It is pretty obvious to any collegiette that college and middle school fashion come from entirely different worlds. In middle school, it was all about the name brands and wearing what the popular girl wore. (Shout out to you, Hollister.)

Luckily in college, everyone has gotten over this "popular" frenzy and you can create your own style.

Just for fun, I had my "fashionista" younger sister (who is in middle school), Marie, pick out my outfits for five days.

Day One: Friday - Lunch and Shopping

Out of the five, this outfit was my favorite. This outfit was for going out to lunch and shopping with a friend. It consisted of a long teal pea coat, black booties, black leggings, an oversized graphic tee, and a large purse. Normally I don't wear leggings as pants so the long coat made me feel a bit more comfortable. I wouldn't have put this together on my own however I thought it looked pretty good. 

Also, don't mind the mirror pic. There's going to be a lot of them. 

“TGIF. This outfit was picked for being on the move with friends but still looking cute doing it.” - Marie

Day Two: Saturday - Football Game

This fall look was for going to the Notre Dame football game. I wore my Notre Dame scoop neck shirt, vintage Ralph Lauren jacket, black leggings (again), and Nike Roshe shoes. This outfit was a lot more out of my comfort zone. Leggings without a long shirt or jacket? No scarf with my scoop neck shirt? I wore it all day and got a few compliments on the jacket. However, I don't think I'd wear this exact same outfit again.

“I picked this outfit because it is sporty yet casual and perfect for going outside and visiting friends.” - Marie

Day Three: Sunday - Running Errands

Surprise! I'm wearing black leggings again. Apparently black leggings are a staple piece to every middle school stylist's outfits. For this outfit, I wore my black and gold Vans, black leggings, black and white striped shirt, white scarf, and a maroon dress shirt for a pop of color. Other than the leggings, this outfit is more similar to what I'm used to. I also had never worn a dress shirt in the way that I normally wear a cardigan. 

“This outfit was comfortable but cute at the same time. Perfect for going to church and running errands round town.” - Marie

Day Four: Monday - Back to Class

For this outfit I wore short lace up boots, black skinny jeans (not leggings for once), a mustardy yellow blouse, and a black bomber jacket. I also liked this outfit since it was comfortable and featured a pop of color. I normally only wear my blouses for business, but I liked using this one in an everyday school outfit. 

“Mondays are the worst. So we are starting the week on a good note with an outfit that'll give you a confident attitude towards the week.” - Marie

Day Five: Tuesday - Night Classes

Every Tuesday I have a lecture from 7 pm to 10 pm. It's awful. Usually by the time I get ready to go to class I'm just feeling tired and lazy. Per Marie, I wore a pair of military style boots, black leggings (duh), and a baggy Mick Jagger graphic tee. No fancy scarves or make-up. Just throw it on and walk out the door.

“This outfit is made for a lazy day. Super casual and super comfortable. You can’t go wrong with all black.” - Marie

Final Takeaways

I normally don't just dress the way my sister dresses me. I'm a fan of black skinny jeans, long cardigans, and band tees. Sometimes I'll throw in a solid-colored tee with a scarf. I gravitate towards my cut out booties every single day. I'm a fan of finding a comfortable piece of clothing and wearing it a few times a week until it wears out. I have a pretty lazy fashion sense and don't "put together" a cute outfit more than once or twice a week. Through this experience, I was able to try out new styles with clothes that I already have in my closet but don't regularly wear.

One thing I did get out of this experiment was a newfound respect for leggings. Although they were uncomfortable at first to wear as pants, they turned out to be not so bad. Even after the five days of styling, I would consider wearing leggings more often since they don't stretch out throughout the day like a lot of my skinny jeans do.

I also was able to use some of my business casual clothes in my everyday outfits to get more use out of them. It turns out they can be pretty cute when used as pops of color in an outfit. Who would have thought my little sister would be the one encouraging me to get use out of those business-y pieces?!

Overall, I still think there's quite a difference between college and middle school styling. However, with the carefree fashion attitude of a university, you shouldn't be afraid to try something new. Even if that something is wearing something your little sister picked out.

 This post was originally prepared for and posted on HerCampus.com 

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is used to gauge your aptitude for business. Lots of business schools require GMAT scores in order to be considered for admission along with other factors such as transcripts, resumes, recommendations and personal statement. I found out about this exam while getting ready to look into graduate schools this fall. Unlike the SAT, the GMAT is not an exam that everyone is talking about and it can be difficult to understand what you need to do.

Studying for the GMAT can be challenging itself. It’s time-consuming and difficult, in general, to get back in the gear of study mode. But in order to successfully study for the exam, you must approach it with the right mentality. Below are some tips on how to study for the GMAT like an ivy leaguer.

Plan Months Ahead

A Harvard University graduate and admissions officer explains that a GMAT score of 680 and 720 will most likely help your chances at admission into the Harvard MBA program. This anonymous blogger explains that to study for the GMAT, a student should set aside time to take a 6 to 8-week course in order to consistently study. Having a classroom with some structure, peers, an instructor and organization, according to this blogger, is a lot more effective than studying on your own. This blogger also advises that you try taking the test a second time if you're unhappy with your first score. A better score will help you get admitted into a better school.

Make It A Priority

According to the site Talk College Confidential, commenters from ivy league schools discuss their study mode. One commenter mentions that s/he never goes out, and studies every weekend. School work consumes this person's life. This type of dedication can only lead to an excellent score on the GMAT. Although you don't have to go to this extreme, it is important to put time aside regularly to keep the material fresh in your mind and get enough studying completed before test day.

Prep With Practice Tests

Stanford MBA student Manish Gupta was accepted to both Stanford and Harvard for the MBA program, but he went to Stanford on a full scholarship. He mentions that prepping for the GMAT requires a minimum of two months. His strategy for cracking the GMAT was reading all the GMAT guidebooks and taking multiple practice exams. In every GMAT book you purchase, there is usually at least one or two GMAT practice exams. Gupta believes that the key to successfully taking the GMAT is keeping a cool, calm mental state during the exam, and preparing yourself by taking multiple practice exams till you're ready to face the final challenge. Gupta also reminds you that the exam itself is extremely long. To succeed, taking as many practice exams as one can will prep you in terms of endurance, types of questions, and build your confidence while also helping you keep track of your progress.

A few GMAT practice books I recommend are:
The Kaplan GMAT Premier 2016 with 6 practice exams and extra materials
The Kaplan GMAT 800 with advanced level questions
Pass Key to The GMAT which is a great book to start with and get an overview of the exam

Prepare To Do A Retake

Ivy-league business school student Kaneisha Grayson took a diagnostic GMAT and initially scored 620. She felt discouraged, but she didn't let that stop her. In Grayson's case, she was too close to the deadline to retake the test, but her advice to future MBA students is that if you have the time, study and retake the test. Grayson suggests that students give themselves approximately a month's time to study to retake the test. A way to improve one's score is to take quantitative course materials (if you are still an undergrad student) in order to get your brain in the numbers mode.

With only one summer while finishing my undergraduate degree, I'm making this summer the best yet. Sure, people finished with school have summers too but, to me, those are just different. Mainly because those people have real 9-5 adult jobs. Therefore, I'm revisiting my summer bucket list from last year and creating a bucket list for the last days of this summer.

First, let's look at the things I've done so far this summer:

May 2015

- Became President of my university's honors program
- Of Mice & Men concert with VIP passes in Chicago
- Falling In Reverse concert in Chicago

June 2015

- 4 day trip to Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas
- Got a new kitten named Loki

July 2015

- Short road trip to the lake
- Fourth of July fireworks show in Buchanan, Michigan
- Went to the county fair

Here's my 2015 Summer Bucket List for the rest of the summer:

- Warped Tour in Chicago
- 5 Seconds of Summer Concert
- One Direction Concert
- Go stargazing in the rural towns nearby
- Sleep in a tent outside
- Re-organize my room and car
- Day trip to the zoo
- Visit St. Joseph Beach
- Go to baseball game


What do you want to do this summer? Comment your ideas below! 

Brand marketing is vital to businesses, blogs, and even individuals. Brand consistency is creating a unified image for your brand throughout all of your promotional platforms.

If you haven't read it yet, please check out my blog post "What My 3 Year Old Taught Me About Brand Marketing" to read my first article about brand consistency.

10 Steps For Creating Brand Consistency

1. Find your target reader/buyer

Who are you writing for? Who should be buying or reading? Make up a profile in your mind of the perfect user. Give her/him a name.

2. Figure out what they want and like

What would they do in their free time? What would they be searching on Google? Think about how they would spend their perfect day.

3. Match their needs to your content

You already know what you want to write. Now figure out how your content fits into the life of your perfect user. Do they come to you when planning their weekly meal plan? Do they read your posts like a note from a friend? What do they need?

4. Create a message

Now we are pulling these steps together and figuring out what message you want to tell your perfect reader or buyer. What do you do for them? Why should they look at you?

5. Determine your aesthetic

Since we know our message and perfect user, we need to create an environment that amplifies our connection. Think of how your ideal user would decorate their bedroom. Would they want soft colors or bright pops? Does this image match your message? Does your message help them reach outside their comfort zone?

6. Develop a mood board

Find colors, fonts, shapes, and photos that encompass your message. Make them pleasing to your perfect reader. Physically put these pictures in a collage and make it visible.

7. Design your online presence

You may need to redesign your online presence to match your aesthetic. Find photos, colors, and a logo that encompasses your desired environment. Put those same elements across your website and social media profiles

8. Tailor your promotional pieces to your brand

On top of your profiles and website, your promotional pieces should also match your aesthetic including sidebar ads, article images, and business cards. Anything you create for promotion should match.

9. Locate your audience

Where can you find your perfect user? Are they on SnapChat? Do they love emails? Find out where they are and make your presence known!

10. Connect!

Now that you have your message, aesthetic, and image, you can connect with your perfect reader/buyer! Not only will you be able to have a connection with them, they will be able to remember you and what you have to offer them.

Kacey Musgrave's new album "Pageant Material" is in stores now and I had the chance to review the newest tracks! I have been fond of Kacey's music since watching a special she did with Katy Perry. You may know her from her hit "Merry Go 'Round". I love supporting influential female artists that are a bit spunky in their lyrics and music.

I was contacted by Universal Music Group and offered a sneak peak at Kacey's new album. I can't wait the share what I thought of the new songs. I encourage you to pick it up in store or online.

Kacey Musgrave's "Pageant Material" Review

1. High Time

This song is a bit slower and has a theme of "just relax and let everything go". Due to the use of lyrics such as "rolling", "grass", and the title "High Time", it definitely lends itself to being interpreted as smoking pot. I personally don't smoke so it isn't one of my favorites on the album.
Favorite lyric: "Nobody needs a thousand-dollar suit just to take out the trash."

2. Dime Store Cowgirl

I really enjoyed this song and it reminded me of my days in 4H and spending my summer in the most rural parts of town. This song is about how fame and fortune are great, but you will still always call your hometown home. It has a fun chorus and is just a feel good song. It is definitely one of my favorites on the album.
Favorite lyric: "But it don't matter where I'm goin' I'll still call my hometown home."

3. Late To The Party

This song isn't one of my favorites. It is a fun love song about how no one else really matters when you are with a special person. I wish it were just a bit more upbeat to match the party lyrics.
Favorite lyric: "And who needs a crowd when you're happy at a party for two?"

4. Pageant Material

Living in the Midwest near a lot of rural towns, pageants are pretty common around here. It's an even more popular in the South. This song is fun and upbeat. It talks about how she isn't pageant material since she has flaws and can't fake it like the other girls. Due to it's fun nature and witty lyrics, it is one of my favorites on the album.
Favorite lyric: "And who's to say I'm a 9.5 or a 4.0 if you don't even know me."

5. This Town

This Town is about typical small town life and how everyone knows everyone. She sings about how the town is too small to be mean because everyone is connected. It's a bit slower of a song but still has some fun lyrics.
Favorite lyric: "This town's too small to be mean."

6. Biscuits

This song is definitely my favorite on the album. It is very upbeat and something you could dance to. Biscuits is about not worrying about what other people are doing and just doing what you want to do. It just talks about being nice to everyone!
Favorite lyric: "Pourin' salt in my sugar won't make yours any sweeter."

7. Somebody To Love

As you may have realized by now, I'm not a big fan on slower songs. This is another slower song that has great lyrics, but I wish it were a bit more upbeat. It talks about how no one is perfect and everyone just wants somebody to love.
Favorite lyric: "We're all flawed and we're all perfect."

8. Miserable

This song is about someone who is always negative and beating themselves down. They say they want to be happy but then continue just to live a pessimistic life. However, you can't be happy when you are always making yourself miserable. I love the meaning behind this song because I am definitely an optimist. I believe that if you put good vibes out, good vibes will come back.
Favorite lyric: "you can't set sail if your anchor's down."

9. Die Fun

YOLO. That's pretty much the theme of Die Fun. It's a bit slower but picks up a bit near the end. You can't do life over and you're only growing old, so might as well live life.
Favorite lyric: "So let's love hard, live fast, die fun."

10. Family Is Family

This song is upbeat and peppy. Almost everyone can relate to how families aren't perfect but in the end, they are family. These lyrics are humorous and easy to relate to.
Favorite lyric: "You get what you get, and you don't get to pick 'em."

11. Good Ol' Boys Club

I admit. I actually had to Google the meaning of this song. It is about how Kacey didn't want to be a part of the big music industry with big egos and politics of "well so and so knew so and so". I really like this song since it is dedicated to being a self-made artist in a big industry world.
Favorite lyric: "There's a million ways to dream and that's just fine."

12. Cup Of Tea

This song reminds me a bit of the song "Biscuits". The theme of the song is that you just can't please everyone. In the end, you should just do what you want to do since you will never be able to make everyone else happy.
Favorite lyric:  "Nobody's everybody's favorite."

13. Fine

Fine is about a significant other being gone for a long time. It could be interpreted as a military relationship. In the song, Kacey sings about how these different reminders make her sad but in the end she's "fine".

Overview

I don't listen to country music every day. However, in the summer and through horseback riding I have listened to a lot of this genre over the years. I admire Kacey for her alternative country themes and creative lyrics. Most country songs are about traditional country themes like driving around in trucks, drinking beer, and typical love stories. Pageant Material has a great mix of songs that give you a glimpse into a story and playful songs about just being yourself.

Don't take my word for it. Be sure to check out the new Kacey Musgraves album on Spotify, iTunes, or your local music store.

How My 3 Year Old Taught Me About Brand Marketing

Now, why does this matter?

What is brand consistency?

Take-away

Music is a huge part of any traveling experience whether it be the CDs you listen to in the car or the songs you stream while laying on the beach. I am lucky enough to be going on my first ever tropical vacation next month and I have been preparing every detail. I've loved putting music together that gets me into that beach holiday mindset.









Want to keep up with all of my vacation posts? Be sure to follow me on BlogLovin to get my updates delivered to your inbox!

Summer is almost here, and with it comes tons of sports, work and fun activities. After all, you're in college--you want to make the most of it! Thankfully, while your schedule may be so busy that you have time for little else, you never have to push healthy eating off of your plate. Here are seven of my favorite summertime snacks that are absolutely perfect for a busy schedule. None of them take any time at all to prepare, they are all portable, and--best of all--they are all delicious!

  1. Fresh Fruit
 It doesn't get any easier than fresh fruit. Simply place a few of your favorites on the counter and you'll always have it on hand at a moment's notice. If you prefer your fruit cut up, simply chop it in advance and leave it in the fridge. Some great suggestions include: apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pineapples and watermelon.

  2. Vita Coco Cafe
You're going to need lots of energy for your summer activities, and Vita Coco Cafe is a great way to get it. With a shot of espresso, Vita Coco Coconut Water and a splash of low-fat milk, you'll stay energized and hydrated all summer long! I personally love the Mocha Vita Coco flavor. I buy it by the case full through Amazon and it usually lasts a month or two.

  3. Nuts
 When you need a hearty snack that will fill you up without slowing you down, a handful of protein-dense nuts are just the thing. Whether you love peanuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios, nuts are quick to grab, filling and extremely portable no matter how long you'll be out.

  4. Kind Bars 
Candy bars are quick and delicious, but they are also full and sugar and unpronounceable ingredients that don't provide your body with the fuel it needs to stay active and healthy. Thankfully, Kind Bars are different. Made with only real, pronounceable ingredients, Kind Bars are a fantastic alternative that will help keep you strong, healthy and energized. My favorite are the dark chocolate cinnamon pecan. I have a brand new box shipped to my house every few months through the Amazon subscribe and save program. It's much cheaper than buying them at the store!

  5. Veggies and Dip
 Another easy and healthy alternative is veggies and dip. Simply wash and cut your veggies at the beginning of the week (if you don't buy them pre-washed) and you'll have them handy all week long whenever you need a quick and easy snack. You can even pre-portion them so you always have them ready to go.

  6. Applesauce
 For a snack that is quick and refreshing, why not keep a jar of applesauce on hand? It's a great snack for those hot summer days when you need to make sure you stay well-hydrated.

  7. Trail Mix
 When it comes to portability, few things beat a bag of trail mix. Buy it by the bag or mix up your own version and store in an air-tight container on your counter or in your car. This way, you're never without a healthy snack close at hand.

Do you have a busy summer schedule planned? What quick and easy snacks do you always reach for when your days are packed?

I received free product from Vita Coco for testing purposes. Amazon associate links are used in this article. 

YouTube stars are the biggest celebrities on the internet. Next to them, we have other internet stars, including Bloggers like you and me. So how can we get to their level of success and have our own "fandoms"?

I had the chance to talk to BryanStars, a rock band interviewer on YouTube with over 630,000 subscribers and a powerful fandom, about how he has gained success in his platform. Here are three tips I found transfer over nicely to the blogging world.

Here are 3 Things Bloggers Can Learn From YouTube Celebrities

1. Talk to your audience where ever they are

Some people love Facebook. Others love Snapchat. By now, we all understand the importance of connecting with your audience outside of just blog posts. It's time to step it up and reach your audience where ever they are. Explore different social media platforms that are up and coming.

On top of reaching more fans on a relationship level, it will also keep you relevant if your main platform becomes "un-cool". Remember those MySpace celebrities you used to follow? Probably not. But you would have if they were also on YouTube and then Facebook.

2. Titles are very important

Your title is the first thing looked at by your potential readers and search engines. Basically, everyone is judging a book by its cover, and your cover is your title.

Your title should do three things.

1. Explain what you are going to talk about
2. Hook your reader into reading it
3. Tell Google how to put it in search engines

3. Every reader matters

The number one way to get more engagement is let your readers know your will respond. When you take the time to comment on someone else's content, it is nice to know they read and appreciate you. If people get used to your interaction, they will want to interact. It's as simple as that! Even though it takes time, be sure to make every reader feel important. In return, you will get the interaction that turns into more readers and higher rankings.

For more blogging tips, check out my BlogSchool Section!

As a blogger or website owner reading this post, it is important to understand the Google update coming up on April 21st. Even if you do not pay much attention to your Google rankings, this update will still affect your page traffic and audience reach if ignored. If you are not a website owner or blogger, you may still find it interesting how Google is trying to create an even better searching experience when using your mobile devices.

Here are three things you need to do before the update on April 21st

1. Understand the Google mobile update

Ultimately, Google will begin ranking mobile websites more favorably when a user is searching on a mobile device. More and more users are using smart phones and mobile devices to fulfill their internet needs. The percentage of mobile users accessing your website or looking for your content is only going to increase.

What is Google Ranking?
Ranking is the position in the search results where your site shows up. For example, if I search "Tealaholic" on Google, my blog is the first result to show up. However, the second result is a radio show where I was a guest speaker. Most people searching won't even go to the second page of the results. So if your site is not in the top 10 rankings for a keyword, it probably won't get much traffic from said keyword.

Therefore, even if you do not watch your rankings, it is important! Read the Official Google Announcement for more technical information. 

2. Determine if your site is mobile friendly

So, now you may be thinking, "Oh no, I do not even know what mobile friendly means!". That is okay. Google made this nifty tool where you can copy and paste your URL to see if your site is already mobile friendly. So click here to check that out. 
If it says, it's mobile friendly, awesome! You do not need to worry. You have nothing else you need to do.
If it does not, then we have some work to do and quick!

If you use Google Webmaster Tools, (which you should... it is free and easy), then you can also check out your usability report. This report points out any issues with specific pages on your site or blog. For example, one page might have loads of Flash-based content that doesn't work on mobile. They also have a handy guide to some common mobile errors and how to fix them.

3. Modify your design

If your site is NOT mobile friendly, it is time to make the change ASAP. If you use Blogger, it is insanely easy to fix your mobile design. Go to the back end of your blog, click on "Template" from the left navigation, and then click on the gear symbol under "Mobile". Then choose "Yes. Show mobile template" and choose the template you like best!

If you do not use Blogger, you have a few options. You should look for a new web design, find a web developer that can convert your template to a responsive design, or research more information on the program you use to blog or host your site. There are many free responsive templates for nearly every platform that are easy to download and install.

It is the end of the semester and is often the time when students get wore out. Finishing assignments become more and more difficult. You can't remember to last time you cleaned your room or did laundry. You are facing workload paralysis. 

Although you may be feeling down about yourself, there are little things you can do to boost your mood and increase your overall happiness. Therefore, you can be more productive and get things accomplished!

Ten Little Successes You Can Do NOW to Fight Workload Paralysis

1. Make your bed

Studies have shown that people who make their bed are usually happier than those who do not.  Your brain can have the feeling of clarity and completion by having an organized environment,

2. Clean out your backpack

Similar to making your bed, cleaning your backpack can help with clarity as well as helping you stay organized in school. When studying, it is nice to have everything easy to find and stress-free. You are less likely to get frustrated before even starting your project.

3. Make a to do list

The best thing to do when looking at a lot of tasks is to sit down and write them out. Without seeing the big picture, it is difficult to determine what tasks take priority and which can wait. Be sure to choose 3-5 "must-do" tasks out of the list but no more than that for the day.

4. Make a healthy snack

When you are feeling down on yourself, you are more likely to eat junk food. Be productive and feed your body right by making a healthy snack such as these "apple cookies". Other quick and easy snacks include fruit salad, yogurt parfait, or a mini veggie tray.

5. Take care of an animal

If you have a pet, take 5 minutes to give it some TLC. Animals are natural stress relievers. Just brushing your dog or feeding your turtle can help you give your mood a boost.

6. Start a load of laundry

Starting a load of laundry takes only a few minutes, helps you catch up on chores and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

7. Take a shower

Another stress reliever is a warm shower. It also will help you catch up on your self-care that you may be putting off.

8. Take a 5 minute walk

Put on your spring jacket, lace up those shoes, and play your favorite song because you are going on a refreshing, quick walk outside. You will boost your endorphins and have a change of scenery.

9. Send a thank you email

Although it may seem like sending a thank you email would only add more stress to your life, gratitude actually results in a happier you. Send a quick, 4-5 sentence email to your favorite professor, best friend, mentor, role model, favorite singer, or whoever you appreciate!

10. Plan for a better tomorrow

If you are too tired and just can't get moving today, plan for a better tomorrow and go to be early. Self-care is the most important thing you can do for future productivity. Check out my easy, 5 step guide to how to plan and prepare yourself for a happier and more efficient tomorrow. 

I don't know about you but I've been in a funk lately. I haven't even blogged in a few weeks. I just couldn't get any motivation. Luckily I have found 5 easy steps to help myself and you have a more productive and happier tomorrow.

5 Steps to a Productive Tomorrow

1. To do list

Before you go to bed, open up your calendar and write down a list of every single thing you should do tomorrow. Include household chores, homework, meetings, lunch dates, everything. Having a physical reminder of everything you should do will help you prioritize your tasks and let you have the satisfaction of crossing them off when finished.

2. Pick 3 MVPs

Out of that list, pick the 3 most important things that must be done (MVPs - most vital projects) Maybe it's homework or it could be finishing laundry. Make these tasks stand out by putting a star by them or highlighting them. Your mission is to make sure at bare minimum these three items are completed by the time you go to bed tomorrow.

3. Make the morning easy

Go to bed early if you can. Prior to falling asleep, lay out your outfit for the next day and pack your bags. Wake up 10-15 minutes early in the morning. Immediately go brush your teeth, go to the bathroom, and force yourself awake. You will not want to get out of bed. But you have to make yourself physically get up.

4. Motivation music

Music is a huge motivator in nearly all tasks. Turn on your favorite station or pop in a new CD. I have a motivational playlist with songs all about rocking it and being awesome. It's a huge boost in productivity whether I'm driving to school or cleaning my room.

5. Treat Yo'self

Around dinnertime, look at your to do list and make sure your 3 MVPs are completed. If not, get on them IMMEDIATELY. Come on girl, you had one job. Do it.
If they are completed, treat yo'self!! You deserve it. Make your favorite dinner, take a bubble bath, eat that chocolate cupcake.

With Galentine's Day coming up, it is impossible to ignore fellow bloggers and friends on social media planning girls nights and sleepovers. The idea of Galentine's Day is great. Celebrate your friendships. Spread the girl power.

That being said, some of us don't have girlfriends to celebrate with. At one point in my life, I didn't have any best friends. I was a single young mom and a freshman at a local college. My closest girl friends left town to far away universities. Most of the time, I didn't really have anyone to hang out with other than family. Don't get me wrong, family is great but it just isn't the same.

Irish

After Jagger was about a year old or so, things got a bit easier. First off, he was much more portable and there were more things he could do since he was walking. Out of the blue, I texted my friend who I will call Irish for sake of him having no idea I am writing about him right now. We had been pretty close friends in high school and we even went to the same university. However, we both had some pretty substantial life changes in the past year or so which caused us to loose touch. I asked if he wanted to go to lunch or to the park with Jagger and I and surprisingly he agreed. We talked for hours and planned many additional lunch or coffee "dates" (not really dates, friend dates). 

After that, we became closer than ever before. He pretty much came to my house everyday. Now our friendship has cycles of seeing each other once every few weeks to almost living at my house together. The key is to take time to go to lunch and catch up. It is also important to understand that it is okay to not see each other for a while. People have busy lives.

Skylarky

A few months after I started university, one of my friends moved back home to attend the same school as I did. Although we tried to hang out a few times, it just didn't click the same as before. This friend was in a very different point in life than I was at the time. She had a pretty serious boyfriend and I had a very young son. Neither of us knew how to handle each other's situations. We talked on and off but it wasn't really going anywhere. Although I still had Irish and we were really close, I wished that I had a best friend that I could get manicures with and do typical girly things.

After nearly a year after she moved back home, she broke up with her long time boyfriend. It turns out that her relationship had alienated her from other friends. Without going into to much detail about her personal life, we can say that at this point she also needed a best friend. After going to a super late night dinner at a 24 hour hole-in-the-wall cafe the night of Halloween, we started picking up pieces. It was some work to get to where we are today. We had a good handful of times where we wanted to hang out but felt like we didn't really know each other anymore. Luckily, we now are the closest friends we have ever been. 
Bonus: She helped me write this post about hockey for complete newbs like me and we recently made a best friend tag video on my YouTube channel.


If you feel like you have no good friends right now, it is okay. It may take sometime but good friendships aren't made overnight. I don't have a lot of friends but the friends I do have are the best I could ask for.

Here are five tips from my experience

1. Remember.

Think about who your friends used to be and why you aren't friends anymore. Contact them.

2. Make it easy. 

Do lunch dates or coffee so the time is short, the event is cheap, and there's an activity that you both do. It will make it much less awkward. 

3. Be a listener. 

Ask a lot of questions about what they have been up to and make an effort to remember things they say. You are trying to reconnect, not impress them with your life story.

4. Failure happens.

At first, it may be weird and uncomfortable. You may not talk for a few weeks or even months. That's okay! You both might be in different mindsets right now and come back later.

5. Send smoke signals.

If you happen to not click right away, be sure to keep in contact every so often to check up on them. Just a quick text to ask how their week went or remembering a funny story that happened in high school. Letting someone know you are thinking about them is a kind gesture that won't go unnoticed. Although they may be too busy or just in a big change at the moment to truly reconnect, it doesn't mean you have to jump ship.

It's time for the February edition of "What's In My Bock Box?"!
If you missed it, you can also see what was in my January 2015 Bock Box.

The Bock Box from Courtney Bock Designs is a monthly subscription service which sends personalized gifts straight to your door. These boxes are unique since the contents are completely customized to your personality, lifestyle, favorite colors, and, of course, monogram.

In my February Bock Box, I received two items which are perfect compliments to my chilly weather outfits.

First item in the box was the Monogrammed Boot Cuffs.

The second item were these charming "love" temporary tattoos.