“5 Penny-Pinching Ps” – A Savvy Co-ed’s Guide to an Adventure Filled, Yet Affordable Summer

Summer is a fabulous chance to spend time with friends.  It is the perfect opportunity to strengthen existing friendships, as well as create new ones.  Be creative with the way you chose to spend your time together; hanging out doesn’t have to empty your wallet.  When looking for fun, affordable ideas, be sure to remember the “5 Penny-Pinching Ps.”

1-Photos. Go find pretty spots on your University or go to a local park, and snap away.  Not only will this serve as a fun way to occupy your time, but it will also supply you with memories that will last forever (who doesn’t love pictures?).

2-Picnic. Let’s face it, hanging out with friends rarely occurs without involving some type of food consumption.  Meeting for lunch or mid-afternoon ice cream serves as an easy solution for finding something to do.  Although this is nice on occasion, it can really make a dent in your wallet.  Try being creative with your meal options; plan a picnic.  Ask each friend to bring something to contribute to your meal and voila!  Not only have you saved money, but you have also found something exciting and out of the ordinary to do.

3-Pool. What better way to spend a hot day than beside the pool with your favorite pals?  Fill your pool bag with magazines, water, sunscreen, and don’t forget your radio!  A pool day will be a great way to spend a chill day with your friends, and you’ll even have a suntan to show for it!

4-Park. So it has already been suggested as a location for a photo shoot, but now make the park itself your main point of interest.  Parks can offer a variety of entertainment.  In my hometown we have parks with hiking trails, walking paths, ponds, gardens and even one with shoals and a small waterfall.  Going to the park is one of my favorite ways to spend a summer day with friends.  It offers exercise, quality bonding, and is always a guaranteed adventure!

5-Party. Throw a party!  You don’t need an excuse.  Turn something out of the ordinary into an excuse for a party.  No, this doesn’t have to be anything extravagant.  Have a themed movie night or reminisce from your younger days and throw a cliché slumber party.  For all of you FIFA World Cup™ fans, ask all of your friends to come watch the game dressed in their team of choice’s colors.  Just as suggested with the picnic, ask everyone to bring something!  For my friend Sarah’s 21st birthday, we celebrated with a “21″ themed party.  We asked everyone who came to bring their favorite party food in a quantity of 21 (i.e.: 21 cupcakes, 21 mini-sandwiches, etc).  Who doesn’t like “get-togethers,” especially when they are with a big group of friends?

As college co-eds, we are all looking for ways to have fun while saving our money.  Next time you and your friends are ready for a fun adventure, remember “The 5 Penny-Pinching Ps” for a guaranteed good time.

Abby Bryant is an intern with College Lifestyles™.  She is a senior marketing major at Georgia College & State University and the president of her sorority Sigma Alpha Omega®.  She loves finding new ways to have fun with her friends, especially during the summer.

Smooth Those Scales Away – Let Your FACE Shine!

Warmer weather means higher UV rays, which really means keeping your face and body safe from too much sunlight!  No one wants damaged skin!

Tell me, who wants to look like Kim Kardashian?  In the picture below (all rights to Kim Kardashian), she is extremely sunburnt and her face probably dried out once it started to fade, too.

So, here are some facial tips for a dry face as well as preventing your cheeks from turning into a lobster red.

STEP ONE:

Always, always, always use some kind of moisturizer before you put any kind of foundation down (even if it already has SPF in it)!  This way you’ll know it will even out the amounts of SPF and make sure it won’t rub off if you use powder after your base foundation.

My Pick: I use Clean & Clear oil-free Morning Glow moisturizer with SPF 15.  It soothes your skin while it brightens.

STEP TWO:

Apply your liquid foundation.

My Pick: I personally don’t use any kind of liquid foundation, but I have found that Clinique Stay True Makeup Oil-Free Formula – $21.00.  For a less expensive route, try CoverGirl Outlast Liquid Makeup with SPF 14 – $9.00 at local drug stores.  This foundation is ideal for a summer sparkle you might acquire in the hot weather or while working out, while it evens out discoloration.

STEP THREE:

Apply your powder foundation.

My Pick: Now, I DO wear powder foundation after apply my moisturizer.  I use Maybelline New York Pure Stay Powder Foundation with SPF 15 – around $7.00 at your local drug store.  If you choose to use the powder form after moisturizer, make sure you wait until it is dry to apply so it does not leave yucky streaks!

TIME TO WASH IT ALL OFF:

I use Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser Face Wash every time I shower and Aveeno Skin Brightening Scrub Face Wash when I want to exfoliate and improve my skin tone (Smooth Those Scales Away – sound familiar?); this is also the perfect product for more radiant skin and leaves your face feeling so soft and delicate- and trust me, it does its job!  These products range around $7.00 at your local Target or drug store.

HAVING FUN IN THE SUN:

I use Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion with SPF 30 for face.  In the beginning of my “base” tanning, I generally find the highest (usually 10-15) SPF in a lotion form for my body – Hawaiian Tropic, Banana Boat, etc.  Once I have gotten enough sun for a base coating tan, I use the oil form with the highest SPF, but not all day!!  And for the lips, I use C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Balm Stick, No-Shine with SPF 15, which you can find at Bath & Body Works for $7.50.

Now you know everything you need to Smooth Those Scales Away and keep your face sunburn-free, soft and looking radiant.  Remember, too much sun can make you look like you’ve been burning in a leather factory!!  No classy co-ed wishes to look like this, so make sure you have fun in the sun in moderation!

Check out the rest of my “Smooth Those Scales Away” Series:

HAND Edition

FOOT Edition

KNEE & ELBOW Edition

Kayla Norris is an Intern at College Lifestyles (TM).  She is so ecstatic the weather is warming up and cannot wait to stroll around the outdoors of Georgia and lay out by the pool!

Dull Summer Days? Try These Ways to Have Fun this Summer!

Lost on what to do this summer?  Try these fun activities that are sure to add some fun into your routine!

1.     Grab a group of friends and head to the drive in movie theater!

WHERE: www.driveinmovie.com for a list of theaters near you!

PRICE: Generally $5-10 for 2 movies.

TIP: Bring your own snacks (you can even order a pizza, pick it up and take   it to the movie)!

2.     Spend the afternoon having a picnic in the park.

WHERE: Your local park!

PRICE: Cost of food.

TIP: Bring a volleyball to play in the sand courts (a great workout!!!). Also, bring your stale bread to feed the ducks!

3.     Go to a minor (or major) league baseball game.

WHERE: web.minorleaguebaseball.com/ to find minor league teams OR go to your hometown baseball stadium.

PRICE: $5-15.

TIP: Check for “College Nights” where they usually offer discounts and food vouchers. (GO  PIRATES!!!)

4.     Spend the day at your local pool.

WHERE: The local pool obviously!

PRICE: Generally around $5.

TIP: Bring board games to play while not in the water. (Don’t forget your sunscreen!)

*If only all swimming pools looked like the one in this picture… sigh… this is from my trip to Cancun.

5.     Have a Nintendo Wii Party!

WHERE: Any house that has one! (Your Student Center may even have a game system)

PRICE: Free (or cost of game rental)!

TIP: Try “Mario Party 8″-a lot of people can play and compete against each other.

What are some of your favorite things to do during the summer?  Let us know in the comments!

Kaitlyn Kline is an intern with College Lifestyles.  She is an Edinboro University of PA and Alpha Sigma Tau alum.  She loves going to Pirate games with her friends (even if they rarely win)!