Apple Watch Review

Since coming to college, I have seen so many people with Apple watches. At home a few people had them, but by no means were they on my radar. I mentioned that I thought they were really cool to my dad over one of my breaks, but did not indicate that I wanted one. If you know me, you know I absolutely hate surprises, to the point where I usually know what I am getting for Christmas. So, you can imagine how surprised I was when I opening up my Apple watch on Christmas morning. My dad went out and bought it for me--without telling my mom, and pulled off quite the surprise! 

Over the past three weeks, I have gotten the hang of using the watch and am now completely obsessed! I have the 3 series with cellular so it is really great for running as I no longer have to bring my phone with me and can listen to music and track my workouts. Also, the day I got back to school my phone crashed and long story short I lost everything and was without a phone for a week. I honestly don't know how I would have survived that week without my watch; I was able to call my parents and Apple support on it, receive my texts and email, and still have my music for working out. 

Although there are a ton of awesome features on the watch, I find myself gravitating towards the workout apps. At Elon we have j-term, so we take one class every day for 3 hours January 3rd-January 23rd. With lots of free time before and after class, my goal going into j-term was to try and work out every day. So far, with five days left of the term, I have been successful and I think that the watch has been a big motivating factor. The activity app has three rings, workout, move (active calories burned), and stand (hours you spend standing). Completing my rings motivates me to stay active and get my workouts in everyday. Before I had my watch I would track all my runs on the Nike running app, but now I can track everything from an ab workout, to barre, to spinning, and see my heart rate and calories burned. 

Overall, I would recommend the Apple watch, especially to anyone who is on the move all the time. The price tag is not cheap, however when you consider all of its capabilities, and the fact that it can take the place of a traditional watch (which would likely be more expensive), I think that it is definitely worth it! Do you have an Apple watch? What are your thoughts on it?

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Gift Guide: Under $25

candle | pajamas | barre socks | dry shampoo | st. tropez set | gold knot necklace | tassel earrings | clutch | glasses | what do you meme | book | prosecco pong | patagonia hat | tote | perfume set

With just one week left until Christmas, I am finally starting to finalize my shopping. Being a college student on a budget, I think that the $25 and under gift guide is my favorite to write and to read on other blogs. Despite the low budget, I was able to find so many fun gifts, many of which look more than $25. Whether you have a beauty guru on your hands, a jewelry lover, or want to give something cozy, this gift guide has something for everyone! Also, if you have a yankee swap or secret Santa coming up that is on a budget, hopefully this will help you brainstorm!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Holidays at Elon

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Elon and I have absolutely no complaints! In going to college in North Carolina, I never thought I would see snow this time of year, but the flurries came just in time for the holidays. Despite being in the midst of exams, Elon has done such a good job of keeping students in the holiday spirit. On Wednesday, the President hosted his annual Christmas party at a country club near campus which was such fun change of pace from always being on campus. I happened to stand right behind Renee from Gimme Glamour in line for the shuttle to the party, so we were able to catch up and snap a few pictures at the party which was so fun! On thursday night, Elon had a lights festival where all the students gathered to drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas songs while they turned on all the Christmas lights on campus. I absolutely love walking around campus at night and seeing all the lights, its such a therapeutic way to destress after spending the day studying in the library. Just a few more days and I'll be finished with my first semester of college and home to really get into the Christmas spirit :)

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Gift Guide: College Student

hat | phone pocket | beats headphones | slippers | speaker | yeti tumbler | room spray | blanket 

Happy Monday! Now that we are officially into December, I am excited to be making lots of gift guides for the 2017 holiday season. Seeing as I am writing this post from my dorm, it only seems fitting to kick off these posts with my picks for college students. Although a lot of these items are catered towards girls, I think that most guys would be excited to receive a Patagonia pullover, yeti cup, slippers, a speaker, or new headphones. However, if none of these gifts seem like a good fit for the college student in your life, trust me, money is always appreciated by broke college kids :) 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Book Review: You Are a Badass

Over the past couple of year I have really gotten back into reading. As much as I love getting in bed and watching Netflix, there is something so much more relaxing about putting away your technology and cracking open a book. Unfortunately, I have been a little bit lazy on the book front since getting to college, however over Thanksgiving break I decided to start You Are a Basass by Jen Sincero. One of my friends had recommended this book to me over fall break, so I picked up a copy before break. Having to fly home from college can be somewhat of a pain, but it provides ample time to read.

Naturally, the flashy yellow cover and bold title makes this book catch your attention before reading a single chapter. You Are a Badass was the first "self-help" book I have ever read so I have nothing to compare it to, despite this I found it funny, motivating, and well written. In addition to being an author, Jen Sincero works as a success coach and speaker, so she has a great deal of experience with strategizing ways to identify goals and pursue them in successful ways to develop a life you love. She covers everything from combatting negativity, to identifying the roots of beliefs, both good and bad, to making money, and everything in-between. The book is a quick read that will leave you wanting to set goals and make changes to the way you live your life. I would highly recommend this book for any new college student, or frankly anyone going though a transitional period in life, along with anyone who feels they are just stuck in some sort of rut, unable to identify the root of their problems. I think everyone could take something away from You Are a Badass, so if you are looking for an easy Christmas gift this would be great! Although it is not in a genre I would typically go for,  I really enjoyed Sincero's book and think it was a great book to read on the road. Have you read You Are a Badass?

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea