Holiday Cleaning

So it's almost the Holidays, starting with Thanksgiving and going all the way until New Years. So chances are, if you're anything like me, everything is completely out of order since school started. Everything from my room, to my binders, to even my sleep schedule is like a disaster zone. Now is a good time to clean and take inventory, so you can relax over break.

School Cleaning
If you have off of school for the holidays, it's a good idea to start there, since you won't be able to organize there later. Unsure of where to start? Try this.

1.) Do your textbooks have more of your papers than your binders? Take out all of your stray papers, pencils, pens, etc. Not only is it difficult to find your papers when they're in your textbooks, but if you have enough, they can actually damage the spine of the book itself and ruin your papers- not fun.

 2.) Organize your binders. If you're anything like me, you probably stopped using your dividers after the second week of school. If you don't have a chance during school, take a binder or two home a night and organize all your papers into their proper place.

3.) Clean out your locker. If you don't have a chance to during school, shove anything that shouldn't be in your locker into your backpack on a day you don't have much homework. Of course, that being said, you have to be sure to...

4.) Clean out your backpack. Be sure to go through all of the pockets, even the ones you don't use, (I found my iPod in one of those before.) and throw out anything that shouldn't be there.

5.) Lastly, clean out your purse/pencil box. Chances are you accumulated more than you intended. (Important papers you were supposed to show your parents/guardians?  Notes from friends? Notes to yourself? Random things that you end up wondering, 'Oh, how did you get in here?' If you haven't guessed, this happens to me quite a lot.) It's also a good time to restock on all those pencils that always seem to disappear when you need them.

Room Cleaning
For some of us, (myself included,) this requires much more motivation and effort than cleaning your school stuff. Here are some tips.

1.) Listen to upbeat music. Or, if upbeat isn't your thing, try something WITH a beat. It makes the whole experience a little more bearable.

2.) Throw out your trash. It's a good and fairly easy way to start, since you don't need to think about where to put it- It just goes in the trash bag and into the dumpster.

3.) Fold your clean clothes and put them away. This is a majority of what's on my floor, so this takes the most time.

4.) Put any dirty laundry in a hamper or basket. If you don't do your own laundry, do whoever is a favor and only add a few more pieces per load than usual at a time.

5.) Put books on your bookshelf. They don't have to be in alphabetical order or anything, but it helps if you keep similar books together.

6.) Make your bed. Your bed is the main purpose of your room, so a messy bed brings the entire room down on the cleanliness scale.

7.) Dust. Please, just do it.

8.) Use carpet cleaner/Vacuum. If you're this far already, you might as well just clean it properly, right?

9.)  Febreze it up. There is Febreze for fabric and for the air, and giving your room a nice smell is always a good way to personalize it.

And there you have it! I wish you all the best of luck cleaning, and that you all have a fun and safe holiday season. I hope these tips helped you, and if you read this article, I'd LOVE to hear from you.

Until Next Time,

~ Carrie ♥

What to Pack in a Purse for High School

This one is directed to all of you ladies who are just starting out High School. The purse is one of our most handy accessories. It hold pretty much anything while still looking cute. The question I had was "What do I put in it?" Through lots of trial and error, this was what I came up with that worked for me for school.

The first thing you need is a purse that suits you. For school, I'd say you should definitely have something with a strap. Clutches are adorable, however you'll be balancing it on top of all of your books and binders while running across the school to get from math to English on time. Also, you want something that can actually HOLD stuff. So save those super cute little purses for when you're going out to dinner or something. Lastly, you want one that's durable and in a color you actually like. You have to carry it, after all. Here's what my purse looks like. 

The first things that I pack are my cell phone and my iPod. I take them everywhere, and keep them in cases when they're not in use. They're great for long bus rides, and convenient if you need to tell your parents that you have a ride home. However, when you're in class, please do yourself a favor and turn them off. If they're still to much of a distraction, leave them in your locker.

This is my super old phone and my iPod Touch. I keep a cleaning cloth with my iPod.

 The next thing I recommend is hand sanitizer. School is pretty germy: There's no denying that. It's a convenient way to wash your hands anywhere and prevent yourself from getting sick.

A travel size hair brush is very helpful for those bad hair days. It takes up less space than a full sized one, and still gets the job done. It's also a great place to keep hair ties. It's a good idea to keep a hair tie in your purse for gym class, hot days when you want it off your neck, and just to tame the wild flyaways.

Your favorite breath mints are good to have on hand. After all, what's more distracting than bad breath?

Chapstick is great, especially in the winter. As a trumpet player, I really can't afford to split a lip. (It's happened before: Trust me, it's not a fun experience.)

One of those six sided nail files are great, because they have everything you could need in a nail file, from those stubborn hangnails to reshaping one that broke in gym class.

Hairbrush, hair ties, hand sanitizer... And things that don't start with 'h', like chapstick, Tic Tacs, and a nail file.

Your wallet should be in your purse at all times. I recommend keeping your Student ID, Library Card, and lunch money. (Even if you pack, it's good to have enough for one lunch in case you leave your lunch box somewhere, or if a friend forgets money or something.)

Now for the fun stuff. And by fun, I mean awkward, at least from my end. I HIGHLY recommended putting feminine hygiene products in your purse, even if you haven't started yet. Why? Because you never know when Mother Nature is going to give you your 'gift' while you're stuck in school.

  

It's always good to be prepared.

Now for more fun stuff! And this time, by fun, I mean boring and school-related.

A good calculator is a worthwhile investment. I didn't use it so much in my freshmen year (Geometry), but it was SUPER helpful for Sophomore year (Algebra II). It all depends on what math classes you're taking when.

This year, to get more organized, I have a small notebook in my purse as well. (It's about the size of my hand.) I'm going to use it as an assignment book so I won't forget anything.

Post-It-Notes. I can't even say how often I use Post-It-Notes. They're great for writing down homework, writing notes to teachers and friends, and for putting memos in your locker. They're super convenient, and to make it even better, they come in pretty much every color imaginable.

I got fabric pencil cases at Walmart for fifty cents each. I have three different ones so I could organize all of my school supplies.

1.) Pencils. I got a lot of pencils to put in the case, since somehow, by the end of the year, they all go missing. I also put a good eraser and extra lead in the case with them.

2.) Colored Pencils. While usually, teachers will have them when he/she gives a project, it's easier to have your own than to wait for ten minutes for Billy to finish with the red.

3.) My last case is a mixture of all the other supplies that are good to have on hand. I love color, so I have a ton of pens in a variety of colors, yet I have two red ones and two black ones. Those are the main colors teachers want used for formal assignments and correcting. I also have a lot of highlighters, (more because I like to draw on myself than anything else,) a pair of scissors, a black Sharpie, and a bad eraser (for blending stuff in art.)

Here's my handy pink calculator, orange Post-It-Notes, and a notebook for writing down assignments.

Lots and lots of school supplies. O.o

Another useful item that is extremely under-rated is the Flash Drive. They make it so easy to bring computer projects home to work on, as well as showing pictures to your friends during Study Hall.

While we're on the topic of under-rated items, I recommend having a simple makeup compact in your purse as well. It's great for touching up your foundation when you sweat, and it's a very convenient mirror.

The last things I have in my purse are little nick-nacks. I have a laminated four-leaf clover that my mom found for me my Freshmen year, two little bears because they're simply adorable, and a hair tie I borrowed from my friend the last day of last year that I need to give back to her.

Yay Flash Drives! ☺

Makeup compacts are great. So are random nick-nacks!☺

 Here's one last shot of everything I had in my purse, all spread out.

And NOW, we have to pack it all back in. 

First, you should put stuff you DON'T want out in the open in a zippered pouch.

After that pouch, and all the pouches of school supplies are zipped, set them in. You want them to be easily accessible, because these are what you'll need most often in school.

My phone fits in the space beside the cases.

My calculator, notebook, breath mints, hand sanitizer, hair brush, nail file, and chapstick all fit in the side pouches of the purse. It helps keep things organized.

The case with my iPod just sits on top.

My makeup compact fits in the front pocket, so it's easy to access.

And this other pockets on the front hold my nick-nacks...

And my friend's hair tie... (I should really get that back to her, by the way.)

And the Flash Drive as well.

And my Post-It-Notes fit in the pocket with my makeup compact.

And... Tah-dah! It still closes!

I hope this helps you out! And most importantly, these are just my SUGGESTIONS. It worked for me, so I hope this gives you ideas on what to pack. And lastly, please make sure that your purse isn't too heavy for you. Have a safe and fun (Well, as fun as possible,) school year! ☺

Lots of love,

- Carrie ♥

Tips for Surviving High School

Whether you're an up-and-coming Freshmen, a Senior who just wants to graduate, or somewhere in between, here are some tips to help you start off with a great (Well, as great as High School can be, anyways,) year.

1.) Be polite to your teachers. Remember your History teacher that you swore was out to get you last year? Did you ever think that it might have been because you started off on the wrong foot with him/her? First impressions are always important. You don't have to be best friends with them, or even like their classes, but they're people just like you. If you treat your teachers with respect, chances are they'll respect you as well. Oh, and it never hurts to say hello and goodbye to them everyday. It's a good way to earn brownie points. :)

2.) Keep yourself organized. I know better than ANYONE how daunting of a task this is. *Looks at room full of so much clutter that you can barely see the carpet* However, it is possible to motivate yourself. This year, I got separate binders for every subject. I adore anime, so to spice it up, I made papers to put on my binders in Photoshop using images from animes. I used a different anime for each subject and coordinated book covers to go with them. (For instance, my Spanish binder is Rozen Maiden, because even though it's an anime and it's in Japanese, they're "speaking" in German, which is a language. I have a flower book cover because Shinku fights with flower petals.) The point is, how you organize doesn't HAVE to make sense to others, as long as you can find what you need to. And, if you're not an otaku like me, you don't have to use anime. If you like to write poetry, write some of your best poems in distinct colors. If you like video games, print out some of your favorite screenshots from them. If you like sports, use pictures of your favorite teams. Or, alternatively, you can just write the subject on a piece of  paper ripped from a notebook and shove it in the pocket of your binder. The possibilities are endless, as long as you have some way of knowing what you need for what class.

3.) Dress for success. You don't HAVE to wear your Sunday Best every day for school, (Unless, of course, that's your thing. If that's the case, kudos to you. :D) but please, don't wear your PJs or sweatpants. If you're wearing stuff that comfortable in school, you're far more likely to fall asleep during math class, or whatever your least favorite subject is. I recommend picking an outfit that's a combination of cute, comfy, and completely your style. Don't just copy what everyone else is wearing: Find something that YOU enjoy. I also recommend selecting your outfit the night before. Even if you don't physically pull it out, at least pick out what you want to wear in your head before you go to bed. It'll save you hassle in the morning. Speaking of mornings...

4.) Actually pull yourself out of bed when your alarm goes off. I actually recommend putting your alarm across the room from your bed, so you actually have to get up to turn it off. Eat breakfast: It's the most important meal of the day, AND it jump-starts your metabolism. Also, figure out how much time you need to get ready before you set your alarm. It may sound silly, but it's extremely important to know yourself and how quickly (or in my case, slowly) you move in the mornings.

5.) Take notes and study. As much as I know I'd rather doodle on my notebook paper and stay up late watching animes, taking notes and studying are SUPER important. After all, those doodles won't end up in a museum, so you might as well pay attention to the lesson. Study in moderation: If you start a few days before the exam, you can study during the commercial  breaks of your favorite shows instead of cramming at midnight the day of the test.

I hope this helps all of you! Please let me know if there are any points I've missed. I'll try to have the blog of what to keep in a purse for school up tomorrow.

Best of luck,

- Carrie ♥

Introduction

I'm fairly new to blogging, so I figured my first post should introducing myself. I'm Carrie, a sixteen year old girl. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, junk food, staying up late playing video games or watching movies, and sleeping in 'til noon the next day. So in other words, I'm your typical teenager. However, one thing I enjoy most is helping others. I wanted to make a blog to help other teens and pre-teens. Since school starts in a few days for a lot of people, this particular blog will be about starting off school on the right foot, and working towards a great year. I know, school is a pain. Believe me, I don't like it either. However, we have to do it anyways, so we might as well make the most of it. Feel free to add questions or comments: I'd LOVE to hear from all of you. Lastly, right after I post this, I'll be working on a segment on what I recommend packing in a purse for school, and general tips for how to survive high school.

Lots of love,

♥ Carrie ♥