Hi guys! Happy Wednesday! I hope your week has been going well. I’m in full on Christmas mode over here! From shopping to listening to music and having my décor up. This time of year is always fun but also busy.
There’s so much to get done in such a short amount of time, it can be a lot to keep track of which is why I always like to stay ahead of the game by planning ahead. Whether it’s the holiday season or a random week in July, planning ahead ensures my week goes a little smoother.
In a world of chaos, there’s only so much you can control which is why taking a few minutes every week makes my days and nights smoother.
Here’s three ways that I prep to get ahead in the game.
Weekly To Do: Every Sunday I make a weekly to do in my planner. A tip I got from Emily Ley on how to best use both a digital and paper planner, if you use both. She recommends to put all your important dates, information, events etc. in your digital calendar. So whenever you have an appointment or something that needs to go on the calendar, you put it in your digital calendar so it’s always accessible. Then every week (or me it’s Sundays), I transfer everything from my digital calendar to my paper planner, I also add any to-dos to my planner and extra notes.
A look at my planner (and old page that’s pretty generic)
Meal Prep: Another way I prepare for the week ahead is by lunch planning. Since I eat dinner at home, I only meal plan for my lunches in advance. Sometimes, meal planning is buying some boxed salads, and setting aside pretzels or fruit for my lunches. Other times it’s making baked chicken and veggies and portioning them out for each day of the week. No matter what the form is, I always spending time getting my meals organized for the week so I can just grab and go for each day.
An example of one of my meals that I make for work.
Outfit Plan: Another way I save time and plan ahead is by planning my outfits for the week. Again, I spend 10 minutes checking the weather and planning what to wear from clothing to shoes and accessories. I can change an outfit if need be, but for the most part I have them all lined up and just grab it for each day. I started to plan out my outfits in college and it was a huge time saver. It also makes my mornings go much smoother.
Outfit planning
Those are just three ways that I plan ahead which makes my days and weeks run smoother. What things do you do for streamline your daily lives especially in busy seasons?
As we make our way through September, I always feel a sense of nostalgia of back to school and being back in the classroom. As much as I love my job, I sometimes do miss being in the classroom and being a student, but it’s all a part about growing up.
I’m a big believer in setting goals and to-do lists. Even as I write this post, I have a to list of things I want to get done while I’m in work.
I found it helpful to write out things I want to accomplish whether they are big or small. Plus, there’s always a sense of satisfaction when it comes to marking things off a list and seeing hard work pay off.
Here’s my tips on how to accomplish goals (big and small):
Write it down
I find it helpful to write down daily, weekly and monthly goals. In my planner, I always write down my goals for each day and because I have a weekly layout, I can see what things I want to accomplish across the seven days. I always use Emily Ley’s Simplified planner. This helps me stay on track for the days, but in case I don’t get something done on a Monday, I have the next day to get it done. As far as big plans goes, writing down big plans or goals on a post-it note or in a journal where you will see it, keeps it in front of your mind always.
A look at my planner
Set realistic goals
I’m all about following your dreams and having the world be your oyster, but I also know that you need to work hard to get there. Here’s an example: if you want to be a performer, that can’t happen overnight. But if you take lessons, practice, perform at small venues, share your music online and on social media and network, then the dreams of being a performer could become a reality. Dreams are possible if you set goals to get from one step to another. Dreams take years to accomplish, but if you get goals to get there then it’s possible. I love seeing how accomplishing small goals can lead to big changes.
Allow your Goals to Change
It’s great to have a plan, but don’t be afraid to be flexible if your plan changes. I filled out a journal/book after I graduated college and it was called “In Five Years”, it was all about where you wanted to see yourself in 5 years. It was exciting to see what dreams and plans I had and where I saw myself in the future, but I also know that life happens and plans change. I think it’s important to set those big goals but also be open to the future and the possibilities it could hold.
I’m a very Type A, OCD person, so I’m all about staying on top of to-do list and goals. I think setting and accomplishing goals is a great way to achieve your dreams while also being realistic.
Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! Can you believe we are already gearing up for back to school?! Whether you are learning in the classroom, at home, or a mix of both, this year will be an interesting one for sure!
Today, I’m sharing some school must haves! Whether you are in the classroom or at home, these are all things you can benefit from.
Planner
My must have is a planner, someplace to keep everything in one spot, especially if you are going back and forth between home and school. It also works great for parents if they are balancing different schedules or routines. My go-to planner is by Simplified. You can see how I organize my planner here.
My planner layout
Space to Work
My next must have is a place to work. Whether it is children doing homework, or learning full time, having a designated space is key. I know I work best at my desk in my room, I always have a candle burning and my planner next to my laptop and my to do list out too. There is nothing better than crossing something off a to-do list. I also like to have all my things in one space where I can quickly access them.
My work space at home
The Right Mindset
No matter what the school year brings it all comes down to having the right mindset whether it’s about learning from home, school, or both. This year will be an adjustment for everyone but knowing that you aren’t alone, that we will get through it and making the best out of the situation is the driving force for having a great year!
That’s a quick round up of my top things to focus on when it comes to the upcoming school year, yes, it will be different but as long as you are prepared and have an open mind then that’s the best thing to do!
What ways are you getting ready for the 2020-2021 school year?
Today’s post is not what I had planned, but a thing called life happened. I had to readjust and then I realized this post was perfect for today.
I LOVE LISTS. I have to do lists, every day I make one for at home, at work, grocery shopping, days off etc Yes, I have everything in my mind but I still love to physically cross things off my list. I had a list of things I planned to get done on my days off and some happened and others didn’t. I could have gotten upset it or overwhelmed and stressed about not getting it done but instead I decided to live.
Too often we find ourselves wanting to check all the boxes or get everything done that we forget to really experience and be present on what’s going on, I know I am guilty of this too.
So, I didn’t get everything done on my days off that I wanted to, but what I did get was time spent doing something fun, time spent entertaining, time spent relaxing, time spent reconnecting. In the grand scheme of things, that’s more important to me than cleaning my car or organizing my room or planning for the week ahead. Yes, those things will get done and it will work out, but this was a lesson that showed me that it’s okay if I don’t always get everything on my list done in a day, I still will have plenty of time to eventually get it done, but for now, sometimes it’s better to ditch the list and live.
I had something else in mind for my post for today, but life happened and I realized something we need to write from the heart and write about life instead of what the list says to do.
Anyways, that’s a look into my mind now, just some thoughts on life and living instead of living by a list.
Hey everyone. I hope your week is off to a great start. One of my goals for the new year was to get into a new routine and even though it has taken me some time, I have finally gotten into a good rhythm.
My new work schedule is Wednesday to Sunday 9:30 – 6:30, so a pretty normal schedule, but my “weekend” falls on Monday and Tuesday.
It has been different to have actual days off, in college my weekends would be spent working or doing homework, now out of college, there is no more homework, studying or papers to be written. It’s refreshing to not have to worry about running in different directions at all times, I get to focus on my work, being with family, catching up with friends and most importantly, taking care of myself.
During my first month of work I wanted to make sure I got used to a new job, now that month has passed, I knew it was time to get a good schedule in order. I wanted to get back to working out and hitting the gym, having a day to run errands and get things done, have time to relax, catch up with friends and find some new hobbies.
During my work week, I get up early, and will start my day off with the gym during week days, head to work for the day, come home, spend time with family, get dinner and get ready for the next day and relax a bit, nothing too exciting.
During my days off, I’m looking to make one day my productive day which would include running errands, getting things done, laundry, planning outfits for the week, doing any shopping or getting appointments done. The other day would be a day more for relaxing, meeting up with friends, relaxing, or doing something fun. Now, will this work every week? No, some weeks my schedule could get changed or things come up and life happens, and I’m okay with that. I really wanted to start getting into good habits as I start my career and I think getting into a good routine is extremely helpful for me. I keep all my to-do lost and things to get done in my Simplified Planner, you can see my post about getting organized here.
Having a good routine in place helps me feel more relaxed and balanced between my home and work life.
What are some things that you have in your daily routine that helps your life run smoother?
I am also looking for some new hobbies to try besides reading, binge watching the latest shows on streaming services, working out, and this little blog.
Hey hey friends! Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had an enjoyable and fun Labor Day weekend. Although, I was at school, I did have a fun weekend with friends, and it was a great way to say goodbye to summer. Although, school started back last week for me, I’m still trying to find a good routine. Last week was all about getting adjusted to a new schedule, classes, work time and organizing all the appointments. This week is weird since we had off yesterday and tonight I’m going to a concert with friends. I’m trying my best to soak up every moment at school this semester.
I know I’m late to the game, but I am finally on the band wagon with using the calendar on my phone and laptop….I know I know, it’s a long time coming. Before I get started on how and why I am using this system now, I want to give a little bit of background on how I stay organized.
A few years back, I did a post about staying organized with school. You can read about it here.
Let me break it down for how I stay on top of things, I have a feeling this may change once I graduate from college, but for now this is what works.
Big Desk Calendar
My desk calendar
I love to see everything laid out in front of my on my desk. I have everything color coded. Certain colors for classes, Green for school things (tutoring, dinners, meetings), Blue for Work (staff meetings, when things are due), Red for when I work, and then purple for anything else that comes up. I like seeing the month as a whole and this helps me plan better when I have new things to put on the calendar. I got this planner from the Simplified Collection by Emily Ley at Target. I put everything on this calendar- it’s basically my master one-school, work, home, family, friends. It all goes here.
This has the week layout. Every day is split in two columns (The My Day and To Do). In the My Day is where I put any meetings, events, test dates or things to remember. In the To Do is where I list all my homework assignments.
What my weekly spread looks like
This is the first year that I used the monthly calendar too. Although, I love my desk calendar I was scheduling things without looking. I only write the important things in the month section like tutoring, meetings, scheduled events just so I have a reference. This planner is mostly used for school things-homework, exams, meetings for school and work things for school.
The month of September as a whole in the month section of calendar
iCalendar
This past summer, I started to use the calendar app on my phone and laptop to keep track of work things and events happening with family and friends. Since I wasn’t in school I wasn’t using a planner and since I spent most every day on my laptop it made sense to have my calendar in front of me, now I am loving it. It’s so easy to use and I LOVE how you can sync your phone and laptop calendars to be the same. I am also able to customize when I put things on the calendar and color coordinate them too. Also, the best part, by using iCalendar it keeps all my blog posts in order and I can schedule things better too.
For this calendar its divided by four topics: school (blue), blog (purple), personal (yellow) and important (red).
My four categories of what I put on the calendar
For school I only put important meetings, appointment and work commitments( no homework, no tests, no when my classes are), for blog I put down what posts are being published when, personal is activities and things with friends and family, and important are basically when the big things are due like credit card statements. This calendar is the big picture stuff, I refer to this when I am planning an event or meeting to see if I have conflicts and I always have it with me, unlike my desk calendar and planner which aren’t always on me.
The whole month at a glance
Is it necessary to have all of these? Probably not, but it’s what works best for me. I am a super organized person, so I like to do all this and keep myself on top of everything. I am thinking once I graduate about ditching the desk calendar and just keeping a planner and using the calendar on my phone. Thoughts from any recent graduates about what works best for you? After I graduate, I want to focus on simplifying my life more and I know once I am done with school a lot of these activities will be done too, so for now I am enjoying my life with my three color coordinated calendars!
Two years…it’s amazing how much has changed since I started this blog after my freshmen year of college. Just to show how much I have changed, here’s my first ever post. I started this blog as a way to talk about transitioning and adjusting to college life along with fitness, organization and fashion and it has become so much more than that. I’ve become a better writer, more open, a stronger person and stepped out of my comfort zone with this blog.
That is just a look into my favorite posts that I’ve covered these past two years. I opened up about being homesick, getting used to college life, and home life, and back to college life. I have shared my friends, family, dogs, and favorite things with you- from tv shows, books, and ways to have fun.
This blog has been a great stress reliever, whenever I would be stressed or I wanted to share something new I learned, my blog was my go-to.
I truly wouldn’t be here without you all! Thank you for your love, support and for reading my posts every day whether it is about fashion, fitness, or day to day life. I have had so many people and friends tell me they have read my blog, follow it, or make a suggestion for it. It means so much to me that you take the time out of your lives to read about my life. This next year of blogging will be different as I will be graduating college and entering a new phase in my life. There will also be some surprises in this next year, there will be new content, different types of posts, and so many fun things in the future so stay tuned!! But not to fear, the blog is not going anywhere. I’m going to taking it day by day as I start a new adventure and I hope you will come with me on this journey.
Thank you for reading, the love, and support
Here’s to TWO years of ups and downs and taking it one day at a time.
I hope your week is off to a great start! I can’t believe how fast time is going. I only have a few more weeks left in my LAST spring semester of college! Where has the time gone?? During my time in college, one of my favorite things and one of the biggest ways I have changed is by living on my own and being independent.
During my freshmen year, I had a roommate (my first time sharing a room), and I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate experience. My roomie and I are still best friends.
Remember my sweet friend, Danielle? Yes, we were roommate freshmen year and are still close, if not closer, we see each other multiple times each week. During my first year of college, I got a taste of what it’s like to live with someone new and have your own space, that is not home.
We met during Freshmen Orientation, and have been besties since, we have been through the highs and lows of life together
During my sophomore year, I lived alone, and I gained more independence by having a room to myself and being in control of the space.
In my junior year, not only did I still have my own room, but I got my own bathroom as well. Junior year has been the best year for me for many reasons, but having my own room and bathroom has been the absolute best.
Today, I am sharing how to keep a small space cleaned and organized. I will probably update this post once I graduate but for now, here are the top things you should have in your space! I’m a girl who works best with a routine, this year I made Friday morning my “house keeping” day, basically I go to the gym, do my wash, change my sheets, clean my room etc. I like to keep it consistent by doing it at the same time every week and it’s fresh for the weekend. Here are my tips for keeping your space clean and things to have in your room.
Clorox wipes (It’s no secret, I am a neat freak, so you better believe I always have Clorox wipes to clean my room. I am also a schedule person, so every week I set aside time to clean my bedroom, bathroom and get wash done so I am living in a clean space. It’s amazing how fresh your space can feel when you wipe it down with a Clorox wipe, it gets rid of germs and keeps your space smelling clean.)
Top of my list for making sure your dorm stays clean
Pledge wipes (Another major must have. It’s amazing how much dust can collect in a small dorm space or apartment. After I clean off my surfaces with Clorox wipes, I use a pledge wipe or two to get all the remaining dust off. Pledge wipes are also great for cleaning off devices, it’s crazy how much germs and smudges can be found on laptops, tablets, and cell phones.)
I love how these work on multiple surfaces and devices too!
Small Bissell vacuum (I got a small Bissell vacuum this past year and it has been a game changer. It is super light weight, easy to store and it makes cleaning go by much faster. It’s amazing how much traffic our rooms get with people in and out, giving your floor a quick clean will make you feel much better in the end.)
Game Changer for this year, it’s amazing how much dirt and dust can be found on the ground
Command hooks (Not a cleaning item, I know. But Command hooks are a must in college dorm, although they can get expensive, you don’t want your favorite posters, pictures, and dorm décor falling down. I have command hooks everywhere in my room, they are easy to put on and leave no marks when you take them down.
Any college student can relate to how important these are to a dorm room, decorating and making the space your own has never been so easy!
Reusable Containers, Silverware, and Water Bottles (Again, not a cleaning item, but it is so good to use plastic or glass dishware, it helps save the environment from all the trash build up and it saves money. If you invest in a few good water bottles, or dishes and silverware you are saving money from spending it on plastic silverware and cases of water.)
Saving the environment and keeping things classy in college
After living in a college dorm for the past few years, these items have worked best for me and weren’t necessarily on my packing list of things to bring but rather as I have lived on my own, I have realized they were necessary. What items have you found are most helpful when it comes to living on your own? Share them in the comments below! Have a great week ahead!
Happy Thursday! I hope you had a great weekend. I had a fun weekend full of hanging out with friends, going to a semi-formal dance (my last one in college), and volunteering. Overall, it was a well-balanced weekend full of lots of fun. More about that on Thursday.
Are you tired of my posts about traveling and Rome?! Well, I have one last post for you today about travel and then it will be back to my regular posts about college living. After traveling over Spring Break, I have definitely got the travel bug and I am eager for my next adventure. I’ve already made a list of places I want to go and things I want to see and in order to travel more you need to pack smart. Today’s post is all going to be about travel must haves. This post is going to be geared more towards traveling overseas, but a lot of the things I will talk about can be used when traveling by plane, train, or car. Here are my top 5 tips for traveling abroad.
Leave Extra Space
No matter the size of your suitcase or the length of the trip, leave extra space for souvenirs or things you may bring back with you. When I left for Rome, I only had half of my large suitcase packed, I knew I would be buying gifts for people when I was away and wanted to make sure I had the space to buy what I wanted without the stress of not having enough room to bring it back. Also, be sure to weigh your luggage before you leave, you don’t want to pay extra or be forced to move things to other bags. Thankfully, I didn’t buy too much stuff that this was a problem but I had friends who had to put things in their carry-on or other people’s carry-ons since they didn’t have enough room in their own luggage.
My organized suitcase-half the suitcase is open space
Put Important Things in Your Carry-On
If you have a long trip planned and you have a checked bag, be sure to have the essentials with you in case your luggage gets lost. I have never had to deal with lost luggage and I hope I never have to, but just in case I always pack a few essentials in my carry-on.
These essentials include an extra outfit (Just a simple t-shirt and leggings-but when we arrived we didn’t have access to our luggage before we headed out so I was glad I could put on a fresh shirt), my tooth brush and tooth paste (you can call my crazy but yes, in order to make sure I got some sleep on the plane and in order to do that I went through my nighttime routine, which included taking off my makeup-yes I reapplied the next day, brushing my teeth and wearing an eye mask to get some shut eye on the plane) make up wipes (to remove my makeup), my basic makeup (I had all my stuff in my suitcase but I had my mascara and concealer just to brighten up my face when we landed), some medicine (just in case I got a headache or needed help sleeping-I wanted to make sure I had it with me
Up close of my Suitcase
Dress in Layers
This is a must have when traveling on flights, if you are a frequent flyer or flying for the first time, you never know how hot or cold the plane will be especially if it’s a red eye or international flight. Dressing in layers also saves spaces in your luggage too. For this trip, I wore a blanket scarf when traveling and it was the best decision. We left Pittsburgh when it was snowing so I wanted to dress warmly. I also wore a three- quarter zip sweatshirt and had a north face jacket on. Yes, it may seem like a lot but I was comfortable when I tried to sleep and I wasn’t too hot, but if I did get a bit warm, I had layers which was helpful. My blanket scarf could also double as a blanket or pillow when I tried to sleep. Layers is best when traveling.
My Purse-All Organized
Be Clean
I am a neat freak and when it comes to traveling and planes, I try to be as clean as possible. I made sure I brought wet wipes with me to make sure I could clean my seat, tray table and arm rest on the plane. This gave me comfort that the area I would be sitting at for the next several hours were as clean as possible. Germs are everywhere so having hand sanitizer is a must too. There are so many germs in an enclosed space.
My Carry-On all packed
Necessary Items
I hadn’t thought to pack these things at first but when I did, they were a game changer. First, plastic bags were a must. Not only are the great for storing shoes to make sure they didn’t get on your clothes, but they were super useful for separating dirty clothes with lights and darks. I had a few plastic bags and had them separated with lights and darks so when I got back I just had to pop them in the washer. Ziploc baggies are also super important to have on hand especially when storing small items like jewelry or makeup in your carry-on.
All Packed for my Next Adventure
I am by no means a professional traveler and I don’t have all the answers, but these five tips did wonders for me and were so helpful when I traveled abroad. What are you must haves or tips for traveling? Leave them in the comments below! See you on Thursday for a fun look of the day!
Hello All and Happy Tuesday and an even Happier February.
I love the month of February! Not only is January over…it’s such a long month, but I love Valentine’s Day and all the red, white, and pink that goes along with it. Not to mention the chocolate and just the good feelings that come along with it. It’s the perfect month in the middle of a long winter.
For those of you who follow me on instagram, you may have noticed for the month of January, I participated in the Simplicity Challenge through Emily Ley’s company, Simplified. I love everything Emily Ley does from her books, to planners, and simplified ways. If you aren’t familiar with her already, check her out here.For the past few years she has done a simplicity challenge for the new year and this year I knew I wanted to participate in it.
Every day for the month of January she will assign a task around your home that takes 15 minutes or less to accomplish, it can be anything from cleaning out your car, making a grocery list of easy meals, taking a trash bag and getting rid of stuff through your house, and setting goals for the new year. You can see the full list of challenges on Emily Ley’s Instagram page here.I posted myself doing the challenges every day and saved them to my highlights reel on instagram.Not only did this old me accountable for doing the challenge but it also showed you all how easy the tasks can be. Here are a few examples of my favorite tasks.
I loved starting the challenge by going through my room and getting rid of all the clutter
My car can always get so cluttered so I loved being able to get it cleaned out
I use my notes app all the time and I loved that I was able to get it organized with all the important things
With the new year just beginning I took the time to clean my camera roll and save my photos and delete random ones
It felt so good to organize my purse and get it all prepped for a new semester and replenish things that were out
I cleaned out my emailed and unsubscribed from a bunch of stores that I don’t shop at. Nothing better than an updated inbox
Last but not least, I made sure to set some time aside for myself. We all need self care in order to take care of others
These are just a few examples of my favorite tasks. I was so happy I was able to accomplish the challenge, if you didn’t get around to it, no worries. You can always start now. It doesn’t have to be at the beginning of the month or even the year. This challenge really helped get me in the right mind set for the new year. This year I want to be more intentional and only focus on the important things and this challenge really helped declutter my home and my mind. There are some tasks that I know I am going to continue to incorporate in my life every day especially when it comes to lists and organizing and there are others that I know were helpful in the moment, but I may not continue to use them in my life.
Have you tried the simplicity challenge?
What ways do you want to get simplified for the upcoming year?
