Keeping it Neat: Spruce Up Your Dorm Room (aka Midterm Cleanup)

It's gotten to that time of the term where my dorm room feels a little blah. Now, things look a little bit messy and something simply must be done. 

Here are tips for cleaning up your room midway through the term, as well as a few fun things you can purchase to spruce up your space:

Closet and Dresser

Go through your clothes and make sure everything is hung and folded properly. Don't create extra work (ironing/rewashing) for yourself by not taking care of your clothes. Also, go through your shoes with some shoe polish and rub off any scuff marks. To do this, first use a dry paper towel to buff off mud, then use a soapy washcloth to wash off what's remaining. After the shoes dry, go back in with polish for added shine.

Desk

Make sure you have enough pens/pencils/paper/note cards to last you through the end of the term. Organize old assignments using file folders or in a specified drawer. Reorganize your bookshelves and clear off counter space so you have more room to work. Then wipe everything down with antibacterial wipes or some 409 and a paper towel to kill any germs.

Pantry and Mini Fridge

Empty out your mini fridge and pantry completely. Check all expiration dates and look for anything that has been left open and is going stale. Then wipe down your fridge and anywhere else food is kept with antibacterial wipes or 409 and a paper towel. Now, put everything back and take out the trash!

Laundry

Three words: wash. your. sheets. You should be doing this every week (or every other week if you're not as on it), but if you haven't been keeping up with clean bedding, now is the time to start fresh. Plus, your skin may start to look better as dirty pillowcases often cause breakouts.

Shower Caddy and Beauty Products

Reorganize your shower products. Take an inventory of what you have and what you need. Then, organize your beauty/hair products. Make sure to clean your make up brushes and wipe down your make up (everything should be sterilized!).

If you want to get some fun accents to liven up your room, here are some suggestions:

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

When You Need to Get Things Done

I've spend Monday-Wednesday this week in total denial of my ever-growing to do list. Filled with errands and long term assignments, I've realized that today is going to be a little bit of a work marathon. For me, this ends up working really well. The first week and a half of class I haven't had a ton to do, which has been a little bit boring. I work really well under pressure- I love having deadlines and meetings and a schedule packed full of things I'm excited about. Today is one of those days.

Here's how to get it all done:

via Design, Eat, Repeat

Empty your brain

Write everything you can think of on paper in no particular order. Make a column for appointments (with times next to them), one for errands, one for emails/phone calls and one for homework. 

Prioritize

What do you seriously need to get done? Put a star next to these items. You can't always do everything, but make sure you get the most important things done.

Make a schedule

On another sheet of paper, list appointments by time, and leave room in between where you can schedule in errands or work. I simply write "run errands" or "do homework" without being too specific about what exactly I'll be doing. I then make a second column with the tasks I need to complete. I then cross out items as I complete them.

Leave time for meals

A big mistake I used to make during my "work marathons" is forgetting to factor in mealtime. It is not healthy to eat every meal while you work or to skip meals- you'll crash much sooner than if you had taken even a 20 minute break to have something to eat to fuel your brain (and no, coffee is not a meal). Try to schedule a meal with someone else so you force yourself to get up from work.

Take breaks and drink water

I take a lot of quick email or Refinery 29 breaks where I mindlessly check out interesting articles or reply to new messages. However, getting up and walking around even for 5 minutes makes a huge difference. Drink lots of water too to keep your mind sharp. 

Find a work buddy

I work really well when there are other people around me who are getting things done- it's kind of inspiring! Call your best friend, your class mate or your boyfriend (hello you're sitting across from me) and get to work. To hold each other accountable and not get too distracted, set designated times where you can hang out and be totally unproductive (like getting dinner together, again hello bf).

Tackle emails

This might just be me, but sometimes when I need to get a start on being productive, I respond to all of my emails. Getting just something done makes my to do list seem way more manageable.

Turn up the music

Listen to some upbeat music every time you feel like you're losing focus. This works best when you're doing little tasks rather than say, reading or writing. Sometimes slower jams can put you to sleep.

It's almost Friday! Hooray!

xoxo

Feel More Organized Right Now

For those of you who read my New Year's resolutions post, you'll remember that January was my organizational month. For the most part, I have been much more organized (the boyfriend agrees) but I have not posted very much about it on here.

For me, organization is really a state of mind. I know there will never be a point where I have everything together, but sometimes I can have a lot of things together. And when I start small, I am encouraged to get bigger things in order.

Here are 10 things you can do right now to kickstart your organization:

1. Clean out your bag

Take everything out of your bag and make sure nothing is left inside (even random gum wrappers/dust particles). Then wipe down the outside- if it isn't cloth- with a warm paper towel and some gentle soap. Then fill it only with the things you need.

2. Do laundry

Drop off your clothes at the dry cleaners, run a load of wash or just get everything into a hamper. Keep dirty clothes out of sight is the main point. And when you get everything cleaned, put it all in it's right places on nice hangers or folded neatly.

3. Change your sheets and make your bed

A nicely made bed can make any room look 10 times cleaner. I make my bed first thing when I get up and change the sheets weekly. That way, my day is off to a relatively neat start.

4. Go through your email

Unsubscribe from websites that email you multiple times per day, delete irrelevant emails and respond to things you've been putting off. Essentially, make sure your inbox has zero notifications. This gives me serious piece of mind.

5. Clean out your desk

If you have more time, clean out your desk. Even cleaning out one drawer a day is progress. Just make sure to keep things neat by taking the extra 10 seconds to put things back where they came from.

6. Update your agenda

This is one of my favorite things to do. I write down every assignment, social event, appointment, meeting, friend's birthday, etc. in my agenda. I usually do this about once per week but sometimes more because information always seems to be coming in. Writing these events down not only helps me remember them, but also allows me to make sure I can commit to everything I want to do.

7. Sort through your make up/skincare products

I have a make up/skincare drawer that I weirdly enjoy organizing. I lay everything out neatly and then wash all of my make up brushes so things are sterile (I recommend BeautyBlender Brush and Sponge Cleanser). This also prevents bacteria from getting into my make up which makes my skin much clearer.

8. Clear floorspace

Getting things off the floor (i.e. clothes, bags, shoes) and into where they need to be is a great way to get organized fast. Taking out the trash and opening up floorspace makes a room look much bigger and cleaner. Plus, picking things up takes about 5 minutes.

9. Organize your closet

This takes some time, but nothing makes me feel more organized than cleaning out my closet. Taking everything out, trying it all on, and then rearranging it neatly makes getting dressed so much easier and more fun.

10. Actually clean

Wipe down your counters, clean the windows and dust off your lamps. Nothing feels (or looks) better than a sparkling clean environment.

Happy Friday!

xoxo

2014 Organization

Happy 2014 everyone! As January is my organization resolution month, I'm all about planning ahead before school starts up next week. Here are some of my favorite desktop calendars, list papers and personal agendas to keep organized.

Sugar Paper / Tiffany & Co.  / Mrs. John L. Strong  / Sugar Paper

Kate Spade / Sugar Paper / J.Crew x Delfonics / J.Crew x Knock Knock / Kate Spade / Sugar Paper 

 Sugar Paper / Kate Spade / Hermès / Louis Vuitton / Bon Journee

And here's an older post featuring my back to school planning tips if you're headed back to finish up a semester or start a new quarter!

xoxo

Hair Baubles: Favorite Accessories & Storage Ideas

Other than boots, my biggest fashion addiction is hair accessories. They're just so versatile. A bow, sparkly hair clip or luxe headband just pulls an outfit together. Most (all) of the hair accessories I own are metallic, sparkly or tortoise shell. And if we're being honest it's not just because they look good in my hair- they also look adorable displayed on my dresser! Here are some of my favorite hair accessories followed by display ideas:

-----Favorites-----

Hair Baubles by prosepearlspolkadots

Nordstrom Berry Bobby Pins | Forever 21 Double Bow Hair Clip | Nicole Miller Antique Bridal Hair Pin | American Apparel Small Gold Bow Hair Clip | Anthropologie Deco Accent Hair Clip | Anthropologie Velvet Paillette Headband | Juicy Couture Pave Bow Hair Tie | Tasha Bling Jaw Clip | J. Crew Grand Stone Headband | Tasha Crystal Hair Pins

-----Storage & Display Ideas-----

Happy Saturday!

xoxo

Intense Study Tips

Hey smarties! Midterm season is upon us, can you believe it? It's time to hunker down in the library with a playlist full of study tunes (I recommend Lorde and Zooey Deschanel Radio Stations on Pandora) and some detailed notes. Here are my tips for taking a little bit of stress out of midterms:

In Class

Take notes on the lecture, not on slides. Most professors post their powerpoints online, so go through these before or after class. Take notes by hand on important lecture notes without focusing on neatness/structure. After class, review the notes and type them up neatly. Studies show that reviewing right after you learn something increases long term memory. 

At Home Readings

I'm big on dividing up tasks. I divide reading into chapters and packets/handouts into sections. I read everything twice- the first time I read thoroughly, highlighting important phrases I want to come back to, jotting questions in the margin and circling things. During the second read, I only go over my highlights and 'star' the most important points. I then use 4x6 notecards (one per chapter/article) and jot down the starred points to make for easy reviewing. I come back to these before tests to see how comfortable I feel with a given reading. If I need more information, I can go back to the text and read though my markings/highlights.

Problem Sets

I always have a separate notebook where I can solve problem sets without worrying about making a mess. I write in pen so that I can't erase my work. Once I figure out how to do the problem, I write (in pencil) how I solved it on the problem sheet, usually with notes explaining my thoughts as I go along.

Get Ahead

Every Saturday, I go through all of my syllabi, write down big assignments for the coming week and figure out how I am going to tackle them. This reassures me that there will be no surprises. I write these in my planner along with any social/extra curricular activities I have planned. That way, I can make sure I have time for everything with minimal stress and as much sleep as possible. 

Studying for Midterms

Pull out the class syllabus/assignment sheet (again) and identify areas you need to focus on most for the class you have a midterm in. Then, write down a few chapters to read/problem sets to complete each day leading up to the test. Review familiar areas as you go along. The day before the test should be spent reviewing everything. 

Study Breaks

I take a break about every hour and a half or so. I make sure to walk outside/get some fresh air or have a snack for about 15-20 minutes to recharge. Study breaks are really important because they allow us to work longer and smarter. If we overload our brain with information, things get muddled and we burn out quickly.

Happy studying!

xoxo 

Keeping It Neat: Closet Organization

You know that moment in Clueless when Cher has completely emptied out her closet full of beautiful clothes and can't find anything to wear? I can relate. Every so often I find myself getting into a fashion funk. When I wear my favorite outfit (a sleeveless jumper with a polka dot chambray shirt underneath, tights, a pearl necklace and Melissa Button Frye Riding boots) weekly. Or when I opt for my favorite Kate Spade Scout Crossbody Bag every time I leave my house instead of changing things up with a bigger or brightly patterned purse. Or when I wear the same pair of metallic Sam Edelmans with every skirt I own. Fashion should never be routine. To make sure you're spicing things up, while staying true to your personal style, a closet make over is much needed. Here's what I recommend for every piece you own:

First, a few general notes: you will wear what is visible. So display it all! Also, there are some things that should be in your closet, but there are other things that can easily be folded. Ask yourself: does this wrinkle easily? If so, it belongs in your closet. Prioritize- if you have extra room after nicer pieces are hung, then add the sweatshirts, jeans and casual tops.

Now let's talk details:

• Tops: Hang these in color order or by type. For example, tanks then short sleeve then longsleeve. Personally, I organize my tops by color and they are at the most visible part of my closet.
• Blouses
• Silky tops
• Flannels
• Sweaters
• Outerwear: These can go in the back as they aren't always worn everyday (especially during summer). Hang these in order of what you wear most (for me, blazers) to what you wear least (again for me, vests).
• Vests
• Blazers
• Overcoats
• Leather
• Skirts: Hang short skirts on skirt hangers and fold maxi skirts over a coat/pant hanger. I arrange mine by color and have them on an extender rod below my tops so I can easily pair things).
• Short
• Maxi
• Dresses: Dresses should have their own area in the closet and should be divided into three sections: in-season everyday/maxi, cocktail, out-of-season everyday/maxi. Currently, I have my sundresses in "style" order (from strapless to 3/4 sleeve followed by my casual maxis, then cocktail dresses, then wintery dresses)
• Sundresses/every day dresses
• Cocktail Dresses
• Maxi dresses

If you have extra room, consider hanging your pants or even less formal tops (usually cotton type button ups). Also, for hangers, I love huggable hangers that prevent clothes from slipping off- check them out!

Happy organizing!

xoxo

Keeping it Neat: Make Up Brushes & Products

We use makeup to cover up our imperfections, right? Well what if your makeup brushes or beauty/skincare products are causing your breakouts because they're home to pore blocking bacteria? These tips will have your products squeaky clean and might even clear up your skin:

Part 1: Cleaning Brushes

I clean my brushes every day after I apply my make up. I simply use an anti-bacterial brush spray like this one from Sephora, and wipe the brush on a piece of tissue or a towel and allow the brushes to air dry. This takes about 10 seconds per brush, but doesn't get all of the bacteria off. So, once a week I deep clean my brushes (okay, sometimes more). To do this, I use three ingredients: antibacterial dish soap, olive oil (or coconut oil works too) and water. To do this yourself, pour about 2 tablespoons anti bacterial dish soap and two tablespoons of olive oil onto a dinner plate. You can mix them around if you want, but it honestly doesn't matter. Take one brush and dip it into the olive oil and dish soap. The dish soap sterilizes the brush while the oil conditions the bristles so they don't become brittle. Swirl the brush on the back of your hand or on a clean plate to loosen up the product that is on the bristles and evenly distribute the soap. Then run the brush under lukewarm water and squeeze the bristles. The water should come out a bit murky. Continue to run the brush under water and squeeze the bristles until the water comes out clear. Then dip the clean brush into the oil/soap solution and rinse one final time. Leave these laying flat to dry so water doesn't get into the handle and loosen up the glue that connects the bristles to the wood. Do this for all of your brushes and they'll be squeaky clean!

Part 2: Sanitizing Makeup & Skincare Products

You will need rubbing alcohol for this.

Sanitize your make up once per month or anytime you share it. Do not share anything that goes into a tube such as mascara or lipgloss as these cannot be sanitized.

Lipstick: Dip the bullet into the alcohol and allow to air dry. Alternatively, you can pour the alcohol into the spray bottle and spray the bullet.

Foundation/Concealor: Clean the pump or dispenser part of the product with alcohol and squeeze out a little bit to make sure you're starting with a fresh product.

Powders: Powder blushes, bronzers and eyeshadows don't usually house much bacteria. Wipe these off with some tissue but do not spray alcohol on them as it will change the texture of the product.

Tubes with applicators: While you can't really sanitize mascara or lipgloss, at least clean off the tube and the cap with a bit of alcohol. 

Part 3: Expiration

Throwing away makeup that isn't fully used up or face cream that still has a little bit inside may seem like throwing away money. It isn't worth keeping old products though- they look bad and can cause breakouts- or even worse, infections/allergic reactions. Toss anything that smells funny or has reached it's expiration date. It is helpful to write the date you first used a product in permanent marker on the container (not glamorous, I know), somewhere on the packaging. A product's expiration date is marked like this:

This means that you have 12 months to use the product from the date you opened it before it expires. Keep this in mind if you're like me and try out new products all the time- the best way to prevent waste is to use one item up completely before opening/purchasing a new one (okay, except in the case of eyeshadow).

Review of The Happiness Project & Keeping it Neat: Three Rules that Will Change Your Stress Level

First, a review:

I'm kind of cheating with this review here because I recently re-read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. One part personal narrative, one part examination of happiness, this book makes me smile and cringe all at the same time. I love this book because it is hilarious and has amazing ideas for having more fun and stressing less (tips I sometimes really need). At the end of the book I felt like Rubin and I were friends, her writing style is conversational and charming. But at the same time, this book reminds me of, well, me. Rubin starts off (and stays) a Type A perfectionist- trying to manage everything and remain in control. Her ultimate goal is perfection, which doesn't always lead to happiness. This book is a great reminder, though, that I can make little changes and let go of the little things. That finding happiness doesn't mean losing everything, just some things. This book is a really great read if you're looking to reflect.

Keeping it Neat: Three Rules

I'm big on routines. It's nice to know that there is a set time for something. However, lately I've been making an effort to give myself big chunks of free time to spend with friends and family and myself. There are three rules, partially inspired by The Happiness Project that I've followed for about a year, and I think you should follow them too:

1. Make your bed immediately when you get up: This sounds so lame, but not only does de-cluttering your room help you start your day with a de-cluttered mind, but it also "checks" one thing off your mental to do list. A task completed before brushing your teeth? Yes!

2. If it takes less than one minute, do it now: This one helps me with keeping my closet in order mostly, but I've found it applies to other things too. When I'm in a rush and am trying on outfits, I'm usually just tempted to leave a heaping pile of clothes I decided not to wear on my bed/carpet. When I started following this rule, the pile disappeared. It takes about 10 seconds to hang up a shirt or a dress. It takes about 20 seconds to throw my dirty clothes into the laundry room. These seconds add up to hours of saved time later!

3. Spend fifteen minutes- yes, set a timer- cleaning up before bed: Psychologically this is so helpful. Even if there is a lot I haven't accomplished in a day, I go to sleep knowing that tomorrow I'll start out with a clean environment. I actually set a timer to make sure I don't spend too long or too short on this. I usually tackle my bathroom counter and dressing area (where most of my messes are made) during this time, but sometimes I work on unloading the laundry.

Be happy!
xoxo

Keeping it Neat: Tech Gadgets (Phone & Computer)

Keeping your laptop and smartphone organized is extremely important in today's high-speed, high-tech world. Information should always be easy to find and access. Here are my tips for keeping all of your gadgets neat:

Part 1: iPhone/Smartphone Application Organization

My iPhone is organized on two screens. The bottom bar of both screens houses my "essential" applications: Messages, Facebook, Music and Phone Calls. The first screen has all of my "most used" apps. These include Contacts, Safari, Settings, Camera, Mail, Notes, Calendar, Reminders, Clock, Weather, Maps, Newsstand, App Store, iTunes and one app folder titled "Social" that houses the following: Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Blogger, Messenger (for Facebook inbox), Album Manager (for uploading Facebook photos on the go), Tumblr, YouTube, Pinterest, Pages (for managing this blog's Facebook page) and HootSuite. The second screen of my phone has five folders entitled Utilities, Photos, Wellness, College and Study Tools. The Utilities folder houses Voice Memos, Stocks, Compass, Calculator, Apple Store, Emoji, iBooks, Errands, Countdown, Game Center and Passbook. The Photo folder houses Photos, Videos and PicFrame (photo collage app). The Wellness folder houses Nike + iPod, my gym's application, SleepSounds, Nike Training, Sleep101, Juice and Sleepbot (notice a pattern with the sleep apps?). Finally, the College and Study tools folder house my college's applications and StudyBlue/Quizlet applications respectively.

These folders help me easily locate different applications so I am always updated with the latest information.

Part 2: Computer Folder Organization

Maybe I'm crazy or maybe I've just had too many important documents go missing, but I am especially particular about organizing my computer folders. I have four main folders on my desktop: High School, College Applications, College and Personal. In both the High School and College folders are subsets of folders, first divided by grade (i.e. Grade 12) and then term labeled with the year (i.e. 12Sem2 for 2012 Semester 2). In each term folder are folders for each class (i.e. AP Lit). The documents for the particular class go in that folder (sometimes I even create subfolders for large assignments i.e. "Final Portfolio"). So to recap I would click High School --> Grade 12 --> 12Sem2 --> AP Lit --> Final Portfolio. The Personal folder houses a Photos, Blog, Projects, and Miscellaneous folders. The College Applications folder is filled with one folder per university I applied to and folders within that for each supplemental essay I wrote. Example: College Applications --> Random University --> Essay: Who Are You? When editing any kind of essay, I save every draft as a new document (as well as tracking changes) to ensure that no changes are lost in case I want to go back for inspiration.

Hopefully these tips for organizing your gadgets help keep things neat!

xoxo

Introducing "Keep It Neat" & Writing Space Organization

Part 1: Introducing 'Keep It Neat'

So I'm a little (okay, a lot) crazy. Cleaning and organizing makes me happy. I love when my closet is in order, my bed is made, and my desk is free from clutter. Organizing is therapeutic for me- like getting rid of physical clutter gets rid of emotional/mental clutter and increases my productivity. Over the years, I've learned some useful tips for keeping everything neat, and will share them with you through this series of posts. Enjoy!

Part 2: Keeping Your Writing Space Neat

I love my desk. Having a designated space to read, study and write helps me get into the academic zone. To keep your writing space clutter free, I recommend purchasing a hutch with cubbies to store your most used items so they are easily accessible while you work. In my cubbies are a clock (so I'm always on time), wireless iPod speakers (so I can rock out while I work), my Kate Spade stationary (because handwritten cards are so important), current and favorite reading material (for inspiration), pencils/pens/scissors in a pencil cup, and my favorite Tocca candle (in Cleopatra). I keep my laptop and Kate Spade agenda on top of my desk so that I can check my schedule and to do lists. In my one (and only) drawer, other essentials are organized and easy to reach. I guess a recurring theme here is that I really only have things I use at my desk. I've found that the phrase 'out of sight, out of mind' applies here- if my supplies aren't clearly displayed, I won't use them. So, I suggest going through your supplies at your desk and arranging them so that each item has an assigned place. This way it will be easy to locate things and then put them away quickly after usage.

My Writing Desk

 My Drawer

Some Desk Accessories

Pencil mug and UChic: The College Girl's Guide to Everything

Jane Austen's Emma, Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice as well as my current read Brideshead Revisited, a book about blogging and my iPad in its Kate Spade case

My Favorite Kate Spade stationary

Hope you enjoy your organizing!

xoxo

Supplies to Keep Organized

Supplies to Keep Organized by prosepearlspolkadots featuring a tory burch makeup bag