Prepare for Back to (Online) School/College

Hey all! This month for students is all about preparing for going back to school. I know that this is an exciting time for those transitioning to high school or college (like me). But due to uncontrollable events, most schools/universities are having to go virtual. This is not what I imagined for my first year of college. Studying from home with Zoom calls for learning?? I’ll let you know how that goes because I’m not sure either.

I know that virtual learning is gonna be a challenge so I have some tips on how to prepare as much as possible to get a good start to the year.

#1 Get Organized!

This is so important in order to be prepared. If your space is messy with tons of papers it will make it harder to keep your new papers separate.

Tasks: Clean desk, throw away old papers, keep pens/pencils and new notebooks, set up an inviting, quiet and distraction free work area.

#2 Recharge & Reset

Take half a day, a weekend, or just a few hours to completely unwind. It’s going to be different adjusting to your new routine after a long break/summer vacation. To help get back into the school mindset, spend some time to mentally prepare yourself before school/college starts.

Tasks: Schedule “Me time”, do activities that make you happy, be around family and friends(virtually).

#3 Create your Schedule

Now after you have organized your space and recharged, hopefully you feel motivated! It’s time to get serious. Like making a schedule serious. Don’t skip this step! Gather any emails, syllabus, due dates if given to you by your teachers/professors and get your calendar up.

Tasks: Use Google Calendar and put in all the deadlines, zoom meetings, and upcoming events for at least August and September.

#4 Buy textbooks, supplies, etc.

If you are a college student, make sure to buy your textbooks. If you are a high schooler, make sure to make a list of supplies needed for each class. Be prepared by being proactive!

Tasks: Buy necessary supplies, install Zoom/Video conferencing if applicable.

#5 Review Past Material

Sometimes, subjects like math and science need past knowledge as you learn more. Over the summer you can forget so just as a refresher, take a look at old notebooks from the subject to remember.

I hope this was helpful and good luck to those going back to school! Share your favorite ways to prepare for school and how you feel about virtual learning.

If you ever need help, advice or want to chat, dm me on Instagram @chic.neat.sweet

Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

♡, Aditi

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5 simple habits for a healthy lifestyle

Hey there! Being healthy is the most overlooked thing for students because we are so focused on school, grades, and studying that we never pay attention to what we are eating. Not only students but anyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle should be able to without feeling stressed or overwhelmed. I think that with a few simple changes, making healthy choices becomes a lifelong habit. Here are five easy habits that you can start doing for a healthy lifestyle.

1. Keep a water bottle with you all the time

We all know drinking water has many benefits. Our body is roughly 70% water in fact. The easiest way to drink more water is to keep a water bottle full with you all the time! Start with drinking half a bottle more water. Then bump it up as your body adjusts to more water intake. Soon you’ll be drinking twice as much water.

2. Eat Fruits for Breakfast

It can be hard to eat 2-3 fruits and veggies everyday which is the recommended amount. That’s why I incorporate fruits into my breakfast. Some ideas are having a small orange, banana slices in my oatmeal, or a chocolate banana smoothie which is super simple. Click here for the recipe.

3. Short Workouts

If you don’t exercise regularly, it can be hard to do an intense 45 minute long cardio workout. The goal should be to move for at least 30 minutes daily! I think short workouts are just as effective as long as you get your heart rate increased. Also with all the sitting we do especially in lockdown, we need to stretch our muscles which can become tight and sore from lack of movement.

My favorite workout apps

  • FitOn (free workouts of all types)
  • Youtube
  • Nike Training app
  • Popsugar fitness videos

4. Take a Walk Daily

Lately, I have been going on walks after 9 pm because it is cooler and less humid. The breeze at night is different and it’s fun to walk around and star gaze. If you can get out and it is safe in your area, I highly recommend taking a stroll at night.

5. Deep Breathing to Unwind

I’ve been using apps such as Oak, Timer, and Headspace which have guided meditations and deep breathing exercises that are the perfect way to relax after a long day. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t only mean physically because mental health is just as important. Just five minutes of focusing on your breathing is enough to start out.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing to keep healthy recently! I hope you found these tips helpful and let me know if you end up following them!

Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

♡, Aditi

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Why Being Happy = Success

Today I want to talk about a book I recently read called The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha. I want to share what I learnt from the book because it is so important! In the book, the author outlines nine secrets that will make you happy. I want to share the first thing which is “Be happy first.”

Here’s what this means. We all want success and happiness in life. That’s kind of like the ultimate goal for most. But usually it goes like this: “I will be happy when I…am super fit, have a six figure income, and (fill in your desire)”. Tell me if I am wrong!

We have been taught at a young age that once we work hard or do great work, get successful, and then we will be happy.

Let’s say you do get big success. Then you should be happy right? Wrong, we just end up setting new goals. An example is when you land a starting position job. Then you set a new goal to get a promotion. Then a new goal to become a manager and it keeps going. You will always be chasing after happiness and it gets further from you. You will always want more!

But what if we are happy first?? What if we are happy, joyful, ecstatic? Then we are able to do things that make us happy and do great work which in turn creates success!

The author, Neil, suggests a better model that puts being happy first.

Be Happy ➡ Great Work ➡ Big Success

“If we start with being happy, then we feel great. We look great. We exercise. We connect. What happens? We end up doing great work because we feel great doing it. What does great work lead to? Big success. Massive feelings of accomplishment and the resulting degrees, promotions, and phone calls from your mom telling you she’s proud of you.”

Neil Pasricha, The Happiness Equation

Mind blown! Success doesn’t equal happiness. The next time you are feeling unmotivated, just remember to be happy and success will find its way to you.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I highly recommend reading The Happiness Equation. It has great insights on how to become happy and 9 insights to living a happier life. You don’t have to be sad to read this book!

Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

♡, Aditi

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Push past your fears to see your potential

Little fears within us are detrimental to living our lives to the full potential. We all have fears in life whether they are small or big, fears often leave a lasting impact. It can stop you from dreaming big (fear of failure) or fear can stop you from speaking up when you see something wrong. What I have noticed is that we usually fear the outcome. We fear what will happen if, for example, we speak up against a wrong doing or what will happen if we fail at starting our dream business.

Fear is a something we can not get rid of, no matter how hard you try, it will always be there. So what’s the solution? Should you stop dreaming in fear of failure and therefore stop living? Or you can work with it. Yes, you can work with your fear.

A fear I pushed past was the fear of getting in a car accident. I had recently got my license and was driving home from the store with my family in the car. It was dark, snowy, and low visibility so I couldn’t tell the road was slippery and icy. The fear of the car skidding on the ice was prominent. I let it cloud my focus on the road and instead of driving carefully, I was thinking of my fear of being in an accident because of the icy roads. Guess what happened? I lost control of the car as it started skidding and swaying left to right. Luckily, my mom in the passenger seat helped me steady the wheel so we didn’t collide with an oncoming car.

This incident scared me to not drive for many months even in the spring/summer because I didn’t want to be in that situation again (fear). I eventually worked with my fear of getting in a car accident by taking control of the fear, answering the what if questions, and taking the necessary actions to conquer the fear.

How to work with your fear

To reduce fear, you have to stop from making it a big deal in your head. We tend to be overdramatic when facing our fears which causes us to stop thinking clearly.

The first step is to think about what will happen if you confront your fear. Work through the bad things or the worst that will happen. Then think “What if things go right? What’s the best that could happen? What if what happens is good?”

Approach fear with gratitude.

“Thank you fear for keeping me safe, alert, and for protecting me from danger.” Calm down the fear and tell yourself that there is no reason to panic.

Try this with a fear you may have that is relatively small to you. How about a fear of spiders. What if you see a spider on the bathroom sink? I would personally scream and my mind would start a river of what if questions and panic.

  1. Calm down your mind as best you can. Tell yourself that the spider is small, harmless, can not fly, and has zero power. What’s the worst that can happen? It gets away. What’s the best that can happen? You get rid of the spider!
  2. With a clear mind, work with what options you have to get rid of the spider.
  3. Do the action.

I hope you can see that fear should not get in the way of your dreams. Life is greater than you can imagine once you get out of your own way and be open to your potential. If you liked this post, check out more like this in the “Sincerely, Aditi” category for more life advice and tips.

Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

Sincerely, Aditi

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Only $10 Sephora Favorites Hello! Beauty Icons Set

I came across this on Sephora’s website and blinked a few times to see if I read the price right. After analyzing it for a good 10 minutes, I added it to my cart. If you can, I would add it to your cart right away! Let me show you what you get! Oh also, Sephora has free shipping.

You get a 15% off voucher to use on a full size purchase for any of the six samples and also these products:

  • NARS Lipstick in Tolède
  • NUDESTIX Nudies Matte Blush & Bronze in Sunkissed
  • Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser
  • LANEIGE Water Bank Moisture Cream
  • Living Proof Restore Repair Hair Mask
  • Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb

I loved the selection and variety of the samples. They are all something I can use daily. Here are my thoughts on the products after using them.

The NARS lipstick looks red but is actually a soft mauve shade. On light skin tones, it is a nude lipstick and on dark skin tones, it is not that visible. I think I will use it when I need a natural lip color. It is matte and pigmented, very comfortable to wear. It does transfer and fade by the end of the day though.

The Nudestick is meant for your lips, cheeks, and eyes. It is a very natural shade for skin of color like myself and as a lip product it wasn’t visible. I liked it best as a cream blush because it blends easily and I love the pigmentation. It does last for a good amount of time though. The shade is more red toned compared to the Milk Makeup cream blush in “werk” that I have which you can see in the summer makeup post here. 10/10 loved this sample.

The Youth to the People cleanser. I had high hopes for this one as I heard so many great reviews. But honestly, it’s just a cleanser…very basic. It’s very similar to the Ceptaphil gentle cleanser which is under $10. Still I will use it because it is gentle and works! 10/10 for effectiveness.

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream. I haven’t heard about this product much before unlike their other products. It is hydrating and dries quick leaving a nice finish. But, again honestly, just another moisturizer. I think I will stick to my other moisturizers. I would buy the Fresh rose moisturizer because it feels more luxurious compared to this Laneige one. The full size costs $36.00 USD. 5/10 for overall quality.

The Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb is a fragrance sample and it is quite strong but not unbearable. I am not a fan of perfumes in general so this was my least favorite sample. It is a floral scent as the Flowerbomb name suggests. 5/10 for the scent.

Living Proof Restore Repair Hair Mask. I was excited to try this because I always appreciate a mask for my thick and frizzy wavy hair. The texture is creamy and felt like it would do the job well. But for my hair type (2A/2B) it was not nourishing enough. This mask is would be suitable for thiner hair. When I use conditioner, it feels silky smooth. When I used this mask, I didn’t feel my hair soften. 3/10 as I didn’t notice a difference. Thank goodness for samples!

Overall, I recommend this if you would like to try out high end/expensive skincare and makeup products for a fair price! I believe they have a new one each month so I would stay on the lookout for the next one if you didn’t like the products this month. Let me know if you have tried any of these products or recommend anything you would like me to review!

Thank you for reading and until next time don’t forget to stay Chic Neat and Sweet!

Sincerely, Aditi

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