This is How to Become a Morning Person

One of my guilty pleasures is reading posts and articles about how to be more productive. (Nerdy.) I also enjoy reading up on the morning routines of successful business people. (Nerdy x2.)

I've always been a morning person, but in high school I used to use the time to apply makeup and obsess over my hair while watching E News. Now that I'm (eek) 20 years old, I want to start being more efficient.

So, I'm passing on what knowledge I've gathered and letting you know how it worked for me. I always got up between 6 and 6:30 for school last semester, but I decided to carry that routine to my winter break. (I know...I'm insane!) School starts Tuesday for me, so now, hopefully I'll be perfectly used to getting up early.

So, let's start by taking a look at my morning routine. And for arguments sake, let's say it's a Monday on break and I have errands to run.

And if it's a school morning....

So how can you get up early and be productive?

Go to bed on time and minimize distractions
I read that to really make yourself tired, you should get off your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Typically, I'll read or watch HGTV (heehee, addicted) and then I'll flip on my new essential oils diffuser (similar: here) and call it a night.

The "you have 5 more minutes alarm"
I've read the articles that say it's best to wake up on the first alarm, but that just doesn't work for me. I set an alarm five minutes before I really need to get up, so I can start telling myself it's time to get moving. I'll get up at that point and flick on the light, so my eyes can adjust and I'll throw off the covers to get used to the freezing morning!

Water first, coffee second
Water wakes you up more than caffeine does because it starts to fuel your body and recover you from your dehydrated state. My room is on the second level in my house at school, so I keep a cup up there to remind me to get water first before anything else.

Tackle your biggest to-do's first
I tend to schedule all appointments in the morning already because traffic is better. As far as large tasks for the day go (i.e. turning in blog pitches, post deadlines, errands that require me to leave the house), tackling those first will always help you to be more productive. By the afternoon, all that's left to get done is the little things!

For school, I schedule my classes in the morning, so that by lunch I can start studying and getting assignments done.

Do something to wake your mind up
I personally love to workout! My new years resolution was to get more into running, so lately I've been getting in a couple miles to start my day.

I remember my Grandpa would always do crossword puzzles while he had his coffee. His mind was at work, but at the same time he was relaxing and easing into the day. Maybe try reading TheSkimm or doing some mindfulness coloring.

Don't waste time on your phone
My productivity is at the very lowest if I'm on my phone a lot first thing in the morning. I do give myself a chance to check Twitter and Instagram because I go to sleep so early that I miss so much, haha. I'll keep an eye on the clock and make sure I don't spend more than a few minutes or else it's bad news bears.

Have an accountability partner
A lot of people value having an accountability partner when it comes to trying to eat healthy or workout, but I think it also proves beneficial to have one for waking up early. Grab a friend who wants to meet up before classes and get coffee or talk your sister into getting up a bit earlier with you to walk the dog.

Cam is also a pretty early riser and we both like to get things done at the beginning of the day, so we love to run morning errands together or have breakfast dates.



Well, ya'll...good luck if you want to try to get up earlier! If you're feeling lonely in the wee hours of the morning, find me on Twitter or snapchat me (cristina.snaps) because Lord knows I'm definitely up and working to seize the day!

X,

Cristina

5 Shopping Hacks to Help Your Style

Oh my gosh is this a fashion post?! I think it is! 

I asked ya'll on Twitter you wanted to see in 2016 and aside from the occasional beauty post,you wanted some more fashion/outfit related posts. I'm happy to deliver!

Another resolution I've heard for 2016 is to improve personal style. For me, I love to do this by investing in staple pieces and really developing a style "palette" to stick to. Shopping for some updates to your closet can be overwhelming and a bit stressful, but I have some tips for you today that are sure to help you put your best foot forward in terms of your fashion!

Before shopping, use Pinterest as a research tool

I like to spend some time on Pinterest before I head out to the mall to give me some inspiration for what I'm looking for. If I recently got a new skirt in the mail that I need something to go with, I'll look up different ways to style it and save the pictures of the ones I like best to my phone. 

Set up a special savings account for clothing

I know it seems a little silly, but this trick really works. Let's say you set aside 15 dollars a month. In 3 months, you could buy a new pair of pumps for your sorority formal or a couple new tops for the next season. If the biggest thing holding you back from investing in a couple staples is inadequate funding, budget to be able to shop! 

Thanks to Phil for the Kate Spade gift card! I'm loving my new wallet. 

Keep a "Fashion directory"

Using a notebook or binder and pick your top 5 favorite places to shop. In your directory, write down when each store has their major sales such as a semi annual sale or an anniversary sale. You can even transfer this information to your phone calendar, so that you shop your favorite items when they are on sale and get the most of your money. Your closet will thank you!

You don't always need to get something new

Grow out of something? Get it tailored for a just a few dollars. Oil stains on your favorite handbag? Baby powder will take them right out. Get the shine back in your patent shoes with Windex. 

Get something that is made perfect for you

With the online shopping craze, we often find ourselves purchasing something from the comfort of our own homes, but being disappointed when it arrives and doesn't fit quite like we wanted it to. 

I have to gush for a second about eShakti. First off, the clothes on their site are cute and classic. But not only that, their customizable. 

I picked out a great, feminine skirt that I thought would be perfect for layering in the cold or for an afternoon meeting. I'm calling it my Blair Waldorf skirt, because well...you get the picture. I was able to make it my own by not only getting to pick my size, but how I wanted the length of the skirt to be, whether I wanted pockets or not, and how I wanted the waistband to look.

The options are endless, so 10/10 recommend if you need a Blair Waldorf outfit in your closet, too. 

This post was made possible by the sweet people at eShakti. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

X,

Cristina

What My Teenage Years Taught Me

Today I'm feeling a little nostalgic. My teen years were a whirlwind of dance performances, hair straightening, love, and loss. I decided that today would be a perfect day to round up the lessons I learned from the years that made me who I am today.


Best friends might not be forever, but that's ok
People aren't just put in your life for a reason, but also sometimes for a season. The teen years are a prime time for relationships to come and go, and it's best not to fret over it too much. I learned a lot from the people that were (and are) my friends from my teenage years.

Follow your passions, even if they are different from others
In middle school, my passion was for choir even though that wasn't what a lot of my friends were doing. It sounds silly, but doing my own thing then helped me to be more comfortable with following my passions in the future. Plus, I can sing all four harmonies for 'Carol of the Bells' so like...mess with me.

Boys aren't always like the boys in the Taylor Swift songs
And that's because they're boys. And you're 13. So chill.

A purple smokey eye is not for you
'nuff said.

When it feels like "the world is ending", it probably isn't
I stressed and cried over a lot of things in my teens. My big economics project, my dance auditions, fights with friends....and here I am today, still standing and living to tell the tale. In some of those moments when my stress level was at a 10 and I had the zits to prove it, I felt like nothing would ever get better. I have to remind myself this often nowadays - everything will be fine. The world is not ending. This just sucks. I will get through it.

I'm super excited for this next chapter of my life! I'm so glad I have all of you to share it with.
Thanks for celebrating with me!

X,

Cristina