Waking up in the morning, without sleeping in, can be tough for anyone. As an Early Childhood Education major, I am doing my student teaching practicum and my alarm goes off at 6:30. I always joke that it feels like I fell asleep, blinked, and then woke up. Some mornings, it is SO tough to get up. But I've figured out my night and morning routines that make waking up A LOT smoother. Here are some of those tips:

The Night Before:

1. Make your lunch: Yes, I am a college student and pack my lunch. Doing this the night before makes for one less thing I have to worry about in the morning. 
2. Set out your clothes: I always pick out my outfit and put it on my desk chair. This makes it easier and saves you time so you're not trying on three different outfits while you're loopy from still being half-asleep. 
3. Have a skincare routine: This is important regardless of whether or not you're waking up early. Take care of your skin. Period. End of discussion. Your skin is one of the most important things about your body. My skincare routine includes: face washing, toning, serum, and moisturizer, plus an on-the-spot acne treatment (when necessary), and an eye-cream! It may sound like a lot but again, your skin is so important. 
4. Read: Everyone I know sits on their phone before bed, I even do it. But, studies constantly show the importance of putting the technology away before you sleep is extremely important. Instead of wasting your time going through Instagram or Netflix, pick up a book and end your day genuinely. 
5. Relax with some breathing exercises: Whenever I have trouble falling asleep, I focus on my breathing. When I was younger, my aunt taught me this technique and it still helps me to this day. The technique is to focus on your breathing and each breath you breath out, picture it as all different colors of the rainbow. This helps to relax my mind and body. 
6. Go to bed early!!: Does this even need to be explained? Every night I go to sleep after 10:45 I wake-up wanting to kick myself. It really makes for a rough start to the day. 

As a college student (ballin' on a budget), I like to find recipes that are both healthy and easy to make. As a self-proclaimed chef, I like to make recipes my own. This recipe is one of my go-to stand-byes. I like to make them in the beginning of the week and eat them for lunch or dinner throughout the week. I am completely and utterly obsessed with it!!

Ingredients:

1. 6 large tomatoes
2. 3 cloves of garlic
3. 2 tablespoons of olive oil + some for drizzling
4. 2 cups of spinach
5. 1 cup quinoa (cooked) 
6. 1/2 feta
7. Salt & Pepper to taste

Now I know I'm not a pioneer in writing about or thinking this, but rain boots are a great investment for almost all seasons. I am completely obsessed with my rain boots. I wear them in the snow, ice, and rain- all of which happened today. The color is gorgeous and versatile and the shoe itself is functional. If you're going to make the purchase, go with the brand you know is trusted and will last a lifetime.

Hunter boots really are a great accessory for a rainy or snowy day. Put them on, walk in two feet of snow, jump in some puddles or mud if that's your thing. I am obsessed with these and how they look and they will be a part of my wardrobe forever!

Also, it doesn't hurt that Joanna Gaines wears them in like 70% of Fixer Upper on HGTV- just sayin'.

What are your favorite spring must-haves??