Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Outfit: Patterned Romper

Hey everyone! Today I'm back with an outfit post. It's been a while since I've posted an outfit post, but I'm super excited to post more of them because they're my favorite! I purchased this romper last week, and I'm so obsessed with it! It's super cute and it has pockets (#sold). 






I can tell that this outfit will be on repeat this summer, and it seems perfect for our Europe trip! The blues on the romper, the pattern, the high-neckline, the pockets... what's not to love?? #obsessed

xoxo,
Alyssa

Monday, June 27, 2016

Yoga

Hey everyone, and happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Today I wanted to talk about something that I have a love-hate relationship with: yoga. Last summer, my mom and I tried to do a 30 Day Yoga Challenge on Youtube, but I ended up quitting because I was just not flexible enough to properly do the poses. This past year for soccer, my high school coach had us do yoga every Monday morning at 6:00 am for 6ish weeks. It was nice and a relaxing way to start the week, but I haven't done any since. I've always wanted to be good a yoga, but decided that I was not flexible enough. I have decided that I should try and do a little yoga everyday in order to gain flexibility and to improve. There are so many benefits to yoga, and it definitely seems like an easy thing to fit in your daily routine. 

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Do you do yoga?
xoxo,
Alyssa

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Ann Taylor Loft + LOFT Sale


Ann Taylor Loft and LOFT were stores that I thought were for moms only (#truth). However, I'm beginning to realize that they actually have super cute clothes, similar to that of J. Crew or Madewell. They are having a sale currently, so a lot of their items are half off, making them really great deals! I thought I would link a bunch of my favorite items down below. 

Have fun shopping the sale!
xoxo,
Alyssa

Friday, June 24, 2016

Fab Friday

Hey everyone, and happy Friday! I've been out of school for 2 weeks, but it definitely feels longer! This weekend I'm off to San Diego for soccer playoffs, so that should be fun! Here's what I've been up to!
one:
Sunday was Father's Day! I wanted to give a shoutout to my dad for everything he does for me. He also takes all of the outfit pictures that you see on the blog, so thanks for everything!

two:
After soccer practice Monday (it was 108 degrees... and we were playing on synthetic turf) we went to the beach! We went to a hidden beach in Laguna called Victoria Beach, and it was so pretty! The water was pretty cold, but it definitely felt good after practice.

three:
I have been obsessed with my newest purchase. This denim skirt is super cute and only $15! I talked about it all in this blog post, and here's the link if you're interested in purchasing. I know that I will be wearing it a ton this summer!

four:
Wednesday night my dad and I went out to dinner because Mom had book club. We went to a restaurant called Loving Hut. It's all vegan, and they also have raw and gluten free options. I ordered the meatball sub and fries, and my dad had an avocado and mushroom sandwich with a side salad!

Posts from this week:


Have a great weekend!
xoxo,
Alyssa

Thursday, June 23, 2016

5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep


If you are fairly normal, you probably like getting a lot of sleep. I personally always make sure to get 7ish hours of sleep, both during the school year and summer. I know that a lot of people's sleep schedule can get messed up during the summer, so I wanted to give some tips on how you can sleep better. 

Make your room dark
The more your body thinks it's nighttime, the more it is going to want to sleep. If your room has a lot of natural light like me, you might want to invest in blackout curtains so that your room can stay darker.

Cool off your room.
I personally love to sleep with the same bedding in the summer and winter, but this does get tricky when it's 100 degrees here. When my room get's hot, I can't sleep. I always sleep with my fan on and try to make my room cool, especially in the summer.

Ditch the caffeine.
I personally am not a coffee/soda drinker, but those who are often have trouble sleeping at night. Make sure that you are not drinking caffeine too close to bed time, and opt for a glass of water instead!

Don't nap,
Once again, this doesn't really apply to me because I hate naps (#truth). There's just something about sleeping during the day that I just don't like. Naps seem like a great idea in the moment, but you'll regret them when you're trying to sleep at night, because if you sleep during the day time, you'll be less tired at night.

Exercise before bed. 
Try to tire yourself out and use some energy before bedtime. If you feel tired, then you will obviously want to sleep. If you still have a bunch of energy, your mind will race and you won't be able to sleep.



I hope these tips were helpful!
xoxo,
Alyssa

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Splurge vs. Save: Denim Skirts

Hey everyone! Today I'm back with another Splurge vs. Save post. I think that denim skirts are super cute, and despite the fact that I haven't worn one since 4th grade, I'm considering purchasing one! When I was shopping for some, I noticed that denim skirts come in quite the range of prices, and thought that I would share an affordable and a pricey option. 


Definitely thinking about purchasing  the Forever 21 option! Are you a fan of denim skirts?

xoxo,
Alyssa

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

2 Ingredient Mango Frozen Yogurt


Hey everyone! Today I have a recipe that is so easy and simple to make. It's vegan (and super healthy) mango frozen yogurt (could also be a smoothie bowl). There are endless variations to this recipe, but I figured I would share the easiest way to make it. 

What you need:

frozen mango
banana
food processor/good blender

Another yummy combo is:

1/2 cup of frozen mango
1/2 cup of frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana (in chunks)
splash of almond milk

There are no specific measurements, and mine turns out different (but yummy) every time! You want to make sure that the majority of items in the blender are frozen, because otherwise it will turn out more like a smoothie than frozen yogurt. You can really add however much mango/banana you want, depending on how much fro yo you want. The measurements for the second recipe are just what works for me. Once yours is done blending (you will have to stir it), you can top it. My favorite toppings are shredded coconut, chia seeds, and blueberries- so yummy!





This recipe is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. Let me know if you make this recipe!
xoxo,
Alyssa




Monday, June 20, 2016

Trend: Off-the-Shoulder


Everywhere I look, off-the-shoulder pieces are front and center. I've never really worn an off-the-shoulder piece before, but they're really starting to grow on me. I think that there's something about the showing of the shoulders that just screams summer. Bloggers have been sporting this style for weeks now, and the J. Crew Style Guide said they were essential. Guess I need to hop on the band-wagon...

Do you like the off-the-shoulder trend? 
xoxo,
Alyssa

Friday, June 17, 2016

Fab Friday

Hey everyone, and happy Friday! I don't really have anything planned for this weekend except soccer practice, but hopefully it will be fun. This past week was my first week on summer vacation. I've been pretty busy; I went swimming, saw Now You See Me 2 (it was really good), went to a grad party, and went to Santa Monica!

one:
How beautiful is the Santa Monica pier? I've lived in California my whole life and had never been, so we decided to give it a go! We had beautiful weather and going on a week-day was great because it seemed to be less crowded.

two:
We did some shopping on 3rd Street Promenade, and I ventured into Club Monaco for the first time. It is absolutely adorable! I loved how bright it was and how they added pops of pink and blue. I didn't purchase anything, but I will definitely be back!

three:
We stopped by the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and walked around. They had the prettiest flowers, and were only $5! Unfortunately, we took the train to Santa Monica, so it wasn't very practical to take them home. At least I got some pictures :)

four:
 For lunch we went to the cutest restaurant on 2nd Street. It just opened, and is seriously the best-designed restaurant I've seen. It's called Flower Child, and specializes in healthy vegetarian and vegan options, but you can add different "proteins" to your meals. The restaurant has a very happy, friendly atmosphere, and their food is super yummy! I can't wait to go back!

Have a great weekend!
xoxo,
Alyssa

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Sun-Protection Products

Hey everyone! Now that it is summer, everyone is spending more time outside. If you are like me, this also means that you are getting sunburned! During the summer time especially, I make sure to wear sunscreen as much as possible in order to avoid getting sunburned. Here's the products I use!


Coppertone Sport SPF 30
This is my favorite "body" sunscreen, and I always put this on my arms and legs before soccer games. It's not too sticky and gets the job done.

Zinka Colored Nosecoat
I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but my nose is always getting sunburned! I have come to the conclusion that most "sport" sunscreens don't really stay on when I'm sweaty, so I have been using Zinka! Zinka is what is used by a lot of surfers, and can be purchased in surf shops. It's basically a thick colored sunscreen (you can get different colors to match your team), and it really protects from the sun!

Coola Sport SPF 50 Classic Sunscreen- White Tea
I received this sunscreen in a Birchbox, and I really like it. I hate facial sunscreens that are really greasy and oily, so I liked that this one is more of a moisturizer consistency. It smells super good and is perfect for wearing beneath makeup.

Coola Face SPF 30 Matte Tint Natural BB Cream
I also received this in a Birchbox, and I switch off between this one and the one above. The main difference is that this one is labeled as a BB Cream. It does have a tint, but the coverage is so minimal that it's not really noticeable. It is matte, so it doesn't leave your face looking greasy.

Nivea Lip Balm SPF 15
I had never really known that lips can get sunburned, but they can! It's super annoying when they do, and that's why it's important to wear lip balm with SPF. This one tastes really good, and I would definitely recommend!

What are your favorite sun protection products?
xoxo,
Alyssa


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

University of Colorado Boulder + Exciting Annoncement

Hey everyone! Today I'm sharing some more pictures from our trip to Colorado (here's the first post). The main reason for our trip was to visit and tour the University of Colorado Boulder. The campus is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to spend more time there!


Leeds School of Business



Folsom Field (football stadium #skobuffs)


Farrand Field (a quad in the middle of some of the dorms)




Norlin Library





I'm beyond excited to announce that I verbally committed to play Division 1, PAC 12 soccer at the University of Colorado Boulder! I can't wait to be a Buff (in 3 years)!!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some pictures of my future home!
xoxo,
Alyssa

Monday, June 13, 2016

Travel Diary: Colorado

Hey everyone! I'm so happy to finally be on summer break and to get back to blogging! During the last week of May, my parents and I went to Colorado. I had never been, and I had an amazing time. We went to Denver and Boulder, and I thought I would share some pictures!

Day 1

We flew into Denver, and spent an hour exploring the city before getting a rental care and driving up to Boulder.




We stopped and walked around the University of Denver, which was so cute! It really reminded me of a small east coast school.



The main purpose of our trip was to see the University of Colorado Boulder, so we drove up and looked around the campus. The next day (Day 2) we took a tour, and I will have a post coming soon with all of the pictures from CU Boulder's campus! The night of our tour we went up to Pearl Street and ate dinner and did some window shopping. 


Day 3

The next morning we went to the Buff for breakfast after a very exciting morning (more on that to come). I ordered the french toast and it was so good!


That afternoon we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was so pretty and we had a few wildlife sightings!





How cool is this frozen lake? 


Day 4

We started off the morning with a trip to the Boulder Farmer's Market.


So many people rode their bikes to the Farmer's Market!


Every Saturday, a goat farm on the outskirts of Boulder opens to the public for visiting! We went and were able to visit the goats.


This little guy was only a little over one week old!


Some of the older goats were really social and would just hop on your lap.


The goat farm also had flower fields.


Mountain Flower Goat Dairy Farm is so pretty!


That afternoon we drove up by Chataqua Park and went up into the mountains. You got a really good view of Boulder, as well as CU's campus.



 Day 5

On our last day we went to the Alpine Modern Cafe for breakfast. We all had pastries, and the cafe is so cute! After, we drove to CU for one last look at the campus. We then began our descent to Denver. We took a few pictures at the capital building and then began our journey home!


Thank you so much for reading! I know this post was a long one. Make sure to keep your eyes out for a post with all of the pictures from University of Colorado Boulder, along with an exciting announcement!

xoxo,
Alyssa