adventures of a typical high school student

Hello everyone!

Today I’m going to be talking about some items and other various things that I’ve been enjoying lately, similar to monthly favorites videos on YouTube if you’ve ever watched those. This isn’t necessarily talking about what I’ve been loving in the month of August since we’re still towards the beginning of the month; a lot of these things I’ve been enjoying for a majority of the summer, and I just titled this post since that’s the month we’re currently in. There’s a variety of things I’ll be talking about, such as YouTubers, beauty products, and activities. Keep reading if you want to hear about everything I’ve been loving!

• Glossier Balm Dotcom (Coconut) – I know this is a product lots of people rave about, but I’ve never heard anyone mention the coconut flavor. I’ve used up a full tube of the (most popular) birthday cake flavor, but this one ended up being my favorite. I received it as a gift and was reluctant to try it since I normally don’t like coconut scented things, but I LOVE this scent. It’s also just more convenient than some of the other flavors because it’s untinted so it works as a normal chapstick. However, all of the flavors are wonderful- I think they just released a new berry one as well, so go check it out! https://www.glossier.com/products/balm-dotcom
• Pink Sugar perfume – I’ve always used various perfumes and body sprays but never stuck to one, until I found THIS scent. Something about it just makes me so happy whenever I put it on, and I’ve never gotten sick of it. It’s sweet but not too sweet; my perfect scent. It’s the only perfume I’ve ever run out of- I asked for a new bottle for my birthday so I’m currently using a Marc Jacobs Daisy rollerball. https://www.ulta.com/eau-de-toilette?productId=VP12090&sku=2210835&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&cagpspn=pla&CATCI=aud-407522006764:pla-403155681594&CAAGID=17964684390&CAWELAID=411634062&CATARGETID=330000200001282129&cadevice=c&gclid=CjwKCAjwyqTqBRAyEiwA8K_4O_H31-kQC0-V2X6WmRXoNwB6jL5SYQWynRkzR2IbRvrtE81xBDPEGRoCE0kQAvD_BwE
• Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mask – This is the only face mask I’ve been using lately, and I find that it’s really been helping with the ever-present cluster of blackheads on my nose. Regardless of what products you’re using, it’s nice to treat yourself and have a little spa night! https://www.target.com/p/yes-to-tomatoes-detoxifying-charcoal-mud-face-mask-2-fl-oz/-/A-17487643
• Alex Meyers (YouTuber) and commentary YouTubers in general – I stumbled upon his channel while watching LOTS of videos about cringey scenes in Riverdale (my new niche of favorite videos on YouTube) and as a result watched his videos on other teen dramas. I started seeing similar YouTubers (I don’t know a name for their category of content, I just said commentary YouTubers because that’s what they do?) pop up in my recommended tab, such as Casey Aonso and Julia Cudney. I can’t really explain what they do further- just go watch if you want to hear some criticism of teen shows/pop culture and have a laugh!
• Birkenstocks – I have fully converted to Birkenstocks in the summer- I no longer wear flip-flops or any other form of sandal except for sandal-type heels for fancy occasions. They are just the most comfortable shoes, they match anything, and I personally find them cute. I know they’ve gotten more popular lately because of the whole “VSCO girl” trend, but I’ve been wearing them for about two years; I included them here because I got a new pair after my old ones wore out, and it reignited my obsession.
• Levi’s shorts – It’s always been difficult for me to find shorts that were both cute and fit me right. I finally found these once I started trying on Levi’s shorts; I avoided them at first since they’re just so expensive and they don’t really ever have sales on the normal washes/styles, but they’re SO worth it. You can get them at Urban Outfitters or actual Levi’s stores, but I’ve found that local boutiques in my area usually have better selections (aka my size isn’t sold out).
• Flow Free – Sorry if I seem a bit childish for talking about phone games, especially ones that were popular back in the days of iPod Touches, but this is a classic for a reason! I redownloaded it to have some sort of relaxing game for when I got stressed or was bored during long car rides, and it’s done the trick. It really does calm me down and I feel like all the puzzles are good for your brain.
• Hole.io – Another phone game here! This one’s just kind of a fun one; my friends and I jokingly downloaded it together, but I still play it sometimes when I’m bored to death. It passes time quickly since each round is 2 minutes.
• Blogging! – If you’re new here, you might not know that I’ve only been writing this blog since the beginning of summer. I’m still a newbie blogger which has made the process so exciting, especially since it’s summer and I’ve had a lot of time to work on it as a result. I’m always thinking of new post ideas and even though the content I’ve been making is a bit all over the place, it’s fun to just write and put stuff out for anyone to read.
• Writing EVERYTHING down in a notebook – I’ve always been a big planner, but I normally would just write random lists in notes on my phone or into my school agenda- during the summer, my planning is normally non-existent. That changed this summer since I’ve been so busy; I’ve been making lists on paper and writing everything out to make sure I stay on top of things, and it’s been really helpful. Something about having it on paper just alleviates stress for me as well, so I suggest anyone else who is super busy to just take a few minutes each day and write it all down: what you have to do/lists, feelings, deadlines, etc.
• Google Calendar – I’ve been loving the app but also just the concept of using an online calendar in general. Writing things on paper helps me process it all, but it’s hard when I’m out and about and don’t have my lists with me. Therefore, I’ve also been updating my Google Calendar with all my important plans like appointments, cheer practice, and volunteer events. It’s been nice to have my schedule organized at my fingertips, as well as a better thought-out version written down at home.
• Croissants – I had to have at least one food favorite! I had never been a big croissant/pastries in general girl until my trip to Europe/France at the beginning summer (I blogged each day I was there, go check it out if you haven’t already!!); maybe it’s because up until that point my only real experience with them was Starbucks’ croissants, but I just never considered them one of my top dessert picks. Now I am OBSESSED along with the rest of my family; my mom makes the kind that you can put in the oven with the pre-made dough almost every morning for breakfast. Obviously they’re not as good as authentic ones from France, but they’re still delicious!

Those are all the main things I’ve been obsessed with using/watching/etc. lately! I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about my favorite things for the summer and maybe are considering trying some of them out for yourselves. Let me know if this is a type of post you would like to see monthly/quarterly, etc. or if you have any other requests! I’ll be back with more exciting content soon.

-Brooke