Summer Morning Routine and Sun Protection Tips

I'm freaking out. I was speaking with my mom about how bad my skin was looking after getting a little too much sun the other day and my mom started telling me about how one of my best friend's mom had melanoma at one point. This wasn't something I had never heard before but it definitely felt like a punch in the gut.
Living in southern California, it's basically impossible to not get any sun and I'm not planning to give up playing in the sun anytime soon. However, I have vowed to start taking care of my skin. Since that day I have developed a new routine to protect my skin.

This was a pic from the first day of summer 2015 where I spent a couple hours at the beach of course getting sun burnt:/

Every morning when I wake up I drink a large glass of water or iced green tea to keep my skin and the rest of my body hydrated. Then, I brush my teeth and wash my face. If you're new to my blog, I use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser or The Body Shop Skin Clearing Facial Wash with a facial cleaning brush. Then, I use the Neutrogena oil free SPF 30 under my moisturizer to protext me from the sun. After that, I apply my face, pick an outfit, and grab a bite to eat of something dairy free (new blog post about that soon) and I'm ready to go about my day.

5 Tips to Protect You From the Sun

1. Apply sunscreen with at least spf every two hours and make sure to let it soak in to your skin before swimming.
2. Wear hats to protect your face and maybe shoulders and neck as well and wear sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes.
3. Wear light cover ups to add an extra layer between the sun and your skin.
4. Accept your skin tone and don't try to change it with the sun. The healthy glow you try to aim won't seem as healthy anymore when you suffer from permanent or serious damage.
5. Try to stay out of the sun during the sunniest hours of the day. 

I hope these tips helped you and inspired you to start wearing more sunscreen and taking extra steps to protect your skin. Follow me on instagram @eliselemans and on twitter @lemanadee and comment down below it would mean a lot.

XoXo, 

Lemanade<3

Breakfast (smoothie bowl)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as you have probably heard before so here's a little breakfast I ate today. It is completely vegan and super healthy!

Banana and Pineapple Smoothie Bowl

This bowl has three layers: chia on top, smoothie in the middle, and oatmeal at the bottom.

Layer 1 Chia:

The night before, mix 2 tablespoons of chia with the juice of half a lemon. Leave this in the fridge over night.

Layer 2 Smoothie:

In a blender, blend 1 frozen banana, a cup of frozen pineapple, and up to a half a cup of water. Blend until smoothie consistency.

Layer 3 Oatmeal. Follow the directions on any type of healthy vegan oatmeal to make about half a cup of cooked oatmeal. Don't worry about sweetening it or anything. The smoothie is sweet enough. 

After the oatmeal has cooled put all of it in a bowl and pour the smoothie on top. Last, at the end put a dollop of chia on it. 

There you go! This breakfast is so delicious and keeps me relatively full until lunch time! I hope you enjoy the recipe and tag me in your photos on instagram @lemanadee and comment below please! 

~lemanade <3 

Infused Water Recipe

Being that may has just begun, summer is just around the corner! One of my favorite things to drink on these scorching hot summer days is an infused water. It is guilt-free, super healthy, and it looks so fun and pretty. If you're like me and drink a lot of water but sometimes gets bored of it, but you're still too lazy to try anything crazy this idea will be perfect for you.

All you have to do is grab a jar or cup, add some fruit, citrus, and herbs, and fill it up with water and drink right away or, for more flavor, put it in the fridge and wait at least two hours. 

For this particular on above, I sliced 2 medium strawberries, 2 slices of lemon, and a little mint.

Here are some of my favorite combinations:

strawberry, mint, lemon

orange, cucumber, lime

ginger, blueberry(smash them for more flavor)

honeydew, mint

strawberry, blackberry, basil

watermelon, mint, lime

You can also add an herbal or green tea bag for extra flavor. I love adding camomile tea or peppermint the most.

I hope you guys like this recipe and find it helpful. I love how refreshing and easy it is. Share with your friends, comment below your favorite combinations, and follow me on my instagrams @lemanadee @eliselemans it would make me so happy!

~lemanade<3