Get Smarter Over the Summer

I think the majority of people have been guilty of relaxing a little too much over summer break. Don't get me wrong, I love a good siesta, but eventually everything you learned throughout the school year, even those final reviews you spent hours studying, starts flowing out of your brain. It seems to be something correlated with the summer months- maybe it's that the sun starts absorbing your knowledge like a giant sponge. According to onlinecollege.org, students perform worse on standardized tests at the end of summer break than they do before it. Additionally, students lose over 2 months of computational skills over their vacation.

So why would you go backwards when you have the potential to rise to new heights this summer? It's seems like a waste to lose the knowledge you worked hard to earn over your break, and it is. Think of it this way: during the school year there is a set curriculum, and the teachers educate you on what they are required to by the state instead of what the students want to learn about. This is your chance to pursue your interests without restrictions. Whether your interest is history, math, or science, you can find incredible resources all around you, including at your laptop and local library. Here are 10 ways that you can be get smarter this summer:

      1. Watch documentaries.

Netflix isn't only for binge-watching. If you take a look at Netflix's documentary section, you'll find films about popular musicians, endangered animals, poverty, war, and a plethora of other subjects. Most of these documentaries last around an hour and will engage you so that you're learning without even realizing it. You can also watch documentaries on Hulu and they air frequently on channels such as National Geographic, Discovery, and the History Channel.

      2. Get an internship.

Internships are offered for high school students everywhere from your local aquarium to a nearby college or university. It's great to put yourself out there and the experience looks great on a resume as long as you're doing something you love. Websites such as InternMatch can help you find your ideal summer internship for free.

      3. Write

In school there is much time for creative writing between the lengthy research papers you're assigned (but if that's what you are in to, great for you!). Writing is a great way to release your creative spirits, and you can do it whichever way appeals to you: blogging, keeping a journal, or even writing fan fiction. A great idea that I can vouch for is keeping a small journal to keep your thoughts organized. That way, whenever you feel like writing, you can choose an idea and type away! In addition, great writing communities exist online, especially for teens. Some of my favorites are Wattpad and Girls' Life's Inkspiration.

      4. Read

This one's a bit of a no-brainer, but no matter what kind of reading you do (be it teen romance novels or magazines), it's a lot better for your brain than standing idly by all day. Reading improves your vocabulary, sparks creativity, and takes your mind off of your troubles. Make reading more exciting by joining the bookstagram community (books+Instagram), finding a cozy reading spot (a bench at the park or Starbucks), and creating a summer reading list (see my post here for some ideas).

      5. Visit the history museum.

Personally, I find it incredibly interesting to learn about the important people that walked on this Earth before I was even born and be educated about how my city came to be. When going to your local history museum, you'll find there's a story behind a lot of the things you take for granted every day.

      6. Khan Academy

You've probably heard a lot about Khan Academy before, and for a while I never really used it and wasn't aware of all the amazing resources it had to offer. If you're looking to prepare yourself for next year's courses, need help with college admissions, or simply want to learn about a topic that interests you, Khan Academy is a valuable source that can teach you about almost everything except for ELA or reading. (Currently I'm taking courses on human anatomy/physiology and a crash course in world history.)

      7. Lumosity

While it's questionable whether Lumosity actually makes you "smarter," I think it's a fun way to test your brain's capabilities. Lumosity claims it's games have been created by neuroscientists and that it is a sort of "cognitive training" that gradually increases in difficulty to keep your brain challenged. You can have access to three games a day for free, or pay money for a more personalized training program.

      8. Sporcle

If you're a lover of Trivial Pursuit and Trivia Crack, you'll enjoy Sporcle's daily featured trivia games. Sporcle has thousands of quizzes about history, vocabulary, television, and more, and you can even create your own trivia games to challenge others.

      9. Mental Floss

Mental Floss has a fairly well known magazine and Youtube channel, and their website makes learning crazy new things equally as hilarious. Mental Floss has new articles daily, and they answer some of the world's biggest questions, showcase unique new products/technology, plus more.

      10. Merriam WebsterOn the website of this widespread dictionary, you can learn a new word every day, observe word trends, and take three minute quizzes to test your spelling and vocabulary skills.

Good luck with your educational endeavors!

xoxo, Lexi

My Favorite Youtube Channels

YouTube has been around for 10 years now, and its a great place to learn a new skill, listen to music, and generally waste your time. (You know, that moment when you go to listen to a new music video and end up watching cat jump fails. I've been there.) I've watched my fair share of meaningless videos that I probably shouldn't have wasted 10 minutes watching, but there are some Youtubers that film and edit videos so well I jump with excitement when I see a new video of theirs in my subscription box. I thought it would be fun to round up a list of my favorites in several categories, to give you all some ideas of what to watch (WARNING: you may or may not develop my unhealthy Youtube addiction in the process :) ).

VLOGGING:

Aspyn Ovard a.k.a HauteVlog

Aspyn+Parker= Goals! This channel contains vlogs of all of Aspyn and Parker's adventures, especially touring houses, shopping, and going to Target. Aspyn and Parker are adorable and hilarious, and they're extremely dedicated to vlogging. Aspyn is super quirky and Parker is so cute with her. This is definitely a channel you should check out, along with Aspyn's main channel (HauteBrilliance).

HUMOR:

Eva Gutowski a.k.a MyLifeAsEva

This channel isn't strictly humor, and includes a variety of videos from DIYs to workout routines, but Eva makes me laugh in every video. She definitely creates the best Expectations vs. Reality videos (so relatable!) and she acknowledges her inner awkwardness and uses it to her advantage. If I were to be friends with any Youtuber, it would probably be her- she seems like such a fun person to be around!

BEAUTY:

RachhLoves

Rachel has the kind of no fluff, keeping-it-real personality that I like. She doesn't rave on and on about products that aren't really the best, she isn't afraid to let her viewers know if something just doesn't work. I also appreciate that her channel has a crystal-clear focus on beauty, unlike other channels that post all different kinds of videos, which can be kind of confusing. In addition, Rachel doesn't overdo it on the makeup, and keeps things natural looking- after all, makeup should enhance your natural beauty, not make you look fake.

DIY:

Lauren Riihimaki a.k.a LaurDIY

This is probably one of the most popular DIY channels, and there's a reason: Lauren caters to her viewer's needs and takes steps to grow her channel. She is always doing collaborations with other Youtubers, and has a DIY for everything- room decor, snacks, clothing, organization, and even studying!

MUSIC:

Kurt Hugo Schneider

Rarely before have I seen this amount of talent in one person. He produces, edits, and plays backup in his videos (the number of instruments he plays is insane)! The final product is amazing, and each of his videos racks up millions of well-deserved views (he's accumulated 1.2 billion views over his time on YouTube). If you haven't heard him before, you've been missing out.

LITERACY:

Sasha Alsberg a.k.a. abookutopia

I haven't been very into BookTube until lately, so I can't say much about this channel yet, but from what I've seen this girl has a great bubbly personality and loves to share her passion of books! (I apologize for the run-on sentence. :) )

EDUCATIONAL:

Mental Floss

I know, I know, it's hard to force yourself to watch something educational when there's so much fun to be had on YouTube, but it's easy to enjoy Mental Floss's videos full of trivia that doubles as great conversation-starters.

Let me know your favorite Youtube channels in the comments section!

xoxo, Lexi

This Week's #InstaStyle: Youtuber Edition

Summer is in full blast and your favorite Youtubers aren't afraid to release their inner Tumblr. This week's Instagram posts were included rompers, beach hats, and reflective sunglasses galore. Read on and explore my favorite outfits recently posted on Instagram and where to buy them.

Rachel Levin (@rclbeauty101) posted this picture of her trip to Mexico sporting natural hair, assorted bracelets, and Nasty Gal's Junior Varsity Cutout Dress.

Meredith Foster (@meredithfoster) posted this picture with her sister Lizzie captioned "Sisters that post together stay together" from a visit to Paradise Cove Beach Cafe. She is wearing knockoff Birkenstocks from Target's Mossimo Supply Company (Women‘s Bailey Two Buckle Footbed Sandals), a playsuit similar to this one (Floral Print Silk Long Sleeve Surplice Romper) from Nordstrom, and sunglasses like these (Aviator Mirror) Ray-Bans.

Aspyn Ovard (@aspynovard) has been spending the weekend in style in the Bahamas celebrating the new Killer Colors collection from Benefit Cosmetics. She's wearing her favorite Ray-Bans (Round Metal Aviators), a high neck tank like this one (Union Square Ribbed Tank) from Threadsence, and a gray felt hat comparable to the Felt Panama Hat from Nordstrom.

That's it for this week! Make sure to check out some other posts and come back soon for more #InstaStyle!

P.S. I'm so psyched for the release of Benefit's Killer Colors collection, seems like it's received a lot of hype from this whole gathering of beauty gurus in the Bahamas!

xoxo, Lexi

NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!!!

It's finally National Doughnut Day, or National Donut Day, as many like to call it. I would consider myself a doughnut-lover, my favorites being vanilla long-johns, apple crumb, and sprinkled when I like to release my inner little girl. There are so many doughnut freebies out there from doughnut chains and shops such as Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts, and although I wasn't able to pick up a free treat today, I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy one! Today I surfed the web and found out some incredible facts about doughnuts, so I created this infographic to share it all! ;)

Sources:

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/national-donut-day-random-fun-facts-about-donuts-infographic/130061

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/06/05/national-doughnut-day-multimedia/28500383/

http://fb-troublemakers.com/12-interesting-facts-about-doughnuts-17307/

xoxo,
Lexi

Battle of the BBs: Dream Pure BB vs. Dream Fresh BB

You've probably seen these on drugstore shelves or in magazine ads- Maybelline's Dream Pure and Dream Fresh BB Creams. They both sport similar packaging, come in 1 oz. containers, and have 5 different shades. But what's the difference between these two BB creams? Today we'll take an in-depth look at the similarities and differences of these products, and learn how I like to use each.

Contestant #1: Dream Pure BB

Described as an 8-IN-1 Beauty Balm Skin Clearing Perfector with 2% Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment, Dream Pure BB Cream claims to have these eight benefits (along with whether or not I think these claims are true):

1. Clears acne (no)
2. Conceals imperfections (50/50)
3. Minimizes look of pores (yes)
4. Reduces appearance of redness (yes)
5. Adjusts to skin tone (yes)
6. Hydrates and smoothes (yes)
7. Enhances and clarifies (yes)
8. 0% oils and lightweight feel (yes)

Though this product may cover up any redness and minimally reduces pore size, I would not recommend it as an acne treatment. Throughout months and months of using this product, I have seen no difference in my acne. However, I love how this cream adjusts to my skin tone, which is definitely a plus because it is difficult to find products that match my extremely fair skin. In addition, this is definitely the right product for anyone wanting to achieve that dewy skin look (if you're looking for more of a matte foundation or BB cream, this isn't for you). Because I have relatively good skin and don't need much coverage, I use this BB cream in the Light Sheer Tint with a powder foundation as a concealer/foundation layer. I enjoy the lightweight feel of this cream, and it is very useful for covering up uneven skin tone, redness, undereye circles, and those little veins above the eyelids. I highly recommend this product, however I would avoid using it as a foundation of you need a greater amount of coverage. Additionally, it isn't very useful for covering up any large blemishes such as pimples or scabs.

Contestant #2: Dream Fresh BB

Described as an 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector with Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen (Broad Spectrum SPF 30), Dream Fresh BB claims to have these eight benefits (along with whether or not I think these claims are true):

1. Blurs imperfections (yes)
2. Enhances (yes)
3. Brightens (yes)
4. Adjusts to skin-tone (yes)
5. Smoothes (yes)
6. Hydrates (yes)
7. SPF 30 protects (unsure)
8. 0% oils and other heavy ingredients (yes)

Although this product doesn't conceal imperfections quite like it's sibling, it is even more lightweight and provides some protection from the sun. I wouldn't recommend using this as a substitute for foundation, but it's great as a sort of tinted moisturizer for days playing outdoor sports where you don't want to put on much makeup (playing tennis, golf, etc.) I use this BB cream for situations exactly like that (again in the Light Sheer Tint), and because I am unsure of its protective qualities I usually pair it with another SPF product. I have to add that my skin feels and looks very hydrated after using this cream, but when I apply it to blemishes the coverage fades within minutes.

CONCLUSION: Both products have their uses, but I use up my Dream Pure BB twice as fast as the other BB Cream.

xoxo, Lexi

My Yoga Experience

N'amaste, vinyasa, asana, savasana- these words slowly made their way into my vocabulary a year or so ago when I first started practicing yoga. I found yoga energizing and empowering, and there was something about it that refreshed me and gave me a retreat from the worries of the day. At first I practiced yoga pretty religiously, sometimes completing an hour a day. But of course, life got busy, as it always does, and I started practicing less and less yoga until it was no longer a part of my life. About a month ago, however, I remembered how great yoga made me feel and decided to give it another shot. As Ramana Maharshi said, "No one succeeds without effort... Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance." This got me thinking, maybe the first time around I didn't persevere enough to reach my goal of making yoga a long-term part of my life. Maybe if a gave it a little more effort this time, I would succeed. Here I am a month later, going strong. I found that making a schedule and setting goals helped out a lot. I also learned that even if you miss a day of yoga, this isn't a reason to give up, however much you feel like you won't be able to dedicate yourself much longer.

Through YouTube, I discovered a yoga community called DoYouYoga, and I feel this really helped kickstart my new and improved yoga career. A little over a week ago I started the 30 Day Yoga Challenge with Erin Motz, which I have been loving because Erin is wonderfully supportive and the "challenge" aspect of it keeps me coming back daily. Although some of the yoga routines are more workout-like, they are usually less than 15 minutes and Erin always seems to reward you with some type of restorative yoga in the following days. I plan on completing the 30 Day Yoga Challenge (I'm on day 12!), and exploring the DoYouYoga website for even more yoga afterwards. (Here's the link to the DoYouYoga website and YouTube channel):

http://www.doyouyoga.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/DoYouYoga

I hope this has been an inspiration to anyone struggling in the past with sticking with yoga or any other kind of activity- remember that even the most successful of people usually don't succeed the first time. And if you haven't yet tried out yoga, it's something I would recommend. Of course yoga won't appeal to everyone as much as it did to me, but it's definitely worth a try. 

Good luck on your yoga endeavors- have a great day!

xoxo, Lexi

Your Favorite Bookstagram Accounts Are Collaborating to Create What May be the Most Amazing Book Club of All Time

Yesterday the Book Dragons was created, and the best reading accounts across Instagram made posts leaving us all anticipating what will be in store for this virtual book club. The official account, @wethebookdragons, made their first post talking about what this club will be all about. Each month the Book Dragons will be posting a book they think is a must-read for adult and young adult literature, leaving it open to discussion on their page. Their goal is to open the minds of readers to more "out-of-the-box" literature. The accounts participating in this collaboration are @blueeyedbiblio, @crimeofrhyme, @lovelyreads_, @thebookishgirl, @overflowingshelf, @seelieknight, @lookinforabura, @thebooktionary, @westerosreader, @bookmarauder, @madamereadsalot, and @booksss.0k. Each account will post photos and start discussions in the attempt to spread their love of reading.

Will you be a Book Dragon? Comment your thoughts below.

This Easy DIY Lamp Will Take Your Decor to the Next Level

As a blogger and a crafty person in general, I'm always looking for inspiration for DIYs. Yesterday when I was walking through the aisles of Target (my favorite store, I must add), I saw this fillable lamp and knew it would be perfect for my room, especially with some seashells to go with my Florida-esque theme. Soon enough I was picking out a lampshade to match and heading to the potpourri section to find some shells. When I arrived home I filled the lamp, popped the shade on, and was done. This may have been the easiest DIY I have ever completed, and it's definitely an eye-catching piece. In addition, this lamp base is extremely versatile- imagine filling it with jingle bells for Christmas time or fake flowers for spring. This got me pondering over all of the possibilities of lamp fillers for every room theme, season, and holiday I could think of...

Child's Room:

• Legos
• Memories
• Crayons
• Pom-poms
• Toy cars
• Baby blocks
• Ribbons

Beach Theme:

• Seashells/Sand
• Small driftwood pieces
• Rope
• Coral

General:

• Pebbles
• Corks
• Ticket stubs
• Strips of scrapbook paper or book pages
• Stamps

Spring:

• Faux flowers 
• Flower balls
• Cherry blossoms
• Easter eggs (Easter)
• Fake rose petals (Valentine's Day)

Summer:

• Faux lemons, limes, pears, or other fruit
• Fake cactus or plant
• Patriotic potpourri (Independence Day)

Fall:

• Fall leaves
• Miniature pumpkins
• Miniature skulls (Halloween)
• Candy corn (Halloween)
• Colorful seeds/ pumpkin seeds
• Acorns

Winter:

• Pinecones
• Snowflakes
• Peppermints (Christmas)
• String lights (Christmas)
• Miniature presents (Christmas)
• Gift bows (Christmas)
• Clear or multicolored ornaments (Christmas)
• Jingle bells (Christmas)

...And more! Comment your fillable lamp ideas below.

Not So Basic Black Bikinis

Who said black bikinis had to be basic? Between laser-cut flutter tops, high-waisted bottoms, and caged bandeaus, the options are limitless. It's all about pushing aside any doubts, trying something new, and finding your go-to poolside style. These are some of my personal favorites to help you make a swimwear statement.

MINKPINK Crop Bikini
pacsun.com

Laser-cut Flounce Bikini
macys.com

Aerie Scoop Bikini Top 
ae.com

Cage Front Bandeau
victoriassecret.com

Retro Bikini
loveculture.com

Vitamin A Wrap Bikini
nordstrom.com

Pinterest Roundup: Summer Hairstyle Edition

Summer break brings habits of letting your locks slip into a funk of frizziness and tangles- but just because you won't be seeing anyone too important, doesn't mean your hair can't look fabulous. Look no farther than your Pinterest feed for oodles of #hairspo, ranging from complicated waterfall braids to effortlessly chic twists. Here's a roundup of some of my favorite hair pins:

Loose Mermaid Braid

Braid Waves

Messy Side Braid

Pulled Back Bandana

No Heat Beach Waves

Half-up Pony

Fishtail Pony

Sock Bun w/ Hair Tie

Loose French Braid

2015 Summer Reads

When summer boredom hits, reading is a great way to pass the time and de-stress. It's hard to think of reading as a positive thing after a school year full of reading assignments on old, dusty classics, but if you're able to find a book you can engage yourself in, you'll find you can discover whole new worlds. Following this is a list of some of my all-time favorite books, along with some that are on my personal summer reading list. I hope this list helps you find your story soulmate!



The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (#1 of the Mara Dyer Series)

Sidenote: This is a must-read! No series has pulled me in like this before, and I finished all three books within a week because of this. This book combines science fiction, romance, comedy, and adventure like no other. Not to mention, Noah Shaw is my new fictional crush (you'll see what I mean).

Paper Towns by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (#1 of the Delirium Trilogy)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (#1 of the Girl of Fire and Thorns Trilogy)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

The Selection by Kiera Cass (#1 of The Selection Series)\

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian and Onyx) by Jennifer Armentrout

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen