How to Deal: Dating Comfortably

I have been in a relationship for 4 years now. You can probably imagine some of the things we've been through and the rollercoaster it has been. 
A video that came out a few years ago talks about the different stages of relationships and it's called "Strangers, Again." One of the stages of any relationship is being comfortable, and while that in itself isn't a bad thing, what you do with being comfortable is what can be detrimental to your relationship.   In my own opinion and interpretation, here are two ways you an be comfortable: 
1. Comfortability turns into apathy. So many times, couples who are comfortable like this eventually grow apart because they are so used to the routine of the relationship and they eventually stop caring. 
A way to combat this? I'll explain that with the other side of comfort: 
2. Comfortability turns into exploration. If you are this way with your significant other, it means that sure, you guys are comfortable just like the other couple, but instead of growing apart you use it to try and figure out new ways to explore yourselves as individuals and as a couple. Because at this point you two already know each other so well, you can use it to push yourselves and each other and see what you two can conquer together, whether it's something adventurous like skydiving or something as learning to be okay sitting in silence together. (Note: sitting in silence together is different than being silent because there is nothing to talk about.)
Darell and I have definitely been both of these types of comfortable, and now that we're getting older and more mature, we're learning and trying ways to be comfortable and explore our interests together and as individuals rather than growing to slowly not caring about the relationship at all. It is definitely easier to start growing apathetic than to start exploring and maintaining the relationship, but it is all on you and how much effort you both put in to get things going. 
So, what are your best tips for when you are in the stage of being "comfortable" with your significant other? Has this stage ever been what led to the downfall of a past relationship? I'd love to hear your stories!

Friends Start with HELLO

I'm an extrovert, so I love being around and connecting with the people around me. We are made to be in community with other people, so being social with my friends is something that I love and really cherish too (quality time is one of my love languages).  And of course, in any relationship you have with anyone with your life, it all started with "Hello!"

Study Tip: GO TO SLEEP!

So when you read that, you are probably thinking that I'm super lazy and that is the most counterproductive thing to say. BUT-- hear me out when I explain why I think sleeping can be a good study tip in the right context.  ----------------------------- My freshman year, my lovely RA was always up late doing homework, but even with caffeine she would still sometimes fall asleep. So instead of fighting sleep and therefore staying up later to do homework, she tried sleeping and waking up early. 
It worked better for her, so when I was up late doing homework, once I started fighting to barely stay awake, I tried the sleeping method. And it worked much better for me, even if I was exhausted when I woke up. At least I was able to be awake.  --------------------------- So my tip for all those procrastinators out there? (Holla!)
Sleep when you are fighting to stay awake! It's one thing to doze off, but if you are doing more fighting your body than doing your homework, you really aren't doing anything productive. You'd actually spend more time doing homework if you're trying so hard to even stay awake. 
So, GO TO SLEEP. Seriously! Just set your alarm for at least two or more hours before you need to be up for the day (especially if your paper is due for an 8am). 
Also remember to set up multiple alarms for yourself! We all know that when we're exhausted we're more likely to accidentally press snooze without knowing it. So make sure to set up multiple alarms for yourself so that you can keep being bugged to wake up and finish that paper (or other assignment). 
Does anyone else do the sleep-then-wake-up method like I do? Or are you able to do all-nighters without accidentally knocking out? 

Heat Wave #ootd

Last week, Southern California had a massive heat wave and it was so unbearably hot and sticky outside. Luckily, I managed to survive it by wearing loose and flowy outfits like this particular one to battle the heat. 

I spent some time hanging out with Adriana of Alaska Renee and we decided to hang out at a typical spot that many people from our school normally go to (it's called the Anti-Mall. How hipster is that? Haha). We've both been there before, but we're not there often so we took the opportunity to explore this cute little corner that was perfect to snap a few photos. (We even did a video together!)

Dress: Forever 21 | Sandals: Payless (old) | Cross necklace: c/o BornPrettyStore | Elephant Ring: c/o Collegiate Standard | Gold midi rings: c/o BornPrettyStore | Flower earrings: Forever 21 | Heart stud: Walmart | Bralette: local store

Flowy dresses that kinda hang on the body are starting to really become a thing. It's funny because I remember a few years ago I'd try on dresses like this and thought they looked unflattering on me. It's funny how people's perceptions change according to current trends!
BornPrettyStore sent me a bunch of cute accessories, and I love how dainty they are! It makes them easy to style and mix and match stuff as you please. They are also super affordable as well, so check them out when you get a chance and use the code "KDDT10" to receive 10% off your purchase! 
Disclosure: I received one or more products courtesy of BornPrettyStore. There was no monetary compensation, and all opinions are my own. 

Temporary Tatts with Armed With Truth + a Giveaway!

Because everything 90's is coming back in, that means temporary tattoos are included. Lately there have been tons of companies popping up with flash tattoos or temporary tattoos that look super cool and pretty realistic for some, if you ask me. 

"Bind my wandering heart to thee" is what it says. I love it.

A couple months ago I stumbled upon Armed With Truth, a Christian temporary tattoo company that specializes in printing bible verses that you can put on your arms to memorize, although they have special designer tattoos as well, like what what I have on my arm above. 
When I was looking through the Armed With Truth website for a tattoo to buy, I stumbled across this one. The quote says "Bind my wandering heart to thee." 
I've heard the phrase before mostly at my school, and at the time I wasn't too sure what to think of it. In fact, I think I thought the quote was a little too cliché and Christianese. However, out of all of the tattoos, I thought this one was the most beautiful and as I started to think more about the meaning, the more it started to resonate with me. Another plus was that there were two of this tattoo so I was excited to match with the boyfriend! (Even ANOTHER plus: it was only $5!)

When I finally received the tattoos in the mail, I started to think about what this phrase means to me, and I thought it was very fitting that I was matching with Darell. It has two meanings for me: Staying close to Jesus and staying close to Darell, because in both instances it can be so easy to fall away and distance yourself from Jesus and even your significant other if you have one. It was a nice little reminder to have, and I never seriously even considered getting a tattoo until I got this on my arm. 
And because I love Armed With Truth so much and what they're doing, I really wanted to partner with them to host a giveaway for you guys! 
The prize is a $10 credit to use on the site, and NOTHING is over $10, so your options are open to whatever you want to get; whatever they have, you have the opportunity of getting it [: And most if not all of the tattoo packs come with multiple tattoos, so it is definitely worth your money even if you're buying them on your own! 
The giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada unfortunately. The giveaway will go on from today until next Friday, September 26th, at midnight! So enter for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway is hosted by me on behalf of Armed With Truth. I purchased the product mentioned on my own, and all opinions are my own. 

Boudin SF Huntington Beach Grand Opening

I love food. So much. Free food is even better. So when I find out about Boudin SF's Dine & Donate days at their new Huntington Beach location, I was thrilled! 
Boudin SF is mostly known for their sourdough bread. They started out as a bakery but eventually added a cafe portion to it, which is what I experienced when I attended the Dine & Donate event during the week of the Boudin SF Huntington Beach opening.
I attended with a really awesome friend of mine so that we could experience Boudin for the first time together. (They even reposted my insta picture below on their Facebook!)

When we got there, we were told that we could order anything on the menu except for two items. One of them included salmon which made me sad, but I was okay. We still got to choose a side, an entree, a drink, and a pastry. 
My lovely friend, Sammi, chose a Blue Note Baguette Burger, a side of caesar salad, some kind of soda that I think was Coke, and a lemon bar. 

I personally don't like bleu cheese so I didn't sample her burger, but she said that she loved it. Everything about her entire meal was great, except the bread of her burger was a little hard. 
As for myself, I ordered the Roasted Cremini Mushroom & Swiss Baguette Burger with bacon in it. On the side I got some chips, a lemonade, and a chocolate croissant. 

The entire meal was amazing. The burger's flavors all blended really well together. My only complaint is that the bread was a little tough like Sammi's burger. Other than that, oh my gosh it was great. 
The chips were your average bag of chips, and the croissant was just so soft and I loved taking apart the layers and eating them, savoring the sweet pastry. I love croissants but not always chocolate but this made me crave for it, most definitely. Even the presentation of both mine and Sammi's pastries were great!
I didn't get a chance to try out their famous clam chowder, but I know that I will surely be returning to try it someday. If you live anywhere in California, check out and see if Boudin has a location near you!
Have you tried Boudin SF before? What's your favorite entree or pastry? 
Disclosure: Boudin provided a meal for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Where is Your Home?

When you read a post with a title like that, you're probably thinking about your hometown or where you live. And yes, those could very much be home for you, but I'm talking a little bit more figuratively than literally. 
What am I trying to say? 
When I think of "home" besides where I sleep at night, I think of my church. 
I think of the family that I've developed relationships with over the past year or so and what they have done for me in my life. 
I think of the joy that I feel every time I walk into the building or hang out with my church family. 
I think of everything that I have learned about God and myself through my church and the people in it. 
I think about all of the ways that God has blessed me since being at my church. 
I think about how I get to serve and "do life" with some of the best people I've ever met. 
My church just finished a series on friending, and it made me think about all the relationships that I had developed in the time that I had been in my church and all the opportunities that I've had to meet with people and do certain things as a result. It's so cliché to say that I'm blessed, but if you were to take a look at my church history, then you'd understand why. (That is another post for another day). 
Everyone needs a place where they feel at home. Everyone needs that special place where they feel comfortable and feel like they can be completely themselves. Where is that place for you?

Back to School Checklist: Beauty Edition [Guest Post]

So even though I'm going on my 3rd week of school, some people are either just starting and there are even others that haven't even started yet! 
One of my favorite beauty bloggers, Sammi from College Beauty Buff, is guest posting for me today talking about her back to school must-haves in the beauty department. I love her in-depth reviews of every beauty product she talks about, so I definitely recommend checking her out! ----------------------------------------

Hi, friends! I’m Sammi, the College Beauty Buff, and today I’d like to share with you my back-to-school beauty essentials. These are the products that have saved me, time and time again, from looking like a frumpy mess on my way to class. Over my past few years at school, I’ve learned that these are my must-haves for making me look presentable and awake on a busy schedule. Without further ado, here is my Back-to-School Checklist: Beauty Edition!

Dry Shampoo: for the times you don’t roll out of bed until 7:45 for a 8am class

Splurge: Amika Obliphica Perk Up Dry Shampoo ($21 for 5.3oz)

My hair is straight and blonde, so second day hair is very noticeable, if you catch my drift. I like to apply a little dry shampoo to my roots in the morning to make my hair look fresh and clean, and to give it a bit more volume. I received a free sample of this dry shampoo at last year’s HerConference in NYC, and I really like it! It’s easy, doesn’t weigh down your hair, and doesn’t leave a white residue. My hair looks great, and no one in class has to know it only took me a few seconds!

Save: Johnson’s Baby Powder

For some of us, thinking of spending $21 on a hair product seems ludicrous. That’s why most of the time I always come back to ol’ faithful: Johnson’s Baby Powder. This is the Cornstarch variety, which makes it a little more absorbent, and the lavender scent means it doesn’t scream, “I put dry shampoo in my hair this morning!” This works especially well if you have blonde hair, because once you brush it out, it will be invisible. Those of you with darker hair have to be a little bit more careful, otherwise you might get that white cast. Just make sure not to use too much, and you’ll save yourself some cash by using baby powder. It takes a little bit longer to make sure it’s evenly distributed and not visible, but it leaves you money to spend on makeup instead! ;)

BeautyCon LA Haul

I got the chance to go to BeautyCon a few weeks ago courtesy of a contest they held to give away free general admission tickets. It was my first time going, and I was so excited! I wish I could've taken more pictures, but I went alone since I won the ticket in a contest giveaway of 1000 general admission tickets.   

I'd say that I got a decent amount of stuff considering that I only spent $10 on the eyebrow powder/wax and brush (on the boyshorts on the left), and everything else was free. The retail value of everything together is probably close to $140. Here's everything I got: 

• CoverGirl Colorlicious Lip Gloss in Give Me Guava
• Carefree Boyshorts and Carefree Regular To-Go Pantiliners
• Luster Premium White Luster Now! Instant Whitening Toothpaste
• Lucky Brand Sienna Cigarette Slim Boyfriend Jeans
• Eyebrow Powder and Wax from Nayab Salon

Out of everything, my favorite thing is hands down the Lucky Brand boyfriend jeans! They're worth $119, so considering that they gave out vouchers to get them in-store for free make them such a great steal (sort of literally but not really, haha).  I also posted a video on my Youtube channel where I talk more in-depth about some of the products. It's more of a first impressions than a review, so if you'd like a review on any of the products or want me to do an eyebrow tutorial (because my eyebrows are on point in this video) I'd love to show you!  Have you ever been to a beauty convention like this? What's your favorite product out of the ones featured here? 

Chili's At Home is Perfect for College Students!

As a broke college student, I am always trying to figure out how to eat good meals in my dorm room that are better than just instant ramen. So when I found out that Chili's were going to start offering entrees to eat at home, I got so excited! I love Chili's food, so I had high expectations for Chili's at Home to deliver. 

Image source: Chili's at Home

I got myself the Bacon Mac & Cheese, because bacon. What I love about this that makes it different than just simple bacon with mac & cheese is the add-in of poblano peppers because it adds a nice kick to the simple dish. 

So unfortunately, my roommate threw away the box to make space for this in our fridge, but here's how it looks. I got the family-sized entree from my local Walmart. 
What makes this great is that you can just pop it in the microwave and voila, you're done! Since I'm living in a quad-type of dorm that doesn't have a kitchen, it's so nice to know that I could buy this, make it, and share it with the girls that I live with! Even with just eating a little bit of it is very filling, which is great even if you're trying to watch how much you're eating. 

Sorry for the terrible photo. I could've sworn that it wasn't this blurry when I took it!

If you don't want bacon mac & cheese, don't worry! Chili's at Home has tons of other entrees for you to choose from, from different rice entrees to pasta to nachos! 
Thank you, Chili's at Home for sponsoring today's post! 
Who else is excited for Chili's at Home as much as I am? What dish are you excited to try? 

Stayin' Alive and Well

It's been so long since my last actual post! BUT-- before you chew my head off for not doing much the past couple of weeks, let me explain.  + I moved back to school two weeks ago and I didn't really have time to settle because I was here for a music camp since I am a music student. I've also been broke so I haven't been able to organize/decorate my room in the ways that I want to just yet. 
+ I started school last week! While my schedule isn't as academically intense as it has been in past semesters, I was still trying to get used to my schedule and my living situation (see above). However, so far I love my classes! 
+ I've been commuting back and forth between church and school because of my involvement at my church on the weekends (thursdays - sundays). It's been tiring, but I do very much appreciate having a car to transport myself. 
+ God has blessed me with work! I work as a character performer (currently mascot characters but hopefully a princess/face character one day) and as a freelance face painter on the side so I've recently been doing a lot with that as well. I actually just recently gotten some extra cash from myself so hopefully I'll get to decorating and organizing my room soon (especially cause it's been terribly messy lately). 
+ I've also had other things happening recently (ex: BeautyCon LA, my sister leaving for college 6 hours away) that have also prevented me from posting and being as active as I'd like. 
Here are a few pictures of the past couple of weeks for a glimpse into my life as of late: 
BeautyCon LA: 

I got to meet Shannon (aka Shaaanxo) at BeautyCon. I love her videos and her accent!

Got a free pair of jeans from Lucky Brand (worth $119) as a result of this picture. BeautyCon haul to come soon!

 Sister's going away dinner:

preview of my room so far!

Yes, I took on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The full video is on my personal facebook.

First day of school #ootd: Black/White sleeveless top - stole from my sister // Boyfriend jeans - freebie from Lucky Brand Jeans // Brown flats/sandals - Charlotte Russe // Purple backpack - old from Target

Of course, I had to have some boba this past week.

One of my best friends is an RA this year (above) and I am so honored to be a "floor aunt" for her floor! I didn't directly mention this on the blog, but I applied and didn't become an RA this year (and briefly talked about it), but I'm so happy for this lovely friend of mine who did get chosen for it. I'm honored to join her on this rollercoaster in this part of her life with her! And plus, I get to do everything an RA does without the commitment and obligation! :] (whoops!)

My roommates from last year, reunited! (I'm still living with Alissa, on the left)

My school is so country they turned it into a country club for a night.

Some face painting samples for you to see my work so far: 

And of course, I have to include a picture with the boyfriend.

Although I can't guarantee that I'll be back to my 3 posts a week schedule anytime soon, I do hope to get posting at least once or twice a week! I've missed you all!