My Chic Week May 22-28

It's Friday y'all! And after this weekend, I have exams but then it is summertime (can I fast forward to summer please?) Just a warning that this is a photo-heavy post this week!

Last Friday was my last day of real classes (I only have review days and my exams left now) so I had multiple tests and project presentations. My parents's wedding anniversary was Monday and since it was on Memorial Day, they decided to go out to eat on Friday so I drove them and then took my siblings to go get ice cream at Ben & Jerry's (I had The Tonight Dough which was amazing!

Every Memorial Day weekend that I can remember, we go out on the lake with our neighbors. We went on Saturday and enjoyed a day of tubing and chilling out with the most perfect weather! That night, we had a little barbeque with our neighbors and friends who we went on the lake with.

We went out on the lake again on Sunday and this time we were joined by our family friends who have two adorable, little kids. After the lake, we hung by the pool for a bit. I also went to babysit that night for the two kids who were on the lake with us.

On Monday, my mom and I took a break from the sun (I am so burnt y'all) and headed down to Southpark mall. I love, love, love Southpark and I am always begging to go so it was fun to go. We only hit a few stores but I went to Lilly and I also bought my first Kendra Scout earrings.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up bright and early to go on college trips with my school. On the first day, we drove the seven hours up to Emmitsburg, Maryland where we stayed that night with a tour of the Luray Caverns, which were so pretty, in-between. 

The whole entire trip had gorgeous, countryside views like this

On Day 2 (Wednesday), we toured Mount St. Mary's University and afterwards we checked out the Elizabeth Ann Seton Grotto and then the Basilica.

We went back to hotel for lunch (since our hotel was right near a grocery store and some fast food places) and to change into some casual clothes before our tour of Gettysburg. We first went to the Information Center where they had a video and then a circular pictures with lights to kind of show the battle better. We then went on a tour of Gettysburg on our bus with stops at various memorials and different important spots. It was a pretty long tour with some gorgeous views. 

 

On Thursday, we toured Christendom College and then drove to Staunton, Virginia, where we stayed that night. We toured a playhouse in the afternoon and then spent a few hours exploring the town and eating. That night, we saw Hamlet at the playhouse, which was built like the Black Friar's Theater in London.

 Our college tour ended on Friday so more details will be shared next week!

What have you been up to lately? Let me know in the comments!

College Tour Must Pack List

As I am on college tours, I thought it would be extremely fitting to write a post about what to pack! I know a lot of high school students tour colleges during the summer months so I decided to put together a must pack list that works if you are touring with your high school or own your own!

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Presentable Clothes- First impressions are very important and a good first impression with a college admissions counselor is always a good idea. During my tours, I wore a nice dress or a skirt with a nice top. You don't have to dress up like you are heading to a wedding but you should put effort into your appearance to show that you are serious about this college.

Comfy Shoes- College tours require a lot of walking and if you are anything like me, you don't want to walk long distances in those wedges or heels. I love Jack Rogers because they have a strong grip and are comfy but look classy as well.

A Camera- To remember, the looks of the college and what you liked about it. I personally don't like to take pictures during a tour (good impressions) but it is a good thing to bring!

Headphones- This is more for if you tour with your high school. Headphones are great to shut out some of the noise and get a little bit of quiet time!

Sunglasses/ Rain Gear- Campus tours take you outdoors, rain or shine so it is best to be prepared for both!

Phone/ Electronic Device Chargers- Kind of obvious but very very important! I realized that if you plug your laptop into the wall and plug your phone into your computer, it charges both and doesn't use that many outlets (which can be rare in hotel rooms).

Snacks- We toured on a bus and we had an eating schedule that was not like my usual one so I made sure to bring a lot of granola bars on the trip with me (I had so much food in my purse!). Snacks are necessary when hotels have crummy breakfasts or you are just starving!

A Water Bottle- Lots of walking in the heat, calls for lots of water!

Check out my college tour tips in this post!

What are your college tour must haves? Let me know in the comments!

May Outfits Lately

It is almost the end of May (and my school year) so it is time for another Outfits Lately!

Dress Up Day at School

Dress- Lilly Pulitzer

Cardigan- Lilly Pulitzer

Sandals- Tory Burch

Watch- Kate Spade

Monogram Necklace

Pearl Necklace

Bracelets

This dress is also featured in this post!

First Communion Party

Top- J Crew

Shorts- Lilly Pulitzer

Sandals- Jack Rogers

Watch- Kate Spade

Monogram Necklace

Bracelets

Cousin's First Communion

Dress- Lilly Pulitzer (similar)

Heels- Rack Room Shoes

Watch- Kate Spade

Pearl Necklace

Bracelets

 Dress Down Day at School

Top- Lilly Pulitzer (similar)

Pants- Vineyard Vines (similar)

Sandals- Jack Rogers

Watch- Kate Spade

Monogram Necklace

Bracelets

Rollin' in the Grass + White

Top- Zara

Shorts- Lilly Pulitzer (similar)

Sandals- Jack Rogers

Watch- Kate Spade

Monogram Necklace

Bracelets

Another Dress Down Day Outfit

Top- Vineyard Vines (similar)

Pants- Vineyard Vines (similar)

Sandals- Tory Burch

Watch- Kate Spade

Monogram Necklace

Bracelets

Sports Banquet
Dress- Lilly Pulitzer (same style)
Wedges- Jack Rogers
Watch- Kate Spade
Monogram Necklace
Pearl Necklace

Dress Down Day, Part 3
Top- Lilly Pulitzer
Cardigan- Lilly Pulitzer
Jeans- American Eagle (similar)
Watch- Kate Spade
Monogram Necklace
Pearl Necklace
(not pictured- Jack Rogers sandals)

Lake Day
Bikini- Aerie (similar top, similar bottom)
Coverup- Target (same brand)
Flip flops- Tory Burch (similar)

What outfits have you been living in this month? Let me know in the comments!

Final Exam Study Tips

For all of my fellow high school girls, summer is almost here! The only thing standing between us and summer vacation is final exams. Personally, final exams require a lot of preparation. I am a natural stressor so being on the verge of exams certainly puts the stress into overdrive for me.

Due to my previous experiences with taking exams, I have put together my tips for studying for finals.

Study your Way- Everyone learns differently. Study the way that is the most effective for you! Personally, I know doing the bulk of my studying the night before works best for me. I also know that  filling out a study guide, making a quizlet (or notecards) of the study guide, and then quizzing myself on the quizlet helps me study best. Adapt other people's strategies into what works best for you!

Start Early- I know I just said that doing the majority of my studying for exams the night before works best but I know I have a lot of projects and papers due in the week or two before the exam. Finishing these early helps you to have the vital time before the exam to just study for the exam.

Keep Focused- During exams, I know that it is easy to get caught up in the "this is never going to end" mentality (currently in that boat as I write this) but it will. Summer is almost here and you just need to pull through this last week!

Stay Healthy- Exams are super stressful but I try to continue to stay healthy. I try to eat healthier food. I try to continue to exercise (even a quick walk as a study break works). Drink lots of water. Also, don't sacrifice sleep! It may seem like a good idea to pull an all-nighter but you need to refuel so that you can focus on your big exam.

Take Breaks- With the massive amounts of information you are studying, it is helpful to take quick breaks to help retain it. Check out my favorite ways to take a break here!

What are your favorite exam study tips? Let me know in the comments!

Memorial Day Shopping

Memorial Day weekend is known for 2 things: the start of summer (hopefully with time at a lake or the beach) and the amazing sales! Today, I am taking a break from the sun and heading to the mall with my mom. It is the perfect time to stock on summer pieces since they will be on sale!

Anthropologie- 20% off sale items

Gap- 40% off

Kendra Scott- Up to 70% off

J Crew- 30% off

J Crew Factory- Up to 50% off

Lilly Pulitzer- New Arrivals and Gifts (check out my post on it here)

Loft- 40% off

Nordstrom- Half Yearly Sale: Up to 40% off

What sales will you be shopping? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week May 15-21

Wow! I am officially done with classes for this year! It is a good thing but this week has seemed to drag on forever! I have college trips next week and then finals (oh my!) the week after but then it is summer break!

Last Friday, I had a Spiritual Retreat during school so my grade went to the cathedral downtown for a day of prayer, Mass, and discussions. After the school day was over, I went home and made my sister a trifle for her birthday party, which was on Saturday. I babysat that night and then came home to binge watch One Tree Hill (forced my brother to watch it with me, lol).

I woke up early on Saturday (seems to be a trend these past few weeks sadly) to pick one of my friends up so we could go volunteer at a local organization that collects used clothes for those who need them. After lunch, I drove home for lunch and to do a little bit of homework. I later met one of my friends at Starbucks so we could study and then we wound up doing some shopping!

For a while I have had a sore throat, so Sunday morning my mom and I went to the doctor to make sure that it was not strep (which it wasn't!). Sunday was pretty laid back since I pretty much did homework and relaxed (watching more OTH)!

Monday through Thursday was super busy with school and preparing for the end of the year in all of my classes. I probably sound like a broken record saying this every week but the past month has been really busy for me in school.

On Wednesday night, I took a break from all of my school work to attend my school's Sports Banquet.

Do you have any fun plans for Memorial Day weekend? Let me know in the comments!

Lilly Pulitzer Splash into Summer

This upcoming weekend is Memorial Day weekend (the unofficial start of summer) but Lilly Pulitzer is also having their annual Splash into Summer event. Splash into Summer is not a sale but it is a Gift with Purchase (GWP) event. I have found that going in store for these events is the best way to shop since the stores often have treats and additional GWPs.

(sorry for the crummy picture but I couldn't find the chart of GWPs online so I took a picture of the flyer Lilly send me in the mail!)

The gifts are:
Any Spend- Starfish Bracelet
$200 Spend- Sunglasses Case
$600 Spend- Beach Towels
$800 Spend- Kadema Set (looks like a beach game?)
$1400 Spend- Rolling Beach Cooler

(you also get the previous level gifts for the higher levels, for example if you spend $600 you get the towels, sunglass case, and bracelet)

I'm hoping to make a trip to my local Lilly store this weekend because the GWPs are adorable (especially the beach towels!). These are my favorite Lilly items this season so far!

top: 1 2 3 4 5

bottom: 1 2 3 4 5

Are you planning on shopping during Splash into Summer? What are your Summer Lilly favorites?Let me know in the comments!

Summer Shades of Nail Polish

A little fun fact for y'all: I love to paint my nails. I am honestly not that great at it but I think practice makes perfect especially with painting nails! Summer nail polish is super fun because it is time to break out all your pastels and bright colors. Here are my favorite shades for this summer!

Haute in the Heat Do You Lilac It? Turquoise and Caicos Primrose Hill Picnic

In the Cab-ana Sunday Funday Pretty Pink Perseveres Naughty Nautical

What are your favorite summer nail polish colors? Let me know in the comments!

Memorial Day Red, White, and Blue Inspiration

It is almost Memorial Day weekend which for me is the kickoff of summer! It also means that school is almost over! It is also a perfectly good excuse to wear a red, white and blue outfit! Im looking forward to a nice, long weekend by my pool and on the lake! Here is some inspiration to help you push towards this fabulous weekend!

1 2 3

4 5 6

What are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend? Let me know in the comments!

Perfection (Essentially Maria Linkup)

Maria from Essentially Maria contacted me and a bunch of other bloggers to join a linkup on perfection. I immediately loved the idea as it is something that I personally have struggled with.

I have always put upon myself the standard of being "perfect". Always having perfect grades, my hair  being beautiful all the time, being a standard of skinny that I have for myself, working out an ideal amount of time every week, having the perfect social life filled with hanging out with my friends every single weekend, having the perfect relationship with my family, the list goes on and on!

Trying to achieve all of this is very time consuming. Hours spent doing homework so I achieve what the "perfect" grade for that class is. Waking up early every single morning to do my hair and makeup. Overthinking what food I eat so that way I don't gain weight.

The reality is I'm not perfect. I will never be a 00 (nothing wrong with that size, I personally will not be one ever). My Instagram feed will not always be filled with pictures of my friends perfectly happy doing those candids that we all know aren't so candid. I study a lot but it's ok for me not to have straight A+ in each of my classes (pretty sure that is impossible for some of classes). I sometimes get into fights with my friends and my family. No matter what my blog or Instagram may lead you to see, my life is not perfect. Everyone has issues. Nobody talks about the nights they spend crying over school work or friendship problems. So in honor of my imperfection, here are some pictures that show that I'm not as "bloggable" as it may seem:

 This was last summer in Kiawah and it was so pretty. I'm just totally not looking anywhere near the camera. (Can we talk about how this is like a blog picture esque before I even had a blog?)

 My sister wanted to take a picture of me and she zoomed in way too close to my face. Not the best look for me

Again I'm not looking at the camera #typical

So ladies, here's my advice for y'all: You don't have to perfect. You don't have to compare yourself to ____ (fill in that girl you know with that perfect Instagram feed here) because you never know what is truly going on.

Read Maria's post on perfection here and remember the wise words of Hannah Montana "Nobody's perfect. You live and you learn it again and again until you get it right". (that's right I just quoted Hannah Montana on my blog!)

My Chic Week May 8-14

It's Friday which means that it is time for another My Chic Week!

My weekend started off early last weekend since I left school on Friday at lunchtime so I could drive up to my cousins's house in Virginia with my family. After a seemingly long car ride, we arrived in time for dinner.

The next morning, we got up bright and early to go to my cousins's First Communion. After the Mass, we returned to my cousins's house for a party. (I probably ate way too much Mac and Cheese) That night, we had dinner and then went on a super long walk at a local park. I wish that I had brought my phone, it was so pretty!

The next morning (on Sunday), we left early in the morning to go back home. In the afternoon, I unpacked and then did some homework. As it was Mother's Day, we had a nice steak dinner for my mom at home.

Monday through Thursday was pretty busy with school. I had an interview for a babysitting job Monday afternoon. Tuesday, I hit the gym after school (so much traffic). Wednesday, I took a nice long walk with my dog (can we talk about how I finished all my homework before dinner? That never happens). On Thursday, the rest of my family went to my siblings's Sports Banquet at their middle school so I ran errands and grabbed some dinner at Panera (#typical).

Sadly, I didn't get a lot of pictures this week but this weekend is definitely going to be busy since next week is the last full week of classes for me (and there is a ton of projects for me to do!)

Do y'all have any fun weekend plans? Let me know in the comments!

Lesson Learned from my Faith Formation Class

This school year, I have taught Faith Formation to a class of first graders at my Church. I want to major in elementary education in college so I figure it would be a great way "to test the waters". I also loved the idea of teaching little kids about God. I walked in the first class having no idea what to expect and now looking back at it, I am so glad I did it. Not only did I teach my first graders, but my class taught me a few lessons that apply to all of my life as well:

Go with the Flow- Like life, first graders are quite unpredictable. You never know when the class will be tired or when they will be crazy (or as I told them cray cray). You never know how an activity will work until you do it. It took a lot of coming up with things in the middle of class as I realized what worked (and what didn't). In life, I like things to be organized and planned out so this has taught be to just "go with the flow" as I move throughout different events in my life.

Be Consistent- First graders notice everything so you have to treat them all with the same amount of attention. For example, we always ask for the kids to go to the bathroom before class starts but if one kid asks during class, I have to let them go and then everyone after that go as well to be fair. This applies to spreading out my attention through different parts of my life.

Combine Fun with Work- As the teacher of my class, I had to teach my class lessons every week. But at the same time, they are first graders and after a day of school, they do not always want to sit down for another hour and a half. Combining the lessons with fun activities and games made the class enjoyable yet educational. I may not always be able to turn my homework into games but it has taught me to balance.

Plan Ahead- Lesson planning takes preparation and as a high school student, I needed to remember on the weekends to plan ahead for the next week so that way I have something prepared with my full effort.

Remember your Goal- Many times, throughout my classes, I remember thinking "Okay, I have to give them three more minutes before we move on so we can do Activities A, B, and C" and rapidly moving through the class. I always reminded myself that I am here to teach them the lesson in a fun way not to rush through and worry about it!

Now that my class is over for the school year, I am so sad to say goodbye to my group of kids but I can't wait to teach another class next year!

Summer Sandals

It is almost mid-May which means that spring is in full swing and summer is almost here! An absolute summer necessity in my book is a great pair of sandals! They are so versatile as you can dress them down with shorts and a top or dress them up with a fun summer dress! With so many options out there, it is a bit hard to fit the "perfect" sandal but I have done the searching for y'all and have come up with my favorite summer sandals at a variety of price points!

red strappy sandals jack rogers lauren sandals sparkly sandals 

white classic jacks silver sandals tory burch miller sandals

I have the white Jack Rogers (which I totally lived in last summer) and the Tory Burch sandals and I love them!

What are your favorite sandals for summer? Let me know in the comments!

Babysitting Necessities and Outfits

If your summer is planning to be a lot like mine, there will be a lot of babysitting going on. I love babysitting and it is a great way for me to make some money. I remember, though, when I first started to babysit, I was unprepared. I didn't know to wear or what to bring. So to help you guys out, I have put together my babysitting necessities and two cute outfits that are perfect for babysitting?

Babysitting Necessities

Tote Bag- I like to bring a bag to hold all of my stuff that I need for the day. This bag is super cute!

A Sweet Treat (picture via)- Lately, I have been getting into the habit of bringing a little treat for the kids I babysit. They get so excited and tend to behave better too! Just make sure to check with the parents for food allergies beforehand!

Game- My childhood babysitters always brought a game with them so I have adapted this tip from them. Plus, this serves as a distraction if the child is upset over their parents leaving. Just remember what ages you have in picking the game (don't choose Twister for a 3 year old, been there, done that) and you can just choose a game you have at home.

Computer- When I babysit, I always bring my laptop or my iPad so I can have something to do after the kids go to bed.

When I babysit, I tend to dress very casually since I will be playing with little kids all day. Here are two options that I personally would wear while babysitting:

A Tee and Chinos- t-shirt chinos sandals

A Tee and Norts- t-shirt norts headband flipflops

What are your babysitting necessities? What do you wear while babysitting? Let me know in the comments!

The Heir

I'll confess to y'all: I haven't been reading a lot in the past year. I have always loved to read but this year it seems that between school and all my activities I don't have the time to. And the fact I have giant books to read for school so when I have free time I don't always want to read. This summer, I really want to get back into reading and I have started with The Heir.

via

The Heir is the fourth book in The Selection series and I've been reading them since the first one came out. It is set in a future society where young, common girls have the chance to win the heart of the prince in a Bachelor-like competition. All the books are light and fun reads (perfect for summer!).

The Heir came out last week on Tuesday and I have actually already read the whole, entire thing! The Heir is different from the first three novels since Eadlyn, the daughter of the main character of the first three novels, is the main character and she has her own selection. It was a little different than what I expected but overall it was a great read!

What are your current favorite books? Let me know in the comments!

My Chic Week May 1-7

Wow, this week was such a busy week! Luckily, I have a fun weekend coming up since I am traveling to Virginia for my cousin's First Communion!

Last Friday started off volunteering at a Field Day. I played games with the kids all morning. One station had shaving cream so all the volunteers got into a shaving cream fight, which was more putting tons of shaving cream on each other. It then turned into spraying each other with a hose. I was a mess! I headed back to class for a few periods and then it was time for my last soccer game of the season. It was a rough game (we lost) but we played well. On the way home, I stopped at Chick-fil-A for dinner and tried the new Frosted Lemonade, which is amazing!

Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early to head over to the DMV. After two tries, I passed my license test! I am so excited to say that I passed! Later in the day, after doing some homework, I babysat. It was my first time driving by myself!

On Sunday, I was luckily able to sleep in before heading to Church. Our wifi at home has been really messed up lately so I drove over to Panera to get all my homework done (and to enjoy an iced coffee). After coming home, I studied a little bit and then made chocolate chip cookies for my Faith Formation class.

Monday was a half day of school for me so after class, I went to a yummy Barbeque restaurant with some of my friends. The Pulled Pork sandwich and Mac and Cheese I had for lunch was perfect! After lunch, we grabbed some ice cream and shopped. Monday night was my last Faith Formation class, which I am so sad about! I came home and did some homework.

Tuesday was full of school, homework, and a National Honor Society meeting during lunch. Wednesday was not super eventful as I just went to school, drove one of my friends home from school, and then came home and did homework. Thursday was full of school, homework, and then packing for my trip to Virginia for the weekend!

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? Let me know in the comments!