Back at Governor's Ball | How to Do a Festival the Right Way

It's my absolute favorite time of year... Festival Season. I kicked off the circuit of concerts and late night dance marathons with Subway at New York City's Gov Ball. It was one for the books y'all.

As I posted up behind my laptop and thought back to my very first Governor's Ball (Gov Ball's second year in action) I figured why not share a few things I learned along the way.

1. Public Transportation is Your Friend
I learned this the hard way. Every. Single. Time. Realize that if you do decide to drive there know that you’ll probably be sitting in traffic for a good two hours. Don’t do that; instead embrace the MTA’s offering of a quick bus ride to the island from Harlem. Or if you’re a Queen’s native and wish to avoid the long bus lines, $6.50 bus ride, or subway ride through the city here’s the alternative:

• Getting there: Take the M60 in Queens towards Harlem. Get off at the first stop and walk the RFK Bridge. It’s a 10 – 15 minute walk and then you’re there.
• Getting back: Walk the RFK Bridge back towards Harlem and take the M60 back. It’s the first block off the bridge. You’ll be back in Queens in no time.

2. Mind over Matter (on the RFK Bridge)
This is for my Queens kids! You know who you are. This bridge is 30-minute walk and incredibly hard when the sun is beaming on you and even harder when you're crossing it after spending all day at Gov Ball. Just know that you CAN do this. Plus, this a great time to grab a snack before heading into the festival. Psst… There’s a Subway at the start of the RFK bridge.

3. Comfortable Shoes
By now, it should be drilled into your head that there’s going to be a lot of walking. Wear shoes that give you the comfort and support you’ll need from AM to PM. Because honey, you don’t want to be that person who walks home barefoot. These sneakers are my go-to’s time after time.

4. It Will Rain
They don’t call it Mud Ball for nothing. Always pack a disposable poncho. And maybe bring out the tough all-weather boots for those rainy days. I lucked out with two gorgeous days but by Sunday, Mother Nature’s raindrops made a guest appearance.  

5. Don't Forget to Check Out the Pop Ups!
Subway had an amazing pop-up at Governor’s Ball. Once inside I was greeted with a blast of refreshing cold air, a delicious (and free) sandwich of my choice + beverage, and free wifi (so vital when on Randall’s). I must have gone to hang out at Subway's Green Room five times per day since they made the space so inviting: cute outdoor seating area, hammocks, and a constant ongoing game of huge Jenga.

Oh, they also saved my butt with their charging stations. I know they’re headed to Bonnaroo this weekend so if you’re there make sure to stop by and subYAY with them.

6. Stay Hydrated
You’ll be in the sun all day so make sure you stay hydrated. Trust me when I say it’s hella easy to forget to sip on H2O when you’re having fun, but if you want to avoid that dehydration hangover it's best to bring an empty water bottle. There are free water stations everywhere (and usually most music festivals) so you'll be able to quench your thrist easily.

8. Have Fun
Be nice to one another, look after one another, smile a little, dance with strangers. Remember, you’re there for one reason – to have fun!

P.s. Click here to read my survival tips for FireFly Music Festival.

Photos by Erin Andres.

Huge thanks to Subway for inviting me to their Green Room at Governor's Ball. Today's post was in collaboration with them. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

NYC: Where Curly Girls Go for the Best Cuts

Please raise your hand if you've been a victim of a haircut gone horribly wrong. Now please raise your hand if you've heard your "stylist" mutter "this must be karma" when dealing with your gorgeous hair. Alright, what about getting charged extra because we were born with ringlets? Now for the kicker, feeling ashamed or different because our hair won't fall flat.

None of the above are any fun to experience, but us curly girls have experienced them all. It's also a little bit insane that more salons don't cater to our ringlets since at least 80% of women wake up with curls or waves.

When it comes to our hair, we all have a story that tells the struggle of understanding our roots (pun intended), finding the perfect cocktail of hair products, and then finding the right stylist + salon that gets it.

It took me a really, really long time to finally understand my hair. Then an even longer time to find products that didn't cause ticking frizz bombs. And when I finally found my salon, it felt like I came out of the dark ages. It was such a life-changing moment which is why Devachan will always get rave reviews here.

So when I wanted a big change, I knew exactly where to go.

For kicks, I decided to take a stroll through memory lane featuring my hair from super long to my new dreamy haircut. It starts with the first photo and ends with...

Jessica F., my Devacurl stylist, took me super short with a side of bangs back in May. And for the first time since my accident (+ surgery), I felt amazing inside and out. My gorgeous curls perfectly cascaded around my face and had this amazing healthy, sheen radiate from within each ringlet. Jessica, if you're reading this -- you were a godsend just when I felt like giving up on and turning into a recluse with a bad wrist.

It's amazing how a great haircut can impact your life.

If you have never been to the salon, then I'd love to walk you through the experience. 

When you first enter the salon, you'll be greeted by a friendly receptionist who will escort you to the waiting room. You won't wait long if anything this is when you'll change into a silky robe and be served delicious ice tea. Refill please!

Next, your stylist will meet you and bring you back to her chair. This is when your stylist will ask all the heavy-hitter questions such as how do you style your hair and what kind of cut are you looking for. She'll also learn about the texture of your hair. I usually bring in a picture of a particular cut that I'd like to achieve or an old photo of when I loved my haircut best. It makes the process easier.

After the consultation, your stylist will start to cut your curls. The Devachan stylists believe in cutting your hair when the curls are in their natural state and dry. My favorite part about this is how they take each ringlet into consideration. It's easier for them to see how the curls will fall which will make it easier for us to style and achieve our desired cut!

Next up, is their famous wash and set process. You'll get escorted to their zen-like washing station where each shampoo sink is connected to basically a daybed. Needless to say, I have fallen asleep during this step more than once. At this stage, your curls are gently cleansed, conditioned, and detangled. This is a really great time to learn how your stylist uses the products or you can be like me and take a nice nap.

After your curls are cleansed and conditioned your stylist will walk you over to her drying station. Each individual ringlet will get styled and shaped using a prescribed curly cocktail of Devacurl products. This part is worth taking notes on and if you have questions make sure to ask away! Once your curls are styled your stylist will start the drying process and check in to see how your hair is drying.

Once your hair is fully dry, your stylist will make the final assessment and snip any needed ringlets to give you that bombshell cut. It's honestly quite the experience and could take two hours, but it is so worth the individual attention and education you get from each session.

If you can't make it to NYC or are just curious about my prescribed curly cocktail, I am totally down to share the goods. They have an online store so their products can be shipped almost anywhere.

I cleanse and condition my hair using two products from their Decadence line. It hydrates my curls and brings them back to a softer state from all the heat-styling they have endured this summer: No-Poo and One Condition.

For styling, less has always been more in my book. My stylist took that into account and recommended their B'Leave-In to help hydrate and plump up my curls. Once I scrunched my hair with product, I move onto their Ultra Defining Gel for lasting hold and crunch-free, frizz-free texture. I let my hair do it's thing while it air dries but once ready I shake my curls out at the root for a soft, touchable look. And for days I want to extend my style (or zero time to wash my hair), I've been loving their No-Poo Quick Cleanser. Spray at the roots and it'll sop up the extra oil to give your curls a refreshed look.

Phew, what a long post! Devachan will forever be my curl bae so I wanted to be as thorough as possible on what makes them amazing. Other salons just don't compare. 

Here's more helpful information:
425 Broome Street
Hours: T-Sa 8a-8p, Su-M 10a-5p

www.devacurl.com

Shot by Lydia Hudgens + Victor Cerejo.

Get the products:

Let's Talk Juicing!

Right off the bat, my diet is something I've always struggled with. I'm constantly reaching for sweets or oversalted snacks and neglecting the leafy greens and barely know how to peel a tangerine.

I do get a little better about hydrating when in training mode, but I know I could do better. According to the 80/20 rule, I could actually work out less if I put more effort into eating cleaner. Which, I did none of while in Nashville. No regrets either way.

via jusbyjulie.com

Since this year is turning out to be a huge one for me I'm going to put more of an effort to eat cleaner, hydrate more, and work out smarter. If you're interested, I could share more of what I'm eating. Until then, I'm keeping track of my meals & water intake with my Fitbit.

After making this commitment it's time to clean the slate which I tend to do by juicing. Now, I'm not the best at juicing and find it extremely hard but mama didn't raise no quitter. 

Now there are tons of Juice companies out there, but I wanted to keep it local and with one that never disappoints when it comes to 100% blended goodness - Jus by Julie. They were kind enough to send out a one-day cleanse to test out. Unfortunately, I lasted about four hours before supplementing my cleanse with lots of steamed veggies.

via jusbyjulie.com

But here are a few tips to ensure your best cleanse yet:

1. Be Prepared
This means avoiding any fried or processed foods (including alcohol) a few days prior to your cleanse. During this time, you should also be drinking lots of water and getting in quality sleep. By the way, the above is guaranteed to give you glowing skin from the inside out if you make it a lifestyle change.

2. Right Timing
If you want to be successful, make sure the timing is right. A day following vacation or during an intense training period might not be the prime choice. Instead, aim for a day that is low-key and will allow you to focus on the cleanse. Next time I cleanse I'll opt for a Sunday which has always been reserved as my homebody day.

3. Be Easy on Yourself
Just because I didn't complete the cleanse as it was structured out doesn't mean I failed. Look at the positives - I fueled my body with amazing good-for-me ingredients and hydrated along the way. At the same time, I learned a lot about how my body works and figured cleanses are better once a season (for me) and that getting a few key weekly juices (Dr. Green & Açai Blend are my current faves) in works better. And it's super easy to incorporate Jus by Julie into my week with their super easy subscription service or by simply walking into one of their four locations.

What's your take on juicing and are you incorporating it into your lifestyle?

Learn more about these guys at jusbyjulie.com or visit one of their locations here.