A Letter to Santa | Blogmas Day 5
Posted on December 16, 2018
Dear Santa,
I haven’t written to you in so long. Perhaps it was because any time you wrote back, you used ink from our printer and that added up… not cool. But I miss writing you and feeling all the magic in the air whenever I’d get a response. I really miss how exciting Christmas used to be. But now I’m 20 and I no longer ask for toys under the tree.
This year, I have other things in mind.
With one semester in the books, I’ve run out of a lot of the necessities for a college student- determination and patience. I’d love if you could replenish me. I have a very tough spring semester coming up and that would help a lot.
Also, this crazy weather… can you control that? I’m tired of wearing snow boots one day and rain boots the next. I know Ohio is notorious for the bipolar weather, but maybe just this Christmas we could make an exception. I don’t drive, so I always have to plan my grocery shopping around the warm days that I can walk to the store in. It would be nice if we could have warm weather (relatively warm for winter anyway) before Christmas. But of course we need to have snow on the ground by the 25th. If you could talk to Mother Nature or whoever is in charge, that would be awesome.
I’d also like to ask for a wonderful holiday with my family. I want to be in the Christmas spirit this year. I want us all to be. I want to be able to enjoy the season without my mind being preoccupied this year. So many Christmases have gone to waste and I don’t need it to happen again.
Finally, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for being such a huge part of my childhood. Thank you for giving me something magical to believe in. Thank you for proving to me that an imagination can fight the war in our minds.
Sincerely,
The Heart of a Little Girl
A Gifting Guide To Make Holiday Shopping Easier | Blogmas Day 4
Posted on December 15, 2018
Does anyone else get stressed out over gift giving? Don’t know what to get someone?
I worked really hard on a video that was supposed to be posted today, but in WordPress’s good fashion, it won’t upload… even after 2 whole days of loading. You could say I’m a little distraught. But instead of moping, I buckled down and prepared a replacement post for everyone. In yesterday’s post I said I’m not very good at making gift guides, but I decided to challenge myself today. I chose a few different categories and compiled some different gift ideas that your loved ones would be sure to love. I even added some purchasing links for you guys! I hope you enjoy!
Book Worms
A Bullet Journal
They read enough books, so maybe it’s time they create one of their own!
A Kindle
For the readers on the go who can’t always get to the bookstore.
Amazon Gift Card
So they can get some new books for their new kindle 😉
https://www.amazon.com/gift-cards/b/?ie=UTF8&node=2238192011&ref=nav_cs_gift_cards
Custom Photo Books BY YOU
Shutterfly offers printed copies of books you can create by yourself!
https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books
Gym-holics
Fitness Apparel
It’s always a confidence booster to know you look good while you’re working out!
Water Bottles
You can never have enough water while you’re at the gym, so why not have some cute water bottles by your side?
Tennis Shoes
A new pair to a gym-holic’s collection is always exciting!
Duffle Bag
Obviously it would be helpful to have something to carry all the new gear in!
Earbuds
It’s a little rude to play your pump up playlist loudly for everyone to hear, so a pair of earbuds could really come in handy.
Phone Strap
Can’t work out with your phone in your hand, can you?
Makeup Gurus
Morphe Eyeshadow Palettes
Morphe has AMAZING palettes that any makeup lover can’t live without.
THE JACLYN HILL EYESHADOW PALETTE
24G GRAND GLAM EYESHADOW PALETTE
Brush Sets
Can’t apply the shadow without brushes!
Travel Bags
I never realized how important travel bags are for makeup until I had to haul all my makeup everywhere I went.
Face Masks
A great way to pamper your skin after wearing lots of makeup.
https://www.sephora.com/product/sheet-masks-P429529?icid2=products%20grid:p429529:product
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for College Students| Blogmas Day 3
Posted on December 14, 2018
Hi guys! So as you may have noticed, a holiday podcast was not uploaded today. I have some bad news…
Technology hates me today.
My laptop lost all of my pre-recorded podcasts. I didn’t notice until it was too late to re-record everything. And if that wasn’t enough to make me feel completely defeated, I also can’t upload the video for tomorrow. I’ve had the same page up for hours trying to get tomorrow’s video to load in order to draft it for the next day, but it seems like nothing is working.
I plan to leave the page up overnight in hopes that it will somehow upload by tomorrow and be able to be posted on time, but just in case it doesn’t work out for me, I’ll have a back up post ready to go up at the regularly scheduled time. I promise.
Since I can’t post a podcast today, I decided I could do a gifting guide. Then I realized I’m awful at that. So then I thought it could be fun to come up with some super inexpensive ideas for stocking stuffers. Stockings are always the first thing my family goes to when we wake up on Christmas morning. It’s like pregaming without the alcohol.
So here’s a list of stocking suffer suggestions from yours truly. Enjoy them, or don’t. It was a last minute idea so my feelings won’t be hurt too bad.
Candy
I think this one is a given. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t get some sort of candy in their stocking. Hershey kisses in those candy cane plastic tubes are super cute and festive. I love those. I don’t really care for regular candy canes that much, but they also serve as pretty cool stuffers too.
Movies
Walmart always has the $5 movie bins, so you could potentially strike gold and get some classics in the stocking! It’s always fun to watch a movie when there’s time off between classes and homework assignments, so getting a new DVD can also serve as motivation to get assignments done early.
Socks
Everyone knows you can’t go wrong with socks. I just bought some cute pairs at Walmart today- $5 for two pairs. It’s inexpensive and bound to contribute to many comfortable nights down the road. This is an especially good gift for those who are older because comfort is so much more important to us than flashy presents. Especially when we’re walking on cold floors and through 20 degree weather going to class.
Chapstick
Winter is infamous for drying out lips. If you think this is boring, you can always opt for cake batter, pink lemonade, or root beer flavored chapsticks. These may not be conventional, but they sure do come in handy.
Scrunchies
This one is definitely directed toward females, but it’s such a good idea I couldn’t ignore it. Scrunchies are coming back and they’re so cute! You can get so many different patterns and materials, making each one so unique. They’re perfect for days when you sleep in late but still want to make yourself look a little put together. They can pull so many outfits together, even when you forget to brush your hair!
Nail Polish
Getting new nail polishes can always brighten someone’s day. They’re so cost efficient and fun to get creative with. You could go with red, green and blue for the holidays, or you could pick any other color under the sun to add to someone’s collection! It’s so much cheaper (and more convenient) to paint your nails yourself than get them professionally done when you’re dealing with a student’s budget.
Gift Cards
If all else fails, gift cards are the way to go. My family usually goes for the iTunes gift cards that can be used for apps or music. For college students, perhaps gift cards for near by restaurants would be just as valuable.
These are just a few ideas of inexpensive gifts you can stuff in your college student’s stocking this Christmas. Keep an eye out for more ideas based on things they use a lot and could always use more of.
My Holiday Wishlist | Blogmas Day 2
Posted on December 13, 2018
Christmas is 12 days away, and I haven’t been asking for too much. Sure, I have a fair share of things I wouldn’t mind being gifted, but I don’t think it’s important for me to get anything anymore. I thought it would be cool if I made a list of things that would be on my wishlist so you guys could possibly add them to yours! I’ve even gone so far as to add links to purchase these items if you really don’t think you can live without them.
- The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
https://www.target.com/p/princess-saves-herself-in-this-one-paperback-amanda-lovelace/-/A-51893262
- She Felt Like Feeling Nothing by R.H. Sin
https://www.target.com/p/she-felt-like-feeling-nothing-by-r-h-sin-paperback/-/A-53392968
- Dark Between Stars: Poems by Atticus
https://www.target.com/p/dark-between-stars-poems-by-atticus-paperback/-/A-53780027
- Rivet Distressed Global Arrow Stripe Duvet Cover Set
- Bourina Sofa Couch Throw (beige)
- Shimmering Wish Ring
- Radiant Teardrop Ring
https://us.pandora.net/en/radiant-teardrop-ring-clear-cz/196251CZ.html?navid=xsellpdppv
- LED Ring Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JIBWCX4/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
- Liz Claiborne Lc Celina Pumps
The First Day of Blogmas! | Blogmas Day 1
Posted on December 12, 2018
Happy December 12th! It’s officially the start of 12 Days of Blogmas!
I know most participants of Blogmas opt to write the first 12 days of December, but I was so busy with school and finals to do that. However, I didn’t want to leave everybody hanging all December long, so Blogmas starts today. Like it or not, it’s happening.
I haven’t done Blogmas before, so this could (and probably will) be a train wreck. I follow few blogs that are participating in Blogmas, and ultimately inspired me to give it a try. I’ll link my favorite Blogmas participants below for everyone to check out!
I have never been extremely festive throughout Christmas season. I love seeing family and spending time with loved ones, but I’m not one to go see Christmas lights, visit with Santa, or go ice skating like so many others do this time of year. Maybe by doing Blogmas it will get me into the Christmas spirit. That would be quite the Hallmark film, wouldn’t it?
I uploaded by upload schedule a while ago, but if you haven’t seen it here it is again.
December 12
Welcome to Blogmas!
December 13
My Holiday Wishlist
December 14
Podcast
December 15
Gingerbread Decorating
December 16
Letter to Santa
December 17
Old Christmas Photos and Memories
December 18
Winter Tag
December 19
Tracking Santa
December 20
The Best Christmas Movies
December 21
Podcast
December 22
Christmas Cookie Recipes
December 23
December Photo Diary
December 24
Santa’s Coming!
I’m really excited to start Blogmas. If you’re feeling festive, check out these other bloggers and their Blogmas posts! They’ve got some awesome posts up so far to ring in the Christmas season!
https://jirahmerizz.wordpress.com
https://nicolesniches.wordpress.com
Advice to High School Seniors Looking into Colleges
Posted on December 5, 2018
I’m writing this with one week left of my first semester at University. As you all may know by now, I attended a semester of community college in Fall of 2017, but chose to take the next semester off to focus on a career path that I really enjoyed at the time. However, that career ended abruptly (by choice) and I decided to go back to school.
Picking the right school for me was extremely easy. I first visited CSU when I was a junior in high school and my school offered a field trip to tour the campus. I immediately fell in love with the area and everything the school had to offer. I knew right away that I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I was sold on Cleveland State. Looking back at it, I should have done a lot more research before committing to CSU. I don’t regret my decision, but I sometimes wonder if I would have been amazed by any other campus had I opened my mind to other schools.
My sister is a graduating senior in high school this year, and she has decided on following my lead in becoming a fellow Viking at CSU come Fall 2019. This was a decision that was urged by many financial and convenience matters. However, she did have many other options on the table.
I originally wanted to post this before she made her final decision, but I figure if I do it now, it may help someone else too. I compiled my best tips and tricks to finding the perfect college for you. These are all things I wish I knew before I chose CSU. I really love my school, but I could have done some things differently. So please, please, take these tips into account before you chose the school you will spend the next four (or more) years at.
1. Have a good idea of what majors you plan to study.
Yes, I said majors. Have backups and plenty of them. There is a good chance that you will want to change your major at some point. You will want to know that the college you are going to will offer great opportunities and educations for whatever you may change your major to.
2. Don’t follow friends.
Those of you who haven’t listened to the episode Meg on the Mic with Zach, I briefly discussed the backlash I received for “following” my boyfriend to college. I explained that I wanted to attend CSU before I dated Zach. I just planned on attending after another year at a community college. However, the idea of having a friend who was going through the same freshman experiences as me encouraged me to skip the second year at community college. It made things so much more exciting and it gave me strength since I’m such a scaredy-cat.
BUT I really encourage everyone to branch out if possible. If you and your best friend both happen to chose the same school, that’s great. But please don’t base your college decision on where your friends are going. College is your time to make new friends and make memories with new people. Sure, you can still do this with your old friends, but sometimes it’s easier to be thrown into a pool of strangers believe it or not. I’ve made a lot of friends in classes full of people who were in the same situation as me- alone.
3. Reach out to people who attend schools you’re interested in.
This helps a lot with getting the feel for a college. Campus tours are meant to really fluff up the campus, student life, and education programs. The only true way you will know what a school is like before attending yourself is to talk to someone who currently goes there. Even better- talk to someone majoring in the same thing as you. Remember, tour guides are often times students who are paid to say certain things to you while you’re on your tour. Talking to students who aren’t obligated to hype up the campus will be brutally honest and answer all your questions without holding anything back.
4. Consider location.
Are you planning on bringing a car? Are you allowed to bring a car? Do you want to be close to home? Far from home? Near certain resources? These are all important questions to answer. I live about an hour away from campus, and I’ve found that it’s the perfect distance for me. I don’t have a car (I don’t drive. I think we’ve been over this) so I can’t get home by myself in case of emergency. But I can always rely on a family member or friend coming to get me since it’s not too much of a trip. It’s a good distance to test my independence while still have my family a drive away if I need them. Maybe that’s not for you though. Maybe you want to be far away from home. If you think you can do it, go for it.
5. Don’t disregard schools because of the cost.
You most likely will not be paying full price for college. With scholarships, financial aid, and other sources of financial assistance, tuition will be much more manageable than it may seem at first.
I have so many more tips that I could share, but for the sake of this becoming a long read, I’ll cut it off at five tips for now. If you guys have any questions or tips of your own, let me know and I could do a follow up post.
Remember to follow megannlouise.com to be updated when posts are published! 12 Days of Blogmas is right around the corner and you’ll want to be in the know when the holiday posts are up and ready to read!
12 Days of Blogmas Upload Schedule!
Posted on December 3, 2018
Happy December everybody!
It’s hard to believe that 2018 is coming to a close. It feels like we were just laying out on the beach. But the most exciting time of the year is right around the corner- Christmas!
To celebrate, I will be participating in 12 Days of Blogmas! Everyday starting the 12th, there will be a new blogpost uploaded to the site in preparation for Christmas Eve when Santa comes!
Check out the upload schedule below to be in the loop!
I can’t wait to get posting! Let’s have an awesome December everyone!