Hello everyone!

I hope I’m finding you well on yet-another-Monday.

What’s with the random collage, you ask?

Well, today I wanted to write about a few things that I have discovered in my post-grad years that I wish I had known about in college. I’m convinced my quality of life, while pretty good, would have been exponentially improved with these everyday additions.

1. Lululemon

Now, my identity as a college student was primarily “The Dance Major.” Being a part of such a rigorous program and having multiple dance classes daily, I always found myself dashing off to my academic classes in my dance clothes. I would sit down, sweaty and red-faced in the lecture halls with my hair in a bun, in some sort of leotard-pink-tights-sweatpants-tank top combination. Slap on some Ugg boots and you had an outfit that had most people thinking that I had just run straight from my bed to my seat in class. Lovely. Long story short, I wish I had had the means to discover Lululemon earlier. Now, I know they’ve had a bit of a bad rap as of late, but the many Lululemon pieces I own have undoubtedly withstood the test of time. I’ve had the same little jacket for about 5 years now, wear it sometimes multiple times a week, and it’s still in amazing condition. Even when I’m not feeling my best, throwing on a couple of pieces makes me feel instantly put together. I can’t say how much money I spent amassing cheaper activewear in college, but had I known that investing in what I wore to class everyday would have made such a huge difference in my demeanor, I would have done it in a heartbeat!

2. Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo, without a doubt, is my new must-have product. I hate washing my hair everyday. Not only is it time-consuming, but the consistent blowdrying and styling inflicts some serious damage. Besides, who wants to get out of bed an entire hour earlier than usual just to wash their hair? Not me. To top it off, I have the lovely kind of hair that deflates overnight, even when it’s freshly washed. With dry shampoo (Batiste is my favorite, bonus points for the amazing scents in comes in) all you need to do is spray, run your fingers through your hair and go. It instantly mattifies and gives your hair volume. I’ve even used it on freshly washed hair for a little extra ‘oomph.’  I may have a slight addiction. There are worse things.

3. Target

Ah, Target. Possibly one of my favorite post-grad discoveries. Granted, Santa Barbara did not have a Target readily accessible when I was a student there, but my roommates and I did make the hour-long roadtrip on the weekends simply to shop at the nearest one in Ventura. It’s my one-stop-shop, and I go to it for almost everything. It’s well organized and affordable, and you can find almost anything you might need. Need bandaids, cereal, and a cute new bikini? Target. What about vitamins, the latest bestseller, and a Philip Lim-inspired dress? Target has all those things. Now that they’ve even added a grocery department, I’m able to pick up that milk I keep forgetting to buy as well…

4. Decent Beer

I realize this seems counter-intuitive given that the collegiate drink of choice seems to be beer. You will find beer everywhere, no matter what college campus you are on. The one problem that you will often encounter is that it’s horrible, horrible beer. Beer so bad, so cheap, I don’t think it can even legally be sold under the label “Beer.” Oh, Natty Ice. It’s perhaps the equivalent of drinking Arbor Mist and claiming to be a wine connoisseur. No. Just no. It wasn’t until I was in Seattle for my dear friend Brooke’s wedding that I discovered the more complex subtleties of beer, the varieties, the flavors, the unorthodox ingredients. Yes, some beers are absolutely disgusting, but others are rich and amazing. I enjoy drinking them. Who knew?

…

The list could go on, yet these are undoubtedly the things I find myself coming back to again and again. I could also include swiffer sweepers, bronzer, glass water bottles, and kombucha. And I’m sure next week I’ll have even more additions. Post-grad life can be not so fun at times, but these things are odd concrete proof that things just keep getting better. Or something…

Love,

EVA♥