better

#1 Good Quality Sunscreen

Hot girls wear sunscreen plain and simple. No one wants to be walking around looking like a lobster in pain because they didn’t put sunscreen on. The UV index is high and I know you want to go out there and get all nicely tanned but it’s not worth ruining your skin. Regardless if you’re outside for 30 minutes or if you’re outside for 6 hours put on SUNSCREEN! Not just any sunscreen though because we all hate the sunscreen that leaves us feeling oily or sticky. I linked below some of my favorite sunscreens for both your face and body!

#2 Cute Water Bottle

Like I said before, summer is filled with long hot days so you need to stay hydrated. A cute water bottle will make you want to drink more water and a cute one just adds to the aesthetic! If you want to go the extra mile and feel even more like “that girl” get an ice maker. This can be one of those big fancy machines that make pebble ice or you could get a simpler tray that is equally as cute but a little more work. Having nice ice cold water on these sunny days is a must in my book! In addition to going that extra mile, invest in some good quality stickers to jazz up your water bottle. I say good quality because hopefully you’re washing your water bottle and you don’t want your stickers falling off or fading. This is just a little addition that’s really cute and fun!

#3 Good Quality Tote Bag

I say tote bag but honestly it can be any bag you love as long as it’s lightweight. You don’t want to be lifting a hefty purse to the beach or through the farmers market. I love a tote bag personally because its just so summery and beachy. It fits the vibes of summer fun! Tote bags can also be unique to you there are so many different designs that allow you to show off your personality! If you’re artsy you can even paint on your own design as a fun summer project! All in all a sturdy tote bag can be taken on all your summer activities so you can carry around important items while looking great!

#4 Water Safe Jewelry

It’s time to stop wearing poor quality jewelry pieces. I understand that most people simply don’t wear jewelry in the pool or ocean but I personally love accessorizing with staple pieces. I think jewelry is beautiful in every situation. I am also really lazy so I don’t like taking off my necklace and putting it back on every time I want to go swimming. If you’re like me, invest in 2-3 necklaces and some rings that you love and will wear all the time so that you can look great without having a green neck or fingers. If you don’t want to buy pricey jewelry but still want to accessorize all summer, get some cheaper plastic items. Summer is the perfect time to wear bright beaded necklaces and bracelets. The beaded look is so summery and fun without breaking the bank!

#5 Quality Hair Care Items

I can not stress this enough, please spend money on quality hair care products! This is one of those items that you’re not going to want to cheap out on. A lot of hair care products are filled with harsh chemicals and random ingredients. Summer is hard on your hair with all the swimming and the heat, your hair can get extremely dry. This is why you should invest in great quality shampoo and conditioner but other products as well. I think a good hair mask and leave-in conditioner are great additions that will help your hair exponentially during these summer days!

That’s all I have for you today, I hope this helped get you all set up for the summer and inspired you to be the best version of yourself. With that being said have an amazing summer! With love..

-Nikki Smith

It’s hard to get productive and stay in that mindset but here are some tips that have helped me get a good start to the day and left me feeling so much better. A productive day is just the start to accomplishing goals and feeling like a BADDIE. In order to have a productive day we need to…

1. Get Up Early

Rise and shine. You can’t have a productive day until you actually start your day. You need to have time in the day to get tasks done. For me personally, I try to get up at around 7-7:30 but I know this is not doable for everyone so find the time that works best for you. When you do get up however simply waking up is not the key. Waking up and watching tik tok for 2-3 hours will not lead to the outcome you’re looking for so… get that body moving. For people that just can’t seem to leave their bed, set your phone across the room at night so that when your alarm goes off you have no choice but to GET UP and turn it off. Another great thing to do right when you wake up is chug a glass of water. I always keep my water bottle next to my bed so that I can immediately drink it when I wake up. This keeps you hydrated as well as helps wake you up. My favorite ways to start a productive morning includes stretching, a quick workout, journaling, and/or reading all of these allow you to focus on one thing which will set you up for success later on. Being productive starts with how you approach the day.

2. Make a To Do List

Next we have to make a To Do List. This is a pretty straight forward concept but if you don’t know what you need to get done and how to organize it in the most optimal way you’re going to end up either frantically trying to do everything or losing motivation very quickly. You can make your to do list on your phone or a piece of paper. I prefer paper because the satisfaction of crossing something off my list just does something for me. I understand that having your list on your phone allows you to take it on the go and edit it more freely than paper does. Start your list by, in your head, figuring our the tasks that are most important to get done. For example if you have and essay due at 11:59 that day, it should probably out rank vacuuming the carpet. Once you have done this order your list by what you want to get done first. Using the same example I would put the essay assignment at the top of my list and then vacuuming the carpet/cleaning, then follow it with maybe running errands; going to the bank, getting groceries, etc. This allows you to simply follow the list top to bottom. Of course there is nothing saying you can’t go out of order, I just find it easier to focus when my day is already planned out for me and all I need to do is look at the next task on my list.

3. Keep Yourself in Check

If you’re reading this it’s probably because you want to be more productive with your time. Obviously right. You’ve already accomplished the first step. Motivation. You are motivated to do better and keeping hustling. However reading this post will only get you so far. I can give you some tips but it is ultimately up to you to implement them and get it done. Grab that To Do list, which is probably pretty lengthy and just start. You’ve already made it this far why not just keep going. Be aware that mindset is everything! Just because you woke up later than you wanted or realize that your To Do list is way longer then you initially realized, should not discourage you from still having a productive day. You are stronger than you think and if you want something it can happen. Set yourself up for success. Once you accomplish all your tasks you set out for, you’re going to feel so much better and hopefully proud because you just did that. Boom! This will allow you to keep going and continue to hustle. However take this with a grain of salt. Not everyday should be productive and intensely filled with things you need to get done. It is equally beneficial to take time off, to do absolutely nothing for the day. It is really easy to get stressed out and feel overwhelmed so make sure you’re taking time to relax and take care of yourself. In order to have productive days there has to be calm unproductive days.

Therein lies the 3 keys to having a successful day. I hope this helped you in some shape or form to get productive and keep hustling. I could spend all day writing about productive days but I think I’d rather let you get to it.

-Nikki Smith

Positively Nikki

5 Summer Essentials