Spring cleaning ...my beauty routine?!

Spring is officially here! With the arrival of spring comes the arrival of SPRING CLEANING. When I think of spring cleaning I think of a deep cleaning of my apartment, maybe the decluttering of a few corners, and even donating some less worn clothing items. While those are all a part of this year's spring cleaning ritual (er, will be eventually...), I've added something else onto the agenda - my facial cleansing stash.

I realized that I have cabinets full of products that I hardly even use! Additionally, I just get overwhelmed with the amount of products that I have and hate the idea of all the different things that I am putting on my face. I wanted something a bit more natural as we eased into spring, so I took a trip to none other than Lush.

If you're not aware, Lush makes all natural beauty product that use local materials and ethical business practices. They seriously are made with natural ingredients - the products have an expiration date and I can actually read the names of the things I am putting on my face and body. I am EXTREMELY satisfied with the things I purchased so I figured I would share my new and improved, simplified facial routine.

The first thing I picked up is a Tea Tree toner. It gives my face a fresh feeling after cleansing and also is perfect for pick me ups during the day. Next, I got 9 to 5, a cleansing lotion (how cool, right?) that you apply to your face to clean off makeup and dirt while also moisturizing. The last facial item I got is called Dark Angels. It is a clay cleanser, meaning it comes in sort of a clump and you break off pieces to mix with water and apply to your face. I can't say enough good things about this product. It cleaned out and shrunk my pores to a state that I have never even seen them.

Additionally, I got a bubblegum lip scrub (classic Lush product) and a Dream Pot. Dream Pot is Lush's lotion with a light, floral scent where all 100% of proceeds go to charity. 100%! Lush makes no money off of this product, but rather uses the funds to contribute to a small, local charity. The funds from my Dream Pot went to FLOW, an organization that protects an important watershed in Columbus.

I highly recommend cleansing your beauty routine for spring! Simplifying my routine with high quality, natural products has made me excited to take care of myself. I gave away all of my other products to friends so I have more space around my apartment. I love looking into my little bucket of Lush goodies (along with a few other holy grail beauty/hair items). I'm entering with spring with a fresh new face and a fresh new me. I can't wait to see what other parts of my life I can spring clean!

Spring Break on the Carnival Fantasy

The Carnival Fantasy at sea! (Photo from CruiseCritic)

For my last college spring break, I decided to do something a little different and go on a cruise with my boyfriend. I thoroughly enjoyed cruising and would recommend it to just about anyone. However, I am sure that I can't be alone in having some pre-cruise apprehension. Worrying about packing the wrong things, forgetting something, and having no idea what to expect in the middle of the ocean was sort of nerve wracking! It caused me to spend hours of perusing the internet seeing what every website had to say about tips for first time cruisers. What I was looking for, though, was an account from a real person just like me. So if you are going on a cruise or interested at all in cruising, I'm going to write a few posts about my experience and top tips! We sailed with Carnival, a pretty standard cruise line on one of their smallest and oldest ships, the Carnival Fantasy. Since I was a first time cruiser, I didn't mind the age and size. Everything was clean and in working condition so that was all I needed to make me delighted. Our ship's amenities included one main pool, 2 public hot tubs, 2 adults only hot tubs, 2 water slides, a mini golf course, a running track, several bars/lounges, and more. Other ships surely have more on them, but like I said - this was more than enough for me. My stateroom was the cheapest available (interior, no ocean view), but still provided more than enough space and comfort for the time we spent there. The customer service was above and beyond anything I have ever received in a hotel on dry land. Everyone was so accommodating and willing to answer all your questions! In later posts, I will write about what I packed, what I wish I packed, what we did on our ports, and more. Until next time...

International Badge Day

In honor of International Badge Day, I want to take just a tiny bit of time to talk about why my sorority is so special to me.

There is a saying that Greeks use which is something along the lines of - my letters don't make me better than you; they make me better than I used to be. While corny and a bit overused, I really do think that Gamma Phi has made me a better woman. With over 100 sisters to hold me accountable to our high standards of scholarship and service, how can you not excel?! Sometimes, though, my sisters remind me when I need to have fun. Whether they drag me to a social or just pick me up for an ice cream, my sisters help to remind me the importance of being well rounded.

Another saying that you'll often hear is that from the outside you can't understand it and from the inside you can't explain it. I wish that I was able to explain to others outside of my sisterhood how special it is to me. I know that I was skeptical of "sisterhoood," and never imagined how different and how much  more special it would be than other organizations and groups of friends.

Later on, I want to write about my experience with going Greek. For now, I will just post a few pictures of my sisters to show how special they are to me. PS: This was supposed to go up a few days ago, but I've been having a lot going on at home so I haven't been getting around to posting.