School + Stress = Best Friends

Fall Semester. Wow! Is it just me or does anyone else realize that school is really hard this semester!? Maybe it’s just the classes I’m taking or there is something in the air, but either way, stress is here for sure!

Now I’m not one to complain but I have been asking around and it seems like I’m not the only one having a rough semester. Many of my friends are taking some pretty tough classes. I guess that just comes with the territory of being a Junior in college! The test of endurance really sets in right before you’re a senior. To all my fellow college students out there KEEP IT UP! YOU CAN DO IT!

In other news I got a new job! Yay! I still work at StARs but I am now also working at Fair Trade Café just across the street from the Downtown Phoenix Campus. It is this little coffee shop located in the Civic Space Park, downstairs in the AE building. My first day of work was yesterday and it was fantastic. I had so much fun! It was great learning about all the different types of drinks and food there. I will have my espresso bar training later this week and that’s when I get to learn how to make all the different coffee drinks. Super excited! If you ever happen to be in the area go ahead and stop by. Get a cool beverage of some sort or grab a bite to eat!

I hope everyone’s semester is going ok and everyone is staying on track! Remember, we can do this! Have a Great Weekend!!!


Lonni Summers

August Already?!

We are now entering the month of August and what does that mean? You got it kiddies, school is just around the corner. For many this is a time of stress which can involve moving into a dorm or apartment, buying supplies and books, or just trying to get back into the swing of things. For all you stressed out students out there do not fear! Take a deep breath and just relax. What I’ve learned over the past couple of years here at ASU is that everything will happen in its own time. Now, I’m not saying just sit back and hope that your stuff will magically move itself into your new dorm, I’m just simply stating that no matter how much you stress and worry about, it will not make time move any slower or faster, so just take a step back and let nature run its course. With only a few days left for summer vacation, now is not the time to worry about the little things. Take these last days of summer and enjoy them! Go swimming, go on vacation, hang out with some friends, or even just sleep in a little bit longer because once school is in session, sleep does not exists for us college kids. Trust me; by the time we get back to school, we’ll have plenty of stress to deal with. Hope everyone is enjoying our last few days of vacation and remember, enjoy it while it lasts. Have an Amazing Day!!!

Hello World!!!

Hello World! So, I know its been awhile but I have decided to get blogging again and update everyone on my life. Where to begin!?

Lets start with the ending on the Spring semester. I passed my classes with flying colors. (It was slightly shocking for some classes because I really thought I would barely pass but I happily surprised myself!) I had the honor of receiving the Phoenician Scholarship and I also began working full time at Big Surf Water Park for my 4th season in a row, but this time as the Aquatics Manager! I have to say it has been an exciting semester and summer is looking as busy as ever.

In other exciting news, I moved out of my parents’ house for a month and moved in with my Sweetie Andy. This gave us the opportunity to spend as much time with each other before he left for the Army. Andy is in the Army Reserves and left for Basic Training on July 13th. After two months of Basic he will go on to AIT which is his training for his specific job. He chose Military Police. Unfortunately he will be gone for about 20 weeks. I miss him terribly and can only hope that the next few months fly by. For the first 9 weeks Andy will not be able to use the phone that often. Usually just on Sundays and phone calls can only be about 3-5 minutes. Not a lot of time to get to talk to the one you love, but I’ll take what I can get. We mainly communicate through letters for his Boot camp training. When he gets to AIT he will have more privileges and be able to use the phone more often. Until then, I’ll be writing him a ton of letters!

For some reason this summer seems to be the summer to study abroad. I have my Best Friend Reyna studying Spain, my close friend Danny got to study in England and travel around Europe as well, and another friend of mine is doing some sort of special Army training in Germany. I have to admit, I was a little bit jealous of everyone’s fun and exciting travels so I decided to come up with my own trip/study abroad plan. This winter I want to travel to New Zealand! I have always wanted to visit this wonderful country and now that I’m approaching graduation (3 more semesters!) I would really like to travel while I still can. So I have decided that I am going to spend 2 weeks in New Zealand just for myself. I won’t be doing anything for school or getting any sort of college credit but just traveling for my own enjoyment. I am so serious about this that I have actually started looking up airfares and hotel costs. So far it is looking around the range of $2100 to $2800 to go there for two weeks. This is just airfare and the hotel. This does not include the cost of food and all the fun activities I plan to do. If I don’t get to go this winter then it’ll be my graduation present to myself next December.

This summer has been flying by and school is fast approaching! This semester is looking pretty challenging. I am taking my first Graduate course (REC 500- Research Methods) to get a jump start on my Masters program. I’ll probably be one of VERY few undergraduates in that class and not going to lie, I feel a little intimidated. I’m really hoping I don’t make a fool of myself in there, but I guess I just have to go in with positive thinking! I am also taking Tourism Planning and Tourism Transportation Systems with Professor Teye. I heard these are difficult classes but I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about the Tourism industry. The class I am most excited for is Jazz I. I have not taken a dance class since my Freshman year and I cannot wait to get back to it! The only problem is that this class is at 8 in the morning. This is actually the earliest class I have ever had in my entire college career. I am not a morning person so this is really going to be interesting waking up super early for one class.

This has kind of been my summer in a nutshell. I am trying to make more time for blogging so hopefully life won’t bog me down too much and I can get at least one a two blogs in a week. Till next time, have a Fantastic week!



Lonni Summers

Spirit of Service Scholars Video Winner

Hey everyone! Hope Spring Break is going well for all. I know I'm enjoying my time off! Expect a blog about my recent California trip with my Bestie Tee-Jay and my Boyfriend Andy, but till then I wanted to update everyone on the Spirit of Service Video winner. Check out the video below. Have an awesome day!!!


Lonni Summers

The 411 Effect April 6th

Hey everyone, hope midterms are going well. While I was reading another StAR's blog I came across an interesting event she had posted. This is a wonderful event with a great cause and I encourage you all to try and make it out there.

"4.1.1. Effect is an ASU student run organization focused on building partnerships between local businesses and all Arizona State University campuses. 4.1.1 Effect's mission is to rebuild and redevelop the local economy by working with local businesses, vendors and organizations to create a strong network that pairs businesses and organizations with clients and customers through special events, advertising and marketing strategies.

The event will be on Tuesday, April 6th from 4:30 pm - 9 pm at the Civic Space Park near by the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus... All monetary proceeds that we collect will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund."

Once again, I hope you guys can make it out there because it does sound quite interesting. Thanks again Amyann (Social Work StAR) for the heads-ups! Have an Amazing day!!!



Lonni Summers

Blog of the Week-Tips for our dreaded Midterms!

It’s that time of the year when it is right before Spring Break and smack-dab in the middle of the semester. Oh yes, it’s time for midterms. Lucky me, I have my Nature-based Tourism midterm on Wednesday the 10th, and then on Thursday the 11th I have both my Tourism Accommodations and my Meetings and Convention planning midterm, and to top it off, I have a quiz in my International Tourism class (Yay?). Like many of you, I am starting to feel the pressure! Not going to lie, this is about the time I start to have nervous break downs. Sometimes it just feels like there is just WAY too much. From midterms, to registering for classes, to Spring Break planning, sometimes it just seems like there just isn’t enough time. Dealing from past experiences here are a few tips and suggestions to get you through midterms and on to a happy and relaxing Spring Break.

1. STUDY! I know that seems obvious but you would be surprised at how many people don’t actually study for their midterms. Many feel like they know the material or that the test will be easy. Do Not Fall For This! Being prepared and reviewing the material is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Also, when I say study, I mean study ahead of time and pacing yourself with everything you have to go over. Cramming is never good and you usually do not retain as much information, so study ahead of time and space your material out.

2. Office Hours. If there is something you do not understand or you need some clarification, go into your professors’ office hours. Professors are usually pretty good at clearing up any confusion you may have and can help guide you in the right direction is you feel lost.

3. Study Groups. Study groups are a great way to get together and go over what may be on the midterm. It also gives you the chance to get with classmates and collaborate and see if there is any information you or they might be missing. If you’re not the study group type of person and feel like you study better by yourself then by all means, do what is best for you.

4. Save your Weekends. I know around this time we get anxious for school to get over and sometimes we might find ourselves blowing off studying and homework (I know I have!) Do not do this. The weekend before midterms, try not to go out or do much socializing. Giving up one weekend won’t be so bad and you’ll be able to focus more on what needs to get done. Besides, once midterms are done you’ll have Spring Break!

5. Sleep. Get plenty of rest before your tests. Having a well rested mind will do wonders. Try avoiding pulling those all nighters and just hit the sack early.

6. Breakfast. Eating a good nutritious breakfast the morning of your test will do you good. I know it is kind of corny and we’ve all heard it before, but having a good breakfast is fuel for your brain.

I hope some of these tips help a little with your midterms. I know the stress can be overwhelming but keep pushing through! Spring Break is just around the corner and soon we’ll all have a week to relax and recharge our batteries. Have a Fantastic Day!

Lonni Summers

Sports, Tourism & Event Planning Careers

Sports, Tourism & Event Planning Careers
TOMORROW! Tuesday, March 2
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

ASU Downtown Phoenix campus
411 N. Central Ave.
University Center Building, Rooms 282 & 286

We have 10 professionals from diverse industries ready to meet with students and offer internship, job and career advice in a small, networking forum. No RSVP required - arrive early. This is NOT a recruiting event, but a chance to network and learn from experts!

Panelists in UCENT 282

Tony Alba, Director of Media Operations
Insight Bowl & Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Myles Gabel, Event Manager
University of Phoenix Stadium

Camille Goulding, Museum Educator
Rosson House Museum

Debra Hugo, Senior Convention Services Manager
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel

Mark Stanton, Deputy Director
Arizona Office of Tourism


Panelists in UCENT 286

Darla Harmon, Executive Director
Rosson House Museum

Matt Lawson, Sales Consultant
Phoenix Suns

Alex Ryan, Associate Director of Media Relations
ASU Sun Devil Athletics

Dan Tavrytzky, Vice President & General Manager
Southwest Conference Planners Inc.

Duncan Tyson, Guest Services Manager
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel

This is a great opportunity for Tourism majors to get up close and personal with different professionals in the field of tourism. Hope everyone can make it!


Lonni Summers

Planning Spring Break Tips

Spring semester is in full swing and before we know it, midterms will be on our desks and staring us in the face, but along with our dreaded midterms we also get Spring Break! Yay! My friends and I want to plan a small trip to California for our break, so we’re starting the planning/booking now! My advice to any students wanting to get out and travel for Spring Break is, Plan Now! I’m already finding that hotel rooms are going fast and the longer you wait, the higher the room rate. Also if you’re looking to save some money on your hotel accommodations I suggest finding out if the hotel has AAA discounts or military discounts. This can save you a couple dollars. I have also found that booking through a third party such as hotels.com, expedia, or priceline, you can find some cheaper room rates through them instead of booking strictly through the hotel, but once again make sure to do your research. Even though it may seem cheaper through a third party, sometimes with certain discounts offered through the actual hotel you can possibly get a better deal. Once again, just research. This also goes for Adventure/Theme parks. Most of them have AAA and military discounts, so make sure to find out.

Spring break is a time of fun, relaxation, and good times. Just be sure to research and plan ahead! Hope everyone is enjoying the weather and until next time, Have a Fantastic Day!



Lonni Summers

Topia Inn- An Eco-Friendly Hotel

For my Tourism Accommodations I had to look for an article about hotels. To my great surprise I found a wonderful article in The New York Times called “An Inn Is an Oasis from Environmental Affronts” about a bed and breakfast in Massachusetts called the Topia Inn. Yet, this is no ordinary bed and breakfast. The Topia Inn is an “Eco-Friendly” bed and breakfast with style, artistic direction, and a unique experience to offer guests. The owners Caryn Heilman, a former dancer, and Nana Simopoulos, a music composer, are both artists and wanted to provide people with a green experience and show that people do not have to give up comforts to be eco-friendly, but there are some rules the guests do have follow if they choose to stay there. The rules include, no smoking, no chemical fragrances or bug repellants, shoes cannot be worn inside the Inn at all and must be left outside or covered with the inn’s neoprene booties, and also guest have to leave all grooming products at home but complimentary organic bath and body products are provided. Another awesome feature about this bed and breakfast is that almost everything about this inn is eco-friendly. The building was an abandoned hotel and the current owners decided to recycle it and add solar panels, layers of colored clay on the walls instead of paint, and the insulation is made from recycled jeans. Even some of the furniture is made from salvaged wood.

Customers have the option of picking from 10 different rooms each with a different theme and designed by different artists. Each room has a flat screen TV with a DVD player and the Inn also offers free wireless internet to its guests. Depending on the room, the bathrooms offer guests a whole new level of relaxation. There is either a low-flow, energy saving bathtub that has chromotherapy, which are colored lights that illuminate the water and in other rooms there is a low-flow rainfall shower that has aromatherapy within the showerhead.

I thought this hotel was so amazingly cool! If I ever got the chance I would definitely check it out if I was in Massachusetts. This inn is very unique and to find a hotel that is eco-friendly and comforatable at the same time is great. I have also posted the links to article in The New York times and also the link to the hotel’s webpage. Until next time, Have a Fantastic Day!!!

Article-http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/travel/escapes/05greeninn.html?scp=1&sq=topia%20inn&st=cse

Topia Inn Webpage- http://topiainn.com/



Lonni Summers

Blog of the Week- Favorite thing to do in Downtown Phoenix

It’s that time again! Yes readers it’s time for the blog of the week. This week’s topic is what is “our favorite thing to do in Downtown Phoenix”. As usual I couldn’t really narrow stuff down because there is a ton of things I like to do here so I’ll just give you all a short rundown of what activities I like here in Phoenix.

My top choice for activities here in Downtown Phoenix has to be all the sporting events. I absolutely love going to baseball and basketball games. They are SO much fun and if you can find specials and deals for tickets, it makes it that much better! I also love all the concerts and shows that come to the Downtown area. Even though I have not been to a show lately there have been quite a few to roll in Arizona and many of them take place Downtown. Another activity I like doing here is walking around and finding new places to try and get lunch at. That’s usually a tasty adventure! Lastly I really just love grabbing a coffee or tea and relaxing in the Civic Space park when the weather is nice. It’s so cool to just take a load off or do some reading.
These are just a few activities I like to do when I’m in this area. I encourage everyone to at least try one of these things listed. All of them are great! Have a Wonderful Day!



Lonni Summers

Apply for the Spirit of Service Scholars Program!

ASU's College of Public Programs is accepting applications from ASU undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in any field of study dedicated to careers in the public and nonprofit sectors who want to join the Spirit of Service Scholars program.

The program addresses the present and future workforce needs in the public and nonprofit sectors by awarding prestigious $5,000 scholarships to 15 outstanding students, and providing them with extraordinary intellectual and practice experiences, a lifelong interdisciplinary network, and committed, effective mentors.

More information is available at http://spiritofservicescholars.asu.edu/; contact soss.info@asu.edu.

The deadline for applications is April 2 for the Fall 2010 semester. Applicants need not demonstrate financial need, but must show seriousness of purpose.

This is a great program and I hope everyone applies! Have a Wonderful Day!



Lonni Summers

Blog of the Week- Favorite Classes so Far

For this week, our Blog of the Week topic is “what is our favorite class we’ve taken at ASU so far”. This is kind of hard for me to answer because I have taken many classes and with each semester I find I class that I absolutely love so instead of picking just one class I’ll pick one for every semester!

Fall 08
My favorite classes for that semester had to be dance (modern), sociology, and English 202. My dance class was so much fun! I’ve been a dancer since before high school and when I started signing up for classes I really wanted to try a college dance class, so I took modern dance and I loved it! My sociology class was a class of about 350 students and it was at the main campus and at first I thought it would be a really lame class but it was actually so interesting and the professor was hilarious! If you ever get a chance to take Sociology 101 with Professor Whitaker, DO IT! She’s awesome. Last, my Eng 202 was a world literature course, and I am such a book worm so this class was great for me. We covered a lot of literature and wrote so many essays, but it was so worth it. I loved the content and I really enjoyed the stories we covered in class.

Spring 09
For my second semester in college, I was so excited to take Intro to Travel and Tourism (TDM 205). I had the great pleasure of having Professor Tee teach the course and it was Awesome! We learned about the many different aspects of tourism and also the different kinds of tourism. Taking this class really increased my interest in the tourism field and made me want to learn so much more about this field. Plus Professor Tee is an amazing instructor and made the course that much better. I also really liked my Public speaking class. At first I was really nervous about this course and was scared that I would get a really bad grade for my speeches, but I had a blast in that class and I also improved on my public speaking skills.

Fall 09
Last semester was a little bit rough on me, but I got through it ok. Even though it was one of my hardest semesters I still had two classes I totally loved. One was Human Sexuality (FAS 332) and the other was Inclusive Community Development (TDM 302). My Human Sexuality class was a lot a fun actually. We covered EVERYHTING in that class! The course was great but so was the instructor. Professor Goldblatt was so entertaining and so informative, I couldn’t wait to go to class every day. For my Inclusive community class I had Professor Rodriguez who is also a wonderful instructor. The class covered the topic of diversity and how to have and keep diversity in your workplace. It was a very intriguing topic and I really enjoyed the discussions we would have in class.

Spring 10
This semester I am really enjoying my Tourism Accommodations (TDM 325) class. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I really would like to get into the hotel sector of tourism and this class in right up my alley! I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can this semester!

The list is kind of long, but I really couldn’t narrow it down any more than I did. If you get the chance take some of these classes or try to get a class with one of the professors I listed. Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!



Lonni Summers

A Very Proud Big Sister

Today at 11:45am, 24 football recruits returned signed letters of intent to ASU. Among these young men was my little godbrother, Ramon Abreu. On azcentral.com they wrote a small article and posted a few pictures of this event. After reading the article and viewing the photos I feel myself start to get a little teary eyed. A flood of memories wash over me and I find myself thinking about the many childhood adventures Ramon and I had. Rollerblading and playing hockey in the tennis courts, riding our bikes and getting into whatever mischief we could find, and chugging Capri Suns on the steps during hot summer afternoons, whatever we did, we did it together. Even as a kid, Ramon was always the best at sports. From football, baseball, basketball, you name it, he did it and he did it well. In my eyes, there was nothing Ramon couldn’t do. He was always the fastest, the toughest, and the best. Growing up together taught me a lot of things and even when we would get into our meaningless squabbles, we always made up in about an hour and would find some other fun/trouble to get into.

I never realized how protective I was of my little brother till we got to high school. This is when I started seeing all the little girls around him and he would have an occasional girlfriend here and there. I don’t think I have scared so many girls in my life. If they were around my brother, it was on. Even at our high school dances I would find myself shooing away girls that would dance all on him. Yeah, that was NOT happening while I was around. I know he hated me for it and thought I was overreacting, but in the end we both knew it was out of love and we would both get over it and have a laugh the next day in school.

Today, Ramon is a senior at Marcos de Niza high school and will be at ASU in Fall 2010 playing football as a Sun Devil. I cannot wait for next semester to be in those stands cheering on my little bro. As I look back on our childhood I can’t help but smile and feel a swell of pride for my brother. I have watched him grow from a carefree kid to an amazing young man. We may not be blood related, but in our eyes we have always been siblings and he will always be my little brother. Ramon, I am so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. I wish nothing but the best for you and your future. Always remember you have a big sister that will love and protect you no matter what and always support you in whatever you do. I love you Ramon.


Lonni Summers

Blog of the Week- Classes I’m Excited for & Dreading this Semester

With a new semester in swing, the StARs decided to do something called “The Blog of the Week”. This is where all of us write about one particular subject during the week and this gives our readers a chance to see different views and opinions on the subject. This week’s subject is what classes we are looking forward to and the classes we’re less than excited about. For this Spring semester I am really looking forward to my Tourism Accommodation class (TDM 325). I really would like to get into the hotel sector of tourism, so this class is right up my alley. I even find my textbook interesting! Professor Lee is teaching the course this semester and I am really looking forward to getting deeper into this subject. I am also looking forward to my Nature-based tourism class (TDM 480). I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it or not but it is actually pretty interesting. We will be covering ecotourism, sustainable tourism, and of course nature-based tourism. I think it will be pretty cool learning something outside my area of interest and also because of this class I got really excited to visit New Zealand which is doing amazing things for ecotourism and becoming a sustainable country, so now I am planning a trip there hopefully for December 2011!

With every semester we always have at least one class we know we’re going to struggle in or just dread going to. This semester I have to say my online Tourism Marketing class will probably be pretty difficult for me. Don’t get me wrong, I like the content and the subject of marketing is very important in the tourism industry but there is SO MUCH reading for this class. Not only do we have textbook readings but also articles that are occasionally posted on Blackboard and these can be pretty long. I’m not really an “online class” type of person and considering this is my first online class, I’m a little worried. I like being in class, hearing the lecture from the professor, and getting extra little bits of information when I’m in the classroom. I feel like I can’t really get that from an online class. Hopefully I’ll be able to get into the groove of this class and make it through it with a decent grade, but of course it is going to be a challenge. Till next time, hope everyone has an Amazing Day!



Lonni Summers

Second Semester and ASU Basketball

So it begins again. It is now time for our second semester of school and get right back into the swing of things. I’m not going to lie, this semester is looking pretty tough for me. I have all tourism classes and all are 300 and 400 level. Looking at the syllabi for these classes, I have a lot of group projects and a lot of term papers. Intense semester? I think so. I know I can do it and I’m sure I’ll be able to survive but it’s going to be pretty rough! I’m also taking my first online class ever and not by choice either. It’s only offered online, so we’ll see how that goes as well. Even though I’m a little nervous for this semester, I’m really looking forward to learning more about the Tourism industry. So far I really like what I’m getting in my lectures, just not looking forward to the huge papers down the road. Anyways, this is my schedule for Spring 2010.

TDM 325- Tourism Accommodations
TDM 345- Meeting and Convention Planning
TDM 350- Tourism Marketing (Online)
TDM 458- International Tourism
TDM 480- Nature-based Tourism

Like I said, all tourism and all 300 and 400 level classes. Other than my grueling schedule, I got to have another awesome experience here at ASU. I went to our men’s basketball game for the first time. It was on Saturday night and we were playing our rivals, U of A. Just like the football games, students and alumni were gathered together to cheer on our Sun Devils. The energy was high and since we were facing our rival team, the desire to win was overwhelming. Unfortunately, we lost, but my friends and I still had an amazing time. If you haven’t been to a game yet, you should soon! Try going to both the men’s and women’s games. The season is almost over so go out there and support your ASU Sun Devils! Hope everyone is having a great second semester and have an Awesome Day!!!



Lonni Summers

Support for Haiti

As many of you know, there was a devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday. Many are badly injured and desperately need medical attention, shelter, food, and clean water. One of our very own ASU students, Christa Brelsford, was in Haiti as a student volunteer and was injured during the earthquake. Thankfully she is recovering in a hospital in Miami. Unfortunately most of the people in Haiti do not have access to good medical care and are in need of our help. Donating whatever you can will be greatly appreciated. These are a few organizations that are taking donations to aid people in Haiti.

American Red Cross

UNICEF

The Salvation Army

World Vision

Operations USA

CARE

I found out about these organizations through the email we received from Michael Crow, our ASU President. I’m sure there are more organizations that are aiding the people in Haiti that you can donate money to. Just be sure to do your research and be sure that the “organization” isn’t a shame and claiming to be something it’s not. Remember, any amount of money donated can help more than you know.



Lonni Summers

Honey and Acne

Today, I have decided to blog about something not related to tourism, ASU, or anything school related. I actually want to share my excitement over a new beauty tip I just discovered that can be used for guys and girls. We all get breakouts here and there and I know it’s not fun. I have recently been breaking out a lot which is weird because I never really ever had that problem before. I decided to look up a few ways to treat breakouts/acne. I don’t like using a lot of chemicals and I find that when I do my skin doesn’t like it very much, so I started researching natural ways to help my skin. That’s when I came across honey. At first I thought it was impossible! I mean, putting honey on my skin will help my breakout? You’re kidding, right? Yet, the more I researched, the more I found people raving about the results they were having, so I thought “What the heck! I’ll give it a try”.

I decided to just a do a plain honey mask. What you will need is pure honey. Make sure you have PURE honey and it doesn’t have any additives like corn syrup or anything else because those ingredients are not good for your skin. You can find pure honey at your grocery store or if you’re lucky like me, you might have some in your kitchen already.

Directions

1. Take about a tablespoon of honey and put it in a microwave safe container. Heat the honey up for about 6 seconds or less. Do Not overheat the honey because this stuff will boil and you don’t want to put that on your face. You just want the honey to get to a liquid consistency so it’s easier to spread on your face.

2. For girls, pull back your hair so it is out of your face. Next put some of the warm honey on your fingertips and starting with the affected area on the face (the area of the face with the acne) gently massage the honey into the skin.

3. Once you’ve cover the affected area, take more honey and start massaging it all over the rest of your face. You want to keep massaging the honey into the skin for about 3 to 5 minutes and after that, leave the honey on for about 15 to 20 minutes.

4. After the time is up, wash your face off with warm water. You don’t have to use soap; the warm water should do the trick just fine. Pat your face dry with a clean towel, and you’re done!

This treatment was great for my skin! I was really skeptical at first but after trying it, I love it. I instantly noticed reduced swelling and redness from my breakouts and the honey left my face feeling soft and moisturized. Now this treatment doesn’t completely get rid of your acne right away but it does help. Even if you don’t breakout or have any acne try doing this mask anyways. The warm honey feels really nice when you apply it and when you wash it off it leaves you face feeling amazing, so just try it! Have an Incredible Day!!!


Lonni Summers

Snow, Snow, Snow, and Oh Yeah, Sledding!

On December 30th through the 31st, my friends and I decided to take a trip up to Flagstaff to play in the snow. It turned out to be a couple’s trip because my best friend Reyna and her boyfriend Sean went with me and my boyfriend Andy. We loaded up our boxy Honda Element with a cooler full of food, snack food, water, and Capri Suns, crammed a couple of plastic sleds and a giant pink inflatable tube (which is actually suppose to be used for water, not snow), and we all piled into the car and headed out of the Valley. It was about a two and half hour ride up to Flagstaff so we entertained ourselves with a hodgepodge of music from all of our iPods and there was a lot of karaoke style singing going on in that car!


We finally made it up to Flagstaff and of course it started snowing, which was a little scary because Sean our driver has never driven in snow before, but he learned quickly! We made a quick stop at Target to get a few clothing items (I needed a belt and Sean needed a jacket. Who doesn’t bring a jacket to the snow?! Haha!) then we went and checked into our hotel. After resting for about an hour we all got ready and headed out to go ice skating! It was an indoor rink and we only paid six bucks to for skate rentals and admission. We all skated for about an hour then went to grab some dinner. We ate at the Beaver Street Brewery and the food was pretty good. After a long day, we all went back to the room to get some shut eye and wake up early the next morning for sledding.

The next day we woke up to a non snowing day and the sun was bright and shining. It was the perfect day to hit the hills and go sledding! After nourishing ourselves with the complementary breakfast from the hotel, we checked out, grabbed our belongings, and drove to the snow play area. We went to Crowley Pit Snow Play Area which was free of charge and plenty of big hills for us big kids! We grabbed our sleds, blew up the pink tube, and charged up the hills. There was a good amount of people there but it definitely not over crowded so there was plenty of room for everyone. We all took turns going down in various ways, front ways, head first, sideways, and every other way. After awhile, Andy and I decided to try going down a hill and then hitting a snow ramp while going down. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. He went first and ended up hitting the end of the ramp. When it was my turn, he told me to start to my right then start leaning left as I went down the hill, he said I should be able to hit the ramp right in the middle. Following my boyfriend’s directions, I actually did hit the ramp dead on the middle, BUT what I wasn’t ready for was hitting it at full speed, getting some serious air, freaking out, letting go of my sled, and totally wiping out. Mind you, all of that happened within like 7 seconds. After landing right on my butt and knocking all the air out of me, you would think I would be in tears. Well, I was but I also couldn’t stop laughing. I was in pain, cold, wet, and all bruised up but it was by far one of the funniest things I’ve ever done! I could not stop laughing despite the pain I was feeling on my behind. Andy came rushing down the hill to see if I was alright only to find me laughing, crying, and saying ow. He chuckled at my silliness and continued to help me up and brush the snow off of me. After that incident, we called our friends over and of course boys being boys, Sean and Andy decided to make the ramp bigger and better and try it out again. On my second run I was so scared but thankfully I didn’t eat it like last time, my friend Reyna… well not so lucky. She kind of hurt herself, so we decided that we had enough sledding for the day.

Completely exhausted, we got lunch, climbed back into the Honda Element and drove back down to the Valley. The trip was so much fun and full of memories that I will always keep. If you haven’t made it up North yet, GO NOW! Break is almost over and my advice to all of you is to do some sort of snow activity. Even if it’s just for the day, it’s so worth it! I added some pictures of our fun filled trip at the bottom. School is just around the corner but I hope everyone is having a fun break. Have a Wonderful Day!!!



Lonni Summers

A Night on the Town

Saturday nights for me usually consists of hanging out with friends, getting dinner, or maybe going out to see a movie. On January 2nd, my Saturday night was a little more exciting than usual. For a Christmas present I bought my boyfriend and I tickets to go see the Phoenix Suns play. I decided to turn his entire Christmas present into an all day event we could both enjoy.

We started our day around 3pm, and since he has never ever been on the light rail, we drove to the Apache and Dorsey Park and Ride stop and hopped on the light rail! Another bonus that came with riding the light rail on that particular day was the fact that my boyfriend didn’t have to pay for a light rail pass. To our benefit, the Metro light rail and the US Airways Center teamed up to create a special deal for light rail riders. It’s called Ride Rail Events. From October 1st till September 30th, 2010 if you purchase tickets to any event taking place in the US Airways Center, you are able to ride the light rail absolutely free. The time frame for this offer is four hours prior to the event and all the way till the end of the transit day. You just have to make sure to keep your event ticket with you at all times and must show this ticket to a fare inspector if asked. I really liked this, especially for Saturday night’s game because not only did we save money on gas, but my boyfriend and I did not have to spend time looking for a spot to park and also we didn’t have to pay any parking fees. If anyone is going to an event at the US Airways Center I highly recommend taking advantage of this deal!

After getting onto the light rail we rode it all the way to McDowell & Central where we hopped off to get dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. If you enjoy Italian food, I definitely recommend giving this place a shot. It is so awesome! This restaurant offers “complete meals” which means you get fresh baked bread, soup or salad, and a scoop of ice cream. This is all included in the price of your main course. It was my first time eating there, and the food was great. We ordered the Spinach Artichoke and Shrimp dip as an appetizer, then for the main course I ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana and my boyfriend got the Chicken Penne. Both dishes were so tasty and the prices were very reasonable. Also, not only was the food great the restaurant itself was so cool. It is decorated in all antiques and there is even a streetcar in the center of the restaurant that you can dine in! This place was so much fun and I highly suggest checking it out. Take a look at their website and their menu www.osf.com.

After dinner we got back on to the light rail and head towards the US Airways Center to watch the Phoenix Suns! The arena was bustling with people and the energy was high. Everyone was looking forward to a great game. Our seats were in the upper level and I was a little worried that the seats wouldn’t be that good but fortunately to my surprise they weren’t bad at all! In fact, they were great! We watched a very exciting game but in the end we lost, which put a slight damper on the rest of our night but it was nothing a little ice cream at Golden Spoon couldn’t cure! (They have really great frozen yogurt there and their portions are huge! Give them a try! http://www.goldenspoon.com/)

This was a great night on the town and I had a blast with my special someone. If any of these things sounded fun or interesting go ahead and check out the websites and for the Suns game schedule and ticket info go to www.nba.com/suns/. I hope everyone had a great New Years and have an Awesome Day!


Lonni Summers