California Bound

This Sunday I'm jet setting to sunny California! I honestly couldn't be more excited to be in my favorite place ever (it's tied with NYC). The trip is primarily to look at schools, but there's still plenty of room to do fun things and explore Los Angeles. A few things on my list to see/do include...

+Lemonade
+In-N-Out Burger
+The Grove

The schools I'm seeing include... USC, Chapman, LMU and Occidental! I couldn't be more excited to finally begin my college search (that probably should have begun a long time ago). If you have any recommendations of places to go/see in Los Angeles please let me know!

In the meantime keep up with my travels via social media (I'm back on Twitter & Insta finally)

Instagram :: @sprinklesofkate
Twitter: @asprinkleofkate

Safe travels! 

Xo

Spring Break Essentials

I'm a little sad I'm not headed for a beach vacation this spring break, but I am super excited to be headed to sunny California! The majority of the trip will be spent looking at schools, but also touring different areas and showing my sister around. I'm super excited to see some schools on the west coast because I can absolutely see myself going to college in California! If you have any recommendations of what to do/see/eat in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara please let me know!

If I were headed to the beach this spring break (if it's warm we might though) these are the essentials I would pack! I'm utterly obsessed with this tunic from J.Crew! It's absolutely perfect for the beach with it's light material and I'm obsessed with cerulean color. And can we just take a moment to appreciate that adorable Lilly Pulitzer clutch? For only $32 I think I have to have it. There are plenty of other prints as well! I love the lobster one featured above but I also love the one that says "I'd rather be at the beach".

You can't go wrong with a simple seersucker bikini, large sunnies and metallic Jack Rogers. Speaking of Jack Rogers, it's making me sad that there's not a pair in my closet yet! I've wanted them for the longest time now, but I have yet to decide which color/style I'd like!

Happy spring break!

What are your spring break essentials?

Where I Ate In NYC

I was exploring the archives of iPhoto and stumbled upon plenty of photos of food I enjoyed while in NYC. I didn't want to make this post solely about the delicious dishes I ate, but more so about the different places I went to. My mom always says, "why eat when you can dine?", and she is absolutely right! Part of the experience of dining somewhere isn't just the food, but the overall experience and feel you get. So, these are some of the places I tested out while in NYC!

The Smith

After landing in NYC, we checked into our hotel and were eager to grab a bite to eat. We stayed at The Empire (aka where Chuck Bass hangs) and The Smith is right across the street. The outdoor area is so cute, but it was way to hot and humid to eat outside that day. The food was delicious, but I'm mad I missed out on the mac + cheese! I had completely forgotten that someone had recommended it to me!

Shake Shack

Okay so I didn't actually eat at Shake Shack in NYC because the line was insane. But, they brought Shake Shack to Chicago a few months later and let me just say it is so good. There aren't a ton of locations in the United States so if you're ever in NYC check out one of the many! Trust me, it's worth the wait!

Cognac

Being in New York, I wanted to dine on the Upper East Side. Also, dining outside was absolutely a must. We ventured to this cute French restaurant on the Upper East Side and it was beyond delicious!

The Crosby Bar

While exploring SoHo, we were eager to try out a fun lunch place. The Crosby Bar + Hotel has the cutest interior designs. Also, while exploring the hotel after lunch we found the cutest little garden! There were so many bright colors in the restaurant and the seating was so comfortable and colorful!

Tavern on The Green

This was probably my favorite place to dine in New York. Located on Central Park, the outdoor dining location is absolutely stunning. Strung lights and patio furniture, along with plenty of greenery, make for a beautiful outdoor dining experience. Purely out of coincidence, there was a fireworks show over Central Park just as we were finishing up our dinner. It made for a perfect ending to my NYC trip!

I'm hoping to head back to NYC this summer (fingers crossed!) and I'd love to hear any dining recommendations!

Xo

Study Tips

As I've mentioned before, junior year is probably the most intense of all years in high school. I've come to the realization that school is the most important thing in my life right now. This probably should have always been true, but I always tend to have things that are just a bit more important than school itself. Anyways, junior year is very academically demanding and this means hours and hours of studying. I've compiled my best tips for studying because I've definitely struggled to study properly in the past. I'm definitely no expert, but these are a few things that help me study! 

Self Control // This is probably the most genius thing ever. Self Control is an application that allows you to create a "blacklist" otherwise known as a list of sites you want to restrict yourself from going on. This is totally customizable but I tend to stick to the usual sites I find myself on: YouTube, BuzzFeed, Netflix, Tumblr, Pinterest and some of my favorite blogs. This application allows for you to set a time period that you're restricted from going on those sites. This app is seriously life changing because it's amazing what can be done when I'm less distracted! Now I just need something similar for my phone...

A Good Group // I've been a part of both good and bad study groups. There's the group where all you end up doing is talking and having fun and then when the test comes you're a bit underprepared. There's the other group where you work together and teach each other and it's beneficial to all. Find a good study group that is functional and you actually end up getting work done!

Give Yourself Enough Time // This is something I'm not so good at. I tend to wait until the last minute (typical) and cram the night before. This is a horrible habit! Information is not going to be stored well using this method! Be sure to give yourself a few days to fully learn and understand the material so that you are better prepared for the test.

Have Others Test You // Just "absorbing" the information isn't necessarily going to be enough to do well on any given test. Have others quiz you and ask you different questions to prove that you really know the information. If the test is on a topic in general try explaining that topic in great detail to someone. If they understand when you're finished, you've done it right. If you're studying for math, give yourself some practice problems to complete to be sure you're on the right track!

These are a few of my tips, but I would love to hear yours! 

Xo

My Life Lately

Excuse the lack of posting, as usual. Not only have I been busy with school, tryouts, and my social life (sort of), but also busy weekends and family outings. To say the least, blogging hasn't been my priority. To get back into posting, what better way than a little life update.

Skiing // This past weekend I went skiing with my family and a few of my cousins. I hadn't been skiing in quite some time, so I was a little rusty. Nonetheless, it was a ton of fun! We all tend to be amateurs so we stick to the easy hills and jumps. 

Selfie Stick // My good friend was kind enough to give me a selfie stick for Christmas (LOL) and I hadn't figured out how to use it before this weekend. Although a little tacky to pull out and snap a pic, it's so much fun to take selfies with it. 

ACT // As if one's junior year of high school isn't already academically demanding enough, the ACT must be taken too. Tomorrow I'm taking my first ACT, but probably not my last. I'm hoping for the best, and I've been studying quite a bit, but there are still a few more times I'm able to take the test in the future.

Tryouts // This week badminton tryouts are beginning! I'm super excited, but super rusty with my skills. Believe it or not, badminton is actually competitive at my school. I really only play for the pure joy of it though so I'm not very concerned with how good I am ha ha. 

Spring // I'm officially done with cold weather. Please spring come sooner! I've been doing a bit of online shopping for some spring essentials and I'm beyond obsessed with everything from Lilly Pulitzer. Especially this adorable shift!

Tunes // Pandora is usually my first choice for music because it introduces me to so many different songs based on just one song I like. But one thing I've been liking to do is listening to full albums from different artists on YouTube. It lasts for 45 minutes usually so it's perfect for just some background noise while I work. I've been loving Fall Out Boy and The Neighbourhood recently.

Stay tuned for more posts to come!

Xo