Making a Clean Slate: Cleaning Before You Go Back To School

Yep, I'm still going to be talking about going back to school. I know you're probably wanting me to shut up so you can go back to enjoying your summer without thinking about going to back to school. But trust me, there's no better time to get ready for back to school. If you start getting ready right now, you won't be as stressed when it's like a week before. So today we're going to talk about cleaning before you go back to school. It's important. If you're like me, you haven't touched your backpack since last semester, and I totally don't blame you. I threw mine in a closet as soon as finals were done and I haven't looked at it since. But it's that time where you need to get everything together so that you can be organized for back to school!

Backpack
Like I said, getting your book-bag/backpack, whatever you call it, in order is going to save you a lot of time the day before or the morning of. Make sure to clean out all of the pockets and if necessary, take out a vacuum and vacuum the crumbs out! (Don't lie, I know you have some!) It will feel great getting all of those old to-do lists and scraps of paper out and restocking it with your new notebooks and folders!

Email
One of the things that is super important when you go back to school is email. This is where you get your first emails from your professors about the first day of class, with your syllabus' and where you get updates throughout the year. But one thing you should do is delete your old emails from last semester. If you don't feel comfortable completely deleting them, move them to a folder called "Old Emails" or something. You most likely won't need them and getting your inbox to 0 will be great! Also, unsubscribing to emails that you no longer want to receive is a good place to start.

House
Before I go back to school I have this whole list of things I want to clean. Because I know I'm not going to want to do anything once I start school. So before you go back spend a day cleaning everything in sight. Vacuum, sweep, wash your clothes, wipe down everything, make sure the dishes are done, and just get everything organized. You'll feel good and clean once it's done and you'll feel great once you come back from class and you have a clean house!

Your Mind
Most importantly, relax before you go back. Spend a day just doing whatever you want to do. Take a shower, read a book, paint your nails, get some feelings out in your journal. Do what will calm you down and make you feel relaxed. Whether it's go for a run or go do some shopping for new clothes, apartment or dorm decorations, and some school supplies. Get in the right state before you go back to school and you won't regret it!

What else do you think needs to get a clean state before you go back to school?

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How to Have Optimal Productivity Using Your Planner

One thing I'm really good at is planning and organizing. All of my friends are always telling me "Ally you're so organized". Which, I am. But I really work for it. At the beginning of the week I spend about 20-30 minutes going over the next week and making sure I know exactly what I have to do. Each day, usually in the morning, I spend about 10 minutes going into more detail and really figuring out what I need to do. During the school year I write when my breaks are, what I'm doing during my breaks, what homework I need to do when I go home and any of the other things that pop up throughout the day.

This summer, I've come up with a system that I really like, and that I will continue to use through the semester. I'll show you how I manage to work, go to school and have a social life, and how you can too.

The first thing you need to do is go out and buy a planner. But, I'm sure you already have one :) If you don't know what to get, a while back I wrote a post on the pros and cons of the Lilly planner (a weekly/monthly planner) vs. a Day Designer (a daily/monthly planner). I loved loved loved the Day Designer. I really did. I was super busy last semester, which I think I will be this semester as well. So I think I will miss having the hour-by-hour planning. However, I like the system I have set up because I can get really detailed.

Side note: you definitely need to color code. Each class, each job, each activity a different color. Sharpie has a pack of 10 highlighters for around $9. 

 

(White spaces are where I blocked out upcoming blog posts)

When you first get your planner and your syllabi (if you're still in school) write every test, every important date in your planner. No matter if you decide to get a daily or weekly planner, I recommend spending a few minutes each morning going over what you need to do and write it down. This is where you can write your class times and general things you need to do for the day. 

I have a separate little notebook where I have this. On one page I have some daily tasks that I want to do. If you have things that you want to do everyday but you have a hard time getting things done, for me it's take my medicine and wash my face, this is a great thing to do. Each week, you can make a new sheet. Another thing I do is write a list of goals or things I need to get done that week as well. That way I have a clear view of what I need to do. On the next few pages for the week, I write my to-do lists like above. This is where I get really detailed. Where in my planner I write "clean", here I write:

• Floors
• Counters
• Clutter
• Dishes

As far as school goes, in your planner write "Start on paper", however, on your separate to-do list you can write:

• Start paper
• Make outline 
• Do research 
• Write first two paragraphs 

I have found that when it comes to weekly planners, they can get filled up fast, this helps you get the best of both worlds, an overview and a detailed view. Plus, my planner is pretty big, about the size of a sheet of paper. The notebook for my to-do lists is a lot smaller and a lot easier to throw in my bag or travel with if I need to. 

This is what the wall on the left side of my desk looks like. I got this calendar at Target. This helps me get a good look for the month without having to get my planner out or turning the page if I'm looking at the week already. Below are sticky notes (color coded with my jobs, blog, etc.) of things I need to do and other lists I jotted down while working. Beside I have a sheet of my goals for the summer (going to be the semester) and a list of my color coding key.

All of this comes together so you can be as productive as possible. So that you can accomplish all that you need and want to accomplish. For me, I want to get through school (and this semester my goal is to bring my GPA back up after doing pretty horrible in Math both last semester and this summer) while spending time with Kayla and Koda.

What are your goals that you want to achieve and how are you going to get there? 

What are your tips to have the most productivity?

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Back to School - All the Information You Collegiate's Need

When I was going to college my freshman year. This is exactly the post I wish I would have seen. I actually even sent this post to my sister a couple of weeks ago because she asked me about school supplies. College is scary (until you get there). I've broken this post down into three parts; before you get there, once you're there, and studying tips. This is the ultimate guide to college. Whether you're a Freshman, or even a Senior, you will find something in here for you!

So I am about to throw SO MUCH information at you. Way more than you can probably even get through. But honestly, if you take the time to get through all of this information, you will NOT be sorry! I've pretty much covered almost every college related topic possible. And there's even more coming!

Before You Get There:
Before College Cleaning
Dorm Supplies
The Ultimate College Packing List
Pre-College Worries
Best College Advice From Bloggers
Starting Over
How To Prepare for Second Semester (or the first)
What I Learned My Freshman Year of College
What I Wish I Knew as a Freshman
Getting Ready for School
Making a Clean Slate: Cleaning Before You Go Back to School (NEW!!)

Once You're There:
Ten Minute Morning
My Dorm Room Freshman Year
My First Week In College
Tips for Yoga in Your Dorm Room
Elements for a Quick Morning
Relaxation Box
Things We Should Know Before Becoming Adults
How I Tame My Frizz
Freshman Year Bucket List
Sophomore Year Bucket List
How to Succeed in College
First Week Outfits
Easy Dorm Meals 
Dorm Room Sophomore Year
First Week Back
Walking to Class Playlist 
Tailgating Necessities

School, School Supplies and Finals:
Should You Write Or Type?
Cute Notebooks
Finals and Studying Tips
Perfect Studying Stations on Pandora
How I Study for Finals
Study Break Ideas
Office and School Supplies Favorites
Finals Cheat Sheet
Motivating Yourself For Finals
Organizing for Finals 
Healthy Study Snacks
Lilly Pulitzer vs. Day Designer Planners
The Happy Planner
How to Manage School, Work, Exams and a Social Life during Finals
5 Last Minute Tips to Help You Ace Your Finals
How to Have Optimal Productivity Using Your Planner (NEW!!)
How to Organize Your Notes, Notebooks, Planners, Color Codes and other Supplies You Need for College (NEW!!)
How to Use Planners and Notebooks for Your Planning Advantage in College (NEW!!)

I will be updating this post throughout August and the rest of the semester with all of the new college related blog posts! So, if you want, bookmark it so you can keep coming back to this post for more tips and tricks! *You will also be able to find this post under the "college category on my navigation!


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What do you think of all of this information?

Want little snippets of my college wisdom? Follow me on Twitter for random tips that you won't find anywhere else - even on my blog (@designallyblog). Follow me on Instagram for some study or work inspiration (@designallyblog) or on snapchat: allygagliardo. 

Why A Routine is Important - Even During the Summer

It took be a good year to perfect my morning routine. Last summer I really worked hard on perfecting what I felt like I needed to do every morning and night. And it worked really, really well. Until we got Koda and my morning was focused around getting her out to go to the bathroom (a struggle when she was a puppy), feeding her and when I had enough time, walking her. So now I have had to refigure my mornings.

One of the best things you can do is establish a morning routine. When you have a perfect morning routine, you don't hate getting up and you really start your day off on the right foot. Some things you can add to your morning routine: take a short walk, eat breakfast, read the news, read a chapter of your book, or wash your face.

I seriously thrive on a routine. I feel so lost since I'm not in school. While I definitely don't miss the stress, I definitely miss having a set routine and feeling like I'm getting a lot of things done. For a while after the Spring semester ended I didn't do ANYTHING. It was such a hard and stressful semester that I didn't want to do anything much less have a routine.

Now that I've had time to relax a little bit I know that I do not do well when I don't have a routine. If I don't have what I want to do written down somewhere, I will not remember to take my medicine or wash my face. So over the last couple of weeks I have developed a routine that I really like, and I hope it will help you, if you're struggling as well!

Here is what a typical day in the life looks like (when I'm not working 9-6).

I wake up any time between 7 and 10. That's a super wide range but I have a ton of alarms set starting at 7, because that's my goal to start waking up at. However, some days I'm more tired than others. I wake up, fix Koda's breakfast and make myself a cup of coffee. I spend the next 20-30 minutes watching an episode of whatever I'm watching right then. A couple of weeks ago it was Broad City, but I finished that and now I'm watching the Mindy Project. Depending on how much I have to get done, I'll start planning my day then or read while I'm watching.

After an episode I get my walking clothes on and let Koda out to go to the bathroom and take her on a walk/run. After we get back I make sure we both have water and I head to the second room/my office and do 20-30 minutes of yoga and workout. You can see my workout routine here. Then I fix myself a cup of coffee and depending on how late or early it is I'll fix myself a piece of toast and an egg. But if it's already 11, I'll just wait until lunch.

If I have a lot of work I'll do my post for the day right then and do all of the blog things that I need to do. Then, depending on how much work I have to do, freelance work has been slowing down lately, this could be an hour to 4 hours of work, I'll eat a quick lunch and get back to work.

After I'm done with work for the day I'll then do some cleaning or whatever needs to be done around the house. If it so happens to be clean already (usually not the case) I'll read whatever book I'm reading while Kayla plays video games. We typically eat dinner around 6-7 so we'll cook dinner and wait for our food to settle before we walk again.

Once it gets to be around 7 or 8 Kayla and I will take Koda on a walk before we feed her dinner. Sometimes after Koda eats we'll go to hang out with our friend or she'll come here but a lot of the time we'll just relax and watch Survivor or she'll play a game and I'll read.

If for some reason I didn't workout earlier in the day, I'll do it after dinner after we walk Koda. Then for the rest of the night I read, write in my journal and make sure I'm checking off all of my "daily tasks" (more on that in a couple of weeks). Then I brush my teeth and wash my face and head to bed!

Like I said, having a routine helps keep me as sane as possible. What does your routine look like?

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Office and School Supply Favorites

If you ask any one of my friends they could tell you that I'm completely obsessed with being organized and office supplies in general. I have about 12 highlighters, hundreds of pens, over 50 markers (different kinds, colors and sizes), 5 notebooks, 3 binders, and 6 folders for my classes. And yes, all of this is completely necessary. I also have a stash of different colored sticky notes, those colored tabs to put into textbooks, index cards and stationary. I love office supplies! I've really started looking towards more of a sophisticated look when picking out my supplies and that's what I wanted to share with you guys today! (Also if my family or girlfriend happen to be reading....well, you know what you can get me for holidays!)

Pencil Holder// Where else are you going to keep your cute pencils, markers and pens? I like this one because you're able to see right through it to ensure you're grabbing the one you really want!

Pencils// I love these pencils, they all say a different saying and they're super cute. Gotta love some Kate Spade!

Pens// I put these pens on a list of mine a while ago, and I definitely still want them! I love retractable pens because I always lose the tops so these are both functional and cute!

Agenda// I could not live without my agenda. Honestly. I have so many assignments and so many things to do that I could not possibly remember everything!

Highlighters// I LOVE that these highlighters are retractable! And they come in so many different colors together that I could definitely color code my life even more efficiently! Who knew that was possible?

Notebooks// These notebooks are super cute. They're perfect for sticking in your backpack for easy access to job some notes down in class or a to-do list!

What are you favorite office supplies and where do you get them?!

Best College Advice from Bloggers

I've been on the hunt for tips from bloggers about college, and organizing. So I've compiled a list of my favorites! They're all really great, and I'm going to incorporate each of them in some way to my college life starting on Friday!

Organized Charm:
This girl is amazing! Here are some of my favorites:
Syllabus Assignment Spreadsheet
Class Folder Organization 
How to Take Better Class Notes

College Prepster:
Organizing Your Desk While Studying
Intense Study Tips
Keeping Track of Assignments

Fit-Personality:
How to Stay Healthy in College

The Holladay Life:
How to Organize Your Binders

My Life As Hayden:
What to Pack For college
Surviving Your Closet
Everything Else

And from me:
Pre College Worries
The Ultimate College Packing List
Dorm Supplies
Before College Clean
Study Tips

Do you guys have any other good links? Or your own you would like to share?

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ALSO, I would like to tell everyone, that I have been nominated for the Leibster Award. I have been getting many nominations, and I want to thank you all SO much, but I already have it! Thank you! :) [I am putting the photo in my sidebar now!]

AND I moved all of my badges or things I'm involved in down to my footer! I'm still involved, don't worry! Just looking for a cleaner sidebar!

The Ultimate College Packing List

On Saturday I promised you the ultimate college packing list, so here it is. After looking at every list on Pinterest, blogs, tumblr, and interviewing friends in college this is the list I'm using to pack for college in three weeks. It's pretty long so let's get started.

Bed:

• Two Pillows
• Comforter
• Two blankets
• Sheet set
• Mattress pad/mattress protector
• Booklight
• Slippers
• Ear plugs
• Decorative pillow
• Backrest Pillow

Decorations:

• String Lights
• Two Boards/frames for pictures
• First Name Initial "A" - (Look at this post to see what I'm talking about)
• Door Mirror
• Desk Lamp
• Desk Organizer
• Posters

Storage:

• Food Storage (Something that will go under the bed is best)
• Seat Storage
• Hangers
• Shoe Organizer
• Stand alone organizer (Look at this post to see what I'm talking about)
• Laundry Bag

Study:

• Laptop/Charger
• Laptop Case
• Internet Cord (If your dorm doesn't have wifi - mine doesn't)
• Lilly Pulitzer Flashdrive (It's a keychain also which is very convient)
• Computer Paper
• Notebook Paper
• Pencils
• Pens 
• High Lighters
• Jansport Backpack
• Lilly Pulitzer Agenda
• 3 Right Binders
• Notebooks
• Calculator (Scientific)
• Ruler
• Glue
• Markers
• Stickies
• Thank You notes
• Folders
• File Folders
• Books For Pleasure
• Textbooks

Shower:

• Gross Flip Flops
• Shower Caddy
• Two towels
• Wash Cloths
• Loofah
• Hair Wraps
• Robe
• Summers Eve
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body Wash
• Shaving Cream
• Razors

Beauty:

• Make up
• Make up Mirror
• Glasses/Case
• Contacts/Solution
• Acne Wash
• Hair Dryer Straightener
• Hairspray
• Brush
• Retainer
• Pads/Tampons
• Tissues

Clean:

• Paper Towels
• Sponge
• Detergent
• Dryer Sheets
• Air Freshener
• Dish Soap
• Broom/Pan
• Iron
• Stain remover

Food:

• Chip Clips
• Water Bottles
• Tumblers
• 2 Plates
• 1 Bowl
• 2 Forks
• 2 Spoons
• 1 Butter Knife
• Keurig

Extras:

• Fan
• Batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Tape
• Light Bulbs
• Stamps
• Envelopes
• Pepper Spray (!!!)
• Rainboots
• Command Stips/Command Hooks
• TV (and everything that goes with that)
• Headphones
• Bandanas
• UMBRELLA (!!!!)
• Overnight bag
• DVDs
• Cellphone Cases
• My Blog Binder

Wow that's a lot. I have no idea how I'm going to fit all of that into my parent's car. But almost everything is necessary to have a comfortable time in college/in the dorm rooms. If you check out my Dorm Supplies post, I go into a little more depth of what I already have to give you some ideas. 

What should I bring for college that I already haven't mentioned?

Before College Clean Part One

If you're like me, you have way more clothes than those three little drawers and tiny little closet will allow in those tiny dorm rooms. Today I'm cleaning out my closet, and all of my drawers in hopes to be able to actually fit my clothes in my dorm room next month. I'm going to give you the tips I'm using to be able to clean everything out and have enough space.

Try on everything// First, try on EVERYTHING. Every single piece of clothing. Even if you haven't worn it in years, you might refall in love with it. Even if you wore it last month. You may decided eh, it doesn't really fit that great.

Everything off the floor// Bring everything that is on your floor in your closet and go through it. I know for me, I have to keep my hamster's stuff in there to keep it out of the way, but I reorganized it so it isn't all over the place.

Wash clothes// Wash your dirty clothes, and try on those clothes too. PUT THEM UP. Make your closet clean for now. Unless you're already packing your stuff away.

Hangers// If possible, use all the same kind of hangers. I don't because we've collected so many from various places of the years, but if I did it would look that much more clean.

Put it in order of size// Not actual S,M,L size but tanks, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, long sleeve.

If you haven't worn something in years and you know you probably won't wear it again, get rid of it! Chances are you won't ever wear it again and it will just be taking up space in your dorm.

For drawers, roll your shirts/shorts. It saves space and you can fit so much more in one drawer.

Take your discard pile to a little sister, friend, or a consignment shop. I have a place in my hometown called Platos Closet and they look at your clothes and buy back your clothes they will resell!

So you saw my before...well this is the after....

This is such a big difference. I don't get overwhelmed when I look in my closet now!

Tweet me your before and after pictures!

Study Tips

For some of you, it's finals week either this week or next week. For us high school kids we still have about a month before most of us even think about studying. But, that's not what we should be doing! It really helps to get ahead and start studying. I'm now starting to think about studying because I'm in extreme danger of failing my math class (!!! This has never happened before!) I'm going to give you some of my tips that work for me, and may or may not for you.

Flash cards// USE FLASHCARDS USE FLASHCARDS USE FLASHCARDS. Whether it's actual paper flashcards or Quizlet. They are SO SO helpful in learning small amounts of information or definitions.

Study Guides// If you teacher provides a study guide, DO IT. They know what's on the test. They know what you need to do! Do IT!!! Even if your teacher doesn't provide one, you can even make your own. You can take a few things from your notes, keynotes, projects, essays and things like that to create a study guide.

Practice// ESPECIALLY for math. Do the practice problems, do the reviews, check MyMathLab for help, redo old homework problems especially the ones you've missed. Practice your old worksheets and questions because if it's a teacher made test, it's most likely going to come from something earlier in the semester.

Music// I'm the type of person that can't study or do homework without music. But music with words is very distracting for me. So, I typically listen to the Soothing & Relaxation station on Pandora. It truly is very soothing and relaxing. There's enough music to have on and be able to listen to but also it's not distracting.

Snacks// When studying it's good to have little snacks to keep you going. Maybe it's gummy bears, almonds, crackers, m&ms.... Reward yourself after you get ____ far you get ____ many bears.

Water// ALWAYS keep water with you when you're studying. It's good to be able to reach for a bottle of water when you're feeling a little sluggish.

Highlighters// I swear by high lighters. Print out all of your notes from your class (this wastes a lot of paper but, hey. A good grade is worth it right. And you can always recycle after the exam). Next highlight what you think is important. Use a different highlighter for each subject so you don't get confused. Often what I do after that is create flashcards or a study guide from the highlighted sentences. You can either do fill in the blanks or reword the sentence into the question.

EOC/State exams// It's really really hard to study for state exams. Trust me, I've been doing them for like 12 years now. But it is definitely possible. Most teachers provide a practice test. DO IT. Seriously do it. There's absolutely no way to recreate the questions the way they do it on the state exams. If your teachers do not provide one there is ALWAYS a past one on google. For example: Last semester I took Honors Civics and Economics and I live in NC. I googled "Civics and Economics EOC practice NC" it might take some searching but they will most likely be close to the top and in PDF form.

Start Early// This is something I struggle with as well. But it's always better to start early than a week or couple of days before. It will always help. Trust me.

I hope these work for you. Most of them are pretty general. Once I get into college I'm sure I'll come up with more. Is there any you like?

X.O.X.O
Preppy Little Lesbian
Ally