To Love in the Right Language

Hey guys! I'm back from my little slump. It didn't take as long as I thought it would (which is a good thing), so I'm so excited to be back with you guys and ready to get back into blogging. I still may not be as consistent, but just know that I am feeling much more better and have regained my motivation to write and promote through social media. 
So onto today's post!
Part of the reason for today's post is revolving around a little bit of why I was in a bit of an emotional slump last week. I'll be really honest and say that a lot of it had to do with my relationship with the boyfriend, Darell. 

Now while I won't go into details, the biggest thing that we both struggle with is loving each other in the way we need/want to be loved. 
If you aren't completely sure about what I'm talking about, let me put it this way: 
All of us have different "love languages," meaning that each of us have different ways of expressing and receiving love. 
You may or may not have heard of Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" book. The book basically talks about the different ways we show love and prefer to receive love, and like the title says, there are 5 different types: Physical Touch, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, and Words of Affirmation. If you want to know what your top love languages are, there is even a free quiz you can take online to find out! 

My top 3 love languages are physical touch, quality time, and words of affirmation, while Darell's are the opposite--acts of service and receiving gifts. I still find it so funny that he has the most high maintenance of love languages (gifts). 
Regardless of your relationship status, I think that it is so important to understand how you prefer to be loved so that you can express that to the people closest to you. It's also so helpful to find out what your loved ones' love languages are as well so that you can better express your love for them too. 

Tips to Love in the Right Language (regardless of relationship status):
1. Know your love languages. This will help you better understand why you are the way you are, whether it's understanding why you feel more/less loved by certain people or even how you express love to others. Though it's not this way all the time, chances are you probably show love the way you want it expressed to you. 
2. If your friends/loved ones know their love languages, take the time to understand what they are, especially if their love languages are different than yours. It's one thing to know what a person needs to feel loved, but to actually express it to them the way they want it is hard, especially if they are totally different from you. I know Darell and I struggle with this, but having a clear understanding of what that person needs from you will help take away some stress. That being said...
3. Don't be afraid to communicate! People aren't mind readers, so don't be afraid to speak up if you feel your friendship or relationship needs aren't being met. If that person really cares about you they'll take the time to listen and try to figure out what can change to best fit both of your needs. 
4. Be patient. We're all different. We all learn things differently, so of course we're all going to love differently. Be patient with those around you who still struggle with expressing their love and gratitude to you, and hopefully they'll be patient with you too if you still struggle as well. Loving someone in their love language is hard, but in doing so, you are making yourself vulnerable to them and saying "hey, we're both different but I know that you really appreciate this, so here you go." You may not understand how much some of these things (like holding their hand or verbally telling them you appreciate them) have meaning, but trust me, your friend, relative, or significant other will appreciate you for it. 
So what are your love languages? How do you express love? Any tips I missed? 

Disclosure: I am in no way affiliated with Gary Chapman or The Five Love Languages. I just really enjoy and support it!

EleFUNt Rings

Silver Band: c/o the boyfriend // Gold & Tangerine ring set: Kendra Scott // Elephant Ring: c/o The Collegiate Standard
I love rings. I feel like they're the easiest accessory to have because (for the most part), you can have them on your fingers and they won't bother you, unlike necklaces or bracelets. I've really been looking for more cute, simple rings to add to my collection and was thrilled when The Collegiate Standard sent me a cute elephant ring that I wear all the time!

The Collegiate Standard is known for their greek jewelry (which you should check out if you're involved with greek life), but they actually have non-greek stuff too! It was perfect for me because I'm not apart of greek life at all. 
If you are interested in the non-greek stuff, you can check out the jewelry on their website under "NON-GREEK." The jewelry is so beautiful and great quality, whether or not you get a greek or non-greek item. 
The best part is, these rings are made out of sterling silver, so they don't rust at all! It's perfectly safe to have around water. And there is a lifetime warranty on all TCS products, so if anything happens, you'll be able to replace your jewelry in no time!
What's your favorite greek/non-greek piece of jewelry from The Collegiate Standard?
Disclosure: The Collegiate Standard provided me a product to review. All opinions are my own.

Apologies and Updates

Lately I've been such a terrible blogger! And I'm so sorry about that. I just came back from camp last week and I'm also dealing with a lot of personal issues that have really been hindering me from posting as regularly as I normally do. 
I will still be posting at least once or twice a week! Please don't get that mistaken. I still have so many posts for you guys, but it's just a matter of when I get to sit down and write them that will be the issue. And I'll still be active on other social media like Twitter and Instagram, but I won't be talking about much blog stuff for a while. 
What I'm basically asking is: Just please be patient with me as I figure some stuff out! I want to be more active, but for right now I'm just too drained in different aspects of my life to do so, to be honest. Like I said, I'll still be posting at least once or twice a week, but it may not be consistent and it won't be thrice a week like I normally do. 
That's really all I can say for right now, thank you so much for your patience!

Your Story Blog Hop: Your Happy Place

I'm back from camp! And as inspired by camp, I decided to make this week's prompt about your happy place. We all have one--where do you feel at most ease? 
What is your happy place? Where is it and why do you see it as your happy place? How did you discover it and often do you visit it? 
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Hands down, my happy place is a place I like to call Camp Whittle. This year was my 4th year going, although it isn't my 4th consecutive year. I went for two years as a camper before going on a 5 year hiatus, then I came back as a camp counselor last year. 

Me as a camper in 2008 before my unexpected hiatus

When I left camp my second year in 2008, I had fully intended to come back the next year for my last year as a camper. Actually, I had fully intended to continue going to camp for the next few years until I got older, but life happened. I got super involved in my church at the time and couldn't leave for camp the next year, or the years after that. Paying for camp was also an issue and I didn't want to burden my parents with paying for it. So as a result, I stopped going.

Even though I stopped going to camp for those few years, every year around the time of camp I always got sad, knowing that all these people were going to my favorite place in the world while I was stuck in the city. They were off making great memories while I was at home. I promised myself that I would return one day and also continue on in the ragger (goal-oriented) program the YMCA has as well. 

Last year, as I was finishing up my last few weeks in my freshman year of college, I remembered camp and that I was finally old enough to be a counselor and to go for free. I emailed the head director of camp, and he sent me an application to apply. 

Long story short, I returned. And it was so amazing to be back. It was weird to go back because there were so many new people and new changes in the ways camp was run, but at the same time, camp itself remained the same. The same trees, the same dining hall, and the same cabins. 

My co-counselor and I from last year

I was lucky enough to be a co-counselor with a girl I knew as a camper, although we weren't really close friends back then or anything. I was just happy to know that she remembered me, even if it was only a little. Most of my friends that were still going camp remembered me as the girl who could sing (if they remembered me at all). 

My cabin wasn't the easiest cabin, to say the least, but that wouldn't stop me from coming back again. I came back this year more ready and motivated to make this place a happy place for the girls in my cabin, as well as reconnect myself with nature. 

These pictures are out of order and I don't have many of nature or any of my cabins because we couldn't have our phones out for most of the camp. But I can assure you, Camp Whittle is a beautiful place. I don't ever want to go on long, 5-year-breaks from camp ever again. 

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RULES:

1. Respond to the prompt of the week, sharing as much or as little as you feel comfortable! I encourage using photos and would love to see photos integrated in your posts!

2. Link up! (Make sure you are linking your blog post, rather than your blog) using the widget below. 

3. I encourage you to read and leave comments for everyone’s posts, but I only require you to do so for at least one person who linked up! 

4. Follow your host (me!) on Bloglovin'. It's not required to follow me anywhere else but you totally can if you'd like. 

5. As an added bonus, I will retweet/share any of your social media posts that you follow and tag me in (Twitter: @krisellerhiax) (Facebook: Livin' and Lovin' - You may have to post your blog link/facebook post to my wall if you'd like me to see it). Don’t forget to use the hashtag #yourstorybloghop!



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I'm still recovering from being at camp, so I apologize for getting this post up super late! I'm extending the time to link up from tomorrow at midnight to the end of July 31st! Tell me about where you like to go and be happy!

Skincare for the Anti-Tanner [Guest Post}

So I will be coming from camp tomorrow! (yay!) With that being said, I have my last guest post of this week by Mo from Ollivander Mo! Today she's touching on what it's like to be naturally tan, like me! Whether you want to get tanner or use that whitening soap your mom gave you, I hope you enjoy this post and learn something from it!

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Hey, everyone! It's Mo from Ollivander Mo! Like Kriselle, I'm Filipino. Being Filipino, I'm just naturally "tan." In fact, saying I'm "tan" would be an understatement. I, like many other Asians, don't really like how easily I tan from the sun. While most girls my age are going out of their way get more color from the sun, I'm doing literally the opposite. I'm going out of my way to ensure that I don't get any darker...which, might I add, is extremely hard because sometimes I get darker just from walking to my car (especially here in Arizona).

For those of you wishing you had my skin-color, keep in mind that the color I am is me at my lightest after years of making conscious effort not to get darker. For those of you who understand MAC foundation shades I'm currently an NC43. Their darkest shade available is NC55 I believe. Again, keep in mind that this is me at my lightest. Sigh.

So, for those wondering how an anti-tanner takes care of her skin (aside from the face), here are the top four products that I use!

1. Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50
This stuff smells amazing. It smells like summer and coconuts. I try to wear high SPF sunscreen on a daily basis because I need all the help I can get to keep the color away. Sunscreen is one of those things that everyone knows you're wearing because they can totally smell it on you. No one wants to be sitting through the school or work day smelling like sunscreen. Luckily, this stuff smells (and feels) more like regular lotion than sunscreen. Only with the benefits of SPF 50. Yes.

2. Japanese Wash Cloths
These are much more rough than your average "loofa." It comes in a long strip of "cloth" that's particularly rough making it great for exfoliating. Exfoliating is one of the best ways to brighten up your skin. It removes the dead skin cells that have been fried by the sun and reveals new, bright skin beneath it. If you're used to regular loofas, the Japanese wash cloth will probably actually hurt at first. This is pretty normal. Over time, you'll get used to the roughness.


3. Skin Whitening Papaya Soap
I usually use Likas brand because it's what my mom gets from family in the Philippines. Out of all the skin whitening methods, I feel safest using Papaya soap because it's one of the more gentle solutions. I've heard horror stories of women using skin whitening and bleaching products and essentially just ruining their skin completely, so I never go with anything too harsh. It's something you see results with over time, but because I don't always use it consistently, it mostly just helps me maintain my current color. Mostly what I do is wrap it with the Japanese wash cloth and scrub my body (mostly my arms) with this stuff. It helps to even out the skin tone and a blemishes on your skin. It also really helps with things like dark elbows and knees. The one downside to this soap is that it can be extremely drying. If you were to wash up with this stuff, your skin would start feeling tight before you even got out of the shower.

4. Lush Cosmetics Buffy Bar
Being that the papaya soap is really drying, I love using the Buffy Bar from Lush to moisturize back up. It has grains, sands and other things in there that help to further exfoliate the skin. It's basically a lotion bar with a scrub built in. The way you use it is you get in the shower and after washing up you rub this all over your wet skin. The grains will stick of course so you'll be required to rinse everything off. Because it's a lotion bar you use in the shower, your skin drinks it up! Just wait. You'll get out of the shower and be silk smooth, soft and moisturized!


BONUS PRODUCT: This doesn't really count as skincare, but it helps me avoid a tan: a Cardigan! I wear cardigans year round to avoid the sun. Is that sad? Lol.

How do you feel about tanning/your current skintone? What do you do to get the skintone you want?




Mo Olivas from Ollivander Mo is a Social Media and Reputation coordinator, Freelance Digital producer, designer & consultant and a Creative lifestyle blogger and YouTuber. Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and her Website!

Ollivander Mo is a creative resource and its mission is to create, make it great, make it magical AND to inspire others to do the same. She believes in magic, creativity and fun! 

The Perfect Beach Tote [Guest Post]

I am currently in the middle of the camp week and it is exhausting, let me tell you. I'm sad that it is halfway over but I'm also glad because soon enough I'll be back on here with you guys! Until then, here is Ashliegh, one of the first bloggers I met when I started doing this last summer. 

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Hi friends! I'm Ashliegh, the blogger behind The Darling Daily. My blog features classy fun, fashion, beauty, recipes and more! I am a recent post-grad, sorority woman, and lover of bargain shopping, reading classic literature, and, of course, living life to my personal motto, "high heels, high standards, pearls everyday."

Summer is here and that means backyard BBQ's, sun tanning, and, most importantly, beach time! In order to carry my favorite magazines and beach reads, sunscreen, and other beach essentials, I'm in search of the perfect beach tote!

1. Fresh Pick Geo Beach Tote ($32) - This bag is so girly! Who doesn't love the pink and green color combination?!

2. Island Hopper Beach Tote ($39) - A simple natural straw bag is a beach classic! You can't go wrong with a timeless staple like this tote.

3. Striped Beach Tote ($46.99) - Stripes always remind me of the beach, especially if they're red and white stripes. With a nautical vibe and rope straps, I could definitely see myself packing this on a cruise vacation! 

4. La Vida Loca Beach Tote ($34.99) - This tote is loud and screams fun! Pack a volleyball into this tote to carry the fun factor onto the beach!

5. Personalized Canvas Tote (on sale now for $9.95!) - A simple monogrammed tote is another classic for the preppy girl! As Reese Witherspoon once said, "if it isn't moving, monogram it!"

Which beach bag is your favorite, Darling?

I hope you'll stop by The Darling Daily and say hello! You can also follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Bloglovin'! 

With Love,

Ashliegh

5 Reasons Why I Read a Blog [Guest Post]

Hey, everyone! It's Kriselle here. So I'm currently away at camp for this whole week, so you will be getting to know some great people and reading some great things from them while I'm away. So today, please welcome Felecia from Hello Felecia!

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Hello Livin and Lovin Readers! I'm Felecia from Hello Felecia dot com. I write a lifestyle blog, it has a little bit of all my hobbies from books to fashion. I am glad to be able to share with you all today. As a reader and a blogger there are a couple of factors that keep me going back to a blog.

1. Personal Connection.

Who does not like making friends and staying up to date on the goings on of their life. I know I do, and I enjoy not only receiving tips and advice from different blogs but the ability to get to know the blogger behind the advice. Although, I may have never meet them in person, I know them a little better when the blogger shares personal information.

2. Humor.

I enjoy a sense of humor. Life is pretty serious already and a little humor lightens things up a bit. I am not super hilarious, but I do enjoy reading blogs written by bloggers with a sense of humor.

3. Beautiful Photos.

I do appreciate photos within a blog post, it breaks up the text nicely. I also enjoy when blog post have quotes tried in that has to do with the topic of the post or are the topic of the blog post.

4. Comment Response.

I enjoy getting replies to my comments almost as much as I enjoy getting comments on my blog. It is a another way to connect with readers on the blog. It is cool to know not only was the comment read but time was taken to thoughtfully response to the comment, and get to know me, the reader, a little bit better.

5. Outside communication.

I enjoy communication and connection, I have mentioned these two factors a couple of times. It is cool when the interaction happens outside of the blog. When I can interact with the blogger like any other friend I know through various social media, in particular Instagram and Twitter. I enjoy getting to know people, hearing their stories, and being a part of their world.   Why do you keep coming back? What do you enjoy most about blogging or reading blogs?