Coronado Island c:

Hi everyone!  I've been working a lot so I haven't updated with any reviews and such - sorry!!

But!  This Tuesday was my day-off so I spent the day at Coronado Island with A~ c:

 It was pretty grey in the morning around 11/12ish, then warmed up a bit.
There were WILD DOLPHINS right off the beach, two with
a baby - I love dolphins, I've never seen wild ones that close (they were literally
maybe 50 feet from me~).

 Then we walked around the island and went to a really cute old movie theater.
It's called the Coronado Vintage Village Theater (long name!), on Orange Avenue!
It used to be shut-down and boarded-up when I was in highschool here, but
a couple of years ago it was renovated and reopened.

 They have a couple new movies usually, and then I think
they show feature matinees (?) of old classic films.
Movies are kinda pricy for a little theater - 10.50 regular, but the first showings of
the day are 8.50 and they have senior/military discounts.
Imho it's a really fun and charming experience, pretty worth it. c:
(Anyway you can go to AMC any old time)

The Lone Ranger was quite funny, idk about the original sadly since I've
never seen the old TV series but I'd recommend it.  It gets a little
dark in some places, but it's pretty family-friendly.
(There were a lot of older folks watching it - I had a feeling they used to be
fans of the TV series way back then c: )

We were in a pretty tiny room (there's 3 rooms) with maybe 25 seats.
It's super oldschool inside though, with really nice paintings of places in San Diego
on the walls, & blacklights!  (Protip: the aircon is blasting so it's SO COLD,
bring a sweater or something if you're going to check it out c: )

So that was my Tuesday - it was a really nice break,
especially since I had to work at 6:30 this morning. :X

I'll be uploading a review later this week for the spot cucumber mask that I posted before,
as well as some cute, fun, and inexpensive ideas for outings in SD this summer. c:
(A and I are both pretty broke college/ex-college students so we're masters at fun on a budget!)

Summer: sun-safety and tips!

Hey guys!  It'll be summer in about a month, but here in SD it's

already starting to warm up (on the days when it's not April-showering).

We have really strange spring weather where sometimes it's grey and drizzly...but on the

days when the sun comes out it can get really intense.

I thought it'd be helpful to make a post on general tips to help as the weather warms up, 

and  how to beat the heat and protect yourself from the sun!

SUNSCREEN

This is super important.  Even if you don't use it on the rest of your body, you should

definitely use it on your face!  I know you've probably heard it hundreds of times, the sun

can do a lot of damage on your face - you may not see it now but in the long run, over-exposure

causes wrinkling, discoloration, spots, and possibly skin cancer (all bad things, especially cancer).

I would recommend using it on any exposed skin, even if you're just wearing shorts/skirt/tank top and

not just for going to the pool or beach - whenever you know you'll be in the sun for a while.

Remember to wait FIFTEEN minutes after applying sunscreen before you head out, 

that's how much time it takes for your skin to absorb enough to form a barrier against the sun!

I have Ocean Potion Kids 50SPF as a body sunscreen.  It smells AMAZING,

sweet & fruity - nothing of the usual medication/coconut smell that a lot of sunscreens have.

(my mom and boyfriend actually get *nauseous* from coconut scents, so we tend

to avoid using anything with that smell around them - this is perfect because they can use it too)

What I do is mix a bit of it with my normal body lotion and apply that.  

Mine's 50SPF, which is really great for full-on long-term sun exposure! But on a 

day to day basis did you know you don't need more than 15SPF?  So a little dollop of 50SPF

really goes a long way. c:  I was worried that the added lotion would make me burn FASTER

but it actually doesn't in my experience.  

This stuff is surprisingly light for a body sunscreen, but don't let it trick you.

I went on a trip to Death Valley and was out in the sun for 9-10 hours with this on, and 

I got the barest hint of a tan.  (I usually get very tanned from just a half-hour in the sun without

sunscreen, so it's a really effective 'screen in my experience!)

NOTE: I really wouldn't recommend this for your face - I think it's supposed to be noncomedogenic

but it did make me break out, as it's a bit oily (and it's not touted as a face-OK sunscreen to begin with).

~~

I use Coppertone oil-free Faces for my face.

You can also get this at Walmart or any similar store, it runs $6-9 but lasts forever 

since you only need a very little bit at a time. 

I've tried a lot of different brands of face sunscreen since I first had breakouts, and they all

made me break out horribly.  Some people like my cousin are fine using the same

sunscreen all over - which is great! c:  If you are one of those people count yourself lucky.

But if you've tried a lot of sunscreens this one is really great.  It's very light and not at all greasy,

and absorbs very quickly.  It's just as effective for daily use as for hardcore sun-time.

I usually put a tiny bit of this over moisturizer for day-to-day, and I'll just put a thicker layer 

of only this for when I go to the beach/out in the sun.    

I have combo skin so this is pretty great, it's not shiny & it doesn't have that feeling of a blanket

of oil on your skin.  I've also used this for my hands when I'm gardening/working in my ecology lab

and my hands are exposed to the sun (I have a hat and longsleeves haha).  

~~

Other tips for the upcoming sunny days:

• STAY HYDRATED.  I can't say this enough, especially in SD where the temperature can shoot up like nobody's business.  You only feel thirsty when you're already slightly dehydrated.  A water bottle is NOT "too heavy to carry" compared to the impact on your body of not drinking enough.  If weight is an issue, you can even get water-"bottles" that are bags, which you can roll up and store away when they're empty - these are pretty great and they're quite weightless.  (Though I'd stay away from putting anything besides water in them because they'd be a bit difficult to clean!)  They're very affordable, Target currently has them for $1 in their dollar section. 
• WEAR A HAT.  I usually do this because sometimes I don't want to wear sunscreen, or I'm lazy.  Until recently I wore a hat because if I put sunscreen, I'd get zits.  Not anymore, but a little extra protection never hurt anyone!  Snapback, floppy sun hat, whatever it is make it work. 
• WEAR SUNGLASSES!  UV radiation affects your eyes as well, and overexposure can hurt your vision.  Your eyes need protection too!  If you wear glasses, they make the kind that can clip on to your frames (they also sell wraparound ones that go OVER your glasses, those are kind of cool too and look like you're one of the X-MEN).  
• SPF LIPBALM.  I tend to have dry lips and it's really noticeable (my friends and parents point it out when I haven't even noticed because I'm used to it).  I switched to lipbalm that had SPF in it a couple of months ago and I was fine since then. I think it might've been that the combination of lipbalm "oil" and sunlight fried the top layers of my lips?  Whatever it was, SPF also keeps you from getting sunburn on your lips.  (doesn't that sound awful?)
• TRY NOT TO GET SUNBURNT.  Sunburns - and even tans - go through many layers of skin, affecting deep layers and leaving long term damage.  The degree of damage varies with how deep the tan/burn is.  You can still look sunkissed  and be safe - just keep in mind that you may not look tan today, but tans darken after the fact (follow the tanlines!).  
• FOR DRIVERS!  The left side of your face (in the US, it'd be the right side in some countries I suppose!) is frequently exposed to sun, as well as your arms & hands.  A lot of online sites sell "driving gloves" - they come in a lot of colors and designs so you can look and feel cool (in both senses of the word) while blocking the sun.  I also keep a thin hoodie or cardigan in the car, that I can pop on and have my arms protected without overheating myself.  I've seen some people wearing floppy hats as well while driving - I personally wouldn't because I'd worry about my span of vision, but it can work!  This would be a good time to break out the sunscreen.    
• DRINK TEA!  Tea - both black and green - is full of antioxidants and good things that will actually STRENGTHEN your skin's natural resistance to sun damage (along with other kinds of damage).  On the plus side, it can help with complexion. c:  

☼ Summer diet + exercise tips C: ☼

The thing about college is that (theoretically) you spend most of your time panicking for exams, studying for exams, or doing something class related.  Pretty much 0% of that involves walking/running/jogging/exercise, and it generally involves snacking.  (Not withstanding breaks, during which we students can sit all day on our bottoms at computers by choice, skimming Twitter, Tumblr, or various social networks.)  And when you're tired out...it's hard to get motivated.

Thought I'd post things that I'd heard of before and tried, in an effort to shed some extra pounds.
So far it seems like it's been effective~
I've been doing these things since the start of June and I went from 136lbs to currently 124lbs. c:
(Hopefully I can continue as much of this as I can, once school starts.)

NOTE:  Remember everybody's body is different!  It might take different combinations of methods, or completely different methods, to get something that works for you.  And what works for me might not have any effect at all for other people.  Keep in mind your body type, what kind of diet/foods are available to you. your goal weight, etc etc.

~+~+~+~+~+~

~+~+ W A T E R +~+~ 

Drinking a lot of water really does help your ENTIRE body.  Not only will you be well hydrated through the summer, but water has no calories and is the healthiest drink for you.  And you can get it pretty much anywhere, and for the most part FREE!  Be sure it's filtered, since tap water can have chemicals in it from when it was cleaned.  I have this bottle (40 oz), which is really nice - leakproof and it keeps the water cold even the next day.  And I drink maybe 4-5 refills a day.  The water rule - at least 8 glasses a day - is just good in general all year.  For weight loss, ice cold water right BEFORE and AFTER eating burns calories, because your body's working to bring that water to body temperature.  I also saw my complexion get a lot nicer just from being better hydrated. so that's a big plus.

~+~+ E X E R C I S E +~+~

You should get in at least 30 minutes per session.  It's tough getting out to do it, especially in the summer heat.  At first it's a little difficult to keep consistent, but the effort's visibly worth it after about 2 weeks.  This will help build nice muscle tone and definition in both your body as you lose weight c:
My routine:
     *run 30 minutes a day, 3X a week
     *dance stretches before bed (helps with flexibility and also helps shape your "figure" a little c: )
If you want a less tiring exercise, dancing might be a good option.  It builds flexibility, muscle control, and gracefulness/poise, but best of all it's fun so you hardly feel tired.  Youtube has a lot of nice dance-based workouts, and if you want to get intense there's probably dance studios in your area that offer classes (so YOU CAN SHOW OFF YOUR SWEET MOVES AND BOD AT THE CLUB YOH).

~+~+ D I E T +~+~

"With weightloss, 20% is exercise, but 80% is your diet." <--- my dad.
He's right.  Let me give you an example - 30 minutes of running burns on average 200-300 calories, which is about the contents of a bag of chips! :C
Just cutting back (or cutting out, in my case) snacks like chips and chocolate from your diet can make a HUGE difference.  Personally my weakness is sweets, so I substitute with things like fresh fruits, or yogurt (but I still have my sweet cereal in the morning).
Things like diet shakes and meal shakes CAN help, but it's not the healthiest thing to replace one meal every day with a shake on a longterm basis.  (They've never worked for me, I just feel hungrier after and as a result eat MORE at my next full meal...)  A variety of fresh food is much healthier and way more effective, while using meal shakes only occasionally. 
Vegetables with lots of fiber consume calories just through your body trying to digest them - some good ones are jicama and celery.
Eating less meat, especially pork, helps.  My family makes a lot of meat dishes, though, so it's hard to avoid. So in my case I replaced red meat with chicken or fish whenever I could, and chose leaner red meat cuts.  (No bacon or sausages though, crey.)
And avoid fast food & canned/processed foods as much as possible!

~+~+ other  tips +~+~

• If you shower/bathe during the day, use cooler water.  If you shower/bathe in the evening, use warmer water and try to squeeze your bath in before 9PM.  Doing either of these can help steady your metabolism and slim you down, as well as being relaxing and refreshing.
• Coconut water is a good replacement for water, it's extremely hydrating and mild-tasting.  They're easy to find in drink cans at Asian markets, and they're becoming common in health-food aisles.
• Sleep at LEAST 8 hours a night, 10 if you can manage it.  This does wonderful things for your wellness in general, because you're giving your brain plenty of time to repair your body.  And it helps with complexion problems and dark undereyes. 
• Cheese is a really fatty food, but also very full of protein and calcium.  I LOVE cheese, so one that I like is Feta - it's low in fat and still has lots of good things.  (Warning though, it's pretty tart-tasting.)
• Cut down on salt and salty foods - too much salt in your system holds extra water and makes you feel and look bloaty.  Cutting back's also better for your heart and blood vessels.
• When you go out to eat, eat smart!  A lot of restaurants now offer fresh/healthy menu items, and most places have a calorie chart available.
• Another alternative to plain water is tea, either unsweetened or with a little honey.  Tea has tons of antioxidants and good stuff in it, that strengthen your skin against sun damage among other benefits. 
• UPDATE:  Don't eat after 9PM - your body considers the time after that as the "next day" in terms of metabolism function.  Drinking's always fine though. c:
• UPDATE:  Sleeping by 10PM and at least before 11PM at night helps regulate your metabolism as well (and getting to bed earlier -> more sleep -> better for you overall).  ...Though this is realistically difficult to do during the school year - I try really hard to get stuff done as fast as possible, and sleep at 12 midnight. 
• UPDATE:  Avoid too much caffeine, and don't drink soda.  High levels of caffeine makes you bloated (tea is relatively low in caffeine, so it still gives you a little bit of an energy perk), and soda is UNBELIEVABLY full of sugar.  A can of Coke is about 3 tbsp., which sounds small until you try measuring it out.  Another thing with soda: when you eat food, a thin layer of fat accumulates on your tongue and eventually it causes your body to send the "full" signal to your brain.  Soda actually takes some of that layer off, so you'll end up eating more than you should if you drink soda with your meal.
• UPDATE:  Most people who get up by 7AM (as in fully awake and out of bed) are significantly slimmer.  A side benefit is it's also shown to give a big mood boost - it's a little contradictory to think that getting up so early makes you happier, but it's true! C:

I'll update this if I find anything else helpful!

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This is partly a weightloss post and partly a health post.
It's best to be fully aware of your IDEAL body weight (taking into account lifestyle, height, etc.) as this GREATLY varies between people.  And there are people who naturally just tend toward a particular weight - this doesn't necessarily mean anything's up, it may just be how your body naturally is, and there's nothing wrong or worrying about that!
For you guys who, like me, wanted to slim down: being healthy about what you eat and do is most important, and if you keep it up then slimming down naturally comes along AND lasts for the long term.
Patience, persistence, and self control are key! C:

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:  I am absolutely not, not, NOT encouraging habits leading to or supporting eating disorders or the development of such.  They're dangerous and destructive, and very often rebound in the worst ways both physically and mentally.  They're also increasingly common, due to images in the media (which more and more recently seem to be taking a turn for the better, thankfully).
If you feel that you may be suffering from an eating disorder, PLEASE seek help - don't let it hurt your body or yourself.  If you need somebody to talk to, leave a comment asking for my email - I'm always open and ready to listen, and I'll do whatever is in my power to help you if you want it.
With time, thought, and support, you CAN get through it and learn to love yourself as you are.  

☯ current (hopefully mostly-done by summer) anime list ☯

• Ah!  My Goddess
• Welcome to the N. H. K.!
• Upotte!!  ***COMPLETE
• Angel Beats
• Revolutionary Girl Utena
• Baccano!
• Tsuritama
• Mawaru Penguindrum
• Mirai Nikki
• Ouran High School Host Club
• Tiger & Bunny

...and now to find and download the torrents \( ; D ; )/.  Glorious.
Hopefully I can finish all these before going back to school Sept. 24th.
~~~~~~~(/  o  D o)/

I was going to watch Sailor Moon and I suppose I should, considering I'm planning to watch the reboot in 2013.

...but I'm a little lazy to download the torrent. |D

(Totes open to suggestions pls because it's a painnn looking for new/sort of new stuff at times~)