After traveling so much the past six weeks, I decided to compose a list of (what I believe and have learned from experience) are some helpful/useful airport tips. I know traveling is fun, but it is also tiring and at times stressful. I hope some of these tips help you on your next traveling adventure!

1. Travel Mid-Week 

Traveling mid-week instead of on the weekends has two benefits: airports are less crowded (which means shorter lines) and the airfares are cheaper - these have both been proven to be true. The two cheapest days of the week to travel are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

2. Remember What Carry-on Liquids You Can and Can't Take 

This is important because you don't want your expensive face cream or bottle of wine to get thrown out. Here is what you are allowed to carry on: liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes are restricted to 3.4 ounces (100ml) or less per container, and must be in a 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic zip-top bag. 

3. Check-In Online and Print Your Boarding Pass

Most Airlines will allow you to check-in online 24 hours before your departure. It is always smarter to checkin online to avoid the long lines and to print your boarding pass, because even if you have your flight information in your email or you took a screenshot of it, you always run the chance of not being able to connect to wifi or of your phone dying. 

4. Arrive At Least 2 Hours Early 

This is also VERY IMPORTANT. 2 hours is the minimum amount you want to give yourself to get to the airport, check-in, go through security and find your gate. You never know how long the lines are going to be and depending on the size of the airport, your gate can be a tedious place to get to. The more time you give yourself, the better. 

5. Set An Alarm So You Don't Miss Your Plane

As stupid as this sounds, I have come close plenty of times to already being in the airport, ready to go, but have a longer layover and end up roaming around and loosing track of time. It happens! Set an alarm! Better safe then sorry. 

6. Make Use Of Your Dead Time 

If you have a longer layover, you have a lot of time to kill. Take advantage of it! Walk around and explore the airport you are in and go look around the shops or try a new restaurant. Plus, you'll be sitting on a plane for the next few hours so its better to walk around then to just sit at your gate. 

Hello everyone! I hope your weekend was fabulous! I was in The Netherlands this past weekend and while there I discovered their love of tea. Its safe to say that Amsterdam has some of the best tea ever, and I can attest to that - I had some of the best tea I have ever had in my life here. Although a bit pricey, (usually 2.00 or 2.50 euro a cup) it was well worth it. In The Netherlands they drink their tea with a shot of milk and two cubes of sugar. I know a lot of people already drink their tea this way as well, but I had never done this, and if you haven't tried it this way either I suggest you do because it makes your tea even tastier. My favorite tea I had while there was mango, it was delicious when paired with the sugar and milk combo. All of this tea drinking obviously inspired this weeks post, 7 Benefits of Drinking Tea, enjoy!

1. Tea can help boost exercise endurance. The antioxidants in green tea specifically increase the body's ability to burn fat as fuel, which can help improve muscle endurance. 

2. Drinking tea can help reduce the risk of heart attack and help protect against cardiovascular disease. 

3. The antioxidants in tea have been known to help protect against a variety of cancers, such as breast, colon, skin, lung, pancreas, liver and prostate cancer. 

4. Despite the caffine in tea, it is still hydrating to the body. 

5. Tea is known to help give you stronger bones (especially if you add milk ;) ), due to its many beneficial phytochemicals. 

6. Drinking plain tea (no sugar) can actually help give you a whiter smile. Tea contains fluoride tannins that keep plaque away, resulting in healthier teeth and gums :) 

7. Drinking tea can help boost your immune defenses by helping fight off infection. 

Hey guys! So this past weekend I went to the Amalfi Coast and got to see the beautiful beaches and clear water of the mediterranean. While there, I discovered that the sand really helped the dead skin of my feet and the salt from the sea calmed the oils of my face (I have very oily skin). So, this inspired this post on How To Naturally Exfoliate Your Body At The Beach. Here are some of the things some of my friends and I did. Hope this helps, enjoy!



                                  1. Naturally Bleach Your Hair Using Lemons 
Sorrento, Italy, which is located on the Amalfi Coast, is known for its giant, juicy and super delicious lemons. My classmates/friends that I went with told me that you can naturally bleach your hair using lemons, so, what better place to do it then in the land of the lemons and with the hot sun on the beach! We all took a lemon and squirt the fresh juice on our heads. We let it marinate while we tanned and then washed it out in the water. After going home and showering, all of our heads of hair were definitely lighter!

                                              2. Exfoliate Your Feet In The Sand 
The Amalfi Coast is a black sand beach. I took the opportunity of being on the beach and dug my feet (who after walking so much around the city of Rome were full of dead skin) into the sand every time I walked through it. I made sure to especially focus on the heels of my feet, which are the part of the foot - for most people - that tend to hold the most dead skin. After a couple times of doing this and then going into the sea, the dead skin on my feet was gone. Make sure to moisturize them with a thick lotion after you wash them too so that stay soft longer.

                                3. Use Natural Sea Water To Control Your Oily Skin 
I have naturally very oily skin. After swimming in the mediterranean sea, which is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, I noticed my skin was very dried out - for me this was a miracle and a good thing, for others with naturally dry skin, not so much. For those who do produce an abundance of natural oil, I would recommend trying face and body scrubs with sea salt, and for those that are the opposite, I would suggest to stay away from those.

                                   The Best Summer Tops For Every Body Type

A big part of shopping is not only looking for a good deal and something you like, but also finding what looks good on you. Here are the best summer tops for every body type:

                                                  If you're petite and and busty...

This tank style is perfect because it offers great coverage on the top and tanks usually offer adjustable straps. 

This tank style is also great if you're smaller and have a bigger bust. The scoop neckline offers discrete coverage and the top nicely lays over the bust. 

If you're curvy and busty...

For curvier and bustier girls, lightweight blouses are the way to go. They're comfortable, loose-fitting and you can find them in all colors and prints. 

If you're petite and not busty...

For girls who are all around small on top, a fun scoop-neck tank is great. The scoop neckline gives an illusion of a bigger bust and a print usually does the same. You have a lot of options with these!

Peplums! They're so cute and perfect for a smaller frame and bust. They keep your proportions in mind by drawing in the eye to your small waist, helping your bust look fuller. 

If you're curvy and not busty...

If you're a little curvier but not very busty, tanks and blouses that are slightly fitted on top and looser in the middle are your best option. 

If you're plus-size...

If you're plus size you'll want to accentuate your waist. What better way to do it then with a stylish sash. There are a variety of tops that have a sash included, but you could always just add your own to any tank or blouse. 

Part of my homework this week while in Rome was to go the Villa Borghese (a very famous park here in Rome) and sit by myself, with no technology or book or notebooks and just sit alone, meditate and take in the park and reflect on my time here thus far. The Villa Borghese is most definitely the most beautiful park I have ever visited. It's huge and is its own world; it is full of giant trees, flowers, fountains, rocks and life, its amazing. This is what it looks like:

One of the important lessons I got from this assignment is how important it is to take time for yourself every once and a while and relax and take time to meditate. It will change your day. So here are some ways Meditation can change your life:

                                                                      1. Lightening Your Load

In a stressed state, it is easy to lose touch with inner peace and kindness. It is good to practice meditation to help yourself be in a relaxed state, so you can clear your mind. A time of quiet calmness is the most effective remedy for a busy and overworked mind. Anytime you feel stress rising, just bring your focus to your breathing and quietly sit and give yourself a couple of minutes to relax.  

                                           2. Getting Rid of Anger and Fear 

Naturally as humans, we do not accept or release our negative feelings easily; we are more likely to try and hide them and act like they don't exist, which in the end only makes things worse and can cause shame, depression, anger or anxiety. Meditation invites you to openly meet these feelings and to see how ignorance of them can create dramas and fears. Beneath these feelings is a quiet stillness where you can make sense of these emotions. I suggest practicing meditation for just ten minutes a day to help release this tension.

                                            3. Learning to Forgive Yourself 

Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. Meditation can help you observe who you are now is not who you were just a moment ago, let alone a day, a week, or a month ago. Who you, or someone else, was when pain was caused is not who you are now. Forgive yourself. 

                                                      4. Appreciating Life 

Appreciating your life is so important. Take a moment to appreciate the life you have - even if you currently are going through a tough time, always remember that it won't last forever and that there is someone else out there who has it worse. Meditate and think about this and let it calm you down, then extend that deep appreciation to everything and everyone in your life - you feel a lot better. 

                                                           5. Be Aware 

Awareness is the key to awakening. Through awareness you can see everything for how it really is. Meditation can help you realize how simple some things really are the true realities of others, whether pleasant or unpleasant, it is always better to live with truth inside and to be aware.