It Girl Trend Report: Summer Sweet Treat

Popsicles, lemonade, and yummy ice cream sandwiches are just some of the sweet summer accents that we look forward to during this time of the year. There is nothing like some sweet summer treats to cool down a hot summer day, so we turned to our It Girl Interns for their favorites. Avery made our mouths watered when she reminded us how good the frozen bananas at Disneyland are! Lucky for her, (and us!) she discovered that you can enjoy this same delicious treat from Trader Joe's called Gone Bananas. Avery said, "It tastes yummy, curbs your chocolate cravings, is ice cold and hey...it's still a fruit so it's sort of a healthy way to go!" Hmm...we're not sure how healthy it is, but we don't mind going with that theory! A classic sweet summer treat that is Cristina's weakness is cookie dough ice cream and we can't blame her because we are guilty of eating it right out of the carton! Cristina isn't the only one who has a love for ice cream; Allie and Victoria love it too!  Victoria chooses to buy it locally at her favorite ice cream shop in Seattle: Molly Moon's. Her favorite flavors to eat there are Honey Lavender or the rich Salted Caramel. While some of our It Girl Interns prefer cold treats, Marisa prefers the delicious snack otherwise known as puppy chow which she loves to easily make with her sorority sisters. Check out the recipe here! Serena also loves to whip up her favorite sweet summer treat which is a smoothie using a pro-biotic rich yogurt drink called Kefir. Serena explained, "By blending Kefir, your favorite fruits, and a little raw Manuka honey, you can have a mouthwatering smoothie that promotes good health with a fraction of the calories!" YUM!

What are some of your favorite sweet summer treats? 

Coo Coo for Coconut Oil!

Coconut Oil: Trader Joe's

We have been getting tons of submissions about coconut oil lately and it seems like everyone is going coo coo for coconut oil!  Everyone loves coconut oil because not only does it have different purposes, but it's really good for your health as well.  Coconut oil is a significant source of Vitamin E!

Sure, there are hundreds of different uses of coconut oil, but we've broken down the list to the top 10 easy, conventional ways to use coconut oil, so you can give it a try!

1. Immunity

Eat one to two spoonfuls of coconut oil to boost your overall immunity function.  Coconut oil will help fight against any viruses and bacteria that may be inside your body.  Eating a spoonful will also help your colon with digestion.

2. Hair

If you're looking for a natural, organic product that will help strengthen, lengthen, and make your hair shinier- well, coconut oil will do it all for you.  Melt the coconut oil under natural heat (do not microwave), and apply it all throughout your hair to create a hair mask and leave it in for a couple of hours before you rinse it out.  If you have a shower cap, leave the hair mask on overnight to give it an extra boost.  

3. Nails

Put coconut oil all over your nails and cuticle to strengthen your nails.  Remember, oil can stain fabric so be careful before you touch any of your favorite closet pieces!

4. Body Lotion

Coconut oil will not only leave your skin feeling nice and smooth, but using coconut oil for body lotion has actually been proven to reduce cellulite and stretch marks! Which is why so many pregnant women uses Coco Butter, which contains coconut oil to prevent or reduce stretch marks.

5. Face Moisturizer

There are different reasons why you should use coconut oil as your face moisturizer and here's why:

   -Prevents and reduces wrinkles and sagging.

   -Evens out your skin tone.

   -Helps heal sunburn 

   -Leaves your skin feeling smooth and silky. 

6. Cooking

Replace unhealthy vegetable oil with coconut oil when cooking and baking.  You can also use coconut oil as a non-stick spray for your pots and pans- Trader Joe's actually carries a coconut oil non-stick spray can.  If you don't like the flavor of coconut, don't worry- the taste won't seep through into your dish.

7. Make Up Remover

Many people use oil to remove heavy duty waterproof mascara and eyeliner, but by using coconut oil, it does the same work while evening out your skin tone and reducing wrinkles and sagging around your eyes.

8. Deodorant

Weird, right? We know, but many people utilize coconut oil for deodorant by dabbing just a little bit for a natural, organic deodorant.

9. Tanning Oil

Instead of buying a $7 tanning oil spray that contains tons of different chemicals, spend the same amount of money on a jar of coconut oil with multiple uses and still be a bronze beauty!  The oil will absorb the sun and will give you a natural glow.  It also doesn't feel as sticky so it's wonderful!

10. Lip Moisturizer

Carry around a little container of coconut oil around with you to moisturize your lips and also give that natural shine.  The great thing about using coconut oil is that your lips do not become heavily reliant on coconut oil, unlike chapstick.  

Try these different ways to use coconut oil!

How do you use coconut oil?  We would love to know!