Organization nation: tips and tricks.

I have always been the person that works really well under pressure.  While this is true, that doesn't mean that I am terrible at managing my time, it is actually one of my best qualities (not meaning to toot my own horn).  While I was in college, I always spent my time doing some of my most important papers, articles, assignments and other school related projects at the absolute last minute because I knew that it would come out great at the last second.  It sounds like a contradiction, but if you manage/organize yourself well enough, you should be able to work wonders in your personal "life of organization."

Step one:

Set goals for yourself.  This is so cliche and a lot of this post may seem cliche, but it really is true.  Actually, Shay Carl (one of my favorite vloggers) always says that "some of the best things in life are hidden behind the word cliche," or something of the like, and I really believe it.  Setting goals for yourself is just a fancy way of saying that you're weeding out things that are not the most important to you.  Now me saying this might seem a little bold, but it's true.  Saying this also kind of defines what kind of goals you should set.  You can set familial, financial, social, relationship, career related or any other type of goal, sky is the limit here.  When you are done setting your goals, just like magic, it will help you realize what is so important in your life.  This will in turn help you become and stay a lot more organized. 

Step two:

To get started, I think it is really important to equip yourself with everything that you will need to succeed.  This is really important.  You don't want to have an excess of things that may make you feel cluttered and disorganized though, so only give yourself tools that you will 100% use on your quest to better organize.  Also, I have found that if you do give yourself more than you need, you can actually find yourself drowning in goals that you have set for yourself, making you feel like they are unattainable.  This is the last thing that we want.  I swear by my phone calendar and my dry erase calendar at home (it's humungous and helps SOOOO much that I can see everything so well).

Step three:

Plan, plan, plan.  After you have set the goals for yourself, plan them out.  Come up with a step by step contingency about how you will achieve these goals.  This plan is absolutely 100% specific to you and your lifestyle.  Some suggestions include making a chart for yourself or starting a journal about the hardships that you endure while trying to live a more organized life.  This can be so cathartic and freeing.  While planning, make sure that you budget in time for you to rest.  You don't want to make your quest for more organization difficult or grueling because if you do, theres a bigger chance that you wont follow through.  If you feel like working a little bit at a time and then a whole lot once your goals deadline becomes nearer is a good thing, do it!  The whole point in getting goals and making a plan is making it specific to you and your needs.

Step four:

Actually follow your plan.  Sometimes you may feel the plan needs an amendment, but don't do it!  Stay true to your original founding plan because if you change it now, you'll change and maybe danger your entire path to more organization.  The plan that you originally set for yourself was the plan that you thought would work the first time and it was the best way that YOU thought you would get things done, so leave it and stick with it.  Do not fix it if it's not broken!

Step five:

Reward yourself.  I talked about this previously but it is really important if you reward yourself and let yourself know that you are doing a great job,  A lot of times we look for validation from other people in our lives and that gets us nowhere.  So, if you come to the realization that you are doing a great job succeeding in your life and plan to become more organized, treat yourself to something (even if it is time spent recreating a DIY, going for a run, cleaning the house).  If you have a list of things that you always wanted or something that you have been thinking about a lot lately, go and get it.  Like I have also previously said though, don't break the bank!  Small investments to reward yourself are great but over-indulging can be detrimental and we don't want that!

Before you know it, you will see that you are climbing the ladder of success to ultimately becoming the more organized person that you want to be.  Take a deep breath and keep setting goals for yourself.  Come up with a plan and make sure that you leave time for yourself, and reward yourself.  Positive reinforcement is always a great thing, even if you have to create it for yourself.  Good luck to you all, I know you have it in you!  If you think a calendar will make you more organized, maybe check out my DIY Dry Erase Calendar (super fun, easy and inexpensive).  If you are stressed, read up on my ways to become less stressed out.  If you need an idea of how to make an inspiration board of things that you crave so that you can reward yourself when the time comes, check out my Think of it Thursday post!  Thanks for reading everyone.  Send me a tweet and let me know if there is anything I forgot, or anything you do to stay organized in the comments below or by sending me a tweet!

Xo-Brit.

Think of it Thursday.

So there of course comes a time in life where we just sit around and think about things that we WANT, but simply cannot justify the price tag.  I mean to be honest, that happens to me on the daily.  I love shopping and I love buying things but it's not always practical.  Whats better than actually purchasing?  Thinking about things we love and want to buy, so welcome to Think of it Thursday.  I was inspired by Damsel in Dior (Jacey Duprie) to do this series because she does one called "What I want Wednesday," and I absolutely love it.

So to start, I absolutely love this purse.  The style is so practical and it's not that big.  There is a strap to carry the bag in the crook of your arm as well as over the shoulder or cross body.  The color is perfect too, remember when mint was all the rage last spring?  This year, black and white is on mega trend so this combination is great.  Kate Spade never disappoints.  

I think I have talked about this candle before, Eucalyptus Spearmint from Bath and Body Works.  This is one of my all time favorites because the scent is so relaxing.  I have a couple of back-ups at home now, but you can never have enough of a great thing! ;)

Now Revlon is not an expensive brand, it's from the drugstore!  If I was to randomly get one thing on this list today, it would probably be the Nearly Naked line from Revlon.  When it first came out, I wanted to try them and I have heard nothing but great things about the line.

The new Mac Mineralize Rich Lipsticks look so awesome.  I love the color range but the price is a little ridiculous.  I can't wait to try them out because I already love the normal lipsticks from Mac that I have a thousand of (unhealthy I know).

Look at those Steve Madden sandals.....:O.  I just LOVE them.  Just a little tip when searching for a great pair of Steve Maddens in general: Check your local DSW or the DSW website.  Sometimes, you can find the shoes you are looking for at a fraction of the cost.  Marshalls, too!

The Forever 21 embroidered dress is super adorable and great for spring and summer.  I think I'd be rocking this as a cover-up on the beach or just to relax and kick back around the house.  I can definitely see myself just laying outside wearing this dress on my back deck, lol.

I have always been a fan of patterned pants but these from J. Crew just about push the envelope and I think I am in LOVE.  Not saying that I would pair the two, but this collared eyelet tee is cute for spring.  Peach is subtle and great for someone who wants to try color and normally doesn't wear it.

I love DailyLook so much.  I first heard about it on YouTube and have found myself going back to the website a ton to see what they have paired together.  If you are looking for some fashion inspiration, this is the perfect place to go.  This look is perfect for spring.  White and a corall-y pink are spring chic.

Last but not least is this great Peter Pan collar from Forever 21.  I only have one of these in my collection but I love this one.  These collars always have the ability to amp up anything you are wearing and add a statement to something that was once considered plain.

Send me a tweet or leave something awesome in the comments!  I hope you all enjoyed this post.  I was super inspired by Damsel in Dior and I want to do these every week!  All the photo's here belong to the respective sites.   Thank you for reading.

Xoxo-Brit.

Relaxing fashion.

When I get home from work and the majority of my day is over, I want to do nothing more than sit at my computer and read blogs for the rest of the day.  I absolutely love dressing up and looking great, but  loungewear is perfection in my eyes.

I was in Forever 21 last month and I picked up this great cream colored sweater.  Now this isn't your normal cable knit sweater, the fit is loose and relaxed with an open knit, diagonal pattern.  I love the simplicity and comfort it provides for just relaxing at home with some coffee or tea on a rainy afternoon just like today.  Don't get me wrong, you can absolutely throw a denim button up underneath this sweater and wear it with jeans and boots for a shopping day with the girls, but I love it for relaxing.

To go with the sweater is a classic pear of yoga pants from Victoria's Secret Pink.  Who doesn't love them, right?  These are just so comfortable and always make me feel relaxed but not sloppy.  Sometimes when you're chilling at home you want to feel relaxed but not like a bum, and I love these pants for that reason.

On the feet are my absolutely adorable booties that I got for Christmas from Judy, I love her so much!  These are by Rocket Dog and exactly what I was looking for but couldn't seem to find, thats why I was thrilled to receive them.  The booties are so comfortable and warm.  In this case they even go with my sweater, in love!

I hope you guys liked this quick little post on fashion for relaxation.  I love feeling calm, cool and collected and this outfit is exactly what I need some days after work.  Okay, every single day after work.  What do you all wear when you get home from work?  Share it in the comments or send me a tweet!  Thank you for reading.

Xoxo-Brit.

M is for Monday.

So everyone seems to hate Monday's but recently I have been loving them.  I think I have touched on this once here before, but the reason why is since I graduated from school, I have been looking for a job.  On the week days, HR managers are more prone to look at applications while on the weekend they obviously aren't.  With that being said, there is a certain amount of gloom that comes with a Monday simply due to the fact that the weekend is so far away.

My manicure for this Monday is Cajun Shrimp by OPI.  I have been using OPI polishes lately because my nails have been feeling brittle and broken, which normally they don't.  As soon as I feel this happening, I always gravitate towards an OPI polish because the hardeners in it work wonders on my nails.  Not only this, but the polish dries extremely quickly and works alongside other measures I am taking to keep my nails growing and healthy.  Not to mention the color is absolutely adorable and I am just craving spring and summer.

My mug for Monday is full of coconut tea, it's absolutely wonderful.  Making it more wonderful?  It's in my #1 Grad mug ;).  I always drink this tea because it makes me think that im on an island somewhere when in reality I am smack dead in the middle of winter.  Well, maybe not too far away, 22 days!

Mangoes are on sale this week at Shoprite and you can bet that I stocked up.  I absolutely love them.  If you don't see a theme here, I love everything thats seen as tropical.  I don't know why but if I was asked, I could probably live in a hut on the beach somewhere.  The mango that I had today was phenomenal.  I don't know when they are supposed to be the best (the most ripe?) but the one I ate today was so fresh, naturally sweet and surprisingly easy to peel.  I normally eat my mangoes like an apple (but I peel them first of course).  Peeling them always annoys me so much though, I can't stand how long it takes, but its always worth it in the end.  The taste is so good and so healthy!  Apparently mango intake lowers cholesterol, can help clear your skin and boost your immune                   system due to antioxidants found inside, yummmm.

My music for Monday is the song "I Love It" by Icona Pop.  This song is my jam lately.  I love to run to it, sing it, share it with my friends and everything.  The song is so catchy and really funny if you listen to the words, check it out.

I hope you liked this "M is for Monday" post!  I thought about just uploading my "Manicure Monday" but I figured why not talk about things that start for M that were a part of my Monday?  Leave a comment or tweet me and let me know you read it!  Thank you for reading.

Xoxo-Brit.

Ways to relieve stress, motivate yourself and stay positive!

I have recently been doing a lot of thinking about a lot of things.  I know what you're thinking, oh boy... here she goes.  Go ahead and think that, but I know that some of these things are probably on your mind also.  I know that things can easily get stressful in anyones life, no matter where you are.  There are some things that are out of our control.  At times, we get this feeling that we can't take it anymore and that we want to give up.  Do you ever have this feeling?  Well today, I want to talk about some ways that you can briefly escape that feeling.  Sense I have been having those feelings lately, I figured I would let you know how I slip out of them and how I give myself some remedies for the blues.

Why do we tend to feel this way?

At least for me, I like to think that I can fix any problem.  I always tell myself that there is nothing that I cant handle and it's true, there isn't.  Sense in the past I have conquered everything that was thrown in my lap, I know that there isn't anything that I can't handle.  While this is valid, there are circumstances when things are out of your control.  There are mistakes that are not caused by you, but they impact you.  If this ever happens, its hard to, but you have to make sure you stop and constantly remind yourself that it isn't your fault.  If you know that you have done everything in your power to stop a mistake from happening and it happens anyway, then you should be content with yourself.  Do not let someone else's mistake, burden you... even if it impacts you.  I know this is hard to picture, but let me make it simple for you.  If it's not okay, its not the end because truly, everything is going to be okay in the end.  Take a deep breath and understand that you obviously took whatever control over the situation that was possible, and as long as you know in your heart that you gave it 100%, thats all that matters.

What are some temporary fixes?

Loving yourself is very important and I truly believe this in every way, shape and form.  Part of being able to effectively deal with problems in life and bumps in the road, is believing in the power of you.  This may sound cliche, but there are some things that can make you feel a little bit better about yourself on a daily basis; one of these things is setting goals for yourself.  By setting goals of any kind for yourself, you have something to look forward to.  Maintaining a positive attitude is possible in your life just got a little bit easier because knowing that you have a goal to accomplish, motivates you and brings you positivity daily.  If you don't think you can set a long term goal, that's fine.  Set a short term goal.  Daily goals are absolutely amazing, you can even set the goal to clean a room of your house daily or make sure you are eating at least three pieces of fruit daily, something of the like.  These goals are amazing and a morale booster for sure.  The best part about goals?  Seeing the results.  This will push you even further and encourage you to keep setting realistic goals that you can achieve.  

Pampering  yourself is another temporary fix.  Now when I say this, I don't mean "OMG!  Spa day with the girlssss!"  I know that it's not in the budget to go out and spend a ton of money on spoiling yourself, rightfully so.  With that being said, I truly believe that purchasing yourself something when you feel upset is a great idea.  This may sound a bit contradictory/controversial, but I am a 100% believer in retail therapy.  This isn't just because I love shopping, but its because introducing something new in your life gives you something to be excited about.  Set a budget for yourself and make it a small budget.  I am not saying that going out and buying expensive electronics, cars and jewelry is what you should do.  If there was a movie you wanted that came out on DVD recently, a new shirt you saw, a new set of towels for the bathroom or that new pair of headphones that you saw earlier in the week; go out and get one of them!  Let's face it, you absolutely deserve it and satisfying that craving is something that has a lot of potential to lead you in the right direction to becoming a more positive person.

Relax at home once in a while.  I am 23, I know that most kids my age are constantly out every single night hitting the clubs and bars at my home on the Jersey Shore.  Now normally I am not one to "party hardy," but I do go out every once in a while and yes, it is fun.  With that being said, staying home feels absolutely amazing.  When you are tired and feeling withdrawn from the day, there is nothing better than chilling at home.  If you like, take a bubble bath, light some candles.  I always have a candle going in my house and my favorite one for relaxation is Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Mint, absolutely phenomenal and calms your right down.  Snuggle up with a great book or a movie.  Turn on that heated blanket and have a cup of tea.  Make yourself that box of brownies that you've had in the cabinet, it's okay to have a "free day" on the weekend (or substitute it for a day that you need it during the week)!  Do an at home pedicure and repaint your nails, do your hair and makeup for no reason, dance and sing around the house, there are countless ways to let out the steam and calm yourself down.

I hope this helped with some ways to de-stress.  If you would like, I can talk more about de-stressing and making life a little bit easier.  It doesn't have to be that hard, guys.  If anyone knows about stress, it's me but the best thing to do is believe in the power of you and positive thinking because if you don't have yourself then who do you really have, right?  The only person you are ever going to have even when you're alone, is you, that's why you need to take care of yourself!  Send me a tweet and let me know what you think!

Xoxo-Brit.