It happens at least once a week. I go to bed late, I get up late. I haven't showered. I have "nothing to wear." Surely it's going to be an awful day... Or not.
The girl's guide to getting ready in 15 minutes: If you know it's going to be an early morning, try showering the night before. It'll save you 15-20 minutes of the actually time it takes to shower, plus the 5-10 minutes of drying and combing out your hair and styling it.
If you wake up late and didn't make it into the shower the night before, don't panic. All you need is some dry shampoo and a hair tie. Use the shampoo to quickly dry up any access oil from your hair, make it smell and feel fresh and clean, and throw it up in a pony, bun, or braid. Problem solved.
Check the weekly forecast and pick out your outfit the night before. This is a must. You can even pick out outfits for the entire week. I can't count the amount of times I spend in the morning pondering over what I should wear, only to get frustrated and cause myself to be late. Lay out everything you need including shoes, socks, underwear, etc. so you wont have to scramble around in the dark of the early morning when you're half asleep.
Also, separate your accessories. The last thing you need is to go to grab your favorite necklace, only to find it tangled into 3 others. A simple nail on the wall trick can solve this.
Establish an easy morning makeup routine that only takes 5 minutes. Skip the foundation and just use concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes. Curl your eyelashes without applying mascara to give your eyes a quick boost and give your eyebrows a quick touch-up with a brush instead of using a pencil to fill them in.
Grab breakfast on the go. Snag a banana or an apple from the kitchen and eat it on the way to school or work instead of sitting down to eat. Even better, pack some snacks in baggies the night before and throw them in your bag to eat throughout the day.
Word count: 396
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Stop stressing
Final exams are coming and these weeks are the scariest weeks of the year for high school students, especially junior and senior year, when your grades have a huge impact on college applications and getting accepted into the school of your dreams. But stressing out over these tests won't make them any easier and it certainly won't make them disappear. Not to mention the fact that an overload of stress is not good for your body, it can cause you to gain weight and break out all over the place; and that's the last thing you need. So here's a few ways you can try to relieve your anxiety these next couple weeks.
Start studying WAY earlier than you think you should. If you can get ahead of the game, so to speak, and ahead of the rest of your classmates when it comes to memorizing information for a test, you'll be setting yourself up for way less stress when the test approaches. You have heard every teacher tell you not to cram the night before, and they don't just tell you that in attempt at giving you extra work. Studies have proven it, so get started early at preparation.
Get organized. Go through all your binders and folders and get rid of old papers. While doing this you can review all material you haven't seen in a while to refresh your memory. If you can get yourself organized it gives you one less thing to worry about (not to mention that you can kick 5 pounds off your daily load). Chances are that you're carrying around tons of old papers you don't need anymore. I did this last week and I feel so much better.
Get lots of sleep. This may sound like a no-brainer, but staying up late cramming isn't the way to go. You are only hurting yourself. Set a reasonable bed time and stick to it. Your "morning-self" will thank you later. Your body works best on schedules, so start going to bed and getting up at around the same time everyday, even on weekends, to build the habit. Start this a good 15 days ahead of your exam date. Your body will start to adjust and get up automatically. You'll wake up feeling more rested and ready to take on the day. This applies year round, but mostly during the school year when the stress of the workload sets in.
Word count: 407
Start studying WAY earlier than you think you should. If you can get ahead of the game, so to speak, and ahead of the rest of your classmates when it comes to memorizing information for a test, you'll be setting yourself up for way less stress when the test approaches. You have heard every teacher tell you not to cram the night before, and they don't just tell you that in attempt at giving you extra work. Studies have proven it, so get started early at preparation.
Get organized. Go through all your binders and folders and get rid of old papers. While doing this you can review all material you haven't seen in a while to refresh your memory. If you can get yourself organized it gives you one less thing to worry about (not to mention that you can kick 5 pounds off your daily load). Chances are that you're carrying around tons of old papers you don't need anymore. I did this last week and I feel so much better.
Get lots of sleep. This may sound like a no-brainer, but staying up late cramming isn't the way to go. You are only hurting yourself. Set a reasonable bed time and stick to it. Your "morning-self" will thank you later. Your body works best on schedules, so start going to bed and getting up at around the same time everyday, even on weekends, to build the habit. Start this a good 15 days ahead of your exam date. Your body will start to adjust and get up automatically. You'll wake up feeling more rested and ready to take on the day. This applies year round, but mostly during the school year when the stress of the workload sets in.
Word count: 407
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Peace, love, fat week.
My cross country season officially ended last Thursday, and I have been enjoying the annual post season "fat week." Which basically means we finally get to eat whatever we want all week long instead of having to plan out healthy meals in preparation for practices and meets.
In my off season, I usually like to continue training. But even though its important to stay in shape, and to make sure you don't lose all the progress you made this season, its still a good idea to take at least a week off at the end of your season (especially when it comes to running) to give your body a break. You don't want to over do it and injure yourself. It always amuses me when I'm driving home from school and I see girls on my team who are still running miles and miles after school, trying to keep in shape and prepare for next year, when we aren't even a week into off season.
As far as what you should be doing in the off season, it depends a lot on whether or not you are planning on running track in the Spring. I play tennis in the Spring, so in my off season I take privet lesson at my local tennis club once or twice a week. But track runners should work on establishing and aerobic base. Why is this such a simple answer?
Everything stems from this aerobic base, especially when it comes to distance running, and it takes time to properly establish this. That's what makes the off season the perfect time. Almost the entire time your are running a cross country race, you are using this aerobic base.
As far as how long you should run.. However far you can run today and still be able to run again tomorrow. How fast? Go by feel. Sometimes that may mean fairly fast, other times, more slowly depending on how tired you are from your run the previous day.
Most people like to make some fancy schedule of workouts that are strenuous and aimed at optimizing every last second the time they have. But if you can maintain most of your effort and training from your previous season, you are doing pretty well. Don't over due it. Just run as much as you think is appropriate.
Word count: 389
In my off season, I usually like to continue training. But even though its important to stay in shape, and to make sure you don't lose all the progress you made this season, its still a good idea to take at least a week off at the end of your season (especially when it comes to running) to give your body a break. You don't want to over do it and injure yourself. It always amuses me when I'm driving home from school and I see girls on my team who are still running miles and miles after school, trying to keep in shape and prepare for next year, when we aren't even a week into off season.
As far as what you should be doing in the off season, it depends a lot on whether or not you are planning on running track in the Spring. I play tennis in the Spring, so in my off season I take privet lesson at my local tennis club once or twice a week. But track runners should work on establishing and aerobic base. Why is this such a simple answer?
Everything stems from this aerobic base, especially when it comes to distance running, and it takes time to properly establish this. That's what makes the off season the perfect time. Almost the entire time your are running a cross country race, you are using this aerobic base.
As far as how long you should run.. However far you can run today and still be able to run again tomorrow. How fast? Go by feel. Sometimes that may mean fairly fast, other times, more slowly depending on how tired you are from your run the previous day.
Most people like to make some fancy schedule of workouts that are strenuous and aimed at optimizing every last second the time they have. But if you can maintain most of your effort and training from your previous season, you are doing pretty well. Don't over due it. Just run as much as you think is appropriate.
Word count: 389
Are tattoos taboo?
Getting a tattoo is a very permanent and very personal choice, but it seems like lately this topic has become more popular when it comes to pop culture. When celebrities get tattoos, it's all over the tabloids, and it seems like this happens for all the wrong reasons. Its almost become taboo in our society to get this permanent piece of art engraved into our skin. But why?
Tattoos have been around for thousands of years, beginning with the Egyptian societies. So why do we still see getting a tattoo to be stereotypical of "bad" boys and muscle men? Especially when its a practice that has gone through so much history. I think it has a lot to do with what the media puts out, and the way we are raised.
Personally, I've gone back and forth on this topic. When I was growing up, my parents always beat it into my head that I was never to do a thing to my body like get a tattoo. I grew up always assuming it was the worst possible thing a person could do to themselves. Now that I'm older, have more exposure to the realities of life, and am confident when it comes to making my own decisions about my body and what I do to it, I've realized that getting a tattoo has really gotten a bad rap. It's a way to express yourself, and like many other things in life, it really just comes down to personal preference, and ignorance. If you don't like tattoos, don't get one. You don't have to convince someone that is a good or bad idea, just because their opinion may differ from your own.
I know a lot of people who can't wait until they are 18 years old so they can march into the tattoo parlor and get their first tat. They've planned out what they want, where they want it. And if you think about it, when you have that much time to make a decision, chances are you will have less regrets later in life.
I think the key is to find a place to put it that can be easily concealed and not go too crazy with the ink.
Getting a tattoo is a great way to make yourself unique from other people in society, but should be done with caution and maturity.
Word count: 396
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Nonuple life of Vaseline
A jar of Vaseline costs about 5 dollars. It also last for years. It sits in the bottom drawer of your vanity of on the top shelf of your closet. Why? Because there are so many things that Vaseline can be used for that people never think about. I think this happens with a lot of products because we think that each thing has only one use now a days.
Use it to prep your skin before fragrances. Moisturized skin will hold the scent better, so run some on before using your perfume to make your fragrance last longer. Also apply it before your self tanner. It will act as a barrier and make for less unevenness and staining. This also applies around the hairline before coloring your hair with dyes.
Vaseline is great at taming fizzy hair and sealing dry split ends. If you're really savvy, you could even use it to keep your eyebrows in place.
Adding Vaseline to the skin brings moisture and shine. You can try swapping it for your daily highlighter to give you face a more natural glow. Even slide a little on your shins to make your legs glow.
Use it to remove makeup stains from clothing. All you need is a damp wash cloth and a little Vaseline and the stains will lift from the fabric. This works on pillows, blankets, sheets, anything.
If you're into doing your nails, this one is a must know. If you ever find yourself cleaning up around the sides of your nails after you paint them, even when you try your best to keep it in the lines, there is a solution. Add Vaseline all around your nail and cuticle, without getting any on your nails themselves. Now paint your nails and get the perfect manicure without the clean-up. The Vaseline creates a slick surface so the polish doesn't stick to the skin and rubs right off.
This may be obvious, but the main use of Vaseline is to moisturize, and it does a great job. Use it anywhere you see your skin starting to dry or crack. This doesn't just apply to skin either. Use it as a clear mascara to nourish your eye lashes on the days you decide to go for the natural look.
If you want to try a fun makeup trick, add Vaseline to your favorite eye shadow and instantly turn it into a eye base/cream eyeshadow.
As far as footwear goes, don't waste your money on shoe polishes. Use Vaseline to get them shining again! This works for any boots or other leather shoes or goods that could use a polish.
Word count: 441
Use it to prep your skin before fragrances. Moisturized skin will hold the scent better, so run some on before using your perfume to make your fragrance last longer. Also apply it before your self tanner. It will act as a barrier and make for less unevenness and staining. This also applies around the hairline before coloring your hair with dyes.
Vaseline is great at taming fizzy hair and sealing dry split ends. If you're really savvy, you could even use it to keep your eyebrows in place.
Adding Vaseline to the skin brings moisture and shine. You can try swapping it for your daily highlighter to give you face a more natural glow. Even slide a little on your shins to make your legs glow.
Use it to remove makeup stains from clothing. All you need is a damp wash cloth and a little Vaseline and the stains will lift from the fabric. This works on pillows, blankets, sheets, anything.
If you're into doing your nails, this one is a must know. If you ever find yourself cleaning up around the sides of your nails after you paint them, even when you try your best to keep it in the lines, there is a solution. Add Vaseline all around your nail and cuticle, without getting any on your nails themselves. Now paint your nails and get the perfect manicure without the clean-up. The Vaseline creates a slick surface so the polish doesn't stick to the skin and rubs right off.
This may be obvious, but the main use of Vaseline is to moisturize, and it does a great job. Use it anywhere you see your skin starting to dry or crack. This doesn't just apply to skin either. Use it as a clear mascara to nourish your eye lashes on the days you decide to go for the natural look.
If you want to try a fun makeup trick, add Vaseline to your favorite eye shadow and instantly turn it into a eye base/cream eyeshadow.
As far as footwear goes, don't waste your money on shoe polishes. Use Vaseline to get them shining again! This works for any boots or other leather shoes or goods that could use a polish.
Word count: 441
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Cross country; My experience (cont.)
I remember the first day I showed up for informal practice over the summer. We ran 3 miles that day, and I couldn't help but think, "what have I gotten myself into?" It was a terrible feeling. I didn't think I would make it through the first week, let alone the whole season.
Looking back, I'm glad I stuck it out. The experience of running for Kennedy has taught me so much besides just the basic elements of running itself. I learned a lot about commitment, which has helped me through high school, and will continue to help me throughout me whole life. It's so easy to give up, to quit, but sticking it out can help you learn a lot about yourself and even improve yourself on the inside as well as the outside.
As the season progressed I started seeing huge improvements in my running. The progress provided the motivation I needed to work hard and run my first varsity race, as a sophomore. This was something I had never even dreamed of. My parents (mostly my dad) were thrilled, and I had found a new love for something I never even knew I would be good at.
One of the days I'll never forget for as long as I live was my race that year at the Iowa City Ashten cross country course. It was a cool breezy day and I tied up my spikes ready to race. Little did I know I would take first place of over 200 girls that day in the fresh/soph division. Of all the races I've ran in my "career", it still ranks at the top as my shining moment. That was the moment I knew this wasn't just a sport for me anymore, it turned into a passion that I will probably carry with me for the rest of my life.
My grandmother (on my dad's side) started running when she was 50 years old. She has been a huge inspiration to me as well as my dad, who runs 8-10 miles a day. He trains for and competes in triathlons year round and is my number one supporter, skipping work and meetings to watch every one of my races.
If there's one thing I learned from this whole experience and life as a whole, it's that you shouldn't limit yourself to the things you've grown up doing. Try something new once and while because you never know what might happen.
I finished the season earning my varsity letter.
Word count: 419
Looking back, I'm glad I stuck it out. The experience of running for Kennedy has taught me so much besides just the basic elements of running itself. I learned a lot about commitment, which has helped me through high school, and will continue to help me throughout me whole life. It's so easy to give up, to quit, but sticking it out can help you learn a lot about yourself and even improve yourself on the inside as well as the outside.
As the season progressed I started seeing huge improvements in my running. The progress provided the motivation I needed to work hard and run my first varsity race, as a sophomore. This was something I had never even dreamed of. My parents (mostly my dad) were thrilled, and I had found a new love for something I never even knew I would be good at.
One of the days I'll never forget for as long as I live was my race that year at the Iowa City Ashten cross country course. It was a cool breezy day and I tied up my spikes ready to race. Little did I know I would take first place of over 200 girls that day in the fresh/soph division. Of all the races I've ran in my "career", it still ranks at the top as my shining moment. That was the moment I knew this wasn't just a sport for me anymore, it turned into a passion that I will probably carry with me for the rest of my life.
My grandmother (on my dad's side) started running when she was 50 years old. She has been a huge inspiration to me as well as my dad, who runs 8-10 miles a day. He trains for and competes in triathlons year round and is my number one supporter, skipping work and meetings to watch every one of my races.
If there's one thing I learned from this whole experience and life as a whole, it's that you shouldn't limit yourself to the things you've grown up doing. Try something new once and while because you never know what might happen.
I finished the season earning my varsity letter.
Word count: 419
Cross country; My experience
Normally I lean towards the beauty side of things, but today I'm diving into health. Running specifically.
I'm 16 years old and even though I'm only in high school and still have a fast metabolism, its still important to keep in shape in my spare time. However I'm not the most self motivated person, especially when it comes to exercise, which is why I joined the XC team at my high school. I'll admit this was also partially motivated by my hatred for gym class in general, and getting a sports waiver was just an added bonus. But what most people don't realize when they sign up for a sport, like running, is that they are not only committing to the competitions weekly, but practicing daily, and a commitment to your teammates.
I learned very quickly that cross country is not a sport you play to get out of taking gym class, its so much more than that. And its more work and time based upon how much you decide to challenge yourself and the goals you set.
Freshman year I played volleyball, which I love, as a sport. But my experience on the team was less than enjoyable and I couldn't wait for the season to end so I could get my weekday afternoons and my Saturday mornings back. However when sophomore year rolled around, I still wasn't keen on the idea of using a whole period of my schedule to sit in a gymnasium, earning half credit, when I could be taking a class I actually enjoy for the entire term. A few of my close friends suggested going out for xc, but I was weary of the idea, only because aside from a few 5ks over the summer, I hadn't ever run competitively.
After a lot of consideration, I decided to go for it. And at first it was slow going, I won't lie.
Practices were long and the coach was slightly unpleasant, but it wasn't torture. There was something that made it different from volleyball and I noticed it immediately. The girls on the team were not just teammates, we all supported each other like family, and that made all the difference throughout the season. I was welcomed to the team with open arms, and I will always be grateful for that.
Word count: 387
I'm 16 years old and even though I'm only in high school and still have a fast metabolism, its still important to keep in shape in my spare time. However I'm not the most self motivated person, especially when it comes to exercise, which is why I joined the XC team at my high school. I'll admit this was also partially motivated by my hatred for gym class in general, and getting a sports waiver was just an added bonus. But what most people don't realize when they sign up for a sport, like running, is that they are not only committing to the competitions weekly, but practicing daily, and a commitment to your teammates.
I learned very quickly that cross country is not a sport you play to get out of taking gym class, its so much more than that. And its more work and time based upon how much you decide to challenge yourself and the goals you set.
Freshman year I played volleyball, which I love, as a sport. But my experience on the team was less than enjoyable and I couldn't wait for the season to end so I could get my weekday afternoons and my Saturday mornings back. However when sophomore year rolled around, I still wasn't keen on the idea of using a whole period of my schedule to sit in a gymnasium, earning half credit, when I could be taking a class I actually enjoy for the entire term. A few of my close friends suggested going out for xc, but I was weary of the idea, only because aside from a few 5ks over the summer, I hadn't ever run competitively.
After a lot of consideration, I decided to go for it. And at first it was slow going, I won't lie.
Practices were long and the coach was slightly unpleasant, but it wasn't torture. There was something that made it different from volleyball and I noticed it immediately. The girls on the team were not just teammates, we all supported each other like family, and that made all the difference throughout the season. I was welcomed to the team with open arms, and I will always be grateful for that.
Word count: 387
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