Back to School: My Morning Routine

Back to school is such a hectic time, and one of my biggest struggles with going back is getting back on a normal sleep schedule. After months of long, late summer nights, shifting back to getting up early can seem like a monumental task. One of the best ways to combat this, and really just to be more organized and efficient all year, is to create and follow a routine for your morning. For me, this really cuts down the time it takes to get ready since pretty much every step is already planned out for me, and I can go from one thing to the other without having to put too much thought into it.

Here's a glimpse into my typical morning routine:

• 5:00- Wake Up
• Shower
• Throw on some cozy clothes
• Do my makeup, with my hair wrapped in a towel
• Catch up on blogs, email, youtube, etc. (usually while I'm doing my makeup...)
• Blow dry and style hair
• Eat breakfast
• Put on my outfit for the day
• Accessorize
• 6:50 Collect my phone, iPod, house key, wallet, lip product for the day, etc.
• Double check that my backpack is organized and ready for the day
• Take my lunch out of the fridge
• Make tea, coffee, etc., or grab a water bottle
• 7:15 Hop in the car and drive to school!

Of course, this routine varies depending on what time I get up and if I have any additional tasks to accomplish in the morning, but this is generally what I end up doing.

The most important thing about creating a morning routine is finding a pattern that makes the most out of your time and helps you to feel calm, prepared, and ready to start your day!

F's 18th Birthday!

You may have heard me mention my friend F before- well, Friday was her 18th birthday!

Last night was her party, and I thought I'd share with you all a little something I put together for her!

As I mentioned before, she'll be going to college next month, so I decided to put together sort of a "shower gift basket" for her to take to school including a caddy filled with all of the items she'll need.

In the caddy I put:

Shampoo and Conditioner

Cotton pads, cotton balls, and cotton swabs

Nail polish remover

Facial cleanser

Disney Princess band aids

A bar of soap

Two toothbrushes

A tube of  toothpaste

Body wash

A loofah

Toilet-seat covers (personally, my favorite item included!)

Hand sanitizer

Ibuprofen

I wrapped the caddy up in shrink wrap and tied it with navy blue grosgrain ribbon. I tied a card with a poem on it into the bow.

The poem reads:

I looked up {her school's} colors
And found that they had none
So with blue, orange, pink (even clear!)
I got to have some fun!


I loaded up a caddy
With all that you may need
From nail polish remover to toilet-seat covers
And band aids if you bleed!


I really hope you like this gift
I thought it might be useful
But although I picked out lots of products
I already know you're beautiful!


Sadly, I didn't take any pictures at the party, but the party was a really good time, and I was happy to see that F loved her gift!

Also:
I am one away from having 25 followers, so if you're reading and haven't followed yet, do it!

Have a fabulous week!

Weekend Recap/ First Followers!

Here's a little look into what I did this weekend:

Saturday morning began with a trip to the nail salon for manicures with one of my best friends- we'll call her F. Our busy schedules prevent us from being able to hang out as much as we would like (and confession: I hadn't had my nails done since December), so some girl time was definitely in order. I know it's spring, but I couldn't resist having my nails done in OPI's "No Spain, No Gain".

I liked the color so much, I bought a bottle to take home!

I had the manicurist not trim my nails- my fingers are so short I need all the length I can get!

On the way home from the nail salon, I got to witness what I consider kind of a big moment in F's life. We made a stop at the post office so that she could drop off her college deposit! She's a super talented artist and will be attending the school of her dreams this fall! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely proud of her, and I know she'll do great!

My brother, M, had to work on Easter, so my family had our Easter dinner on Saturday instead. It was a small dinner, just my family, my uncle, and my brother P's girlfriend. For pretty much every holiday celebrated at my house we have "Thanksgiving Dinner" (Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, etc.), but switch up the deserts- pie on thanksgiving, cookies on Christmas, etc. Since it was Easter we added ham to the dinner menu and had homemade cheese cake and fresh fruit for desert. It was a great dinner full of laughter and lively conversation- never a dull moment in my house! I ended the night with a little a little bit of relaxing TV- Sex and the City, Glamour's 25 Wedding Dos and Don'ts, and an adorable special about NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and his fiancee planning their wedding.

Sunday morning (aka today) was a late one. I slept in until 1 PM, and, I must say, it was quite nice. The day continued with a visit from my aunt and uncle, and just some relaxing and reading on my part. M had to work and P was out with friends, so Mom, Dad, and I ordered in Chinese for dinner. Later that night, mom and I wound down the weekend with the new Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie "Beyond the Blackboard"

The movie is based on the story of Stacey Bess, a new teacher who is assigned to run a school for homeless children, located within their shelter and literally referred to as "The School with No Name". Stacey, a wife and mother compelled to become a teacher due to her lifelong love of learning, takes on the challenge of educating these impovershed children, instilling a lifelong love of learning and a whole new sense of trust to children who would have otherwise gone without.

One reason my mom and I wanted to watch the movie is that both Emily VanCamp AND Treat Williams starred in it. Both actors used to be on The WB's Everwood, a show my mom and I were OBSESSED with, and it was sweet to see them working together again!

Also, an exciting piece of news- today I got not only my first one, but my first three followers! So, I'm giving a BIG thank you to:

Lauren

(my very first follower!)

http://www.prettylightsinthesky.blogspot.com/

Ciara

Ashley

Thanks so much girls!

P.S. Ciara's World puts a little note at the bottom of her posts whenever she gets new followers, which I think is a super cute idea, so I'm going to try and do that too!