Perfectionists

Everyone has that one friend,or is that one friend, who always wants everything to be perfect. Perfectionists are all around you, especially at school. That's why I wanted to talk about this, since we are going back to school in less than a week! Those perfectionists are extremely hard on themselves in every way, not only in grades. They don't even need a parent to punish them for a bad grade, they almost punish themselves. I know this because I am one of them. Now, when I say punish themselves, I don't mean like hurting themselves. I just mean that they get so upset and angry that they work extremely hard to pull the grade back up. Just recently, I read an article in a magazine that talked about how some perfectionists take it too far and do end up harming themselves.

    This may seem crazy to some people, but when you put that much pressure on yourself to get good grades and do well in sports or whatever else you participate in, it can really stress you out and eventually you're going to snap. That's why I think it's important that we support our friends who are like this, tell them to remember that getting a B on one quiz in Chemistry isn't going to ruin your career goals. Remind them that the world isn't going to end if they get a 93 instead of a 97. But don't tell them to just stop what they are doing. It isn't that easy for them. So just keep all of this in mind as you enter the new school year, and don't let the stress ruin you.

    Until next time...

-Yours Truly

Binder Cover Ideas!

Hey! Since school is literally a week away, I know that people are starting to pack their book bags and finish up buying school supplies. For some reason, I am like seriously OCD about my school supplies. Everything has to be perfect. So, one thing I like to do is to make homemade binder covers. No, homemade does not mean I printed them out! So I am going to post some pictures of the ones I made this year, and talk you through it. It's really not hard, but it can be very time consuming!
    Your binder cover really just depends on what you like. This year I decided to go with color coded binders, so I bought red, blue, white, and black binders. In order to make my own binder covers this year, I went through some old magazines and pulled out pages that had really cute designs on them that were either red, white, or blue (Leah, from Love Ling, made me a binder cover for my black binder). Then I went through the pages and cut out little squares of the designs and pasted them on to construction paper, which was also color coded. If all of this seems confusing, here are the pictures!

    So, when making your own binder covers, you can cut out strips of magazines and piece them together, you can do squares, or maybe triangles. The possibilities are seriously endless. I hope you liked seeing these, and email me pictures of yours if you decide to make them! Here is a link to Leah's blog page, go check it out! Love Ling Blog Until next time...

-Yours Truly

Back To School

    So it's already August, and that means it's time to start getting ready for school again. Personally, I like to wait until the very last second to start thinking about all of the homework to come. Anyways, I thought that I would give you guys a few tips on how to survive a crazy school schedule. All of this information is coming from a professional commitment juggler... me! So here are a few things I think would really help you during school:

1. A Planner That is Perfect For You
    I know this sounds really stupid and nerdy, but seriously. Go to Target or Walmart and look through all of the planners they have in stock. There are a ton to choose from, so just look at all of the different formats and sizes and find what works best for you! Personally, I like to have a lot of room to write homework and extra-curricular stuff.


2. Color Code Everything!
    We all used to do it in Elementary school, so why not bring it back? Buy highlighters and binders of the same color so that all of your supplies for each class are color coded and match what you have in your planner. This helps me visualize how much work I have for each class. Also, it allows you to quickly glance in your backpack and see what materials you are missing. It may seem childish, but it seriously works.


3. Have a Study Plan
    Everyone has their own way of studying, and before you get too deep into the tests and quizzes, make sure you have a plan. My personal plan is to look over notes and highlight the things I don't know. After that, I go through and make flash cards for all of those highlighted things. It really helps me get the material in my head. Just find the perfect method for you and stick to it!


4. Schedule Some Time for Yourself
    This is going to sound super cheesy, but you really do need to spend some time each week just resting. Allowing yourself to relax will help you stay more focused when you are completing other tasks, like homework. So just kick back and enjoy your free time!


That's all for today, and I hope you can use some of these tips to help you in this coming school year. Sorry about the giant break in posts, but hopefully I will be posting more soon! Until next time...

-Yours Truly

My Vacation

I know that I haven't posted in a while and that is because I was at the beach! Yep, I had a ton of fun, but sadly no internet connection. I'm sorry to leave you guys for so long, but I am going to tell you a little bit about my trip! I went in a giant camper with my friend and her family. It was a really nice camper and a nice campground too. The only bad thing was all of the mosquitos! I felt like I was being eaten alive the whole time. Well anyways we stayed the whole week on this adorable little island with a family friendly beach and only one grocery store. The island was small, but that made it all the more of an escape from my regular life. It was amazing to be out in the sun and enjoying the beach and all of the bike trails through our park. Anyways, I had a great time and I wish I could go back!
    On a completely separate topic I have been doing some online shopping recently! I love online shopping because it's like giving yourself a little present that is delivered to your doorstep. Last week I ordered a pair of Chaco sandals. I was out of town when they were delivered, so I was super excited for them all week. When I finally got home I rushed up to my room and found them laying on my bed. I know a lot of people think that these sandals are kinda ugly, but they really start to grow on you after a while. So now I have new sandals and a fresh tan from my beach trip. What more can a girl ask for?
    Well, this was just a little update of my life, and I hope you enjoyed! Until next time...

-Yours Truly

Good Books For The Summer

Over the Summer I know that the last thing you want to do is sit down and read. I just recently read an article that explained all about how reading can improve so many parts of your brain capacity. In turn, you become smarter overall the more you read. Here is a link to the article if you are interested: Can Reading Make You Smarter? - by Dan Hurley Anyways, in order to stay sharp for next school year you need to read a little over the summer! So this is going to be a list of books that I have recently read that I think you guys will enjoy!

1. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
    I don't know if there are any guys that are reading this, but if so this may not be the book for you. Ladies this book is great. It really pulls on your emotions, just like every other Nicholas Sparks book. I actually just finished this book last night and I love the way he builds the characters. You feel like you know so much about them that they could possibly be real! It's a great read and definitely worth your time!





2. Fallen by Lauren Kate
    I read this book a while ago, but it was so good that I read it in like 2 days. I don't remember anything major about it, I just remember loving every word! Definitely worth reading!









3. Truesight by David Stahler Jr.
    I first read this book in 7th grade for school and I loved it. I actually ended up buying my own copy and re-reading it. It's a science fiction novel about a society where everyone is born blind in order to keep the peace. But eventually the main character finds out some crazy things about his society.







4. The Giver by Lois Lowry
    There is actually a movie coming out for this book soon, so you should definitely read it before you go see it. This is another book about a dystopian society, where they see no color, they live in "family units," and they do not choose their jobs or their loved ones. Of course this is all to keep the peace, but the main character ends up learning some terrifying things about his city. It's definitely worth reading.






I hope that you try at least one of these and just remember to keep reading! Until next time...

-Yours Truly

A Productive Summer?!?

Hey guys! So I want to talk about what we are all doing this summer. I realized that summer is meant to have fun and relax, but all of my friends are going cool places. So what am I supposed to do? Well personally, I've decided to be productive. In my last blog post I mentioned that I bought a new ukulele, so this summer I plan on learning how to play it! You guys may not know this about me, but I also play the flute. In addition to ukulele practice this summer, I plan on practicing my flute a lot too. I know this all sounds boring, but your activities will be fit to you.
    This post is going out to those of you who are like me. Your friends are all going on amazing vacations and you have the whole summer to spend sitting on the couch. I just want to tell you that if you waste your entire summer doing that, you will definitely regret it. Believe me. So go find what you like to do, go look for a summer job, go make new friends, go practice your instruments. Then you can come back to school in the fall and show everyone how much amazing stuff you did this summer.
    Sorry that this is a short post, but there will be more to come, as usual. Until next time...

-Yours Truly

You Can Do Anything!

So I have a quick little story to tell you guys.
Alright, so just today I was babysitting my cute little neighbor when I noticed that she had a ukulele. I picked it up and asked her a few questions, which she answered quickly, then she showed me the DVD that came with it so that she could learn how to play. And while I was sitting there trying to tune her ukulele I decided I wanted to learn how to play it myself! The thought that I could just go buy something and learn such a cool new talent was so extremely liberating for some reason. I had some kind of epiphany. So I went home and started looking on Amazon for a good quality ukulele with a starter DVD and I found one. After bargaining with my parents, who eventually agreed to pay half of the cost, I ordered my new ukulele and it will arrive on Friday!
    Now, you must be thinking, "what does this have to do with my life?" or "why should I care about you?" Well, I'm getting to that part. It finally hit me today that if you really want something, all you have to do is put your mind to it. If you want to go learn another language, go buy a book and learn it! If you want to learn how to surf, go to the beach and try it out. And if you want to learn how to play a new instrument, you go do it. But, the things you can do doesn't have to be limited to new talents and skills, you can learn to treat others better, or use better manners. It's all up to you! So I hope this post helps you realize your potential, and inspires you to go out there and do all of those things you've wanted to do. Until next time...

-Yours Truly