21 Harsh Realities No One Tells You About Becoming A Functional Adult

Are you an adult? Do you know someone who is an adult? Are you on the cusp of becoming an adult? Well, regardless of your age, there are some things about "adulting" that no one tells you. And they should.
But since no one else is, I will. You're welcome.

This picture has nothing to do with anything. My dogs just look really cute, and I needed a photo.
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 1.) Once you start working full time, you will always. feel. tired. ALWAYS.
2.) Pursue your passion and all that. But at the same time, don't forget you have to still pay your student loan debt off. So choose wisely. (This is coming from someone who picked the nonprofit sector as my career choice though, so maybe take my advice lightly.)
3.) You know your BFF from middle school? They are going to grow up, and it's very likely they will have totally different political views than you. That means you gotta learn to bite ya damn tongue, and learn to respect their opinion (despite how much you may loathe their views on certain issues).
4.) Remember those painful, awkward, rite of passage braces that your parents were always telling you how expensive they were, and you built a gratitude shrine to the Gods when you finally got them taken off for good? Yeah. Well, this one hurts to break it to you... but even with your permanent retainers YOUR. TEETH. WILL. STILL. MOVE. [Ugh. This one is personal. I have both top and bottom permanent retainers, yet somehow both sets of choppers seem to continually move more and more every single day! Here I come, Invisalign...]
5.) Your metabolism will slow down. Plain and simple. 
6.) Eat your veggies. (And get them locally and organically grown when possible.) I mean it, teeny boppers. You've heard "EAT YOUR VEGETABLES" for your entire life -- and it will never stop. So you might as well just suck it up and force yourself to semi-like 'em.
7.) Oh, and speaking of food? You really will need to know how to cook. Once you hit the (sad, sad, saaad) age where you metabolism slows tremendously [see #5], whatever year that may be, you'll quickly realize microwavable, super processed food is the likely culprit for your newly formed Love Handle Extremes. (I say this one from a personal experience. This year - #27 - was that very year for me. Now I cook almost every night, in hopes to one day say sayonara to these new, uh, lady lumps.)
8.) You most likely will not have nearly as many friends as you did back in grade school. The friends you do have though will be THE BEST. #QualityOverQuantity
9.) Almost no one I know in real life actually uses their degree for exactly what they majored in during college. It's pretty "normal" to take some time post-school to try out different roles and see what is the best fit for your long term career goals.
10.) Rent is expensive. Like really expensive. It's a shit ton of money. And have you always dreamt of living in an amazing city, or close to the beach, or a place with culture abound? Well, expect those rent prices to skyrocket. And fly right on towards Mars. Because the price of taking a spaceship to Mars is about how much it costs to live in a rad place.
11.) You can no longer say words like "rad" without people rightfully rolling their eyes at you.
12.) If you plan to live "unconventionally" in any way, people will never stop questioning your motives. You just have to get used to it. (Take this from someone who has been with their significant other for 9+ years with no plans to marry or have kids.)
13.) If you plan to live your life "conventionally" in any way, people will never stop questioning your motives. Basically, there will always be some butthead who wants to judge you, no matter what you do. But that's totally okay. Because planning a wedding, having babies, buying a house in the suburbs, and all that can be really fun. (Or so I hear.)
14.) You can't just get by in life by having the best hair. You have to actually form a real personality and be kind to people.
15.) No one cares if you were popular in high school. LITERALLY NO ONE. Life as a functioning adult is not like it was when you were 17 and Homecoming Queen Hopeful. Now it's 100% fine to not give a crap about whatever is trendy.
16.) YOU HAVE TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT PLANET EARTH. This one is huge. Growing up, depending on your age, you may or may not have been told this will be a priority for generations to come, and with good reason. We (meaning humans) have been messing with our environment for much too long, and now we are paying the price. So please make it a point in your life to constantly think of ways you can help out. Want a simple example? Freakin' turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth. BAM. You're an environmental warrior goddess.
17.) Going out to bars (or clubs - no one goes to clubs anymore though, right...?) isn't the only way to have fun, even though that's what Facebook and TV shows may tell you. If that's not your thing, don't feel bad, or like you're an old hag. Hey, most of the best people I know prefer to be at home with their Netflix and snacks.
18.) Snacks. Don't forget to pack 'em! No matter where you're going, at some point, you're gonna want a snack. (Your parents were right on that one.)
19.) You're gonna be tired. I already told you that. But you still have to make time to volunteer. Whether you participate in an annual Relay For Life or spend scheduled time every week socializing cats at the local shelter, it's important to help whenever and however you can. We all need to be public servants in some way if we want to see our communities improve. (Wanting to see your community improve is also a surefire way to know you've officially reached adulthood.)
20.) There will be no greater excitement than when your Amazon Prime package arrives faster than the anticipated two days.
21.) It's not nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be (despite what this post's title might allude 😉). You get to make your own decisions, you actually have enough spare money to spend on a burrito whenever you damn well please, and you are free to go to sleep whenever you want (which is typically going to be around 9 o'clock... because, like I said, you're just freaking exhausted, OKAY?)

Oh. And dogs. You can adopt your own dog -- without your parents' permission!!! Need I say more?
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The Proper Lace & Time: Faux Leather Jacket + Cold Shoulder Top + Skinny Jeans + Ankle Booties

Hey! Who all attended a Women's March this weekend? Matt and I took part in the Women's March in downtown San Diego on Saturday, and it was so powerful. Despite what your political beliefs are (as we are all allowed to hold our own, of course), I hope you can see and celebrate the beauty of [gigantic] groups of not only females, but the men who support them, coming together in peace, unity, and love. Personally, after months of feeling borderline hopeless and uncharacteristically negative (and fearful) about the future of our country, it was incredibly inspiring and downright motivational to be surrounded by people from all walks of life, ages, abilities, and experiences. And not only in our own nation, but across the whole world, millions of people came together, unified for a positive common cause. It gives me shivers just thinking about it.

Dark brown vegan leather moto jacket (also seen here, here & here): Old Navy

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Multicolored print cold shoulder blouse with lace detail: Target

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Light wash ripped skinny jeans (also seen here): Target

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Carlos by Carlos Santana nude ankle booties (also seen here, here & here): Famous Footwear

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For those who did participate in the Women's March on Washington or one of the hundreds of Sister Marches, how was your protest experience? I would LOVE to hear from you.

Maybe one day I will write a whole detailed post on my particular experience taking part in the Women's March and my hopes moving forward. Would you be interested in reading that? I know this blog doesn't focus on politics, and I don't want to offend anyone, but I think it may be cool to share. (I do struggle with how much is appropriate to share though since, yes, it is obviously my blog; however, as we were taught during Childhood Manners 101, we must tread lightly when it comes to discussing politics...) Please let me know how you feel either way, though! :)

Regardless of your political stance, country of origin, religious beliefs, ability or not to tell fortunes while juggling, etc. I hope we can all see eye-to-eye on human rights one day. Because if we can't see eye-to-eye on basic rights for all of Earth's inhabitants, it sure will be hard to move forward - which is something I think we all know we have the power to do, and must continue to work towards every day.

Don't forget to enter the teeth whitening kit giveaway!
(It is super easy to enter, and it ends in one week!)

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How I Whitened My Teeth At Home: Teeth Whitening Giveaway & Review with Smile Brilliant

Hi there! Since I moved to Southern California, I bet so many people [read: maybe two, tops] assumed my skin would get tanner, my hair would get blonder, and my teeth would get whiter. Well, seeing as my skin is pretty fair, a tan just signifies the oncoming danger of wrinkles for me. As for blonde hair? See previous fair complexion example; thus, blonde just would not work for me. But whiter teeth? That I can get down with. And due to my love of the finer things in life (being coffee, tea, and wine), my teeth have become pretty stained in my adult life. (And come on, no one likes coffee stained teeth, right?) Honestly no matter where I live, I would want whiter teeth, which is why I am so excited to share my partnership with Smile Brilliant in today's post!

If you're like me and have wanted to try a teeth whitening kit for awhile but were way too scared, then I highly recommend trying out Smile Brilliant. (For me personally, I was nervous about my already extremely sensitive teeth permanently feeling like I was biting into ice cream for the rest of my days. I also had night terrors of turning into Ross from the episode where he gets his teeth whitened and they literally glow. Dramatic? Yes. Unrealistic? Sure. A real fear of mine? Uh. Ya.)

Of course I expected my teeth to be whiter at the end of the process (that is what "teeth whitening" generally does after all...), but I can't believe how natural it looks after just 10 at-home sessions.

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As I mentioned previously though, I was terrified about actually starting the teeth whitening process; however, my anxiety was set aside when I read the detailed instructions and information before I started my at-home treatment. Just as Smile Brilliant warned, I did have sensitivity for the first few times (I made sure to only wear my trays for 45-60 minutes for the first few sessions, just to be safe - and I religiously used the lifesaving desensitizing gel!). I also saw the white marks on my teeth from my braces many years ago [Thanks a lot, teenage orthodontia. No, seriously. Thank you. My teeth were jacked before you.] that they warned could temporarily brighten. I would've straight up freeeaked if they hadn't mentioned it, but Smile Brilliant is tho-rough, my friends.


If you're thinking about whitening your teeth at home, read Smile Brilliant's "7 Things To Know Before Buying Teeth Whitening" and watch this video to show you how it all works. They'll help put any nerves at ease.

My experience with Smile Brilliant was fantastic from beginning to end. From the amazing customer service, to the super quick shipping of my custom fitted teeth whitening trays, and finally with the actual results, I cannot recommend this company enough. (Plus, it's vegan!)
Luckily for LunaVida readers, Smile Brilliant is giving you the chance to win a teeth whitening kit of your own! One winner will win a $139 credit for a T3 sensitive kit with trays.
Enter to win here!
(Giveaway ends two weeks from today)

 You can also receive 5% off from Smile Brilliant with coupon code "lunavidablog"
[PS: How many times can I say "teeth" in one post?]

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This post was in partnership with Smile Brilliant. All thoughts expressed are 100% my own opinions and text.

Winter Wear: Sweater + Scarf + Skinny Jeans + Boots

Happy 2017 (and, for those who celebrate, Merry First Post of LunaVida in the New Year)! Matt and I spent Day #1 of 2017 in Idyllwild. It's a small town about two hours away from San Diego, and it was full of thick fog [see photos below] and snooow. We hadn't seen real snow in years; thus, we decided to take a road trip up to the mountains for the day to do some winter wonderland snowman building and hike with our dogs. (Matt even did a polar plunge in the creek there!!!) It was the perfect way to kick off the New Year.

Burgundy plaid infinity scarf (also seen here): Old Navy

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Gray and white striped oversized sweater: Target

Dark wash skinny jeans (also seen here, here & here): Gap

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Gray knee-high knit socks (also seen here): JCPenney

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Madewell cognac flat riding boots (also seen here & here): c/o Shopbop

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How did you spend New Year's Eve/Day? Have you ever been to Idyllwild? Hoping your first week of 2017 has been downright perfection - and that your resolutions are sticking!

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