Author: Tori Leggett

A Workout Playlist That Motivates

Posted on October 28, 2015January 27, 2016 by Tori Leggett

Living a healthy lifestyle in college can be difficult, but it’s really important. I love working out because it keeps me feeling healthy. But I can’t workout unless I have my headphones in, so this is a motivating workout playlist I listen to in order to stay motivated throughout my entire workout. I separated the workout playlist out by songs to listen to while stretching, doing reps, intense cardio and cooling off. There’s a wide variety of artists and genres, so enjoy!

Stretching Songs

For when you’re stretching pre or post workout…

I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has an amazing voice. This song was featured on The Hobbit soundtrack. It’s quiet, but the instrumentals are full and intense. Quiet but intense songs make great stretching songs.

The Mixed Tape by Jack’s Mannequin

This is an amazing song to listen to, especially when you’re feeling giddy about a special someone. Stretching is a great time to reflect on how hard you just worked and your goals. If your goal is to make it work with the special someone, think about how your hard work will help you be the best version of yourself.

If It Means A Lot To You by A Day To Remember

Jeremy McKinnon and Sierra Kusterbeck collaborate on this track, creating a sort of story between two lovers. Very sweet, and really fun to sing along to. Another good reflection song to listen to when stretching.

Repetition Songs

For when you’re bench pressing or just doing an insane amount of squats…

Somebody Told Me by The Killers

A Great rock song and it has a back beat you can follow. Aim for your reps to match up with the beat and build of the song. Focusing on that can keep your mind from thinking about wanting to quit or how tired you might be.

What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber

Hey! Stop the groaning. JB is often cringe worthy, but this song has an EDM vibe, which makes doing reps not so bad. Warning: you may have this song stuck in your head the rest of the day. 😛

First Date by Blink-182

A feel good song, that everyone can relate to. We’ve all had that awkward first date when your hands won’t stop sweating. You likely feel the same way in the middle of reps. Let it motivate you!

Intense Cardio Songs

For when you’re really feeling yourself during a cardio session…

All I Do is Win by DJ Khalid

I don’t even play sports and this song gets me hyped up for a big game. Any negative thoughts about not being able to keep running are completely diminished by this song because all you do is win.

Phenomenal by Eminem

This song is the king of the angry fight songs, let’s be honest. Use it to help fight through your workout!

Throne by Bring Me The Horizon

BMTH is often my go to band when I’m working out. They have a strong sound and even stronger vocals. The song Throne is a little more rock than metal, so give it a try.

Cool Off Songs

For when you’re walking and chugging water post workout…

Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns ‘N Roses

You can’t have a playlist without some classic rock guys. This song is slow enough that it won’t get your blood pressure up, but it also keeps you awake. It’s good to keep moving when cooling down.

I’ve Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth by Fall Out Boy

Come on. You can’t resist that song title! If you haven’t listened to this song, you need to. It’s got a relaxing, but the upbeat melody is perfect for cooling down after a hard workout.

Reckless by You Me At Six

This song is supposed to be that grand finale to your playlist. It’s fast enough and fun enough to wake you back up after you work out!

I hope this fiery workout playlist motivates you like it motivates me. Have a great workout and an awesome day!

Beauty Care Tips: Hair and Face

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Tori Leggett

It’s important to take care of our bodies on the inside and outside. These are beauty care tips on how to keep your hair and skin healthy and looking great.

Tips for Healthy Hair

The picture above is before and after a few treatments of coconut oil. The colder months are coming and that means dry hair. If you find you have dry hair, try adding argon oil or coconut oil to the ends. The oils add moisture and they add shine to your hair.

Washing your hair is also an important part of keeping it healthy and looking good. You may think you’re washing it correctly, but are you really? Hair care experts say that when you wash your hair you should only apply shampoo to the roots- that’s the only place that produces oil and therefore the only place that gets greasy. When you put the conditioner in, only put it on the ends and don’t leave it on; wash it out after the same amount of time you would wash your shampoo out. Leaving it in can make your hair feel heavy and greasy on the ends.

Tips for Healthy Skin (Face)

Wash your face often- before bed and after you wake up. Washing your face every day prevents buildups on your face which lead to breakouts. Take extra care after a workout, so as not to leave the sweat just sitting there.

Makeup is amazing, but not always for the health of your face. Before you wash your face, take all of the makeup off. And never ever sleep with your makeup on.

Another thing that will help is to change your sheets and pillowcases more often. Oil can store itself in the sheets and the pillow cases and when you lay your just washed face on it, it will just add oil to your skin.

Moisturizing is also really important. There are many brands of facial moisturizer, but my favorite is plain baby lotion. It’s made for sensitive skin so its less likely to breakout and it isn’t greasy.

Bonus Beauty Care Tips

Drink a lot of water. Try to drink ten glasses a day. Your complexion and waistline will thank you.
Exercising can help keep your entire body healthy and endorphins make you happy.
Get some rest. Sleep allows the body to heal and rest, keeping you healthy and beautiful.

Living a healthy lifestyle is something we should all strive for. Hopefully these tips will help you feel great.

Comment below with tricks you’ve found to work, and as always, good luck!

Safety Tips for College Students

Posted on August 18, 2015August 19, 2015 by Tori Leggett

Being in your dorm by dark isn’t always doable, but preparing yourself for safety can be. These are safety tips for college students on campus, whether you’re leaving your late class or a party, being prepared for anything can give you some peace of mind.

Use the Buddy System

When you’re walking home from class or a party in the dark, it’s always best to have a good friend by your side. If something were to go wrong, at least there is someone with you and someone knows where you are. An extra pair of eyes to be on the lookout never hurts either!

Talk on Your Phone

Talking on the phone is something that a lot of us are used to doing on a daily basis. If you’re coming home from somewhere on campus late at night and are starting to feel a little scared, call someone and talk to them while you’re walking. Not sure who to call? You could call home- they miss you! Or call a friend, I’m sure there’s something the two of you could talk about. Make sure you let whoever you called know exactly where you are located. This way someone would instantly know if something happened.

Know the Emergency Boxes

There are emergency call boxes on every campus. If you’re out and about, make sure you know where they are in case you need to get to one. These call boxes connect you directly to campus security. You can contact the office and have them tell you where the boxes are if you don’t already know.

Carry Pepper Spray

Many of us have heard of pepper spray, but have you ever actually used it? Pepper spray is very useful, especially in the fact that you don’t have to actually come in contact with an attacker when you use it. Educated yourself all about pepper spray and go pick some up to carry with you on campus. It can be found at most stores.

Learn Self Defense

Using self defense requires you to react and fend off a possible attacker. Self defense classes are often offered at your near by gym. I’ve taken a basic one before and not only did I learn to defend myself, it was a great workout and I had a lot of fun! See if one of your friends wants to find a self defense class to take with you.

These are some safety tips to help you protect yourself on campus. Don’t worry that you college campus is unsafe. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

What safety tips work for you on your college campus? Share in the comments below!

Workout Like A Beast, Look Like A Beauty

Posted on July 29, 2015August 24, 2015 by Tori Leggett

Find Your Workout Pace

the Rock, or Jillian Michaels. Don’t worry when you can’t do the routine you pick out right away. Find a routine you want to be able to do, and slowly work towards it. This will lessen your chances of getting discouraged. Work up to a routine that is going to challenge your body, but don’t work so hard that you hurt yourself. Start with basic things: go for a jog, do a couple push-ups, a couple squats. Drink lots of water, and try and keep your body healthy aside from working out. Building up your workout will also lessen the chances of you hurting yourself. If you haven’t worked out in a while, you might not be sure of what your body can handle, so be sure to take it slow and don’t give up!

Enjoy Your Workout

Not everyone enjoys pumping iron or doing a bunch of squats. Try to find an activity you enjoy, if you enjoy it you’re less likely to quit trying. Maybe you enjoy running or swimming or biking or you could try walking a little more and driving a little less. Working out doesn’t have to be a chore. Find a cool playlist to listen to, find a friend to workout with, or find a cool place to workout.

This is one of the workout playlists I use on Spotify.

Feel Cute When You Workout

Comment below with your best workout tips!

Clean Room, Clean Mind

Posted on July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 by Tori Leggett

It’s getting close to the beginning of the new school year, which means new teachers, new classes and maybe even a new dorm. Having a tidy room can have many benefits: it can relieve stress, it can help focus when you’re working on homework and its an added bonus that you don’t have to speed clean when friends and family come over. These are simple ways to keep a clean room and make the most of your space.

Small Space Doesn’t Mean Small Things

Rooms vary in size and having a small room is an actual problem. It means you don’t have as many places for your things, which leads to your room feeling cluttered. To “de-clutter” your space go and get some storage drawers to place around the room. This can keep things like makeup, hair tools, shoes, hats and extra clothes up off the floor and out of sight until you need them. It keeps them well organized and doesn’t take up a lot of space. This also allows for a makeshift book case if you don’t have enough room for one.

A Lot Of Things Doesn’t Mean A Lot Of Clutter

Everyone has something that takes up a lot of space, whether its clothes, shoes, books, movies or what have you; we’ve all got something. Instead of getting rid of things (which note: you might need to do that too, more on that later) try different ways of organizing them. If you have things you don’t use, let’s say at least once a month, pack it up in a storage tote. You still have it on hand but it isn’t taking up space. For clothes, if its the wrong season, pack it up in a tote. You don’t need a winter coat in the middle of July, and you don’t need shorts in the middle of December. This allows more room for the clothes you wear all the time.

More Clothes Doesn’t Mean More Options

Admit it, you have a favorite pair of jeans, a lucky shirt, a special hoodie. You also have clothes in the back of your closet that you or someone else bought that you don’t wear, or you’ve grown out of. Take all of your clothes out of wherever you store them, and sort. The ones you haven’t worn in the last, say three, months put in the give away pile. Ones that are special and you don’t want to get rid of, pack them up in a tote. After you’re finished, you should have a smaller amount of clothes, that you can now fold and put away.

For a different way to fold clothes to make more space, check out these organizing tips.

Organizing your room can relieve stress, help with anxiety, and let’s face it, having a clutter free room makes it easier to clean. These are just a few tips on how to keep a clean room.

Comment down below other ideas you have for tidying a room. Good luck!

Fourth of July Party Ideas

Posted on July 6, 2015 by Tori Leggett

It is the beginning of July, which means the coolest holiday of the summer is on the horizon! Here are some great ways to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends or family and not break the bank!

Fun With Food!

It’s a party which means there has to be food! Change up the same old dishes and add some American spirit flare!

Cut up fruit. The easiest fruit would be watermelon into stars shapes and lay them out.
Make a healthy flag cake with bananas, strawberries and blueberries.
Make white-chocolate dipped strawberries and add blue sprinkles!

Games!

I would say games are for kids but who are we kidding? Adults have just as much fun playing games as kids do.

Corn hole of course is on the list, it’s a tradition.
A fun twist on the classic game Twister is to spray paint the dots on the lawn. This way you can have more dots and more players!
Spray paint cans in red, white and blue and set the up. Grab a ball and play backyard bowling!
Stick a stake in the ground. Grab glow-sticks and play ring toss in the dark!

Decorations!

You cannot have a party without some decorations to spice things up.

Pick up streamers from the store and string them up in the backyard to add color.
Buy white and red flowers and place them in a vase of water. Add blue food coloring to the water.
Spray paint mason jars and set them up on a colorful table runner.

I hope these ideas on how to change up your Fourth of July party spark your creativity!

Comment below with other fun ideas for the Fourth of July! And of course, Happy Fourth of July!

Ways To Stay Cool In The Summer Heat

Posted on June 22, 2015June 30, 2015 by Tori Leggett

We all love summer. Summer means a break from studies as well as a great time to hang out with friends and family. The only problem is that summer heat sometimes dampers your fun. These are some fun ways to stay cool in the heat!

Freeze Fruit

Putting grapes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc. into the freezer and freezing them is a great way to stay cool. There are plenty of uses for frozen fruit. It’s an easy snack to put out during a party or just a snack for yourself.

Water Spray

Fans that spritz water are neat, but why would you spend a lot of money on something you could make at home? Go to the dollar store and buy a small spray bottle, fill it up with water and you’ve got a homemade one in a couple of dollars. For an extra something in your spray bottle, you can add a couple drops peppermint oil to create a cooling spray.

Summer Clothes

This may seem like a silly tip to add, but we all wear clothes not made for summer sometimes. Whether it’s your favorite pair of jeans, or your lucky hoodie, it’s too hot. Try and stick to loose fabric, as well as more light weight fabric.

Drink a Lot of Water

If this is the only thing you take away from this post, that’s fine but seriously, drink more water. Most health agencies recommend a half a gallon of water a day, which equals out to eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Now, in the heat, your body is sweating and you’re working harder, so it’s much easier to become dehydrated. Some benefits of drinking lots of water are staying healthy and hydrated during the summer months (and all year round for that matter).

Style for the Heat

We all love our long hair, but in the summer it can put a damper on things. Your hair is a natural insulator, so when you have long hair, your head and neck are going to get really hot. So try some cute up-do styles to stay a little cooler.

Hopefully these tips help you enjoy the summer heat a little more!

Comment below with more suggestions on how to beat the summer heat!

Books To Read When You Miss John Green

Posted on June 3, 2015June 30, 2015 by Tori Leggett

Are you missing this guy?

By now must of us have read at least one John Green book, or heard of one. A lot of you have already read all his books, multiple times. If you are one of those people you may be looking for some similar reading material. Here are some books to read to help you fill the void of John Green this summer. Not all of these books are new but they are all still amazing so keep an open mind.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story: Ned Vizzini

This is a story that follows Craig, a fifteen year old attending a very prestigious school. He has very high hopes for himself which adds an enormous amount of pressure on him to succeed. A series of events ends with him in a mental institution, where he makes new friend and finds himself. The books does very well at depicting mental issues and depression, without sugar-coating it, but refrains from being morbid. The storyline is a little intense, but the way Vizzini writes the story has you laughing throughout it’s entirety. eCampus.com has It’s Kind of a Funny Story available to purchase for $7.45.

The Probability of Miracles: Wendy Wunder

This story follows Cam, a sarcastic teenager who has spend a lot of her life in and out of hospitals. Her mom then has this idea: move them to Promise, Maine which is supposed to have miraculous powers. When they arrive, Cam finds a sort of bucket list and as she moves down the list we see her fall in love, find self-love and even start to believe that maybe miracles CAN happen. The story is not centered Cam’s illness, it is about how she copes with it and learns to enjoy her life. A feel good read that makes you smile with every chapter! iTunes has the Probability of Miracles available to download for $7.99 if you want to read it by the pool on your iPhone or iPad.

Okay for Now: Gary D. Schmidt

Schmidt is a sort of western writer and this story is set in the Vietnam era so it is a little different than the other three by him. Teenage Doug moves to a new town, gets a new job and meets a new girl, Lil. Together the duo spend their free time at the public library where Doug get unofficial art lessons from the librarian. The story follows Doug as he deals with his abusive father and his brother back from the war in Vietnam. Schmidt does a good job of depicting life in a new town, as well as the incredible feat of incorporating art into the story. Knetbooks has Okay for Now available to rent for $9.25.

Perks of Being a Wallflower: Stephen Chboksy

A lot of people have seen this movie and the movie is actually pretty close to the book. Charlie is an incoming freshmen; a very quiet person without a lot of friends but he soon finds some. This is a coming of age story about a boy finding friends as place to fit in, as well as trying to deal with personal issues. This book is not as light as the others and I will admit that I cried while reading it. It is very inspirational and is a feel good read without being mushy, while also being more mature.

*Be warned that if you decide to read this one that the book goes into more detail and is much more intense than the movie and may make you feel uncomfortable at times.*

As always, as the cheapest option you can look for this title at a local library. Knetbooks also has The Perks of Being a Wallflower available to rent for $10.00.

I hope that these suggestions of books to read when you’re missing John Green (sigh) help keep you occupied this summer!

Comment below if you have any feedback or more related books to suggest!