5 pound dumbbells and do 5 sets of 15: bicep curls, tricep curls, front raises, and occasionally the push press. This doesn't sound like a lot, but I have definitely been feeling the burn. Plus, I'm starting to love the little muscle bump I get on my upper arm when I flex. Is that weird? Probably. 

After it's all said and done my workouts can typically be done in 45 minutes to an hour. I try and walk to and from classes everyday, and this allows me to cool down after a tough gym session. This is also where I switch from my pop playlists and play more low-key, relaxing podcasts.  

And that's it! I am so excited to be going back to the gym again and have so many great things coming both in the gym and here on the blog.

Let me know down below if you like upper body workouts or lower body-- I'd love to get more information and inspiration from all of you guys! 

Hey everyone, 

Essences...what are they, what do they do, and why you'll grow to love them. Those three points are my main topics for this post today, and I hope that by the end of it you will be just as obsessed with them as I am! For my ladies who have never heard about essences, or my girls who need a little more advice on where to look, I hope you all can take away something from this post. 

What is an essence? 

An essence is a highly concentrated liquid that targets your skin's concern at a cellular level. Wait, what?! I know, it sounds wordy and, admittedly strange, but stay with me here. 

What can it do?

Unlike what you're probably thinking, it is not an item that can cover all of your bases. An essence is something to help your routine, not complete it. Although, arguably it is one of the more important steps, don't automatically read about all of the benefits and start thinking that all you need to do is apply some essence and you're good. An essence is a crucial step of skincare that can help target things such as: moisture, hydration, redness, dullness, wrinkles, and more.

Doesn't a serum do the same thing?

Contrary to what many people shrug off as being the same as a serum, or "close enough to", an essence simply does not work the same was as a serum. I can most certainly go into more detail on what a serum is, but let's stick to the focus here. While a serum is thicker than essences, the difference comes in the ingredients. An essence has strong ingredients that target a multitude of areas, whereas a serum has fewer, higher concentrated ingredients that only target specific problems. 

How do I apply an essence?

Essences are best followed up after your toner. I take a small amount in the palm of my hand and rub them together, warming up the liquid. Then I gently pat the essence on my skin and wait a few minutes for the product to absorb into my skin before proceeding. 

How do I know which essence to use?

This is likely to be the hardest part of your routine, as it always seems to be for mine. Finding the right product takes time, and research, but the fun comes in trying everything out. I have dry, sensitive skin that is prone to redness. For this reason, I often go back and fourth between using the DewyTree Cell Essence and The Essence by TATCHA. DewyTree's Essence focuses on flawless, dewy skin and the product itself is very light and has a very soothing affect on my skin. The TATCHA

essence is a plumping, skin softener with anti-aging properties that has a smell similar to Malibu Rum but absorbs quicker than the DewyTree.

So, what do you think? Have I done a good job of convincing you to try your hand at essences, or are you still a hesitant to add it to your routine? All questions are welcome; I will do my best to help you out! 

Hi everyone, 

Today I wanted to share some of my first impressions and thoughts of the current spring semester. I have never done a post like this before, so let me know if you like it and what you think! Would you like to see more of these posts in the future? Comments are open so leave me your thoughts below ↓↓↓

Historically, the spring semester has been my slowest, most uneventful ones. However, this time around I’ve decided to load up my plate and take much more than I’m used to. By this I mean I will be taking 18 credits, 6 classes, and will be hoping to God that I succeed. I’m taking 18 credits to hopefully make my last semester one of relaxation and one where I can be fully present with Hawaii and enjoy more of where I am. In the meantime, let me tell you a little bit about my classes...

Taking 18 credits is no joke, and I have quite a few thoughts about my classes and what they'll end up being like. For me, I'm much more of a traditional, pen-to-paper note taker where I can sit down for an hour, listen to my teacher lecture, and be on my merry way. For some reason, and probably because of the time we live in, all of my teachers are part of this wave of educators who prefer to be "creative" and "hands on" with their teaching. And let me tell you, I hate that style of teaching. Group work, group projects, multiple presentations, and the "I'm not going to talk much because that's not my job" attitude makes learning so much more harder for me. With two weeks under my belt, I've already found that I enjoy class a lot less when I don't have to keep sharing my thoughts.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why teachers do this. But to have all of my classes be taught this way is exhausting. I believe that teachers have the right to implement their own kind of teaching style, however I do wish that more teachers remained traditional in the pen-and-paper sense. 

Another tough concept to grasp is the lack of homework. Now, I don't mean to say that I end class every day with nothing to do, (quite the opposite, actually) but rather, all of my classes seem to be reading heavy and don't focus much on writing or testing. This makes me constantly feel like I'm forgetting to do something, and I also catch myself wondering, "Well if I don't understand the reading will I understand the class?" Turns out, if I don't understand the reading I likely won't understand the class. 

With all of this being said, we can move on now to more uplifting news. You guys already knew this, but I am extremely excited to be one semester closer to graduation! In this new season, I am going to be consistently reminding myself that it is okay not to rush through things (note: take time) and that things don’t have to be perfect to be good.

My new mantra for this semester is, “Surround yourself with people who deserve your magic.” I love this phrase and think it is such an important message to keep at the forefront of my mind. I know letter boards kind of took off this past year, and I won't lie, I kind of love them! You can purchase one similar to mine here. I've been switching out quotes every so often and finding that, when I place it in an easy-to-see place, I tend to start my day feeling more confident. 


I hope this has let you get a glimpse into my life these past few weeks. To end off, let me share some words of advice for this new semester: surround yourself with people who deserve your time and energy. Life (and the semester) is too short to be miserable with your company!

Hey everyone!

I can't believe how much time got away from me these past few weeks, it seems like I was just in Shanghai typing up blogposts for you and now I'm suddenly back in Hawaii starting the spring semester of my junior year!

First, I think it's good for me to reflect on the fall semester abroad. This would sort-of bring, to all of us, a sense of closure and allow me to more eloquently begin my postings regarding the spring. I want to, however, wait until I am in a better place academically before doing so. If you are interested in seeing a little bit more behind-the-scenes, I will leave a link to my instagram HERE where you can catch up on anything you might have missed. Carrying on...

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Boy, is it good to be back! Being back in Hawaii feels so good, and it's not just because I can go around wearing shorts and not freeze to death, but mainly because I am back near the ocean and back in my element. After a busy winter break, consisting of 4 flights, three hotels, and numerous hours lost in TSA lines, I am breathing easy knowing that I'm back home for another few weeks.

Unlike last year, the weather here has been great. I distinctly remember weeks going by with just gray, cloudy skies. Well, needless to say there's only been one day similar to that, and all the rest have been bright and sunny. I cannot wait to get back to soaking up the sun at the beach.

This semester is my second to last semester here at UH, and I'm sure you're all going to think I'm crazy for taking 18 credits this spring, but truth be told it doesn't feel like I'm almost done. I think that by taking so many credits I'm almost forgetting that I will be done with school in a few months. 

Over the next few months I hope to bring you all around Oahu with me, as I will be making numerous trips to beaches, farmers markets, and more. Who's excited?! I know I am. 

Until next time, 

Hi everyone!

I finally went to Disneyland Shanghai and am so excited to share my experience at the park with everyone. For those unaware, there is a Disneyland in China, and it is located just outside of Shanghai. It actually took about an hour and a half to get to the park from my university.

Compared to the other parks, Disneyland Shanghai is very small and tickets sell for about 390RMB for a single day, non-holiday and not a weekend. This is equivalent to approximately $60, so in that regard you're getting what you pay for. However, I want to point out that the price of the ticket changes drastically based on when you go, and for those hoping to go during the weekend, expect to pay 200RMB more and wait much longer. For this reason, I want to stress that if you have the opportunity, go during the week. 

I'm very lucky to have gone on a day where the weather was fantastic (although air quality... not so much)! The longest I waited for a ride was only thirty minutes, and at that it was to ride the Seven Dwarf's Mine Train. Surprisingly, I was able to walk right onto both the Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron rides. 

My experience at Disney was good, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the parks and of Disney. I found the park to be a little too small and too spread out. Overall I think there aren't more than 25-30 rides at the park, and many of them are tailored to the little children and aren't very intense. Now, I'm not asking Disney to create a park with high-intensity rides, but I felt that the Shanghai Disneyland was not at the same level as the park in Orlando, Florida. The rides were too fast and the wait was long, and had I gone on a weekend I know that I would have left feeling upset. In fact, besides Tron and the Mine Train, there are no other coasters at the park. Oh, and if you were expecting the Teacups ride, It's a Small World, or tower of terror, you can forget about those being there. 

I'm not trying to criticize the park, but having gone from the American, original version to the Chinese version is a rough transition. Would I go back? Sure, but not on my own dime. 

Going to Disneyland was a nice break from classes, and I am thankful that I went. I don't want to discourage anyone who is interested in visiting the Disneyland Shanghai, but keep in mind that you have to do a lot of walking for rides that are likely going to be shorter than the time you waited. 

Furthermore, if you take anything from this post, I hope it's this: unlike the other parks, who highlight the princesses and what have you, Shanghai Disneyland does a fantastic job of incorporating Chinese culture into their rides and activities. For one, everything is in Chinese. If you don't understand at least some Mandarin, you're going to be encouraged to go somewhere else-- I say this because it happened to me. I was approached by a worker who told me that the Stitch movie was in all Chinese. To her surprise, I responded to her English with a simple, "That's fine" in Mandarin and she quickly nodded her head, letting me proceed. This won't happen a lot, but don't be surprised if a worker approaches you and warns you of the language barrier that could ensue. Shanghai Disneyland also features Chinese songs and dance, and from what I could see, places a lot of emphasis on Mulan. This is something very unique to Shanghai Disneyland, and I am glad to see that the park wasn't completely Westernized, at least in that sense. 

All in all, I would encourage everyone to look into, but not feel obligated to go, to the park. I will say that there is a limit to how many tickets the park sells a day, so if you're planning your trip in advance either buy your ticket online through the Disney app or through DianPing, a Chinese app. My friends and I got our tickets electronically and it ended up working out best. No stress and we could walk right through to the park without waiting to buy a ticket! 

What do you think? Have I convinced you to go, or are you still on the fence? Like always, leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts.