From AZ to SF: Spring Break 2015 + Tips for Road Trips

Last week was my last college spring break, and as always, I spent it on choir tour rather than getting to have a traditional spring break. Last year, we went to Northern California, Oregon, and Washington, and this year we spent it going to Arizona then all the way through California up to San Francisco.  This year's tour was the most relaxing out of all of them due to a couple concerts being cancelled and with the way that scheduling worked out. We had tons of free time to shop and do some exploring. The top 2 touristy spots we went to were Sedona, Arizona and San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. We didn't have tons of time in SF so we were restricted to pretty much just one tiny area of the city. 

Sedona, Arizona

Regardless, I had an amazing time with the girls and singing for the different groups of people we encountered. (The children were the best!) This trip, like last year's trip had tons of long hours on the bus almost every day of tour, which meant that we spent lots of hours cramped up in a bus seat with our bus partners (if we had one) and our carry-on things. 
Here is what I learned about road trips:
+ Don't expect to get tons of work done, especially with a full itinerary! We had wifi on the bus, and we also spent a lot of time on the bus so I thought that it would be a great place for me to get things done (aka blog stuff). I was totally wrong. Every time I took out my laptop I felt like I was going to throw up (I get car sick if I read something for too long) and I never felt comfortable in my sitting position. Even if I did, my butt fell asleep which was uncomfortable for me later. If none of that, I just wanted to sleep. 
So basically, a bus' conditions are not ideal. I knew that because of last year's trip to Oregon & Washington, but I thought that with my blog having so much going for it that I'd be more motivated to work on the bus this year. NOT. Some people were able to get stuff done but I've noticed that's definitely not me. 
+ Take advantage of reclining seats (and all free space)! Our seats reclined, so whenever possible I reclined it back (with permission from my friend behind me of course) to get as close to a lying down position as I could. With long periods of time on these buses making most people feel claustrophobic, using any space you can is highly recommended. 
Other examples of using free space: taking up a whole row if spacing of your group allows or sleeping on the floor! I slept on the floor a lot on last year's PNW trip and it was the most comfortable sleep I ever got on those nice charter buses. (Plus, the floors were heated which was great for the weather we were in last year). 
I know that most of the time when you do road trips you'll be in cars rather than buses, but sometimes these tips can still apply if your car is big enough. Hey, you can get creative.
+ Bring travel sanitary products (soap, wipes, toilet paper) just in case. I only had to do this once at a place that didn't have soap at their sinks. Luckily, I brought these portable soap bomb-type "candies" by Bon Bliss Beauty and was able to wash my hands without worrying about feeling nasty. You want to stay prepared. 
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So those are all my tips for road trips that I have for now. I'm hoping to go on a more relaxing road trip with some friends soon, maybe before Darell leaves for Australia. Until then, have any other tips I missed? Share them with me so I can keep them in mind!

So You Want to Start a Blog?

I've been seeing many of my friends starting blogs, and people have been asking me about blogging lately, so I felt it would be appropriate to put it all into a post! I'm in no means a blogging expert, but if you want to get into blogging (whether for personal posts or sponsored posts/less personal posts), then this simple list should help you get into it! It's not too detailed because most people I know want to start a blog as a diary, but if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask me!

1. What do you want to write about? 

Do you want to write all about your faith? Do you want to document your relationship with that person? Do you just need a diary? Or do you want to chronicle your adventures in school, travel, food? Pick what you want to write about and stick to it. If you intend to write about multiple subjects like I do, then you can just categorize yourself as a "lifestyle" blogger. Just make sure that you know what you want to express to your audience when you come up with this. 

2. What are you going to name your blog?

Depending on if you want to blog just for fun or yourself and/or (eventually) for compensation/as a job, this may or may not be very important to you. Regardless, pick a name that is relevant to your topic. Some people just use their name as well, which you can do too. If you can, try to use the same URL as your blog's name. 

3. Tell us about yourself.

Somewhere on your blog, tell us about yourself! When people visit your blog, they want to know who you are or at least get an idea of who you are. Other than the homepage or post I'm reading on a blog, I always like to look at peoples' "about me" pages. I like getting to know the person behind the blog. You can read my "about me" here. I just changed it up!

4. Leave a place for people to contact you!

You never know when someone might come across your blog and be touched or want to ask you more questions or want to work with you. Leave an email address or social networks for people to connect with you. You want to be accessible to your readers, especially if they aren't friends/family who don't already know you!

5. Last of all, be confident in your blog!

When I first started blogging, I was really scared and intimidated to share posts on my personal Facebook because I was scared of being negatively judged by people that I knew. While I'm still working on this tip, I'm mostly confident in sharing my posts online, especially to people I know. 

When you write or post anything online, just know that you automatically open yourself up to criticism. People may just try to hate on you, but it's your blog and it's your voice! 

However, I will also say, that while I don't want you to hide your beliefs, please do not rudely state your opinion in an ignorant way. That's not cool. There's a way to state your opinion in a stern way that can still respect the opposing opinion. 

But other than that, I think you should be bold and brave in writing your blog. If you are writing personal posts on your blog, kudos to you! I know just how hard it can be to be vulnerable for the public, but just know that there are people who will read and care about what you say. If you feel comfortable enough to write it, people will support you. 

I hope so much that while these tips are fairly simple and vague, I hope they can help you. If you have any more questions, please email me at kriselle@livinandlovin.com. 

You can always just comment below as well, haha.

Check out my part 2 to this post if you are looking for more basic tips for starting a blog! If you want some more in-depth tips, tricks, and worksheets to help you start up your blog, sign up for my FREE blog course, "I Want to Start a Blog!"

Going Back to School: Before

It's that time of year, where everything about going back to school is on everyone's minds. From buying school supplies, to buying clothes, and moving out of your parents' homes to moving into your new dorm or apartment--this is a very exciting, but stressful time of the year. It is also very bittersweet because there's usually one of two feelings running through your head at this time: One: you're very excited to see friends again or move into your new dorm or two: you're hating the idea of homework and papers and deadlines once again.

If you're in college and living at school like I am, you have to pack up your stuff, buy (some) new stuff, and say bye to your friends once again before you go move into your new dorm or apartment. I'm currently less than a week away from moving back, and I feel like my life is so unorganized from everything I have yet to do.

This post is here to help prepare for going back to school! At first I was originally going to just write about everything going through my head, but most people feel the way I do when thinking about moving back to school or going back to school. Here are a few back to school tips to prep for before going back:

• Lists, lists, lists! Lists are how I keep my life organized! Right now I have lists of things to do, things to buy for my dorm room, and even things I need for this blog! Whenever I come up with something new or need something new, I just add it to my list and keep it near me so I can always add or cross things off as they happen. 
• Use Pinterest for inspiration! I've been obsessed with looking through Pinterest for design and organization inspiration for my desk and dorm room. There are so many cute and (sometimes) cheap ideas for crafts and other things to decorate your room! I'm making a list of things I need to recreate some of it [: Follow my Pinterest for some inspiration and ideas of your own!
• Go Thrifting: As I have mentioned before, thrift shopping is a great way, not only to buy cheap clothes, but to buy cheap furniture and other items as well! And you don't have to use things in the condition they're in. You can always repaint or reuse it for something else! For tips on thrifting, here's my previous post about it! 
• Keep, Store, Throw out: If you've been in college for more than a year, chances are you've realized that there are some things that you use more than others (and other things you don't use at all). When looking through your things, have three piles: keep, store, and throw out (or donate). Your keep pile will be everything you'll take back, the store pile will be for things to keep at home, and the throw out pile is for everything you don't need. That way, you won't have too many things in your tiny dorm room or apartment. If you'll be a freshman in college, you could always do this for cleaning out your room! This will make your room less cluttered when you come back home from school! (Your mom will also thank you, haha.)
• Take your time. The last thing you want to do is rush packing, only to find out you left all your underwear at home! This tip is especially important if you live a few hours away or out of state from your school. Another tip that goes well with this one is to double-check everything before you leave. This can also help if you're a forgetful person like I am (making a list would help make this part easier too!).

There you have it! These are my tips for a transition back to school that should be as smooth as possible. If you have any tips that I may have missed, please let me know in the comments below! I hope you have fun getting ready for school [: 

Chau for now!  ♥

Camp Whittle 2013 // What I've Learned as a Camp Counselor

I'm finally back from camp, and although it was so amazing to be back, I am also very thrilled to be back at home to rest.

It was my first time at Camp Whittle in Big Bear with the San Pedro and Peninsula YMCA in five years, so I was so excited to come back as a camp counselor. When I went to camp as a kid, I had always told myself that I would keep coming back. After my first year of college, I decided that the timing was perfect.

My co-counselor, Victoria, & I!

When I went to my first camp meeting after missing most of them due to being in Peru and another camp, I suddenly felt very out of place. I know that people will always come and go, but I was surprised to see how many unfamiliar faces filled the room. Mostly everyone was already well acquainted with each other, leaving my sister, my friend Samm, and I with each other. However, I was thrilled to see two old camp friends I made when I was a camper myself so long ago. It reassured me that it was a good thing to be back. 

To make it short and simple: this week wasn't as good as it could've been due to my co-counselor and I having 7 out of 8 of the girls being probably the most disrespectful and selfish little girls I have ever encountered. We weren't sure if it was just all of them being together or if they're really like that at home, but it was definitely a hard week. Regardless of all that, however, I must say that for one second I never regretted making the decision of coming back to camp. 

However, what made it easier was having the support of my co-counselor, my counselors-in-training (CIT's) (we all suffered together), my friends, and the directors. It was comforting to get encouragement, suggestions, or similar stories from others, which reminded me that I wasn't alone.

My sister & I with our rags

I also was able to get my brown rag and have the privilege to tie my sister's silver rag. The rag program is a program that the YMCA camps do where each person sets certain goals for themselves as they move up in the rag program. These goals are meant to be long term, lasting either a year or longer, maybe even 10. My friend Yasmine, one of my first friends at camp six years ago, was the one who had tied my brown rag. I am so blessed to have her in my life and still have kept in touch with her throughout the years.

So in short, this week was definitely... interesting. Haha. It was one heck of a ride, but it was all worth it. I'm so happy to have reconnected with my happy place, one of my favorite places to be in the world. I've also learned a few things from being a camp counselor this past summer...

1. Pack more than you need! I know that this sounds like an obvious one, but I was trying so hard to pack lightly that I just thought I could reuse my jeans and sweaters over and over again. WRONG. With all the dust and dirt that comes with being at a camp in the middle of the forest in the mountains, you need to pack adequate changes of clothing to deal with the dirt. Thank goodness my sister let me borrow a sweater and pair of shorts from her to wear for the week. 
2. Go all out! When you're a counselor, it is already a given that you need to actively participate in any and all camp activities. That being said, go big or go home! When you dress up for a themed day/meal, dress all out! You may look or feel stupid, but that's the beauty of camp. You shouldn't care about what others think of you because it's supposed to be a place for people to come together and be themselves. I think this can also apply to daily life as well. I've been learning a lot lately how important it is to put effort into everything you do, rather than making something mediocre just to say you did it. Everything has so much more meaning and feels so much more worth it if you do things that way. Besides, people always say, "If you feel stupid doing it, then you're doing it right." 
3. Patience, my love. Being a camp counselor really teaches patience. If I could only say one thing I'd learn from being a camp counselor at the two separate camps, it would definitely be patience. Whether it is with the kids, with your co-counselor, with an activity, or with the week in general. No matter what goes on in your head as a camp counselor, it is really important to remind yourself constantly that eventually the time will come for whatever it is that you're waiting for. Disciplining myself not to say anything offensive or overtly hurtful to my campers was honestly a struggle that I had to fight at both of my camps. It was all good for me in the end because I'm more familiar with the way that kids work and am slowly learning how to deal with it. Kudos to all you parents out there for that, haha. 

My summer still isn't over, but it's been such a growing experience for me the past couple of months. Just when you think you know yourself, you learn something new.