Friday Picks

Is it just me, or did this week feel twice as long as it typically is? I'm seriously so tired - not just tired, but "I-forgot-to-put-mascara-on-and-fell-asleep-at-breakfast" tired. I could not be more glad that the weekend is finally here. Tonight I'm planning on making pizza, catching up on blog posts and TV episodes, and sleeping in until approximately noon on Saturday morning, and I couldn't be happier that the week is over. It's been so stressful, but now we can welcome the weekend with some of my favorite links from the past week. Enjoy your weekend reading!

1 // Stop. Stop. Just stop. This ballerina messes with my head so hard it physically hurts.

2 // Mouth-watering sweet potato fries to try

3 // Isabel & Sophie and Katie had a battle of the Carolinas... and from what I can tell they're both winners and I would love to visit both states some day.

4 // This sneak peek from Lauren James was gorgeous... can't wait for the spring collection!

5 // This is one of my favorite posts ever on Classy Cathleen. I can't even put into words how good and raw and truthful it is, so I'm just going to let you read it yourself. Spoiler alert: prepare yourself for tears. Lots.

6 // Olivia's snow day OOTD was the cutest, especially her scarf!

7 // The best places to put your preppy stickers!

8 // Fashion blogging isn't all fun & games, y'all - and it's not exactly truthful too.

9 // I recently found out about an amazing beanie company called Love Your Melon, and I love how Amy styled her hat!

10 // Liz takes hate comments she's received in the past year and responds to them, which I LOVE. It shows that you don't always have to take everything so seriously and sometimes you just have to laugh it off. It's honestly one if the most inspiring posts ever and I suggest you go give it a read.

11 // This Patagonia pullover is only $83 - but hurry, it won't last long!

12 // Sugar cookie nachos? HECK YES

13 // Another outfit from Blizzard Jonas, and this one's featuring a shep shirt and bean boots!

14 // Abby really brightens up rainy days!

15 // Lindsey's workout gear from Gordman's is so cute! #whenindoubtworkout

What are your plans for the weekend?

Where To Put Preppy Stickers

Hi, I'm Brooke, and I have an obsession with preppy stickers, if you couldn't already tell. I've only done two blog posts about them (see here and here) and post tons of pictures of them on Instagram. Naturally, when one of the responses on my reader survey asked if I could do a post on what to do with preppy stickers, I got really excited. I realized that there aren't any posts out there on what to do with preppy stickers, but mainly just posts on how to get them. Sure, you see pictures on Pinterest of water bottles and laptops covered in stickers, but you shouldn't be limited to those ideas. So if you've come in need of places to put your stickers, look no further. You're in the right place.

Create a sticker board. This is something I did recently, and I love how it turned out! I took an old bulletin board I had, and filled it with a few of my favorite stickers. It's so cute and the perfect addition to my room. A lot of people completely cover their board with stickers, but I left mine kind of simple. Over time, though, I will probably add more - I've actually added a few since I took this picture.

Put them on your laptop. Like I've said earlier, you probably see pictures of these floating around on Pinterest all the time. Most people put them on the outside cover of their laptop, or their laptop case, but I kept my laptop pretty simple and just placed a sticker on both sides of the trackpad. On the other side, I just have a Vineyard Vines sticker.

Give them away. Okay, hear me out on this one. Stickers are the perfect inexpensive product for a giveaway, and people always love to get stickers. I've hosted a few sticker giveaways myself! They also make a really cute addition to any snail mail that you send. Plus, if you want another one of the stickers you just gave away, you can always request them again for free!

Put them on your notebooks. Back in August, I decorated two notebooks for Back to School. For the one on the left, I covered it in stickers, and the DIY for the one on the right can be found here. Decorating your notebooks adds a bit of color and fun to your schoolwork, and using stickers are some of the easiest ways to decorate notebooks, binders, or agendas.

Cover Mason jars. I had some boring mason jars sitting on my desk, so I covered them with some stickers to make them cuter. The bigger stickers were kind of bumpy when I put them on, and I'm not completely in love with how they turned out, but it's better than the way they were before. If you try this idea, I recommend smaller stickers like I did with the one on the right. This idea isn't just for mason jars - it's for pretty much any boring storage bins or buckets you have laying around. Sky's the limit!

A few ideas I've seen floating around but haven't tried:

• Put them on your water bottle
• Put them on your car
• Put them on a clipboard (like this one here)

Of course, if you have stickers left over after this, you can always just hoard them! It's actually more fun than you think. I have a box that I keep in my desk, and after all this, I probably still have 100 stickers sitting in there.

If you try any of these, be sure to post a picture on Instagram, tag me, and use the hashtag #livethepreplife for a chance to be featured. I'd love to see your recreations!

Where do you like to put your preppy stickers?

Friday Picks

Happy Friday... or Wednesday? This week was such a good week, because it was so short - but it also threw me off like crazy. We had off from school on Monday, because of Martin Luther King Day, but I also skipped most of school on Tuesday for a doctor's appointment. I honestly had no idea that the week was already over, until I looked at my calendar yesterday and realized - "it's Thursday night and I have no post written for tomorrow." Blogger goals, I know. That's also why this post is going up kind of late. Like I said, it's been a short week, and also a busy one, so I don't have a ton of links to share like I did last week, but I hope you enjoy reading the ones below!

1 // Katie's semester reflections are spot on and something every girl should hear.

2 // A couple of your favorite planners, compared

3 // It feels like it's snowing everywhere (except Texas, of course) so of course cozy sweaters are appropriate for this weekend.

4 // The truth behind my Instagram photos

5 // Speaking of Instagram, here's how to get the perfect flatlay

6 // One of my favorite Etsy shops, GreekChicBoutique, just debuted a new headband at such a great price!

7 // Shelby's dress is so so gorgeous and I'm so so jealous... how did I not see this print before?

8 // This past Tuesday, Roxana wrote a guest post for me. Have you seen it yet?

9 // I loved reading about Lilly Pulitzer's life (and what a great idea for a school project)!

10 // Ever since winter break, I've had the hardest time getting out of bed in the morning, so I was really glad when Cristina wrote this post.

11 // It's not snowing in Texas, but if it was...

12 // Ashley's favorite blogging resources

Have a great weekend! If it's snowing where you are, stay safe and warm! (Oh, and snap me a picture at livethepreplife. I'm totally jealous!)

What links have you been loving lately?

5 Ultimate Winter Skin Tips

Unlike most people, I love winter. I love the cold weather, except for one thing - the fact that with cold weather comes dry, cracked skin, which is why I was so excited when Roxana reached out to me to write a ghuest post. I'm so excited for y'all to read her tips, and you should definitely go check out her blogs, too. She blogs over at Style by Asia and High Style Life.

5 Ultimate Winter Skin Tips
By Roxana Oliver

Doesn't it seem like summer just ended and yet we're all wearing furs and caps already? Brrr! And it's not just that it's cold outside, but what this cold weather is doing to our health and skin is absolutely exausting.
What's always true of these cold winter days is to catch a cold, be down with a fever for days, or have your skin get irritated and cracked due to the cold winds that are blowing and causing the skin to suffer.

Well, luckily, there's a way to help prevent it! We're giving you an amazing winter skin tutorial that will keep your skin healthy and glowing!

Moisturizing is everything
While you are probably used to moisturizing a lot, especially during hot summer and spring days, winter requires a different type of moisturizing routine; when the cold winter days hit, you need to turn to an "ointment" moisturizer that's oil-based, rather than water-based. Why? The oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a lotion or cream. If you are using a cream, use the old beauticians trick - first apply one layer and let your skin "soak it in" until your skin is dry. Then, apply another layer that will leave your skin just a tiny bit greasy - that way you'll know the skin "soaked in" the necessary moisture and the extra grease is telling you the skin is now protected.

Slather on the sunscreen... Wait, what?
Yep! Even though you are associating sunscreen with the summer, don't forget there's plenty of sun in the winter too and, combined with the snow glare, it can damage your skin more than you know. This is why you should apply sunscreen to your face, neck, and hands - that is, any part of your body that is exposed. Do this about 30 minutes prior to going outside. If you are staying out for longer, reapply the sunscreen as often as possible.

Vitamin up all the way!
For your skin to stay healthy during the cold days, you need to watch what you eat and what supplements you are taking. Our bodies are more fragile during winter, so it's important to pile up on those vitamins and stay healthy! If you can't find fresh organic fruit and veggies around, you can always opt for Nature's Sunshine Products, which are an amazing supplement.

Your hands need a hand too, you know?
The skin on your hands has fewer oil glands and is thinner than on most parts of the body, which means you have to make extra effort to keep your hands moist, especially in dry, cold weather. The first rule is to wear gloves when you go outside, and the second one is to use a greasy hand cream, so your hands don't crack.

Hook up the humidifier and stop complaining
One of the worst things for the skin is definitely the central heating system; it blasts hot dry air which "sucks up" all the moisture out of the air and therefore leaves your skin dry and un-hydrated. So, it's time you placed a few humidifiers around the house to get more moisture in the air and help that same moisture get dispersed more evenly around your space.

If you stay true to these five golden rules, your skin will remain as gorgeous as ever, no worries!

What are your best winter skin tips?

Friday Picks

This week was apparently the week of blog posts. I've seen so many great posts through Bloglovin' that I have to share with y'all today! This week was also the first full week back at school since Winter Break, and I could not be more thankful for the weekend. We have a three day weekend this week, so be sure to add me on Snapchat (livethepreplife) if you want to see what I'm up to. With that being said, here are some of the links I've been loving lately - and like I said, there's lots!

Got insomnia? These tips might help.

Bando got new arrivals and this gym bag is too perfect!

Never enough leggings in your life...

Rebecca tells us how to have a party for one

I would love it if you would take my reader survey!

Tess shares her thoughts behind some Bible verses

Here's what REALLY goes on #behindthegram

Any blogger knows that the stationery addiction is real... here are some paper goods to fuel your addiction!

As heartbreaking as it is, I'm going to be doing less shopping at these stores now.

Sarah's letter to her 18-year-old self is the only letter you'll ever need

I've been obsessed with Patagonia lately and I love the ones that Catherine picked!

How to manage your email... I need this badly

This post has all the information you'll ever need about when to Pin!

Major heart eyes for Lauren's room. It's goals and I want it all!

So Ivory Ella came out with new arrivals and #obsessed with this

Oh and Lilly got new arrivals too

I can't even begin to tell you how gorgeous Elly's pictures from Italy are... so you'll just have to see for yourself!

I discovered Chobani Simply 100 Crunch through this post and I'm hooked!

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread. Need I say more?

Rain, rain, go away... (but actually don't go away because I love rain and this rain gear needs to be worn)

Spoiler alert: I might be getting a new design in the near future, and I'm leaning toward this one and this one. Thoughts?

Who else has a three day weekend?

What REALLY Goes On #behindthegram

It's been a while since Essena O'Neill disrupted the Internet and came out with her whole "social media isn't real" campaign, but it still has a huge influence and is still getting a ton of publicity today. I've heard mixed opinions, from "she's absolutely right" to "Instagram is a portfolio to showcase the work that you choose to display and there's nothing wrong with that." I can honestly agree with both of these perspectives, so here's my opinion: Instagram is a great way to showcase your work, but the pictures you display aren't always natural and sometimes require extreme editing, creativity, and hard work." 

I can speak from experience. I almost ALWAYS edit my pictures (more to come on that later!) and it usually takes a lot of patience to get one that's good enough. I'm constantly running out of storage space because I take so many pictures, and when I take a picture for Instagram there's usually about two hundred different angles involved. With that in mind, here are some completely true stories of how I've taken some of my Instagram pictures! (Follow me here)

I got these boots for Christmas, and I was completely and utterly obsessed (well, I still am)... so naturally, I had to post something on Instagram, right? I asked my sister if she would so kindly take a quick picture of me - it would take two minutes, tops. She grudgingly agreed, and took three or four pictures but the lighting wasn't right, and then she was too close, and it was blurry, and you get the idea. About thirty minutes and one hundred pictures later, I finally had one that would be good enough for Instagram. My sister was nearly to tears, but this is my most liked picture to date, so it's worth it, right? (No. It's not. Definitely not. Whenever I ask her to take pictures I always feel bad for making her cry.)
Also, if you look closely at the top of the picture, you may see some slight discoloration in the wall. Look in the top right. You see that because this picture is completely and totally edited... and I whitened the wall.

Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to hold a Kendra Scott bag at the right angle so it doesn't bunch up and you can read the letters? And do you know how frustrating it is to get the said bag at the perfect angle, but then have the lighting be horrible thanks to the background lights? Well, spoiler alert: It's extremely hard, and extremely frustrating.

I went to get the mail a couple days before Thanksgiving, and as I walked outside I spotted this gorgeous tree down the street. I grabbed my camera and sprinted down the street - in my pajamas - to snap this, because there's nothing more beautiful in the fall than leaves. The neighbors probably thought I was insane, but who cares? #doitforthegram, y'all, and be proud of it.

We were shopping in Dallas, and I saw this sign on the side of a building and had a "blogger moment," which is basically a moment where I become a basic blogger and have to take a picture of something because it is perfect and/or goals. There was a long line of people trying to get a picture, but I had to wait until everyone cleared out so I could take my time and get the perfect angle - because I'm that picky about my pictures.

When my grandparents came back in October, my grandma brought these delicious pumpkin spice almonds. I thought it would make a cute picture if I arranged the almonds on my plate in a cute shape or something, but the almonds kept moving and it was really hard to get them to look like flowers. I don't even know if y'all can tell if they're flowers. You may just think that they're random blobs.

When the Red Cups first came out this year, I made a run to Starbucks ASAP so I could jump on the bandwagon and post a red cup to Instagram just like every single blogger out there. After I drank my Peppermint Mocha, I put on some red lipstick and a white top and had a mini photoshoot in my backyard. My family looked at me like I was crazy, but that's nothing we didn't know already, and I got a cute picture, so...

So basically, what you can learn from this, is that bloggers are kind of obsessive over their photos and they will go to extreme measures to get them to turn out how they want. The hashtag #doitforthegram can pretty much define any blogger's life, and there's almost always a crazy story behind every picture.

What crazy measures do you go to for the perfect Instagram picture?

Friday Picks

Long time, no Friday Picks! I felt bad about not doing them for two weeks in a row, because I know they're my most popular posts and y'all seem to really like them, but I had other things planned. On Christmas, I was off social media for the most part because I was spending my time with my family, and last week I did another post that I really wanted to do. Regardless, I'm glad you stuck around for the past two weeks, and I just wanted to say that I'm so excited for y'all to see everything that I have in store for 2016. Here's to another great year!

One more thing - you may have noticed the new social media buttons as well as the share buttons on the right. They're the same color as the graphic in my last post, and I've decided I want that to be one of my main colors as I want to keep my blog theme consistent. I know this is turquoise, and I will be creating a new Friday Picks design soon, but first I want to make sure I like the color before I decide to wrap my entire blog around it. I want to get a new design first, so I guess you could call this paragraph a giant heads up: Live The Prep Life is getting a makeover soon! With that being said, here are some links I've been loving!

Here's what Caitlin brings to class!

Rachael and I have a couple fears in common... read about her biggest fears here.

Paulina's Tory Burch boots and bag are so cute!

I'm completely and utterly obsessed with stationery, and I'm not ashamed.

Here's what I would like to accomplish in 2016!

No matter what, God comes first.

Caitlin's outfits throughout 2015 were absolutely perfect!

Bloggers: Don't compare yourselves against each other. Just don't.

A couple yoga poses to try!

Jamie talks about what really went on behind the scenes of her blog last year

How to stay organized in the new year (I need this one badly)

101 blog post ideas, if you ever get stumped

My word for 2016

Hannah shares some surprises from the blogging industry

I got these for Christmas and I'm obsessed - stay tuned for an outfit post soon!

Thanks for reading, and I hope your week back from break wasn't too rough!

Reader Survey 2016

Last week, I talked about my blogging goals for 2016. I went more into detail on that post, but I'll be more general here. I want to grow my blog as a whole. I have a great feeling about this year, and I have big plans for the blog. But, as I've said in many posts, I'm always looking for ways to improve. Today, I want to know what you, the reader, thinks of my blog. What posts should I do? What do you like about Live The Prep Life? How can I improve? There's that word again, improve. If I had to pick one word to define this year, it would be improve. So how can you help me do that?

You can take this survey, that's how. It would mean a lot to me if you would take five minutes to complete this survey and help make my blog better. I've come so far in the short six months I've been blogging, and I would love to see that trend continue throughout 2016. I really appreciate you taking the time to fill out the survey. It means the world to me.

Click here to take the survey!

Thank you for filling out the form, and here's to a year filled with improvement! Be sure to leave a comment below telling me what your word for 2016 is.

101 Things in 1001 Days

1001 days. 2.75 years. 143 weeks. 24,024 hours. 1441440 minutes. 101 things to do. Are you up for the challenge?

When I first saw this challenge on Design Darling, I knew I had to do it. I love setting goals for myself and trying new things, so I am so excited to be starting this challenge! If you don't know what it is, basically, you create a list of 101 goals you want to accomplish or things you want to do, and you try to complete your list within 1001 days. I don't know if I will complete all of these, but I certainly will try and I want to finish as many of these as possible. 

I think this is a great alternative to making New Year's Resolutions. Although I am setting goals strictly for 2016, I also want to have a list of goals to keep over the next couple of years, so that I constantly have a long-term target to shoot for. Not only does writing these goals down (or typing them) help me remember them, but they make the objectives more real and by sharing it with you I hope that I will stay motivated to complete these goals!

Start Date: January 1st, 2016

End Date: September 28, 2018

Travel & Adventure (9/25)

1. Visit 5 new states (5/5, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Illinois, Hawaii)
2. Attend a concert
3. Go on a cruise
4. Swim with dolphins
5. Go on 3 road trips (3/3; Waco, San Antonio, Austin)
6. Visit New York
7. Visit Santa Fe
8. Visit Georgia
9. Visit South Carolina
10. Step foot on the four corners
11. Visit a national park (Haleakala, completed 07.11.18)
12. Go back to Waco and go to Magnolia Market again (completed 08.10.16)
13. Ride in a hot air balloon
14. Go back to Disney World
15. Go indoor skydiving (completed 02.05.17)
16. See a USWNT game in person
17. Go hiking (completed 08.11.16)
18. Go out of the country
19. Play Frisbee golf (completed 04.03.16)
20. Go camping
21. Visit 3 different beaches (2/3; Singer Island, Ohio Street Beach, Galveston Beach)
22. Go ziplining (completed 07.10.18)
23. Go to a UT football game
24. Attend a celebrity meet and greet
25. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Exercise & Food (10/13)

26. Run a 5k (completed 11.5.16)
27. Try 30 new foods (30/30, quail, seaweed, pesto, beets, calamari, Serrano peppers, plantains, coconut milk, jicama, paella, deep dish pizza, aioli, persimmons, acai, goji berries, cabbage, coleslaw, anchovies, mahi, ahi tuna, hebi, mahi mahi, monchong, kona, opakapaka, ono, papio, papaya, black rice, poached eggs, kamut)
28. Get my mile time under 8 minutes and then... (completed 03.07.16)
29. ...Get it under 7 minutes (completed 09.12.17)
30. Be able to do the splits
31. Take a cooking class
32. Become vegetarian for a week (completed 2.24.16)
33. Create a recipe
34. Do 50 juggles with a soccer ball (completed 07.30.17)
35. Hold a plank for 3 minutes (completed 07.22.17)
36. Take a spin class (completed 05.13.17)
37. Participate in a color run (completed 11.11.17)
38. Cook ten recipes by myself (10/10; brownie breakfast bars, Mexican rice casserole, garbanzo bean salad, red velvet donuts, banana breakfast bake, peanut butter overnight oats, cookie butter bars, brownie overnight oats, granola bars, peanut butter bread)

Blog (14/20)

39. Reach 100,000 pageviews (completed date unknown)

40. Invest in a DSLR camera (completed 12.25.16)

41. Meet a blogger friend in real life

42. Take a photography class
43. Reach 5k Instagram followers
44. Reach 5k Pinterest followers
45. Have my custom domain name (completed 01.22.17)
46. Learn HTML
47. Create (or buy!) a new blog layout (completed 04.20.16)
48. Go to a sponsored event (Lauren James grand opening, completed September 2016)
49. Work with 3 major brands (date completed unknown; Jadelynn Brooke, KJP, & Lauren James)
50. Host 3 giveaways (3/3; completed 04.03.16)
51. Write three sponsored posts (3/3; not sure when completed)
52. Do 25 outfit posts (25/25; completed 08.29.17)
53. Rebrand (completed 6.30.18)
54. Become a rep for 2 companies
55. Start a Youtube channel (completed 02.18.17)
56. Switch to Wordpress
57. Reach 300 blog posts (300/300; completed May 2018)
58. Meet a reader in real life (completed September 2016; exact date unknown)

Faith (4/6)

59. Memorize 50 Bible verses (6/50)
60. Go on a mission trip
61. Teach Sunday School 20 times
62. Set aside time to read the Bible every day
63. Start Bible journaling (completed 09.12.17)
64. Join YoungLife (completed 09.11.17)

Beauty / Fashion (9/13)

65. Invest in a good quality purse/bag (completed 12.27.17)

66. Invest in good quality riding boots (completed 9.9.16)
67. Buy a new pair of running shoes (completed 7.16.16)
68. Own 5 statement necklaces (5/5; completed 09.10.17)
69. Learn 3 new hairstyles that I'll actually wear
70. Buy a pair of Jack Rogers (completed 03.18.16)
71. Grow my hair out (completed summer 2018)
72. Be able to french braid well
73. Own four more Lilly Pulitzer pieces (4/4; completed summer 2016)
74. Learn to curl my hair well
75. Get my ears pierced (completed 1.19.16)
76. Own a Patagonia pullover (completed 9.9.16)
77. Try five new makeup brands (3/5; Benefit, Clinique, Maybelline)

Learn / Create (5/9)
78. Learn how to play guitar
79. Create a gallery wall (completed 03.24.16)
80. Learn how to hand letter (completed 03.16, exact date unknown)
81. Learn Spanish (began 8.22.16)
82. Complete 10 successful Pinterest DIYs (1/10)
83. Learn to write with my left hand
84. Finish decorating my room (completed 05.24.16)
85. Start a garden (completed 04.15.16)
86. Complete 10 paintings (2/10)

Just For Fun (9/15)
87. Save x amount of money in my savings account (keeping amount hidden; completed 7.31.18)
88. Go barefoot for a day
89. Experience a white Christmas
90. Find a new TV show to watch (completed 3.25.16, Gossip Girl)
91. Become a referee for my local soccer association (completed 7.29.16)
92. Watch 10 movies I haven't seen (completed 04.14.17; The Fault In Out Stars, The Jungle Book, The Princess Bride, Finding Dory, The Secret Life of Pets, Legally Blonde, A Walk To Remember, Miracle on 34th Street, Rogue One, Beauty & The Beast)
93. Collect three coffee table books (1/3; Grace Over Perfection)

94. Write a letter to my future self (done 08.19.17)

95. Tie a note to a balloon and let it go

96. Send 50 cards via snail mail (50/50; completed 09.19.17)
97. Win a giveaway (completed 1.03.16)
98. Go unplugged for 24 hours
99. Send a note in a bottle
100. Put $5 in savings for every goal accomplished

101. Inspire someone else to make their own list (completed 1.2.16)

Completed: 60/101

If you enjoyed reading this, then I encourage you to create your own list, too! If you decide to participate, make sure to link this post and the one on Design Darling and tag us on social media! I hope you have a great start to 2016 and wish you good luck on all of your New Year's Resolutions!