Taking Care Of Your Skin In College +GIVEAWAY

One of the biggest changes I've had to make in college has been my skin care routine. Lack of sleep and healthy food really takes a toll on your body and your skin! Here are 4 tricks for making sure your skin stays healthy!

1. Take off your makeup at night. Sometimes I'll skip this step because I get in late and I'm just too tired, but the next morning I always wake up with blackheads all zits all over my face! It takes 5 minutes, so just do it!

2. Drink water...and lots of it! Whenever I stick to drinking primarily water (a good amount of it every day), I've noticed that my skin is clearer and healthier looking! Be sure to check out my Pounce on Ounces Challenge to hear more about this whole water drinking thing.

3. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! You don't have to leave the exfoliating to just your face or your feet, either! I've started using an anti-cellulite buffer from Spongelle and I absolutely love it! Taking care of your skin (and cellulite) isn't just for a more "mature" demographic. In fact, the earlier you start taking care of your skin, the better! The buffer is infused with body wash and I use it in the shower about every other day! Plus, you can get 20% off at spongelle.com with code BBLOGGER20 until October 19! I would definitely recommend giving it a try! (See the bottom of this post for giveaway details!)

4. Moisturize! This is a huge thing that most people forget to do, especially for their faces! Always pick out a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, too! Every morning I wash my face (because it always turns oily over night) and moisturize my face. I've noticed a HUGE difference since making this a part of my routine! Don't forget about moisturizing your body either! I hate putting on lotion with a passion (which is probably the reason I stay ashy), but I definitely lotion up after shaving...and I'm trying to be better about putting on lotion after every shower!

What is your college skincare routine? Do you have any other tips or tricks to having healthy skin? Share them in the comments!! Don't forget to check out this awesome giveaway for a Spongelle Anti Cellulite Buffer! Be sure to follow Spongelle on Instagram to be in the loop about even more giveaways!

*I was given a free Spongelle buffer in exchange for my review, but, as always, these opinions are 100% my own and I truly do love the product!*

Pounce on Ounces Challenge

I'm sure a lot of you have seen the Gallon Challenge on social media. I'm writing this blog post to say STOP! The common saying about drinking water is that you have to drink 8 glasses a day. This isn't necessarily true! In reality, each person has a different amount of water they should drink each day.

You should drink half of your weight in ounces of water per day!

This semester I have decided to get healthier and drink more water, plus start eating more fruits and vegetables! Drinking more water will give you clearer, healthier skin, plus reduce bloating! Don't believe me? Check out these results. Join me on my Pounce on Ounces challenge (a huge thanks to my friend Kalley for coming up with the name!) All you have to do is 1) weigh yourself, 2) divide the weight in half, 3) drink that much water per day 4) record your weekly results. For me, I have to drink 2 and a half of my Camelbak bottles per day! If you're still having trouble figuring out how much water you should be drinking per day, check out this hydration calculator. I'll be posting an update after a month, so stay tuned!! Are you going to join in on my challenge? Let me know in the comments!

Surviving Syllabus Week

Syllabus week is one of the best weeks of classes, but if I'm being totally honest, my syllabus "week" only lasts one day. This means I have less time to do all the things I would normally do during syllabus week. Here's my go to routine for surviving "syllabus week".

1. Print out your schedule and find your classes.
I like to type mine out in a weekly format so that everyday I know all the times and locations of all of my classes. Because I'm now an upperclassman and I know where all of the buildings and classes are, the second step of finding your classes isn't as important anymore. But, if you are freshman, go find your classes and map out your schedule a day or two before classes start! Trust me, you'll want to do this so you aren't running late to your first class or accidentally sit through the wrong one!

2. Look at your syllabus and books for each class.
Most professors will upload a syllabus and book list for each class on Blackboard (or whatever online program your school uses) before classes start. Some teachers will expect you to have come to class knowing exactly what is on the syllabus. I normally don't recommend buying books before classes start, but if you know it is a class where you will need the book on the first day,  go ahead and buy it! I DEFINITELY don't recommend buying books from the bookstore if you can absolutely avoid it! Chances are there is a facebook page specific to students from your school selling their old books for much cheaper than the bookstore price!

3. USE YOUR PLANNER!
If you don't already have a planner, get one!!! Most of your syllabi will have important dates like exams, homework due dates, presentation due dates, etc. Go ahead and write these in your planner. I like to color code my classes the same color as the notebook I use for the class. If I know a project isn't due for a while (like a semester long paper), I'll write countdowns in my planner to help remind me to stay on top of it so I'm not surprised when the due date comes up!

4. Get out there and have fun!
Enjoy this week where you have nothing to stress over! Most schools have events during the first week of classes to get new students adjusted to campus life and introduce them to organizations. Take advantage of these free events and have fun and meet new people! Enjoy the stress free time while it lasts ;)

How To Succeed In College

College is full of twists, turns, and surprises. In highschool, I was the student that could ace every test without ever having to study. In college, however, I got a rude awakening and I quickly became discouraged that I wasn't acing every test, essay, or exam. One problem of mine was that I never knew how to study or motivate myself. A sweet blogging friend of mine, Sara from Sara Laughed, wrote an incredible eBook, How To Succeed In College (you can order it here), and I wish it would have been available when I was a freshman. Even though I'm now a junior and I like to pretend I know everything and have it all together (plot twist - I don't!), I gained so much insight from this book and it has me so pumped for classes to start so I can implement everything that I've learned!

In How To Succeed In College you will learn how to get motivated, organize, make the most of your time, and write a college essay, as well as strategies for reading and tackling procrastination! Basically, everything that you need to know for the upcoming semester. I struggle with not being motivated (which ultimately ends in procrastination), and one of the favorite things I've take away from Sara's book is how to motivate myself and cut down on my procrastination. Sara suggested making a motivation board, and I posted a picture of mine to give you some inspiration!

I wholeheartedly believe every incoming freshman, or every college student in general, can learn something from this book! Do yourself a favor and get the semester started off on the right foot! Check out more information about How To Succeed In College here!

Backpack Essentials

So you've had a wonderful summer so far preparing for going back to school and all of the sudden you realize it's actually time to go back to school! You're totally lost on what you need for the first day of classes and are starting to panic. Aaaaand here is where my handy dandy little list comes in!! As an incoming college freshman I was so excited about moving and going through rush that the first day of classes came and I realized as I was headed to my first class that I had ZERO school supplies. Total freshman move. Ever since that little incident, I have my backpack essentials list that I check 376488 times before the first day of classes!

Backpack essentials:
Backpack- Your backpack should be sturdy and well-built...you get bonus points if it's super stylish! One of my favorite new backpacks is the Sakroots backpack! It's super easy to throw your stuff in and go if you're running late to class, has lots of room and pockets, AND even comes in super cute patterns! (And BONUS! You can get 15% off your purchase by signing up with your email on the Sakroots website!)

Planner- It's actually near impossible to survive college without a planner. Get one, love it, and never let it leave your side (or backpack). The best types of planners are those with monthly and weekly(or daily) views. This allows you to see how your month or semester is going, but still gives you room to plan out your week to the smallest detail! I've found that Sakroots planner works really well for this, plus it comes with cute stickers, a notes section, and pockets to put random things like handouts or flyers in! Another added bonus is that you can find one to match your bookbag!

Notebooks- Everyone has their own different style of how to take notes, but I prefer to have my different classes separated in single subject spiral bound notebooks.

I also like to keep lots of pens, pencils, and highlighters in my backpack at all times, and luckily my backpack also came with a matching pencil case!

One thing I love about SakRoots is that each unique pattern they use for their products represents a different charity that they donate to! So while you're looking cute with your Sakroots products, you're also helping worthwhile causes. For more information on Sakroots, click here.

SakRoots also has a "Campus Circle" ambassador program where college students all over the nation help to spread the word about Sakroots, orchestrate Sakroots sponsored events, give their personalized Sakroots promo code to classmates, and there is also the opportunity to earn college credits through this program! If you're interested, check out more information here!