Tag: organized

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Fun Ways to Organize

How I am Staying on top of my Schedule

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. 

  1. 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. 

  • Small Planner

This comes in great for assignments and school work. I got this planner from Staples with the At a Glance collaboration with Simplified by Emily Ley (do you see a pattern here?!- You better believe I am getting the 2020 Simplified Planner when they Launch tomorrow!)

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!

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Categories
Fabulous living

Keeping Your Small Space Clean and Organized

Hey guys!

Happy Tuesday!

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!

Categories
Fabulous living

Christmas Prepping and Gift Giving Tips

Hello! Hello!

Happy Tuesday! It is finally December, bring on the shopping, gift giving, cookie baking, and decorations. I am so ready for Christmas but first I have to make it through finals. The next few weeks will be busy with classes, papers, meetings, and wrapping up the semester. Stay tuned for my semester recap and best of 2018 in the next coming weeks.

For today I’m sharing my tips for when it comes to buying gifts, staying organized and being on budget. Here are my three tips for making it through the holiday season as stress free as can be.

  • Make a list (and check it twice 😉 )

Whenever I start my holiday shopping I always make a list of who I need to buy for, whether it is family, friends, gift exchanges etc. if I don’t write it don’t I wont remember it. I always keep a running list in the notes section of my phone so I always have it with me. I write down who I need to buy for and what I am buying/bought, the status of it and where I bought it, I do this to keep track of everything. Since I am still in school for most of December this helps me keep track of everything no matter where I am at. With that being said, I always set a budget for myself and try as hard as I can to stay on budget.

Just to preface, this is a FAKE Christmas gift list. None of these gifts are real, I just made this up to show you how I set up my gift list-who to by for, what I am buying, where it’s from, and the status of it.

  • Shop when it works best for you

I always love going in the stores to browse and get all my gifts but with school being super busy I have done a majority of my shopping online. Amazon has been my best friend this Christmas season. I have really utilized the Shopping list in Amazon. I have been able to put things that I like or am interested in in my list throughout the whole year and have it in one spot. For example, I was on Amazon in October and saw something that was a perfect gift for someone, I put it in my shopping list and ended up buying it a few weeks ago. The shopping list is private so only you can see it and no one else can see what you are buying. Since I have done so much online shopping something else that has helped me is sending gifts that I am buying to school or home. For gifts that I am buying for my friends I send it to school. For gifts for family, I ship them to my home. This way I’m not bringing things back and forth and all the gifts are in the right place.

Once again, another fake look at my shopping list, this is actually my list of things I want. Haha. But it shows the things you can add and when you added them. Super helpful!

  • Take Advantage of Sales

I am a sale lover and I have utilized sales so much this year. I did a lot of my buying depending on what sales were going on. I always try to keep my eyes open for discount codes, flash sales, and cyber Monday sales in order to stay on budget and keep my costs low.

I did a lot of shopping with sales from Cyber Monday. I always love a good sale

Whew, that was a lot. Overall, my tips are: Make a list, set a budget, take advantage of sales, and stay organized. What are your favorite tips or tricks to staying organized for shopping for the holidays? I would love any insight you have! Have a great week and wish me luck on a last week of classes before finals!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

My Summer Recap

I love lists! Lists allow me to organize my thoughts and things that need to get done.

Every summer I create a list of things I want to do. Some things are fun and are spent with family and friends. Other things might be things I hope to accomplish or things that need to get done. At the end of this summer, I am happy to say I got almost everything I wanted to accomplish done! That’s doesn’t always happen. Here’s a peak into my summer and everything I got done.

SUMMER TO DO:

  • Read Five Books (read 7 instead!!) ✅
  • Blog Twice a Week (if you are reading this now then I must have done it) ✅
  • Finish The Office (gotta get my Netflix in-it was my second time watching it and I couldn’t get enough) ✅
  • Finish House of Cards(it took me to long to finish but it was worth it and I can’t wait for next season) ✅
  • See one friend from college (I didn’t see any friends from college but I will be seeing them soon enough once classes start)❌
  • See High school friends (yes I did and loved every second we spent together-friends for life) ✅
  • Spend a Full day at the pool (it may not have happened until the last week of summer but I got it in) ✅
  • Go out got ice cream at night (I ate way to much ice cream this summer but it was worth it) ✅
  • Go to White Turkey and Sara’s (one of my last meals at home this summer was spent here) ✅
  • Go on more walks (my favorite way to relax) ✅
  • Go to the beach more than once ( I made it twice- does that still count?) ✅
  • Take it slow-try not to rush all the time (after a whirlwind of a school year I tried to take it slow and that happened maybe 5% of the time. BUT it happened) ✅
  • See extended family (seeing my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents truly made my summer. Family over everything) ✅
  • Take advantage of the free things (go to the zoo, beach) (nothing better than taking advantage of activities in your own backyard) ✅
  • Host people for dinner at my house (I love having company over and I was happy I could help entertain this summer) ✅
  • Try something new ( I’m starting a new job this fall so that’s new!!) ✅
  • Physical Therapy (not something particularly fun but it was necessary and it was so helpful) ✅
  • Surgery (again, not so fun but I am so glad to have it behind me) ✅
  • Hit the Gym (I didn’t go as much as I would have liked but I felt so much better when I went) ✅
  • Do decorations for school (part of my new job and they turned out pretty good) ✅
  • Internship (I learned a lot and it helped my career-success!!) ✅
  • Work my summer job (in addition to my internship I’ve been working here for the past 5 years and I love it) ✅
  • Family Vacation (spending time with family and getting away-nothing better in life) ✅

I got a lot accomplished this summer. Some work, some play. And (almost) everything got crossed off. Another summer in the books. Now it’s time to hit the books. Time for school and fall fashion!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

How to Organize: Your Purse

It’s the accessory that makes or breaks your outfit. Yes, ladies, I am talking about your purse. Whether you are a wristlet lady, backpack lover, or large tote type of gal. We all use purses. They may look cute and fashionable on the outside, but the inside is a different story. Today is all about organizing your purses or handbags.

This post will be geared more towards handbags, totes, and purses. Sorry wristlet lovers, but I don’t have a lot of advice for you. I personally like totes or bigger handbags. I like to fit more things in one big bag rather than have several smaller bags. I like to change my bags a lot. Reasons? Various occasions, changing seasons, different purposes. My solution to keep me organized is by using lots of little bags to put in one bag, that way you can change bags with little hassle, stay clean, and organized all at the same time. Let’s get started!

Dump It.
I like to start out by dumping everything out. Empty out your entire purse and clean it out. Throw away any old receipts, gum wrappers, and clutter that takes up your purse. This way you are left with a clean slate to get started

. Before. A peek into my purse!

Sort it.
I like to see what I have and then put it into piles that work best for me. Sort everything in your purse into groups. For example; all loose change in your wallet along with money and credit cards. I put all my travel cosmetics in one area (lip balm, brush, mirror, hair ties, lotion, sanitizer etc.

Separating and organizing into piles. All my cosmetics/beauty stuff on the go.

All organized in one medium cosmetic bag from Victoria’s Secret PINK collection.

A mix of gum, tic tacs, headphones and keys.

All organized in a small bag from Thirty One.

Bag it.
I like to put all my piles into bags so they are easy to find and accessible. I mix and match small and large cosmetic bags but it all depends on how you like you things organized. I have found great travel cosmetic bags at Target for under $5.00 and they are so easy to clean

Sunglasses are always a must in any season. I keep mine safe in their own case.

All my cosmetic bags along with my wallet, some snacks, and my current favorite read.

The finished product.

After. The inside all organized.

Lastly, keep it clean and organized. Use whatever method works best for you and try to keep up with it. An organized purse= an organized mind. Leave your favorite tips for organizing in the comments.