Summer Florals We Love

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Is it just us or have you been seeing a lot of floral prints in summer fashion? We are kind of loving it! Our wardrobe instantly lights up with every perfect little floral perfection. The designer, She Inside, is giving us so much life with this gorgeous floral flare dress and it's under $40 {fashion steal!}. Have you heard of the designer Show Pony? Well, you won't forget about them when you see how amazing this cute maxi floral dress is. Not to mention it's under $45! We think you know how we feel about Sabo Skirt and their to die for fashion pieces so this crop top, maxi skirt combo definitely made the list of our top favorite floral fashion pieces. If you feel like splurging (and we REALLY mean splurging with this one) Jimmy Choo has the absolute most fabulous leather python floral heels. We drooled a little when we spotted it. If it helps, they're currently on sale! But, there is nothing like giving back with your floral shopping purchases and that can be done with Inkkas super cute shoes. For every shoe purchased from Inkkas they plant a tree. Co Founder, Karen, got her hands on the Flora African Jogger shoes and she said they're incredibly comfortable and that people have been stopping her asking her where they can get their hands on those shoes. Nothing like stopping traffic with your floral fashion pieces!

Where are some of your favorite places to shop for floral fashion pieces? Share with us in the comments below!

The Best App for Snoozers!

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We're all guilty of hitting the snooze button- we're tired, we're grumpy, and we just want 10 more minutes of sleep! Co-Founder, Sakura, says she's totally a victim of the snooze button and snoozes for about an hour until she discovered this magical app called the Wake N Shake app.

The app is unfortunately NOT free, but it is totally worth every cent!  Basically, how it works is you set an alarm, select your shake level, and once your alarm goes off in the morning you have to shake your phone until it hits 100%!  Even if you slow down a bit, the percentage will go down and don't underestimate the shake levels because they're all really hard.  The objective is for you to literally shake yourself awake!  There's a whole app review from the individual ladies of Bloguettes on the effectiveness of the app.

You hate the app, but it really works!

Staying Fit with the Fit Bit

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Catchy name, right? After we did the update on our phones a while back and noticed that our phone was tracking our footsteps, we've been paying better attention to how active we keep ourselves throughout the day. Apparently, you're supposed to get in 10,000 steps a day believe it or not. Well, unless your phone is with you, your footsteps can't be tracked, so we got wind of an even better tracking device: the Fit Bit! The Fit Bit is an awesome device that looks like a wristband. As you keep it on your wrist it tracks your total steps, showing you your average amount of steps and comparing it to other days that you've walked. The Fit Bit also keeps track of how many miles you have walked and how many calories you have lost. But, that's not even the heart of it all! It can also track your weight change and your sleep patterns! We are even thinking of taking advantage of the competitive feature where you can compete with your friends and family. It has a leaderboard to reflect who is taking the most and least steps.

Talk about motivation! We can't wait to see how much more in shape and healthy we can get! If you're currently using the FitBit, share with us your experience in the comment below!

How To Use LikeToKnow.It

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Okay, so we started to realize that every time we said "double tap on this photo to get outfit details" you probably didn't quite know what we were referring to so we wanted to share everything you need to know about using LikeToKnow.It. LikeToKnow.It is an awesome way to get ready-to-purchase links of fashion forward items you've seen on some of your favorite Instagrams to follow. Above we give a step-by-step on how to sign up. It's really easy and saves you asking your favorite blogger, "Where did you get that?" You can even choose how often you receive product emails once you double tap an Instagram photo. For instance, the product links can be immediately emailed to you or you can opt to have it sent at a certain part of the day. So easy, right?! Be on the lookout for the specific LikeToKnow.It links on our Instagrams so you can have dibs on awesome fashion looks from sorority and non sorority women alike.

Curly Hair Care 101

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We have recognized a lot of sorority sisters and friends embracing their curly hair, that we seeked out TSS reader, Danielle Davis, to share with us her best tips on maintaining your natural curls. Check out her advice below and be sure to share your thoughts in the comment box below!


Curly Hair 101-
Starting your natural hair journey can be a daunting and sometimes overwhelming process to think about. With all of the products promising miracle results, natural hair gurus and your hair straightener calling your name it is hard to even know where to start. There is a lot to navigate so the tips below will provide you with my top 10 suggestions on how to start you on your own journey to healthy, beautiful curly hair.

1. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize- Without a doubt this is the most important advice I could give. Curly hair is notoriously dry, especially at the ends. Concentrating on providing your hair as much moisture as possible within your entire routine will help you exponentially. Moisturizing helps eliminate frizz and perpetuates defined curls.

2. Do Not Be Afraid of the Big Chop- My natural hair journey started 3 years ago and I was so attached to my length. I was paying $100 to a DevaCurl specialist for a haircut and would only let her remove ½ an inch- silly! One day I decided to go for it and go for the scary Big Chop, which ended up being the best decision I could have made. Curly hair is very forgiving so even when cut short you can get a lot of volume. The best part is that your hair will grow back extremely fast. When I get my hair cut now, I tell the stylist to cut anything that is dead, straight or just weighing my hair down. You will leave satisfied every time knowing your hair is healthy. Short, healthy hair is much more desirable than long unhealthy hair.

3. Sulfates are Bad- As I am sure most of you who have an interest in natural hair care have heard, sulfates are not your friend. It’s essentially like rubbing soap all over your hair; drying it out and depleting that moisture we talked about earlier. Always check the ingredients label on your products before using them. There are many products out there so be picky, you deserve it.

4. Deep Condition- It’s relaxing and your hair will love you for it. Pick one day out of the week to really concentrate on repairing your hair and deep condition. There are many options in the natural hair care world but one of the most raved about is coconut oil. After showering, slather this all over your hair and sit under a dryer. Your hair will be shiny, strong and feel amazing.

5. Put Down the Heat- I had to hide my straightener from myself in order to follow through with avoiding heat- the struggle was real! The hard reality is that you won’t get the results you want applying heat to your hair all of the time. If going cold turkey is too much for you set goals for yourself like only applying heat once or twice a week and then keep extending your goal until it becomes second nature.

6. Drink Plenty of Water- Beauty on the outside starts with what you put inside your body. The benefits of drinking more water go way beyond just beautiful hair. You’ll see a difference in your energy levels, skin, eyes and hair- talk about a win!

7. Safely Detangle- Curly hair is fragile. Always detangle starting at the bottom using a product with some slip and use your fingers or a wide toothed comb. This will help keep the cuticle and curl pattern protected.

8. Sleep on a Silk Pillow Case- Apparently I’m a wild sleeper so when I try to wear a bonnet to bed I wake up with it on the floor- fail. I started using a silk pillowcase because it eliminates the hassle of actually putting the bonnet on, helps keep your hair from breaking and retains the moisture in your hair that a cotton pillowcase depletes.

9. Be Patient- We are the generation obsessed with instant gratification. Unfortunately, this is just one avenue where patience is key. There is no miracle product, pill or haircut that is going to give you that beautiful curly hair you desire over night or even over the next month. However, with patience and a lot of trial and error you will begin to see the results you want.

10. This is Your Journey- Not Your YouTube Gurus- Between watching the endless YouTube videos and curly hair Instagram posts of all the women who seem to have the perfect curls it is very easy to develop hair envy. I’ve had many moments of thinking “ WHY DOESN’T MY HAIR LOOK LIKE HERS?” In the end, the journey is different for everyone and everyone is at various stages in their journey. It is important to realize that all hair types are beautiful and sometimes that Guru’s curly hair pattern is simply just different from yours- and that’s okay!

Curly hair has never been more celebrated than it is now. The natural hair care journey is a very personal one and it is amazing to think that something as simple as hair can cause one to self reflect on who they are as an individual. What a wonderful thing to grow in your journey and feel more beautiful than ever as a woman embracing her curly crown.

-@thecurlycrown

Top Summer Hikes

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The weather has been just right in some of our favorite places in the U.S. making it the perfect time to "take a hike"! We really enjoy being outdoors (allergies and all!) and there is just something so liberating and freeing about climbing and walking some of the coolest trails. After all, we are not IN nature; we ARE nature! It's important to have moments of meditation and tranquility in addition to challenging yourself physically and hiking does just that. With all that being said, we started to ponder where some of the cool places to hike are and we jotted down some suggestions of cities and trails from TSS Reader and Alpha Chi Omega alumnae, Alyssa Conti, in conjunction with our faves. We then created  a list to share with you. Find our must-try places and/or cities to hike for the summer below and let us know which ones we are missing by leaving a comment below!

1. Twin Peaks in North Bend, WA
2. Grand Canyon in Arizona
3. Cascade Falls in Lake Tahoe
4. Waipio Valley, Hawaii
5. Rocky Mountain, Colorado
6. Durango, Colorado
7. Bryce Canyon, Utah 
8. Zion Canyon in Utah
9. Nounou Trail in Hawaii
10. Glacier National Park
11. Boulder Trail in Payson, AZ
12. Coal Creek Trail in Washington
13. Franklin Falls Trail in Washington

Things To Remember When Meeting the Parents For the First Time

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1. Dress appropriately. Here's a cute outfit we would wear!

2. Be respectful, but friendly.

3. Don't make yourself feel at home.

4. Don't wear too much make up.

5. Show how much you care about him.

6. Ask them questions; get to know them.

7. Sell yourself, but don't overpower conversations making it all about you.

8. Act interested (even if you're not).

9. Be confident.

10. Show your manners by thanking them for their hospitality!

Good luck!