~10 Summer Must Haves~
1. Summer Attire: It may sound silly but pools & lakes arent very welcoming to jeans and long sleeve shirts. A good swimsuit that will last you a few good summers is always nice however they can be a little pricey, victoria secrets sells some great ones especially if you have a larger chest like myself however just a top can run close to $50 if not more. Target is a great place for swim wear, I love target's swim section they always have great choices and way more wallet friendly. I always like to have a good swim cover up from a tank top or a dress. I have a Victoria Secrets Pink swim dress cover up from 3-4 years ago and I am getting in a Marley Lilly tank top that I think will be perfect for the pool. Where I live you don't wear a long sleeve shirt in the summer, even when it rains it is simply too hot, but for you in areas where it gets a little chilly at night a long sleeve shirt over a swim suit is always a good cover up, Marley Lilly makes an awesome spirit jersey that would be great for year around wear.
2.Good Music: I don't think summer is complete without music, and for me I keep ALL my music on my iphone. I love being able to take it to my pool, lay out and zone out to some great summer jams or just putting them on in the car just makes it feel more like summer. So here are my favorite summer songs (so far) in no particular order: You should be able to find all these songs on Itunes!
~See you tonight: Scotty McCreery
~Wild in Your Smile: Dustin Lynch
~Cruise: Florida Georgia Line
~Crash My Party: Luke Bryan
~Running Outta Moonlight: Randy Houser
~All Over the Road: Easton Corbin
~Redneck Crazy: Tyler Farr
3. Sun Protection: Now I love to tan and don't really follow the best skin protection routine in the sun (yes I'm in healthcare and I know the risks). But Im not the worst when it comes to tanning, I space my days out so Im out every other day or every 3 days, I do wear some sun screen but its mixed in with my dry tanning oil, I wear sun glasses, and I have a hat I use at the pool. With that being said I tan really easily so I use Hawaiian Tropic dry tanning oil with SPF 8 or 12 and I love it, I also have their after sun lotion which is really nice especially right after a shower. I don't have any special type of sunglasses, I think I got the pair I currently use at Marshalls. The baseball cap came from Marley Lilly, they also have derby hats and beach hats but really any hat is good! I don't have a hat collection like some people.
4. Stay Hydrated: Water bottles are a god send in the summer, especially here where we see 100+ temps all day every day with no humidity. I've had my CamelBak water bottle for maybe two years, I got it to take to the hospital during nursing school. I think they run about $15 at target. You can find a water bottle for any need at walmart, target, sporting stores, ect. I love my CamelBak!
5. Soft Feet & Hands: I hate dry feet and hands, its just my pet peeve and since new grads can't exactly afford pedicures on a regular basis I do them at home. The true blue spa line from Bath and Body Works has some great products such as foot soak crystals and their new avocado butter foot lotion. I soak, exfoliate, then lather on the lotion and my feet always feel smooth, I do this maybe 2-3 times a week. I use the hand scrub from the same line followed by the hand lotion to keep my hands nice and soft. Soft skin any time is a must but even more in the summer! (Bath and Body works is also having their semi annual sale right now!)
6. Soft and Hydrated lips: This goes along with number 5 but I hate the feeling of dry cracked lips, it bugs me. I use a homemade lip scrub, you can buy ones from different companies but those usually run around $15 and up, I make one at home using sugar, honey, and a little coconut oil, works wonders and doesn't cost me anything. I have a billion chapsticks and yes I use them all, I have the nivea lip butter which is really nice for soft lips every day where without feeling sticky or heavy. I also use Hawaiian tropic's SPF chapstick, especially if Im out in the sun.
7. Painted toes (and nails): I really hate unpainted toe nails, I know Im weird, but I think toes just look better with some nail polish on them! Just my personal preference again, I love Essie polishes and right now I'm in love with "Your Hut or Mine" its an older color but a great bright pink for the summer! I also loved refresh mint from China Glaze! I know not everyone is allowed to paint their nails due to work, school, ect (I spent two years there) but I am now taking full advantage and painting my nails too! I love Essie's eternal Optimist, its a lighter pink that is more appropriate for a work place color.
8. A good book: I had to giggle at this one a little because after nursing school I don't read for fun, its not fun for me anymore. But while I love to just lay by the pool and zone out to my music sometimes I'll lay around and read or at least try. Since I just graduated and Ive had this book laying around for a while I'm finally getting around to reading it, its "Your first year as a nurse" ya never know it may contain some useful information I didn't learn in nursing school, I'll let ya know.
9. A good workout routine: I don't know about you but come summer I am lazy and couldn't be more content to lay in the sun and do nothing. I need to try and get a stable workout routine back in place especially now that I have the time. Spending your down time or less busy time of year getting into good habits like exercise will help you keep them during the winter months. Try Zumba, or water Zumba if its offered in your area, hot yoga, or even just running (its too hot to run outside here).
10. EXCITEMENT!: Its summer go out and do something crazy and fun! Once we all hit the real world where you no longer get a summer vacation you'll wish you were back in college road tripping with your friends to a summer concert series! Take a road trip to a near by lake or beach, find a concert youve been wanting to see load up the car and go, try new recipes youve been thinking about for a while, have a cook out, do something on your bucket list. Just find something so at the end of the summer you wont feel like you wasted 3 months doing nothing.
Those are my top 10 must haves! If you have any summer must haves I'd love to hear them or if you feel I missed anything Id love to hear from you. If your looking for some of the items I mentioned check out the Victoria Secrets and Bath and Body Works semi annual sales going on right now, target is one of my favorite stores for just about anything from swim wear to skin care. Itunes should have all the music I listed, and anything Marley Lilly can be found here: http://www.marleylilly.com/
Thanks y'all!!
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