Spring Break Travel Essentials (Feat. Amazon)

Between the first half of this semester seeming to fly by, preparing for midterms, and day dreaming about having a vacation, I'm sure most of us simply cannot wait for our spring break. Though some of ours may be longer than others, I'm sure we are all more than ready for that sweet week long break. (In John's case three day long break--you're really cutting into our vacation, Keiser University.) So in preparation for John and I's mini vacation to Fort Lauderdale, I thought it would be nifty to write a little post covering some of my must have, beach destination travel essentials!

The Basics

Okay, so I know most of us know to travel with the things above when we head to the beach for vacation, however, I myself forgot to pack sunglasses one time when I went down to Delray, and that is actually how I ended up with the Ray-Bans above. (Yes, John still teases me about that.) So since I'm sure I'm not the only one who can be super forgetful, I figured I should highlight the importance of having the following: 

• Bikini: Though I will be diving into spring break styling next week, I added this bikini because for one it will be featured in my style guide and two, because who goes to the beach without a swimsuit? 
• Sunglasses: Though this was semi-covered above, sunglasses are so important, especially in sunny climates, to protect you eyes from the harsh light. The reason this is particularly important for me is because I tend to get awful headaches when exposed to very bright light. Let me tell you, they don't call Florida the sunshine state for nothing.
• Cell Phone: I feel as though this one is pretty obvious, but when travelling to a new place, it's always a good idea to have your cell phone handy for safety reasons. 
• Cell + Card Carrier (preferably water proof): Considering no one wants to lose their phone or identity, having a compact waterproof case for your cards and phone is definitely the way to go.
• Gum: Personally I am an almost constant gum chewer. Partially because I like to have fresh breath, and then just out of habit. However, for my single gals on vacation, you never know who you might meet, so best not to smell like your last meal (or beverage) am I right?

Reusable Water Bottle

Though I'll be the first to admit that I do not drink enough water (I'm trying to get better with that though!) I can't stress how important it is to stay hydrated--especially when out at the beach laying under the hot sun (cue the importance of sunscreen too). So a good way to keep hydrated it to have a reusable water bottle. This way, you can just fill it up at a drinking fountain and be on your way.

Portable Charger + Extra Cords

Going along with having your phone for safety reasons, that phone won't do you much good if it's at 10% battery and you are still a half hour away from your hotel. With that being said it would be wise to snag a portable changer so you and your friends can keep you phone charged on the go. Also, a few extra charging cords are a plus too, because if you're anything like me you're probably constantly losing--I mean misplacing yours.

Wine/Bottle Opener

Funny story: The first time John and I ever went on vacation, we had a romantic evening in Orlando. However, when we returned to our hotel room from our actual date and wanted a night cap, much to our dismay we didn't grab a twist off bottle of wine, and had no corkscrew to open it. Honestly, we had, had enough and this mishap probably saved us from being incredibly hungover the next day, but at the time we both felt kind of stupid for not planning ahead. With that being said, if you're planning on popping bottles in your hotel room, make sure to pack a bottle opener (or get twist off bottles--that just didn't have the same ring to it for a heading).

Advil

Lastly, Advil, or any over counter pain reliever, is a good thing to pack just in case of any kind of body aches and pains you may encounter. Nobody wants to be sick on vacation, much less so with a hangover headache.

What are some of your beach vacation essentials? I'd love to chat about it in the comments below, or you can tweet me about them at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

Back To School Essentials (Feat. Amazon)

Ever since I was a child, I have always been very academic and have always valued my education. This hasn't changed since I have gotten older, if anything I have just developed a greater appreciation for it, and with that being said I think it's pretty clear that I am absolutely thrilled when a new school year (or in this case semester) begins. Besides being excited to be back in school and to be pursing my psychology degree, I am also excited because this is the first time in two years that I've gotten to do back to school shopping! In addition, even though I'm perpetually buying clothes and accessories, I have to admit I've gotten a kick out of buying many of my back to school essentials, perhaps I'm just giddy to start this new chapter of my life. (Except for my textbooks, almost $500 dollars later, yikes!)

And along with me returning to school, I also have an exciting announcement that I have become an affiliate of Amazon and will be partnering with them for a handful of posts this semester including this one. (Remember my Winter Beauty Essentials post from the beginning of the week? Yep, that was for Amazon too!) So, for this post I'm going to share my top back to school essentials that I purchase using my Amazon Prime account, which totally made my life a lot easier. (Note, if you are a student, you can try Amazon Prime for 6 months free here.)

A Stylish but Serviceable Backpack

Yeah, I know, a backpack for school is kind of a no brainer. However, I'm sure many of us know the struggle of finding a backpack that is stylish and serviceable. I know that I personally have bought trendy backpacks in the past only to be disappointed with the amount of wear and tear they had shown by the end of the semester. Well, I've finally found a backpack that is as stylish as it is durable and is also affordable! This backpack by the Amazon Shop, Weekend Shopper, is a perfect choice for any college student who wants to carry their books in style. This backpack is roomy, lightweight, and can hold a standard 15.6" laptop.

A Cute and Compact Wallet

I'm sure every girl knows the struggle of trying to carry a purse, a backpack, and whatever other necessities you may need for class. However, now that we have found an attractive and roomy backpack to keep our things in, why don't we just skip the purse and just carry a compact wallet that could neatly tuck away into one of our pockets? This little leather wallet by Orient Bee is perfect for just that! And it also comes in a wide variety of colors so you have tons of options.

A Personal Agenda

I know that in this day and age, most of us (myself included) keep a calendar on our phone. But, when it comes to classes, homework, and in my case, my blog's editorial calendar, I find keeping a physical agenda keeps me much more organized than just relying on my calendar app. Perhaps it's just the act of actually writing something down that helps me remember to do it, however this is definitely one of my classroom necessities and since I need one, it might as well be a cute one! Which is why I chose this adorable gold agenda from my affiliate, Kate Spade New York.

A Smart (and Affordable!) Fitness Tracker

Though I will be the first to admit that I hate the gym and therefore never go, I do however try and keep a healthy lifestyle via diet and exercise on my own. My daily workout routine is generally just an hour of yoga and 30 minutes of walking, but now that I am back downtown, I am walking exceptionally more. So I figured it would be great to get a fitness tracker to see just exactly how much activity I was getting walking to and from class. (and you know all the other parts of Pittsburgh I enjoy hanging out in!) However, I didn't want to break the bank so I decided to give this little fitness watch by LESHP a try and I have to say it works great! This watch tracks steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, and active minutes. This watch also can sync to your smart phone and will notify you if you have a text or call, but the last awesome thing about this watch is, is that it is water proof meaning if you enjoy swimming (like me) you can wear it in the pool or on the beach!

Coffee-- I mean, a Travel Mug

I don't know about you, but I personally cannot start my morning without an Americano or a cup of tea. However, I also am not a fan of waking up incredibly early before class either, meaning I generally enjoy my caffeinated beverages on the go more often than not. So naturally I decided I needed a good travel mug and lucky for me my mum got me this adorable rose gold mug by Bubba Brands for Christmas last year! This mug honestly works just as well (if not better) than the Yeti Rambler I received as a Christmas present from DSG, and in my opinion it's more attractive to boot! This mug keeps my tea or coffee warm for up to five and a half hours, even when out running around in the cold Pittsburgh weather, and I have to say I found that quite impressive.

Fun Phone Cases

So okay, maybe this isn't an absolute necessity, but a playful phone case is a great way to show off you style and personality in a subtle way as well as being a great conversation starter, especially while in class and on campus. And the reason I chose this phone case by DOMIRE is simply because hippos are one of my favorite animals (only second to bears, actually) and I just think this phone case is adorable.

A Chic Lunchbox 

The reason a lunchbox has made my back to school essentials list is due to the fact, during my first four years of college I went out to eat a lot. And though it was never anywhere overly expensive the cost really added up and it was not conducive to me saving money (not to mention it wasn't all that good for my waistline either). So I decided this time around, I'm going to practice eating healthily and save money by packing my lunch, which is why I decided to snag this insulated lunchbox by Kate Spade, because nobody wants a warm salad.

An Adorable Umbrella

To finish off this list, I thought it would be a good idea to add an umbrella. There have been so many times that I have rushed out the door to class without checking the weather and then was suck walking home in a downpour from campus. So much like with the lunchbox, this time around I am older and wiser and therefore will always be prepared! That is also the reason I chose a bubble umbrella opposed to a retractable umbrella. The reason this is, is because for one bubble umbrellas definitely keep you dryer, and two because bubble umbrellas are much less prone to getting blown inside out. The reason I chose this SMATI umbrella? Well hey, if I'm going to need an umbrella it might as well be cute!

What are some of your back to school essentials and must haves? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me about them at StarkRavingChic! Want to show off one of your adorable essentials in action? Feel free to tag me on your Instagram Story at @StarkRavingChic. Later babes, and happy studying!

Xx, Bree

2017: It's Time To Be Happy Again

“True wealth is having a healthy mind, body, and spirit. True wealth is having the knowledge to maneuver and navigate the mental obstacles that inhibit your ability to soar.” -RuPaul

Despite all the wonderful things that transpired the latter half of last year, I'm not going to lie: 2016 was not the best year for me. During the early months of 2016, I struggled with some long lingering health effects of anorexia, putting me in and out of the hospital for testing, blood work, and further observation of the ailments I had been suffering from. So needless to say, the months of March, April, and May were not very pleasant for me; for both physical and mental reasons, which is what lead me to take my blogging hiatus last summer. However, during that break, I feel I experienced a substantial amount of personal growth and having a break from everything (including but not limited to the stress of blogging, toxic relationships, and of course a hospital room) really gave me some prospective of how I wanted to live my life. Without all of the chaos from being sick, cutting the toxic people out of my life, and having a little time away from here really put into prospective of what made me happy. Obviously, I liked being happy, so much so I decided it was time to practice some radical self love. 

I am sure if you gazed at Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook during the year 2016, in the midst of all the negativity, I'm sure  you've come across at least one or two articles about the power of positive thinking, body positivity, and self love--seems as though social media has had enough of this negative nonsense too, right? Well with that being said, I did too, and I became intrigued. Because to be honest, I hadn't liked myself much since developing an eating disorder in high school, let alone loved myself. So while reflecting and recovering over the summer, I actually made a pretty hefty Pinterest Board filled with beautiful self-love and body positive quotes, and I even started keeping a small journal to write three simple things down in everyday, which are as follows:

1. A daily affirmation
2. One thing that I love about myself
3. A daily quote about self love, just as a little reminder

And though doing these thing didn't take much effort, throughout the summer I was surprised to find that I actually began to feel a change. I became less caring of what others thought of my appearance, I became more fearless in my approach to life (e.g. how I met John at Warped Tour after crowd surfing to Sum 41's "Fat Lip"), and I just simply started seeing the beauty around me again. It was an absolutely wonderful feeling, like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I began to realize that my past does not define me, I am not broken to the point of no repair, the number on the scale is just that, a number (though this one is still a little tough for me, so I just quit weighing myself period--and that is perfectly okay!) and I am lovable and worthy of being loved by everyone, but that I am especially worthy of loving myself. The only thing I was missing was my outlet for my creativity, which obviously returned when I stepped back on the blogging scene last September, and I've been owning it and the other aspects of my life ever since. 

With that being said, think it's more than safe to say that in 2017, I will continue practicing self love to the fullest and plan on filling my little journal's pages to the brim with quotes, daily affirmations, and compliments! And what are today's you ask?

1. I am a successful young woman and I am proud of all my achievements. I know my future holds great things and I cannot wait to see what all the universe has in store for me.
2. I love the tiny bunch of scars on my left foot from when I accidentally had hot coals spilled on it. They remind me of one very fun night with some of my closest friends, and why you probably shouldn't drink wine while smoking a hookah.

3. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” -Marilyn Monroe

How have you incorporated self love into your life? Let's chat about it in the comments below and keep the positive vibes going! 

Xx, Bree