2014 IN REVIEW

It never ceases to amaze me how much can change in a year. We are always looking forward to the future, dreaming of what it could bring and hoping that every day will be better than the previous. As with every year, 2014 had its ups and downs. The difference with this year is I learned how God's timing doesn't always align with our own plans. I believe it's important to look ahead and do what you can to forge a good path for yourself, but this year more than ever I began to realize the power of the forces that we cannot control.

When I say God's timing doesn't always align with our own, I mean that sometimes we can have ideas about where we see ourselves in a certain amount of time or things that we want to happen, but sometimes things take longer. It's easy to get into that "I want it, and I want it now" mentality. We want to make progress over night, and we want our dreams to come true, but it's never simple. This year, the most important thing I learned was to remember that when we don't get something we want it's because there is something better in store for us. 

I am grateful for the downs that turned into ups, and I am grateful for all of the unexpected ups that made all the downs make sense. This year was one I will never forget.

January

• I got to spend an entire month at home for break. 
• I went skiing for the 2nd time in my life with friends from my dorm.

February

•  I surprised my mom with a weekend at home for my birthday. I swear she looked like she saw a ghost before she started crying, because she was so happy I was home. It was the best.
•  My friends made me the best birthday surprise ever (the video above)!

March

•  I learned HTML and CSS and created my first web pages. 
• The Badger Basketball team got into the Final Four! On Wisconsin!

April

• I made my first podcast ever for a class project. 
• I volunteered at the Wisconsin Film Festival.

May

• I completed my freshman year. 
• My floor had a bonfire bonding night to close out the year.
• I started watching my 4 year old sister, Sydney. I even thought I would blog about it.

June

• I discovered how massive the blogosphere is.
• I decided to start taking my blog more seriously. And the construction began. 

July

• I went to Basilica Block Party for the 3rd consecutive summer. 
• I contributed to hitRECord--Joseph Gordon Levitt's online production company.  
• I got together with a couple of college friends to send another college friend birthday cookies. 

August

• I decided to sponsor a blog for the first time.
• I had my last day working at an Ice Cream and French Fries shop.
• I moved into my first apartment.  
• I ran my first 5K Color Me Rad. 
• I started making blog friends! (This was one of the most exciting parts of diving further into blogging).

September

• I started my second year of college. 
• I got accepted to write for Her Campus-Wisconsin.
• I got a job at a local television station. 
• I participated in my first blogger Twitter chat.

October

• I declared my major in Communication Arts--the Radio, TV, Film track, with a Digital Studies minor.
• I wrote my first sponsored post!
• I signed a lease for a house next year.
• I got to see two of my best friends when they came to visit for Halloween. 
• I got to go to Q&A with TV writer, Stephen Falk.

November

• I saw Ingrid Michaelson live!
• I got to go to a Q&A with documentary filmmaker and UW Alum Jason Cohen.
•  My grandma beat cancer!

December 

• My apartment hosted an Ugly Sweater Christmas party.
• I finished my 3rd semester of college. 

A year ago, I wrote a New Year's post that admitted I have always been a writer. It wasn't easy for me. Being a writer is something I have struggled with for years. It is a part of my identity that I have had a hard time coming to terms with. It is not because I am ashamed of my writing--it's something more than that. I guess part of it is that I have always feared that other people won't accept me as a writer or that I will never become anything as a writer. This year changed that for me. I had people reach out to me to tell me how much they enjoyed reading my blog. Some of these people I hadn't talked to in years or seen in forever, and I never imagined some of these people were even reading my blog.

There is nothing that compares to feeling of someone saying that what you love doing matters. At first, I even had to peek through some of my old posts wondering what ones people were referring to as "good" or "refreshing." I questioned myself, because I had this constant internal battle over whether or not I had what it takes to go after my dreams. After a while, it really started to hit me that this is what I am supposed to be doing, and I couldn't be more grateful to that have had this kind of encouragement. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported my passion. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me and told me that you enjoy reading my blog. Thank you to everyone who has made this year a dream come true. Your words mean more to me than you will ever know.

Happy New Year! And may 2015 bring you everything you are wishing for!


P.S. Most Popular Posts of 2014:
7 Things I Never Want My Little Sister to Feel
College Guys: Expectations VS Reality
6 Signs You are Ready for Winter Break
Fall Favorites
10 Things You Learn At College (Technically 2013, but it got even more popular in '14)

5 MINUTE MAKE UP FOR THE COLLEGIETTE

In college, it's easy to sleep past the alarm--maybe even set a record for the times hitting snooze. But sometimes when you reach a level of consciousness that tells you it's really time to get up, it's already too late. Class is in less than 15 minutes, and you look like you've been in slumber for days. So you jolt out of bed, scrambling to find something that resembles a halfway-decent outfit, and you just want a little makeup for the day.

Or maybe you are just feeling a little lazy today. Either way, these products can be your five-minute-makeup-fix.

Moisturizer
Especially moving into the colder months, it is important to hydrate your skin. The cold weather can dry out your skin, so you want a good moisturizer, and one that contains SPF 30 is even better.

Her Campus pick: Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer ($14)

BB Cream
BB Cream can do more than foundation. One of it's main selling points is that it's not just covering up an uneven skin tone--it is working to improve it. There are different types of BB Creams that serve different purposes, including helping acne or wrinkles. The Her Campus pick smooths skin, hides imperfections, hydrates, and corrects complexion.

Her Campus pick:  L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream ($8)

Undereye Concealer
An undereye concealer can be just what you need if you haven't been getting great sleep. It helps minimize the appearance of under the eye circles, and it brightens it highlighting the area under your eyes.

Her Campus Pick: Femme Couture Flawless Touch Undereye Concealer ($6)

Blush
Add a little color to your cheeks! And do it on a budget. This Her Campus pick is only $3, and gives your face a nice glow.

Her Campus pick: e.l.f. HD Blush ($3)--compare to: Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Blush ($26)

Eyeliner
Do you ever notice that your eyeliner fades throughout the day or it looks like you never applied it in the first place? The Her Campus pick, Ink It, won't let you down that way. It's a super long-lasting, non-smudging eyeliner that is easy to apply.

Her Campus Pick: Cover Girl Ink It ($6)

Mascara
Mascara is the easiest step. You can even throw it in your bag if you like to reapply later. Just a few swabs are all you need. This Her Campus pick will give you flawless lashes with great volume.

Her Campus Pick: Maybelline Volum' Express Mascara ($6)

No need to worry over time. With these products, you won't have to freak out every time you over-snooze. Need a quick-fix to do your hair, too? Check out "5 Minute Hairstyles For the Collegiette" on Her Campus.

This post first appeared on Her Campus.

**Note: This is not a sponsored post. All the opinions stated in this post are my own.  

The New Must Have App on Campus: Save Money With Real-Time Deals on Food and Beverages

As college kids, we are always looking for a way to save a buck or two. Did I hear BOGO? ­– I’m in! So when my roommate told me about this app called Hooked to get deals on food and beverages around campus, I already knew I would be hooked. Hooked is a free app with real-time deals going on around campus (at UW-Madison).

Recently, I met with Kyle Nathanson, the Chief Sales Officer with Hooked, to give me a little insight on what all the hype is about with Hooked. Kyle wishes it were something him and his friends had during college, so they are helping us get the deals now.

Members of the Hooked Team at a launch in Madison

Hooked launched in Madison on September 2, 2014—the first day of school. They are also at the University of Texas, and they also launched with the University of Michigan the same day as Madison. Next Fall, Hooked plans to expand to additional large Universities.

With Hooked you can save money at places you might already go to—including Subway, Espresso Royale, Jamba Juice—or you can find new places through Hooked. Hooked partners with quality businesses to give you discounts worth your time. You can even find deals with food trucks, including Toast outside the Business School. Kyle says, “It allows you to not only save money at the places you already go, but to try out new spots that you may have never have thought to go or even hear of. You see it on our app, and you all of the sudden now fall in love with that place. It happens with our app all the time.”

Hooked is super easy to use. The deals are based on your location—so when you open the app the deals on the top will be the closest to you. As you scroll down the deals get further away, but all of the deals are within walking distance around campus. You can click the map icon in the top right corner to find deals that are live right now. As shown in the image of the map, the green pins indicate live deals. Hooked deals last for three-five hours, so all of the deals you are getting are fresh. Once you’re in the business, whip out your phone and pull up the Hooked app.

All you have to do is tap the green “Get Hooked” button and receive the deal. It’s as simple as that.

Unlike other deal-saving apps, you don’t have to build up a loyalty, you don’t have to enter your payment information or personal details, and you don’t have to wait! Kyle says, “Every time you use Hooked you are getting a deal.”

Like I said, Hooked is a free app that saves you money. So what are you waiting for? Go download it in the App Store now.

This post first appeared on Her Campus-Wisconsin.