#btswithval

Hey guys! Back To School season is here, which means that #BTSWithVal is back and ready for action. Even though I’m really not all that thrilled about the fact that summer vacation is coming to an end, I enjoy looking at Back To School blog posts and videos. I know you guys love when I do my #BTSWithVal posts, so today’s post is all about how to stay organized for school. Staying organized can save you so much stress. I’ve realized that when I’m organized, I feel so much more at ease and that I enjoy as well as embrace my school experience a lot more. When I’m not organized, I feel all over the place and I always have coffee in hand. There’s nothing wrong with having coffee in hand but the whole “feeling all over the place” thing is definitely not a good look on anyone. Hopefully, you all find these tips to be helpful. If you do, give this post a “like” and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you haven’t done so yet. 

1) Be Motivated! 

I say be motivated because you have to be motivated to being more organized. If you feel like you’re losing some motivation, make a list of reasons why you want and need to be organized to re-motivate yourself. Motivation is the major key of life. 

2) Use a planner! 

Planners are life savers people. They help you keep track of your class schedule, your assignments, extracurriculars, etc. I highly recommend bringing your planner with you everywhere and just having it on hand so if you find out you have a test, an interview, appointment, or whatever write it down immediately so you don’t forget. This is my second year using Blue Sky and I love their planners and products. Blue Sky Planners have the most stylish planners and they have planners for a variety of personalities and styles. I usually use planners from their Day Designer for Blue Sky collaboration collection. For this school year, I’m using the Day Designer for Blue Sky Weekly/Monthly planner in the print, Palms*. It’s like this pretty palm leaves print and I like the design a lot. I don’t know, it’s like so minimalistic and calming. I really like the style of the weekly/monthly because I have a lot more space to write down my homework assignments and projects. I also use the Day Designer for Blue Sky Daily/Monthly planner in Black Stripe* to keep track of my personal schedule, business stuff, blog stuff, etc. The whole goal of the Day Designer for Blue Sky planners is to inspire people to live a well-designed life and I feel like they do just that. It is great for helping you with your productivity needs. It’s also great for helping you learn to have a positive outlook on life through the weekly quotes that are deep and encouraging. I highly recommend checking out Blue Sky.

3) Make an assignment list! 

If you’re taking a lot of classes, keeping an assignment list is something nice to have. Gather all of your class syllabi and make a long list of every day that an assignment is due and keep track of when you complete them. By doing this, you won’t have to keep looking from syllabus to syllabus because you’ll have everything in one place.

4) Make your bed when you wake up. 

Making your bed will not only make your room keep your room clean, but it will prevent you from sleeping in for that extra “five minutes”. We all know that those five minutes turn into you over sleeping and being late to school/late to class. We’ve all been there haha! 

5) Stock your backpack. 

Make sure you always have your backpack stocked with essentials like pens, a notebook, your planner, and a water bottle because I always get thirsty during class and if your teacher allows you to bring it, bring it. You save so much time by doing this and all you have to do is pick up your backpack and just hit the road jack. 

6) Plan your outfits ahead of time.

I know when I was younger I would lay out my outfits (aka uniform) for school the night before, but I don’t think I fully grasped on the importance of this until I was older. Planning outfits ahead of time like the night before honestly saves you so much time the following morning because you don’t have to worry about what you are going to wear. All you have to do is just throw that outfit on and call it a day. 

7) Set your own deadlines. 

This has saved my butt so many times. I know I’m not the only person who freaks out when they find out that they have a couple of assignments due on the exact same day from two different teachers. Fun stuff right? (sarcasm intended) I know this past school year I had two essays that were due on the same day and I finished both assignments on different dates like either a week before the due date and maybe 2-3 days before the actual due date. Even though you have to get a head start on your assignments, tackling your assignments this way will save you from all those gray hairs of stress. You won’t be trying to do two assignments simultaneously when the due date comes. 

8) Limit your time spent on social media/websites 

Use actual self-control or get an app that makes you have self-control whether you want to or not haha, no but seriously. I’ve heard of an app called Cold Turkey and it’s a free app you download on your computer that keeps you from getting distracted from your work. You block access to certain non-educational sites/social media like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. If you need some help, I highly suggest just getting the app to make life a little easier. 

Hey guys! In today’s #BTSWithVal post, I’m going to be sharing some of my personal back to school essentials that help me get through the school year and things that I feel should be a necessity for everyone’s backpack. I’ve put together essentials from things I use for my lunch to things I use to just keep me organized and sane during the school year. Haha! Without further ado, let’s get right into my Back To School Essentials. 

  1. Day Designer Daily Planner for Blue Sky*

If you don’t have some sort of planner to help you keep track of your assignments and commitments, then I definitely encourage & recommend that you get one like ASAP. I love Blue Sky’s Day Designer Daily Planner because it does a really great job at helping you become more organized to prevent everything from falling apart. Haha! One of my favorite aspects of this planner is the self reflection section for those of us who like that sort of thing. The first 4 pages of the planner are comprised of a self-reflection section. The first page of the planner is start with the big picture, the second page is set your goals, the third page is design your days, and the fourth page is stay on course. 

This planner also has your typically planner things like daily calendars, monthly calendars, yearly reference calendars, and note pages in it. Another thing that I really love about this planner is the fact that everyday has an inspirational quote attached to it. I love inspirational quotes. You probably already know this if you follow me on Instagram. Haha! Today’s quote in the planner is from Proverb and it says “when we cannot get what we love, we must love what is within our reach”.

This planner helps you do a better job at tracking your schedule, managing your to-do lists, achieving your goals, and just helping you stay focused each day. I definitely recommend you pick up this planner. Plus, it’s pretty to look at. I mean its prettiness alone makes you want to use the planner. Haha! I definitely recommend picking up this planner from Blue Sky. What I really like about Blue Sky in general is that they offer a variety of organizational products for all personalities. Blue Sky is literally like that kid in your class on the first day of school that’s like prepared for like any and everything. Haha! Whether you’re into floral prints, stripes, polka dots, small planners, big planners, or whatever, Blue Sky’s got your back. 

2. Day Designer for Blue Sky Navy Floral Pen*

For your planner and just for school in general, you’re going to need a pen. I like this pen from Blue Sky’s Day Designer line because first off it’s blue and I love blue. I also like that this pen goes with pretty much any planner or calendar plus it’s really pretty and colorful. 

3. PackIt Salad Cooler

If you plan on bringing your own lunches, then a lunch bag is a definite must have. I love the PackIt Salad Cooler from PackIt because it keeps your food cool without needing ice packs. Yep, you would just put the entire bag in your freezer overnight to activate its built-in freezable gel. In the morning, the walls of the bag will be completely frozen and ready to chill your food just like a fridge. Neat right? I was totally mind blown when I first used this thing. I absolutely love it and recommend it!

4. Kindle Paperwhite

I use my Kindle Paperwhite to download any necessary books that I need for school. I like reading books on my Kindle rather than on a smartphone or tablet because there isn’t a glare when you want to read somewhere bright like outside and it won’t tire your eyes.

5. Book Light 

If you’re not about that eReader life and you’re into to the whole “I want to have the physical copy and feel the pages between my finger tips” thing or the physical book life chose you, then I highly suggest you get a book light. A book light will come in handy if you need to read while your roommate is sleeping if you’re in college or if you just need more light when you are reading. Even though I have my Kindle, I still use my book light every now and then whenever I want to read a hardcover book or something.

6. Headphones

Headphones are definitely a must-have for back to school especially noise-canceling ones. The headphones I have are these ones from Soul by Ludacris and I really love them. I’ve had them for a while now and I always tell everyone I know to get a pair of these headphones because they are just that awesome. They allow me to tune out all of the outside noise and just focus on homework as well as get into my studying zone. Sometimes, I like to think of headphones as my personal mute button for the world. Haha! 

7. iPad 

My iPad is a definite back to school essential because I download educational apps onto it to help me study for tests and exams. I actually posted a blog post a while back about some of my Back To School App Essentials. If you guys want an updated Back To School App Essentials roundup, let me know by leaving a comment below and liking this post.

8. Portable Charger

You don’t want to be that person that’s literally glued to the power outlets all day because you need to constantly charge your phone or have where your phone dies when you need it the most. I definitely recommend getting a portable charger. I got my portable charger from Radio Shack and I use it when I know I’m going to be out all day and I need my phone. It saves my life so much and I’m so happy that I got one.

9. Water Bottle

Having a reusable water bottle in your backpack is a definite must have. You gotta make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day because who wants to get dehydrated. Not this girl because dehydration isn’t a joke. TRUST!

Those are pretty much all of my back to school essentials. Tell me in the comments below what are some of your back to school essentials. I hope you guys enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful. If you did find it helpful, be sure to like this post & subscribe if you haven’t done so already. I hope that you guys are having a fantastic day & I’ll see you in my next post. Bye :) 

My Latest Posts:

Would You Rather? School Edition 

Baked Flour Tortilla Chips

Let’s just face it, mornings can get hectic. Whether it’s because you’re running behind schedule because you over slept or whatever the situation may be. It’s already hard enough to wake up and breakfast should be easy peasy not stressful to the point where you just want to pull your hair out and just fall back asleep in your comfy bed (even though that doesn’t sound like a bad thing minus the hair pulling hehe). Am I right or am I right? Haha! Well, I have good news for you. Your girl Valencia is here to help you out! In today’s #BTSWithVal post, I’m going to be sharing some super easy breakfast hacks that will help make your morning stress-free. 

1) Pre-make pancake/waffle batter 

Pre-make your pancake batter, place the batter into either an clean emptied ketchup bottle or any squeezable bottle you have on hand to save time. Then, all you’ll have to do in the morning is squeeze the batter out, cook, and enjoy! 

2) Freeze all the ingredients you need for smoothies in sandwich bags to make smoothie packs. 

Prep and freeze fruit (if you eat fruit) and veggies on Sunday for smoothie packs so you can make morning smoothies. You’re smoothies will end up taking little to no time to make. 

3) Overnight Oats Instead of Cooking Oatmeal 

Let your oatmeal cook overnight in your refrigerator. All you have to do is get 1 cup of rolled oats, add 1/2 of the milk of your choice and any additional toppings you want in your oatmeal. Then, place it in your refrigerator before bedtime and you’ll have oatmeal waiting to be eaten when you wake up. I’ve personally never made overnight oats, but I definitely want to try it out. They look really good!

4) Use a water bottle for separate egg whites?!

This may sound absolutely bonkers, but you can separate the yolk from egg whites by using a water bottle. I know this may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of separating a yolk and egg whites, but it surprisingly works. Plus, it’s super easy and it won’t leave a mess.

I hope that you all found these breakfast hacks post super helpful. If you did & want me to do more posts like this, be sure to give this post a like and leave a comment below telling me what your favorite breakfast hack was. I hope that you are having a super, awesome day & I’ll see you in my next post. Bye :)

My Latest Posts: 

The 7 Stages of Going Back To School

It’s that time again. When I say “that time” I mean back to school. Yup, those three words that most don’t like to hear because it means that summer is sadly coming to an end. I always have mixed emotions when it comes to back to school season. It’s a little upsetting because most people (like myself) would rather have their summer break last a bit longer like until September.....or October......or longer. Haha! It’s exciting because my #BTSWithVal series is back! YAY! To kick off the #BTSWithVal series, I’m going to be sharing The 7 Stages of Going Back To School. I feel like this post is super relatable because we all know the emotional rollercoaster that come with going back to school. If you find this post super relatable, be sure to let me know by giving this post a like and leaving me a comment below telling if you’ve gone through some of the stages or all the stages I mentioned. Without further ado, let’s get into the 7 stages of going back to school.

1) Back to school commercials start airing in July and you’re all like “no, this can’t be happening. It feels like I just started summer break last week”.

2) You go to the store and see that most or even all of the school supplies are gone because everyone bought them all.

3) You set your alarm for the first day of school and you realize how early you actually have to get up. Then you start thinking, #SummerPleaseStayForever.

4) You try to go to sleep early, but you just can’t because you’re wide awake and your eyes don’t want to close.

5) When you wake up on the first day of school and you’re all like, “I’m ready” like Spongebob.

6) When you get home from school, you start to feel super motivated to do all your homework because you feel like this year will be better.

7) By the time week two hits, you’re just tired and are just completely done with the whole concept of school.

I hope that you all enjoyed today’s post and found it super relatable as well as funny. I’m super excited about all of my #BTSWithVal posts for this year. I’ve worked really hard on them and I know that you all will love them, so make sure you’re subscribed to the blog so you won’t miss out on these awesome posts. Hehe! Speaking of school, when do you go back to school? Tell me in the comments below. I go back around mid-August and I wish that I didn’t have to go back to school till September. However, I usually get out of school in May and the people who typically go back in September don’t get out till June sooooooo I think I’ll take going back in August. Haha! Anyway, I hope that you are having a great day & I’ll see you in my next post! Bye :)

My Latest Posts:

July Favorites 2016

Hey guys! In today’s #BTSWithVal post, I’m going to be showing you all how to make some Breakfast Balls! I made these into breakfast balls but you can definitely make them into bars. Whatever floats your boat! Anyway, these are perfect to make the night before just in case you are running late & you don’t have the time to make something or sit down to eat something. With these, all you have to do is grab them & you can go. You can choose any cereal you want, but I just chose some random cereal I already had lying around in my kitchen. Haha!

Hey guys! In today’s #BTSWithVal post, I’m going to be talking about awkward moments that happen at school. I’d say I’ve had a pretty decent amount of awkward moments that have happened to me at school, so I just came up with a list of awkward moments that I’ve gone through. Hopefully you guys can relate to some of my awkward moments/situations. Without further ado, let’s go ahead and get into today’s post.

Hey guys! Today’s post is another #BTSWithVal post. I’m going to be talking about the types of people you will most likely come across on the first day of school. The people I came up with are people that I’ve come across at school. I hope you guys can relate to this post & without further ado, let’s get into the post.

Hey guys! Welcome to my first #BTSWithVal post of the season! I know you all really enjoyed this series last year, so I wanted to do it again this year. I’m super excited about today’s post because I’m going to be sharing some tips on how you can stay focused while studying. It’s so easy to get side tracked from school these days thanks to social media, but with these tips you will know how to stay focused on your school work.