Cord Organization

I hate going to charge my electronics only to discover the cord has fallen behind my desk.  Anyone who has run into this problem knows exactly what I'm talking about.  Having to squeeze my hand between the desk and wall in an attempt to steal the charger back from the dust bunny bandits is on my list of #firstworldproblems.  To save time (and unnecessary stress), I decided to try a cord organizing system using binder clips.  I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back.  Honestly, I don't know why I didn't do this sooner.  It is seriously the easiest, most useful thing ever!

Any other good desk organizing tips out there?

Happy Valentine's Eve

One of the redeeming things about February is my favorite should-be-a-national-no-school-holiday: Valentines's Day. From dozens of long-stemmed red roses to heart-shaped boxes of expensive chocolate, February 14th incites endless cliches of love and romance. Whether you have found your Prince Charming or are tired of kissing one too many frogs, Valentine's Day is an excuse to celebrate! Use Valentine's Eve to get in the loving spirit with these fun suggestions...

Ride by Lana Del Rey

Maybe it's the thought of graduating, maybe it's the cold weather, or maybe it's reading novels about the "lost generation" in modern lit.  Whatever it is, I've been feeling ...weird lately.  Hmmm, I don't know if weird is the right word; I guess a more thorough description would be "introspective".. "introverted"..  maybe even "lost."

...Or on second thought, maybe those aren't the right words either.  They have such a depressing tone to them, and that's not the image I want to portray.  I have plenty of aspiration; One may even argue that I have so much aspiration that it is impossible to fit it all into a single lifetime.  That's it! ...That's my problem: I can't decide what I want, so I want it ALL.  Hopefully you can piece together what I'm trying to say better than I can.  If not, I apologize.

Anyway, my current wanderlust state is somewhat reflective of this poem/song hybrid by Lana Del Rey.  Once you get past the ridiculously long intro, it's happy and sad at the same time with the perfect amount of conviction.

Ugh, it's getting late.  I'm going to get some sleep before I start philosophizing the true meaning of life ....or sell all my belongings so I can book a one-way ticket to Europe ;)

Motivational Monday: Be Present

SOURCE: SHRIMP AND SALAD CIRCUS

BEING PRESENT

I was browsing Pinterest (surprise, surprise) and came across this motivational quote by Jim Elliot: "Wherever you are, be all there."  It seems deceptively simple.  I mean if I'm here, how can I be somewhere else at the same time?  The true meaning behind this quote stems from a concept many of us aren't fully comfortable with (or at least I'm not)... the concept of being in the now.  Being physically engaged in a situation is much different than being mentally engaged in a situation.

FROM EXPERIENCE...

Personally, my mind constantly wanders to thoughts of the past or future.  I'm always criticizing myself for what I should have done differently or looking ahead to "once I ___, then I'll ___."  My mind has become a dumping ground of never ending to-do lists, catchy lyrics, and overly critical analyses of EVERYTHING.

THOUGHT BEHIND THE THEORY

A therapist once explained the importance of "being present." This idea really resonated with me.  She referenced me to some scholarly papers, but of course I can't find them right now.  Anyway, here are some of the benefits I can recall:

• You are able to achieve a higher level of success by more effectively accomplishing your goals
• Less depression (backwards thinking) and/or anxiety (forward looking)... translates to increased general happiness
• Recent studies show that being present helps lower your chances of developing alzheimers later in life.  Although it is a relatively new study, scientific evidence suggests that being self-aware prolongs the onset of dementia.
• You can recognize your needs better, and then more effectively address those needs (i.e. helps reduce mindless eating)

THEORY TO REALITY

So sure, being present is beneficial, but how do we put it into practice?  The answer: by consciously being aware of yourself and your surroundings.  Pshh easier said than done.  However, it's not impossible.  Every day take a few seconds to be aware of what's around you; Not just recognizing it, but engaging in it to be really aware.  Notice the feeling of the keyboard on your fingers as you type, the breeze against your skin as you walk, and the taste of your food as you eat.  As you engage your senses, you will naturally become more self-aware.  Eventually, it will become habit (or at least that's what they say....)

Now it's time for me to practice what I preach... Wish me luck!

P.S. I'm excited to announce that I've linked up with Amber from Living in the Moment for this post.  Hopefully my first link up of many!

App Spotlight: Vine

Sorry I've been M.I.A. for the past couple weeks.  Between moving into my new apartment and starting my last semester of college, I haven't had the time or energy to post.  Now that I've managed to create some form of routine, I should be back to updating regularly.

Today's post is about an iPhone app called Vine.  It's been around for a little while, but I just discovered it this morning.  Basically it's an app that let's you take and share 7-seconds of looping video.  Some people get really creative with their videos.  I've been playing around with it all day.  It is very user-friendly and makes even the most amateur of movie makers feel like the next Spielberg.  Here are some screenshots I snapped to show how easy it is to use!

   

{SEARCH HASHTAGS & PEOPLE; SHARE ON FB & TWITTER}

Not convinced yet? Download it and try it out for yourself.  The best part: it's free

Here are a couple videos I made earlier today:





Does anyone else have a Vine account?  Are you as addicted as I am?

Agenda Addiction

CONFESSION:  I have a mild addiction to organization -- more specifically, planners!  I typically go through two or three planners a semester.  Some I use simultaneously; others I use in isolation.  While going through storage I stumbled upon six different planners... yes, that's right: SIX.  All of which were used at some point during my college career.

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I always love seeing how people organize their lives.  I'm toying with the idea of dedicating a special segment of this blog to organization.  Today's post is a mini test run...  So without further ado, I would like to introduce three perpetual planners.  (P.S. a perpetual planner is one that allows you to fill in the dates as you go)

THE DAILY AGENDA

 This first planner comes to us from a place familiar to most.  That's right, Target.  Although they don't carry this particular style it anymore, you can purchase similar ones from the Russel and Hazel website.  It is a daily agenda that I used last year as a supplement to a monthly calendar.  Every morning I would transfer events to map out the day ahead.  I love being able to dedicate a whole page to one day!  I was devastated when a water bottle leaked in my pocketbook, damaging the bottom half of the pages.

THE UNCALENDAR (small)

I bought this second planner from the co-op at my school.  I typically don't believe in love at first sight, but this planner was the exception.  It is extremely versatile -- you can use it for anything you could ever imagine.  Whether you are in high school or uni, working a full time job or a staying at home, this calendar is for everyone.  You can easily tailor it to your own needs - whatever they may be!  Since I switch planners so often,  I love being able fill in the dates as I go.  The other great thing about this particular model is its size.  It is small enough to fit carry with you at all times.  They have lots of great options on the Uncalendar website

THE UNCALENDAR (large)

I loved the second planner so much that I decided to invest in the large one for my junior year!  I didn't think it was possible, but this agenda gives even more options for organization.  I used it to keep track of resolutions, assignments, and to-do lists.  I only included photos of the weekly view, but it also includes pages for monthly and yearly views.  On top of that, it provides spaces to doodle, and set/track goals!  Again, you can find this planner on the Uncalendar website.

How do you organize your activities?  Should I continue with posts like this? Yay or nay?

Bathroom {AFTER}

I'm so excited to share the pictures of the new and improved bathroom!  After a long day of painting and lots of trips to Target, Home Goods and TJ Maxx, I am proud to say: it is finally finished ...at least for now.  There is still some work that needs to be done -- i.e. replace the showers, sink and toilet-- but I'll cross that bridge another time.  Considering the time frame and budget, I would consider it a huge improvement from the old bathroom.  But why listen to me, take a look at the results and decide for yourself :)

WORK THAT WAS DONE:

• Painted the trim white and the walls a light blue/gray (Valspar's Ghost Ship).
• Replaced the medicine cabinet and old vanity lights with a new mirror and brushed nickel lights.
• Replaced the wood and gold towel bar, towel ring, and toilet paper holder with modern brushed nickel ones.
• Installed an old cabinet we had laying around to go over the toilet for extra storage
• Decorated/accented with brushed nickel toiletries, a new shower curtain, white towels, and simple artwork
• Replaced the mini-blinds with a valence curtain and shutter window treatments

{NEW LIGHTS AND A GIANT MIRROR ADDS BRIGHTNESS}

{I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE DETAILING AROUND THE MIRROR}

{NEW ROOM SPRAY SO THE ROOM ALWAYS SMELLS LIKE CLEAN COTTON}

{ORGANIZATION OF QTIPS, COTTOM BALLS, AND FLOSSERS}

{THE NEW CANVAS PAINTING THAT HANGS OVER THE TOWEL BAR}

{A LOOK AT THE NEW CABINET, WINDOW TREATMENTS AND SHOWER CURTAIN}

{A CLOSE-UP OF THE SHOWER CURTAIN I FOUND AT TJ MAXX}