summer – Positively Nikki

5 Summer Essentials

July 10, 2023Nikki 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!

July 7, 2023Nikki 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

June 11, 2023Nikki 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

Summer Reset!

June 2, 2023Nikki SmithLeave a comment

Words cannot describe how grateful I am that it’s finally SUMMER! I swear senior year even though it was a blast, it was super stressful and even though I still have quite a bit to do, there is something about that summer sun that melts all my worries away. It’s getting hotter! Schools out! and it’s time to get ready to have an epic summer!

Full Self Care Day

I’m talking hair masks, face masks, painting your nails, shaving, exfoliating. You get my point. But honestly there is no better feeling than after a self care day feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. You feel brand new and that confidence will be amazing as you go into those summer months.

Free Woman Putting Mask on Her Face Stock Photo

Spring Cleaning

I know this may not be the funnest thing but it will put you on the right path to having a great summer. This is the time when you take out all your summer clothes; put those winter jackets away, refresh your room, wipe down all the surfaces and mirrors. A clean room is so rewarding to come home to after long summer days in the sun. I can’t think of anything better than being fully shaven and exfoliated, being out in the sun all day nice and toasted and then laying down on your freshly clean made bed. Epitome of summer!

Free Black and White Spray Bottle Stock Photo

Early Morning Activities

Summer = 5am sun rises. Now I am definitely not telling you to wake up at 5am but getting up early like 8 in the morning to do something that relaxes you as you sit outside in the 60 degree weather with that cool crisp smell of summer morning. Oooh I get so excited. I personally like to read in the morning but I know a lot of people like to journal or do yoga, maybe go on a walk or anything that you love doing.

Free Black Iphone 7 Beside Macbook Pro Stock Photo

Decorate

By decorate I simply mean liven up your space with some brighter colors and some flowers. In the spring I love setting out my fruity scented candles and hanging up some photos with bright colors. It’s the little things that make you happy. You definitely don’t need to go on a whole shopping spree just because it’s summer but some flowers and a nice table cloth can go a long way.

Make A Summer Bucket List

Having a plan on some of the summer activities that you want to do will help you so much in having a great summer because the thought process will already be there. If you want to take it a step further, plan on what days you can do the activities, who you might invite, things like that so everything runs a bit smoother. Simply having a list to work off of is great though. Last summer I made a large list of little activities I wanted to do and on days I had time I would randomly choose one and do it. I made it maybe half way through my list, even though I didn’t get everything done that I wanted I still managed to have an amazing summer with a bunch of memories.

Okay that’s all I have for you guys today. I hope you enjoyed this summer reset post! I hope you have an amazing summer filled with even better memories! With love ❤

-Nikki Smith

5 Tips To Stay Fit During the Summer

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023Nikki SmithLeave a comment

As a former high school athlete I never truly struggled with staying fit simply because I was always active between practices, open gyms, and camps. I played both volleyball and basketball for the last 4+ years but since the season has ended I’ve made it a point to try and stay in shape. Without sports I had to find a way to stay healthy and fit on my own. I’ll be sharing some tips that I find helpful for the upcoming summer.

Find a type of workout you love/ Explore

There are so many ways to workout: cardio, weight lifting, pilates, etc. Explore different styles of working out to find what fits you best. It is also very common to switch what you do if you are not enjoying it anymore. For example I was really into at home YouTube video workouts for a while and then transitioned to weightlifting which I found to like better. It’s all about preference. Find what makes you want to workout. Once you find what works best for you…

Create a fitness routine

As a former athlete I am very used to “working out” from 4-6 (after school) for 5 days a week. I continued to do this because I found that it worked the best for my body. I didn’t want to workout early in the morning or late at night and I didn’t want to work out directly after a meal. Some people do better in the morning while others thrive in the evening. Find what works best for you. In addition to creating a schedule, create your personalized routine. For example Monday=Upper body, Tuesday=Core, Wednesday=Cardio, Thursday=Lower body, Friday=Full body or some variation tailored to you. Having a routine will help you stay consistent and allow you to dive right in.

Minimize the thought process

This may seem weird at first but don’t overthink it. You don’t need to always have a super intense sweaty workout to stay in shape. Unless you have large fitness goals it’s okay to not go to the gym or even workout everyday. Having an active lifestyle change will help you stay in shape and maintain your body. Going on a walk, or swimming, maybe playing some basketball really any physical activity will help you stay in shape. In this society everyone is trying to lose weight or have crazy fitness goals but simple changes to one’s mindset can turn the “burden” of workout out into a fun activity. One of my favorite ways to be active without necessarily working out is riding bikes with my little brothers. I know that some people don’t want to go around riding bikes but this is a perfect example of just getting outside and doing something fun.

Have a goal

Having a fitness goal will keep you motivated. I’m not going to lie, motivation is one of the hardest parts of staying in shape. There are many ways to create a fitness goal you could aim for consistency for example: I want to do something active 6 times a week. You could do a number oriented goal: I want to lift this much weight by a blank amount of time or I want to run a mile in under this amount of time something like that. I would recommend straying from weight oriented goals (losing/gaining weight) because at least for me it can be very discouraging, weight fluctuates so much even day to day. It can be hard to not focus on the number and progress so don’t make losing or gaining weight a huge priority if you’re trying to stay fit.

Focus on your diet

If you listen to any fitness influencer they will always tell you that what you eat has more to do with fitness than working out. Now I am not saying go on some weird crazy diet but being mindful of what you put into your body goes a long way. This plays into your mindset of staying fit as well. Being mindful of when you’re full is important, understanding that your body may crave certain things and it’s okay to give in to those cravings and over all being aware what types of foods you’re eating. We all know that eating whole foods with nutrients is better than processed meals however a healthy combination of both will leave you more fulfilled mentally and physically. All in all, eat foods that make you feel strong and energized and relish in the not so healthy food from time to time.

I wanted to include a part where I say I am not a doctor or nutritionist, simply a teenage girl trying to share how she stays fit. This is NOT professional tips or advice. With that being said I hope you enjoyed and can stay healthy throughout the summer. Good luck! With love..

-Nikki Smith