My Honest Thoughts on #100HappyDays

Hey y'all! So this post has been a long time coming. I finished the challenge on Instagram 2 weeks ago, and wrote my final recap last week, so check that out if you haven't already! I've also decided to intersperse my text with some of my favorite photos from the challenge, so enjoy!
I'm not going to lie, I did not get as much out of this challenge as I wanted to. According to the website:

       "People successfully completing the challenge claimed to:

        - Start noticing what makes them happy every day;

        - Be in a better mood every day;

        - Start receiving more compliments from other people;

        - Realize how lucky they are to have the life they have;

        - Become more optimistic;

        - Fall in love during the challenge."

I did notice what made me happy, but that was only because "Oh, crap, I need a post for today." I'm a really competitive person, so I was more worried about being one of the few people to finish the challenge (Shoutout to Marla and Shruthi for finishing too!) than actually finding things to be happy about. It really stressed me out when it was 9 PM and I hadn't posted anything for the day. 

I'm also a total perfectionist, so my photo had to be like-worthy, so not just a last-minute selfie, or poorly photographed food. Good composition, beautiful lighting, and not-obviously filtered (although I broke this rule a few times). Remember that I started this in March, so I was doing this all through AP tests and finals. Because of this, I turned to my 1500 photo camera roll/Facebook to look for throwbacks. I'm no even kidding, at the end of the challenge, I ran out of pictures to post. I'm pretty sure I posted 3 or 4 photos from my school's grad with different people. 


It's not that I always hated it. I loved taking the time to write a couple of thoughtful sentences about a friend whom I really appreciated, and it was truly an honor to be in another friend's post for the day. With the whole being happier thing, I'm already a pretty happy person, so that wasn't exactly my goal. 

The effects of #100HappyDays? Posting every single day means lots of notifications, so nowadays, I don't post everyday (thank god- it's WAY too much work), and I don't have as many notifications now, which was a little weird at first, but I've liked settling back into my regular routine of posting whenever I feel like it.


Do I recommend trying the challenge? Sure! It's definitely a challenge, and you'll feel accomplished for getting it done, and who knows- you might see the effects the foundation claims people see. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. No harm in trying :)

If you've done the challenge, what are your thoughts on it? If not, would you consider trying it? 

xo, Hima

That Time I Was Famous

Last Friday night (cue Katy Perry), I could NOT sleep at all. I set a 6:30 AM alarm and woke up four times throughout the night because I was just so excited. So when my alarm finally went off, I straight up jumped out of my bed (stubbing my toe in the process), and was ready in less than 15 minutes. An hour and a half later, I was still waiting for my mom to be ready. This weekend, I went to the Summer Shape Up, hosted by Jillian Michaels and Shape magazine, to take a POP Pilates Class with Cassey Ho, creator of POP Pilates and owner of Blogilates, the biggest fitness channel on Youtube.

I found out about Cassey around March of last year and did her videos on and off in addition to other workouts for a while, which was all fine, but what I really love about her is her unfailing dedication and positivity. Watching her videos or seeing her Instagram posts just make me really happy in general, and it was so cool to get to meet my fitness idol.

I found out about it on Wednesday from Emma, and I knew I was going as soon as I saw it! We got there around 9:15, even though our class wasn't until 10:45, since we thought it would be a really big event, but we walked through all the stalls in 20 minutes. Since we had time to kill, we decided to take a cardio class with Kendall Hogan. Anyone know who that is? I didn't, but the class was fun!

The blogilates class was only 30 minutes, but it was 30 minutes of the best torture ever. Everyone of the worst, most painful (i.e. her favorite) moves from her videos were in the workout: Earthquakes, leg circlethons- you name it, we did it. By the end of class, I was shaking, but so happy. For those of you who were wondering, she's exactly the same in real life as she is in the videos. Super happy, bubbly, and very motivating. 

Afterwards, there was a meet and greet, which was really fun, because we all personally got to talk to her. Now, to explain the title of this post, I felt famous because she posted a photo on Instagram, and I'm in it! It was kinda cool because some of my friends tagged me and I was just really starstruck. 

Have you ever met a celebrity? Who, and how? Let me know in the comments below!

xo, Hima

Is it just me or...

Lately I've figured out that there's a lot of things I have to do, and I'm not sure if they're unique to me. Let me know if it's just me or...

Image Source

-is it impossible to dress for San Francisco, because sometimes it’s freezing and sometimes it’s  warm and you never know when?

-is it nice to unplug for a little while and just enjoy the present?

-If anyone takes the train to work, is it just the Caltrain, or does no one talk to each other, ever?  In typical Hima fashion, I’ve tried to start a few conversations, and I’ve gotten straight up ignored.

-is getting a flip flop/flats tan something to be proud of?

-Is losing your phone and searching madly for it, only to find it in your wallet an hourly occurrence?

-Is street art/graffiti actually really really pretty/ To me, it’s nicer than seeing gray concrete is all!

-Are double-decker trains and buses really cool? I always ride on top!

-Does Rice University remind you of Hogwarts? (click for a picture)

-Does every girl (or guy with long hair), always have a single black hair tie on their wrist?

-do you have to set multiple alarms to wake up, because you know you’ll just turn the first one off? I even do this when it’s summer and I get, like 10 hours of sleep a night. I also have to put it across the room so I have to get up and walk.

Clearly, I’ve been worrying about these a lot lately. So please, assuage my worries and let me know if it is just me in the comments below! Feel free to ask your own is it just me questions too!

xo, Hima

On Junior Year

They say junior year is the hardest year of high school, and based on my experience from the past year, I'd have to agree. I also think, however, that it was the best year. Junior year was a rollercoaster in every way possible, and I thought it would be fun to reflect on a few of the aspects that had the biggest influence on my junior year. Also I chose some of my fave pictures from this year to break up the text!

Academics

School was hard this year. My classes challenged me, which was good, and I found that I was capable of a lot more than I thought. I took Calculus this year, and I really struggled first semester, not just with the material, but with learning in my teacher's teaching style as well. I honestly gave up towards the end of the semester, and I didn't have a ton of motivation. I really wanted a fresh start second semester, so I put everything from first semester behind me and worked my butt off and ended up getting a solid A second semester, which made me really happy! To be honest, there were other academic successes and failures, but this made the biggest impact on me, and it's what I'm the most proud of.

 selfie with the principal is a must. 

Extra- Curriculars

This year, I was able to cut down on some extraneous activities, and focus on things that really mattered to me. One thing I regret doing is quitting piano, but hopefully I’ll be able to get back to it, even recreationally, this summer and throughout next year, because it’s definitely a stress-reliever. Personally, I feel like I grew a lot as a leader this year- I learned how to charm people, how to work with others even if you don’t necessarily have the best relationship, and how to balance a workload. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue this next year- super excited for this! I have also been loving working at my lab in San Francisco! I actually really like the train commute, because there’s no Wifi, so I can write or read without distractions from the internet. It’s been amazing to meet so many inspiring people at the lab, and to see how I’m starting to understand more and more of what is going on. I remember going into a meeting on my first day and wondering what the heck I was getting myself into. I still have those moments, but they’re much less frequent.

Friends

I firmly believe that the people who stick with you when times are tough, or when things are stressful, are the ones who will stick with you for life. I feel like the friends I made and kept through this year, are definitely diamonds in the rough, because they are all such sweet, caring people. I can call them when I’m worried about something, and they’ll just drop everything and talk me through it. They know when I have important things coming up, and always ask me how it’s going. It’s not ever awkward around any of them, and we never run out of things to say or do, and I just love that feeling. Also, this is a little on the lighter side, but you know you’re best friends with someone when instead of smiling at them in the hallway you make the ugliest face possible no matter what the people around you might think.

Family

My mom always says that there is no one who loves and supports me more than my family, and I agree completely. Yes, some times there is tension at home- but let’s be real- my parents are business owners, and on top of all the stuff that’s going on at home, they’re responsible for the livelihood of almost 200 people in the US and overseas, so there are bound to be some stressful days. I might not say it enough, but I love my family, and all of our quirky traditions. They have been so supportive this year, whether that means making me cups upon cups of tea when I’m studying at midnight, or always willing to drive me somewhere, they’re the best.

clearly my junior year fashion sense revolved around comfort.

Blog

It may sound silly, but this blog is a big part of my life. I’m a social creature, so just journaling and writing my thoughts down for myself isn’t necessarily enough for me. I like the fact that I have my own little slice of the Internet to write whatever I please. I like that there is one thing in my life that I can do on my own terms- nothing is for credit, has to have a certain number of words, or has to be in a certain format. It’s all up to me, and I like it that way. I know that my ability to articulate myself has increased immensely because of the this blog and what I’ve written here, and I treasure that ability as I start the college application process.

So, that’s it. Another year in the books. I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who made my junior year so very special, and here’s to hoping senior year is even better!

Xo, Hima

Sidenote: I’m waiting for the train right now and I’m SO distracted by all the people walking by. Maybe this whole no wifi thing doesn’t really help if I’m just looking at people’s outfits.

Summer Bucket List

Hi y'all!

So my finals are basically over, which means school is over, which means summer is here! While I've definitely got my work cut out for me this summer with my job, college apps, homecoming, and an art class I'm taking at Community College, I'm still planning to have a ton of fun. I love making bucket lists, and so I thought I'd make one for the summer and revisit at the end to see what I've accomplished!

*Go to the beach with friends

*Build a sandcastle (not a snowmen hehe)

*Do a photoshoot with the friends

*Build a lightbox

*Go to a midnight movie premiere, hopefully the Giver

*Hike Mission Peak again!

*Go paddleboarding

*Tie-dye a shirt

*Have a bonfire

*Make cake pops

*Have a picnic

*Organize and download my music

*Go on a 20 mile bike ride

*Spend a day complimenting strangers

*Decorate my room more

*Make a memory jar

That's all for me- I want to keep it manageable! Tell me, what are you hoping to do over summer?

xo, Hima

Let's Shake Things Up a Little

Hey y'all! It's Monday, which, normally isn't the best, but it also marks my last week of school, and a finals-less finals week (Most of my finals were before the AP  tests/are projects), so I'm pretty happy!
Today, I thought we'd do something a little different from (what has become) the usual photo dump. I've been finding some really great music lately, and I wanted to share some of it with y'all.

I also wanted to make it a little more regular, so I bring you Monday Melodies! Every week, I'll share a few songs I'm really loving right now, along with their videos, as well as embed a running Spotify playlist that y'all can follow!

1. Dare (La La La)- Shakira // Not only is this is the Brazil 2014 theme song, it's also the catchiest thing ever. To be honest, it just makes me want to dance. All. the. time.

2. New York, New York- Frank Sinatra // This song makes me want to go to New York and dance in the middle of Times Square and gallivant around Central Park. Also Sinatra has the voice of God- let's be real. 

3. Bounce- Iggy Azalea. We all know that Iggy is the epitome of fab, and this song, while completely meaningless, is one of those songs that gets in your head, and gets your fingers tapping, feet shuffling, and in general, dancing. Also, the video is the most visually pleasing cultural appropriation video I've ever seen. 

4. Read All About it- Emeli Sandé. Although it has a less positive tone than the other three videos, this is one of the most beautiful songs I know. It is possible that you will cry while watching this video. If you do anything today, watch the video. It's just so amazing!

And we'll finish out with that for that day. If you have any suggestions for me, I'm always looking for new music, so feel free to leave it in the comments below! Also, don't forget to tell me- what's your jam right now?

xo, Hima

15 of the Worst First World Problems

Hey y'all!
So. First World Problems. I've talked about them before, and we all agreed that no matter how entitled they make us seem, they exist. So here are what I feel like are the WORST first world feelings ever:


*Getting a Snapchat screenshot notification

I apologize for the terrible cloning job- I just wanted to protect my friends' privacy!

*Watching your helium balloons fly away, knowing that you can't do anything

*Discovering that you had something in your teeth and no one told you

*Drinking a ton of water and having to pee every half hour w/ everyone judging you

*Catching up with your favorite show and being left with an empty feeling inside from lack of show (*cough cough Baby Daddy*)

*Thinking you have a lot of food left and turns out you don't. You just don't have time to build up the mental fortification for the end.

*Wind and hair on a good hair day

*Forgetting something super important at home

*Remembering someone's name an hour after you needed to

*When you accidentally press ctrl-Q on the computer and lose all of your tabs

*When your hair is perfect at night, but looks like a gorilla finger-combed it in the morning

*Sending a chat/text/email to the wrong person

*Thinking you sent an email, but actually just leaving it as a draft

*Sending an email before you're done writing it OR forgetting the attachment

*When NONE of the Instagram filters can make your photo look good.

 No shame, I actually made these smoothies for my brother and myself to pour into these mason jar cups to take an artsy picture of to Instagram. And it did not work. At all. I filtered it SO much, but it still looks terrible. Oh well.

Tell me now, what are your most hated first world problems? Can you relate to any of the ones above?

xo, Hima

100 Happy Days | Days 37 - 43

Hey y'all! This time 8 days from now, I will be DONE with AP tests and back to a regular posting schedule- so close, yet so far. But until then, please bear with me.
Confession: I didn't expect the crazy drop in traffic/comments and it made me really sad until I realized it's my fault for not posting as much. Also, I have such exciting posts coming up- you just wait!

Day 37 (4/28): So I've been hearing SO many good things about this gelato, and I finally decided to try it! To be honest, I think the packaging is better than the gelato. It's so cute!

 Day 38 (4/29): Marla is my favorite person ever.  This pretty little package could not have come at a better time- in the middle of a week of finals, SATs, and AP tests, this was such a happy surprise. Plus, she painted that flower-how great is she?

Day 39 (4/30): Last week was HOTHOTHOT in the Bay! It was 95 degrees on Wednesday and froyo with loads of fruit was the perfect way to cool off! My favorite flavors at Yogurtland are Red Velvet Cake Batter and Salted Caramel Pecan. The sweetness of those with the tart pineapple was so refreshing!

Day 40 (5/1): Friends. Dresses. Leadership. What's not to love? 

Day 41 (5/2): It's not often one comes across actual unintentional twinning, and that it's to such a degree. But who would've thought- mint dresses, belts, black cardigans, black shoes. Oh, and it's actually not the first time this has happened with Sonia!

Double post and subtle (not anymore LOL) promo for the 2016 Mother's Day Card Fundraiser! 

Day 42 (5/3): How pretty is this hibiscus? It makes me feel like I should be in Jamaica relaxing (but then reality hits LOL).

Day 43 (5/4): According to my phone, my skin tone is "oompa-loompa orange" so excuse the heavy filter I put on this. But last week was Random Acts of Kindness week at school, and this day was balloon day. Essentially, every balloon had a mission for you to complete, and once you finished, you got to hand it off to someone else. My favorite one was "find Hima and hug her!"

That's all for this week y'all. Wish me good luck on AP tests, and I'll see you on the other side! Don't forget to tell me your fave froyo flavor in the comments below.

xo, Hima

100 Happy Days | Days 31 - 36 + news!

Hey y'all! Sorry I've been posting so infrequently lately, and that everything has been 100 Happy Days posts. I'll explain why at the end of this post. Until then, enjoy what's been making me happy for that last 6 days. 

 Day 31 (4/22): Monday was a really long day, and I didn't get home until around 7:30. Naturally, I went for a bike ride with my brother to clear my head before I jumped into a pile of homework, and while we were riding next to the railroad tracks, the sun was setting, and I was able to shoot this.

Day 31 (4/22): Okay, so this was definitely a double post, but how could this not be my happiness for the day? Shruthi is honestly one of the best friends I could ask for. She's honest, loyal, and uncannily wise, so receiving this text from her was really special.

Day 32 (4/23): Bella my baby! She's so cute- but honestly, how do y'all prevent yourself from getting distracted by your pets?

Day 33 (4/24): Okay, so ever since my BBFFL (try figuring that one out), Marla, talked about how much she loves seeing people's baby pictures, I've been on the hunt for the perfect one. Y'all, I think I've found it. I was Macklemore before Macklemore was even Macklemore!

Day 34 (4/25): No, we didn't actually dress cute. Those days are long gone. They did make me happy though!

Day 35 (4/26): Fresh strawberries from the farmer's market + cake = strawberry shortcake!

Day 36 (4/27): My hair is getting long again huehuehaha. Plus I got bored of math :)

Alright y'all, so I mentioned how I haven't been posting much other than 100 Happy Days stuff for he last 3 weeks, right? Well, that's probably all it'll be for the next three weeks too, since I've got finals an AP tests starting this week, and as much as I love blogging, I'm going to have to focus on school. Don't forget to wish me luck hehe :)

xo, Hima

100 Happy Days | Days 20 - 30

Hey y'all! It feels like it's been ages since I've written a proper blog post, so I thought I'd get right back into the swing of things with a #100happydays recaps of the last 10 days. Last week was my spring break, and I went down to SoCal with my mom to tour some colleges, all of which I loved! I'm back at school now, but we're in the home stretch before it's summer, and I'm happy to see all my friends and teachers again, so it's not too bad. 

4/11 (Day 20): This is Guneet, one of my best friends. Clearly, we both dressed up on the last day before break, and I wanted to take the opportunity to write a little bit about her. She honestly makes my day every time I see her, and our conversations, albeit sometimes short, are always meaningful, and I love that. 

4/12 (Day 21): This is what the sky looked like in the morning. No joke, and no filter. I love pictures like this, where you just happen to look up out of the car, and you're just taken aback by how beautiful the sky is. 

4/13 (Day 22) I spent some quality time with my little brother, and we decided to paint. This is what i came up with!

4/14 (Day 23): Yes, this is one of those super cliché Instagram pictures, but I love it all the same. California is so beautiful :') 

4/15 (Day 24): So my mom and I found this amazing area in Costa Mesa, in Orange County, with the cutest little stores and amazing vegan food (more on that tomorrow or Thursday!), and I saw this sign and fell in love. Wouldn't it be amazing to have these in every store? 

4/16 (Day 25): We toured the USC Campus on the most beautiful day, and it was just perfect. I loooved the school spirit there- fight on!

 4/17 (Day 26): I got to meet up with my former Link Crew leader, Rebecca, at UCLA, and it was so nice to talk to her after so long! I loved seeing how passionate she was about the school, and it really added to my experience there. 

 4/18 (Day 27): No, we don't still have our tree up. I don't know if this was cheating, but I decided to thow it back to the day that #iworeitbetter. So, next stop, People Magazine? 

4/19 (Day 28): I made a cookie in a mug. It was dry, so I'm working on tweaking the recipe, but I'll have it to you soon!

4/20 (Day 29): I made my healthy deep dish cookie pie again! This time, it was for Bee's birthday, hence the chocolate chip bee. (Don't worry, my mom couldn't tell either).

4/21 (Day 30): Bee! So, this is going to take a little bit of explaining, but did any of you ever have one teacher/person at school that made a huge impact on you? Bee (well, back then, she was Dr. Stevens to me), was my science fair project advisor last year, and through that, she became my everything advisor. I started bringing my friends to talk to her, and as we were putting together things for her birthday, we all talked about how we can't imagine how high school would be without her. I can trust her to make me laugh at any time, and to give me solid advice, and I love that :)

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @himahearts to keep up with my #100HappyDays! :)

xo, Hima