Feel The Heat

We've just set the clocks an hour forward here in California but it feels like summer time is already making an early appearance and we all know what this means--- excess fats and cellulite are dead men walkin' coz we aboutz to show sum skin. Now, I'm the last person to ask about the best way to shed the extra weight or what kind of healthy diet to follow 'coz we all know I'm the junk food monster. I'm probably one of the rare people that you'll ever meet who never feels even a wee bit of guilt after eating 2 huge chocolate chip muffins at 1 in the morning. I have no eating remorse--- I hear diabetes calling my name now. So, no. Don't expect this post to be about chia seeds or kale---you're on your own, kid.

What I do want to share is this random list of spring/summer tips to help you make the most out of the sunny weather. Here we go.

1. Sunscreen - I cannot stress this enough. We all need to wear sunscreen, even if you want to get a little tan. When you're at the beach, make sure to slather on an extra layer and wait for 15 minutes to make sure that the lotion has been completely absorbed. Out of all the other products that I've tried, Neutrogena has both of what I want in a sunscreen--- full sun protection without the typical greasy feel. I use SPF 100+ but there are different levels of SPF that you can choose from. The lower the SPF, the more chance that you'll get your skin tanned (minus the hideous sunburn). Oh, and there's even a body mist version if you're too lazy to use the lotion!

neutrogena.com

If you're just going to be commuting from your home to your office and you need some make-up coverage, a tinted moisturizer or BB cream will do. I hear the best BB creams are from Korea but the more notable tinted moisturizers are conveniently available here in US. Just make sure to get the closest color to match your skin tone and use minimal make-up, unless you want moms to hire you as a clown for their kid's birthday party. Hey I don't judge. A job is a job.

lauramercier.com

2. Water - Duh right? But what a lot of us fail to realize is that while we enjoy sipping our mimosas, mojitos and iced teas by the beach or in the garden, we might actually be forgetting to hydrate properly. And yes, it means we gotta drink the boring stuff. Just plain ol' water. Bottled, tap, spring...it doesn't matter. Just drink enough of it.

fijiwater.com

3. Pedicures- Before you go sashey shante-ing out with your flip flops and sandals, make sure that your feet and toes are well-groomed and presentable. No crusty little piggies, please! You don't have to go to a salon to achieve this, although going to one is undeniably a more relaxing experience. Trim your toenails, make sure you scrub off the dead skin by using any kind of foot scrub with a foot file. To save time, I usually do a quick foot scrub while in the shower since my feet get naturally soaked with warm water. Any foot scrub is fine but the smoothing foot scrub from Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa collection is something you might want to try.

bathandbodyworks.com

4. Dress appropriately- If you're at the beach and dining out on the patio, make it a point to bring a good cover-up. I don't care how casual and care-free the joint is, think of it as common courtesy. Resto's are there for eating not for barfing, and we want to make sure that the food stays in. Do you want to stare at someone's hairy, black forest of a back while you're sinking your teeth on a juicy burger? I think not. Boys, put a shirt on. Girls, don't steal your boyfriend's shirt and bring your own cover-up like this Flora Bella tunic below:

neimanmarcus.com

If you're at the mall or any tight, confined spaces, make sure to cover whatever is necessary to cover. I don't want to accidentally brush against your vajayjay or pimple-infested hiney while I'm at the check-out line at H&M. Mmmmk? Mmmk.

5. Smile- It may sound kinda lame but Spring and Summer are seasons that are meant to help us take a pause and find our center. This is a good time to declutter, reorganize, reconcile, get your shhh together, invite your family and friends to catch up and enjoy each other's company. Go outside and take a breather...well, maybe not when it's like 1 in the afternoon 'coz all you're going to get is a heat stroke.

Take a lesson from Sky, look at his big smile. Check out the photobomber flip flop in the back.

Life is too short---make yourself smile, make others smile. =)

Spring and Summer is coming...are you ready?

Toodles!