Email theblondeprep@gmail.com with questions, comments, or concerns. Powered by Blogger.

Saturday Styling: Hiking Edition

This four-day weekend is treating me so well. Wednesday night I had a fun little ice cream run with friends and Thursday I went skiing with my boyfriend. Yesterday, my boyfriend, another friend, and myself all drove two hours over to Devil's Lake, a super cool state park in Wisconsin to go hiking. We did a huge loop around the lake which was around 4-6 miles of snowy and rocky trail, and it took almost three hours. We had so much fun just being outside, especially given that it was incredibly sunny and the temperatures were in the thirties... pretty warm for us. I'm not a huge hiker, so it was a little scary at times trying to go up or down the rocky and narrow trails covered in ice and snow, but it was really a great day.

Of course, me being the blogger I am in any situation, it totally hit me that it's possible to look stylish while also being appropriately dressed for a hike! See how I styled my ideal hiking outfit below: 
hiking


Are you a hiker? I really want to go again, and I definitely think those mittens are calling my name. Between Wisconsin weather in general, skiing, hiking, sledding, and anything else I might find myself doing outside, they definitely would prove to be a staple among my winter accessories. Those boots too... Don't even get me started (I've been wanting a cool pair of Sorel's forever!).

Do you have any fun plans today and tomorrow? Tonight our friend group's indoor soccer team (total joke) has a game at 11 PM. We had one of these late ones a few weeks ago and I already know I'll be so tired by the time it starts! Hopefully I find a little motivation within myself to go work out today and get back on track with my healthy eating after a treacherous last couple of days, and maybe I'll sneak in a little nap to make it until tonight's game.

Happy Saturday!
xoxo

This Week's Top 10



1. This weekend is "winter break" for my school, which means it's a four day weekend! No school yesterday or today is so nice, and I'm excited to spend the day hiking today with some friends.

2. I chopped off my hair this week! See the full post here.

3. Gigi Hadid is all of the goals. See her best looks here.

4. Off the shoulder is so in... I love this top and this romper.





9. What more could you want from a pair of sunglasses? These are incredibly perfect.


Have a great weekend!
xoxo

Short Hair Reveal


Every year at my school during Catholic Schools Week, it's tradition to have a "Gr8 Lengths" assembly. Gr8 Lengths is pretty much the same thing as Locks of Love, except for the difference that the minimum hair donation length can be 8 inches instead of 10! Our school donates to Children With Hair Loss, which is a beautiful non-profit organization that provides wigs free of cost to any child who has lost their hair, no matter for what reason or financial background.

This year, over 140 girls signed up to donate their hair at my school, and around 30-40 girls impulsively chopped their hair at the end of the assembly!





On Tuesday, I was so excited to have two of my best friends chop off 8 inches of my own hair! The ends were gross, I was excited for a change, and the donation is such a good cause. I of course picked Caroline, and I picked another one of my best friends who doesn't go to my school to do the honors. They were so sweet to come and unlike some of the other choppers, they did a pretty even job! It's a special thing that seniors get to pick who cuts their hair, compared to the younger classwomen who have the stylists do the duty. It was such an exciting feeling and I'm so glad I got to share it with Caroline and Elizabeth!




I was cutting the hair of one of my best friends at my school, also named Caroline, and I can't say I did as good of a job.... oops! Her chop was a little chunky, my bad, but I honestly think most girls look so much cuter with short hair no matter what! The stylists had us all ponytailed up before the assembly even began, so you can see my hair was already ready to go even though Caroline was lined up in a different group of seniors before me. 



It was so funny getting my hair cut... measuring out eight inches, I was like, oh, this isn't bad at all! Even when Caroline and Elizabeth starting handing me my ponytails as they came off I kept thinking, wow, that eight inches is really nothing! And then, I ran my fingers through my hair, and the ends just stopped, and I was like oh my gosh, where's my hair?! My hair is gone! 

I think I'm into the whole short hair thing, but it's going to take some getting used to. I went on Wednesday after school to get a real haircut and have it all evened out, and the stylist ended up taking almost three more inches off. It is currently even shorter than in these pictures, and I am not 100% in love, but I like the change, and my hair is definitely a million times healthier now. However, what really matters it that the old eight inches will go to someone who needs it far more than I do.

Have any of you ever donated your hair? I would love some tips on short hairstyles, or getting used to the new 'do!
xoxo

Valentine's Day Gifts



I feel pretty indifferent towards Valentine's Day. For the most part, I think it's one of those holidays where people either love it or hate it... I feel like half of people think "it's so dumb, it's a hallmark holiday and it's pointless," and the other half really supports the idea of chocolates, wearing pink, getting gifts for the purpose of, well, not really any purpose, and celebrating a day for the fun of celebrating it. When I look at it that way, why not love Valentine's Day... if it means I can dress in pink and eat as much chocolate as I want with no shame, and get myself a little present just because, then whoever came up with the holiday really has their priorities in order, and I support it 100%.

February // New Years Resolutions Update


Yesterday I crossed off my first goal on my 101 in 1001 list: I cut off eight inches of my hair for Children with Hair Loss at my school's annual assembly (pictures and more on that to come!). Not only was it an amazing feeling to do something good for someone else, but the change I felt was a wonderful way to kick off the month. 

I set New Years Resolutions this year not really sure what to expect in terms of the outcome. A part of me felt like I was getting a little too excited by setting resolutions and beginning a 101 goals in 1001 day list, but another part of me felt, and still feels, up to the challenges, excited about them, and inspired to make the most of this year, each month, and every day. So, in spite of that, I've decided to get in the habit of holding myself accountable for my New Years resolutions by committing to recapping, or updating, my progress on them here at the beginning of each month! I also realized that 1001 days is a lot of days, so I am going to try to pick one or two of my 101 (well, I haven't actually come up with 101 yet...) things to do each month, too. 


Resolution Recap

Focus More // I have to admit that ironically, at the beginning of January, I was not focused on focusing more at all. The whole concept seemed like something that I said I would do but didn't really care if I did it or not. However, towards the end of the month, I turned off my data on my phone because I went over (#guilty) and that really reminded me about this goal to focus more and be present. I have to say, the difference it made have really benefitted me. It's unfortunate how technology is at our fingertips and there are so many advantages to that, yet it becomes incredibly easy just to take advantage of apps, pictures, messages, and more that quickly can consume our lives. I noticed when I had my main distraction, my phone, involved in less of my daily actions, my minder felt clearer and more focused on my other goals, and whatever else I was doing.

Being Healthier // I touched on this a little bit earlier in the week when I shared some of my fitness confessions from the month, but overall I am pretty proud of what I accomplished in terms of my health and fitness last month. I aimed to snack less, control portion sizes, exercise more, and make healthier choices in general. I did this mostly in bursts throughout the first half of the month where I would find myself being super healthy for a few days, and then unhealthy for a few days, and repeating that cycle. By the end of the month I think I really discovered a good fitness regimen that I actually enjoy, and a healthy eating plan that leaves me feeling satisfied, even without a whole pint of ice cream after dinner ;)
In February, my goals are to hit my Fitbit steps everyday, whether that means getting in at least a short workout every single day, or spending a little more time with my dog and taking him for longer walks. I also want to continue to make healthier choices and feel proud of myself at the end of the day knowing I consumed healthy foods, and a good amount of them!

As for focusing, I've been pretty good lately about aiming for eight hours of sleep per night, and I think if I keep up my focus, then accomplishing everything in the most efficient amount of time will help me to get in bed by 10/10:30 for a solid eight hours of beauty sleep.

This month, as a part of my 101 in 1001 goal, I am going to try to post every single day on the blog... Wish me luck!

What were your New Years resolutions, and how are you sticking to them? Do you have any tips? If you've given up or completely left your resolutions behind, a new month is the perfect time to start! You don't need a new year or a new month or week to kick off a challenge for yourself, but the beginning of this month wouldn't be a bad place to start!
xoxo