I woke up in the morning like most Brandeisians…to the sounds of my alarm and the pipes of my heater clanging away. In order to shake that leftover sleepiness and get my day started, I grabbed my caddy and headed to the bathroom for a refreshing morning shower. Of course I wanted my hair to look good during the day, so I used my TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Pre-Wash Conditioner and Beauty-Full Volume Shampoo. Using the pre-conditioner softens your hair and protects it before you thoroughly clean it with the shampoo. And, as a bonus, your hair stays voluminous and bouncy without being frizzy—something I know many struggle with everyday!
After I get dressed, my stomach is growling so I eat a quick protein bar to subside the hunger until my 12 o’clock lunch date in Upper. After I get some food in my stomach, its time to take my vitamins. New additions to my vitamin routine are the AZO Cranberry Gummies. They come in a yummy mixed berry flavor, and two of them are the equivalent of a 10 oz glass of cranberry juice. Ladies, these gummies are especially good for maintaining a healthy urinary track, which we all know is super important.
My next step is to do my morning makeup. Now, when I do my eye makeup I usually just do eye shadow and mascara because I personally am terrible at eyeliner! I love the way it looks, but I can never do it myself. Not only am I not very good at it, but also I’m terrified I will poke myself in the eye. That was, until I tried the Milani liquid eyeliner. It goes on so smooth that I’m not nervous about hurting myself or making wiggly lines on my eyes! Also it’s shimmery, which makes it great for a night out in Boston.
Before I leave the dorm for the day, I have to pack my bag with all my essentials, including my notebooks and planner. I also grab my mini hand sanitizer to keep my hands germ-free and stay healthy since we all know sickness can spread across campuses easily. What I also like about my hand sanitizer is that it comes in a little holder from CEA Study Abroad so it reminds all those around me to finish those study abroad apps on time! CEA also threw in a few cards with travel grant codes, so there really is no excuse to get that abroad process started. I also throw a package of Brappz Straps in my bag. These stretchy rubber straps and clasps are funky alternatives to a classic bra strap, but can also be used as jewelry, shoelaces, or even headbands. They can add a fun pop of color to your daily look.
Finally, as I leave my room I am always sure to lock my door behind me. Since Brandeis still uses traditional room keys, I like to keep mine on the key ring on my Vera Bradley zip ID case. It’s so useful because I can keep my key on the ring and my ID in the clear pocket, as well as carry a little cash with my in the zippered pocket. All I need is to grab my zip ID case and my phone and I’m set for anything.
After all that preparation for the day, I finally head into Upper to meet my friends and grab some Currito. On my way I get stopped by yet another club tabling in Upper and selling some yummy looking baked goods. I’m out of cash (must remember to stop by the ATM in the SCC!) but I’m not worried because I have the Circle Pay app. You can send and receive money using a phone number or email address. The app even got me started with a bookmark that I could scan and get $10 instantly added to my account. They also run cool promotions like entering SB2016 to enter to win $1,000 towards a spring break trip…even though we won’t be on break again until April.
Thanks HC for my amazing survival kit! It really helped me get my morning off to a great start!