How to Stay Motivated

When talking about fitness, the word motivation comes up often. "I'm just not motivated." "I need some motivation." We hear these phrases all the time. I've been there, and to be honest, I'm still there. The thing about motivation is that it is fleeting. It comes and goes as it pleases. Don't get me wrong, it can be great to get you going. Especially when you first start something new, it is easy to find motivation. As time goes on, motivation slowly fades away. If I'm trying to find motivation, I love to write in a journal, look on Pinterest, and watch Youtube videos. However, this isn't enough, and eventually this won't be as effective.



In whatever you are doing, instead of working on motivation, work on discipline. Discipline will be there when motivation isn't. Create habits. Habits are things that we automatically do; we don't have to think about them. If you are wanting to become fit and healthy, create a habit of doing so. Don't rely on motivation. When motivation is no longer there to help you through, you can rely on the habits that you have created. This applies to not only becoming fit, but anything you want to achieve. Train your discipline and you won't have to rely on motivation to get you through.

Where to Get Cheap Textbooks

Textbooks are ridiculously expensive. I'm talking in the thousands for one semester. No, really. My first semester, I paid $978 for five textbooks because I didn't know where to get them. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did, so I've compiled a list of the best websites to find your textbooks cheaper than you'll find them anywhere else.

1. Amazon- Amazon is the first place I look for my books. You can usually find used books on Amazon really cheap. You can even rent books from Amazon.
2. Chegg- On Chegg, you can save up to 90% on textbooks. You can also rent.
3. ThriftBooks- An online used bookstore. They have all genres of books, but they also have textbooks.
4. Directtextbook- Directtextbook is an online price comparison website that shows you where you can find the cheapest price for your book.
5. Half.com- An Ebay company where you can find textbooks for half price.
6. Ebay- Like Amazon, you can find used textbooks very cheap.
7. Abebooks- A website where you can find used and new books for low prices.

Although most of the time, your books will be more expensive at on-campus bookstores, make sure to check anyway. Sometimes you can rent a book there cheaper than buying one used or they can price-match. Also, if you're waiting for your book to be delivered to you after you need it, don't forget to check out your campus library.

Still stressing about how expensive college is? Check out how to save money for college students and how to make money on the side.

How to Get a Voxbox

If you're reading this right now, you may have heard of Influenster or of a voxbox. Influenster is a product discovery and reviews website. Influenster gives FREE products out to so many people who qualify, which is known as a Voxbox. Yes, this is a legitimate website. I received two free products just two weeks after I signed up. Keep reading to find out how to qualify for a voxbox.

Whether you receive a Voxbox or not depends on your social impact score and your completion of badges. Hang on and I'll explain. Your social impact score is determined by how many followers you have on social media On Influenster.com, or the Influenster app, you can access your social impact score and connect all of your social media accounts to Influenster. You can also boost your social impact score by adding an Influenster widget to your blog or inviting a friend. Some campaigns, which are opportunities to get a Voxbox, will require you to complete badges. Badges are a varying number of tasks you must complete. An example of tasks would be to write a review, create a list, or answer a question.

Now lets get into exactly what you can do to increase your chance of getting a voxbox.

1. Connect all of your social media accounts. Remember, the more followers or friends, the merrier.
2. Fit the demographics. This is something you can't really help, but some campaigns require you to take a survey to see if you would be a good fit for the product.
3. Be active on Influenster. Some things you could do would be:

• Complete badges
• Write a review
• Complete snaps
• Create a list
• Ask questions
• Answer questions

That's all, folks. The best thing you can do that will boost your impact score is having a decent-sized social media following because that's what Influenster is about: getting products out there. Good luck!

Not Flexible enough for Yoga?

      When I first heard (and saw) about yoga on the internet, I just scrolled and moved on. Want to know why? All of the poses I saw led me to believe that I wasn't flexible enough. I didn't start yoga until a couple years later, but looking back, I wish I would have started sooner. I'm sure there are a lot of people in the same boat I was in. I don't want anyone else missing out on the amazing art of yoga just because of a common misconception. No, you do not have to be flexible to do yoga. Here is why:

      First of all, most of the pictures on the internet are of people who have been practicing for years or was already flexible from other sports or activities. Do not compare yourself to anyone else, in yoga or in life. Compare your old self to your new self. Yoga is your own personal journey, so don't be down if you can't get something the first time or even the thousandth time. Yoga takes practice, just like anything else.

    Yoga poses are only a small part of yoga. Most people do not do yoga just for flexibility. There are other things you can focus on as well such as breathing. Yoga is about whatever you want it to be about. You could be doing yoga to achieve peace, lower stress, or for any other benefits. Even if you do want to focus on poses, you don't  have to get into all of the pretzel-looking ones. It's okay if you can't do basic stretches. You can always modify to fit your personal needs. Like I said earlier, yoga is your own journey, so don't be too hard on yourself if you've yet to accomplish a goal such as touching your toes.

    When I started yoga, part of the reason was that I wanted to get flexible. And guess what? I did. Looking back, not doing yoga because I wasn't flexible seems silly because yoga itself will help you gain flexibility. If you aren't flexible, yoga is EXACTLY what you should be doing. No, you may never be able to touch your toes or do the splits. So what? Yoga is about much more than flexibility. Yoga is about personal growth.

So don't be scared to go to class or do yoga at home because you're afraid you're not flexible enough. There is no such thing as "not flexible enough" in yoga.

  
     

Sparkler Photography Tutorial

I'm so excited for the 4th of July! There will be cookouts, fireworks, family, and sparkler photography. That's right. Sparkler photography. This is honestly one of my favorite shots. I wait year round to get pictures of sparklers and fireworks! One of the shots with sparklers that I like to do is a slow exposure photograph so that you can draw something out with the sparkler and it will show up like in my picture.

Here is how to take a slow exposure shot of a sparklers:

1. First of all, you'll need to put your camera in manual mode so you can control the settings.  Try out your camera  to see what works best. It's best to put your camera on a tripod for slow exposure shots so you can't see the blur.
2. Your shutter speed should be as least 5 seconds, or long enough to capture whatever you want to draw with the sparkler.
3. It is best to shoot these photos in kind of a twilight light so the person holding the sparkler is a silhouette in the background.
4. The ISO should be 100-200 so the picture is not grainy and to make the sparkler stand out.
5. Now have someone try drawing something with the sparkler! Adjust setting to personal preferences if needed.

Best Drugstore Lipsticks

      Decent drugstore lipstick can be hard to find. Most of it wears off within the first hour and just doesn't have a good formula. I have created a list of my favorite drugstore lipsticks that are almost or just as good as the high-end lipsticks in my favorites shades. These lipsticks/ lip glosses do not dry out my lips and stay on for a long time considering the price. Keep reading to see what they are.

The swatches and lipsticks are in the same order as the list from left to right

1.) "Elf Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick" in the color Movie Star ($2.00)

2.) "Wet n' Wild Silk Finish Lipstick" in the color Dark Wine ($4.99)

3.) "Elf Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick" in the color Pink Umbrellas ($2.00)  

(Note: I realize that I already mentioned this exact product in a different color, but I think this is another perfect color for summer, so I just wanted to throw it out there.)

4.) Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Mattes Lip Color in the color Touch of Spice ($5.22)

5.) Elf Matte Lip Color in the color Praline ($3.15)

Fruit Pizza Recipe

This delicious dessert is perfect for a hot summer day. It's super easy to make and perfect for any holiday!

Prep time: 30-45 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45- 60 minutes

What You'll Need:

• One package of sugar cookie dough and the ingredients needed according to the package (usually one egg and a stick of butter)
• 8 oz. package of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 container whipped cream
• Assorted fruits (I used strawberry and kiwi)

Instructions:

1. Prepare and bake sugar cookie dough according to instructions on the package. Instead of making cookies, press the dough onto the entire baking sheet. Remember to add aluminum foil and cooking spray!
2. To make your topping, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl.
3. Fold whipped cream into mixture.
4. When the sugar cookie dough you baked is completely cool, you can spread the topping throughout the sugar cookie crust.
5. Dice assorted fruits and add evenly to fruit pizza.

It's as simple as that! Enjoy your delicious dessert!

What I Eat in a Day: College Edition

It's so hard to eat healthy in college. Anyone who lives in a dorm probably knows that. My refrigerator is tiny. My freezer is less than one foot in width and length. I don't have a stove. Basically, I'm stuck with unhealthy processed food. However, I have been trying to find alternatives for the things like Ramen Noodles and Mac n' cheese that are just as easy to fix. I am showing you what I ate today in hopes that it will give you some idea as to what you can eat and still be healthy while living on campus.

Breakfast:

I have been eating 1 banana everyday for breakfast. I know a lot of people will say that is not enough, but when I eat a heavier breakfast, I feel sick for the rest of the morning. I also don't like actual breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, oatmeal, etc., so I don't have many options. Some other foods that I have tried and loved are protein bars, as well as Fiber One bars shown above.

Lunch:

Today for lunch, I made a tuna salad sandwich. I often go back and forth between tuna and chicken. It's so easy and so delicious. I just mix up canned tuna (in water) or chicken with about a tablespoon of sweet relish and Greek yogurt (instead of mayo). I either put it on a whole wheat tortilla wrap or honey wheat bread; today I chose the latter. I usually eat this with an apple, baby carrot chips and ranch dressing, or baked potato chips.

Dinner:

For dinner, I bought some pulled grilled chicken. It is already cooked, so all you have to do is zap it in the microwave. The brand in the picture does not use antibiotics or growth hormone. I usually dip the grilled chicken in some honey mustard or ranch for some flavor and I heat up some canned veggies to go with it.

Snacks:

For snacks, I usually eat Fiber One brownies shown above, or the Fiber One bar I mentioned earlier.

That's everything I ate today! If you want to me compile a list of ideas for meals in college or just more What I Ate Today blogs comment down below!

Best Drugstore Eyeshadow Palette

Here lately, I have really been wanting an eyeshadow palette with more of a pink tint. I would love love love to get the Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay, but I really wanted to try something a little less expensive. I decided to try the Wet n' Wild Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette in Nude Awakening. The price was $5.99.

Let me just say, I was pretty worried about the pigmentation. Other times that I have tried drugstore eyeshadows, I had to keep putting it on and keep putting it on, and it still would not show up. This, however, has great pigmentation. This may be my new favorite palette. Here are the swatches of each eye shadow:

The lighter colors are hard to see because of my pale arm (sorry about that). However, when put on an actual eye shadow primer and next to a darker crease color, they show up very well on the lid. I washed my arm a couple of times and took a shower, and the four darkest colors WOULD NOT come off of my arm. That's how good it stayed on. My favorite color out of the whole palette is the mauve color. That's actually why I got it. Some of the colors are matte and some are shimmery. Most of the light colors are shimmery ones, and the darker ones are matte.

Now, onto the cons of this palette.

A couple of the colors were a little too orangey for me, and they washed me out; however, this does not mean it will be like that for everyone. Here is a close up of the colors:

I can say in all honesty, that the orangey colors was the only con about this palette, but it is not a con for everyone because warm colors suit other skin tones better than mine . Overall, I really think this palette is worth looking into it. I suggest you give it a try!

DIY Terrarium (for free)

To be honest, it's kind of a funny story how I thought of this. I went to Dairy Queen for lunch and got the 5 buck lunch, which came with a sundae. What does this have to do with a terrarium? Well, when I finished my sundae, I noticed that the cup didn't have anything imprinted on it that had anything to do with DQ, so I figured it would be a great way to make a terrarium! Now, I know this actually isn't free because you obviously have to pay for the sundae, but if you want to go grab a sundae, make sure you keep the cup and it really is free!

As I mentioned, the first thing you need is a clear plastic cup, which I got from Dairy Queen.

Now, it's all up to you! You can do whatever design you want with different rocks and soil. I added some rocks in first, and then some soil, and then another layer of rocks, and another layer of soil. My biggest tip? GET CREATIVE! Smaller rocks work a lot better, so you can lay them flat and not as much dirt will fall in between the rocks. That was my first mistake, as you can probably tell, so keep that in mind!

When you're done adding the layers, you can add whatever you want to be on top! You can buy a succulent, but I just added some moss and other random plants around my yard. Baby pinecones would look good as well! This is the last step and you're done!

There is your cute little decoration FOR FREE. I hope you enjoyed the post, and have an awesome day!

16 Ways to Make Great Grades

As a college student, my main goal is to achieve great grades, and I'm sure that is your goal too. I know people have different standards for what a good grade is. C's get degrees, right? But you should always work your hardest, because that's how you'll get the best outcome. Aim for the highest grade, even if you think it's impossible.

Here are 16 tips to guarantee great grades:

1.) Go to all of your classes. Even if it seems like it's a class that you can miss, don't. It will always end up hurting you. You will either miss something important such as information for a test or you won't learn something that you could use later on. It mostly just looks good on  the student, and the professor will remember that.

2.) Get to know your professors. They will remember you, and that can help you out. Also, don't just get to know the professor in that way. Know what kind of discussions they will have. Know what kind of questions they will ask. If you take multiple tests in one class, pay attention to the types of questions they ask on the first test, and you will have an idea of what kinds of questions will be on the next test.

3.) Get involved in the class. If your class is having a discussion, make sure you are involved. You don't only learn more, but it looks good on you as well.

4.) Read the syllabus. Look at all of the assignments, and see if there are any you can get ahead on.

5.) Get organized. Use a planner or an assignment sheet to write down your assignments and readings, and when they are due. Refer back to the syllabus every now and again to make sure you didn't skip any assignments.

6.) Do NOT procrastinate. I know, basically everyone does it, but it is best if you get a head start. You'll have more time to edit papers, so you'll find more of your mistakes. And of course, you just don't want the quality of work that looks like it was turned in at 11:55 P.M. when it's due at 12:00 A.M. the same day.

7.) Listen to the professor. I know, this is a given. Make sure you pay attention to the things the professor emphasizes. There is a great possibility that it will be on the test.

8.) Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't understand something, never be afraid to ask. I know sometimes professors can be mean about it, but that's as far as it goes. It doesn't hurt your grade to ask.

9.) Study early in the semester. Start studying a little bit for each class throughout the semester. I always take and organize notes after each class, this way I don't have to cram, and I better understand the concepts.

10.) Read your chapters. I know in some classes, you don't actually have to, but if you're going to have a test or an assignment, it's always better to read than not.

11.) Find sources online. A lot of textbooks have supplemental sources that go along with your textbook. Try to find those. If you can't find those, get on Quizlet and find sets with some topics of your class, and look at those to obtain a better understanding. You can also find websites to correct your grammar for papers.

12.) Prepare strategies to deal with stress. You're going to be stressed throughout the semester. It always happens. Sometimes you have freak-outs. Find a way to manage your stress, because stress can affect how well you do in the class. Prepare strategies to help you cope with presentations and exams.

13.) Know how you study. Most people like to study in certain ways. Flashcards help me, re-writing notes might help others. Find the best way that you retain information and use it.

14.) Get in groups. This goes along with figuring out how to study, but find a few of your classmates and get together. You can review each others papers and help each other study for tests.

15.) Learn to take notes. If your professor doesn't post a powerpoint, this is especially important. There are several methods of taking notes. Learn which way works the best for you. Ask questions in your notes. Make note of things you don't understand. Make it colorful.

16.) Don't memorize. Sure, memorization can be good for tests, but sometimes not. A lot of questions on tests are hypothetical, so you will not only have to know the definition, but you will have to apply it. LEARNING instead of memorization is not only better for tests, but for a foundation for other classes.

I hope these tips help, and have a great semester!

Adding Meta Tags to Blogger

Meta tags are a great thing to have if you are a blogger. I do not know the technicalities of it, but they are used to help your blog pop up on the search engine. I tried several ways, including editing the html, but it did not work for me. I was playing around, and found a way to easily add meta tags for Blogger, so here is how you do it.

1.) Go to your Blogger dashboard.

2.) Go to settings from the dropdown box beside your blogs.

3.) Under settings, go to "search preferences."

4.) You will see where it says "Meta tags" at the top of the page. Here is what it looks like with a better description of what meta tags are:

5.) Click edit, which is right beside where it says disabled.

6.) Add a description of your blog starting with, "A blog about..." I have underlined the example in the following screenshot. Then click "Save changes."

7.) After you have clicked "Saved changes," the following screenshot is what should be showing.

You have officially added meta tags to your blogger in the easiest way possible. Have a good day, and I hope this post was informative!