Summer Wardrobe Essentials: Part 1

Ahh, sweet, sweet Summertime! If you read my previous post on the anxiety I dealt with last summer, then you will understand how much it means for me to say that I am loving & appreciating this Summer season SO MUCH. It's been such a sweet time adventuring, BBQ-ing, and traveling with Danny and our friends!

I did a little shopping this Summer since I sold some of my clothing on Poshmark and my creative side was itching for some new pieces to wear! It was so fun browsing numerous different sites & boutiques and picking out some classic pieces that I know I will be able to wear in any season here in Hawaii! Since I was shopping anyways I thought, why not share my favorites with you all?! 

From my curated picks, its pretty easy to catch on to my style this summer, haha! I am LOVING anything denim, classic shapes, stripes, and all things red, white, and blue! I've never been a huge "red" person but recently I have been loving it! My style is definitely more on the classic side than trendy. If I know that I am going to be over a shirt after I wear it twice then it's a no-go for me. I'd rather have a few really great pieces that I know I will wear over and over again then trendy, poorly made pieces any day! 

I separated each item by category for convenience and I'll explain what I like about all the items and why they are perfect for Summer! I actually own most of these pieces and so don't just think that I am recommending random things! These are actually pieces that I LOVE and you will see me wear all Summer long! :) Let's get to it! 

I separated this into two blogposts because I wanted to make sure all of these widgets load for you!!!! Here is the tops, bottoms, and dresses and in my next post will have the shows, jewelry, and bags!! 

TOPS

Basic & Easy To Wear Tops: 

I wear a basic top 99% of the time! I'm alllll about a white v-neck and cut-off shorts. Also, the new Free People tanks are AMAZING and the perfect tank to wear over a bathing suit! Lastly, if you are looking for a basic tee, look no further than Madewell's pocket tee. The best $20 you will spend! I have them in a few colors and they wash super well & last forever! I wear them almost every day! 

Fun & Trendy Tops: 

I laughed at myself when I titled this "trendy" tops because to most people, these are still pretty basic! When I want to dress it up a bit, I will wear one of these with shorts or jeans! The first Madewell top? I. AM. OBSESSED.! All of these fit super well and I have worn them numerous times! Add some jeans, cute sandals, and a pair of statement earrings and you are instantly fancy! :) 

BOTTOMS

Denim evvverrryyything: 

This is pretty self-explanatory. Denim will always win in my book. ALWAYS. Denim cut-off's are my daily uniform for me but I just picked up a denim skirt that I am obsessed with! Bringing me back to grade school in the '90's! I am also loving jeans with frayed bottoms! I'm usually a dark wash jean kinda girl but recently I have been loving the lighter shades!

DRESSES

Easy to throw-on-and-go Summer Dresses:

When in doubt, throw on a Summer dress!! These are my go-to's to take from day-to-night and for all-day adventures. I love anything lightweight and breathable and all of these are super comfy! I am especially obsessed with the denim shirt dress- SWOON! I ordered mine but it actually hasn't come in yet and so stay-tuned because I'm pretty sure I will never take it off. 

PS- I added the navy jumpsuit at the end because I.AM.OBSESSED. and I think it falls under the same category as light, throw on, & comfy! ;) I will be living in it all Summer! 

Check out Part two for the bathing suits, shoes & accessories!! <3 

xo,

Lo

 

Summer Adventure Playlist

Summer is finally here!! I spent a couple hours putting together my favorite summer jams and I am excited to share them with you! My playlists are notoriously known for being very random. haha! There is dance jams, folk jams, pop jams, indie jams, and a little of everything in between in this mix. This playlist reminds me of long road trips, beach bonfires, warm sunny days, and never-ending laughter with loved ones. I hope you love it! 

To go along with my random playlist, here are some random photos that have me dreaming of endless summer adventures... Whats on your summer to-do list?! 

Koko Head Hike

I've done many hikes here on Oahu but this one was one for the books...

A few weeks ago my friends and I decided to hike up Koko head which is basically just a very steep mountain with over a thousand stairs to climb up. I had heard about this hike so many times but was honestly super intimidated by it! Our friend Alex was in town and wanted to go on a fun adventure and so we thought, why not? It can't be THAT bad. 

It was raining that day which honestly turned out to be a blessing- I can not imagine doing that hike in the sun! The hike in itself wasn't too long but it was STRAIGHT UP. It seemed like we were climbing a ladder at some parts! I think of myself as being in pretty good shape, but dang, it was a rough hike! It is SO worth it and the top is so beautiful but there were definitely times during it that I wanted to give up. 

If you are ever in Oahu and are up for a challenge, I would definitely recommend doing Koko head! You may be super sore the next day but I promise the view at the top is so breathtaking that it easily makes up for it!

I decided to film the hike which was both challenging and hilarious! I am not the great at "vlogging" but I gave it a try! Please let me know if you like "vlogging" and if you would like me to do more of it!! 

Hope you all have an amazing day!!

-Lo

#FridayFaves: Playlist

I am excited to start a new series on the blog where I will be sharing my current favorite things every Friday! I will be sharing different wellness products, music, recipes, beauty favorites, and so much more! 

Today I am sharing the music that has really kept be going the past few weeks. A good playlist is so powerful for me because it keeps me motivated with work during the day, pumps me up during my workouts in the gym, and also helps me wind down at the end of the day. This playlist consists of all my current favorites and I have been keeping this playlist on repeat every single day! 

Some other things I'm currently loving:

-This week's hike... In this season of life I don't take time off work very often... but when I do, its to go on adventures like this...

-Sauna Therapy: four times a week I sit in the sauna for fifteen minutes and this practice has quickly become my new obsession! I started sitting in the sauna for detoxification but now it has become a favorite for self-care, meditation, and helping me gain mental clarity. I will be doing a whole blog post on this soon! 

-My new Berkey water filter- I had been eyeing this for years and finally took the plunge this month and got one. I am obsessed! The water tastes so pure and I am aiming to up my water intake every single day. I also feel confident knowing that I'm not drinking water that is heavy in chlorine or pesticide residue (unfortunate part of living in the country near a ton of farms). 

-This Summer's travel plans- I officially have island fever and I am so excited to take a much needed trip with Danny next month! We will be headed to Southern California to see our families and then we'll be spending a week in Alaska! Anyone have any Alaska travel tips? I'd love some insight! 

Thats all for this week... Here's my playlist! I hope you love it. 

Have a great weekend!! 

Lauren

The Importance of Self-Care

One of the rituals that has completely changed my life in the past few months is practicing self-care. It sounds so silly and trivial but the effects of it have been profound. Self-care looks different to everyone and to me it also looks different every day. Somedays, it looks like making a cup of tea and reading a good book. Other days it looks like giving myself a spa day, taking care of my skin, and using my body brush and body oil. Yesterday, it looked like putting responsibilities aside and having a "paint day" with one of my best friends. Heather came over yesterday morning and I made us an antioxidant boosting smoothie and we sat outside in my front yard and just painted. It was so relaxing and calming. I could've sat on that concrete floor in my lanai all day painting with my watercolors. It made me realize that the simple things can truly be the most important things. We can heal ourselves by loving ourselves. How crazy is that. 

I want to encourage you that wherever you are in your self-care journey, spend 10 minutes today doing something for YOU! Take that drive out of the way to go sit at a park, sip your favorite coffee, listen to inspiring music, do ANYTHING that makes your soul come alive. 

If you need help developing your self-care routine, here are a few of my favorite products that I use regularly to show myself a little extra love! 

Aztec Healing Clay- I use this stuff to soak my feet in. (many people use this on your face but it can be too strong for it so be careful! If you need a great face mask, use this one) Bentonite clay is great for detoxing the body from radiation (which we get from our phones & computers every day) and for just giving your feet a little extra love! 

Body Brush- If you add only ONE thing to your self-care routine, it should be a body brush!! Use this to gently dry-brush your body before you shower to stimulate circulation & to shed dead skin! After I body brush, I exfoliate in the shower with this amaaaazzing microdermabrasion scrub and my skin feel so amazing and smooth afterwards! 

Rooibos tea- I have a cup of Rooibos tea every evening. No exception. This tea is a part of my night time routine every night and I absolutely love it. Not only is it warm & the most comforting caffeine-free tea your can drink but it has proven to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that will boost your immune system! Its heavenly. Try it. 

Sesame Oil- On days when I need to give my skin some EXTRA love I will use put this oil all over my body after I use my dry brush. Sesame oil is great because its a warming oil but won't clog your pores. I put this all over my body and then hop in the shower and so when I get out of the shower my skin will be hydrated and soft but not oily! 

I would love to know, what is apart of YOUR self-care routine? Let me know in the comments! 

xo

Lauren