I'm probably one of the worst sleepers out there. I find it extremely difficult to fall asleep even though I am super tired. I just lie on my bed for hours, thinking about the meaning of life, my crush, and other weird stuff like that. Of course, to fix my dilemma, I tried so many different tricks and tips to fix my sleepless nights, and after three years of experimentation, I think I finally know which tricks and which tips work best in helping me to fall asleep.

Get cozy

Pretty straightforward, eh? But there's no better trick up there to help you fall asleep than to get cozy. It's pretty cold in my room, so I jump into my bed at night, crawl underneath my thick blanket, and make myself super comfortable in my bed.

Use up every inch of your energy

Sounds tiring? You bet! And that's the whole point. Go exercise, go run around on errands, go hang out with friends. Do everything that will make you exhausted by the end of the day so that you'll just collapse on your bed.

Set a wake up time and a bed time

Yeah, yeah. You're too old for that stuff, but guess what? Setting the time to go to bed and the time to get off the bed to start the day really help.

Don't be hungry

So I was on a diet a while back and I decided to eat absolutely nothing after six. Every night during that diet, I thought I would never be able to go to dreamland. All I could think about was how hungry I was and how many hours I had to wait til breakfast. In the end, I gave up on that particular diet. The lesson? Don't go to bed hungry.

Avoid drinking too much liquid in the evening

Do I really need to explain why?


-Barista Mia-

Image: martinak15 Read more »

Jealousy is inevitable. I myself have felt it for two different reasons just this week. I'm not usually the type to get jealous as I have a pretty optimistic approach to life, but I just couldn't handle it this week. Sigh. First, one of my closest friends got accepted to a school that we both applied to, but I ended up getting waitlisted. I honestly was pretty happy about the waitlist as this is a top-tier school, but after hearing that my friend had gotten in... well, let's just say the green-eyed monster inside of me didn't really like it. Second... um... this is a more personal thing so I'll keep quiet about this one.

I hate feeling jealous. I really do. I feel nasty. I mean, why the heck am I jealous of my friend for getting in when I should be congratulating her from the bottom of my heart (I am happy that she got in, but the jealousy's messing up my emotions). Anyway, I looked for ways to kill the jealousy that is killing me inside and I came up with a list of tips. I feel heaps better now and hopefully, if you feel jealous about something right now, you will too.

Treat yourself

Go shopping, take a nice bath, whatever. Just make yourself happy so that you forget about who and what you're jealous of. There's one CON to this method, though: As soon as you're done treating yourself, there's a possibility that your jealousy might spew back out.

Count your blessings

A surefire way to stop your jealousy. Instead of focusing on what you DON'T have. Look at what you DO have.

Distract yourself

I distracted myself by reading a hundred different books. Okay. Not a hundred. But I did read three books so far.

Write, shout or sing it out

Believe it or not, but when you write, shout, or sing about how you're feeling and such, you're going to feel so much better.

Be nice to the person you are jealous of

*snort* Yeah, right. But seriously. When you're nice to the person you're jealous of, you're going to forget how jealous you are of him/her. Give that person a present, hang out with that person, strike a friendly conversation with that person. Make that person happy and you will be happy too as weird as that sounds.


-Barista Mia-

Image: MiraCosta Community College Read more »

No matter how hard we try to avoid them, life will slap us in the face for no apparent reason in the form of what I like to call a 'downer day'. I am referring to one of those days where you find yourself repeatedly asking the question- "what's the point?!". One of those sucky, unnaturally long days where the only thing you want to do is curl up and forget everything. It would be misleading to suggest that there are ways of avoiding these moments, but here are a few ways to cushion the blow...

1) Take your mind off things (If nothing in particular is bugging you)

If you feel the way you do for no particular reason, distract yourself. Maybe watch a movie or series, throw together a playlist which will lighten your mood. I often find that lighthearted conversation with friends is a brilliant solution to feeling glum. We all need a break from constantly thinking, sometimes.

2) Face whatever is on your mind

I recommend doing this when some unresolved problem is causing your mood to be this way. If this is the case, it's best to face whatever is bugging you. I'm sure you've guessed it, but talking it out really does help. Tell someone how you feel, rather than keeping everything bottled up inside. If you honestly don't know who to turn to, keeping a diary or even an anonymous blog can really help. You can always email or comment too, I'd be happy to help or even just listen! Just don't ignore the problem, if there is one. Unfortunately, I can only speak in general terms, but i'm sure this piece of advice stands true in most cases.

3) Remain optimistic!

It's easier said than done, I know but looking on the bright side really reduces the frequency of these bad days.

Hopefully your suckier (I know that's not a word) days won't suck as much now, and remember- they're just a part of life!


-Barista Ria-

Image: Lau_Lau Chan Read more »

Rule #1: Break all the rules

I don’t care if the stars aren’t wearing it, or if you’re best friend already wore it, or if it’s ‘not right for your body shape’. Wear what makes you happy. The following ‘rules’ are just to help you out if you’re having trouble. <3

Rule 2: Proportions (tops to bottoms)

If your wearing an oversized sweater, pair it with skinny jeans. Or if you’re skirt's flowy, try a fitted tank-top. Basically, try not to have your top and bottom both snug or super loose; have them balance each other out.

Rule 3: Colors

There’s supposed to be a skin tone test (the seasons one) but I never figured mine out. I just suggest compiling a list of what colors suit you, in what shades, and which ones make you look sick, tired, or just blah. Everyone’s going to be different, so what looks amazing on your friend probably won’t on you (unless of course you guys have similar coloring). If you find a color you love but just doesn’t look the best on you, keep it away from your face; wear a scarf in a more flattering color over the top of that sweater, or wear it in bottoms, shoes or accessories.

Rule 4: Fit

If you particularly want to flatter your body shape, here’s an easy way to make sure you do that: focus on what certain types of clothes make different parts of your body appear bigger/smaller. Want less focus on your bust? Wear the clothes that make you look smaller there. If you’re like me and have a kinda tiny bust, you might do the reverse. Just make sure whatever you wear isn’t way too big or small; clothes that are too big look sloppy and aren’t flattering, but clothes that are too small are just as unflattering and can actually be unhealthy (and if you’re sensitive about your weight, tiny clothes can create ‘fat rolls’ in places you don’t actually have them). So just observe your body and wear what makes you happy about how you look and what shapes you create (a full length-mirror can really help make sure you like the entire outfit, that you’re not accidentally showing off more skin than you wanted, etc.).

Rule 5: Getting the look

Basically, stand back from your mirror and make sure your top/bottom or dress/sweater whatever doesn’t crazily clash. Stripes with prints, etc. can be dangerous territory so if you’re new to this, it might be better to play it safe and have only one printed part of your outfit. So if you want to wear that polka dot dress, wear the plain sweater. Or if your pants have stripes, go with the chic, simple top. For accessorizing, pick two or maybe three things; don’t pile on earrings, bracelets, necklaces etc. etc. (unless you’re going for a new and edgy look).

So I hope these tips have helped you out somewhat, and I’ll be posting part 2 shortly, for those of you who are saying ‘yeah, yeah I know this stuff but I want more help’. :)


-Barista Nicole-

Image: Barbro Andersen Read more »

You might have heard of Wattpad: an innovative social network whose popularity is increasing at the speed of light, but have you considered joining its community? If so, well, you probably know how frustrating and fantastic it can be at the same time. For those of you who have no clue what Wattpad is, I’m here to tell you all about it.

Wattpad is for the unknown writers and for any type of readers. All you have to do is create an account and start writing and reading! It can be a bit annoying sometimes since most of the good writers don’t get the recognition they should get. So from a person with experience on this social network, I think you should search for amazing talented writers who don’t get as many fans as they should, instead of just clicking on the popular books that everybody reads. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t read those books (some of them are pretty good); however, I think that you will understand my advice after you join. You may get the recognition you deserve or you may not. It is really random but, if you're a writer, don’t give up! Wattpad is a great way to improve your writing skills as well as take in some constructive criticism.

Join clubs and make friends! Wattpad is for the underdogs. There, anyone can show their true colours. Do you have any problem? The Wattpad community will help! Just write how you feel and everyone will want to make you feel better.

If you are planning on showing off some of your works, just make sure you know how to end them. Sometimes, it can be a little annoying for your readers if you have no clue what to do with your book or you simply don’t update it. Try to be organized. For example, if you already have two or three chapters for a new book, don’t put them all at once. This will give you some time to write more chapters and will also make your readers attached to your brilliant idea.

If you are a member of Wattpad and you don’t get noticed: don’t worry. Try changing your book cover to something more appealing. Colours are extremely important. You need to create something simple but memorable. Also, book titles are a big deal. In Wattpad, if your title tells the reader everything that the book is about, it will probably get a lot of views, especially if it is a fanfic (I think that we need to change this attitude about fanfics though).

Most important of all, have fun! Wattpad can be many things: amazing, exciting, gripping, frustrating, boring... it really depends on your attitude towards it. If you want to make the best out of your Wattpad experience, start by making friends. They make it all better!


-Barista Alexandra-

Image: via (Wattpad logo) Read more »

Exercise is a crucial factor in losing weight. Exercise is especially important in the spring time when we are prepping to make our bodies as presentable as possible for the summer break. But the problem is motivation. We all find it mighty difficult to motivate ourselves to exercise. What better way to up our exercise motivation than by actually starting to LIKE exercising and working out?

Find the sport for you

Some people like to swim, some people like to run, some people like to dance... find something that makes you actually want to work your body to death. I personally like to dance and play badminton. Don't try to do a sport that you don't enjoy doing just because your friends are doing it or because you think that makes you look cool. Do something you like.

Do it with your friends

If you and your friends like the same sport, great! Exercising with your friends is an awesome motivator and it makes exercising a more fun experience for both you and your friends. Gossiping on top of exercising, anyone?

Don't fall into a routine

If you do, exercising will lose its novelty and will become super boring, like homework. Keep it exciting, fun, and new every time. Do your sport in different places, try different techniques...

Play a game

If you're doing a team sport or a sport that requires a partner, playing a game is a sure way to keep exercising super fun. Plus, playing games can motivate you to improve your skills so that you would win.

Listen to music

Music, especially the kind with an energetic beat, has a magical quality of motivating people to exercise. So plug in those in-ear headphones and get cracking.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Lehigh Valley, PA Read more »