Be a Little Productive this Summer

Even though I'm so happy to have several months to just relax before school starts back up again, I'm not quite willing to just sit around and do nothing. I've pretty much done that for the first half of the summer, so I want to really buckle down and focus on accomplishing some things during my free time. Here are some of the things I would like to do, that you might find interesting to add to your agenda this summer. 

Lovely Things

I haven't sat down and just talked about the things I love in quite some time now. I am so grateful for summer to be in full swing now. Being back home and having all of this extra time on my hands, I've been able focus on this things I really love. I thought I would talk about a few items that have become staples in my life and activities I've gotten back into.

A Cup of Tea and a Book

I came across a quote today, and I wish I knew who said it.

"The secret to a well balanced life is a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other."

When I thought about it, I realized that maybe the author of this quote wasn't simply referring to a flavored hot drink and some paper threaded together. I came up with my own interpretation of tea and a book and couldn't agree more with this quote.

"We're Gonna Make This Place Your Home": Freshman Year in Review

Timidly shuffling into my freshman year of college might have been one of the most frightening and nerve-racking experiences of my life. Sure I was excited to take on the new experiences that the undergrad life had to offer, but the fears overwhelmed me like an overflowing river. Looking back at the very day when I waved goodbye to the place I had called home for eighteen years and to my loving parents, I now experience that same feeling again...except, it is to my DePauw home (and that's just after one year).

I Feel Like I Have My Life Together When...

I feel like college is just this endless feeling of not having your life together. It is the constant stress on everyone's mind, and if it isn't, you're doing college wrong. Four years may seem like enough time for us to become real-world, functioning adults, but just getting through one day without having something go horribly wrong is a blessing. However, instead of pouting and worrying over the subject, I thought I would have a little fun with it and come of with a list of scenarios that make me really feel like I have everything down. Here we go. I feel like I have my life together when...

On My Mind at 2:18am

 

There are moments in time when I take a glance out the window in my room at night. Sometimes the blinds are closed, but as of recently, we've kept them open for no reason other than sheer forgetfulness or laziness. When I take my glasses off at night, everything is a little bit blurry, allowing for a little more imagination on my part. Looking out the window, the lights from the rooms across the quad light up the view, with a hint of glare because of my weak eyes.

Lovely Things from February

 

At the end of each month I like to reflect on some of the things that made the month memorable and just the things that made my happy. It's hard to believe that February 1st I was just coming back from winter break and now I am in full swing of the new semester, with one month under my belt. It has been a stressful, exciting, busy, but worth-while time. I made a few memories, cracked a few smiles, and now I'm ready for March to come, hopefully with some warm weather too. Here are just a few favorites from the month of February.

"Let's Go Home!"

Today, I wanted to share a personal experience. This was an impactful moment of my life in which I learned more than I thought I would, and I hope you learn a little something from it too. Six months ago, I never saw myself in this position. I never saw myself going through the process of recruitment for a sorority. Maybe it crossed my mind a few times, but my parents didn't talk about it all that much, so it never seemed to be a priority. Fast forward six months, and I have found myself a home with my sisters, and I couldn't be happier to spend my next four years and the rest of my life with this group of ladies.

January Loves: Beauty + Music + Photos

 

January was such a lovely month for me. I got to spend the entire time with my family, relaxing at home. With so much time off, I was actually ready to come back to school (just not ready to leave my perfect sleeping schedule of ten hours every night). Anyway, I'm back at school with a fresh start. February will bring may new experiences, but I thought I would look back at a few things I loved this past month.

Better Second Semester: Improve Studying Habits

 

Look. I know that first semester...well it was first semester. You were still getting into the flow of going to school and studying for tests. That was just the practice round, and you're ready to go now. Now it's time to charge into your second semester with an Elle Woods attitude after Warner told her she wasn't smart enough for law school. There is just an invincible feeling that you get starting off the second semester, so here's one way to make it better: improve your studying habits. Here are my nine tips that can help you improve your study habits this semester.

Better Second Semester: Do This First

Alright, so the goal for second semester is to have your life pulled together a little bit better, right? First semesters are tough. You are just getting back into the swing of things, and for me, I started a brand new school. First semester is completed, so let's start the second one with all of your ducks in a row. Here are four things you should do first in your second semester!

Twenty Fifteen: My Year in Review

 

For me, the year 2015 was a year of big changes in my life. I left the comfortable environment of my high school and for the first time I was living away from home. Never have I had such a drastic change in my life. There were challenges (as there always are), but I wouldn't take back anything. I learned so much in this past year, and I was really forced to grow up. With everything that has happened to me this past year, I wanted to share my experiences with the world, and have something to look back on.

Here is my year in review.

Tackling Your New Year's Goals List

I am a big list maker, so New Year's goals lists are the panicle of my obsession. I love making weekly or monthly goals lists, so why not try and commit to one for the whole year. I know usually people forget about they by the end of February, but if you write them down on a piece of paper or something and display out for your to see every day, maybe you can last longer than two months. Here's how I like to make my New Year's Goals List.

Music Loves of December: Bon Jovi, The Coasters, Bon Iver, etc.

This might just be the first year that I have not been blasting Christmas tunes every day since Thanksgiving. I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I have just found some amazing artists and songs that aren't very Christmas-y. However, I thought I'd give you all a little taste of the tracks that I've been playing on repeat recently.

Peak In My Journal: Quotes, Photos, etc.

I'm bringing back one of my favorite blog posts: Peak In My Journal. It's been a while, and I have really wanted to bring this back. If you aren't familiar with this, I just show you all what I've recently written in my journal, picture loves, and just anything like that. This week's post involves a bunch of quotes I've really been relating too, some advice to writers, and a few pictures of course.

After One Semester of College

One semester is in the books, fellas! One whole semester living away from home and going to a new school. I felt like I was quickly thrown into a position of adulthood that I was not quite prepared for. To put it into perspective, just six months ago I had to ask to use the bathroom so... It's a lot of fun though. I thought I would give you a list of the things I've learned in the past six months of college. Keep in mind, I go to a small liberal arts college, so my experience may be different than yours. Here we go...

Planning Against Procrastination

Laziness. Procrastination. Stress. All of these things can make your day, your week, and your month an unsuccessful one. It's really hard to stay motivated, all day, to get work done and not just lay around after classes have ended. I have come up with a motivational system that I find really works for those who like to make to-do lists or who thrive on planning out each day. Though I sometimes will steer off of my system, I always find the best days are the ones where I keep to my schedule and get through everything on my list.

Buyer's Remorse

This post was inspired by the experiences I have encounter in just over a week of collage. Never have I experienced so many new, amazing, and frightening things in such a short amount of time. This is what I got out of it.

On My Mind at 1:48am on July 31, 2015

I have a journal. (#thingswritersdo) My introvert-ness (let's pretend that's a word) forces me to want to spill out what I'm thinking onto paper as apposed to another human being. There is just a fear that they will think I've lost my mind. Paper is safe. It won't judge you for what you say. It will sit their all nicely with its parallel lines, asking you to say something. Here's what happens when I give in.

Songs on Repeat: July

My ever-changing music taste has recently latched on to none other than the fabulous pianist, Billy Joel. With all of the "music" you hear on the radio these days, it's nice to have a musician from the age of real music to remind you of it's beauty. With that being said, I've managed to find the small sliver of good music from our own generation by taking a closer listen to the music played in the background of my favorite TV shows. Myself and many of my friends swear by the amazing music you can find in the background of movies and TVs (plus, you get a flash back to the scene of the movie/show every time you hear it, making it that much more special). Here are just a few tracks I have been playing on repeat this past month.