Under Construction!

As you might have noticed, my blog isn't quite looking like itself today.

Well, that's because I got BORED with it!!
There are a lot of changes happening in my life right and now I think it's only fitting that my blog's appearance change along with the others.

Don't worry (not that anyone was,) I'll still be posting (somewhat) regularly!
My blog just isn't going to be quite as fabulous for a short period of time.

Hopefully once I've settled down a bit and decided what I actually want, it will be even more fabulous than it was before!!

Well, one can only hope, right?

If anyone has any tips for blog designs, hit me up! I'm still not quite used to coding this way, so any help I can get is greatly appreciated!

Morning Survival Kit

I have something I need to confess.

I'm a morning person.

*GASP*

Glad I got that off my chest.

Yeah, I know it's pretty weird.

But it's true. I wake up at 5am (almost) every morning and most of the time I hit the ground running.

Notice I said most of the time.

Some mornings are a struggle! Not all, but definitely some.

And when I wake up as a passenger on the struggle bus, I need to make sure I'm getting off at the next stop.

That's where my "Morning Survival Kit" comes in.

It's things I need to do to feel ready for the morning and prepared to take on the day. This will definitely change from person to person, but here are my basics:

1. A Fresh Cup of Coffee ~ Sure, instant coffee may be convenient, but it's not very good (in my opinion) and doesn't perk me up quite the way a fresh brewed cup can. I prepare my coffee every night and then just press the on switch right before I hit the shower so that's it's ready and waiting when I'm out. If you're more likely to forget to turn it on every morning, you might want to invest in a coffee maker with a timer. Or you could get a one-cup machine, like a Keurig or Tassimo, so you can be ready to go with your cup of coffee! Or 2. Or 5.
   
   
   
2. The Today Show ~ Okay, so I'll admit it. I'm basically an old lady. I absolutely love watching the Today Show in the morning. I turn on the TV right after I pour my first cup of coffee and watch my local news for about an hour and a half. Then? It's time for The Today Show!! I love it because they don't only hit the important news-worthy events that are happening all over the world; they include trending pop-culture news as well! What better way to stay in the loop than to get all of your information in one place? Enjoy your coffee, a nice balanced breakfast, and the Today Show in the morning and you'll be ready to go!
   
   
   
3. A List ~ Okay, so maybe you hate lists. I don't. I absolutely adore them. They let me see a quick overview of what I need to get done that day so I can plan accordingly! And now that I have my super cute Kate Spade Notepad, making lists is an even more exciting part of my morning! The format of your list can vary based on your specific needs, of course. My list items are short and sweet, usually one or two words, but you might need to use a full sentence to get across what you need. Shape it to fit you!
   
   
   
4. Exercise ~ I'm pretty sure every person in the world knows that exercising in the morning can help give you energy for the rest of the day. Well, here I am telling you the same thing. And trust me, it WORKS. I cannot begin to explain the difference I feel between the days I exercise and the days I don't. But I'll try! I have way more energy and I'm more optimistic about the day. You know that dragging, why-won't-this-day-end feeling? I don't get that when I squeeze in some exercise in the morning. And, of course, there are the health benefits, too.
   
   
   
5. Get Started ~ Remember that list I was talking about not too long ago? What better time to start on it than first thing in the morning? If you wake up early enough to have time, do ahead and jump on it. I have a lot of free time in the mornings, so there is absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be able to tackle at least one list item before I formally begin my day. And the great thing about this is that it gives me a jump start on my productivity. If I've already completed one task and the sun isn't even up, what's to stop me from finishing everything else?

There you have it.

My "Morning Survival Kit."

Probably not what you were expecting, since there aren't really any tangible items that you can go out and buy to make your mornings instantly better (except for coffee. Coffee definitely does that.)

But it's the little things that I do every morning that help me tackle my day, one task at a time.

Does anyone else have a similar "Survival Kit" that they swear by? I'd love to hear it. Maybe there's something missing from mine!

Work Wear!

I've seen so many people post the best back to school fashion posts.
I'm not really what you would call a "fashionista" (is that what the kids are calling it these days? #oldlady)
And I'm most certainly not going back to school.

But I thought it would be a good idea to put together some of my favorite office outfits!
Now, my office is business casual, so these picks definitely won't work for everyone, but they look pretty nice if I do say so myself!!

(Some of my actual items are no longer available, so I used comparable ones available on Polyvore!)

That gives you a bit of my tastes! Does anyone else have a few favorite outfits that they wear to work? Or school?

Using LinkedIn Like a PRO

I'm pretty sure every young adult is told that they need to get on LinkedIn if they want to have any chance of succeeding.

And while LinkedIn most certainly isn't going to be the only thing that helps you succeed, it definitely helps.

But that's where the problem arises: it's not just being on LinkedIn that helps you become successful; It's being seen on LinkedIn.

One of my marketing professors put it best: "They say it's not what you know, but who you know. Well, I say it's not who you know, but WHO knows YOU."

That is definitely some of the best advice I got in college.
Everyone is always talking about networking and worrying about how many alumni and business executives they know, but no one ever stops to wonder if these people actually know you.
How embarrassing would it be to walk into a networking event hosted by someone you claim you know, only to have them look at you like you're a three-headed dog when you walk over and say hi? (I am proud to say that this has not actually happened to me. Yet.)

One way to avoid a lot of these awkward encounters is to master LinkedIn.

As a start, I think you should take a look at this article on HerCampus: The 4 Deadly LinkedIn Sins

I have also taken the time to provide a few of my own tips! Take a look:


1. If your profile doesn't say "All-Star" when you're editing it, is there really even a point to have it at all? ~ There are varying levels of a "completed" profile on LinkedIn, from Beginner, to Intermediate, to Advanced, to Expert, to All-Star; these all relate to your "profile strength." The highest rating you can get? All-Star. This means that you have everything filled out and that you have everything filled out well. You don't just have your past employment; you have detailed descriptions of what you accomplished there. You don't just have a list of the projects you've completed in your career; you have examples and detailed descriptions.

2. Does you profile have relevant information? Or just information that you think you should include? ~ Sure, it might sound nice to include that you successfully planned a sorority formal under a strict time constraint. But why is that important and how  does it relate to the type of career you're aiming toward? Are you going to be an event planner, then that's basically all you need to say. If not, you need to explain. If you cannot relate whatever experience to your area of expertise, then you shouldn't include it; at that point, it's just a filler and it distracts away from the things that recruiters could (and should) really be looking at.

3. If you're not sharing, no one is noticing you. ~ Now, I'm not saying you have to draft up a super witty article every single day so that you get noticed. But you should be sharing articles that relate to your industry, the job search, really anything that seems relevant to your professional career. This way, you're showing up in the Updates for all of your 1st connections as well as that of some 2nd or 3rd connections in your groups. If they like what they see, they'll share it and then even more people will see it and you are more likely to get noticed. This effect is 10x better if you are the actual author of a post that gets passed around! This is the number one way that you ensure that people know who you are rather than just being another profile. Remember, it's who knows you, not who you know.


So, those are my tips for perfecting your personal LinkedIn strategy! Obviously, LinkedIn is not a one-size-fits-all platform, so play around with what you like and what you don't like to see the best results for you!

The main purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with other professionals, but another really get benefit is finding a job. The more connected you are, the more out there you are, and the more people who will reach out to you with jobs that fit your qualifications (believe me, it happens!)

I'm sure there are plenty of you with your own LinkedIn suggestions, so tell me all about 'em! I know you all know how to use that comment button.

KATE SPADE SURPRISE SALE!

The Kate Spade Surprise Sale is happening right now!
I repeat:
THE KATE SPADE SURPRISE SALE IS HAPPENING RIGHT. NOW.

I know, I know, for a lot of you this is old news.

But still, it ends today, so you had better go FAST!!

I've already gotten my goodies:

Top left: Et Cetera Idiom Bangle | Bottom left: The Long List Large Notepad | Right: Wellesley Patent Rachelle

I hope everyone else is having good luck with the sale, too!! Let me know what you got!

Where Has The Time Gone?

I have already been at my new job for over a month!
How did that happen?

It feels like I just started, and now here we are: 35 days later. I feel like it's just gonna keep speeding past me now.

Everything is still fabulous (except for that one new girl who is managing to get on everyone's nerves!)

But I do admit, this working 2 jobs thing (My full-time marketing job & my part-time hosting job) is getting a little crazy!
I appreciate the extra income (hello, student loans) but I do NOT appreciate the lack of extra time.

I do get a break (I'm off every Saturday, yo!) so I still get a chance to have some alone time and spend time with my friends!
That is definitely essential:

Make time for yourself!

There's no way I would be able to survive without having that one day off; those few hours of my very own make the rest of the week worthwhile.

Those few hours also give me entirely too much time to spend all of the money I just earned!
(Sorry, bank account, but I really needed those shoes. And that wallet. And that day trip with Mandy just to get lunch 2 hours away.)

All-in-all, I'm enjoying it, but it is taking a bunch of my free time away! (Definitely the reason I have been so MIA lately!!)
I am actually penciling in some blog time now, though, so the poor thing will not be left abandoned!!

Has anyone else recently started on a new journey? A new job, a new school, or a relocation perhaps?

Working Woman

Okay, so I know what you all probably think of when you hear that, but I'm not that kind of Working Woman.

I'm just a woman.
Who works.
A lot!

Now that I'm working my real job and my host job at Mellow Mushroom, I'm working 60 hours a week! Woah!
I actually love it, though. For multiple reasons.

A) I'm making BANK. It's pretty fabulous. I still have to budget, but not nearly as much as I did before. Puppy? HERE I COME.

B) I'm back on a schedule. Before, I had pretty regular hours at Mellow, but I only worked 25 hours a week. That left me with entirely too much time; I was going insane.

But now, I'm working a lot. And I'm doing things that I actually LIKE!
It's so weird getting paid to do things that you enjoy; I'm not used to it!

And now, I'm able to buy the things I want, too!
Guys, it has been SO long since I've been able to do that!

I just got an adorable Kate Spade wallet and, as I've mentioned plenty in this and recent posts, I CAN GET A PUPPY! Not quite yet. But before the end of the year, you can bet that I will be getting all of the puppy snuggles. (And not just from Snickers!)

I also just completely rearranged my room, so I'm looking into getting some new furniture!! I'm preparing myself for the IKEA trip of a lifetime!
(You can also bet that there will be a post on this ASAP!)

All of these wonderful changes are happening for me right now and I just cannot contain my excitement!!
Does anyone else have any exciting news they'd like to share?? I'd love to hear about it, people!