Finals can be a time of high stress for just about every student, even in high school i remember finals week being jam packed. With one term of college under my belt i put together a little study tips list that i use to stay on track!

College Aged Readers: Feel free to comment any tips you have for finals week in the comments section below! I always love to hear what others do to tackle studying so i can add them to my list : )

1. Find a favorite place to study outside where you live.

I say this because I feel like even though i get most of my work done in my teeny tiny dorm "office". When test taking time rolls around, its best to limit distractions. Since everything is at my desk, it's so easy to answer emails instead of reviewing material like i should. Find a favorite study nook or head to the library to prepare for tests and work on projects. By limiting your distractions you become more efficient, taking what would be a 3 hour study session and making it an hour or less. Whats leftover is more free time for you!

2. Study in a group. 

One of the most cliché study tips, until you get to college and realize how true it really is. Sharing knowledge with fellow students is oh so beneficial! Even if its just a group of two, 2 minds are always better than one.

3. Bring snacks to keep you going.

Personally, i need coffee, baby carrots and a luna bar to keep me going. If your going to study for a long time, you will need fuel bottom line. And if your studying for over 2 hours sometimes a sandwich or meal is necessary. Try to select foods that will sustain you for your study session. Empty foods like chips, soda, and candy only make you hungry later on, so opt for something with protein and substance. (Don't get me wrong there have been all nighters where the vending machine has been my true friend, my dining halls close early)

4. Be reasonable about the material.

You can't remember everything. So try to grasp both the main concepts of what your studying and relevant details. If the class has a study guide, use it! The teacher wouldn't put it on there unless they felt it was important. But trying to capture and store every little detail will make you crazy. Don't do this to yourself!

5. Keep all your essentials in one bag/backpack.

Nothing is worse than going somewhere to study, only to have to turn around and pack up because you  forgot something essential. Chapstick, Textbooks, Planner, Highlighters. Whatever you use keep all your stuff in a carry all tote or backpack so that what you need is always at hand. My Adam Block Dee Gee tote has been my lifesaver through midterms, It holds literally everything. 

6. Stay organized in a fun way that is also functional.

Colorful school supplies and a planner are essentials for me. Keeping organized is great in general, but by having colorful supplies and fun additions i make my system more appealing to use on a daily basis. Theres no one right way to do this, so play around until you find a system you can stick with. There is an array of to do lists, planners, and calendars out there to try!

7. See the light at the end of the tunnel.

Theres always a light at the end of every term, AKA a break (Winter, Spring, Summer). Don't get discouraged if you've got a stressful few weeks, a vacation is coming! Keep Calm! Also, always make sure (even on the busiest week) to make time for what you love. Blogging, friend time, gym time, reading, Netflix. Whatever makes you happy and keeps you sane! Makes the week as painless as possible. 

Hoodie: c/o Adam Block Designs / Vest: The North Face / Flats: Tory Burch "Reva"

Jeans: Paige "Skyline Crop"/ Tote: c/o Adam Block Designs

And for my fellow Panhellenic sisters! Do your chapter a favor and snag some cozy greekwear to get your sisters through finals week! Nothing Is a better feeling in the sorority world then when new goodies arrive. One of the best things about Greek life? The awesome apparel. My Adam Block Designs Floral Hoodie has been on me at all times through this weekend i can't stop browsing the ABD website. (Hello, Frockets!) Be sure to check them out for some darling greekwear! Don't see your letters? Not a problem, They customize for your chapter! 

Stay Comfy, Study Hard. You Got This!

xo

Natalie

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One of the things I consistently struggle with is keeping things tidy. If your a little OCD like I am you know things start to unravel when things aren't where they should be. When my space gets messy I start to get a little stressed out, and given that I live in a little cube (my dorm room) this year has been testing me. I thought I would share a little mantra I use daily to keep things neat and tidy.

When running out the door, make one little cleaning fix to leave the room neater than when you got there!

This could be: 

-Hanging up a stray jacket

-Washing a dish or two

-Taking out the trash

-Making the bed

-Moving laundry along

-Picking shoes up off the floor

-Putting scattered jewelry away

-Grabbing mail to send and throwing it in your tote

-Finding a stray dish or glass

-De-cluttering a trinket tray

Or anything else you can think of that tackles the house clutter just a little. I find that this not only helps my living space stay a little cleaner, but makes me feel better when running out the door. I can't tell you how many times I've had to rush somewhere because I got caught up doing a chore. This allows me to compromise by getting a small task done but still arriving on time to where I'm headed. 

This has helped my dorm room stay tidy on a regular basis and has kept me from going on too many "cleaning sprees." And as always, Pinterest is my best help with a little inspiration!

xo

Natalie

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Ever feel like you have a closet full of clothes but have nothing to wear? This kind of thing happens to me all the time. Every morning i stand at my closet and think about all the items i should buy the next time I'm at a store to make my closet "complete". Which is completely ridiculous of me considering i can barely keep up with my laundry. Sometimes the perfect item is sitting in our closet and we don't even realize it, it just takes a second pair of eyes to find outfits we didn't notice before.

Insert my sweet friend Rachel, a girl who is brainy beyond belief and goes for classic plain pieces when shopping. She wanted a second pair of eyes to help her mix up her wardrobe into some new outfits, and i was happy to help. (who doesn't like to play with clothes!).

What was great about Rachel's already existing wardrobe is that many of her pieces were:

-Simple

-Versatile

-Classic

Rachel could add to her wardrobe:

-Fun Statement Pieces

-Color, Texture and Pattern

She also had some really fun vintage pieces handed down from her grandmother, So i tried to incorporate some of them into the outfits we picked.

Rachel is an incrediblly talented in the kitchen! I'm green with envy. To read about some of her recipes be sure to check out her blog: http://decorativedelights.blogspot.com/

Outfit 1: "Throw On In a Hurry" Casual

For this outfit rachel wanted something that she could throw on before an early class, while still looking polished and put together. When i get stuck in a similar situation i follow a pretty standard formula. Boots, Scarf, Skinnies, and a colorful top is my go to on an early morning. Rachel looks incredible in kelly green, so i grabbed a little worn long sleeve top and paired it with a leopard print scarf. Just add neutral skinnies and some boots and Ta Da! Instant Outfit! 

Outfit 2: "Still Comfy" Business Casual

Rachel recently purchased some spotted pants that she found hard to pair with things. After many combinations, it was decided that a plain teal sweater would be the perfect thing to offset the pants busy pattern. Finally some wrist candy was added to accent the color of the sweater. The final result was an outfit that is still simple and comfy enough to put on, but looks a little more presentable. 

The string bracelets rachel is wearing were provided by a PDX Prepster partner, Pura Vida Bracelets. The bracelets come in almost every color you can imagine, and are awesome as wrist candy! Use the code: MURPHY10 at checkout for a discount.

Outfit 3: Put Together Young Professional Outfit

Rachel had a necklace she rarely wore, and yet another tricky pair of pants to find an outfit for. By adding a collar under the plum colored sweater, the necklace could work without disagreeing too much with the neckline. I have been so into collared shirts under sweaters lately, there all i see on Pinterest, and add an instant "Im Prepared" vibe to any outfit.

Add black ballet flats, Done.

Outfit 4: Fun, Feminine, "Going Out Somewhere" Outfit

This was by far my favorite outfit to put together for Rachel! Rachel has quite the collection of brooches, and a lot of them end up sitting in a drawer. I thought adding the brooch to a scarf was a way to show it off without it appearing matronly. (As a true prepster i loved how this one was her initial!) I can't even put a finger on why I love this outfit so much, but I adore it none the less. 

Outfit 5: "I Have An Event" Outfit

For Rachels final look, a LBD was required. I cannot emphasize enough how essential a Little Black Dress is for going out to any event. Because its so simple you can dress it up or down depending on occasion and dress code, it serves as a great foundation for any outfit. By darkening her eye makeup a tad and adding some fun earrings, Rachel looked ready to go just about anywhere. Too bad our big plans for the night were just hanging out in the dorms just us girls!

Hair and Makeup: 

Of course...any styling session wouldn't be complete without a little help in the hair and makeup department! My beauty savvy friend Nickey spent a ton time styling rachel between outfits, i can't thank her enough, she did a stunning job! She seriously gifted with a curling iron!

Had so much fun spending an evening playing with clothes! 

xo

Natalie

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I feel like by the age of about 16, most females have acquired a never ending stash of beauty products.  At least...that's what happened to me and I'm writing this hoping I'm not the only one stricken with this problem. And I'm not talking about the nicely packaged beauty products that earn a well placed spot on your counter. I'm talking about the "under the sink" kind. The extras. The freebies. The gifts that you received and don't know what to do with. They all end up stuffed somewhere, forgotten and barely used. 

Well for me personally I don't have a sink in my little cube of a dorm, so I have a beauty bin. as the bin i use a storage ottoman from target, a great space saver in a small dorm like mine!

This morning before I left my dorm for class, I was desperate for a Chapstick. Unable to find the one in my purse from the previous night I reached in to my beauty bin and grabbed the first one that I could find. Well during class i kept smelling something off, only to realize it was my lips that we're causing this smell! My Chapstick had EXPIRED. I didn't even know chopsticks did such a thing.

After this I decided I needed to do something about letting all of these products just sit there unused, waiting to go bad. So i pulled out everything in the storage bin and after some sorting, thought of ways to use up and make the most of the beauty tools I had. 

"Woah how was all of that hiding in there!"

One of the things I found were extra perfume samples and rollerballs. Now I love perfume samples and roller balls to travel with, but it seems like I've accumulated quite a few. Yikes! 

To fix this I found a cute little container to keep the perfumes OUT where I can see them on my vanity. This way (fingers crossed) I will be able to use them up. I got the container at Anthropologie, they have the cutest home goods and can often be found on sale! I chose one of their latte bowls for 2.50$. 

Face Creams

And lip balms

And hair products. Oh My...

Since I can't keep everything out where I can see it without my vanity and desk getting very crowded I decided to make a check off list with the products expiration dates to put in the bin so I knew the time I had left to use them up. 

To do this I had to do a little research on the expiration dates of beauty products and I was a little shocked by what I found. I had been hanging on to a ton of overdue products! Here's what I found:

1. Face moisturizers and toners: 2-4 years

2. Perfume: 2-5 years

3. Lip products: 2-3 years

*put lip products in convienience spots like your car, desk, and gym bag so you always have one on hand when you need one! 

4. Eyeshadow: 1 year

5. Mascara: 2-3 months (had NO idea this expired so quickly)

6. Eyeliner: 3-4 months 

7. Hair products: 3-5 years

8. Powder foundation: 2 years

9. Blush: 2-3 years

10. Body scrubs and soap: 1-2 years 

11. Eye cream: 4 months to 1 year

12. Liquid Foundation: 6-12 months

13. Nail Polish: apparently after 2 years nail Polish goes "bad" to fix this you can put a little thinner in the bottle

What I learned: if you hang on to any beauty product for more than 5 years, TOSS IT! 

Much Love,

Namu

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This year as a freshman in college i decided that it would not only be wonderful to have my family thanksgiving dinner, but one with my friends as well.

And so Friendsgiving was born, an idea that my friend Ethan and i thought up late one night at a study party. We planned, and planned, cooked and cooked, and had a fabulous time in the company of our friends. So blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

xo, 

Natalie

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