cheap

5 Summer Essentials

Nikki SmithLeave a comment

Summer is finally here and I have some items you need in order to look and feel the best all summer long! Longer days, sunshine, and overall having the best time is what summer is all about! So with that said…

#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

Small Town Summer Bucket List!

Nikki SmithLeave a comment

Now I love a good summer bucket list as much as the next person but I live in a small western town with not much to do. I know a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to live in a fun beach town where they can go tubing, go to festivals and all of those super fun activities. There are also a lot of people that cannot afford to do a lot of bigger summer activities which is why I created a list with some fun things to fill up your summer days that are relatively affordable and can be done from anywhere. There is a broad range of activities so I hope you can find somethings to add to your summer bucket list so you can have the best time!!

  • Lake Day
  • Make bracelets
  • Bake off night
  • Paint glasses
  • Watch the sunrise
  • Make a fancy breakfast
  • Movie marathon
  • Bike ride around town
  • Tie Dye
  • Water ballon fight
  • Paint air dry clay dishes
  • Go to local stores/window shop
  • Go swimming
  • Play volleyball
  • Make popsicles
  • Carpool Karaoke
  • Create a blog/youtube channel
  • Bonfire w/ smores
  • Go camping
  • Have a picnic
  • Learn a new lauguage
  • Go bowling
  • Host a game night
  • Watch fireworks
  • Self care day
  • Try a new food place/menu item
  • Go on a hike
  • Make a photo wall
  • Redecorate your room
  • Create a scrapbook!
  • Go through you closet and donate clothes
  • Sunbath
  • Upcycle a piece of furniture or clothes
  • Have a photo shoot
  • Make chalk art
  • Go to the Rodeo
  • Find live music
  • Go fishing
  • Visit local shops
  • Create an epic ice-cream sundae
  • Go night swimming

That’s all I have for you guys today! I hope this inspired you to get out there and create wonderful memories! Summer is the time to try new exciting things! Even living in a small town can be super fun if you make it the best it can be! With that being said I hope you all have and amazing summer! Good bye 🙂

-Nikki Smith

3 Fun Summer DIY Projects

Nikki SmithLeave a comment

1. Clay bowls/ring dishes

This DIY is super fun and easy! All you need is some air dry clay, paint, and some kind of sealant. I’ve been seeing a lot of tik toks where they make fruit dishes, flowers, and a bunch of different shapes. This is a project where you can really let your creativity flow!

2. Tie Dye Projects

Tie Dyeing is the epitome of summer activities! Now buying a whole tie dye kit can be expensive and wasteful if you’re not going to use it. I suggest getting 2 smaller packs of tie dye. Get together with some friends and create a beautiful design on a t-shirt, socks, hats, anything that you can bring more color to. It’s a fun, relatively quick summer activity that anyone can enjoy!

3. Beaded Anklets/Bracelets

This is a great way to get into the summer spirit! Making bracelets or anklets is super fun and easy. There are so many kits to choose from ranging in color and size of beads! You can get a group of friends together and each make a bunch of bracelets to rock all summer long! Perfect for all ages as well as curing that summer boredom. Click on the image to find these bracelets.

That’s all I have for you guys today! I hope you have an amazing summer filled with fun and amazing activities! Get out and make some memories!

-Nikki Smith

7 Items You Need To Start Scrapbooking

Nikki SmithLeave a comment

Scrapbooking is my favorite hobby! It is a fun creative way to cherish your memories forever. Since everything is digital nowadays we don’t see as many printed pictures. This is a way for you to design different pages based on different memories and feelings. For example I have a page dedicated to my Oma (Grandma) and it has a bunch of old bingo cards as the background because she is super into bingo. Little things like that really tie a page together. If you’re looking to get into scrapbooking here are 7 must haves before you dive right in.

1. The Scrapbook

This is a pretty obvious one but there are so so many different types of scrapbooks out there depending on how you want to create your pages. I personally use (https://amzn.to/42x08KZ) but this is a smaller size so I often have to cut a lot of paper and pictures to make it all fit together. If you’re looking for a similar vibe but a normal size I suggest (https://amzn.to/3VCFzdX) I know people also love to use scrapbooks with plastic sleeves so that they can easily change orders or pages as well as keep their pictures safe. Links to those kinds of scrapbooks can be found here (https://amzn.to/3AZNdWe) (https://amzn.to/3NROHcZ) (https://amzn.to/3AZO6y2)

2. Pictures

Again obvious but there is a little bit more than just ordering pictures. Figure out how you want your scrapbook to look before you start ordering all your pictures. Planning your pages starts here! If you have a specific color theme or style then you need to look for pictures that fit into those categories. Once you do that I would say it’s important to know what size you want your pictures to be . For example you may want one large photo and then 2 smaller pictures or you may want 4 medium pictures or even 8 small pictures. Remember to take this into consideration before ordering a bunch of photos. I often have to make collages of my photos because I have a smaller scrapbook that I love to load up with pictures. All I do is use the app PicCollage, select a template, enter my picture how I want them and make sure the size is 4×6. The typical printed picture is 4×6 and runs about 16-25 cents depending on where you get your photos. This way you get a bunch of mini photos without having to pay any additional fees.

3. Stickers

Stickers are the best way to elevate your scrapbook in an easy, cheap way. I absolutely love matching stickers to my scrapbook spreads. If you need to fill a big space STICKER! If you need to fill a small space, STICKER! If you ran out of tape and need to secure a picture, you guessed it, STICKER! Stickers will be your best friend especially when you’re just starting your scrapbook. I linked some of my favorite sticker packs that I personally love. (https://amzn.to/3plOSmj) (https://amzn.to/42ty9Mk) (https://amzn.to/44u9cCa) (https://amzn.to/3B0Y16n)

4. Paper cutter/scissors

I would definitely recommend getting a paper cutter because 1. it is so much faster than scissors and 2. your lines are going to be a lot straighter. This will help you line up your pictures better and create crisp edges. You still want to have scissors though for when you want to cut out more detailed things. Here is a link to the paper cutter I use (https://amzn.to/41d0jtZ)

5. Paper

Having different colors of cardstock will add so much debt to your scrapbook pages. Especially if you are just starting, simply adding a border to your pictures will spice it up. There are a lot of specific designs you could get as well, for example there are floral sets, holiday sets, neon sets, and so much more. I recommend getting a pretty basic ray of colors to start off with and then venture into bigger sets the more you scrapbook. Here are some sets to look at. (https://amzn.to/41e5A4g) (https://amzn.to/3LKttLc) (https://amzn.to/3VIpjZ6) (https://amzn.to/3nEGYUO)

6.Pens/Markers

This is a more basic necessity. You use pens and markers for writing or drawing anything in your scrapbook. If you already have a lot of stationary, that is great! Having a broad range of colors and utensils will bring you a long way. Linked below are some starter items.

Pens- (https://amzn.to/3pjjzsv) (https://amzn.to/42cNQYy) (https://amzn.to/42xDX7v)

Markers- (https://amzn.to/3M0Spzw) (https://amzn.to/3B04eQf) (https://amzn.to/3LKbpAK) (https://amzn.to/3nx4JOH)

7. Memory Items

This is a nice addition but not entirely necessary if you want to start scrapbooking. Memory items include things like ticket stubs, airplane tickets, pamphlets, maps, specific stickers, pressed pennies, that sort of thing. It is nice to have a physical item to represent the memory in addition to your pictures. It’s just a nice touch to have in your scrapbook.

8. Double Sided Tape

I can not stress this enough, do not use glue! Glue is sticky and messy plus waiting for it to dry is just annoying. Instead use double sided tape. Double sided tape is quick and easy, all you have to do is cut it to size and stick it where you want on the paper. There is no mess or waiting, you can immediately go right back to decorating your page. I get my double sided tape from Shien, it comes in a lot of different sizes and it’s only $1. I usually go through it pretty quickly so I stack up in all sizes pretty frequently. I have yet to have a problem with anything falling off or the tape not being sticky. Highly recommend!

That all I have for you today. Hope you enjoyed and were able to get a solid idea of what you need to start scrapbooking! I wish you the best of luck!

-Nikki Smith