How to Have a Productive Summer

Almost everyone looks forward to summer break, trips to the beach, ice cream, no homework (unless like me you're taking a summer course lol), there are so many reasons why summer is great, outdoor movies- I mean the list goes on and on! Although it is extremely important to have fun and be a bit carefree during the summer it is also important to not let it go by in the blink of an eye. It's not a great feeling when the summer seems to suddenly come to an end and you have no idea where it all went or what you even did with those three months! That's where having a productive summer comes in. As I mentioned, fun should be a priority during the summer but you also want to accomplish something so that when it does come to an end you feel like you put the time to good use and that it didn't sweep past you.

I put together a list with some tips for how you can make the most of your summer! (These will definitely come in handy for keeping myself on track too!)

Set Goals

Near the beginning of the summer it is helpful to think about what you want to do in the next few months. Knowing what you want to accomplish is very important and having the goals in mind ahead of time will make it much easier for you to reach them. Setting you goals lets you know exactly what you want to do and should serve as a guide to what you want your summer to consist of. And once the summer comes to an end you can look back at everything you've done!

Plan 

Planning out your summer at least a little bit is very beneficial because it allows you to get a big picture idea of the upcoming months. Even having a very basic plan of a couple things that you want to do or accomplish each month will make it so much easier to achieve them. Either writing it in a planner or putting things in a calendar app will help you keep track of everything and let you get everything done.
 
I personally love writing things down so I don't forget them and I like to be able to look ahead and know what I'm doing the next week. Especially if you want to go on any weekend trips or anything it is so crucial to organize those in advance at least a little bit to get the best deals on hotels, most convenient flight times, etc. Planning will also allow you to make sure that you have the time to do what you want to in general and will prevent you from having conflicting events or commitments.

Inspiration

Knowing what inspires you can a have a large impact on what you get done. Inspiration can provide great motivation and lets you see what you're working towards. It can be a nice reminder of what can be and to not give up. If you don't have a good reason for doing something you definitely won't get as much done as you would if you clearly know why you are working towards the goals you are. (Whether or not a reason is "good" is subjective but by "good reason" I personally mean something reasonable and positive).

For example if one of the goals you are working towards is a fitness one then following personal trainers or others on a fitness journey can provide great inspiration (as long as you try not to compare yourself and remember that everyone is at different levels and stages). Comparison can be an enemy to progress.

Establish a Routine

Having a routine can be a great way to ensure that you reach your goals. Knowing what you have to do and when lets you stay on track and make steady progress. If you establish a routine it'll become easier to do what you need to as you'll get used to it and form habits. Sticking with the fitness example, maybe you decide to start doing certain stretches or moves everyone morning after you've woken up, over time you'll end up automatically doing them and will build strength or flexibility (depending on what you do) and you'll start getting results!

Stay Realistic

It is crucial to be realistic with what you want to achieve and what you expect to accomplish though. You do not want to set yourself up to fail. You need to be aware of what you are capable of. As someone who isn't much of a runner it would not be realistic for me to have the goal of competing in and finishing a marathon that is taking place next month-that isn't realistic and there is no way I'd be able to achieve that. However, I am not saying to not challenge yourself. It is important to make sure that your goals aren't all so easy that you can basically already achieve them, you do need something to work towards. It should just be something that will be possible once you do put in the time and effort.

Balance

This is another significant concept. Although being productive and working on getting to your goals is very important, it is summer so you need to have some free time. Now I don't just mean doing nothing (although there is nothing wrong having some time for that), free time means that you don't have things scheduled so you can determine what you want to do with the time. Balancing the time you spend working on things and the time you take just to relax and have fun is vital to being productive and staying happy. If you are overworked you will not be as content or productive. I find that I work much better and enjoy it more when I'm in a good mood!

I hope that you found this helpful and that we all can have productive summers! Do you have any tips for being productive? Leave them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

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Top Current Trends I'm Loving

      This summer there have been some trends that I have really been loving, as you can tell by the title of this post! I really like the chill vibe that I've been seeing a lot lately. What I mean by this is that that simple and basic pieces are really in right now. But I also love that most have a unique twist such as cut-outs or cool necklines. I have also been seeing a lot of solid colored pieces or items with bold stripes. I decided to share my favorite types of pieces below!

Bomber jackets:

- Although it is summer and that means that temperatures are usually higher it does cool down a bit at night and so I think that having some good layering pieces is necessary. Bomber jackets are very in right now. They give an effortless cool vibe to an outfit. Also I like that depending on the material and cut of the jacket it can drastically change your whole look. Leather gives a completely different aesthetic to an outfit than satin or corduroy. I really just love layering and jackets in general and am glad they are having their moment!

Lace up flats:

- I also think that lace up flats are very pretty. The concept of them is pretty simple and minimalistic but they just add so much to an outfit. I also love how versatile they are. These shoes can be worn with skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans, a casual dress, or with a more formal outfit and still look great with whatever they're paired with.

Tee shirt dresses:

- Tee shirt dresses are so simple as well yet look so cute. They are so easy to just throw on and still make you look put together. And again are another very versatile item that can be dressed up or down depending on what accessories or other pieces you wear it with. I prefer these dresses in a solid color or any combination of black, white, and or navy stripes. (Stripes in this color palette give me such a nautical vibe and remind me of the beach and summertime).

"Basic" shirts:

- Not so basic, basic shirts. What I mean by this are shirts that would be basic but are not because of their necklines or "details". Shirts with lacing or ties are a huge trend right now. These can cut down pretty low but don't show too much which I like. You could also wear a cool bandeau or bralette underneath. I also like that they do come in varying levels of "showiness" and so everyone can find something they are comfortable with. 

Denim & button up skirts:

- Denim and front buttoning skirts (or a combo of the two) are another trend I am really liking. Who would have thought that denim skirts would be in again? I did not think it would happen and I'm sure a lot of other people didn't either but I'm glad I was wrong. In my opinion they are pretty cute and just have a great summer vibe to them but can definitely transition into fall as well just as the bomber jacket can. I also like that button up skirts come in so many fabrics as well and that can help them be multi-seasonal as well. Corduroy ones would look great with riding boots in the fall. 

What are some of your favorite summer trends?

Thanks for reading!
-Emily

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Shop below:

Outfit Of The Day

Hi everyone, I hope that all is going well for you.  I liked my outfit more than usual and decided to share it with you today! I had work this day and this outfit worked well for that. It is very versatile tough so it can be dressed up or dressed down for any occasion.

 

 

 

 

My maxi skirt is from Macy's. Since it has a bold pattern I paired it with a plain white shirt from Ann Taylor. Keeping with the simple and slightly boho vibe I decided to wear some brown leather strappy sandals. My go to purse right now is the one you see in the pictures above and it is a leather bowler bag which I got at Marshalls. As for jewelry I wore I silver with a some what linked design and on my wrist I had on a watch with a white strap and silver face. I also had on too other bracelets that I felt went with the watch.

 

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Kinky Boots

I recently saw Kinky Boots and it was great! I really enjoy going to see plays and musicals so I was glad that Kinky Boots came to town. The plot was well developed and the acting and singing was amazing. The score was written by multiple people, including Cyndi Lauper. There were some very funny parts in the musical but it did have those inspirational undertones as well such as to follow your dreams, don't let other people get you down, and to make your life what you want it to be. I know that sounds a bit cliché but they are important messages that we should all apply to our own lives, I know I at least I need to do more of that!

A brief overview of the plot:
The musical is set in England and focuses on the son of a man who owns a shoe factory. As the son grows up he decides he does not want to run the factory and he moves to London. Then one day he gets a call letting him know his father has passed and he returns to his home town. He does not really know what to do about the factory especially because business is pretty bad. Then he has an idea that could be their "saving grace". As for what happens next, you'll have to go see the show (which I highly recommend doing)! Or you could watch the movie. I haven't seen the movie yet but plan on doing so soon since I've heard good things about it as well!

You may remember from an older post that I was in Toronto earlier this summer and went to the Bata Shoe Museum. And at the museum they actually had a pair of kinky boots from a production of the  show which I thought was a cool coincidence since I knew I was going to be seeing it!

The boots are super tall and are red of course!



I think that going to musicals or plays is an awesome thing to do with friends or with a parent or relative for some bonding time.

Have you seen anything good lately? Any musicals, plays,  movies, or tv shows that you recommend checking out?

Thanks for reading
-Emily

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Healthy Snacks

       Welcome back to my blog! If you're like me then you love food, but you also want to take care of your body. This can be challenging sometimes though so I've put together a list with some ideas for snacks that are on the healthier side of the spectrum. They taste great and are great for you!

Fruit

     Fruit is obviously good for you and there is a huge variety. Many fruits are very sweet since they contain natural sugar and so they can help to satisfy your sweet tooth and cut your cravings for unhealthy things. Berries are great for snacking, my personal favorites are blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Strawberries are good too. Melons are great especially in the summer as well. Some popular kinds are watermelon (of course), honey dew melon, and cantaloupe. There are tons of other fruits including; bananas, mangos, pineapples, oranges, peaches, plums, apples (amazing with some peanut butter), pears, you get the idea!
I suggest checking out your local farmers market or just exploring the produce section in your grocery store to be adventurous and try some new fruit.

We can't forget about cherries!

 

Vegetables

I know not many people think of them as snack but slices of celery or cucumber do just fine. I love eating raw baby carrots. Any of these are great plain or dipped in something like ranch dressing.

Nuts

My favorite are peanuts, I also love almonds. Cashews, walnuts, and pecans are other well known varieties.

Dried Fruit

So many fruits come dried but raisins are obviously the most well known, many people don't like them though. I was the opposite for a while, I loved raisins but hated grapes (I know, I was weird). Even if you don't like raisins I think you should still try Craisins, dried cranberries. I actually prefer them to plain old raisins.

Trail Mix

A great way to have dried fruit is in trail mix, you can make your own or just buy it. Many come with seeds and granola or oats and definitely nuts, most likely peanuts and/or almonds and some have chocolate chips of m&ms. The varieties are endless, some are very, very healthy, and others not so much. Nonetheless, they are all still pretty good for you!

Miscellaneous

As for crackers, crackers like Ritz aren't the best for you but they aren't too bad either, especially if you get the whole grain ones. Wheat Thins are a great option, they are my favorite crackers. And I love Stacy's Pita Crisps, the sea salt ones are so good, they are pretty healthy and taste great. Newtons are another great snack. There are actually different types of Newtons including Triple Berry (my favorite) and Apple Cinnamon. If you don't like Fig Newtons I recommend checking out the other "flavors". They are super yummy and are healthy too.

Yogurt/Smoothies/Smoothie bowls

These "treats" allow you to be so creative! Yogurt is an amazing snack. You can add so many things to it. What I do most often is add some granola to my yogurt. For a while I would only eat regular vanilla Yoplait because it is my all time favorite yogurt! Now I do eat other flavors though! Fruit smoothies using natural ingredients are great and like I said smoothies give you a lot of freedom so just throw you favorite fruits together and make up some combos or go on Google or Pinterest to find great recipes. (Another fun thing about the bowls is decorating them!)

Thanks for reading, I hope you found these suggestions helpful!
Do you have any favorite healthy(-ish) snacks to recommend?

-Emily

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