HOW TO MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF AS A STUDENT BLOGGER

Ever feel overwhelmed between school and trying to manage a successful blog? Then this post is for you. The new school year is just around the corner, and it is important that you make time for yourself as your calendar starts to fill up.

Take a blog break.

Everyone needs a little break sometimes. Even if you have established a schedule, it is okay to take a few days off every once in a while. If you force yourself to stick to your schedule all the time, it might start to feel like a chore, and that's not what this is supposed to be about!

Prevent getting burnt out.

So-and-so posts 5 times a week, so I have to too, right? No way! You get to decide how much of a commitment this is going to be. A good blog isn't defined by how many times a week you post. A good blog has quality posts and fosters a creative community. Figure out how much you can handle, and only post what you are really proud of. Don't focus on quantity just because you think it is what it takes to be considered a good blog. At the end of the day your readers would much rather spend their time reading your best work, and you are less likely to burn out from working on it too much.

Decide how much time you want to commit to your blog during the school year.

This is similar to the last one, but it is even more important in the school year to make blog goals that are realistic. College is busy enough for students without blogs. And being a blogger is busy enough without classes, clubs and everything else that comes back when the school year resumes. Maybe it's only realistic for you to post once a week, and maybe you plan ahead for times you know you will be really busy, like exam weeks. Be honest with yourself, and don't stress if you can't post as much as you normally would.

Consider guest posts.

There are points during the school year that the thought of trying to squeeze in time to write a blog post seems impossible. I noticed last semester that almost all of my posts were ones that I had written for Her Campus and copied over, because it was hard enough to find time to write those articles. So one thing that I am considering is reaching out to other bloggers with similar blogs for guest posts. This presents an opportunity to get to know other bloggers better, and it is mutually beneficial. You have content for your readers and exposure for the other blogger! Plus, maybe they would want you to do a guest post for them in the future.

Take coffee breaks.

So maybe you're not a coffee drinker. Then feel free to take a break to sip on tea or juice or whatever you may fancy. It seems that a lot of college students and bloggers are into coffee (I am definitely one of them now). You could grab a cup with a friend or take some time to just enjoy your drink without worrying about the stresses of blogging and school. You could even treat yourself to a fancier drink or seek out a coffee shop that you haven't been to before around campus.

Related: Why I Have a Love/Hate Relationship With Coffee Shops

Write about what you enjoy.

I have found that when I am writing about topics that I am passionate about it doesn't feel like work. It's fun! And isn't that really why we are doing this anyway? If you are not enjoying blogging anymore, it might be time to sit down and consider why you are still at it. It is a huge time commitment, and a lot of work. But for me, it is every bit worth it. I enjoy writing about college and creativity, so that is what you can expect out of most of my posts.  Sometimes "me time" means hiding in my room and writing about whatever is on my mind.

Hopefully as the school year starts up you can still find some time to take a break and relax a bit. You deserve it.

How do you make time for yourself as a college blogger?

WE'RE MOVING

Life has been nuts. I was so proud of myself a couple of weeks ago for cranking out 5 posts in one week. But I knew that I should have saved one or two of them for the next week. I ended up only posting once last week. A few times I tried to write another one, but I think I was a little burnt out from overproducing the week before. Plus, I am in full stress mode about moving into my house in less than two weeks. From the dorms to an apartment to a house, I am having the full college experience. But boy do I wish I didn't have to go through the process of moving again. 

Every time I talk about my house with someone new the response is always the same, "You're living with 8 people in one house?! Wow." Sometimes I get the reassuring, "Good luck." But I am excited! I like everyone that I am living with, and I know that it will be challenging sometimes with that many people in a house, but it's college. It's the time to live with your friends and learn how to make the best out of any living situation. I don't need granite counter tops or stainless steel appliances to make me happy. I'm in college. I need good friends for good times, and I know I will be content. 

I can't help but think, can't we just skip past these few weeks and already be moved in? I am so tired of packing and cleaning. Half the time I am stressed out about making everything fit in my car and the other half I'm wondering how in the world I have acquired so much stuff by twenty. Whenever I go home I always bring stuff back to my apartment, thinking that if I bring it I will actually use it. In reality, I spend most of my free time with friends or my laptop, so I don't need much else. 

It's hard to believe that it's already August. Classes start in less than a month, and I am nowhere near ready for summer to be over. I always start to crave the structure again near the end of summer, but I am not ready to go back to all that comes with getting back in a routine. Can't I just keep alternating between work, Netflix and the beach?

What are you most looking forward to before the end of summer? Do you have any fun plans for the last month?

WAYS YOU SHOULD BE SAVING MONEY AT TARGET

This is not a sponsored post. I am just a Target junky, and college student on a budget. So, I love to save a buck whenever possible, and I wanted to share some ways that I have been saving.

1. Target REDcard

I don't know why I didn't get this sooner. I got the debit card, so whenever I use my REDcard, it comes right out of my checking account, and I automatically save 5% by using this card. I got it a couple of months ago, and I have already saved more than $25.

2. The cartwheel app

This is one that I occasionally forget about, especially if I am in a rush. But it is definitely worth it to take the time to use it. Even though the deals might seem small, it adds up, and it is so easy! If you already have an idea of what you will be buying before you go to the store, take a few minutes and look through the deals. While you are in the store, you can also scan products, and it will show you if there is a deal and recommend similar products with deals if there isn't.

3. Personalized Coupons

You know those coupons that they usually hand you with your receipt? How often do you actually use them? I can't tell you how many times I have set them on my counter with the intention to stick them in my purse by the next time I go back, and then they sit there until after they are expired. One solution is to pull them out, and find a place that you would have a better chance of remembering them. For example, you could keep them in your car so that they will always be with you on your trip to the store.

4. Pay attention to deals and how long they run

Sometimes I will go to the store with the intention of buying one thing, but I will decide on something else because it is on sale or they are running a promotion on it. Other times I will take a closer look at the sale tag to see how long the deal is running. If the deal will still be available next week, I might hold off and plan to take advantage of it later.

On my last trip to Target I saved $7.94 between taking advantage of sales, using the Cartwheel app and paying with my REDcard. That is almost $8 that can go to other expenses--or justifying the money I spent going out to dinner with a friend the other night. Saving money can take a little extra time, but think about how much time it takes to earn the money that you could be saving! It is definitely worth taking a few extra steps to save your cash. I promise your checking account will thank you.

How do you save money while shopping?

FRIDAY FASHION FAVORITES

Confession: I love dresses. All kinds. One of my favorite parts of summer is being able to wear dresses pretty much whenever I feel like it. On the crazy hot days that I still have to dress nice for work, I feel bad for the guys in slacks and button ups, because wearing a dress makes it much more bearable. 

Unfortunately, it's hard to find an occasion to wear a fancier dress sometimes. I haven't been to many weddings or anything. I never did go to prom. And usually it's more appropriate to wear jeans and cute top than a classy dress when hanging out with my friends. 

For now, I'll just keep browsing Aisle Style's website, waiting for the perfect event to wear a fancy dress to come along. 

Here are some of my favorites this week: 

Wedding Dresses

I think it's pretty much protocol to have a Wedding Pinterest board these days, isn't it? Even though a wedding is something I won't be planning for a long, long time, I still like browsing dresses and decorations. This dress is absolutely gorgeous. I've known for a while that I don't want anything to lavish. This one is simple and elegant, and I love the part over her shoulders. Aisle Style has so many beautiful wedding dresses. 

Cocktail Dresses

Can one ever own enough cocktail dresses? I like this one, because it adds a little flavor to the classic LBD. The lace and one shoulder definitely spice it up. 

Prom Dresses

Like I said, I never actually went to prom, but I always loved looking at prom dresses! Every once in a while, I will regret turning down my offer to prom Senior year, but mostly because I just wanted an excuse to wear a pretty dress. If I had gone, I would have been really tempted by a red dress like this one. I think there is something so fierce about red dresses, so this one definitely caught my eye. 

What are some of your Friday favorites?

*This post has been sponsored by Aisle Style, but all of the opinions within it are my own.

12 STAGES OF POSTING ON INSTAGRAM

Is an Instagram really ever instant anymore? You know that whatever you are seeing was carefully chosen and selected from a larger body of pictures taken trying to get the perfect angle. So why do you go through all of this? 

Since I have been taking part in Helene In Between's July Instagram challenge, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about my Instagram strategy this month. It has been so much fun finding new bloggers through Instagram and seeing how creative everyone can get! But boy is it a lot of work to get a good Insta. And then once you post it, you get all self-conscious. Will this one be popular? Why did I get so many likes on this one and barely any on this one? 

Here's what we do when we "do it for the Insta": 

Stage 1. Take anywhere between 5 and 50 shots until you get it right.

Stage 2. Crop appropriately to leave out any imperfections. 

Stage 3. Likely adjust in some other app first (VSCOcam, Afterlight, etc.)

Stage 4. Alter until it is just how you want it, and then scroll through the filters to see if it could look any better. Is the vignette too much? 

Stage 5. To add a photo map or not? Real location or spice it up? 

Stage 6. Does anyone need to be tagged? Should I post it to other social media? 

Stage 7. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO CAPTION THIS? *Think about caption for a ridiculous amount of time.* Maybe I should text someone to get their opinion on this...

Stage 8. I don't think I'm going to post it.

Stage 9. It probably wouldn't even get that many likes anyway.

Stage 10. Should I have chosen a different shot?

Stage 11. Oh what the heck, I'm just going to post it. I have already spent an embarrassing amount of time on this.

Stage 12. Wait for the likes to roll in.

What do you do for the Insta? Did I miss aything?

P.S. You can find the July Instagram challenge with the #31PhotosInBetween! Come join the madness before it's too late!

HOW ALMOST FAINTING TURNED INTO MEETING MAT KEARNEY

So, I know what you're thinking. The fainting is supposed to come after an encounter with one of the coolest people on the planet, isn't it? However, almost passing out had nothing to do with being starstruck.

Here, I'll set the scene:

It's our fourth year of going to Basilica Block Party hosted by Cities 97, and we are beyond pumped. Per usual, the July heat leads us straight to the food ticket booth so that we can stay hydrated. We get a piece of pizza and some drinks, run into some old high school friends, and walk around to check out the different stages. We're looking at the schedule deciding who we want to see most and when. Ultimately, we decide on first seeing Mat Kearney, staying a bit for O.A.R., and then heading to catch the tail end of Weezer.

Lauren, Shelby, and Me

So we end up getting pretty decent spots for Mat Kearney. We get there a little bit early and listen to whoever was on before him, while more and more people pile in around us. Before we know it, we are belting out songs like "She's Got the Honey" and "Ships in the Night." Mat is absolutely killing it. And it has already made the books as one of the best nights as Basilica.  

Eventually, Mat sings his final song and crowd shows their approval with an appropriate amount of whoops and hollers. And then it's over. The temperature is hovering somewhere around uncomfortably hot, and being in a massive crowd of people is not making it any better. We gaze longingly at blue guitar shaped fans that the people next to us were using to cool themselves off. Meanwhile, the people on the other side of us decided it would be a good idea to start elbowing people around them to box them out and have plenty of space (this is a game plan they decided to make out loud as we gave them dirty side glances for being rude concert go-ers*). But you have to make sacrifices. As people ran off in sight of food and hydration after Mat Kearney, we moved even closer, so that there was only a few people between us and the stage. 

Finally, O.A.R. takes the stage with "Love and Memories" and a few other opening songs that I don't really recognize. My friends decide that they want to hear "Peace" and "Heaven." Everything is going great. Again, we are singing and dancing, enjoying a view we rarely get close enough for. A few songs in "Heaven" came on, and we were all excited to hear it. Then out of nowhere, I feel like I am going to see my pizza again. I turned to my friend Shelby, and I was like "I have to get of here, but you guys stay. I'll be just fine." Clearly, they could see on my face that I was not going to be fine, and they followed my out of the crowd like the awesome friends they are. 

As I am pushing through this massive hoard of people, I can barely see where I am going. I'm seeing spots, and I can't figure out how I am actually still standing. Just when I think I am at the edge of the crowd, I feel a fence, and I look up to see I had reached a fenced in grass area surrounded my people. At this point, standing is barely an option, and I drop to the ground gripping the poles of the fence. I vaguely recall some women standing above me saying (read in snotty voice), "If she's going to throw up, will you please move her?" to my friends. 

I know that I have to make it out of the crowd, and continue to push to edge of the crowd. I sat with my head in my knees right next to the fence that marks the boundaries of the concert area, as one of my friends went to get my water. And this is when it happened: I don't remember exactly what Lauren said, but it was something like "Is that Mat Kearney? Yeah, that's totally him right there." So we all look over, and sure enough he's standing only yards away from us on the other side of the fence. We watched as he talked to Cities 97 people, until some girl manages to get his attention and was taking a picture with him. I quickly assure my friends that I am good enough to get up and that we have to get a picture. 

First Lauren managed to get a quick selfie with him, and when Shelby and I caught up, I asked him if it would be okay if we got one with him, too. I SAID WORDS TO MAT KEARNEY (I know that is the least eloquent way to put that, but that describes my mental state at this point). And then we snapped this awesome picture, which I am still a little disappointed isn't the best quality, but still. I have a picture with Mat Kearney now. Shelby kept saying that she was really sorry I had to get sick, but she was really glad that I did, because otherwise we would have never met him. And I agreed. 

In reality, this probably occurred from being super dehydrated since it was so hot out, and I had barely had anything to eat or drink that day, since I took a 5 hour bus ride back into town that day. However, I would still like to think that it was meant to be so we could meet Mat. 

Cheers to more years of Basilica Block Party ahead!

Have you had any unexpectedly amazing concert experiences?

*It was at this time that I decided my blog post about Basilica would be on concert etiquette. But meeting Mat Kearney was way cooler. So the date on that blog post is TBD.
(Also, shout out to Becky. We wish you could have been there to experience this one with with us. But I still plan on photoshopping you in on this pictures.)

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A BIG AGE GAP BETWEEN SIBLINGS

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore my little sister. Of course I love my other siblings and the rest of my family. But not much compares to the special bond that I have formed with this sweet little girl, and I think our 15-year age difference has made us even closer. 

We are less likely to fight. 

First of all there are a lot of things that we don't have to worry about fighting over. We can't steal each other's clothes, friends, or boyfriends. She has pretended to steal one of my shirts before, though. I almost let her keep it, because it was so adorable for her to even try to pull that. Every once in a while she will try to pick a fight, but it usually just consists of her telling Mom that I am a "meanie" because I would do something like get her ice cream at that very second. 

I get a mini-me. 

Today I pulled out my computer to work on blog stuff while we were watching TV. Before I knew it, she was plopped down next to me with her toy computer. She put her tiny hand on my knee, and even said, "I'm copying you." They say mimicry is the highest form of flattery, don't they? She kept stealing glances at me to see how I had changed my posture, and she would laugh every time I did--even if what I was laughing about when right over her head. It's a pretty incredible thing influencing a kid this way. It makes you feel pretty special. 

Childhood basically never ends.

So maybe playing toys isn't exactly my idea of a good time. But seeing the light in her eyes when we do play is definitely worth it. My favorite is when she starts to imitate things that she has obviously heard an adult say before. Even when she was two-years-old she would say things playing with dolls that I had heard my mom say to her before. It's so cute to see what really sticks with them and how they re-use it in their own way. Plus, having a little sister means I have an excuse to watch the movies and TV shows that I grew up on again. Someone at work once pointed out that every time we were talking about Spongebob I would always say, "I was watching this one with my little sister, and ..." So what if that little yellow sponge still cracks me up? It's great bonding time with sister. 

It makes me realize I don't want my own children for a very long time. 

I don't understand how people my age have babies--I mean I get how it happens. Obviously the stork got lost on his way to a nice older married couples house. But really, I am so far from being ready to take care of a baby, and having a little sister at this age has been so eye-opening to really how much of a responsibility a child is. As much fun as my little sister is, she whines, cries, and pleads for constant attention--and toys! I could not handle a child right now. I have a hard enough time stressing over things like study abroad and what color I should paint my nails next. Thank God for my little sister. 

She made my dreams come true. 

B.S. (Before Sydney), I prayed for a little sister for years. I cried both times my parents told me that I was going to have a brother. I spent countless hours trying to persuade them to try again or adopt me a sister. Once I even asked my mom if she was lying to me all these years, hoping that I had a twin that they had to give away for mysterious reasons. I would dream about what my little sister would be like, resenting my brothers for their gender, because I so hopelessly wanted a little sister.  I even tried to dress them up as a girls a few times. When my mom first found out she was having another baby, I was furious. I was fourteen, and I knew our lives would change forever. I told her that if it was another boy, I was moving out*. But finding out she was a girl was one of the best days of my life. Since then, some of my best memories of her include the first time she told me that she loved me, and the time she told me that I was her best friend. 

1 year ago!

I love this little girl more than words can express. It has been such a privilege to watch her grow up, and change so much. I can't believe she is already 5-years-old--or that I have a sister that is 5-years-old. Happy birthday, little sis! (Even though she won't be able to read this for a few more years...) 

*Admittedly, that was a bit melodramatic. 

**The two in the picture above are not my only siblings! But that was one of the best recent pictures I could find demonstrating the age gaps. 

What kind of relationship do you have with your siblings? 

11 THOUGHTS WE ALL HAVE WHILE ON PINTEREST

Anyone else lose time on Pinterest? I know I can't be the only one. It is so easy to hop on there and just keep scrolling.

1. DIY? I could do that. Easy.

2. I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look like that. Maybe I should try again.

3. How does anyone's home look like that?


4. I want to eat that.

>
5. And that. Who has time to make all of these recipe posts?


6. I need to stop pinning so many desserts.


7. That dress is so cute. Could I pull that off?

8. I want to pin everything! Will my followers be annoyed at me if I pin just one more thing?


9. Are people going to think I wrote that caption? Really, I'm just too lazy to change it.


10. Maybe I should get off Pinterest and do something productive.


11. Or maybe I could pin just one more thing...

Pinterest is pretty great though, right?

What else do you think about on Pinterest?