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livforstyle December 31, 2015

Goodbye 2015

Dear 2015,

Thanks for an amazing year. A year filled with ups and downs. A year filled with successes and fails. A year filled with challenges. But most importantly a year filled with lessons. I am very hopeful for 2016, but before I enter into the new year, I want to reflect on 2015 and what I learned.

1. Be present

I have always heard to live in the moment, to stop and look, and take time to reflect. However, it was not until this autumn, I knew the real meaning of those phrases. The long walks to class have always been my time to think and to admire the beauty of my campus. When the fall season arrived, I remember taking time to look at the changing leaves, to admire the rich, bold colors and to start appreciating the little things. Now, whether I am with family or friends, whether I am in public or in my bedroom all by myself, I try to let go of my racing thoughts and just be mindful of my surroundings and most importantly be thankful.

2. Acknowledge your inner beauty

This has always been a challenge of mine, but in 2015 I got better at recognizing my inner beauty. By inner beauty, I mean my strength, my passions, my creativity, and other traits that come from the soul. Everyone always acknowledges my love for others, my passion for fashion, my dedication to my blog, my strength, and so on. Now, whenever someone compliments me, I simply say thank you. I am certain that I will continue to celebrate what makes me unique in 2016.

3. My Prince Charming will show up… Eventually

Entering college I had this mindset that I would find a boyfriend freshman year, date him throughout my four years, and eventually get married. I blame all the romance movies I have watched that painted this picture. Now as a junior in college, I can say that this is not reality, maybe for some people, but not me. In 2015, I realized that having a boyfriend is not the most important thing in the world. Even though, it seems like every girl someone special in her life, there is still plenty of us celebrating the single life. I am certain that my time will come and my knight in shining armor will show up. Now, whenever I enter any social setting I leave behind my goal of finding a man and remember to be patient, be confident, and have fun.

4. Be flexible

Being organized and scheduled is a strength of mine but also a weakness. Sometimes being too rigid can be stressful and lead me to miss out on spontaneous adventures. I’d rather stick to my schedule, but this year I learned to be patient and realized that everything cannot be perfect and that is ok because a little unpredictability makes life more fun.

5. Money doesn’t grow on trees

Being an adult is not all fun and games, especially when dealing with finances. As a full-time student, I have few chances to work and make money, so sometimes I find myself in a predicament. Do I splurge on that pair of shoes? Or do I save my money for future opportunities? This year I learned the meaning of a dollar. I noticed how my expenses can add up, making me more conscious with my money. For example, instead of going to my favorite coffee shop every morning and spending over two dollars for coffee, I started to make my coffee in my townhouse. A big savings! I learned that in order to save, you have to make a few sacrifices, but it will all be worth it in the end. In 2015, I officially discovered what it is like to be an adult.

6. Have fun

This year has been busy…finishing my sophomore year of college, starting my own blog, completing a summer internship in the fashion world, and starting my junior year of college. No wonder why I am always exhausted. The rare moments I did have some free time, I remember having fun, being carefree, and feeling like a kid again. I recall many fun memories in 2015, but three occasions stick out, my trip to the Bronx Zoo, visiting Playland in Rye, New York, and jumping off the three meter diving board. Seeing the lions, riding the Dragon Coaster, and cannonballing off the diving board, taught me that sometimes you have to abandon work for a little, log off all social media sites, and just have fun.

7. Focus on You

Lastly, the idea of focusing on me and what makes me happy is something I have discovered the last few months of 2015 and will continue to learn more in 2016. Lately, I recognized that you cannot make others happy, unless you are happy. I noticed that there are people in life that will question you and your choices. Those people will try to steal your self-esteem and make you feel worthless, but those people do not matter, the only thing that matters is you and your happiness.

Here’s another year filled with love, happiness, success, and so on. I am ready for you 2016. Bring it on!

Sincerely,

Liv

Check out some of my favorite moments from 2015.

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livforstyle September 6, 2015

Back 2 School

Who knew that three words could cause so much anxiety…back to school. Although summer has not officially ended on the calendar, my summer ended when I walked into my first class.

From elementary school to middle school to high school and now college, I always experience back to school jitters, especially the night before classes start.

College is a different experience because I find you don’t need many school supplies. In elementary school you needed markers, crayons, glue sticks, and much more. In high school you needed a binder and notebook for every subject. Luckily, I only take five classes in college and most of them allow us to use our laptops for note taking. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t need any school supplies.

I found all of my back to school essentials at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores and online at officedepot.com. Their brick-and-mortar store and online shop offered all the supplies I needed to gear up for my junior year of college. Office Depot and OfficeMax had a huge variety of supplies, allowing students to pick items that fit their styles and needs at prices they will love.

In this post, I am giving tips on how to stay organized and I’ll give you a peek at all my new school supplies with special thanks to Office Depot and OfficeMax. Although, the first week of classes proved that this semester would be challenging, I’m confident that my new school supplies will support a successful semester.

Want to know a secret? Well it’s not really a secret because anyone who sees my handwritten notes will realize I have awful handwriting. There are only a few pens that make my handwriting more legible and those pens have to be rolling ball pens. I love the Pilot Precise Rolling Ball Pens and I knew Office Depot and OfficeMax would sell them for the best price. I love using colorful pens when taking notes because colorful pens allow me to organize my notes better and I find myself remembering more of the information when my notes are vibrant and colorful. These Pilot rolling ball pens are not just colorful but they provide comfort for smooth and neat writing.

Of course blue and black ink pens are essentials for test taking or when your professor frowns on the use of colorful pens. Luckily, I found at Office Depot and OfficeMax a 12 pack of Bic Unique Soft Barrel and Grip retractable pens in black ink. The soft feel and comfortable grip will help me ace all my tests.

I can’t live without highlighters. Highlighters are my go to supply when reading class materials and taking notes. I love the Office Depot brand highlighters because the colors are super bright and vibrant and 12 highlighters come in a pack, so I am set for the year. I’ll use these gorgeous florescent highlighters throughout the year to color coordinate my notes and pin point the most useful information in textbooks and print outs.

Now that I am all set with writing instruments, I need something to write on. Once again, Office Depot and OfficeMax had me covered. This gold polka dot patterned Divoga college ruled notebook has become my everyday notebook for jotting down notes, reminders, and ideas for upcoming blog posts. I carry a notebook with me wherever I go because you never know when creative thoughts will spark. I love how lightweight this notebook is, so it can fit anywhere, whether in my backpack or purse.

I get tons of handouts to read throughout the semester so I need a folder to organize all my papers and this stylish Divoga folder is perfect. I love the metallic gold print and how it compliments my notebook. You can see that I like to style to all aspects of my life, even my school supplies and you can’t beat the price of only $1 per folder.

I love to have a huge variety of pens and highlighters on hand and one of my pet peeves is is being disorganized. So, I am not that person that lets these pens just make their way haphazardly to the bottom of a school bag. Instead, I like to keep everything organized so I can easily find what I am looking for. I’m so happy I found this Divoga pencil pouch. Not only does it keep all my pens and highlighters neatly in one place, but again, the gold and mint color scheme perfectly matches my notebook and folders. This pencil case scores major style points for me.

Although most classes have started for us students, if you are still looking for the trendiest backpacks, must-have tech items, and necessary school supplies all at low prices, look no further than Office Depot and OfficeMax. Let me know in the comments below what your must haves are for a successful school year? Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Office Depot, Inc. and Her Campus Media. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make LivForStyle possible!

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livforstyle June 19, 2015

Belly Buttons Are So Overrated

Enough is enough, from thigh gaps, to bikini bridges and now the belly button challenge. The belly button challenge is a new body trend flooding social media. I am not talking about a stylish, fashion trend that everyone should follow. Instead the belly button challenge proves that society sucks.

It’s believed that this trend started in China. No matter where it started it has made an unwanted appearance on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. The idea of this challenge is suppose to indicate if you need to lose weight. If your right arm is able to reach the left side of your navel from your back, you are thin and healthy. Completely bogus! I am not a health or fitness expert but I do have a brain and I know that touching your belly button does not prove if one is healthy. What girls fail to realize is that flexibility and long arms are the only things that determine if you can touch your belly button.

Today, the pressure to become thin is stronger than ever. From personal experiences, it can be hard to get rid of the negative thoughts about your body. Constantly, one is bombarded with thoughts of feeling fat, feeling ugly, and feeling unworthy.

It seems like these body trends are harmless but instead they have dangerous outcomes. Although I believe that the media is not the sole contributor to eating disorders, these trends can still add fuel to the fire. Eating disorders are no joking matter and continue to rise among teens and adults, both males and females. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, over 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders. In fact, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder. I wish society kept these facts and statistics in mind before they start telling us that being thin is all that matters.

I am a huge advocate for promoting body peace. Although I find it hard to sometimes take my own advice, I strongly believe that body shaming needs to stop NOW. Since when does being thin make you a more worthy human being? I was always taught that it is what is on the inside that counts.

I can’t help but to laugh at this idea of the belly button challenge because it is nothing but complete foolishness. However, the sad part is that not all girls can laugh about it and most fall victim to society’s idea of the “perfect body.” Take the vow with me and promise not to post anything on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook that shames your body or others. It’s not worth it. Besides, belly buttons are so overrated, but being healthy never goes out of style.

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