The Blogging Brew - Page 25 of 35

Instagram Faves + Peony Project Takeover

August 23, 2014 | No Comments

If someone were to ask me what my favorite social media platform was, I would without a doubt say Instagram. It’s the perfect combination of community and photography, which are two things I absolutely love! I remember back when Instagram first came out, I wasn’t much of a fan, and I waited a full year before I made my own account. I completely underestimated it! Since then, I’ve formed a collection of apps and other add-ons that I use along with Instagram, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you!

VSCO CamThis app is my go-to app for filters and simple edits! It’s easy to use, and it stores a gallery of all the photos you’ve edited to look back at later. I’m in love with the M3 filter, which is the only one I ever use!

InstaSizeEver wonder how some Instagrammers are able to fit an entire picture in their post without cropping part of it out? This is the magic app! Just upload your picture, and the app fits it perfectly into that square frame. I don’t use this as often as I used to, but it’s really helpful when you want to make sure no one gets cropped out of a shot!

IconosquareThis website is like a central hub for all your Instagram stats. You can see who’s unfollowed you, what your most popular posts are, when you had the most follower growth, and tons of other stuff! There’s even an “optimization” section that gives you stats about when you receive the most engagement, so you can make sure you’re posting at the best times. All you have to do is sign up with your Instagram account, and it does all the work for you!On another Instagram related note, I’m taking over The Peony Project’s IG account today! I’m so excited to share my day with such an amazing community! If you haven’t heard of The Peony Project before, you can find the link in the “network” section of my sidebar! It’s an amazing group of women focused on faith, inspiring others, and of course, blogging! I hope y’all are having a fantastic weekend! I’m currently in the process of moving into my dorm, so you can catch those adventures on my Instagram, and in this weekend’s Snapshot Sunday! Like how I made a full circle there? :)

5 Ways To Get Organized Before College

August 21, 2014 | No Comments

With just a few days left until the semester starts up, I’ve been spending a lot of time getting my things together and preparing for the big day! A huge chunk of that prep includes getting organized, which can seem like a pretty big task when you have a mind full of questions, a room full of dorm supplies, and a to-do list that takes up three pages. Here are some tips to help you push through that chaos and get organized for the school year!

Set Up Your PlannerThis is always one of my favorite things to do, because I’m kind of in love with planners. This year I bought myself an Erin Condren* life planner, and I absolutely love it! But a planner isn’t effective if you don’t use it, so taking the time to set it up is the first step to getting organized. You’ll feel so much better once you have your schedule written down, and you’ll have something to look back at when you get to class and are given a syllabus with a page full of important dates!*Note: This is a referral link, so any purchases you make through it will provide me with a small commission. Make A “Last Minute” ListYou know all those things you were supposed to do during the summer but “forgot” about? They’re probably the things you’re freaking out about now because you have three or so days to get them done. I can’t give you any tips on making time slow down, but one thing that always helps me in stressful situations is making a list! Write down all those tedious tasks so you’ll have a better idea of what’s left, and when they’re all crossed off, reward yourself! I’m thinking a trip to Starbucks?
Come Up With A Daily RoutineYour class schedule will be running your life for the next few months, so coming up with a different routine for each day is your best bet. Maybe you have a long break between classes on Tuesdays that you can use for an exercise class, or if your classes start late on Fridays, you can make that laundry day. Make the most of any free time you have! Of course, don’t block up every free minute you have with a task. You need some “me time” too!
Freshen Up Your Digital LifeBy the end of the summer, my computer is always cluttered with old files and tons of things I don’t need. Set aside some time to go through your computer and organize things, because even though it’s not a physical mess, it’s still something that will drive you crazy when you’re looking for that one project file in the midst of a million downloads you haven’t touched in two years. Be sure to make well-labeled folders so you know exactly where everything is. It’ll save you a ton of time in the future.
Write Down Your Goals For The SemesterYou want to make the most of the time you spend in school, so making a list of your goals will help you in the long run! Come up with a variety of academic and personal goals, but don’t forget to add in a few fun ones! Remember, this list isn’t set in stone, because you’ll be coming up with new ideas all semester long. Leave room for changes, but also strive to achieve as many of them as you can!

Looking for more college related posts? Head over to Destination College: Blog Hop for tons of great posts shared by bloggers just like you! It’s the perfect place to link up your college posts and connect with other bloggers!

Steps To Having A Good Morning

August 19, 2014 | No Comments

You know those days when you’re super productive, everything goes smoothly, and you just feel great? They’re pretty nice, aren’t they? I was never sure what set them apart from all the other days of the year, until I looked back and realized it was one thing—they’d all started with a good morning! Setting up your day with a strong foundation is an easy way to get the good vibes flowing, and guarantee yourself at least a better than average day. I’ve put together a few steps that always do the trick for me, and thanks to this morning routine, I can look forward to getting out of bed!

Wake Up Early

I’ve noticed that every time I wake up at noon, I spend the rest of the day groggy and unmotivated. Waking up early is the most important step here in my opinion, because you get a few extra hours of “me time” without being rushed into the day. It’s also the perfect time to start knocking things off your to-do list so you can have more time to relax later on, which you’ll definitely appreciate! Oh, and one more thing—don’t press snooze! Okay, maybe once or twice, but I’ve had many mornings when I let that alarm go off every 9 minutes for close to two hours. Those 9 minute sleeping intervals may feel good at the time, but when you actually have to get up, you’ll be feeling those two hours of bad sleep.

Get Into Yoga

For the past few weeks, I’ve spent the first half hour of my morning doing yoga or stretching. It’s a great way to get your body moving and snap out of sleep mode, and it’s good for you too! I’ve noticed such a difference in the way I feel throughout the day thanks to this routine; more energy, better focus, and less stress. If you haven’t tried yoga before, it’s super easy to get into and learn about, especially with Pinterest by your side! I’m always finding new pins of yoga routines, and I’ve piled them all into my healthy lifestyle board. There’s a routine for everybody, so search around to find one that suits your needs!

Grab Some Coffee/Tea

I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, except on those days when the Starbucks menu is just too tempting. But whether you’re a coffee addict or a tea lover, starting your day off with a cup of your favorite drink will get you in the mood to start knocking things off that to-do list of yours. Of course, the added caffeine boost doesn’t hurt ;)

Make A Schedule For Your Day

If you’re like me and have a schedule of your day planned out in your head that you seem to run through every 5 minutes, I’d suggest finding yourself a cute notepad or journal and writing all of those plans down. It’ll make you feel so much better to have your thoughts written down on paper, and you won’t have to constantly worry about whether you forgot to do something. If planning out your day by the hour is to constricting for you, maybe jot down a list of things you want to accomplish by the end of the day instead. Cross off tasks as you complete them, and reward yourself when they’re all done!

Stay Off The Internet For An Hour

I’m a huge culprit of waking up and laying in bed with my phone instead of getting out of bed. Here’s the thing; nobody is doing anything of a huge importance at 7am, and if they are, they probably aren’t posting about it on Instagram, because it’s 7am. Spend the first hour of the day away from the computer, and just enjoy the peace for a little while. Step outside, make some breakfast, read a magazine, or really anything other than sit in a dark room scrolling through yesterday’s Twitter feed. Trust me, it will be okay.

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