 "Photo: Justin Runquist/Staff Photo")
Summer is everyone's favorite time of the year…School's out, relaxation is in clear sight, and fresh lemonade is being consumed by the gallons! But, now is the time to get your body ready for that teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini!
There are so many different aspects of preparing for the hottest and most enjoyable season. There are so many clothing items to choose from, finding decent tanning rates is a must, snagging stylish stunner shades, and deciding where is the best place to get a good workout in.
Lets start on the clothing…where to begin…one of the hottest shops is located in the Supermall, and is called Ally Cat.
It has all you need for a complete summer outfit along with mounds and mounds of accessories like long sparkling necklaces of gold and silver shaped hearts or birds.
There are also huge, bug-eye sunglasses found at the front of the store with the bright jewelry. The best part about Ally Cat is everything in there is at a very low price. The shirts are usually $12 and under, and as for the pants, their price range averages from $18-25.
"It has been my favorite store to shop at for years. It's kind of funny that everyone now is just starting to get into it," says Green River student, Brittany Wilkes, ironically wearing an outfit from Ally Cat, which included faded, torn jean shorts with a bright green tank top that has a big black belt around the waist, for a more creative look.
Another store with similar styles and prices to Ally Cat is Forever 21, and is located at the South Center mall and is three stories tall.
There are a couple of different stores that are located in the same mall, but are a little bit more on the spendy side. There is Pacsun that has tons of cute belts and really bright and colorful festive shirts.
"That is the only place where I can find jeans," admits another Green River student, Sarah Lahae. They have so many different styles of jeans, shorts, and even some skirts. The sizes fit just right for most.
Zumiez is the same type of store, except with a tad more options to choose from with their wide range of name-brand hats and a huge assortment of shoes. They also carry some snazzy belts as well.
A store that is pretty uncommon in most local areas, but popular nonetheless, is Urban Outfitters!
This store has a retro flar about it; very creative designs and bright, cheery colors. It has a wide variety to choose from to set any college kid up for a fantastic summer. You could find Urban Outfitters in Seattle and at Alderwood mall. It is probably the best place to shop if you like to mix and match.
Now how to achieve that perfect sunkissed glow. The best tanning for this summer, without spending too much, is Seattle Sun Tan. It's the old Desert Sun, they just changed their name. You can get a membership and get unlimited regular tans and level two beds for only $25 a month.
Finding a place to workout is not exactly the hardest thing to do, but finding the time to go workout may be a little difficult for some.
Some places close too early for those who have to work all day and want to hit the gym in the late night hours. LA Fitness is open until midnight on weekdays and opens up bright and early each morning at 5:00am. It feels so good to get some anxiety out on the cardio machines!
This particular gym is not too expensive and is definitely worth the money you spend on a membership, which is about $30 a month.
"I love this gym! I just switched from MV Fitness in Maple Valley and it (LA Fitness) is just so huge and has so many more weight machines to pump some iron for the ladies," says Daniel Hawken who was breaking a sweat on the bench press.
Miekos, 24 hour fitness, and MV Fitness are other decent gyms as well, but do not have as many options. They may not be as spacious as others, but they do just as much good for you as other fitness empires.
So, you better get a head start now so you can look good and feel great for this spectacular summer ahead! So, slip on your running shoes...Look out summer, here we come!
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