New {School} Year Resolutions

Hello, it's me (trying to be Adele). I know I haven't been blogging like at all since I got to school, but I'm hoping that will all change this semester! New year, new me amiright?

Since we are fresh into the new year, that means a new semester with new classes! While you are finalizing your resolutions for the new year, try adding "to have an organized and headache free semester" to the list. To some of you, this will seem like second nature, but to others it will seem like a chore. Lucky for you ladies (and guys-- no judgement here), I have a few fool-proof organization tools to help you ace this semester!

1. Create a system for organizing your classes

For me, organizing my classes by color makes a world of a difference. Everything that has anything to do with a specific class, is coded with a certain color. For example, my Advertising class is orange in my agenda, so I will use orange to color code EVERYTHING. Whatever type of notebook I choose to hold all of my stuff for the class (binder, folder, spiral, etc.) will of course be orange and make it super easy to pick out of a pile of all of my school supplies. I will also use orange highlighters, page flags, sticky notes, and whatever else comes my way. The bottom line: stick to a color and I promise it will change your life (kinda..). 

2. Input all of your assignments into your agenda ASAP

The moment you get your syllabus, write down every single due date, reading, and assignment that is listed into your agenda (in the corresponding color to the class, of course). By doing this, you are

1. writing it down, which is proven to help aid in memory

2. making life easier by already having it written down for when you make plans, schedule stuff, etc. 

3. Make an assignment spreadsheet

Okay y'all, this one takes a while, but it's worth it in the end. Spreadsheets are my life, so obviously I had to make one for my school assignments (duh). You can customize the spreadsheet as much or as little as you like. For mine, I color coded all of my class titles and highlighted major assignments like tests, oral exams, or writing assignments. The perk to making an assignment spreadsheet is that you have all of your class assignments on one sheet of paper so you can easily see conflicts with your schedule or when your tests all fall on the same week, or day (it happens, and it sucks).

4. Start homework as soon as you get it

Trust me, I am the queen of procrastination. I used to not do my homework until the last possible second. That is all changing in 2016 ladies and gentleman. Start your chapter outlines and online assignments early so you don't have to worry about them at midnight the day before class. 

5. Make a study schedule that works for you

It's been proven that setting out a certain time every day in your normal routine to study gets your brain into study mode, which is the most effective way to study/do homework. Find a time and spot to go to everyday between your classes and get as much done as possible!

By implementing these organization strategies into the new semester, I promise that it will be a breeze. 

What are some of your favorite organization strategies for school? Let me know in the comments or send me an email! 

How To Manage a Busy Schedule: A Peak Into My Agenda

I can't even believe I am already in my eighth week of my first semester in college. Every minute of my time has been consumed by classes, my sorority, studying, spending time with my friends, and not blogging. Although my life has been crazy these past few weeks, I'll give it to my agenda for keeping me afloat. I have always been an avid scheduling freak, but I never realized how much I would depend on my Lilly agenda. This thing literally is my life. So without further ado, how I use my agenda..

Color Coding

I color code everything from my notes all the way to how my agenda is organized. I am a very visual person, so having colors break up loaded lines in my agenda helps me a ton! Here's how I color code my planner:

I use this system in both the monthly overview and week sections of my agenda. 

Monthly Overview

One of my favorite features of the Lilly Pulitzer agendas is that each month can be found twice in the agenda: once in the very beginning and again before the weekly breakdowns for that month. 

I use both monthly sections to make my life a little easier. Both calendars for each month are identical so I can easily find information. 

To block out events that span over a two day or longer period I use washi tape as an in-your-face reminder that I am on vacation or have recruitment, for example. 

For payments like Netflix and Spotify I use page flags on the day they are due. This helps me see when payments are coming up so I can save my money.

The rest of my monthly overview is pretty simple. I basically write big events like tests, due dates, and school events such as drop/add period. For these events, I write as little information as possible to get the point across. This keeps my month less cluttered and allows me to elaborate more in the weekly section.

Weekly Sections

To start with, I always binder clip the week I am on to the current month. This makes it super easy to flip to where I need to be and also makes flipping from the month to the week a lot quicker. 

In the weekly sections, I write out full details about assignments and events. I will list everything from where I need to be to the time that it starts. 

On days that I have a lot of things on my to-do list, I use a colorful sticky note stuck to the day with everything listed out on it. I am usually not one for crossing things off in my agenda, but when I complete an item on my to-do list I always cross it off so that I know it is done.

Thats basically how I use my agenda every day! 

I would love to hear how you use your agenda. Leave a comment or shoot me an email and we can chat :) 

My Everyday Makeup Routine

It wasn't until I was doing my makeup today that I realized that I am consistently using the same products from day to day. I guess I just know which products I love and which that I don't when I am quickly throwing on my face. 

Today I am going to share my everyday makeup products with y'all. Enjoy! 

1. Foundation

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2. Face

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3. Eyes

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4. Lips

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I use mostly drugstore products (as you can probably tell), but there are a few higher end products that I just can't live without like my mascara and eyebrow pencil!

 What are your everyday essentials? Let me know in the comments :)

10 Back to School Essentials

It's that time y'all! Back to school season is here. While some schools have started already, others don't begin until September. I start my first semester at Florida State University on the 24th but I am moving in on Sunday! I thought now would be a great time for me to share my back to school essentials. So without further ado...

What are your back to school essentials? Let me know in the comments section! Also, make sure you subscribe to my blog so you don't ever miss a post! All you have to do is enter your email into the "Subscribe by Email" section on the right side of this page. 

How To Get Your Clothes To College

While I'm packing up to move to Tallahassee in just 3 days, I thought I would share some clothes packing tips with you lovelies! I promise this list will be short and sweet!

1. Use trash bags as garment bags to transport your hanging clothes.

Why would you unhang all of your clothes and then re-hang them when you get to school? That seems like a major waste of time to me. Instead, Tie a bundle of hangers together with zip ties. Once you complete tying them together, cut a hole in the bottom of your trash bag and put the tops of the hangers through it. Finally, you can either close up the drawstrings on the bag or leave them open and pop your clothes on top of one another in the back of your car. 

2. Use your plastic drawers for clothing transport. 

When you're packing, use up as much available space as possible! This means stuffing your clothes into any place you can. I'm putting some of my clothes into my plastic under-bed storage bins to save space while traveling.

Bonus: If you put clothes in the drawers they will be in when you unpack, you are saving yourself a lot of time.

3. Put your shoes in a box

Okay, this might seem silly to actually say out loud, but it's necessary. Instead of having your shoes thrown into a bag or piled into the car, just put them in a box to begin with. You will know where all of your shoes are and will be able to locate them easily for the move-in. If you have extra room in the box, stuff your hats and purses in there as well to save even more space!

4. Have a duffel ready with clothes you will need right away

In a perfect world, everything will get unpacked in four hours. In reality, that probably won't happen. To save a headache for yourself, pack the clothes you will need in the upcoming days in a duffel bag so you can access them easily. This is especially great for girls who are doing Panhellenic Recruitment so they can find their recruitment outfits right away! 

5. Stuff undies and socks in a plastic bag and throw those into a box 

It doesn't really matter if your "intimates" get wrinkled up, so just toss those undies in a target bag and shove them into a box or drawer. This will keep them together and free up extra space than if your were going to fold them nicely and put them in a drawer. 

6. Stack your bras and get them out of the way

I don't know if there is any worse feeling in the world than when one of your favorite bras gets destroyed from traveling. Ladies, don't act like this has never happened to you! You shove your bra into a bag and when you take it out, the underwire has been bent beyond saving. The solution: stack your bras cups on top of cups (like they do in bra stores) and put them in a bag by themselves. When packing your car, make sure this bag isn't going to be crushed by anything.

Do you have any tips for getting your clothes to college? Let me know in the comments below!

Accessory Organization College Edition

One of my friends, asked me to create this post for everyone (shout out to Kaycee) because it is a subject not discussed much online: where to store all your accessories like jewelry, hats, and scarves in your dorm. I have a ton of jewelry, hats, and scarves that I wear on the norm. The problem: there is no space in a cramped residence hall (read as "dorm")! So I have come up with some solutions for you accessory lovin' college girls!

So you have the accessories, but you have the slightest clue of how to transport them without ending up with a mangled mess. Here's some tips to make your travels less of a hassle.

Tip 1:

For your delicate gold necklaces that are super on trend right now (see this one, and this one), loop the necklace through a straw. I'm sure everyone and their mother has seen this trick where you string the necklace through the straw and clasp it shut so it doesn't get tangled up with your other dainty necklaces. 

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Tip 2:

If you already have your jewelry hanging up on something (like the cork board in the storage tips) and you are going to be using it in your dorm or apartment as well, cover the board or box with Glad Press'n Seal to lock everything in place while you move. This tip is great for more than just jewelry too! You can use the Press'n Seal to secure items in a box that you don't necessarily want to reorganize when you get to school.

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Tip 3:

If you don't want all of your earrings floating around in a bag or box, you can always place them into ice cube trays and either cover them with the plastic cover provided (if it's available) or use the Glad Press'n Seal to keep them from spilling out. This tip will also work for rings and delicate necklaces!

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Tip 4:

For those of you who would like a little bit more organization, you can always make dividers in a shoebox with old cereal boxes or any other cardboard. Let me explain... You can cut down a cereal box to little rectangles and use them as dividers in whatever box you choose. If the crazy patterns from the cereal boxes drive you crazy, you can always paint them. By separating everything with the dividers, you can either use the box as-is for storage in your room, or make it way easier on yourself to organize what would otherwise be a mess while you are moving in. 

Tip 5: 

Fold up your scarves and put them into a box or drawer while you're traveling. They take up hardly any space this way and also won't get messed in the case that a box rubs against them and tears them.

Now that you got the jewelry to school safely, how do you store it in your room? These are a few of the ways I am planning on storing my jewelry (if space permits).

Tip 1:

I have been using a hanging jewelry organizer for quite a few years now, and I can safely say that it will be making it's way into my teeny tiny dorm closet because it is so effective at keeping me organized and it takes up only a smidgen of space. Mine only has pockets big enough for earrings, but this one from Bed Bath and Beyond has a ton of different sizes for all kinds of jewelry. 

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Tip 2:

If you have the extra drawer space, you can upgrade the cardboard dividers mentioned in the traveling tips for cut up shoe boxes or any sturdy cardboard (or plastic) and create separations between your jewelry. 

there is a tutorial here, but I think this is pretty self-explanatory!

Tip 3:

My mama actually inspired this tip to use a cork board and push pins to hang your jewelry up. All you have to do for this DIY is cover your cork board with fabric (or keep it plain), push some pins in, and hang your necklaces. You could even take this one step further and frame the cork board to make it more decorative. My mom has been using this tip for years and is still loving it! 

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Tip 4:

Standing organizers are great if you have empty room on top of your dresser or desk (lucky you if you do). I love the functionality and decoration bracelet organizers provide! Plus, bracelet organizers don't have to be limited to just bracelets! You can store your necklaces on them as well.

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Tip 5:

I am a huge fan of using your door as bonus storage space. It is a great location for hanging jewelry, hats, and other various things you reach for often. 

This over the door organizer from Bed Bath and Beyond is super cool because it doubles as a mirror when closed!

Bed Bath and Beyond is killing it with the jewelry organization. This over the door hanger has tons of storage options!

I am going to be using an over the door organizer similar to this one in my dorm! 

Tip 6:

Use a scarf organizer in your closet for your belts and scarves. This will allow you to see your scarves and belts when you want to, and also let you push them out of the way when you don't. Plus, it will keep all of your scarves super organized! 

I love this Ikea organizer because it can store up to 28 accessories!

Tip 7:

I saw this koozie wall organizer and thought it would be perfect to hang up and display hats (and koozies) on your wall! 

I found this inspiration here, which happens to be a great college blog that you should check out! By the way, this girl is in the same sorority chapter that my cousin is in! Small world, right? 

Now y'all should be all set on how to organize and transport all of your accessories in your dorm! I would love to see which ideas you try out. 

I will also be posting how I organized my dorm in my dorm tour coming soon!

Classy and Current: How to Keep Up With Current Events

One of my favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde says, "You can never be overdressed or overeducated." Oscar, you were absolutely right, especially about the education part. I believe education goes further than the classroom and books. You should be educating yourself every single day through current events. This means keeping up with politics, foreign affairs, and local news. I know y'all are probably thinking, "Monica, who has time to keep up with all of that information?" My answer: who can afford not to? After watching the Republican Presidential Hopefuls Debate, I realized how important it is to keep up with what's going on in our world! Whether you realize it or not, the current events of today are changing your tomorrow and impacting the history books of the future. By staying updated, you are in the know and can potentially make a difference.

Lucky for y'all, I have put together a list of ways to stay in the know without spending countless hours watching the news. 

1. Subscribe to a daily news newsletter

An email subscription service for news is a great way to keep up with the world. My favorite is theSkimm. TheSkimm sends a newsletter every morning with summaries of the biggest news stories. It takes five minutes at most to read and you delete the email with a basic knowledge about the current events. The newsletter even has links to the full stories if you would like to know more about a topic. 

2. Watch the news

Alright brainiacs, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is a good idea to keep up with the news. But seriously, watch ten minutes of national and local news a day. You would be surprised what you can learn in that short period. Even if you only stay tuned long enough to hear the upcoming headlines, at least you know a little bit more than if you had skipped the news all together.

3. Twitter and Facebook

Millennials, this one is for you! Though I do not recommend Twitter or Facebook as your go-to source for current events, it can be helpful to figure out what is going on in the world in a pinch. Twitter is great for the world of politics. People don't even hesitate to put their political views out there in 140 characters or less. However if you are reading political tweets, please read an article about the issue and develop your own opinion on the matter! Finally, Facebook can be a great outlet for videos involving politics, local news, and international affairs that you normally wouldn't see. 

Disclaimer: Take everything you read, watch, or hear about news with a grain of salt. Please educate yourself with an unbiased source and form your own opinions on the matters!