Tips for the Common Cold

Picture source: weheartit.com

I really dislike this time of year because it's cold season. Unfortunately, I've gotten sick twice so far during this season. The first time I got it, I had it for two months! It was horrible...I just got it again last week (I blame it on high school), and it's driving me out of my mind! I've learn some things about my hate relationship with the seasonal cold, and I can usually get it to calm down when I start to cough like crazy. Below, I've listed some things I have done in the past, or have recently figured out about soothing my throat when it's feeling a bit sore and "tired". Also, please remember that these tips won't work for everyone because everyone is different! If you have more tips, please feel free to list them in the comments section below. :)

• I always like to carry a water bottle around with me from class to class, because when I start coughing uncontrollably, it's usually because my throat is feeling dry and dehydrated. Water helps me so much! It feels relaxing to drink and soothes my throat. 
• Cough drops work, but they aren't the best solution because cough drops and cold medicine are cough suppressants, so its relief won't last long and it'll only make you want to consume more cough drops/medicine. Obviously, I like to keep a few drops with me, but I try avoiding using them back-to-back. I use about two a day, but the last time I had a cold, I was forced to use them back-to-back, which I later learned wasn't that great for my health. I recommend Ricola over Halls, just because of its natural ingredients.
• Gargling with salt water is something I'm pretty sure you've heard before. The salt will kill the bacteria in your throat, so that you're left with less germs in your mouth. Of course, swallowing salt water will get you nowhere, so please avoid doing that. :) If I remember to gargle, I would do it once in the morning before I leave for school and once at night before bed, because that's when I start to cough more. 
• One thing that seems to help me is drinking warm milk mixed with sugar and turmeric. Turmeric is a spice (grown in India) made from grinding curcumin roots. It prevents cancer, naturally disinfects cuts/burns, and has countless health benefits. It's super healthy...but I'll admit, this drink isn't my favorite in the world, but it helps tremendously! If you're not looking to calm a cold, using the spice and maybe some other spices, such as masala, on other vegetables and meat makes it a super delicious and healthy meal! I know this spice isn't found in many grocery stores, but I get my share of turmeric from India. 
• My friend recommends drinking warm water mixed with honey, although I have never tried it, but this drink seemed to calm her cold down. Another drink I like to drink is spiced chai tea. My mother makes this for me, and she puts some extra cinnamon and spices to help my throat.

I hope this helped, and for those of you who have a cold, GET WELL SOON!
Thanks for reading,

CityLover 

Great Apps You Need

Almost everything is done via mobile now. Coupon transactions, communication, social networking, reservations, show times and the list goes on. More than 20% of the entire world has a smart phone.

Below, I have created a small list of necessary apps I have that make my life easier, so I thought I would share them with you.

Lifestyle

1. Day One ($5)--It's a useful app where you can journal and document are day, everyday. I actually got this app for free, via Starbucks, so that was a huge plus. 
2. Starbucks (free)--who doesn't want free music, apps, and more? Through this app, you can get free stuff from iTunes, without actually purchasing anything from Starbucks. They come out of weekly deals every Tuesday. 

News

1. Flipboard (free)--This is a free current events/news app that projects articles in your feed, that you like! In the beginning, it gives you an almost endless list of interests/passions/hobbies, which you're supposed to check. From there, it choose articles that you would be interested in. Some topics include: celebrity gossip, world news, science, space travel, music, biking, and the list goes on. 

Photography

1. VSCOcam (free)--great filters that provide that grunge/hipster look to all your photos! I use this app for most of my Instagram photos.
2. InstaSize (free)--I use this app for every single one of my Instagram photos. If you have a picture you don't want to crop to a square size, just use this app, and it takes your picture, put a white border around it (a square), then upload to any social networking site and save!
3. Hyperlapse (free)--this is a video app from Instagram that lets you take videos where you can speed it up...as the name implies. 

Games

1. Heads Up! ($1)--This app is brought to you by Ellen DeGeneres. I play this game whenever I'm with friends and family. It can be like charades or just as simple as a guessing game. There are many categories, including, Superstars, Act It Out, Animals Gone Wild, Just For Kids, Blockbuster Movies, and more! I'd say it's definitely worth paying for.
2. Smash Hit (pretty sure it's free)--I don't really know what's so special about this game, but its graphics and design are on point. It's pretty addicting too.

Music

1. Shazam (free)--Whenever I hear a song on the radio and I don't know what it's called, I always Shazam it. Shazam can instantly identify a song just by listening to it. Obviously you need Internet or some form of cellular data.
2. Pacemaker (pretty sure it's free)--This app is very similar to the djay (1 and 2) app, but I think it's free (I have it on my tablet) and has more options when "remixing" music. 

Alright! So far, those are my favorite apps to use on a weekly basis, so I hope this post helped you!

Thanks for reading,

CityLover

 

Why Goals Matter

CityLover readers--

It's a new year, but that doesn't necessarily mean a new you. Don't change yourself, but when you have a resolution or goal, change what you need to. For example, you might need to change your lifestyle, read more, procrastinate less, get more work done...

Every small goal leads to a bigger, overall goal. If you have a big goal, break it up into pieces and accomplish each goal one at a time. It actually helps! Goals also help the mind when they are accomplished. For me, my body and mind just feel much better and relaxed, knowing I worked hard for it. Without goals, you don't get anywhere in life. When you look at all these huge celebrities and entrepreneurs, do you think they just did it overnight? No. They had goals. Big ones.

For the new year, don't just make a resolution and work on it for the month of January. Then why set a resolution at all? What's the point of working on it for a month? To actually stick to your goal, have reminders of whatever you're trying to accomplish on your phone/laptop, in your planner, backpack, wherever. Just as long as you remember them. If it's losing weight, have a set schedule and maybe go to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday. If it's having some "me" time, force yourself to put away all electronics and read a book, take a nap, clean a room, do whatever that makes yourself happy. If it's getting better grades in school, take action by asking a teacher if you don't understand something, study with a friend, and Google whatever question you have. Trust me, it's on there!

Goals are not only good for you, but for your brain. If you set your mind to it and believe that you can accomplish this goal, it will keep you focused and productive. Knowing that you checked something of off your to-do list or completed a resolution, it will make yourself happier and others around you. This will help you set more goals.

What happens if this one goal stresses you out? What if you get too attached to it and can't stop thinking about it? Keep a journal. Write down your progress, not things you still need to do in order to achieve this goal. Drinking water and staying hydrated is also a huge part of not stressing you out. Even if it's not working out, water will refresh your body and mind. As you figure yourself out more, know what keeps you happy and what relieves your stress.

Let's make 2015 the best year and best of luck!

CityLover

Paper Towns: Review

Paper Towns is an intriguing novel by John Green, who is the author of The Fault in Our Stars, which is also a movie. Later this year, a film adaptation of Paper Towns will be released, so I knew I had to read the book before I saw the movie.


This book is about a girl named Margo (she is one of a kind, really), who runs away leaving clues about where she went to an average kid, Quentin (Q), who is her neighbor. But, before she ran away, Q and Margo spent her last night in town, playing a few pranks and whatnot. The next day, Q doesn't see her at school or at the house. She has gone missing. He believes it's up to him to find her.

I really love this book because John Green, the author, really makes you think in a different perspective. Because Margo is described as a very unusual teen girl, the book makes you want to question everything she does. 

If I were to rate this, I would give it a 6 or 6.5 because some parts in the book are really unnecessary, and there are two places where this happens: First, when Q and his friends go on a road trip to find Margo, and second, when they find her. I guess for the movie it would be fine and interesting, but reading it is kind of...boring and doesn't make you think. But overall, I recommend this book to any mystery loving reader out there. If you're a fan of John Green, I also encourage you to read it. It's really great and you won't regret it. 

Thanks for reading, 

CityLover☁︎

DIY Resolution/Memory Jar

Still struggling to come up with a New Year's Resolution? You're not alone. Or maybe you're not a huge fan of resolutions, but want to end the year positively, and think back on your accomplishments? Well, a resolution/memory jar is perfect either way! For this project, you'll need:

• Sticky notes, paper, scrapbook paper, or something to write on
• Markers or colored pencils
• Jar 
• Tape (optional)

1. First, take a sticky note, or whatever you're using, and write a memory (with a date) or a new goal you want to work towards. 
2. This step is optional, but you can roll up your piece of paper and tape it together, to keep the words hidden and for it to stay compact.
3. Just plop it in the jar, and if you're doing resolutions, keep on writing more so you have more to work towards. 
4. To make the label for your jar, take a piece of paper, write the title ("2015 Resolutions Jar" or "2015 Memory Jar"), and tape it in the front of the jar. 



This is mine. I did a memory jar!

 

 

 

 




5. Fill it in with goals or memories to come! 

1. 
   

10 Tips When Visiting Orlando

I did a post like this when I went to Alaska on a criuse, so I thought I would another one for you!

TIPS FOR DISNEY WORLD

1. If you travel to Disney, I would think you need six days to see everything, but we only got four. You need two days for Magic Kingdom, maybe one or two days for Epcot, one day for Hollywood Studios, and one day for Animal Kingdom (which we didn't do).
2. When in Epcot, start from the beginning (science area) and work your way to the end (countries). You might be think "duh", but we actually started our way from the countries and worked our way up, because we were more interested in that area.
3. Don't stand in line in the middle of nowhere to take pictures with Mickey, Donald, or whoever. The line will take at least a good 45 minutes. Instead, what we did was, we downloaded the free Disney World planning app, which provides times for shows, wait times for rides, information about eating places, info about shops, and times for character meeting places. At the end of the day, I found that the characters were taking pictures with people in a separate location, indoors. And guess what? The wait time was 10-15 minutes. I think that's a huge plus. 
4. Use the FastPass. Luckily, Disney World gives three FastPasses to your family, where you can use them to get ahead in line faster. Just book the ride or show you want your FastPass to be used on, on your phone. But you have to use them right when you get them, otherwise, the rides that you may want to do may get sold out. Then, you'll have to wait in the normal line, where it's longer and slower.
5. Downloading the free Disney World planning app is a really good idea. Really. Not kidding. :)

TIPS FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE

1. When purchasing souvenirs from Harry Potter world, do not get them right away. In fact, there's a Universal Studios store at the entrance and get everything you want from there, because it's cheaper and you might get the urge to buy something else. Then, go on all your rides, enter the gift shop, and see if you see something you didn't see at the Universal Studios store. Not all items are available in the U.S. (Universal Studios) store, and not all are cheaper, but some of them are. 
2. Go early--right when the theme park opens, make your way to Harry Potter world (if only you are interested, of course), because soon, there will be a very long line that you would want to avoid. One time, my family and I went on the Forbidden journey ride when I was 11, and we had to wait for two and a half hours. The next day we went early, right when the theme park open, ran to Harry Potter world (because it's at the end), and got in line. We only had to stand for twenty, thirty minutes tops.
3. Get the free Universal Studios app to find wait times, restaurants, stores, times for shows, and more. Personally, I think it's exactly like Disney's, which is great! But some people prefer one over the other. 
4. This goes for Disney World as well, but pack water bottles and maybe some snacks, if you wish. I remember last time, we weren't allowed to pack this sort of stuff, but somehow, they did...so if you don't want to pay $4 for a water bottle, bring one with you. Especially in Florida, hydration is very important. Drink water, and don't fall sick.
5. To experience the full Harry Potter world, you need about two days, because there's Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express, Hogsmeade, rides, and long lines--especially in Harry Potter world. 

Hope these helped! Which park is your favorite? Leave it in the comments. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Thanks,

CityLover

P.S. This blog has had more than 7,000 page views so far, which is amazing! Let's make it to 10K!

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Eight

No pictures today, sorry folks. But we just relaxed on the beach today. Shocking thing was, I dropped my phone in the Atlantic Ocean. I didn't get to swim on this trip, but my phone did haha!

We left Orlando the next day. If you've been reading my blog for sometime (last three years), you probably know that this was my second time in Orlando. I liked my first trip better than this one because both theme parks were really crowded, so we didn't get as much done, but overall, I still loved it.

Thanks for reading,
CityLover

P.S. Got a new tip traveling post coming up! Stay tuned, guys. ♡

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Seven

Today was our last day in all the theme parks, so we decided to go back to Universal. Today was probably the day we got the most done, because we actually planned everything out..."we" meaning me haha! We did the Gringotts ride one more time, I did the Dragon Challenge, we did the Simpsons ride, and we saw a show of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. I really wanted to do the Minion ride, but it had a 150 minute wait! You could watch a Harry Potter movie in that time!

Okay, pictures!

Love ya, Universal!

Simpsons ride entrance--not a huge fan
of the show, but LOVE this ride!

Who recognizes this? Grimmauld Place, everybody,

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Six

Sadly, today was our last day in Magic Kingdom. We finished up Tomorrowland and watched Mickey's Christmas show. It was a pretty nice day! My parents were devastated that we couldn't do the Seven Dwarves Mine Train..it had a 150 minute wait!
Here are some pictures:

I loved seeing all the Christmas decorations!

Cinderella's castle--I wish we could actually go inside it!

Part of the show we saw. It was seriously epic.

Cinderella's castle lit up at night--Frozen themed!

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Five

The next day, we decided to go to Universal Studios, instead of Magic Kingdom. It was great to be back in Universal, but the lines for my favorite rides (The Incredible Hulk, The Forbidden Journey and basically all the other Harry Potter rides) were more than an hour long! Fortunately, we got the chance to do The Forbidden Journey and Escape From Gringotts. We ended up staying in Harry Potter world the whole day, because there were an abundance of shops, cool rides, and super long lines! It ended up being a pretty magical day for me. ♡

Pictures:

Hogsmeade or Hogwarts express?

A quick overview of Hogsmeade.

"Platform 9 and 3/4 this way!" -Molly Weasley

We ate in the Leaky Cauldron that afternoon.

I ordered "toad in a hole". All our dishes were yummy!

The fire breathing dragon in Diagon Alley on the top of Gringotts bank. 

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Four

Hollywood Studios was great! This is where we went today. There are many rides and provides a great insight of old Hollywood for people who aren't too familiar with it. My favorite ride was the Tower of Terror. Personally, I thought it was scarier than the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom! I also Mickey's Fantasmic show, which was very cool, and I saw Beauty and the Beast, which was well put together. Because of this. I want to rewatch all my Disney princess movies! In my opinion, if you get here pretty early, I think you can see most of Hollywood Studios in about one day. Oh btw, I bought an Olaf! :) He's so adorable and as a teenager, I give him warm hugs all the time.

Picture time!

Hollywood Studios, here we come!

A little overview of what you would see when you enter.

In front of one of the roller coasters!

Fantasmic!

A little snippet of Beauty and the Beast, the musical.

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Three

We tried to get up early, but we failed epically. We reached Disney at about 10 in the morning, but because it was Christmas, Magic Kingdom was so full, they wouldn't let us go in. So we went to Plan B: Epcot. Now Epcot is the more educational, but fun area of Disney. There are two parts: Science area and world exploration. The scientific part was fun, but more suitable for younger children. The other part of Epcot is where you can get a taste and visit each country. They made it feel like you're actually in the country, for example, France: They had French food, the Eiffel Tower, and more! For Epcot, I would say you need two days to see everything. Here are some pictures:

This is what you see at the entrance. We went on a ride call
Spaceship Earth and it took us inside the dome!

I thought this picture I took looked pretty cool--I'm proud of it. :P

This was in one of the Chinese gift shops and after having a
photo shoot of this statuettes, I decided to take them home. :)

I don't remember which country I took this in, but my guess is Italy...

France!

Orlando 2014 ♡ | Day Two

Today we kind of got a late start...we left for Disney World's Magic Kingdom at around 1 PM. It was super crowded and there were many parades! Magic Kingdom is my favorite out of all the other theme parks in Disney World because it makes me feel like a child again. Today (Christmas Eve) we rode many rides, probably stood for 25% of the time (haha), and had a blast! At the end of the day, we were exhausted, so we decided to come back tomorrow. Here are some pictures:

Felt so good seeing beautiful palm trees again!

Magic Kingdom, here we come!

There was a Christmas shop with amazing Disney-inspired
ornaments, so I had to snap a shot of one!

Why hello there, Minny. 

This was in front of the Haunted Mansion ride...creepy,
but kind of funny at the same time!

Thanks for reading,
CityLover