De-stress the stress!

Sorry for the disappearance! Working part-time and being a full-time student is a lot to handle! Now that it is mid-semester I have a pretty good load of stress upon my shoulders. So what is better to post about than how I de-stress from all the madness going on.

The biggest de-stresser in my life is having everything planned out. My planner helps me keep organized and sane. I write in all my appointment, due dates, events, homework, etc. So I always know when something is coming up and I don't forget.

 Having my room clean just give me a peace of mind. One less thing to worry about. I love being able to walk into and relax in a nice clean room.

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Taking a bath after a long day of class and work give me time to clear my mind. Although it may not look as amazing as the bath in the picture I have provided it is still a treat for your mind and body. 

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Don't forget to have fun! Take some time to hang out with your friends and family. Keeping yourself wrapped in work and school is no good for you. So get up and go out!

These are my main de-stressers. What are yours? Make sure to follow and comment! 

XOXO

Back to school: School Supply Shopping

I recently picked up some school supplies. Here is what I purchased!

1 Inch Binder:
You can't really tell that this is a binder but I picked up a regular 1 inch white binder. I inserted some scrapbook paper to make the binder pretty! Much cheaper than buying a binder that has a print and I could always change out the paper if I wanted a different look.  I purchased the binder at Target for $2.24.

Agenda:
I'm so excited I found this agenda. I'm in love with agendas. This cover is so pretty and the set up of it is what I like (enough room for all my school assignments!). Also the agenda is removable so you can put the cover on another one.  You can purchase this agenda at Target for $12.99.

5 Subject Notebook:
This semester I am take 4 classes. I was going to be taking five but I decided to drop one because I need more hours for work. I pick up this 5 subject notebook for all my class notes. I did a little DIY and stamped some hearts on the cover with gold paint.  This was purchased at Target for $7.99.

Four 1-subject Notebooks:
I like to color coordinate my classes so I got four different notebooks.
Green = Adolescent Psychology
Blue = Interpersonal Effectiveness
Red = Art Appreciation
Yellow = Brit Literature
These notebooks will be for textbook notes.
Each notebook was purchased at Target for $0.25 each!   

"Pencil Case":
I found this cosmetic case that I thought would be perfect for a pencil case. I'm always filling out my agenda so this can fit all my necessities. I purchased this at Target for $16.99. 

Sticky Notes:
I have a thing for sticky notes so I picked up these long post-it notes at target for $7.23. The small post-its were a $1 at Target and the pack of different sized sticky notes were $1 at Family Dollar.

Fine Liner Pens:
This was the most exciting purchase. I was going to purchase these other fine liner pens but I found these at Micheal's Craft Store for only $4.99 and they work really well...so I HAD to purchase an additional pack. The other ones I was planning on getting sell for around $24!

Pens:
These are my favorite pens and were only a $1 at Target!

Highlighters:
I purchased the new sharpie highlighters! These will be great while reading my textbooks! I purchased these for $4.99 but I had $1.00 off coupon.

Erasers:
I heard these were really good erasers so I decided to pick some up. They were $1.99 at Target.

I also picked up 3 packs of index cards for $0.50 each.
That's all the supplies I purchased. I did forget to pick up some binder dividers but I will eventually do so. What did you get for school?
Please follow and leave requests!
xoxo

Homework Binder

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This is not a binder that you take to school and put all your homework in. This binder is to help you with homework. So to create a homework binder you will need:

1. A 1/2 inch binder or 1 inch (I use a 1/2 inch but may need to expand)
2. Any papers that you can use to help you with homework.

Some of the papers I have in my binder are:

• My major requirement sheet (in the front pocket of the binder)
• School year calender (I put this in a sheet protector so it doesn't get ruined)
• Multiplication table
• Conversion points to percentage chart
• Roman numeral list
• Historical dates
• Study tips
• How to write a paper
• Punctuation chart
• Math formulas
• Periodic table
• Common conversion table
• Maps
• Analyzing a source
• Much more! 

Keep this binder on your desk or in your backpack. It comes in handy when your doing homework!
Watch the video I made on mine on my YouTube channel!
Homework Binder Video
Please follow and leave requests <3

How To Make Flash Cards

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There are many different type of cards you can buy. You can by the regular 3x5 or the many other sizes they come in. You can by some on a spiral or a ring. There are some that come with plastic dividers. Also you can choose to by them in different colors. With the range of cards there are you can come up with a perfect way to make some flash cards. Here is the way I make my flash cards:

1. Cut 3x5 index cards in half. 
2. In the upper left hand corner, on the blank side, write the subject (or name of class) of the flash cards; such as Spanish, History, Science, etc. 
3. Write the word on the blank side. I like to color code my subjects so say I have a red notebook for History then I would go over all the words for this set of flash cards in a red colored pencil. So I can now easily distinguish this set of flashcards is for history. 
4.  Write the definition of the back of the card with the lines. 
5. Get a piece of computer paper (or whatever you desire) trace one of your index cards and cut that piece out. Next write what chapter the flashcards are for and go over the words with a red colored pencil. This is what I like to call a "title card".

Things to think about when making flashcards:

• Marker may show or bleed through the index card. I stick with colored pencils.
• When reading a chapter from a textbook make a flash card for bold words, people, dates, formulas, places, and questions. 
• Try to summarize some definitions if they are long.
• Keep a rubber band around each set of flashcards.
• When using colored index cards be sure to count how many flashcards you have to make so then you will know whether you have enough of the same colored flashcards. So if you have 20 vocab words make sure you have 20 yellow cards.   

Desk Tour 2014!

Here is my desk tour!

You can find the desk here. Right now it is $109.88 but I think I got it when it was on sale. I think the company that sells these desks changed the way you assemble them. You don't really have to screw anything in which is go so that the would doesn't split. I found with my past two desks which were from the same company the wood would always split somewhere so hopefully all the furniture they sell is like this desk! I highly recommend this desk!



You can find the chair here. This chair sells for $54.83. I think it is a great deal for a comfortable chair. It was also fairly easy to assemble.



You can find the bookcase here. I've had this bookcase for maybe two years now and its about to fall apart. It sells for $35 on Walmart. But keep in mind it is not the most durable bookcase. I used to move my room around ALL THE TIME which caused the bookcase to start falling apart. So if you get this bookcase and leave it in one place its a great bookcase!



Please leave any questions or requests!

Also make sure to follow so you never miss a post!

A+ Notes!

Now that I am a sophomore in college I have found the technique that works for me so I decided to share how I write my notes.

There are many different methods to take notes and to organize them. I like to keep a 1 subject notebook for each class. I also color code my classes so it is easy to find the notebook I need. Here is an example of a how I would take notes in a notebook. I like to put a label on the notebook instead of writing on the notebook itself so for any reason I could take of the label if I needed to. I also prefer college ruled than wide ruled notebooks.

The first page of the notebook I dedicate it to a Contents page. This is were I can see what chapter notes are on what pages (this is an example that is why I only have Chapter 1). I would also write below the Chapter 1 what exam these notes will be useful for.

This the way I set up my notes. I put the chapter in the right hand corner. I put the main title at the top of the page. I then put the section tile and highlight that in yellow. Subsections are highlighted in pink. Vocab words are underlined.

At the end of the page on the right hand corner mark what page number it is. So when you are finished taking note from the chapter and you end on page 4 of your notebook you would go to your contents page and write that in. So then you would know Chapter 1 notes are on pages 1-4.

I hope this gave you some inspiration. It definitely keeps me organized and it also keeps me interested in studying since it is easy to read.

Please follow and leave request! XO

Getting Your First Job!

Here I will give you some tips to land you your first job and tips to be successful! I got my first job at my college I attend. I was a Student Clerical Assistant in the Human Resource and Pay Roll Office. It was a nice job and looks great on my resume.

1. Interview Ready!

When the job you applied for asks you to come in for an interview make sure you have an appropriate outfit. You should wear something office appropriate even if it is a fast food restaurant you are applying to. This will make you look professional. I would suggest a nice shirt that isn't revealing with a blazer and some pants or a nice dress that again isn't revealing. Before the interview print a copy of your resume and cover letter and put it in a folder to bring with you. Also make sure you have your ID and your social security card (if you have one).

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2.  Manners

Always talk politely and professionally with your future or current coworkers.

3.  Learn the Duties

Go over all the duties you have to do on day-to-day bases. Make sure to listen closely to those who are trying to teach you. When I worked in the office I asked for a sheet on how to correctly answer and use the phones. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

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4. Late or missed days

Always call your supervisor if you are going to be late or out for the day.

5. Keep a planner!

Planners are essential to being organized. Write when you are working so you never miss a day. 

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6. Resume

Don’t forget to add this job to your resume. Write the skills your gained from this job such as answering phones correctly or being detail oriented.

EOS Shaving Cream Review

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I recently ran out of my shaving cream so I used a sample of the EOS shaving cream in pomegranate raspberry. The sample came with about 2 to 3 uses of product. When I used the shaving cream I didn't notice a distinct pomegranate raspberry smell. Also I did not like the consistency of the product. It does not foam or suds up. It is more like a lotion. The things I do like about this product is that it is paraben-free with natural aloe and shea butter. Parabens have been associated with an increase of breast cancer from the estrogen like properties that parabens possess. This product says you are able to use this shaving cream wet or dry. I rarely shave dry so I have not used this product with dry legs. I have another sample of the same shaving cream in which I will test out the product with dry legs. Once I have done so I will update this post. You can purchase the full item any place that sells shaving cream. Ulta sells it for $3.99.

Ingredients: Water/Eau, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Petrolatum, Laureth?23, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Gluconolactone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Fragrance/Parfum, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Red 40 (CI 16035), Yellow 6 (CI 15985), Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional.

My Nail Kit

This is the current organization of my nail stuff. I find this way practical and organized. It is very easy to just grab my kit when I want to do my nails. I got the fabric bin from either Big Lots or Target. Lets take a look at what I have in my nail kit.

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 The first item is Shany Cosmetic's 48  Mini Bottle Nail Art Kit. I purchased this on Amazon but it is available online at Shany Cosmetics. It is $12 on sale (originally $14) on the online Shany store and it happens to be $13.95 on Amazon. I'm in love with this nail art kit. It has many different types of decals to decorate your nails. TIP: To apply the decals; place them on the nails when the top coat is still wet then when first coat is dry seal the decal with another top coat.

Here I have a glass jar full of nail files, nail clippers, and other tools. Keeping these item in this jar help from all my nail clippers and files from getting lost of the bottom of my bin. If you don't have a glass jar try using a plastic cup or a clean can.

Here are my nail dotting tools! I love the color of these...don't you?! I purchased these on Amazon for only $3.95. I have yet to use these but I'm excited to.

I have a small container for when I want to do water marbling, two different cuticle lotions, a little pumice stone with a brush on the other side (I use the brush when I smooth my nails or file them), and I have a couple buffer files. I do not know where these items were purchase sense I've had them for a few years now.

Here I have a baggie full of nail stripping stickers that I purchased on Amazon for $1.75. The other baggie has nail stickers. I'm not sure where the nail stickers came from.

Here is a container full of little gems for your nails. I purchased these on Amazon for $2.10. Some of the gems were mixed when I received this but only a few. Also it says it came with 1200 gems which I read the reviews before hand and people said there were not that many. I wasn't a huge deal for me so I purchased it. I love the size of these gems and I does come with a lot of gems as you can see. TIP: I apply these gems the same way as I do with the Shany decals. Place the gem on a wet top coat then once first coat is dry seal the gem in with another coat of top coat.

Here is my nail brush set. I purchased this set on Amazon for $2.82.

I keep some Q-tips in a small baggie in my kit so that I can clean up mistakes.

Although I don't have these in my kit I have them near by. The CVS brand 100% acetone nail polish remover is my favorite nail polish. It takes off your nail polish so fast! Some disappointments would be the price and that acetone is not good for your nails.

That is all that is in my kit. Please feel free to use this as inspiration for your own! All items were purchased by myself. All opinions are my own.
Please follow and leave a comment on what you would like to see!

Little Black Bag Haul! (Site Closed Down!)

Today I got my package in the mail!
If you don't know what Little Black Bag is keep reading!
It's a site where they have discounted designer products. There is a range of products, such as, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, candles, etc.
What you do is first pick an item you love then you checkout. Once you checkout you can reveal the 1 to 3 mystery items that were put into you bag. After checkout can swap with other Little Black Bag members with the items you have in your bag. So if you dislike one of the mystery items you got you cant trade that item with something you would rather get. You have a 6 day swap time. So your bag won't ship until 6 days OR you can ship you bag right away if you like everything in your bag. 
This is my first purchase on Little Black Bag (LBB). I though it was a fun way to shop. Although the trading can be annoying. It can be very hard to get an item you want. It's a very addicting! I was constantly checking to see if someone traded with me.
Overall I'm so happy with the items I got.
Here's a look.

 

This is the PinkCosmo Diamond and Studs Satchel. It retails for $79 but retails for $40 on LLB. I got this one through trading a purse that looks like the next purse. I absolutely love this purse.

 This is the Carlos Santana Bianca Medium Satchel. This is what I opened my bag with. It retails for $108 but retails for $50 on LLB. It's larger than anticipated but I still love it. It will go with any outfit!

 I got this set of earring put into my bag and decided not to trade them! I think they are so cute. I'm not sure what they retail for because they are no longer in stock on LLB. So Sorry!

 The last item is this cute necklace. I originally had an eyeliner but traded for this necklace. It retails for $13 but retails for $8 on LLB. I think it's a unique necklace.

Overall I am happy with all the items I got. The purses are great quality. The necklace and earrings seem decent. I payed $55.90 for everything. The total retail cost of my bag was about $200.

If you would like to check out Little Black Bag you can get 25% your first purchase! Click my referral link! Go To Little Black Bag

Whats On My Ipad Mini With Retina?

 In January I decided to purchase a iPad Mini with Retina because I am a college student and carrying my laptop around campus is very uncomfortable. I bought my iPad the Apple online website and bought the white and silver 16G iPad. I am very fortunate to have a Macbook Pro and a iPad. I purchased the iPad myself and my grandmother bought me the laptop.

 Since I have had it for a few month I can tell you my overall feelings towards it. I absolutely love it! I was scared that 16G was going to be to small but it is a good amount of space for me. There are so many amazing apps that I will show you. All the apps on my iPad I have are free!

 Here is the over view of how I set up my apps. I have 1 and a half pages. The first page is mostly the apps that come with the Ipad. On the second page I make folders for different categories.

The Bottom Apps

Here I keep the Message app. I don't really use this because I text with my phone and only people who have an iPhone can message you through this app. 

The Mail app has my shopping email and personal email so I can look at my inbox, send mail, delete mail...all that fun stuff.

I got the Gmail app for the app store because I wanted to be able to view my school emails and blog emails.

I prefer Google Chrome over Safari (which is the standard web browser for apple products). I like Chromes set up better and it seems faster.

The First Page 

Facetime: I have never used. I used Skype on my laptop because my fiance does not have any apple products.

Calendar: I used to use the calendar on my laptop but it was to much. Now that I have an iPad this is nice to travel will I am beginning to use it. I tend to only put appointments in so I don't forget!

Photos: This app is just where all your photos go.

Camera: The camera works really well but I don't take a lot of pictures with my iPad I usually use my phone.

Contacts: I have only two people in my contacts. I will eventually add more contacts so that I have them with me just in case.

Clock: I am a big nap person so I set alarms to wake me up. I also use the timer for fitness. The clock app has a world clock, alarm, stopwatch, and timer. 

Maps: I have not used this and my iPad only has internet if there is WiFi available.

Videos: This is where all your videos go.

Newsstand: I have not used this so I can't really say anything about it.

Notes: If anything comes to mind I will type it in. 

Reminders: Useful if you need to remind your self of something.

Photobooth: Has different photo affects. Fun to fool around with.

Gamecenter: This is just game stuff.

iTunes: Where you buy music, movies, and audiobooks.

App Store: Where you can get apps.

Settings: I'm sure everyone knows what this is.

TWC: I am thinking of getting another weather app. I don't really like the weather channel app. 

iPhoto: You can edit photos and make albums.

Dropbox: Just a storage site. For documents, photos, etc.

BlackBoard: My university does not have the app version for free so I have to pay in order to use this. I haven't paid for it I am still deciding whether to. 

Second Page

On this page I have many categories to keep my iPad organized. I have Education, Social, Entertainment, Shopping, Games, Fitness, and Utilities. 

myHomework: I love agendas but I'm to much of a perfectionist. So I took a break and started using this app. Its great I have all of my classes and assignments in it! I love that you can change what type of assignment it is, such as, homework, project, test, reading, etc.

Evernote: I don't use this too much but I do have some stuff on it. You can make notes on it and clip articles off websites

EDUCATION

Google Drive: This app is just like Dropbox. I use Dropbox more often but Google Drive is part of my student email so I put school documents in Google drive.
Quizlet: If you a student this is a must have! They have an online website as well. Its a website where you put in vocab words and you can study them in many different ways. It also generates tests to help you study! The downside of this app is that it does not have all of the study features that the website has.
Dictionary: Another must have for a student! Whether on your phone or on your iPad it beats carrying around a dictionary haha! I love to read and I also love looking up words I don't know (nerd status!). This app has many features. My most favorite feature is that you can have it pronounce the word.
Myscriptcalculator: This app is like magic! All you do is write with your finger or a stylus a problem and it solves it for you. Talk about math heaven!
Dictation: This app records what you say and types it out for you! So if you have a bunch of notes just use this app.
Khan Academy: This is an app that offers videos to help you in math and science.
TopNotes: If you have a stylus this app can be fun. You can hand write note on this app!
Pearson eText: My math textbook is from Pearson so I got to get it on my iPad with this app!
Turnitin: Many of my professor use this. It is a place where you download your paper and it finds any thing that could be consider plagiarism. Its a great way to see whether your paper is in good shape!
PDF Reader: Many professors make power points to use when giving a lecture. If available I will download them to this app and I can view them. I can also highlight, add text, make notes, etc.
iBooks: You can purchase books that you would that to read.
iTunes U: A very awesome app if you like school and like to learn. You can download free college courses from here! So much stuff to learn about.
Pages: The typical word document app.
Keynote: Place to make "slide shows" or power points.
Numbers: I actually have not used this yet. Tell me what you use it for?
Loan Assist: Yep...the downside of being a college student. LOANS. This app is just if I want to pay off some loans or check the status.
Bible: I'm not particularly religious but religions fascinate me. I have this app because I am taking a course on the history of Early Christianity and Judaism.
Genius Scan: It is genius! Instead of shoving big books in a copying machine just use this! You take a picture of the page and it turns it into a scanned page.

 SOCIAL

Facebook: Social media website.
Pinterest: I love Pinterest. I get a lot of inspiration from here. What you do is find pictures of things that interest you and you create different boards that have all the pictures you like. Follow me! kirstenkismet
Padgram: It is Instagram but for Ipad users. I like the set up better but you can't upload photos on it. My Instagram is Kirsten_Nichole11.
Tumblr: This is like Pinterest but it is more blog formatted. You just post a bunch of photos.
Blogger: This is if I'd like to blog on my iPad.
Linkedin: I signed up for this but not sure what to do. I might delete my account.

ENTERTAINMENT

Youtube: I watch youtube videos all the time!

Netflix: So many series I want to watch. What series are you watching?

Pandora: You can find so many playlist. I listen to the Top Hits playlist.

TV Guide: Easy way to find out whats on TV if you don't have a guide.

Goodreads: I love to reads so this is a nice website to read reviews and there is also free ebooks!

Wattpad: Very popular app. You can read free stories and also write your own!

Duolingo: A free app to learn a language! I haven't tried it out yet. Have you?

FreeBooks: Like I said I love reading. This has all the classics and more for free!

The Knot: I'm engaged so this is a wonderful app to help plan a wedding though I am not getting married for a while.
Music: I don't have any music on my iPad I just use Pandora if I want to listen to music.
HGTV Folio: I love home decor so this has many pictures that you can get some inspiration from or just enjoy.
Polyvore: I have moment were I go on this all the time then I get bored. You can create different fashion or home decor collages.
Doodle Buddy: I help out at a daycare sometimes so this app is for the kids...and occasionally me! Let your inner creativity out.
iFunny: This is just a bunch of funny photos and gifs.
Craftsy: This is where you can find different craft tutorials to try out.

SHOPPING

HauteLook: This website offers amazing sales on designer brands. Take a look!
Sephora: Makeup store. I love makeup! Anyone else?
Style.com:You can see designers new collections and videos of the run way shows.
Amazon: I love amazon. You can buy pretty much anything on there!
Vinted: It's a app where people sell there clothes and accessories.
Nomorerack: Website sells all kinds of things for a good price.
Anthropologie: I love the unique things you can find on this website.
Etsy: I LOVE handmade journals and recently just bought one on here. This website has a bunch of people who make handcrafted items, such as, jewelry, furniture, journals, clothes, etc. They also sells other items such as collectibles.
Catalog Spree: I'm a huge magazine person. In fact I have about 200 unread magazines in my room right now! Of course I love catalogs too...but they take up room! So this app is perfect for me. All types of catalogs to look at!
Rosa Clará: Is a wedding dress designer. I love looking at wedding dresses.
thredUP: A online consignment store. I'm obsessed with consignment stores. Click to go to the website!
Twice: Just like thredUP. It's another online consignment store.
Target: I love shopping at Target. That have really nice things. The 1 dollar section always gets me!
Forever21: I find so many cute things at Forever21.

GAMES

BejeweledHD: I enjoy puzzle type games. This is a nice relaxing game.
Jelly Splash: If you know the game candy crush then you will enjoy this game as well! I like this game better than candy crush.
Magic Puzzles: It's a game were you can make puzzles. It's a great relaxing game without the mess!
Skee-Ball: This is a game I sometime go too. I like the different themes.
Sonic Dash: This game is like temple run. Nice graphics too.
Magic Piano: I played this once. You tap the dots like go down your screen and it plays the song.
Sims FreePlay: I'm a big Sims fan. I play this here and there. I enjoy the computer game much more though.
VegasTowers: You build your own Vegas tower.

FITNESS

All of these are great fitness apps. They are also all free! I enjoy working out and doing yoga in my spare time.

UTILITIES 

 

Pic Stitch: This puts more than on picture together. 

Safari:This is apples standard web browser. I prefer Google Chrome as noted earlier.

Wallpaper HD: This is where I got my flower wallpaper from.

Pho.to Lab: Photo editor

PicsArt:Photo editor

Perfect365: I was playing with this last night. It is so much fun to mess around with! It is like Photoshop.

5-0 Radio: This is a radio scanner where you here the police and fire department radios. I like to listen to whats going on around in the city.

Relax M. HD: This is my favorite app on my iPad. I have a few sleep disorders and one of those would be insomnia. I decided to download this and its so magical! You can create your own soothing sounds. I enjoy "waterfall" and "thunder" together. I also enjoy that you can set a timer for how long it plays. I set it for and hour and a half. I usually fall asleep before hand!

All the apps I have either come with the iPad or are free in the app store!

Well that is all I have on my iPad mini! You can certainly see that a 16g hold quite a bit. I hope you enjoy my tour. Please feel free to recommend your favorite app! 

Please follow for more posts. Also please let me know what kind of posts you would like to see!