My Winter Beauty Routine

Hello, beautiful! For those of you who haven't heard, I'm back at BU after my month-long break. Though it's been difficult getting back into the daily grind of things, I'm really starting to appreciate having a daily routine again after weeks of never knowing how to structure my day.

Without school, I didn't have much of a structure to my day. So, while I was at home, I started creating morning and nighttime routines to help make my days a little more predictable.

One thing I got really good about while I was at home was finally starting to fall into a weekly beauty routine! When I moved away to college, I stopped taking such great care of my hair, skin and body. When I would get home after a long night of work, classes, reading, and the paper, I would barely have the energy to slather soap on my face, let alone follow any of my other typical beauty rituals.

However, now that I'm back at BU, I'm loving how great my hair and skin look and feel after weeks of taking care of myself! In fact, I look and feel so amazing that this semester, I've vowed to stick to the same beauty routine I used at home as much as possible. No matter how tired I am, I want to take the time to pamper myself day and night so I can view myself with confidence again!

By now, you're probably curious about what my beauty routine actually is - so, are you ready to see what's got me looking and feeling so incredible? Let me show you all the squeaky-clean details!

Morning

In the morning at school, I vary between waking up ten minutes before class and thirty-to-sixty minutes before class. So, depending on how late I am, I might just wash and moisturize my face before throwing my hair in a topknot - or, I might go all out with my hair, skin, and beauty routine.

First, to wash my face, I'm currently using the Too Cool for School Egg Cream Soap. This product is really cool because it's somewhere between a foam and a mousse, kind of like the texture of shaving cream. I like the way it feels when I slather it onto my skin, and I think it does a great job of extracting all of the dirt and grime from my face with just a few simple ingredients!

After I wash my face, I might throw a little acne spot treatment on any blemishes I'm fighting, or preventatively on any places where it looks like I might break out. I use the 12% benzoyl peroxide treatment from Target; however, I try to use it sparingly, because it's prescription strength and tends to make my combination skin a little flaky when used in excess!

Finally, I finish off with a simple moisturizer. As I mentioned, I have combination oily-dry skin, so while a lot of my skincare routine is focused on fighting acne, it's also about replenishing all the moisture that acne treatments strip from your skin. So, especially because the winter is harsh on my skin, I like to use a rich cream rather than a light or acne-treating moisturizer to replenish all that lost moisture from my skin. 

Currently, I'm in love with the Pond's Dry Skin Cream Facial Moisturizer. It's a hydrating product, but never leaves my skin feeling greasy. I love that I can feel it feeding my skin as soon as I put it on!

Usually when I'm going to class, I don't do much as far as hair and makeup go. However, one product that's always a staple in my life is the Garnier Fructis Curl Renew Reactivating Milk Spray. I have naturally wavy hair, but when I sleep on wet hair at night, it tends to make the texture more frizzy than defined. So, I like to replenish my waves with this curl renew spray every morning before I leave for school! I almost always wear my hair down, but when I don't, then usually it means I've thrown my hair up in a lazy topknot or ponytail because I'm not feeling too great.

Finally, if it's a weekend and I'm going to see Ryan, I'll put a little more effort into my routine by curling my hair with my Vidal Sassoon 1/2 in. curling iron. I heat up the curling iron on high because my hair is thick and wrap small 1-in sections around it away from my face. Then, I finish off with the Curl Renew Spray and comb through the curls with my fingers, for a more natural look rather than a "styled" one.

For makeup, I like to start with e.l.f.'s Complete Coverage Concealer palette on my under-eye area and any blemishes I might have. Usually, this involves me mixing the shades together for a custom color and then dabbing it on with my fingers. Under my eye area, I also try to apply concealer in more of an inverted triangle than a curve, since this gives it a more natural, blended appearance.

Then, I move onto stippling the Maybelline Fit Me! Matte Poreless Foundation in Natural Ivory (probably the palest shade, since I'm white as a ghost...and that's on a good day) onto my face with a foundation brush. 

For blush and bronzer, I'm using the e.l.f. Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia, which I've heard is a perfect dupe for NARS Orgasm! I don't like a heavy contour, so usually I apply blush upwards from my cheekbones toward my temples, then apply bronzer right underneath that inside the hollow of my cheeks. Like I said, I like a more natural look! 

Brows typically come next. Right now I'm using the Touch in Sol Browza Super Proof Gel Brow Pencil in Choc it Up. I fill in my eyebrows with this pencil using tiny little strokes so they look like hairs, then blot with a tissue. (Sometimes, I use the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel on top just to finish it off, but most of the time I skip this step.)

Most of the time I'd skip straight to mascara. Lately, however, I've been obsessed with my Too Faced Natural Eyes eyeshadow palette. I always look forward to using it when I put on makeup! To start, I apply the shade Silk Teddy (a shimmery champagne shadow) all over my eyelid, from lash line to eyebrow. Then, I contour in my crease with Push-Up and add a touch of Erotica at the corners. Finally, I use the shade Heaven in the exact center of my eyelid and just below my brows to highlight and brighten. 

Then, lastly, I blend with my Sephora eyeshadow brush and apply a liquid liner in a subtle cat eye shape. I used to use (and love) the Milani eyeliner, but I recently left the cap off mine and it dried out - don't you just hate when that happens? So, since I've been loving e.l.f.'s affordable products lately, I picked up their liquid liner. I haven't tried it yet, but can't wait to see how well it works!

To finish off my eyes, I curl my eyelashes using my Sephora eyelash curler. I love my eyelash curler for it's unique shape...you can read all about it in my Day in My Life Post from back in December! Then, after I curl my lashes, I apply several thick coats of BareMinerals' Lash Domination mascara.

My final step in my makeup process is lips. I start off with a simple chapstick - usually whatever's lying in my purse, or some Vaseline - and then top it off with Bite Beauty's Lush Fruit Lipgloss in Raisin (which I guess has been renamed Rambutan, at least from what I can tell online? Someone please update me on this!). I've had this lip gloss for almost a year and a half, but it's only started to become a holy grail product for me quite recently! Now, I don't know what I'd do without it.

So, whether I've thrown my hair in a topknot and run out to class or gone full out with my curling iron and Lush Fruit Lipgloss, this is where my morning beauty routine ends: with a quick spritz of perfume! Currently, I'm using the Bath and Body Works Ultra Fine Fragrance Mist in Magic in the Air. This smell was SO attractive to me that I just had to buy it during their semi-annual sale! I had literally NEVER smelled anything I loved so much before in my life.

So, now, onto my night routine...

Night

The very first thing I've started doing at night happens about thirty minutes to an hour before I decide to hop in the shower, and that's take off my makeup. (Though if I go to the gym, this step may happen earlier or later in the day - it's SO important to wash off your makeup before working out so you don't trap all those sweat and toxins beneath your foundation!)

I love wearing makeup during the day, but hate letting it sit on my face at night, so I typically wipe it off with a grapefruit-scented cleansing wipe from Target. Wipes are great because they feed my inner laziness, so they encourage me to make sure all my makeup comes off before bedtime, yet only require minimal effort!

Also, I recently rediscovered my love of coconut oil, so I simply take my jar of refined coconut oil (I think I just got this at the Christmas Tree Shops, but honestly I've had it so long I don't even remember), melt it down in the microwave, and run a healthy amount through my ends. This treatment is simple, natural, and great for hydrating your hair before you hop in the shower!

When I'm ready to take my shower, I throw on my little flip flops (shower shoes are so important! Protect your feet from communicable diseases!) and take my shower caddy into the bathroom for a little TLC. 

Usually, I take care of my skin first. I've only very recently started using my Clarisonic again, which was a gift from last Christmas, but I remembered how much I loved it and decided to charge it up! I usually only use this at night because twice a day is a little harsh (and, honestly, labor-intensive) for my routine; however, I love the way it leaves my skin feeling so silky, soft and exfoliated after!

With my Clarisonic Mia 2, I use a little bit of the Target Apricot Scrub (which is basically a perfect dupe of the St. Ives one...St. Ives is my favorite, but I'm unfortunately living that cheap college life, if ya know what I mean). I go for the brightening one rather than the acne-fighting one, since all that benzoyl peroxide isn't too good for combination dry skin - however, if your skin is super oily, I would 10 out of 10 recommend the acne scrub, too! So, anyways, I squeeze that onto the brush and turn it on, then allow the Clarisonic to work its magic! 

After, I rinse my face and pat it dry. (Early in life I learned that you're never supposed to rub your face with a towel, as it's very harsh and can redden and damage your skin, especially if it's dry and flaky already!) Then, I'll use the 12% benzoyl peroxide acne treatment if I haven't already - I try only to use this once a day so it doesn't dry out my skin - and follow up with a moisturizer. Again, Pond's Dry Skin Cream is my go-to at all times of day! 

That pretty much finishes up my face routine, so now onto the shower. In the shower, I start by washing the coconut oil out of my hair with a little shampoo and a LOT of conditioner. I currently use the Garnier Fructis Grow Strong shampoo and conditioner, not only because it strengthens and lengthens my hair (which I am really trying to grow out long again), but also because I love, love, love the scent! 

Usually, I only wash my hair once with shampoo, but I often apply conditioner two to three times to really work out all the tangles in my hair....especially when I wear it in a topknot, because the ends get SUPER frazzled!

After that, I'll shave all the areas that need shavin' with my Venus razor and a little Target shaving cream. I only really use shaving cream on my legs; for my underarms and other delicate areas, the hydrating strip on the razor does the trick. (Plus, as a side note, my gynecologist actually advised me not to use shaving cream "down there," since my skin is so sensitive! It went against all the advice I'd ever heard EVER, but stopping using irritating products like shaving cream really helped me with the chronic yeast infection-like symptoms I'd been having for months.)

Ahem. That being said, now that I'm done shaving, I finish up by washing my body with the St. Ives Even and Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Body Wash. This body wash has little particles that gently exfoliate your skin - plus the scent is so bright and so fresh! On the occasions that I shower in the morning, I find that the sheer smell really just does the trick to get me waking up and out of bed in the morning.

Since I'm in a dorm, when my shower is over, I have to bundle up in a towel and walk on over to a bathroom stall to get dressed. While I'm in there, I take a little body lotion and Vaseline with me for the road. 

Before I put my clothes on, I like to start by applying Vaseline anywhere that needs extra-special attention. For example, I like to put Vaseline on things like razor burn and ingrown hairs to keep my clothing from rubbing against them and irritating them. This time of year, too, because I am often sick, I also tend to put Vaseline on my nose to keep tissues from irritating it. Finally, I use the last of the Vaseline on my fingers on my lips as a quick and easy lip moisturizer! Honestly, is there anything Vaseline isn't good for?

Finally, I slather on a healthy dose of body lotion - Bath and Body Works Ultra Shea Body Cream in Warm Vanilla Sugar is the best - get dressed, and head back to my room to finish out my night. 

Once in my room, I brush out my hair and spritz a little bit of the OGX Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist on my ends from afar, just to give it a little bit of extra moisture and shine. Then, I take out my contacts, put on my glasses, and finish out my night feeling pampered and amazing! 

Pampering

Speaking of pampering, once or twice a week, I like to get REALLY fancy with it and give my skin a little bit of extra TLC. 

One way I easily do this is by throwing on a CVS charcoal pore strip (a dupe for Biore) to remove any blackheads from my nose. If your nose is super dry and irritated from the wintertime, I seriously would NOT recommend this treatment - ouch! But, if you tend to get oil trapped in the little nooks and crannies around your nose (like I do), this treatment will really help you to clean out all the muck that's hiding inside your pores. The best part is that it's SO quick and easy: you just put on a pore strip while you study, wait for it to dry, and take it off when you're done! 

Another thing I like to do is use a sheet mask. For Christmas, I got a sheet mask set by Too Cool For School. All of their masks are super hydrating and always leave my skin feeling moist and soft. Plus, if you suffer from sensitive skin or skin irritation, the masks are always cool and soothing when I put them on, so I imagine they would be great for chilling red or irritated skin! 

Finally, if I'm not in the mood for a sheet mask, I go for my Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. This mask is one of my absolute holy grail skin care products! For a mud mask, it's not super dark colored or messy, it has a light citrusy scent, and even gives you that tingly feeling in your pores so you know it's doing its job right! Whenever I take this mask off, I just always feel so happy, glowing, and refreshed. I feel like people can really see the difference in my skin...or, maybe it's just me. Who cares? I still look and feel incredible when I'm done!

So, those are the ways that, as a busy college student, I take care of my skin, hair, and body throughout my week. What's your beauty and pampering routine look like compared to mine? Are there any holy grail products I need to get my hands on? Let me know in the comments below! 

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How to Prepare for a Double-Major

Hello, beautiful - and welcome back to Haley Marie blog!

Since today is my official first day of classes here at BU, I wanted to celebrate with a post about academic life in college. Thanks to everyone who voted in my Twitter poll (if you're not already following me on Twitter, you can find me @haleymarieblog!), I decided that I would tell you all a little bit about my double major and share my best tips for preparing for a double major your freshman year.

As many of you know, I am a freshman entering her second semester at Boston University. Unofficially, I'm planning to double-major in Journalism and Political Science, though technically you can't declare here until the second semester of your sophomore year.

My double major has presented a lot of challenges as I've adjusted to life in college. For example, it means there are stricter gen. ed. requirements I have to meet before I can take classes pertaining to my major, since my dual degree means I'm technically enrolled in two colleges. I also just learned this year that I have to start meeting with an advisor from both schools every time I register for classes, which has turned out to be a lot trickier than one would think!

Freshman year has had its ups and downs as far as balancing my two majors has gone, but personally, I think I made it out of my first semester pretty well! So, today I'm going to share with you a few of the lessons I learned from my first few months at school about how you can prepare for a double-major your freshman year of college.

1. Meet with an Academic Advisor

This might seem straightforward to those of you who have been in college awhile, but for freshmen, this tip might not be the most obvious thing in the world. After all, in high school, you were probably used to having guidance counselors who called you down against your will to talk about your future plans - and, well, college just isn't like that! 

Instead of being called down to meet with an advisor or matched with someone for all four years of high school, you typically have to schedule an appointment with them. If you're double-majoring, you might even have to meet with an advisor from more than one college - for example, I meet with someone from BU's College of Communication and College of Arts and Sciences. 

While taking the initiative to schedule that first appointment might seem a little bit scary when you're new to the process, you really need to meet with an advisor to make sure you're on the right track to meet all your majors' requirements. Whereas in high school you could only register for classes with a guidance counselor's approval, in college you're pretty much on your own as far as registration goes. So, it's important to meet with an advisor to make sure that you know what classes you need to take in order to graduate with both those degrees on time! 

2. Knock Out the Worst Requirements First

Unfortunately, most colleges don't just let you dive into taking the fun classes related to your major right away. Typically, you have to suffer through a bunch of general ed requirements before you can start learning about the things you're truly passionate about. Not to mention that if you're double-majoring, you might even have more requirements to meet than the average college student.

My best advice where general ed requirements are concerned is to "eat the frog," so to speak. If you haven't heard that phrase before, "eating the frog" pretty much means getting the worst parts out of the way first. In this case, that means trying to take most - if not all! - of your gen. ed. requirements as a freshman or sophomore, so all you're left with your junior and senior years is easy, breezy major requirements. 

I think this is especially true if there is a particular class you're dreading needing to take! For example, my school requires me to take Statistics - and as someone majoring in the humanities, I was hoping to never have to take math again. So, I signed up for it my first semester of college, managed to get a B+, an now, I never have to take another math class in my life! Personally, I'm so happy I decided to "eat the frog" instead of putting it off, because I know that if I took this class in the middle of senioritis, I wouldn't have done nearly as well as I did last semester.

3. Cross-Check Requirements Across Schools

And, speaking of gen. ed. requirements, it's important to double-check that you're meeting all of the requirements for both of your majors - especially if your majors are in two different schools! 

At BU at least, I've learned that the College of Communications and the College of Arts and Sciences both have small differences in their general ed requirements. So, because of my double-major, I have had to take additional classes that I wouldn't have had to take otherwise. For example, in the College of Communication, you only need to take a natural science - but because I'm dually enrolled in CAS, I have to take a science with a lab component. Once I found this out, it completely changed the way I registered for spring semester, forcing me to rearrange my entire schedule. So, I'm happy I learned it early instead of later when it would be too late! 

The best way to find out about requirements like this, I've found, is to either meet with an advisor, or simply check the school's website. Most schools upload PDFs or Word Docs of their general ed requirements for current or prospective students to check out, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find out if you're on the right track to meet all of your requirements for the upcoming semester. 

4. Take Advantage of Add-Drop Periods

I've personally never had this happen to me (not yet, anyways!), but after checking your requirements or meeting with an advisor, maybe you've discovered that you're enrolled in the entirely wrong class for your double-major. Now, you're freaking out. What if you don't graduate on time? What if you can't complete your double-major? What the hell do you do now?!

First of all, don't panic! Instead, if you're already registered for the class, see when your add-drop period ends for the current semester. Chances are, if you've come to the realization early on in the semester, you can either drop the class or enroll in a new one with little to no penalty. At most schools, as long as you make the swap early enough, your transcript won't show that you dropped a class, meaning you can get into the right class for your majors without worrying about your grades suffering because of it. 

At BU, our add-drop periods are much longer than at many other schools, so we have a long time to make sure that we are truly committed to the classes we're in! Though I'm currently on the right track to meet my majors' requirements, I'm grateful that if something were to happen, I have an exit strategy to make sure I can still graduate in a timely manner with my dual degrees. Add-drop periods are definitely a helpful safety net for those of us who want to pursue a double-major!

5. Double-Count Classes Toward Your Majors

Chances are, if you're choosing to double-major, you already have some idea of the years of hard work that lie ahead of you. I'm not going to sugarcoat it: double-majors have a lot heavier workload than many other college students, simply because we have to get more credits to graduate with two degrees! 

Yet while there's no way around the fact that you're going to have to do a little bit of extra work to graduate with two degrees on time, there are definitely ways that you can cut down on the workload to make it easier on yourself. One thing that's been especially helpful to me has been finding out where I can double-count classes to knock out requirements for both majors. 

If your college allows it, I would definitely recommend seeing where your classes might overlap in both schools' requirements. Are some courses cross-listed in both departments - such as a political media course (for a communications/poli-sci major) or a biostatistics course (for a biology/statistics major)? Then, take those whenever you can! Or, similarly, can you count some of your requirements for one major toward general ed requirements for the other? For example, I have been able to count my political science classes toward the College of Communications' social sciences and history requirements. Whenever you can, double-up on classes - your workload (and your parents' wallets) will thank you! 

6. Get Credit Wherever You Can

To get to where you were now, you probably had to take a lot of difficult coursework in high school to prepare you for college. For example, you might have been enrolled in AP classes, taken IB courses, or even taken dual enrollment classes at a community college in your area. But now that you're in college, do you know which credits are accepted by your university, and which ones are not?

If you got good scores on your AP exams (we're talking a four or a five) or have credits you can transfer from another college (such as a community college or university where you transferred from), don't put it off - DO IT NOW! Meet with an advisor to make sure you get credit where credit is due. That way, you can see how many classes you can cross off your list, so you won't make your workload heavier than it ought to be.

Alternatively, also make sure that you're aware of places where you might have AP or other credits that can't be recognized. For example, I took AP World History as a high school sophomore and got a 5, but despite my high score, BU doesn't give students any credit from World History. So, don't count any of your AP credits without checking the online guidelines or meeting with an advisor first. You might think you have credit just because you got a good score on the big test, but in reality it all depends on what your school chooses to accept. 

I cannot stress this step enough for cutting down on your workload as a double-major. At BU, double-majors often have to overload on credits (meaning you have to take five classes a semester instead of the typical four), which costs your parents more money in tuition and, TBH, isn't much fun for your schedule. However, because I came in with a full semester of AP credit, my advisor told me I would likely only have to overload once, if at all, in order to graduate with my two degrees on time. So, if you happen to be a high school student reading this post and know you want to double-major, definitely load up on as many AP courses as you can (sanely) handle! It will save your parents so much money - and yourself so much time. Even if it seems like a struggle now, you'll be eternally grateful that you decided to push yourself!

7. Seek Advice from Upperclassmen

A few weeks before classes started at BU, I moved into my dorm early and participated in a week of group community service through a program called the First Year Student Outreach Project. During that week, one of my group leaders happened to be a sophomore studying Public Relations and Political Science in the two colleges that I planned to enroll in. Since then, I've spent a ton of time talking to her about the courses she's taken and whether or not she's found it difficult to major in two different colleges at BU! 

Though it might seem a little awkward to reach out to upperclassmen, I think it's super important and valuable to find mentors in older students who want to follow similar career paths as you. After all, your friends are some of the best resources you have in life anyways. So, if you can make friends with an upperclassmen (or two, or three, or more!) who's also a double-major in your chosen fields, that's even better!

Not only will it help you now, while you're stuck taking five classes a semester and wondering how to get through finals week, but it may also help you later on in life, when you're trying to land a prestigious internship or even trying to get a "real job" after college. For example, if you're applying for an internship at a major finance firm and you know an upperclassmen who used to intern there, then you'll be able to learn all the dirty details of what you should put in your application and what you should say in your interview to help you achieve major success. Or, if you're looking for a job in marketing and you happen to know someone who graduated a year above you who has a job with a marketing agency, then you know just who to e-mail and ask if there are any positions available in her office! 

These are my best tips on how to prepare for a double-major - what are yours? Let me know in the comments below!

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How to Eat Healthy in College

Disclaimer: All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I was NOT compensated or sponsored in any way for this post. 

I am also not a health professional, so be sure to check in with your doctor before implementing any dietary or nutritional changes!

Hello, beautiful! Today, I want to talk to you about a unique experience I had recently, thanks to the health app Maven.

If you haven't heard of Maven, this app is revolutionary (in my opinion, at least!). Maven is an online health clinic designed by women, for women. With Maven, you can get an appointment with a health provider of any kind - whether you need a doctor, mental health professional, nutritionist, or even sex therapist! - and even get prescriptions for things like birth control.

At just $25.00, a 20-minute video appointment is convenient, inexpensive, and private. You don't need to schedule an expensive, annoying appointment with your doctor just to receive a referral, or even leave your house if you're feeling truly terrible.

Oh, and since you're a loyal reader of my blog, you can even use my referral code (9EDLC) to get your first appointment 100% free!

Those of you who have been with me since my first blog know that I'm no stranger to online health treatment. I used to use Talkspace for text messaging therapy. However, I wish that I had known about Maven before I signed up for Talkspace - not only is Maven cheaper, but it's more personal and would have gotten me the mental health treatment I needed in an efficient way.

I just had my first experience with Maven because I had a $25.00 credit for a free video appointment. Since I haven't been sick recently and I'm already seeing my own therapist, I decided to schedule a consultation with a nutritionist.

Personally, I've never seen a nutritionist before Maven. However, I have always been interested in the food I put into my body and learning easy tips for eating more nutritious meals. I have also been a vegetarian for five years, and was interested in seeing if I was getting all the nutrients I need while on this specialized diet.

I saw Maya F., and thought she was incredibly friendly, helpful, and sweet while still maintaining her professionalism during our appointment. Throughout the appointment, I even took notes on the advice she gave me so that I could share some of what I learned from her with all of you!

Please note that since I'm a vegetarian, not all of this advice may be relevant to you. However, I hope that you will keep an open mind and hopefully learn something useful to help you eat healthier in college!

Also, as an added bonus, you'll find my free three-day meal plan at the bottom of this post! If you're anything like me, you might have trouble thinking of fun and healthy meal ideas throughout the week - so, I took the liberty of putting together three days worth of nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks to take the guesswork out of it for y'all. Though I myself am a vegetarian, I even created additional plans for vegans and for carnivores to appeal to people of all diets :)

To claim this awesome freebie, simply sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of this post! You'll get the meal plans straight to your inbox ASAP. Just keep in mind that while the plans are based on Maya's advice, I myself am not a nutritionist and do not claim to know what is best for you or your body!

On that note, here were my Maven nutritionist's tips for a healthier college diet.

Tip #1: Eat Perfect Pairs

The first thing Maya did during our appointment was have me walk her through what I generally eat in a day. Then, she gave me suggestions for how I could improve my diet. Based on what I told her, I quickly learned that I needed to eat fewer carbs (surprise, surprise - if you know me, you know I love pasta, bread, and all things carby and delicious) and more protein and fats. I think this is a common trap for many vegetarians, since we know that things like pasta 

Maybe the simplest tip Maya gave me was to eat what she calls "perfect pairs." Basically, at any meal, you're going to want to pair two servings of carbs with one serving of fats and one serving of protein. Or, for a snack, pair one serving of carbs with either a fat or a protein - so, an apple with peanut butter, or crackers and a Babybel cheese wheel. 

Tip #2: Cut Carbs in Half (Not Out!)

Following the realization that I was eating way too many carbs, the next thing Maya told me was that I should try to pay more attention to serving sizes for carby things like grains and fruits. For example, did you know that one serving of carbs is only half a banana - NOT the whole thing? So, if you're going to have a piece of fruit with that sandwich, you'd best make it an open-faced sandwich to avoid eating too many carbs in one sitting.

However, while I definitely need to cut back on my carb intake (like many of us veggies probably do), I really appreciated that she didn't tell me to cut them out of my diet altogether. Carbs are an important source of fuel for the body, and we need them to survive. Without pasta, bread, and fruit we wouldn't have the energy to go about our daily lives!

Tip #3: Don't Rely on Beans for Protein

Today, I learned something that completely went against everything I learned in school, health class, and online: beans and legumes, while they contain protein, are actually categorized as carbs (much like whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, which also contain some protein). 

First of all, What?!?! As a vegetarian, this explains why my diet has become so carby: in my salads, I rely on things like chickpeas, black beans, and hummus to fulfill my protein intake. Little did I know that I was actually eating more carbs, not counteracting them with protein!

Without beans, I sort of felt like there were no sources of protein left, since I don't like traditional vegetarian sources like tofu or eggs. However, I learned that there's actually a ton of secret protein sources beyond the world of beans! Apparently, cheese, Greek yogurt, nut milk, pea protein (she suggested Amazing Grass or Vega for shakes - though personally, I bought the MRM Veggie Elite in Chocolate Mocha from Amazon - and Beyond Meat for meat substitutes), and even roasted edamame all work toward your daily protein intake. So, quit relying on the beans and start working in new sources of protein! Your body will thank you for it.

Tip #4: Eat Dairy!

In case you haven't caught on yet, one of my favorite things about Maya was that I felt like her nutrition advice was actually realistic. For example, she actually suggested that I eat things like cheese and Greek yogurt as sources of protein.

Coming from a nutritionist, I was pleasantly surprised to hear this advice! I LOVE dairy, yet I feel like everyone from Beyonce to Gwenyth has been ditching it lately. However, the key to doing dairy right, Maya said, was to make sure you keep your sources to the proper portion sizes. For Greek yogurt, that means one cup; for cheese, that means nothing bigger than a stick of string cheese.

Lately the big nutrition push seems to be "Go vegan, go vegan, go vegan," which, as a vegetarian, always makes me feel like I am always failing to live up to some golden standard. So, to hear from a nutritionist that it's actually okay to eat dairy - in moderation, that is - made me feel like I finally deserved a pat on the back!

Tip #5: Make Your Own Salad Dressing

Believe it or not, salads aren't always healthy. According to Maya, not-so-healthy toppings and salad dressings can take an otherwise healthy salad from good to bad real quick. For example, I'm a huge fan of the pesto caesar salad dressing at my school, but creamy salad dressings like caesar tend to be where all the unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium hang out. 

Instead, Maya suggested relying more on oil-based than creamy salad dressings for your healthy fat intake. In fact, if your school offers this option, she said it's probably best to mix your own salad dressing. For example, at BU, all the salad bars have oil and red wine vinegar in them, so I'm a huge fan of putting those together on my salads. Maya also suggested a simple recipe of dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper - I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds incredible!

Tip #6: Swap Greek Yogurt for Mayo

This tip is a simple, yet effective way to cut down on fat and add a little extra protein into your diet! If you're anything like me, you love a little bit of mayo on your sandwiches, or mixed into things like pasta and potato salads. Yet while a little healthy fat is never bad for you, mayo isn't the best thing to put into your body. So, as a nutritious substitute, Maya recommended plain Greek yogurt as a healthy swap for mayonnaise in your diet.

One of the perks of choosing Greek yogurt over mayo  - especially for a vegetarian - is that Greek yogurt counts toward your protein intake for the day. As a vegetarian, I tend to have a hard time incorporating protein into my diet (Disclaimer: I don't like tofu or eggs), so this tip was a total game-changer for me! I predict I will definitely be using this healthy swap to get a little more protein and little less fat in my life.

Tip #7: Snack on Fats Late at Night

Personally, one of the times I tend to snack most often is late-night, usually around 11 or 12. (And I'm sure this is true for many college students, who tend to stay up late studying-slash-procrastinating on Pinterest.) It's during these times that my salty or sweet cravings hit their hardest, and I end up snacking on mini cookie bites or microwave macaroni and cheese cups that I later regret.

To help curb cravings, Maya said that fats are great for a late night snack, as long as you stick to your perfect pairs and match it up with a complementary carb. According to Maya, fats work well for snacking because they help you stay full longer, so they keep you from getting hungry quickly and bingeing on a salty or sweet snack that your body will regret. So, next time you find yourself starving at midnight, reach for some avocado toast or berries and dark chocolate. 

Tip #8: Double Your Water Intake

Finally, you probably knew it was coming, but we can't talk about nutrition without at least mentioning water. Honestly, I was a little embarrassed to admit to Maya that I was only drinking 1-2 water bottles per day. My low water intake is something I've been very conscious of lately and that I am actively trying to change, so I knew she would probably tell me to drink more. However, I was surprised to hear just how much more water she suggested I drink! 

Apparently, as an active college student, I should be drinking about twice as much water as I am right now. That means 3-4 water bottles a day. For me, since my water bottle holds about three cups of water, 3-4 water bottles a day would set me at right about 9-12 glasses of water per day - which seems like a lot! 

Before this, I thought the recommendation was eight glasses a day for everyone - and without Maven, I would have never known the truth! However, there's a good reason why I need to drink so much: since most of my meals are eaten out or in a dining hall, Maya said there's a good chance I'm taking in a lot more sodium than I should be eating in a day. And, what's the best way to flush that extra sodium out of your system? Yup, you guessed it - water! For that reason, college students might actually want to try drinking more water than the average person. Who knew?!

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What's in My Bag?

Disclaimer: All of the opinions in this post are my own. I was not sponsored or compensated in any way for this post. These brands just happen to be the ones I use on a regular basis!

Hello, beautiful! Recently, I was in a bit of a blogging rut, so I ran a Twitter poll with a couple ideas and asked my followers to vote on them. With 50% of the votes, "What's in my purse" won the poll by a landslide! So, for all of you who voted in my Twitter poll, this post is finally here :)

Personally, I love what's in my purse blog posts and YouTube videos. When I got my first purse at around 10 or 11 years old, I relied on them to tell me all of the essentials I had to take with me wherever I went.

Back then - probably since my mom's purse used to be like Hermione's magic bag - I thought it was a sign of maturity to carry around a full purse. Now, I wish I could say that much has changed, but I still carry my entire life with me wherever I go, and I'm still obsessed with ogling the insides of other people's purses.

Not gonna lie, there is a ton of shit stuff in my purse (and in the interest of honesty, I didn't clean it out before I started writing this...eek!), so I'll spare you the lengthy intro and dig right in!

...Literally. Did I mention it's a mess?

The Bag

First and foremost, let's talk about the bag I've been using for about the past two weeks now. 

I bought this Guess satchel at my local T.J. Maxx for about $50.00. Since then, I've looked online and haven't been able to find it anywhere, so I'm guessing it's an older model - or I'm just that special ;) 

I bought it because it was a lot roomier than my old Kate Spade crossbody, so I'd be able to use it to carry my laptop and other essentials to class. (In other words, so I could finally stop using the pink Jansport backpack I've had since high school!) 

As you can see in the photo, the purse is a light lavender-pink color with gray details. It also came with some cute gray tortoiseshell tassels; however, I pulled them off, because even though I thought they were cute, I got annoyed with them flopping around all the time. Plus, this handbag has such a great structured look to it, so I didn't want to compensate that by going too boho with the tassels. Oh, and the lining is printed with a gray leopard print and the word "Guess" written in cursive all over it.

My top three favorite features of this purse, in no particular order, are:

1. The size. I love that I can tote around my laptop, a book, my planner, and all of my extra little notebooks and odds/ends. However, even though it's roomy, the bag is so structured that it doesn't feel bulky no matter how much I put inside it.
2. The lining. I love the pink and gray exterior, but to me, the leopard print lining gives it that little pop of attitude and personality that truly makes this bag unique. 
3. The pockets. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is how many little pockets this purse has! There's a pocket on the outside that's perfect for my phone and keys, two small pockets on the inside where I keep things like tissues and gift cards, and a wider, deeper inner pocket that's perfect for my school ID holder, hand sanitizer, and - let's face it - snacks.

Essentials

Keys. Obviously. But, one thing you might not know about me is I have two different lanyards: one for college and one for home. My BU one just has my dorm key and CVS card on it right now; my home one is where all the fun baubles and keychains hide out.

Wallet.  Right now, I'm using a Primark wallet I got from a friend as a Secret Santa present. I keep my wallet so stuffed that I could probably do a separate post all about it. However, my hands-down favorite thing in my wallet is a photo booth strip of me and Ryan at prom. In the last photo, he tricked me into talking while it was taken, so he's smiling nicely while I look like a mess! 

ID holder. My ID holder is a mint green leather wallet that says Boston University on it. My mom bought it for me at the bookstore on move-in day, and I've held onto it ever since. The only two things I keep inside it are my Terrier Card (aka my school ID) and my Charlie Card (for public transportation), and while it probably seems a little redundant to carry around an ID holder and a wallet, I like to keep my essentials easy to reach.

Planner. My planner was made by Eccolo (which I have never heard of before in my life - I literally just found this out by looking in the back cover). I got it at TJ Maxx for around $8.00. I love it because it's big, with a weekly spread with a to-do list, notes, and daily schedule. Plus, it has the black, minimalist design that's recently become my favorite for all things stationery. 

Bullet journal. After months of hesitation, I finally set up my bullet journal for 2017! I'm currently using a black, unlined Moleskine notebook that came in a three-pack from Target for about $13.00. It's smudgy like nobody's business, but I'm already falling in love with the DIY layouts! 

Notebook. That's right, on top of a planner and a bullet journal, I still carry around a third notebook in my purse. At first, I bought this $5.00 notebook as an impulse buy from TJ Maxx, thinking I was going to use it as a "goal journal" for 2017. However, it's handy to take with me in case of emergency, such as the time I had to take a phone interview for the paper in the parking lot of a library (yup, that actually happened to me).

Laptop (if I wasn't using it right now). One of the reasons I wanted a Mac for Christmas was so I wouldn't have to carry a heavy backpack to class anymore. My laptop is now only about 13" and weighs pretty much nothing. So, after Christmas I went out and bought myself a bigger purse so I could use it as a carryall for school, work and life in general. Now, I don't have to take a backpack anywhere I go - only my purse! (Which explains why it's so packed full of stuff...)

Odds and Ends

(Warning: there's a lot.)

Pens. For obvious reasons, given the number of planners and notebooks in my bag, I always need to carry a pen with me. This one is the same navy blue polka dot pen from Dabney Lee that I featured in my Christmas haul post. I've used it so much since then, I'm pretty sure it's about to run out of ink.

Gift cards. These won't fit in my wallet, so I keep them in a pocket of my purse. In no particular order, I have gift cards to: Target (that was pretty much all I got for Christmas this year - read more about it here), Starbucks, Sephora and Dunkin' Donuts. Oh, and a play card for the local arcade, which uses swipes instead of tokens!

Condoms. Ladies, be prepared - 'nuff said. Also, for all you girls with a latex allergy, the extra-thin Skyn ones changed my life.

Mini colored pencils. These actually came in some cute mail that Northeastern sent me in high school, after I was accepted there early action. Needless to say, I didn't decide to go there, but I still appreciate (and carry around) the swag!

Mini bottle of Aleve. I am allergic to ibuprofen, so this is my go-to painkiller. Mostly I like to stay away from pills whenever I can, but if the anxiety headache is really THAT bad or the cramps are beyond what I can handle, I'm not afraid to pop one when the (worst possible) occasion arises.

Eye drops. I wear my contacts for 12+ hours a day - which is, TBH, much longer than my eye doctor recommends - so obviously, these are great to have on hand. I'm carrying around Visine for contacts - not because I have a preference, but more likely because they were on sale.

Chapstick. For something like the past two years, I haven't even been using a real brand of chapstick. Instead, I've been using this promotional chapstick I got from State Street at a Girl Scout event I went to in high school. Oddly enough, I like it because it doesn't have any tints or flavors. It's basically like carrying around a tube of Vaseline, which is my preferred lip moisturizer when I'm not on the go.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose. Honestly, I have been using this product literally since I discovered Sephora in middle school. I first got a sample of this tinted lip moisturizer as a birthday gift for being part of Sephora's rewards program, and used it so much that it ran out. I missed it so much I had to buy the full size tube. Long story short, this product is amazing to throw on when you're feeling lazy, and you should definitely try it. It leaves my lips feeling glossy and smooth, with just a hint of "my lips, but better" color.

Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Towelettes. I got this deodorant wipe as a free sample from a vegan food festival I went to. It's been sitting in my purse waiting for an emergency ever since. (TBH, I have definitely stepped out of my house without deodorant on since I got it - I just always forget I have it! Note to self: must use this towelette soon.)

Kleenex. It's winter. It's Boston. My nose runs. Sorry, not sorry.

Tampons. I used to be a strictly-pads kind of girl, but recently, I switched to tampons and never looked back. Even when I used pads, Kotex was my favorite brand. They're still the brand I primarily use, but I've also been looking into getting an all-natural subscription service like Cora instead. (Readers: if you've ever used a tampon subscription service before, would you recommend? LMK in the comments!)

Lipstick flash drive. I got this flash drive for Christmas. It's shaped like a tiny Mac lipstick - which is not only adorable, but also a laptop pun, as my friend gleefully pointed out the other day. Embarrassingly enough, it also has more memory on it than my phone. I carry it everywhere because it contains all my files from my old laptop, which I never know when I might need.

Goal slips. Okay, so this is a bit of a weird one - but bear with me while I explain. A few weeks ago, I took Carrie Green's free goal-setting workshop online, and she gave us the tip of creating a "goal jar" with all of your ambitions for 2017. Every day, you pull a goal out of the jar and look at it to inspire yourself. Since I didn't have a cute jar to pull from, I threw my goal slips into a plastic baggie and threw it in my purse for easy access. Kind of a ghetto solution, but hey - it works!

Bath and Body Works hand sanitizers. My love, my life, my obsession. I'm currently carrying two varieties, simply because I forgot one of them was in there and haven't bothered to take the other out: Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte and Aromatherapy Stress Relief, which smells like eucalyptus tea. 

Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip Gloss in Raisin. Not sure why this color is called raisin when it's actually a sheer baby pink, but it's my favorite nonetheless. I wear this lip gloss pretty regularly, for a more natural everyday look. Usually I like it paired with a shimmery nude cat eye, using my new Too Faced natural eyeshadow palette and the Milani liquid liner.

Receipts. I usually let these pile up in my purse until there's so many I can't stand it anymore. These ones are from: Cheeseboy (a grilled cheese restaurant at the local mall), the nail salon, Whole Foods, and the gas station. Normally I don't spend that much money out and about, but we have a family friend visiting from out of town, so we've been trying to take her to visit all the sights! 

Pads. I may be more of a tampon girl now, but I still like to be prepared in case I get uncomfortable, have some kind of infection or ever need to spend the night somewhere.

BU Health Stress Ball. Just before finals, I got to visit a therapy dog on campus. After we got to play with the dog, they handed out these "survival kits" with fun stress relief activities for us to use before finals. This star-shaped stress ball is one of them! Believe it or not, I've found it actually helps a lot when I'm in the middle of an anxiety attack, so I carry it with me whenever I go.

Balance nutrition bar. These protein bars are my FAVORITES for snacking on the go! The one in my purse right now is the Cookie Dough flavor, but I'm an even bigger fan of the Chocolate Craze - which explains how I already ate them all. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth? Oh, and speaking of which, I love that these bars have a low glycemic index (i.e. the protein in them balances out the sugar, so it won't raise your blood sugar), so I can curb my chocolate cravings without ruining an otherwise healthy day! 

Bath and Body Works Mini Ultra Shea Body Cream in French Lavender and Honey. My friend from Wisconsin has been visiting for about the past week. The first day she was here, we went straight to the mall. One of the first places we hit up was Bath and Body Works - which just happened to be having its massive semi-annual sale - so I picked up this hand cream to pop in my purse. I love Bath and Body Works' products because they're so hydrating and luxurious, smell great and don't break the bank. This particular scent is sweet, fresh and floral, and overall one of the best impulse buys I've ever made.

Bath and Body Works Mini Fragrance Mist in Magic in the Air. I bought this scent on the same shopping trip and have literally been OBSESSED with it ever since! As soon as I smelled it, I knew I had to buy it. I think it is a fairly new scent, but TBH I don't go in Bath and Body Works often, so I'm probably just ignorant. Either way, this has quickly become my new go-to! (Previously, I have been equally obsessed with Forever Sunshine, Forever Red, Cashmere Glow, and Warm Vanilla Sugar, in that order.)

Harry Potter Mini Coloring Kit. Okay, so if you saw my Christmas haul post (if not, check it out here), then you already know the whole story of how I ended up with this coloring kit. I have not had the chance to use it yet, but I tucked it in my purse so I could break it out at restaurants and waiting rooms, much like a littler version of me might color on her menu. Needless to say, I don't quite have the "adulting" thing down yet.

Normalized anxious thinking index cards. Last but not least, the final item in my purse is quite a special and personal one for me, and that is my normalized anxious thinking cards. As some of you may know, I'm in therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, so catastrophizing is something I  struggle with fairly often. The workbook I use with my therapist, The Anxiety and Worry Workbook (which, BTW, I 10/10 recommend for anyone who struggles with anxiety disorders), suggested making index cards with normalized reactions to anxious situations that you can refer to when you feel an attack coming on. So, when I'm out in public and start to feel shaky, I can just slip into the bathroom and read a card that reminds me that "I am confident and in control." How cool is that?

There's still time to sign up for the 2017 Whole Body Reset! The FREE challenge starts January 15th at 6 AM EST. 

Want to get my Hustle Hard planner completely FREE? Sign up for the 2017 Whole Body Reset by January 11!

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Best Planners for the New Year (5 Under $50)

Hello, beautiful! I'm excited to be back and blogging after the holidays. For a couple of weeks, I really felt off my game, but now I'm back on the wagon - hopefully stronger than ever!

Today, I thought I'd bring back the 5 Under $50 series I started during Blogmas to talk about one of my all-time favorite subjects: planners!

In my last post, I talked about goals you can set in 2017 to help you get organized, improve your health and overall lead a happier, more inspired life in the New Year (if you missed that post, check it out here!). One of those goals was to start using a planner, if you aren't already.

As a busy college student, using a planner is the most important way I stay organized throughout the year. Every Sunday night, I sit down with my planner to jot down my schedule, make a to-do list, and set goals for the week ahead. It's during that time, when I finally sit down and scribble out the week's details, that all of those commitments - whether it's an event, a homework assignment, a blog post, or a weekly fitness goal - start to really sink in for me.

On Sunday nights, I also used to decorate my planner to the max. Now that I've gotten so busy, my planner isn't nearly as pornographic as it used to be. Instead, I tend more toward a sprinkling of stickers than a decked-out weekly design. However, I still have quite the soft spot for a pretty, decorated planner page and some good, old-fashioned Washi tape!

The planners I've picked out for this week's 5 Under $50 are equal parts pretty and functional - because as a planner enthusiast, I understand how important beautification is to the process of inspiration. In other words, when my planner is pretty and polished, I feel ready to take on the week ahead!

So, with the principles of prettiness and productivity in mind, here are my five picks for the best planners of 2017. Plus, if you make it to the end of this post, you'll find out how you can get my Hustle Hard daily planner page 100% free - a $4.50 value!

This Week Deskpad by The Daily Grace Co.

Not all planners have to be thick, heavy notebooks with a daily page-by-page design. This minimalist deskpad from the Daily Grace Co. boasts a column for each weekday and week pad, as well as an inspiring quote from the scripture. With fifty 8.5x11 in. sheets, this floral planner can be handily kept on your desk to help you organize all of your thoughts midday, or plan for the day ahead by night. Get it for $16.00 here.

Sugar Paper Kraft Weekly Planner by Target

This planner offers everything a girl could possibly need to stay organized and productive for 2017! In the weekly layout, you not only have space to fill in your daily schedule, but also to make helpful lists like your top three weekly tasks/goals, what you need to call/email/buy this week, and important reminders of all the things you shouldn't forget. Bonus: the pastel and kraft paper design is super chic! For just $14.99, why wouldn't you spring for this awesome, adorable 2017 planner? Get it from Target.

Lady of Leisure 17-month Large Agenda by Ban.do

This lady of leisure floral planner by ban.do evokes the sophisticated glamour of well-established designer brands like Lilly Pulitzer and Kate Spade, while still offering a cheeky, modern spin on the classic agenda. My hands-down favorite part of this model is all the tiny little bonuses they tack on. From stickers to laminated tabs, you certainly get your money's worth when you invest in ban.do's design! Plus, for just $5.00 extra, you can even have the planner personalized with your initials. Get it for $32.00 here.

The 100-Day Happiness Planner

In my opinion, this design is one of the most unique planners on the market! The 100-Day Happiness Planner is an undated agenda to help you focus on mindfulness, happiness, and more in the New Year. In addition to the classic daily pages, this planner also features activities and prompts to help you bring more positivity into your life in 2017. Plus, its daily pages will even help you improve your body as well as your mind, with places to log your exercises, meals, and more. For just $28.00, the payoff on this planner - a healthier, happier you - is well worth the investment. Get it here.

2017 Rosa 17-Month Planner by Rifle Paper Co. 

Finally, to close out this planner roundup, I've included a classic, chic design from Rifle Paper Co. The Rosa floral print is paired with a shimmery gold foil, to help you organize your life in style. Its minimalist layout even includes pages for important dates, contacts, and notes - meaning this planner earns points for beauty and functionality. With such a pretty planner, it shouldn't be hard to get - and keep - your sh*t together in 2017! This planner is sold out at Rifle Paper Co., but luckily, you can still get it from Nordstrom for $35.00. Check it out here.

BONUS: 

Sign up for the 2017 Whole Body Reset by Wednesday, January 11th & get my "Hustle Hard" printable daily planner page completely free! 

Want to get my Hustle Hard planner completely FREE? Sign up for the 2017 Whole Body Reset by January 11!

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How to Achieve Your Goals in the New Year

Hello, beautiful! Recently, I've spent a lot of time thinking about goals: goals for my blog, goals for my personal life, setting goals, how to achieve them, etc. etc. etc.

I recently attended an amazing webinar by businesswoman Carrie Green on setting and achieving your goals in 2017 (side note, but comment below if you'd be interested in hearing what I learned, because I'd love to post about it!) that got me thinking about this upcoming year. Before Carrie's webinar, I never really gave much thought to how I was going to achieve any of my big dreams for 2017.

Listening to all of the incredible, inspiring things she had to say convinced me that I should do more to attack my goals and craft the life I want in the new year. However, though Carrie helped me set goals and get inspired to overcome the challenges ahead, I realized I also needed some tools to get me to the finish line.

I'm a firm believer that when your physical and mental health are aligned with your big dreams, that's when the most magic (i.e. productivity) happens. That's why I created the 2017 Whole Body Reset, a weeklong challenge designed to help us create the body and mindset that are going to help us achieve our goals in 2017.

For a week, we're going to be meditating, journaling, and thinking about our goals for the new year - not to mention, getting into some of the best shape of our lives! While I designed the challenge with motivated millennials in mind, it's perfect for almost anyone, from the overworked mom of three to the single career girl living it up in NYC. Not to mention, this program is completely and 100% FREE to join! 

Join the 2017 Whole Body Reset by clicking here!

The challenge starts January 8th, so be sure to sign up while you still have the chance. Meanwhile, let's talk about goals.

Some of us probably already know what we want to achieve in 2017. You're the ones who have had their New Year's resolutions set since February of 2016, who set weekly and monthly goals for yourselves, and who have rigidly followed the same five-year plan for years now.

Until about a week ago, that person was not me. I was the person who had a basic idea of what she wanted to achieve - for example, growing Haley Marie and tackling the personal challenges that come with my anxiety - but needed a little extra guidance to set and start working toward concrete goals.

Then, I signed up for Carrie's webinar and everything changed. I went out and bought a notebook specifically for setting blog and personal goals in the New Year. I made a list of New Year's resolutions, big and small, and started thinking about ways that I could achieve them starting now.

Carrie's webinar gave me the push I needed to (finally) get inspired for 2017. Now, I want to pay it forward by sending that push over to you.

If you're the person who might be feeling a little "meh" about 2017, who's behind on setting her New Year's resolutions and isn't sure what goals to set or how to achieve them, this post is for you. So, here are 17 goals we could all use some improvement on in 2017. Plus, scroll to the end and you'll get a few of my insider tricks on how to tackle them like a #girlboss!

1. Track your water intake every day.

I think it's safe to say that everyone could stand to drink a little more water in 2017. (Spoiler alert: we'll be doing this as part of the 2017 Whole Body Reset!) While technically it's recommended that we drink 8-12 glasses of any fluid per day - i.e. not just water - water is probably one of the healthiest things you can drink. It's sugar-free, calorie-free, and, if it's filtered, free of any chemicals or pollutants that will clog up your system.

Most of us probably aren't drinking enough - but maybe you are and you don't even know it! Either way, tracking your water intake is a great way to get a handle on your basic hydration level and what you can do to improve it. You can track how much water you're drinking pretty easily, in an app, bullet journal, planner, or whatever medium you like! I usually track mine using Pacifica, a multifaceted app I use to track my anxiety and healthy habits to help curb it. But however you choose to sip it, drinking more water is a great habit to track, so grab your favorite water bottle and get hydrated in 2017!

2. Meditate 5-10 minutes every day.

A lot of us know we want to get healthier in 2017, but are probably overlooking the importance of our mental health as well as our physical health. You could be fitter than Jillian Michaels on the outside, but on the inside, you might be completely out of shape! Chronic stress can cause everything from headaches to depression to heart disease. When left unchecked, stress can even alter your thought patterns, making you more prone to catastrophizing and other negative thinking habits that might be making you unhappy without you even knowing it. That's why meditation is such a powerful secret weapon for your brain. 

If you're anxious or prone to overthinking like I am, meditation might feel hard the first time you try it. However, the goal of meditation isn't to shut your brain off, but to make peace with whatever you're thinking about. Whether you find that your mind is chaotic or still, meditating will help you find a little rest and relaxation in even the craziest of days. Not to mention, you'll learn to observe and honor rather than ignore your feelings, so you'll soon be able to recognize the days when your mind and body might need a little extra TLC. 

There are lots of ways to meditate - no matter what you've heard, it's truly as easy as closing your eyes and observing your breath - but personally, I like to use an app like Meditation Studio ($3.99 for iOS and Android) or Calm (free for iOS, Android, and web). And if you aren't sure where to start, sign up for the 2017 Whole Body Reset! As part of the challenge, I'll be emailing you a week's worth of recommendations in Meditation Studio.

3. Sign up for a fitness class, get a gym membership, or join a free fitness challenge.

Okay, so this is basically the quintessential New Year's resolution - we've all seen how gym membership tends to skyrocket in January and plummet again a month later. However, chances are that most of us aren't getting the 3-5 days of 30+ minutes of exercise per week that the federal government recommends, so trying to get fitter in the new year is always a commendable goal! 

The plus side of adopting the same New Year's resolution as pretty much everyone else is that a lot of gyms and fitness studios are running promotions for the holiday, where you can get a gym membership or class pass at a discounted rate. However, if you'd rather fly solo than become a gym bunny, you can just as easily walk into a Target and leave with a yoga mat and dumbbells. 

A lot of fitness blogs also run free challenges this time of year that you can follow either on your own, or with a friend-slash-community of other fans. For example, I'll be following (well, trying to) the 2017 Tone It Up Challenge this year! Or, if you're looking for something a little more low-key, you can join my 2017 Whole Body Reset. We'll be working out two times over the course of our week together, as well as focusing on mind and body fitness with activities like meditation, tracking our water intake, and more!

4. Start using a planner or bullet journal.

Planning-slash-bullet-journaling grew in popularity in 2016, and I suspect it will only continue to do so in 2017! I love that getting organized is finally becoming cool again - and as an added bonus, it means that my local Michael's is always chock full of adorable planner stickers. However, if the sheer thought of planning doesn't rev you up, just remember that people who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them! 

The best thing about planing is you can easily adopt it to fit your personal lifestyle and needs. For some people, a physical planner or bullet journal works great; for others, an app or their iPhone's calendar does the trick just as well. Me, I'm a fan of using a good, old-fashioned planner. I picked it up for about $8.00 at my local TJ Maxx, spruced up the pages with some $4.00 stickers from Michael's, and am absolutely hooked. 

My favorite way to use my planner is to fill in my goals and tasks at the beginning of the week. While I personally don't schedule a set day or time to do this, you might decide to set aside 15-20 minutes every Sunday or Monday and schedule a reminder on your phone or calendar. Or, you could just as easily fill in your planner as the week goes along! Whatever method you choose, make sure you pick the one that works best for you, to help hold you accountable for all the tasks, goals, and events you have going on throughout your busy life.

5. Wake up at the same time every day.

Have you ever noticed that hitting the snooze button each morning - or worse, waking up without an alarm on the weekends, sometime around 12 noon or 1 PM (nope, that's definitely not me) - actually leaves you feeling more tired? Yep, I'm raising my hand right now, too! 

Believe it or not, sleeping in on the weekends to "catch up" on sleep doesn't actually help you at all, and may actually be the reason you roll out of bed feeling so lethargic every Saturday morning, even though you just got 10+ hours of sleep. Waking up at the same time every day is an easy way to fix this common problem. For college students, that goal can be especially tricky, seeing as your class schedule may not be the same every day. Trust me, I know better than anyone how hard it is to get out of bed at 8 AM when your first class isn't until 10. But in the long run, I think it's worth it to set that alarm at 8 every day to make sure you have more energy to accomplish everything you need to get done. 

If you're not into waking up early, an easy way to "trick" yourself into getting out of bed is to do it gradually. Start by setting your alarm at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, 9:00 AM on Wednesday, 8:30 AM on Thursday, etc. until you finally get to your desired waking time. (For me, around 7:30 AM is ideal.) Oh, and here's a trick I stole from Ryan! To resist hitting snooze when that 8 AM alarm rolls around, put your phone or alarm clock across the room so you have to stand up to turn it off. Once you've already gotten up to walk across the room, you won't see a point anymore in crawling back under the covers.

6. Write a five-year plan.

Personally, I never saw a point in having a five-year plan until I was a senior in high school. Some of my friends had planned the next five-to-ten years of their lives out to a perfect T, and I basically felt like I was wandering around aimlessly (even though that wasn't the case). But the way I saw it, plans constantly change anyways, so who was I to say what the next five years of my life are going to look like? 

In reality, a five-year plan is more of a set of guidelines than a rigid step-by-step playbook for your life. The point of a five-year plan is to guide you through choosing what classes might work best for your major and what internships will help you get to where you want to be after graduation, not to keep you from saying yes to going on a date with that guy or going out with your sorority sisters because it's not "part of the plan." As a college student who's preparing for a future career, there's a tremendous benefit in having the next five years of your life roughly planned out.

On the other hand, there's also an unspoken agreement that yes, plans change. Your life won't always go the way you want it to. The guy you thought you were going to marry in five years might dump you at the three-year mark. The internship that was supposed to get you through year four might wind up going to one of your classmates instead. Life is full of disappointments, as well as happy surprises - and you would never want to let a five-year plan stop you from taking a better opportunity when it's handed to you. However, as long as you don't take it too seriously, a five-year plan can seriously help you make better decisions for your academic, personal, and career life. 

So, if you don't already have one, make 2017 the year that you finally write up that five-year plan! Your future self will thank you five years from now, when you're trying to get into grad school, taking that amazing job, or moving in with the one you love.

7. Read a self-improvement book for 15-30 minutes every day.

This was my personal New Year's resolution for 2017! Needless to say, I'm currently writing this blog post instead of fulfilling it...but before you start screaming "HYPOCRITE!" and throwing your drinks in my face, Ryan and I have plans to go to the library tomorrow so I can get started ASAP :) Remember, these things take time! (No, that's not an excuse, leave me alone!!)

After completing Carrie Green's webinar, I found myself so engrossed by all of her advice that I vowed to read her book, She Means Business, as quickly as I could possibly get my hands on it! That's where the idea for my New Year's resolution came about. 

I love hearing inspiring advice from other entrepreneurs and millennials who have their hearts set on accomplishing amazing things. For me, other bloggers, businesspeople, and my celebrity icons are my primary source of inspiration. I also love getting ideas for new habits I can adopt that will help bring me greater success. Reading self-improvement books helps me combine both of these loves for some major inspiration in 2017! 

On my list so far are She Means Business by Carrie Green, How to be richer, smarter, and better looking than your parents by Zac Bissonette, and Living Well With Anxiety: What you doctor doesn't tell you - that you need to know by Carolyn Chambers Clark. (Other titles desperately needed - leave your best book suggestions in the comments below!)

My Foolproof Secret for Achieving Your Goals

Now that you've picked one of my seven suggestions or set your own goals for 2017, how do you hold yourself accountable for achieving them without a) giving up, b) failing epically, or c) forgetting about them altogether? The answer is SMART goals! 

I first learned about SMART goals when I was in Girl Scouts as an elementary schooler. Every year when we started selling cookies again, my troop leaders (shoutout to Mom for being a co-leader for eight of my twelve years!) talked to us about SMART goals and had us set our own.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Setting goals with these five characteristics is my almost foolproof way to ensure that I reach my goals by the end of 2017. Here's a quick rundown on how to make sure that your goals hit all of these points:

Specific: How many times have you failed to reach a goal such as "Exercise more" or "Drink more water" because you weren't quite sure what you meant by "more"? When you don't set specific enough goals, your thinking goes from determined and focused to a little something like this: Okay, should I exercise three times a week or four? Drink eight glasses of water or ten? Does going to the gym once this week count, because it's more than what I used to do before? Ugh, I might as well not go at all now! That's why "Exercise three times a week every week for a month" is a much better goal than "Exercise more"! 

Measurable: Another problem with goals like "Exercise more" and "Drink more water" is that by the end of 2017, you'll have no idea if you've reached them or not. Does once a week count, or should you only count weeks where you exercised two or three times? Does it count if you drank tea or coffee as well as water? It's important to set specific parameters for success every time you set a new goal, so you have some way to measure and describe what you've achieved. Additionally, every good goal needs numbers to truly be measurable: it's much easier to tell if you "Exercised three times a week" or "Drank eight glasses of water every day" than it is to tell if you "Exercised more" or "Drank more water."

Attainable: For a goal to be SMART, you have to be able to reach it. The problem with a goal with no set parameters such as "Exercise more" or "Drink more water" is that you can't ever really reach a point where you know you've achieved it. Even if you get to a point where you're exercising seven days a week and drinking an entire gallon of water every day, theoretically there is still always room to "Exercise more" or "Drink more." That's why it's so important to make your goals specific and measurable - setting those parameters is what makes them attainable!

Realistic: "Exercise three times a week every week for a month" is a realistic goal. "Run seven days a week, do one hour of yoga five days a week, and lift weights three times a week, every week, for the rest of your life" might not be. The thing about setting realistic goals is they have to be realistic for your lifestyle. Since everyone is different, "Exercise three days a week" might be a realistic goal for you, while for someone else who's used to working out a lot more, "Exercise six days a week" might be equally realistic. Setting realistic goals ensures that you're able to reach your goals (i.e. that your goals are attainable), so that you don't wind up disappointed that you didn't climb Mount Everest or jump out of a plane without a parachute by the end of 2017.

Timely: Finally, every goal needs a deadline. Setting a goal without a deadline is what enables you to keep putting off "Exercising three days a week" indefinitely. Timeliness makes "Exercise three days a week every week for the month of January" a much better goal than "Exercise three days a week." Even if "Exercise three days a week" gives you a measurable parameter to achieve, without that deadline, you won't know when to review your progress and see how far you've come. Keeping your goals timely makes it easier to tell when you've succeeded (and when you haven't).

Put those five characteristics together, and you get a SMART goal - my secret to making my goals foolproof and easy to attain! What are your secrets for goal-setting in 2017? Connect with me on social media @haleymarieblog and let me know - I'd love to hear them! 

Want to achieve your goals this year? Sign up for 2017 Whole Body Reset!

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