How to Survive Finals Week

Winter is here and with it comes finals week! The most dreaded week of all those who are enrolled in higher education. Many people crash and burn when it comes to finals week so I decided to share some of my tips and tricks to doing well and staying positive during this trying week.

1. Stay Organized: It can be really easy to not know what to study next or get confused on which final is more important. I find keeping a detailed planner very helpful. First, write the date and time of each of your finals in the appropriate space. Second, plan out the days you will study for each final. If one final is going to be easier than another you can spend less time studying on that one and focus on the ones that are going to be more difficult.

2. Take Breaks: Your brain can only take in so much information at a time. If you are constantly studying and doing nothing else from sun up to sun down it is almost guaranteed that you will crash and burn. Set a timer for yourself for how long you are going to study for (I suggest no more than 1 hour straight). Then allow yourself a 10-15 minute break before you go back to studying. This way your mind will have a few minutes to rest instead of running a marathon.

3. Don't Stress: Find time each day to de-stress. Some of my favorite ways are running, taking a hot shower, actually cooking a meal, writing in my journal, yoga, or simply calling my mom to talk for a bit. It is important to find ways to relax otherwise you are at a high risk of becoming sick after your finals are over. Plus, being stressed can simply make you go crazy!!

4. Get Out of the House: Studying at home can often seem like the most convenient place to study. But it is also the place with the most amount of distractions.  Go find a quiet place in the library, your favorite book store, or even coffee shop. It is so much easier to focus when you don't have other people walking in and out or even your bed tempting you to simply crawl in.

5. Sleep: This might sound like an obvious tip but it is also probably the most important. If you stay up all night cramming and only get two or three hours of sleep, you will not do your best on your exam. It is always better to go to bed and wake up a little bit earlier to get a few last minutes of review than pulling an all-nighter. You will have more energy and your mind will retain more information. It is scientifically proven that your brain needs sleep in order to store the things you study each day.

Those are my tips for surviving finals week! I hope this has helped you in some way!

What things do you like to do during finals week?

Inspiring and Uplifting Blogs

There are so many blogs out in the world it can sometimes be hard to decide which ones to spend your time on skimming and which ones to actually read. There are just so many options out there! Everything from fashion to family to fitness to food. If you put it into Google there will be a plethora of options for you to choose from.

I decided to share with all of you some of my favorite blogs that I think are worth your time to read. They aren't beauty blogs, or food blogs...they are simply inspiring blogs. I have found that the blogs that are truly worth my time reading aren't the ones that focus on one main theme, but are the ones that share their real lives and help inspire you to be a better person.

So here are some of my favorite blogs that I believe are definitely worth the time it takes to read through them word for word.

The first blog I would recommend is by the Gardiner Sisters. This cute family of sisters shares not only their beautiful talent for singing, but also the little things that make them who they are. They share their love for family, Christ, music, delicious treats and so much more. You can really see the love that they have for each other. Their blog is full of so much dedication and insight and can really brighten your day when the clouds start to hang over your head.

Stephanie Nielson is a very well known blogger. Her story is so inspiring to anyone who has heard it. Her blog truly shows you that it doesn't matter what trials you face in life, you can always come out on top and find your happiness again. If you don't know her story click here to find out just how inspiring this woman truly is.

The third blog I would like to mention is called Something Devine. This cute little family has the amazing opportunity to travel around the world and truly make a difference. But the thing I love the most about this blog is that they show the little ways you can be happy in your own home. You don't have to travel everywhere to make things happen. They often throw little reminders of what the most important things in life truly are and how we can change to create a better world.

Last, but certainly not least, is a blog called Willivia. Will and Olivia are an adorable young couple from Utah who are always looking for new ways to have fun. They love to travel, try new foods, and spend time with their loved ones. But my favorite thing about this blog is how real Olivia is with what she posts. She writes about things she personally would like to work on, lessons that she's learned or has been learning, and her feelings about life. It really feels like she expresses the person that is inside of her.

What are your favorite blogs to read?

Have you read any of these blogs before?

I'd love to hear in the comments below!

ALL MY LOVE!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope your day was full of corn mazes, exploding pumpkins, costumes, and candy just like mine was! I can't believe that October is already gone!! Only a few more weeks and we will already be into Thanksgiving... and then Christmas!!! I will miss fall as we enter into the winter months. But for now I will continue to enjoy every last minute of Autumn that I can.

(P.S. If you can't figure out my costume I was Elena Gilbert from Vampire Diaries...once she gets turned into a vampire...)

What did you do for Halloween?

What are your favorite things to do before winter comes?

Leave a comment below!!

Julep Beauty Box

For quite some time now I have been hearing about these beauty boxes that you can subscribe to and have new products to try delivered right to your door. But the only problem is that most of them are quite expensive and definitely do not fit into a college student budget. 

So...Naturally I was looking around pinterest and I happened upon a pin that said I could get a beauty box for free!! It lead me Julep. 

It is really easy to sign up and get your first box free. They give you a cool little quiz so they can pick products that they think you are more likely to use. All I had to do was pay for shipping and it was only about $3! I was super excited because I had always wanted to get a beauty box. 

I ended up getting four items in my box.

1. The Julep Lip Gloss in the color Charming

2. Fluid Eye Glider in Jet Black

3. Nail Polish in the color Tatiana

4. Nail Polish in the color Hazel 

I didn't really like the eyeliner that much. It doesn't have a lot of liquid in it. But it is really easy to apply and the tip is really fine. So if you like lighter liquid eyeliners this would be great for you! I personally prefer eyeliners that are bit heavier even if the line is really fine. 

The lip gloss I really enjoy. It is a great color and really lasts. It also acts as a slight lip plumper. The color is a really soft pink and really matches almost every skin tone. I wear it quite a lot.

My favorite things in the box were definitely the nail polishes. I am the type of person that loves nail polish but doesn't always put it on. I hate that it can take many coats and then it'll just start chipping off the very next day. But I might be changed with these polishes! One coat was all I really needed for either of these colors. But...out of habit... I put on two. And they didn't start to chip until after about two weeks instead of two days! 

Lets just say I was pretty pleased with my first beauty box. Sadly... I am going to have to cancel the subscription so I can pay for food :P! But I am glad that I got to tryout some of the products from Julep. I will most definitely be shopping from there  a bit more now.

What beauty boxes have you tried out? 

Do you know of any others that give you your first box for free?

Let me know in the comments below!

My Favorite Things of Fall

Fall has always been and probably always will be my favorite time of year. The leaves change color, the air gets crisp, and life just feels super warm and cozy! But it isn't just the weather that makes fall so wonderful. There are so many things that come with fall that just add so much enjoyment to life. So here are a few of my favorite things that come along with this wonderful time of  year!

Along with fall always comes my birthday! This year I turned 22 (insert Taylor Swift lyrics here). My roommates are super awesome and made me breakfast and bought me doughnuts before I had to go to class in the morning. I also went to Park City with my family to ride the Alpine Slide. If you haven't done it I highly recommend it! Especially in the fall! You get to see all the leaves changing, the weather is super nice, and smell of Autumn is wonderful.

Being a student in the fall is super fun! Sure...it means that classes start again and you have to start and you have to start studying. But it also brings a ton of fun! You get to make new friends, see old ones, and start making fun new memories. One of my favorite things are the free concerts on campus. You get to go rock out to amazing local bands and often times famous bands and forget about that essay that is due at midnight....haha! My favorite band from Utah is Foreign Figures. You should definitely check out their website and listen to their amazing songs! 

Caramel apples are always perfect for fall. My favorite is the pumpkin pie apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. If you haven't had one you should go get one after you finish reading this post!! They are simply too good to not have.

And of course...you can't forget college football! There is nothing like going to a game, eating football food, and losing your voice from yelling at the referees. 

What are your favorite things about fall? Leave them in the comments below.

Autumn Candles

September is in full swing and with that means Autumn is finally here! Autumn is definitely my most favorite time of the year. It means sweaters, leaves changing colors, hot chocolate, cozy nights by the fire and..... Bath & Body Works Candles! Sure, they have candles all year round, but my favorite scents are always the ones in their Fall line.

Their three wick candles are fabulous and burn pretty nicely and equally. But if you are like me and have a very small budget (#CollegeProblems) you can't afford to spend $22 on a candle. So I bought the mini candles for only $4.50 each!  They work just as good. 

My favorite scents would have to be Autumn and Leaves. They are simply how I would describe the aura of Fall. Leaves has a little more spicy scent to it than Autumn but is just as good! The other scents that I purchased were Sweater Weather and Pumpkin Apple. You can't have Fall without sweaters, pumpkins and apples. 

The reason I love these candles is because they can make a room feel warm and welcoming as the weather is getting colder. I like to snuggle up with a book and just the the Autumn smells fill up my room and bring in happy vibes. Pair it with a hot mug of hot chocolate and I won't be moving for the next couple of hours.

Honestly...if I could afford it I would have bought all of the scents that are in their Fall line. They are all just that good!

What are your favorite candles and Fall scents? Comment below!

A Pirate's Life For Me

This past weekend I had a super fun chance to go sailing for the first time. My friend Kyle invited me to go to Utah Lake and try our hand at sailing our own boat. I was super excited when we were the ones who ended up with the pirate sail. I just wanted to sing "Hoist the Colors" all day long.

We got to go sailing by contacting this guy names Jim Daniels. He owns the boats and rents them out for a really cheap price. There are always 2 people to a boat and he lets you go out and just figure it out. It was super fun! The only bad thing was that we kept getting stuck in the mud and would have to paddle our way back into the deeper waters. But it really was one of the funnest things I have done in a really long time.

If you are interested in going sailing you can contact Jim by email or phone at:

jwdfamily3@gmail.com

Cell/Text 801-636-1803

You can have 4-40 people in a group for sailing. 

He also gives you a really good spiritual thought about sailing and the gospel. It is super cool. He is so nice and super awesome! I would totally recommend going if you have a few hours on a Saturday morning or something!

What things do you like to do at the lake?

What makes my soul happy!

One of my favorite pass times at work to explore Pinterest. I probably have way more pins than I should...but I'll probably still pin more :P! 

But as I was perusing around today I found this lovely quote. It made me stop and think about how often I make time for the things that truly make my soul happy. Take the time to do the things that make me feel like me. 

So I thought it would be fun to share what things make my soul happy! (In no particular order).

1. Singing

2. Dancing

3. Reading

4. Writing

5. Running in the mornings

6. Being goofy with family and friends

7. The Book of Mormon

8.Cooking

9.Speaking Chinese

10. Pizza

11. Listening to music

12. Re-reading good books

13. My mom's cooking

14. Trying new things

15. Laughing

With school starting it is easy to get caught up in studies. But we also have to remember to do the things that make our souls sing! Otherwise...life is way to stressful and depressing.

What things make your soul happy?

Happy Birthday Harry!

For almost as long as I can remember Harry Potter has been a HUGE part of my family's life. We discovered the first book at a flee market in Hawaii and were instantly hooked! We waited in lines at midnight for all the books and movies (and dressed up of course). It would drive my mom crazy that all four of us needed our own books... we didn't want to have to wait for each other to finish. We would lock ourselves in our rooms and only come out for food until we had read every last page. 

In high school my twin brother and I even helped start a quidditch team, went to Harry Potter World, dressed up for the last movies and sang "Mysterious Ticking Noise" in front of the entire theatre, joined pottermore.com, and never let go of the magic.

Sure...when the last book came out it truly felt like the end of an era. But the truth is that, the magic of Harry Potter will never die. Not as long as we continue on the legacy and spread the joy that it brings to future generations. We can help others be inspired by Harry, Ron and Hermione just like we were (and still are).

Today is July 31st A.K.A. Harry Potter's (and J.K. Rowling's) birthday! So I just wanted to take this moment and say Happy Birthday Harry! Thank you for always being there and teaching me all about the wonderful Wizarding World. Thanks for being my friend.

I honestly believe that in 50 years I will still be reading these amazing books. It will probably be a requirement for my children to read them...no exceptions. Then one day I can be like Allen Rickman when my children ask "after all this time?" and answer saying, "always".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY! I will forever love you!