Life Hacks Every Girl Needs To Know

I was on a girls trip in Tahoe a few weeks ago and my girlfriends laughed at how many little tips and tricks I knew (mostly how to keep wine cool and fresh LOL). They said "life hacks by Thea" and right then I noticed how many little life tips and tricks over the years I've learned from friends, family members or just by being in dire need for a quick fix. Here are some life hacks that I think every girl will benefit from knowing.


DRINKS:

Champagne!
Who doesn't love a great glass of champagne? Sometimes we just want 1 glass and another a while later, but the bubbles stop being so fizzy. Well, there's a life hack for that. All you have to do is put a spoon in your champagne (bowl up and handle in the bottle). This will preserve the bubbles. Crazy, right? It works!!

Wine
Do you ever go to the store and get home wanting to pop that bottle.... BUT it's not cold yet :( Well, I have just the tip to speed up the cooling process
- Get a wash cloth or a bundle of paper towels 
- Soak them under wet water
- Wrap the wet towel around your bottle
- Place bottle wrapped in wet towel in the freezer

- Should be chilled within 10-15 minutes

BEAUTY:

Dry shampoo
Have you ever been running around and you feel like your hair looks a bit oily, but you don't have any dry shampoo? What about when you are at home heading out and you run out of your dry shampoo? Is there anything worse? I have a hack for you! This happened to me recently and I used my translucent powder in place of dry shampoo, it worked like a miracle! I just put the powder on my hands and worked it through the base of my hair. The result was fresh looking non-oily hair! Whatever loose translucent powder you have should do the trick!

Toothbrushes are like liquid gold
Flyaways- do you have weird flyaways or baby hairs that always annoy you? I got your back. All you need to do is spray some hairspray on a toothbrush and push those flyaways out of your face. I promise they will stay put!
Brows-Are you on a trip and your brows are looking wild? A tooth brush will do the trick to tame those guys!

Hair dye- Dying your hair at home, but you literally suck and always get die on your forehead? Put some die on a toothbrush and use this to apply around your forehead and ear area. 

Makeup remover
I always run out of makeup remover, so a super cheap and easy way to remove your makeup is using an organic conditioner. It works wonders and I just completely stopped buying makeup remover. Just place it on your eyes and rub away the makeup- all you need to make sure of is that it isn't super scented (most aren't).

Top knot bun
You know how everyone buys these things for the perfect bun? Well if you don't have one, a sock will do. Yeah seriously, grab yourself a long tube sock (dark hair use a dark sock, light hair use a light sock)
- Cut the closed end off the toes of the sock
- Roll the sock up to look like a donut
- Put your hair in a pony
- Place the "donut" at the end of your hair
- Roll your hair in to a bun.

I saw this video years ago and have been using this technique ever since.

Smooth looking lipstick
Don't you hate having cracks in your lipstick or visible dry skin? All you need to do is take your toothbrush and brush your lips. Yes, this will exfoliate and get rid of dry skin! Another thing that works well is mixing brown sugar with just enough honey (or olive oil) and scrubbing your lips, then washing it off with a warm washcloth.


How to not bloat when flying
Do you bloat and/or your feet swell when you're traveling? Me too. There's a trick around it. Green tea. Get to the airport and get a large green tea from Sbux or Peet's and drink throughout the flight. Alternately, you can pick up green tea extract and pop a few before you travel. Green tea is a natural 


CLOTHING:

Off the shoulder tops
Have you ever worn an off the shoulder top that keeps creeping up over your shoulders? It's so annoying when the sleeves won't stay down. I watched this video, and it changed the game for me. Now, I do this and have ZERO issues with my tops scrunching up. 

Double sided tape
Low cut top- are you nervous you're going to flash the world with either your bra or your nip? Just apply some double sided tape on either your skin to the fabric or from your bra to the fabric.
Bra straps- are your bra straps showing in your tank top? Apply some double sided tape from your bra to the fabric, and that should help. Also if your bra in the back of your top keeps showing you can do the same.

Washing whites
Do you have a stain, but aren't sure how to get it out and not burn a hole through it. The trick is to throw some soap in to the bottom of your washer with some bleach and start the washer with Nothing in it for about 1 minute. Once the soap and bleach have blended with the hot water you can toss in your whites. Works like a charm every time!


If you think your friends or family can learn a thing or two from this post, please share :)

The Best Hair Products To Take When You Travel

I always love having small products with me whether I'm traveling or just headed out for a full day. These products are my favorites and since there are SO many product out there I want to let you know why these ones are my go-to's.

Drybar- Money Maker- This is my favorite hairspray. I've been using this for about 2 years and I just love it. Some of the reasons I like it are a)the smell (people think I'm wearing a fresh perfume, even though it's just my hairspray) b) the fact that it isn't heavy, sticky and it doesn't leave any white flakes c) it's buildable, so you can keep adding over days and it won't look like you have tons of hairspray in your hair.

R+Co- Outer Space- This hairspray is great to take to an event or if you need your hair to stay! It is a little heavier than the Drybar one, but it has more of a hold. It would be the perfect thing to pack if you were going to be out dancing all night or taking a lot of photos!

Oribe- Thick Dry Finishing Spray- This stuff is perfect if you have thin hair and want to create a bit more volume and texture. I like taking this one on vacation, so I can keep beachy hair that doesnt look too frizzy. This product is great for messy beachy waves.

R+Co- Dry Desert Dry Shampoo- This spray comes with me wherever I go. It's in my suitcase, my backpack and sometimes even my purse. It's the best dry shampoo I've ever tried. I love it because it doesn't leave tons of white residue on your hair, and similar to the Money Maker it is buildable over days and you can keep touching up!

Oribe- Split End Seal- This product is great to use when you've just finished styling your hair and you either see a few dry ends OR you have fly aways. This product will hydrate those ends and also give you a really nice finish.

Oribe- Gold Lust Conditioner- This is the holy grail of conditioners. I have bleached hair on my ends, and I credit this conditioner to my hair still being healthy! I have been using this one for 2.5 years and have no interest in switching anytime soon. I used to have to use TONS of conditioner to make my hair feel smooth. This one the product goes a really long way, so even though it's on the pricier end I have saved money because I don't need to use very much at all.

Oribe- Gold Lust Hair Oil- This paired with the Oribe Conditioner are the two most hydrating products i've found on the market. This is another one I can't live without. I have tried so many hair oils and they either seem too oily, or that they don't hydrate enough. This one is the perfect mix!

Why You Need A Vacation

After 10 days in paradise, I learned a few things

1. Take your vacation. You earned it. PTO is there for you as a benefit. It is one of the most underrated benefits, and many people max out their PTO and let those hours go to waste. You literally get paid to GET OUT OF TOWN, so why don't you do it? Too expensive or on a budget? Plan for it, pick up a side job (what I do), or go somewhere local (camping anyone)!
2. Unplug a bit- This one is tough. I am not going to lie to you and say I've mastered this, I haven't. To me, I just try to use the internet less than usual. AKA don't be glued to your phone.
3. Spend time doing things you love- While on vacation, don't apologize for spending time on YOU. You see- I love working out. I enjoy it, and it makes me happy, so even on vacation I like to get in some sweat sessions. Other things I love doing are reading, blogging, and drinking great wine. Plan a trip for you!! You may have a friend who likes to do similar things. Maybe you love museums- find someone who does too!
4. People with much less seem to have SO MUCH JOY- I can't begin to tell you how true this has been on each trip to a 3rd world country i've taken. People who don't even have fully paved roads, work 15 hour days, make next to nothing... greet you with the biggest smile on their faces. Yes, their jobs may not be as technical as yours, but they work damn hard for what little hey have and have found joy. Taking a trip may open your eyes to appreciate your life a bit more like it has for me.
5. Taking a vacation doesn't have to break your budget. Like I mentioned briefly earlier, if you can't go international then pick a place you can road trip to, or a city you've wanted to fly to affordibly. Monitor the prices here and find the best places to go for the best prices.
6. Find a travel buddy who likes similar things you do. I don't personally love having a scheduled itinerary on vacations, so I try to pick travel partners that are more looking to relax. Also, someone who is OK being independent or you going off being independent if the activities you plan on doing don't match up (go off for the day and meet back up for dinner).
7. SLEEP is amazing and OK to over-do. I used to think sleeping in was for lazy people, well let me tell you... I slept until 11 OR 12 everyday on my trip and it was NEEDED. On top of sleeping in each day, I took multiple naps. I finally after a few days felt back to normal and re-energized. I noticed that I really needed it, and wasn't giving myself enough of it.
8. Sometimes you have to Splurge! Yes, I said it. Stop talking yourself out of spending a couple hundred bucks on a trip. Try not going out to dinner for a few weeks- you'll be shocked how much you can save! You can make it happen, but obviously work within your budget
9. Being relaxed with friends makes for amazing memories. Jen and I laughed our butts off, chatted about everything under the sun, shook our booties on the dance floor, and had a blast just being 2 girls on vacation together exploring.
10. Food in America is Amazing- I am not going to lie, I am extra grateful for avocados, green juice, acai bowls, big salads, gluten free options, almond milk, and good coffee shops! Tomorrow is going to be amazing :)

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous

Workout of the week: Christmas Countdown

Try this total body workout almost anywhere. Take it while your traveling during the holidays and make sure you keep up your workout routine during these tempting upcoming holiday weeks. 

Total Body Workout: 8 Days Till Christmas Countdown 

8 squat jumps for height

7 burpees 

6 sit ups

5 push-ups 

4 lateral (side lunges)

3 squat jumps for distance 

2 lunge jumps

1 minute plank 

Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 rounds