stress-free Archives - Page 5 of 6

Browse Tag by stress-free

7 Fool-Proof Tips for Final Exams

Byblondebossbabe | On November 15,16 | 0 Comment

Hey you, procrastinating again? Feeling overwhelmed? Look, I get it and this is the ultimate judgment-free zone for students. When it’s final exam season or even midterm season, the ish gets serious and the stress is REAL. Here are 7 tried and true favorite tips that help keep focus and sanity in check:

1. Limit the Distractions

I know this one seems obvious and you are probably thinking this won’t be anything new, BUT if you have the TV on, a show playing on your iPad, music coming from your phone, and this blog/Amazon/etc. open in extra tabs, how much of your focus is really centered on what you are needing to study? Probably not much! This also means if you aren’t good at working in groups (i.e. you end up talking about what happened on last night’s episode on Bravo) try your best to go to a cubicle instead. It stinks, I know. Here’s how to make it better though: Separate 30 minutes during your study session to check your Instagram notifications, scroll through Facebook, visit with your friends in the library, whatever! Just get back to it as soon as that time is up. It will help you feel refreshed and still somewhat connected to the outside world.

2. Dress Well | Test Well

My personal favorite, and y’all, I cannot stress this one enough. Whenever I am studying or getting ready to take an exam all I want to do is wear sweats. Here’s the thing though, there’s something about actually going through the motions of getting ready and putting together a semi-decent outfit that not only boosts my confidence to be in the general public sphere but also wakes me up for the day. I can focus so much better when I feel good about what I’m wearing. Keep it comfortable, keep it simple, but try your best to stay away from the sweats if you can help it, otherwise you’ll just want to nap even more than you already do.

3. Keep It Consistent

Whatever your routine is, keep it consistent. This applies to more than just not cramming the night before. Is there a certain hairband or scent that you like to use when you’re studying? A small hard candy or mint? Personally, I love to wear Ugg slippers when I study, super random – probs even a bit weird, but they are amazingly cozy and that’s all that matters to me. Get in your groove and pattern of what you like to do and stick with it. That will help train your brain to focus when you are sitting down to hit the books.

4. Figure Out Your Mode

How is it that you best learn? Auditory/Visual/Interactive? Find out ASAP if you don’t already know, and spend the majority of your study time using that method. Supplement with the other forms. For instance, if you are visual, work on your charts, or note taking, then after you feel comfortable, try to discuss the concept with a friend in the same class. (As long as it’s allowed of course, don’t do anything against your respective school’s honor code.)

5. Sleep

Also crucial to not only your mental and physical health, but to your understanding and ability to concentrate. Start studying early enough to allow yourself to get sufficient rest. Complete the work first then play, not vice versa. Sleep should be just as important as eating and breathing, don’t skimp on it, especially the night before a major exam.

6. Eat Well

Speaking of food, what you eat fuels your body and your brain. As tempting as it is to snag the pizza or snack on chips and candy on those later nights, try your best to resist. A balanced diet will not only help you sleep better, but will vastly improve how you feel when you are preparing for big exams. Grab the water before the energy drink, and you’ll be surprised as to how much more helpful that is in improving your study session.

7. Know The Expectations

Last but certainly not least, know your professor’s expectations. Never assume. Ask for feedback, ask for assistance, ask for examples of past exams, JUST ASK. This will vastly decrease your study time, making it more efficient and more effective. It will prepare you exceptionally well for your final, and very likely build a solid rapport between you and your professor. A relationship like that can be helpful in more ways than just getting you a decent grade in the course. Do you see yourself in a career involving this subject matter longterm? Are you going to be applying to a graduate program following graduation? Well, recommendations from valued professors are not a given, however, they are much more likely to happen when you’ve consistently shown dedication and personal motivation for excelling in his or her course. Not interested in the subject longterm? Still apply this and you’ll have no worries. Roll into that exam like a champ because let’s be real; you’re ready.

Post, Pin, Share:

Blog, Home Decor, Moving, The Home

Home Office Sneak Peek

Byblondebossbabe | On September 29,16 | 0 Comment

Oh my gosh, we are so excited to finally be in our new home – it’s unreal. J is over the moon about the land, whereas I am on cloud nine now thanks to my new home office. In some of my previous posts I mention the sunroom in our old condo a lot. It had a great amount of natural light which made it perfect for studying. However, it was completely open to the living room, meaning no noise separation and no ability to “put away” AKA hide my papers/binders/etc. whenever company would arrive. So, when we began looking for potential properties, a space that could be converted into a home office was at the absolute top of my list.

I’ll be sharing more as everything gets unpacked and set up, but here’s a brief sneak peek of my new home office:

Looking forward to sharing more soon!

**UPDATE: For more recent office views & links to featured items check out: Spring 2017 Home Office Tour & January 2017 Office Preview

Post, Pin, Share:

Blog, Marriage, Weddings

7 Essential Wedding Planning Tips

wedding planning

You’re engaged! Congratulations! It’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life, right? Oh I know what you’re thinking… If by happiest do I mean the most stressful? Hmm, maybe 🙂 But I hope not! Remember these seven easy tips and kick all that extra stress to the curb!

1. Let’s begin! First and foremost, this is not your day.

Eek, yes, you did just read that, but hear me out…Although you have been told your entire life by the media, scary reality shows zoomed in on insane brides, and every wedding advertiser on the planet that this is your day and only yours, it simply isn’t. Weddings are about much more than the bride’s favorite flowers – they’re a celebration of a major covenant made between two people which is supported AND shared by their friends and family. Honor those other people too and don’t use this time in your life as an excuse to steamroll over every other family member or friend simply because it’s “your day.” Now, if there is a random or small detail that is actually very important to you, be honest and go for it. Just don’t hurt your relationships in the process.

2. The wedding day is exactly that, just a day.

I was told time and time again in the days leading up to our wedding to expect at least one thing to go wrong on that day. It seems like a negative-nancy perspective to have, but ironically it brought so much freedom to how I felt waking up that morning. I chipped my french manicure on my ring finger (the only one that matters for photographs) about ten minutes after waking up, and I died laughing. If that was the worst thing that was going to happen to me that day, I was totally cool with it. The thing is, the wedding day is just a day. An awesome day, but it’s the marriage itself that matters the most.

3. Practice your hair. Practice your makeup. AND have a backup.

Whether you’re doing your own makeup/hair, or someone else is, practice! Take pictures, see what it looks like with the dress and the veil. If you are trying out different looks with a makeup artist or hair stylist, be honest about what you are comfortable with and what you aren’t. Also, if you are not doing your own hair and makeup, have a backup plan should your stylist/artist be unavailable the day of. Life happens, and people unfortunately get sick at the worst times, so avoid the potential breakdown and have a backup on call should the need arise! (Click here to find out why I chose to do my own.)

4. Give everyone in the bridal party the SPECIFIC times/places you want them to be, multiple times and in multiple formats.

Our bridal party was awesome when it came to listening and knowing where to be, but many of my friends have unfortunately not had the same level of luck. Send out the times over text, on Facebook, in an email, in person, through other people, whatever! As long as the times have been clearly laid out in multiple ways, there’s no reason why they won’t be able to be where they need to when they need to. However, if they aren’t, go back to Tip # 2!

5. Don’t wait to write the thank you notes.

For real. These notes add up quick, which is a major blessing, BUT if you wait, you will not be a happy camper. After each shower, event, special package arrives at your home, write those notes! After the wedding you will be so grateful to have 100 instead of 500 to write.

6. Utilize the Amazon wishlist for your registry

This is something I wish we had done in addition to the standard ones. Amazon allows you to combine multiple items from multiple sites into one wish list. Convenient, easy, and fun. Plus, you can make the purchased items hidden if you don’t want to ruin the surprise for yourself.

7. Keep all the main people coordinated: Videographer, photographer, cook, planner, director, etc.

Last but certainly not least, if you are hiring multiple people, make sure they are aware! Especially when it comes to your videographer and photographer, as they are both creative services that will to a certain extent be capturing the exact same moments. Communication is key to allow both of them to do their things without overstepping one another.

You’re going to have a beautiful day, just breathe and enjoy every moment!

SaveSave

Post, Pin, Share:

Beauty, Blog, Marriage, Weddings

Top 5 Reasons to Do Your Own Hair and Makeup for Your Wedding

Byblondebossbabe | On August 03,16 | 2 Comments

Hey y’all, welcome back! Today I decided to share why I chose to do my own hair and makeup for my wedding, because I think in the wedding bliss (and frenzy) brides can often feel pressured into overspending and making quick decisions for the sake of the day and sometimes end up with a look that is totally different than what they had imagined for themselves. Before we get started, this list is with the assumption that: A. You are confident in your abilities to create the look you want, and B. This is something would provide stress-relief, not additional anxiety.

Time for Yourself & Your Bridesmaids | No matter what your big day’s itinerary is like, time to yourself to decompress, breathe it all in, or simply just take a minute to calm the nerves, is very limited. In growing and learning more about my personality, I have found that I am an outgoing-introvert; which for me means that although I love getting to know people and going to events, extended social interactions can be very draining. Some people thrive off of others’ energy. Although I totally wish I could be, I am simply not one of those people. In knowing that, and preparing to be one of the main focuses of over three-hundred peoples’ attentions, I had to stay super chill the morning of our 3 p.m. wedding. I did my makeup alone at my house before joining my bridesmaids at our church to finish my hair. It was such a fun way to kick off a day full of celebrations with the people I love the most. Reflecting back on how relaxing it was to go through this routine and truly soak in the start of the day, I am so glad I chose to do my own hair and makeup.
One Less Person to Coordinate | As I mentioned in this post, unforeseen things do come up, and unfortunately people seem to always get sick or lost at the worst times. Between coordinating the wedding party, your own family, your spouse’s family, and all of the other event dealers (caterers, musicians, dj, photographer, etc.) there are already quite a lot of variables at play. Hair and makeup is such an easy one to take out of the mix.
No One Else Knows You Better | Before I decided to do my own, I was adamant about having someone else do it and take what I thought would be a stressful factor off of me. My mom and I went to four different hair salons (a lot, I know..), and tested out two makeup artists. Even with sharing pictures beforehand, the look I had pictured wasn’t happening, and the style would become limp and fall within the following hour. No one knows your hair or your vision of what you want it to look like better than you do. If, after testing it out a few times, you still aren’t seeing what you’re trying to describe, take an hour or so out of your afternoon one day and see what you can do. You very well might surprise yourself.
Big Budget Saver | Aside from the costs of the day-of services, trial runs can be pretty pricey too. For the majority of the salons I tried out, the bridal trial run fee was between $55 and $75. If the outcome isn’t what you’re picturing and you keep attempting it with other stylists, those initial fees can add up surprisingly fast, and you haven’t even gotten to the big day yet.
Flexibility | Since the trial run fees can get pretty steep, most brides end up only having that one session with their artists before the wedding. But what if you change your mind a few weeks before, or even that morning? Of course, stylists and artists can adjust, but the possibility of a last minute change of mind that they haven’t had the chance to do with you reopens the potential issue in Reason #3. Whereas if you’re doing your own, the complications from changes are minimized. Not feeling the shimmery eye you’ve been doing, and want to go for a light smokey instead? Do it girl. Want to wear your hair down instead of up? No biggie, you’ve practiced other options, and you know what works for you.

No matter what you choose to do, be confident in your decision and know you are beautiful inside and out!

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

Post, Pin, Share: