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!

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

Summer Travel Tips Every Traveler Should Read

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According to the U.S. Travel Association, there was $645 billion spent on leisure travel in 2014. Much of that is spent during the summer, when people take trips to visit family, explore new destinations, and hit the beach. Any time of the year there can be challenges when traveling, but especially in the summer, when the weather poses different types of things to consider. The good news is there are plenty of ways to help ensure travel this summer is safe and healthy for everyone involved.

“The first thing people think of when they are going to do some summer travel is having fun,” explains Tina Aldatz, chief executive officer of SAVVY TRAVELER. “But what they should put at the top of their list is staying safe and healthy. That’s the only way to actually be able to enjoy the trip to begin with.”

Here are some summer travel tips to keep in mind when planning a trip as shared by SAVVY TRAVELER over the next few months:

• Be a minimalist. Forget packing everything and anything you can, which will weigh you down and drag on your mind. This year, aim to be a minimalist by packing the least amount of items you can, while still making sure you have the essentials for your vacation. You will appreciate the benefits that come with being a minimalist when traveling.
• Get physical. It’s important to maintain an exercise routine of some sorts even while on vacation. This is a great time to mix up your usual workout by adding in some swimming, hiking, kayaking, or other traditional summer recreational opportunities.
• Keep hydrated. Summer months mean that it’s warmer across the country, so be sure to stay hydrated. This will help your body fight off any illnesses and keep you feeling better.
• Dress accordingly. Plan ahead to see what the weather is like where you are headed to, so you can include the appropriate clothing. Don’t overdress if it’s going to be warm, which can lead to becoming overheated during the summer months.
• Sanitize. Traveling exposes people to numerous germs that could lead them to become sick. One of the most effective ways to fight back against this is to sanitize using wipes for the hands, body and surfaces around you. SAVVY TRAVELER has made a line of eco-friendly convenient wipes, including sanitizing ones, designed for the health conscious traveler.
• Relax, too. Getting relaxation in while on your vacation is good for your health. It will clear your mind, and leave you refreshed and ready to take on the world when you get back home.

Staying healthy and taking the time to be aware of your surroundings can go a long way when traveling so we hope that you can take in all of this awesome summer travel advice!

Top Books To Read This Summer 2015

What better season to catch up on awesome reads than summer? Just open your window, grab a glass of ice cold lemonade, perch your feet up on your couch and dig your nose into the summer reads we have listed below. Probably the best resource we have heard thus far is about Goodreads shared by Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae, Brianna Glendinning. She shared that Goodreads is where you can put all of the books you've read, are reading, or want to read on the site and you can share your reviews on them and also see other people's reviews on books. This can give you great personal insight on some of the books found below.  Our last summer's book list was filled with lots of fiction stories but this summer we are really interested in books that focus on self development. Here are our must-reads:

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

In this refreshingly blunt how-to guide, author Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, life-changing insights, easy exercises and the occasional swear word. By the end of You Are a Badass, you will understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to start living the kind of life you used to be jealous of.

Codependent No More

With instructive life stories, personal reflections, exercises, and self-tests, Codependent No More is a simple, straightforward, readable map of the perplexing world of codependency--charting the path to freedom and a lifetime of healing, hope, and happiness.

The Road to Character

Blending psychology, politics, spirituality, and confessional, The Road to Character provides an opportunity for us to rethink our priorities, and strive to build rich inner lives marked by humility and moral depth.

The Four Agreements

Rooted in traditional Toltec wisdom beliefs, four agreements in life are essential steps on the path to personal freedom. As beliefs are transformed through maintaining these agreements, shamanic teacher and healer don Miguel Ruiz asserts lives will "become filled with grace, peace, and unconditional love."

The Circle

When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

In this best-selling book, author Scazzero, outlines his journey and the signs of emotionally unhealthy spirituality. Then he provides seven biblical, reality-tested ways to break through to the revolutionary life Christ meant for you. “The combination of emotional health and contemplative spirituality,” he says, “unleashes the Holy Spirit inside us so that we might experientially know the power of an authentic life in Christ.”

The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success

In this revised and repackaged version of Mastering the Seven Decisions, master storyteller and life coach Andy Andrews has fast-forwarded the concept of success and what it takes to make it stick. Seeking out what separates the ordinary life from the extraordinary, Andrews has spent much of his life dissecting countless biographies and spending time with some of the most successful people on the planet in an effort to understand the principles that propel them toward greatness.

The result: seven simple principles that – when applied consistently- render extraordinary lives. Through his entertaining, down-to-earth style, Andrews introduces these principles and offers all the tools necessary to make lasting changes in your life.

The consistent application of the Seven Decisions brings about what can only be called miracles: What was once labeled “impossible” actualizes. Opportunities that once eluded you are now attracted to you. Dysfunctional relationships transform into harmonious ones. Life, which was once a struggle, now becomes an exciting adventure!
What books are we missing out on? Share with us your favorite book you're reading or will be reading this summer!