Beach Bag Essentials

Hey everyone!

So, as I told you all in a recent post, I went to the beach with my mom and my sister last week.  It was my first beach trip of the year, so I had to re-remember all the essentials to carry in my beach bag with me!  This was really requested in comments, and with it being the beginning of summer (for most people), I thought it would be the perfect time to do it!  So, here are my beach essentials:

1. Beach Bag

Preferably a cute one ;) You can get them really cheap at stores like Target and Old Navy if you don't want to spend a ton on a bag that's just going to get all sandy!

2. Sunscreen

This is SO important for everybody.  I have fair skin, so I have to constantly reapply sunscreen all over my body all day, but I think it's important for everybody to apply at least once before they go out into the sun.  Depending on your skin type, the amount of SPF you should use at the beach changes.  I use 30 on my face and switch off between 15 and 30 on my body.

*not only will sunscreen keep you from getting burns, it will help prevent sun spots and icky leathery skin

3. Hat

Even if I don't use it, I always bring a hat down to the beach with me.  It's important to protect all of your skin from overexposure to the sun, but your face in particular can be more subject to burns.  I usually just wear a baseball hat (which are my tomboy obsession), but you could also go for one of the trendy big floppy hats :)

4. Cover-Up/Towel

I bring a t-shirt or cover up just in case I get a little too red but don't want to go in for the day yet.  A towel can serve the same purpose, but can also be used for simply drying off and getting sand off your feet!

5. Sunglasses

Personally, I hate wearing sunglasses usually, but at the beach it's especially important to protect your eyes.  I'm a lifeguard over the summer and I always wear sunglasses--they keep your eyes safe from harmful rays and prevent crows feet wrinkles!

6. Sandals

The sand at the beach can get super hot, and you don't want it to hurt/burn your feet!

7. Book/Magazine

Really, anything to keep you entertained for the day!  Sometimes I'll bring my phone or iPod to the beach, but if you do this I would recommend bringing a plastic baggy to put them in when you're not using them--just to protect them from water and sand.

8. WATER!!!

This is another one that is incredibly important.  It's easy to get dehydrated at the beach, so you should try to keep at least one water bottle with you to sip on while you're sitting out sweating!

That's it! I'm probably going to do be doing more beach-themed posts as the summer gets closer and into full swing!

What do you keep in your beach bag?

Comment and let me know! :)

xo Sarah

*Find how to contact me here

Bath and Body Works Haul + Mothers Day Smiles

Hey everyone!

I'm so excited for this post for SO many reasons! First, because I haven't done two posts in one day in a LONG time.  And second, because I'm obsessed with what this haul is...like literally obsessed!  It's a Bath and Body Works haul! 

 Before I continue though, I want to wish you all a happy Mother's Day once again!  It's a rainy and gross Mother's Day where I live, but nonetheless I spent the morning baking my favorite apple-oat-rasin muffins and watching a movie with my momma :)The reason I didn't put this up earlier was because it includes my mom's present--but now that she's opened it, I can put it up!  Also, I want to apologize for the quality of the pictures being so poor--my camera decided it was time to go to camera heaven :( So, until I get a new one (which will hopefully be tomorrow), I have to use my iPad or phone to take pictures! I hope it's not too annoying!

I'm sure many of you have heard of Bath and Body Works, and probably are as obsessed with their candles as I am.  But, this weekend they had a sale going on for 2 of their 3 wick candles (the big ones) for $20.  They're usually $19.50 each, so it's basically 2 for the price of 1, which is amazing!  They also had their little mini candles for 2/$5, so of course I picked some of those up to include in a giveaway I have planned for if I get to 300 followers! :)

These are the candles I picked up for myself (and for my giveaway!)  

First, I got four of the mini sized candles in Peach Bellini, Bahama Fizz, Caribbean Escape and Aloha Vanilla.  I'm in LOVE with the Aloha Vanilla scent, but they didn't have any bigger ones left :(.  Some of these minis are going to be included in my upcoming giveaway!

I also picked up four of the big three-wick candles in Peach Bellini (I've already gone through one of these...it's one of my favorites!), Pink Sangria, Lemon Mint Leaf (my new favorite--it smells like a lemonade stand!) and a Stress Relief candle in Vanilla Verbena which smells amazing!

Then, for my mom's mothers day present, I got her their VIP Mother's Day gift set, which was only $20 with any $40 purchase. 

I didn't get a picture of it before my mom opened it, but this is from the website!  It's a super cute straw tote bag, a loofah, and tons of their products!  It comes with a Wildberry Dahlia foaming hand soap, a Wild Berry Tulips fragrance spray, hand lotion, shower gel and lip gloss.  It also included a mini Lilac Blossom candle.  I was scared she wouldn't like the scent, but she loved it! :)  It was the perfect Mother's Day present, especially for my mom who never treats herself to these types of things!  I also threw in a few other things, but the tote from B&BW was the main gift!

These deals on candles as well as the VIP tote are still available at Bath and Body Works as well as on their website!! :)

I hope you all enjoyed this little haul and are having an amazing day with your mom, whether you're in a country that is celebrating today or not :)

Make sure to comment and let me know what you've done today for Mother's Day!

xo Sarah

*Find my links to contact me here

Happy Mothers Day!

Hey everyone!

Happy Sunday! And most importantly, Happy Mothers Day!  A mom is someone that can never be replaced, so make sure to tell your mom you appreciate her today--even though as my mom says "everyday is mothers day."  Whether you're able to be with your mom today or not, make sure you tell her you love her for everything she does!  I would do a post on what I got my mom for mothers day, but I'm going to wait until after she opens it--just in case she reads this first!

Leave me a comment telling me what you love most about your mom <3

xo Sarah

*ps- stay tuned for a post on her present! ;)

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Update: Finals, the Beach + What's to Come!

Hey everyone!

I'm SO excited to finally be typing this blog post up--it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post!  Everything's been SO crazy, but I'm finally at home, sipping on my coffee and ready to blog again!  Two weeks ago started my finals week, which is why I didn't get any posts up then.  Grades are extremely important to me, especially now that I'm in college, so I had to study all week for my finals!  But, all that studying paid off, because I'm very proud of all my grades :)  Then, I came home for a few days (just enough time to unpack) before my mom, sister and I went away to the beach for a girls week.  It was an amazing trip--it also inspired a beach series that's coming up soon--but I'm glad to be back at home and able to talk to you all again! :)

So, I also want to take this opportunity to tell you all about what you can expect to come from me in the future!  Like I said, I'm going to be doing a beach series coming up--just my tips on sunscreen, what to pack, makeup, etc.  I've been in a "paint your nails all the time" phase lately also, so I'm going to be doing more NOTD and maybe even OOTD posts.  I have a couple of reviews coming up, but the most exciting (I think) think is a giveaway I'm going to be doing, probably once I reach 300 followers!  Now, I have a job for you all.  Comment and let me know 1. what kind of blog posts you would like to see the most and 2. let me know what prizes you all would want for a giveaway!

xo Sarah

Sunday Smiles: Surviving Finals Week

Hey everyone!

I know, I know, I'm an awful blogger. I've been so MIA lately, but that's only because finals are coming up next week, which means I'm studying nonstop.  I have been taking breaks to pack up my room--I can't wait to be out of my dorm!!  Anyway, for those of you that are in the same position as me, here's a few things to help you chug through finals week!

I thought I'd also give some tips on how I get through finals week:

1. Don't wait until the last minute.

I always thought I did just fine studying at the last minute for big tests and exams, but since being in college, I've realized it's SO much easier to start a little at a time.  If it's a class where I know I'm going to have to make a bunch of notecards, I always make sure to go ahead and do those pretty far in advance, so then when it comes time for that final, I can just study the notecards and not have to worry about making them!

2.  Take breaks.

If you start to get restless or antsy when you're studying, you're probably not being as productive as you could be.  Take a break for a little while--turn on the TV, take a nap, go outside and walk around--do anything to relax you for a half hour or so, then go back to studying.  You'll feel refreshed and able to make it through a long period of studying.

3. Get Enough Sleep

I know it's almost impossible to get 8 hours of sleep every night, especially in college, but when you have a ton of tests you need to get as much as possible.  I know I'm guilty of not getting enough sleep too, but make sure you at least get to bed early enough to allow you to be awake enough to do well on your tests and not fall asleep in the middle of them!

4. Eat Right

This one is SO hard for everyone--including me--during finals week especially! But you have to remember, you need brain food not junk food!  

Do you have any tips to help me get through finals?

Comment and leave them below!! :)

*I promise i'll get back to a regular blogging schedule as soon as I'm done with school!

xo Sarah

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