Gift Guide: Aesthetically Pleasing and Practical Technology Accessories

Gift Ideas - Technology Accessories Edition

This is my second holiday gift guide for 2018! I have put together some more ideas for what to give your friends for Christmas! These ideas also work for what to give your family for Christmas. This gift guide is focused on technology accessories that are cute, helpful and perfect for any technology lover! My first gift guide featured comfy and cozy items, please check it out for more gift ideas!

Gift Guide: Comfy & Chill

Holiday Gift Ideas - Comfy & Chill Edition

If you do not know what to give your friends for the holidays or what gifts to give to family members I have got you covered! This is the first of my holiday gift guides!

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Recap

Hi everyone! I feel like we're finally in the holiday season! I am one of those people who feels bad that Thanksgiving is usually overshadowed by Christmas lol. Even though I love Christmas because it is such a fun and festive time I just can't get into the Christmas mindset until after Thanksgiving. Does anyone else feel this way? For example, I enjoy Christmas music but I won't listen to it until Thanksgiving has passed. Anyways, I wanted to share a recap of a few days this November since there was a lot packed into them! I also made a vlog and included it in this blog post!

Fall Fashion Trends

Fall fashion means layers, cozy sweaters, and comfy yet cute clothes. Popular fall fashion trends of 2018 include distressed jeans with interesting hems and embellishments, statement jackets, and plaid pants. I have been seeing these top current trends everywhere! I think that many people like to reinvent their wardrobe in the fall time, myself included and it's a great time to try out new styles and trends!

How to Get an Internship

Getting an internship can be a very tough process and so I thought I'd share some tips for how to get an internship. Landing an internship takes dedication and effort and time. I had two internships during one summer and I wanted to share what I learned about the process of finding an internship and share advice for getting an internship!  

Fall Favorites: What I'm Currently Loving

Happy Fall! I always look forwards to fall and what the season brings! It always feels like a fresh start. Along with all of the fun fall activities like apple picking and pumpkin carving I also love the weather and I enjoy finally being able to wear cozy sweaters again! I wanted to share some things that I have been loving lately! Read on for my fall favorites and you may also find out about about an Urban Decay sale!

Bare Minerals Blemish Rescue Review

Hi everyone! It's finally fall and I am so happy about that! Today's post is a review of the bareMinerals Blemish Rescue line! The line includes a loose powder foundation, a  mattifying primer, and a buffing brush. All of these products are aimed to help clear your skin so this is a great option for people who have breakouts and want to prevent future outbreaks, especially us young adults and college students. I wanted to do this bareMinerals Blemish Rescue review because I am someone who always looks at reviews before buying products and since I got the chance to try out the Blemish Rescue Skin Clearing Loose Powder Foundation, the Blemish Rescue Anti-Redness Mattifying Primer, and the Seamless Buffing Brush with Antibacterial Charcoal I wanted to share my thoughts!

10 Facts About Me

Hi everyone, hope you're doing well! I decided to make this facts about me post so that way you guys can get to know me a bit better and I'd love for you to leave a fact ( or 2) about yourself in the comments!

Summer 2018 Trends

As with every season there are new styles that become popular. Summer trends are especially very big and many people like to try them out! So I wanted to do a roundup of the biggest trends I saw this summer. There are a couple trends of the moment that I've really been liking and I think are worth mentioning! I hope to provide you with some inspiration!

Summer 2018 Bucket List: Things To Do In The Summer!

Hi everyone! The weather in Massachusetts has been fluctuating so much recently but we've had some really hot days lately. I'm so happy that it's summer and there's a lot of things that I still want to do in the next month or so! If you are in need of ideas for what to do this summer I've got you covered! Here are some suggestions for what to do in the summer! Including day trips, food recommendations, and other outdoor activities! (Also, as the summer goes on and I check off things from this list I will link any related blog posts with more info!)

So without further ado and in no particular order, what I want to do this summer includes the following activities and I hope they give you some ideas for what to do to have fun during the summer!

General Ideas: 

Go mini golfing
Berry picking- strawberry and/or blueberry picking
Take a spin class
Spend more time outside
Go kayaking/canoeing
Go to the beach
Be a tourist in your own city
Try out new food and new restaurants
Go to a farmer's market
Go thrifting
Do some crafts
Go to an amusement park
Attend a few concerts
See some new movies
Go to the drive in
Go to or have a paint night
Have a game night
Visit a vineyard
Have a staycation
Visit some neighboring state
Go to at least one state park or national park
Try rolled ice cream
Go bowling
Go white water rafting
Go horseback riding
Have a picnic in a park
Ride a bike more often

New England specific:

Visit Cape Cod
Visit Cape Ann
Go to P Town
Go to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard (but ideally both)
Go to Maine: Kennebunkport and York
Go to Newport Rhode Island

Thank you for reading my summer bucket list! I'd love to know what you want to do this summer so feel free to let me know in the comments!

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June 2018 Favorites

Hi everyone!

As June recently came to an end I thought I'd share some things that I've been loving including products, food, movies, and music!


 
But first off - wow how is June over already! We're halfway through 2018 which is hard to fathom! May was a pretty big month for me as I graduated college!  June went by so fast and right now it just feels like I finished another regular year of school and that I'll be going back to my college in the fall though but I won't be 😱. Congratulations to all of you Class of 2018 graduates!

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As I should theoretically have more free time now I hope to post more frequently on this blog, so fingers crossed that happens lol. I tried to organize this post into categories but there were some miscellaneous items so I thought I'd start with those first.

Miscellaneous:

Almost Adulting by Arden Rose

I had been wanting to read Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get It Together (Sort Of) for so long (I guess since it came out). While I was in school though I did not have much time to read books of my own choosing rather than what I was required to read for classes so this book was definitely on my list for the summer! I usually always rent books from the library as my local library is part of a network that lets us borrow books from other towns. It turns out though that my mom got the book at a book sale without even knowing that I had been wanting to read it. It was a nice coincidence when I saw it on a bookshelf in our house! (In general my mom has good taste in books and usually picks/recommends good ones for my sister and/or I to read).

On to the book itself- Almost Adulting is a very fitting name for the book and for the point of my life that I am currently at. In the book one of the themes that Arden discusses is how most people who are perceived to be full adults and have it all together may very well be "struggling" just like the rest of us no matter what age they are. She also talks about the concept of adulthood in general and how it is arbitrary and can mean different things to different people. Arden's writing style is very enjoyable to read, I like her voice and the humor that she inflicts into the book. The book covers many topics and has a nice balance of funny, uplifting, and serious sections. I really recommend this book to any young adult! It is reassuring to know that there are others who are in the same boat! I liked getting to know more about Arden's life as well, for those of you who may not know, Arden is among other things, a YouTuber, actress and in her words "person of the internet" I have been subscribed to her for a while and enjoy watching her videos so it was nice to get to see another side to her and her thoughts.

( I also wanted to comment on how cute the jacket of the book is and I like the fact that there are little doodles scattered throughout the chapters of the book as well!)

Converse All Stars

Next I wanted to give a shout out to my new Converse sneakers. My Converse are a staple in my wardrobe and I have loved Chucks  for so many years. As I wear mine so often they go through a lot and so I've gone through quite a few pairs of them. I got a new pair for Christmas but only recently started wearing them as I did not want to ruin them. Now it's the perfect time of the year for them. Converse are so comfortable and versatile and are one of my go-to pairs of shoes. I like sticking to neutral colors as I feel I can wear them with anything but they do come in so many colors and can be personalized as well!

Products:

OPI Nail Polish in Schnapps Out of It

I believe that the OPI Schnapps Out of It nail polish was part of OPI's German collection. It is not a recent purchase but I've recently started using it more! Even though the color is not a typical summer color as it's more muted than vibrant and seems like more of a fall color I like that it is versatile! Depending on what you are wearing it can make your nails standout or be more understated. I also think that it is more of a mature color and now that I am a "real adult" it helps me feel more put together and "professional" lol (do you feel that way about certain shades of nail polish too or is it just me? 😂 )

The exact shade of nail polish is no longer available but I found some similar shades/shades in the same color family!

Ole Henriksen C- Rush Brightening Gel Creme

I started trying out the Ole Henriksen C- Rush Brightening Gel Creme about a month or so ago as I received it complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes and I have been really happy with this moisturizer! I have been using it twice a day after washing my face in the morning and at night and my skin feels great! The moisturizer is lightweight and has a nice consistency. I don't like lotions that feel super heavy or greasy and so I'm so glad that this one is not like that. It absorbs nicely into my skin and a little product goes a long way. I do feel like my skin seems brighter and more awake which is why I love applying it in the morning. I feel like it just smooths my skin so well and keeps it hydrated. This is part of Ole Henriksen's Truth Line and contains vitamin C, and Rose of Winter which is rich in antioxidants and is free from parabens and sulfates. This is a great ingredient for brightening and the creme also has a citrus scent. It reminds me of an orange creamsicle! It smells so good but the scent is not overpowering or too strong!

Music:

I am so excited that so many artists that I really enjoy have been releasing music recently!

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(this clip is actually from the BBC show Sherlock which is a show that I really like!) 

So first up, I love Shawn Mendes' new album! I feel like with each album we get to see him grow and try out different things. I think that In My Blood is probably my current favorite song from the album. It's very powerful- lyric wise and sound wise.

Also I started listening to BTS last year and so their most recent album was the first one that came out since I've been into them which I was so excited for! It's called Love Yourself: Tear and follows their previous Love Yourself: Her album. My favorite songs off of the new album would have to be Fake Love and Airplane Part 2 (which is connected to a song from one of the member's mixtapes, hence the part 2). The album has a huge variety of songs from really upbeat to more emotional. BTS also has worked with UNICEF on an anti violence campaign called Love Myself.

And last but not least for music favorites is 5SOS's new album Youngblood! This album has been a long time coming but I'm glad that the band took the time that they needed in order to make something they feel accurately reflects them and is something they are proud of. It was definitely worth the wait for new music. My favorite songs from the album are the title track Youngblood and Valentine! They also have a nice diversity in the songs on the album as well.

Movies:

I had wanted to see The Greatest Showman ever since I saw previews for it but was never able to get to a movie theater to see it while it was playing. I recently was finally able to see the movie and it lived up to, well I guess surpassed my expectations for it! The soundtrack is hands down amazing and the choreography was so good too! I really like musicals and am glad that so many people enjoy seeing them too, especially one that has such a great story and message! The story in the movie is so moving and a roller coaster of emotions, I teared up a bit several times actually. The cast is so talented and I think that everyone fit their roles so well.

I also recently watched The Maze Runner Trilogy! I wanted to read the books but haven't yet. I usually prefer reading the books before seeing a movies of the story but oh well lol. I like action movies and typical young adult dystopian movies and books and I think that The Maze Runner has great characters and that they and the story/plot developed very well over the course of the trilogy. I definitely got invested in the story and was intrigued! It did remind me a bit of The Hunger Games and Divergent but that is not a bad thing and is to be expected as they are all the same genre. I'm really glad I finally watched the movies as my mom and sister had told me how good they were! 

Food:

As it is summertime that means that so many more types of fruit are in season! I have been loving blueberries lately ( I used to not like them), they're great on their own as a snack or perfect in oatmeal for breakfast! Other snacks I really like are sea salt almonds, specifically the Blue Diamond ones, they're so tasty and good for you too! And the final snack I'll mention is wheat thins, they have great taste and are a decent "healthy snack" option!

Thanks for reading! What are some of your recent favorites?

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Words on Worrying, Overthinking & Accepting Yourself

Hi! So this post is a bit of a ramble but I thought that it was worth sharing anyways. I am someone who worries very, very often, and oftentimes I worry about such insignificant things that don't even matter and I shouldn't waste my time and energy thinking about but sometimes I can't stop myself from worrying about those things although I know that I should.

Rambles on Worrying and Overthinking

I want to worry less in general and want to try to stop overthinking things so much as this is something that I really struggle with. I also hope to dwell less on the past and I want to think less about embarrassments or mistakes that I have made, especially ones that only I am thinking about and that no else cares about (because they actually don't matter, who cares if I was awkward in that moment? Only me). The person I was talking to (or whatever the situation was) probably didn't even notice it but even if they did, they're definitely not thinking about it.It's like they always say, everyone is so busy thinking about their own flaws and insecurities that they probably aren't aware of the ones that you think you have yourself.

I want to worry and overthink less as well as not get so discouraged when I feel like I am not accomplishing everything I want to. When I overthink that actually causes me to waste time and stop myself from doing things I want to do because I am just going over all the random possibilities and outcomes that could potentially come from whatever it is that I am wanting to do. Although there is a very little chance of any of those outcomes occurring so I should definitely not even be entertaining the thought of them but of course I am, because currently that part of who I am and my mentality. But as I said I want to work on being content enough with what I am doing as well as work on not unintentionally stopping myself from doing other things I want to do.

Tip & Suggestions

Here are a couple tips/suggestions that we could all use, especially if you feel the same way that I do.

→ Try to love yourself, accept yourself for who you are, embrace your "flaws" (you may be the only person who thinks they're flaws, so are they?) but they make you who you are and make you unique.

→ Try to avoid doubting yourself and your abilities by focusing on what you're good at and work to improve on where you're lacking if you want to.

→ And don't compare yourself to others as comparison is the thief of joy. Everyone is at different stages and has a different path and journey so comparing yourself to someone else will never go well. Also think about why would you want to compare yourself anyways? Live your life and don't worry what someone else is doing. It's totally fine to look at someone else's life and be inspired by it but don't feel bad about yours if its completely different than theirs. It is very hard to avoid doing this, especially in today's day and age with social media and everything everywhere but it helps to remember that most people are only sharing a highlight reel of their life and no one's life is perfect 24/7. (But is also does help to be grateful for your imperfect life, as everyone's is imperfect).

→ Know that some days you won't be successful in accepting yourself or accomplishing stuff in general, but that's okay. It is normal and not everyday can be perfect or great but there can still be good things or good moments that happen on those "bad" days, so look out for those as those can easily improve your mood. Also if your day isn't going so well then do something that will make you happier such as talking to a friend, a parent, a sibling, etc. listen to your favorite kind of music, watch your favorite movie or tv show or watch your favorite Youtube channel, read, do some exercise, etc. do something you love!

→ Also, don't say yes to everything or bite off more than you can chew.  It will put way more pressure and stress on you than you need. It will cause you to worrying even more and feel overwhelmed. Overthinking is a doubled edged sword here though because if you say yes (to more obligations) you will have even more to think and worry about, but saying no may cause you to think about how the person who asked you to do whatever it is will think about you and if they will dislike you for saying no. But even if they are a little inconvenienced by you saying no, that alone will not cause them to dislike you or thinking poorly of you.

→ This is a general tip but - don't plan and overthink or think ahead so much that you forget and/or don't have time to do what you planned for. I feel like I have so many things that I want to do and plan to do, but then I spend so much time planning how I'm going to do those things that the opportunity to actually do them passes.

→ Also try to take some risks, no pain means no gain. I do not mean for you to do something dangerous or harmful or actually painful but don't overthink something so much that end up convincing yourself  not to do it. Sometimes you just have to go for it.

I know this post may seem like it's all over the place but I think it helped me at least to put my thoughts down on this "topic" (I guess it's a topic lol, worrying, over thinking and accepting yourself and your flaws). I hope this post makes at least some sense, and that you were able to gain something from it if you're in a similar situation. I know I need to work on continuing to follow the "advice/tips" I listed too!

Thank you for reading!

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How To Get Rid Of A Cold ASAP

Hi everybody I hope that you're enjoying spring! For me it still feels a bit more like winter though lol, we had a few nice days that were in the 50s and 60s but then it was 30 degrees the other day and it snowed a little. I recently had a cold and wanted to share how to get rid of a cold quickly and tips for getting through a cold. These are just suggesting of how to get over a cold asap and they may not all work for everyone but I hope that at least some of them are ones you haven't heard of before and I hope they help you recover quickly!

Being sick, even just with a cold is not good at all, especially for young adults with so much going on. It can make you miserable, you may have to miss out on things, it makes you less productive, etc. the list goes on. No one likes being sick, it's a nuisance and  just generally very inconvenient. As someone who gets my fair share of colds, especially last semester when working too much and not taking care of my self like I should have I was very susceptible to germs. Due to this I have come up with some tips for getting rid of a cold quickly and compiled them here. Some are common and I found them online when I was searching for how to get rid of a cold and some are not so common and I wanted to feature them here.

Consume Liquids

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The first tip for getting rid of a cold would be to drink water. I know this is a very common tip but I couldn't write this post and not include it here. This will help keep you hydrated and help thin out what is unfortunately in your nose and throat. I always get a very dry throat while I have a cold and it is very uncomfortable. Drinking warm water is preferable and putting some lemon and/or honey in it as well will help soothe your throat. Hot water is also good because it causes steam which can help unblock your sinuses. Drinking tea is also another option. I always put honey in my tea anyways, but if you don't I recommend trying it, especially when you have a cold as research shows that honey can calm a sore throat (Mayo Clinic). Eating a spoonful of honey is also recommended. And finally, having soup is another great way to consume warm liquid and aid in getting rid of your cold.

Rest Up

     

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Try to get as much rest as you can by going to bed early. This is such a struggle for me as a college student and I'm sure some of you share in the struggle too but it's even more important to attempt to go to bed early while you're sick (fyi it's currently 11:30pm while I type this, I'm doing a great job following my own advice! *sarcasm*).  But jokes aside, getting enough rest is very crucial. Even during the day, don't over exert yourself and try to do too much; it will just prolong your sickness as your are not allowing your body to recover. Another tip regarding rest is to sleep with your head elevated. Sleep with two pillows under your head. It feels a bit weird at first but is very beneficial. You will not get as congested and will have and easier time breathing, especially when you first wake up the next morning.

Eat Well

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This is a general tip for health and well being but your diet is also a factor in how long it will take you to get over your cold. You need to provide your body with energy and good nutrients. Having fresh and unprocessed foods would be ideal, especially foods that contain vitamin C such as oranges or clementines. Fruits and vegetables are so good for you and will help you get better quicker.

Try to Enjoy Yourself

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I know this may seem like an odd tip but part of getting over a cold is mental. I try to keep myself positive even if I feel crappy. I find that if I just put myself in a negative mood and feel bad for myself it just ends up making me feel even worse. While you are resting and relaxing: watch your favorite movies, tv shows, or YouTubers, read, listen to good music, etc. Try to not let the cold get the best of you!

Miscellaneous Tips

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As the title of this section suggests, these tips did not really fit into one of the other categories but I still wanted to include them, hence the miscellaneous section. One tip is to wear lots of layers of clothing in order to stay warm. Have cough drops to soothe your throat and help clear your airways. Also try not to breath through your mouth if you just breath through your nose. This will help prevent your throat from getting drier and more uncomfortable. Also when using a tissue do not blow too hard to try to clear your nose because that can actually just make your sinuses more congested and put more pressure on them. Also, I usually wash my face and brush my teeth more times during the day when I'm sick which helps me feel better (even if it just helps me trick myself into thinking I feel better it helps a bit nonetheless). And finally, wash your hands often.


I hope at least some of these help you if you have a cold! Do you have any other tips I didn't list here?

Thanks for reading!

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New York City Day Trip: Attending a Fashion Trade Show

Hi everyone, I hope that you've been doing well! I recently was in New York City for the day to attend Coterie and I thought I'd do a recap! Coterie is a large fashion trade show that occurs annually and allows buyers from various brands, boutiques, and stores to view collections by thousands of designers. This is part of the wholesale sector of the fashion industry. Buyers can see the lines in person, ask questions, etc. and place orders. It is a multi day event and my college organized a day trip for fashion students to go on. My professors, peers and I attended the last day of the trade show. It was a long day with lots to take in but I found it to be very interesting! My school had offered this trip in the past and I had not gone but as I am a senior now and it would be my last chance I decided to take advantage of the opportunity!

Preparation

The day we were going to Coterie was a Wednesday and as we had to leave campus at 6:30am I wanted to go to bed early on Tuesday. I hoped to get a decent amount of sleep so I wouldn't be too tired on Wednesday and I'd be able to enjoy the day and get the most out of the trip. Of course that didn't really work out though. I got in bed at like 10:40, which is very early for me since I usually go to bed after 1am (not something I'm happy about but #college lol). Unfortunately I had such a hard time falling asleep though, probably because I'm not used to going to bed so early. Though even once 2am came around I still couldn't sleep. It's one of those things that of course because I wanted to sleep I couldn't. I even looked up ways to make you fall asleep and those didn't help. So finally around 3am I think I feel asleep. Then I got a nice 2.5 hours of sleep before waking up around 5:30.

In order to minimize what I'd have to do in the morning I chose my outfit the day before and packed the bag I was taking so that I wouldn't have to worry about or waste time or forget anything in the morning.

The Morning of the Trip

I was very happy that I prepared the day before so that I was a little less stressed on Wednesday morning. The day of the trip we had a very early start as we wanted to have enough time at the trade show and the drive from my school (in Massachusetts) to the convention center in NYC was around 5 hours! All of the professors and students met in front of the campus center and we waited for out buses to arrive. We needed 2 coach buses as there were about 80 of us going on the trip. We left my school around 6:30am. Some people brought pillows and blankets so that they could sleep on the bus, surprisingly at that point I did not feel very tired, I knew it would hit me later though.

The Journey There

We made our way to New York from Massachusetts through Connecticut. As I mentioned the drive is a decent amount of hours. I wanted to listen to music but I did not want to drain my phone battery so I only used it for a little while. I did try to sleep on the bus but was not very successful and so I just rested my eyes. We stopped at a rest stop in Connecticut about halfway into the drive in order to give the driver a break and so all of us could stretch our legs, walk around a bit after sitting for so many hours and grab a bite to eat. The rest stop was not crowded when we arrived as it was so early but the 80 or so of us definitely filled it up. There were really only 2 options for breakfast food though which  meant long lines at each of them. This was a bit of an issue since we didn't have very long at the rest stop and people had to wait for their orders to be ready. I only got an iced tea and a muffin and didn't have to wait at all but some people who ordered more complex things had to wait. And as there were so many of us there was a backup with the food preparation and our professors were starting to worrying about timing. Once everyone had their orders filled and everyone boarded the buses we were on our way again. The buses were a bit more lively now as people were more awake which is understandable because we finally got food!

The Trade Show Itself: Coterie

As we were driving through Connecticut and getting closer to New York City the traffic started getting worse as was expected. When we finally arrived in the city we still had a decent amount of driving to do before we reached the convention center and the traffic in the city was so hectic. We were all so happy once we made it to the Jacob Javits Center and were able to get off the buses and get in the tradeshow. We all entered the building, checked in, and got our official passes. Then we took a group photo and were set free to roam around the tradeshow.

Coterie is very, very large and the trade show consisted of multiple floors. The main area was a huge open room with hundreds and hundred of booths set up with each brand having their own and displaying their collections however they wanted to. Some of the brands kept it more simplistic and others brought in lots of props and decorations to make the booth their own and convey the brand's message and image. Free People had a large booth and it was decorated gorgeously, very bohemian and lots of flowers everywhere. Alice and Olivia's booth was extremely colorful, fun and sparkly. They also had a large sign with the message "Empowered Women Empower Women" which I loved!

Each brand had a representative or a couple reps to show the lines to interested buyers and to talk to them about the pieces. Although we as students could walk around and look at everything the reps were not very eager to talk to us (since it is an industry event and we wouldn't be placing orders or giving them business). It was still an interesting experience though I feel like I wish I learned more.

After walking around the show for a couple of hours my friend and I decided to grab some lunch. The area of NYC we were in was very industrial as it is an area for conventions and our professors told us the best option for food was actually in the convention center. We came across a "food court" area (not quite a food court but I'm not sure what else to call it), it had a couple different stations for things such as pasta, pizza, and burgers. I ran into some of my professors and they mentioned that they got delicious pizza and so my friend and I decided to go for that option and we were definitely not disappointed. The pizza was amazing! It had mozzarella, basil, feta, prosciutto, balsamic and it was sooooo good! I would eat it everyday if I could! Okay Emily, enough about the food - back to the main topic.

After we ate we had a little more time to walk around before 3:30 when we had to board the buses to go home. I ended up coming across the booth for the brand that I work part time for. They had some new items on display and I was able to meet some of the people that work in the brand's NY office as I work in the MA one. They informed me about the new shoe line that will be out soon and it's exciting as the brand has never done shoes before, only apparel. Then it was time to meet everyone in the convention center's lobby and to head on home.

The Journey Back Home

Although it wasn't even 4pm yet the professors, other students, and I all were a bit worn out from the long day since we had been up and about for about 10 hours. We were all ready to sit and relax -well as much as one can while on a bus. The traffic leaving the city was horrible. It took at least an hour to get out of the city itself and took so much longer to get to Connecticut than we hoped it would. Once we had been on the road for a few hours we stopped at a rest stop and got dinner. I was not very hungry and had a couple granola bars in my bag so I did not get any food at the rest stop. It was then time to get on the buses again and continue our journey home. Luckily the bus had tvs and so we voted on a movie to watch which ended up being La La Land. This helped to pass the time and I really like the soundtrack from that movie! When we finally got back to campus around 10:30pm everyone departed and most people headed for their dorms. At this point I was hungry and knew it'd be wise to eat something. The dining hall on campus itself was closed but the late night grill area was open and my friend and I decided to stop by there to grab some food before going back to our dorms.

Ending Thoughts

All in all it was a pretty jam packed day with lots to take in and was a bit overwhelming at times. However I feel like it would have been more beneficial if my professors gave us more information and direction rather than have us just walk around the trade show somewhat aimlessly. It was also a little disappointing that we were not allowed to take many photos. This is understandable as the collections were not out yet and brands did not want to risk their designs or anything being copied. I also would have liked to be able to talk to people in the booths more and learn from them but as I mentioned they were not really interested in talking to students.  I do understand that though, I did not want to bother them or take up their time that could be spent with buyers. But if a booth was empty of buyers I don't know why the reps were still so standoffish to students.  Overall there were many more pros than cons to the trip and I am glad that I went on it and got to experience it!

Thanks for reading!

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Goals for 2018

I can't believe that a couple weeks of 2018 have already gone by. I hope that you all have a happy and healthy year! A new year brings about the chance for a fresh start and presents us with the opportunity to reinvent our lives, make any changes we want, and hopefully allow us to do more of what we love. And of course this can all be done at any point, on any given day of any given month, however to me ( and I know I'm definitely not alone on this lol)  there is always something so freeing and refreshing about January and the start of a new year.

Although I always have goals that I am working towards or would like to work towards, I like compiling some at the beginning of the year. I find it so helpful to have them written down and hopefully a year from now I'll be able to look back and see that a decent amount of progress has been made in accomplishing them! I prefer setting goals that I can break down to be manageable. As in, instead of saying my goal is to drink more water this year, I find it more beneficial to say I will drink # glasses or bottles of water a day this month (and then increase that # the next month).  This makes it easier to keep track of whether or not you are achieving that goal as the results are measurable. (I have a whole post about how to stick to your goals and tips for achieving them which you can check out here if you'd like.) I also like writing out my goals, especially in a blog post as it should help me be more accountable in working towards them. And I like to try to keep most of my goals as realistically possible as I can in order to have a good chance of achieving them but of course I would not  say it isn't a goal of mine to get a dog asap although I sadly know that won't happen.

So without further ado and in no particular order, here are my main goals for 2018!

-Drink More Water:
This was one of my goals last year too and while I did increase the amount of water I drink I do still want to drink more as I know that I am still not drinking enough of it. For this year my goal is to drink 3 Camelbak water bottles worth of water per day (mine is the 750ml size bottle). Part of my problem is that most of the time I don't even realize I'm thirsty and so I forget to drink water. To combat this I try to always bring my water bottle with me to class and if it's right there in front of me I'll be more likely to drink it.

-Start Stretching:
I want to start stretching twice a week and eventually stretch every morning. I hadn't realized how tight my muscles became due to not having gym class anymore since I finished high school. 🙈 I also want to work on improving my posture.

-Exercise:
I had started the Blogilates beginner calendar in the past and I did like doing it. I felt that I was making progress but then I got too busy with life and stopped being consistent with it. I wasn't making time for it although I should have been. I want to start it over again and actually complete the calendar and then continue doing the videos. I also want to start going to the gym regularly. I will start with once a week and then increase it.

-Eat Healthier:
This is a constant goal as I always want to work on eating healthier. I want to eat at least 2 fruits and 2 vegetables a day. (I know it's supposed to be more than that but I'm going to shoot for 2 first and then work my way up!)

-Sleep Smarter:
As I am a college student my sleeping schedule is not that of "normal" people 😅  but I want to improve it. I want to be in bed by 1 am and hopefully start waking up at a more consistent time each day, even if I do not have an early class every day.

-Education Goals:
I plan on graduating this spring and I want to make Dean's List one more time, for my final semester of school. I hope to graduate magna cum laude (with honors). And during 2018 I want to continue learning new things. For starters, I plan on downloading an app or something to help me learn Italian (I took it for a short while in high school) and also Spanish (I took this in middle school and high school but of course forgot most of it, oops).

-Mindset:
Overall I want to have a more positive mindset and outlook on life. Each day we get to determine if it will be a good one or a bad one. There are definitely circumstances that are out of our own control that will affect how our day goes, but we get to choose how they will affect our day. I want to start looking on the brighter side of things even more than I do now.  I'm not saying that we can't have bad days or feel sad or uninspired, etc. because of course we can, those are natural human emotions, but I don't want to continue to let small or insignificant things impact my mood so much and change it from positive to negative. Another goal of mine that I feel is related to having a positive mindset is being more confident. I am not very confident in myself and I definitely want to change that. I want to accept myself more for who I am, and I know it's cliche, but I want to learn how to better embrace my flaws but also work on being a better version of myself each day.

-Blog:
I want to post more consistently on my blog. I actually have a number of posts drafted but not finished yet and I want to be more dedicated, finish them and publish them. I want to start posting at least twice a month and I also want to start using Bloglovin' more. I think that Bloglovin' is great as it provides a way to see blog posts from your favorite bloggers, all in one place. And it provides you with a feed instead of having to use a search engine to get to individual people's sites in order to read their posts. I think that using it will be very helpful for keeping up with the blogs I like to read and I also want to start commenting more on blog posts as I know I always enjoy hearing people's thoughts on my posts as well.

-Travel:
In 2017 I did not do much traveling at all, I just took a few day trips around my home state of  Massachusetts such as a trip to Rockport, which is a cute coastal town on MA's north shore (I wrote a recap of that day as I enjoyed it so much!) and I did a couple day trips to neighboring states such as Maine and New Hampshire as well. I had done a fair bit of traveling at the end of 2016 since I had been abroad so I guess I had to sadly take a little break from it lol and didn't do any major traveling in 2017. This year I really want to go to NYC for a weekend as I have been to NYC a couple times but only for a couple hours each time. I have never even seen Times Square or 5th Ave, etc. I also want to go to Montreal for a couple days as well as hope to visit some family near Atlanta, GA this summer and then do a road trip to Tennessee from there (my mom loves Elvis and really wants to see Graceland) before coming back up north to Massachusetts. And my biggest yet least likely travel goal for this year is to visit Japan! I know that if I'm not able to make it this year I will definitely be going at some point in the future though!

-Miscellaneous:
I also have a couple other goals which are to read more, spend less time on my phone, take more risks with my style and fashion choices (as in push my comfort zone) and this one is really random but - have RBF less when I'm at the grocery store. 😅

As mentioned above, these are my major goals for 2018 but not a 100% extensive list of everything that I hope to accomplish or work towards this year. (The post would get way too long and I doubt anyone would want to read it lol)

But now for some more cliche words. I want to leave you with one last thought here... we get to fill the next pages and chapters of the books that are our lives the way we want to so let's have a good time and make them worthwhile!

Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear some of your goals in the comments!

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