Look forward to December/Blogmas!

Hi Y'all,

I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know there isn't a new blog post today; however, I'm blogging every day Monday-Friday during the month of December. I already have all of them planned out (except for Thursday posts, if you have any suggestions, please leave them here!).

Also, you can officially follow With Southern Grace on Bloglovin'! Just click here

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Relationships 101: Holiday Gift Guides for Him and for Her

Gifts for him:

Yeti Tumbler // 29.99-39.99 // perfect for the outdoorsman or just the tea or water drinker in your life. These babies are known for keeping your liquids COLD. They're also insanely comfortable to hold in your hand. They're also engravable for that extra bit of personalization!

Southern Proper "All Prep" Fleece Pullover // $125 + shipping // These are way better than Pategonia's! They're super warm, great pockets, and preppy! Basically, everything you need a in a fleece! Natty Beau also offers a variety of Southern Proper, Barbour, and Smathers and Branson just to name a few.

Wallet // varies // Guys collect wallets like girls collect bags (or so it seems). Every guy on your list probably wants (or needs) a new wallet. You can find them in almost every store you go in whether it's Marshall's or Nordstrom. You can order personalized ones as well!

Favorite alcohol // varies // Guys really aren't hard to figure out, in most cases alcohol is a winner.

Wireless headphones// sale: $99 // This is a win-win present because he gets to listen to his favorite tv program (probably football) and you get peace and quiet! 

Gifts for her:

Scarf// varies // You really can't go wrong with a new scarf for the lady in your life. Not only are they always fashionable, but it shows that you care about her well being. Barbour makes a great quality scarf, and they're timeless!

Monogrammed Jewelry // varies // This is a sure fire way to win, most girls love a good monogram! Plus, it shows you put in a little extra effort with the personalization.

Coupon book// varies // This might sound silly, and like something a child might do for their parent (no, but really I had to do this when I was in elementary school for Mother's Day one year). But, make a coupon book of IOUs for the lady in your life. Not only does it show you care, but you're taking tasks of her hands that she probably doesn't enjoy. Plus, you get something out of the deal, too: her happiness.

Fleece Blanket // varies // This is a great gift for literally anyone in your life. However, I know I spend the majority of my time frozen, and I absolutely adore a good fleece blanket (hence, why I sleep with 5 of them on my bed). You can also literally find these anywhere, Home Goods is a great place to check, as well as Target!

FitBit // varies on model choice // Everyone is super into fitness, especially right after the holidays, I absolutely adore my Fitbit, and suggest one to literally everyone! It not only provides a great method for keeping track of your fitness, it provides a fitness community for you and your fit lovin' friends!

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Tips 'n' Tricks: Time Management

Hi y'all!
Today's post is on a subject I had to master in college, and I'm sure it's a struggle for y'all just as much as it still is for me! I've come up with 10 tried and true tips 'n' tricks for handling time management! 

1. Write everything down. I literally mean everything. I will literally write down "wake up", "make bed", "eat breakfast", "eat lunch", "eat dinner", "shower", "workout" just to name a few. In case you were wondering, I am that person who writes down something they've already done to make me feel like I've accomplished something.

2. Strategize. Think about what's going to take up the majority of your time, and start with that task. For me, writing a paper is going to take a lot longer than a few math problems just because I research (and edit) a lot. This also includes working ahead. Start the paper early if you know it's going to take you a while. Read the chapter before your professor talks about it in class. Put your laundry in the wash while you cook dinner.

3. Set a timer. Literally for anywhere from 30-45 minutes. In that amount of time, do nothing but work on whatever task you need to get done. When that time is up, take a break for 15 minutes. You'll be shocked how much you can get done when you give yourself a time limit. 

4. Put your phone on "do not disturb". You can also download apps so that you can't access certain sites, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This helps you stay focused on the task at hand instead of a variety of other possible distractions.

5. Say No. This one can be super hard, but say no to something if you really don't have the time to devote to it.

6. Reward yourself. I'm super guilty of sometimes over rewarding myself, but this is a great tip. If you know you're working toward something you're more likely to get the task done more efficiently.

7. Start Earlier. Don't feel like you have enough hours in the day to get everything done? Wake up a few minutes earlier to get everything accomplished!

8. Distribute your tasks. Can someone help you accomplish something? Great! Hand over whatever task it is to them...you'll thank yourself later.

9. Work on the go. Have a phone call to make, yet you need to be walking or driving somewhere? Take the phone call while you're driving or walking!

10. Sleep on it. It's ok that you don't finish everything on your to do list. As long as you got done the top priority items, you're good!

What tips do y'all have for time management?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Makeup Monday: Loreal Paris

Basics
-French Company
-World's largest cosmetic company
-Have a product in every area of cosmetics and beauty: hair care/color, makeup, skincare, skin protection, etc.
-Started in 1919
-Multiple subsidiaries, including (but not limited to): Maybelline and The Body Shop, Essie, NYX, and Urban Decay

Favorite Products
-Volumuous Mascara-original formula
-Infallible foundation

Products I'm Interested In
-Color Riche Lip Pen (probably in the Le Lacque one)

I was really shocked to learn that Loreal owned so many other brands, including the likes of Ralph Lauren (their fragrances), NYX, Essie, Urban Decay, Clarisonic, Garnier, and Redken just to name a few.

What are your favorite Loreal Paris products?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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je t'aime J.Crew

Hi Y'all,

Today's post is all about my love for J.Crew!

J.Crew Groups Inc. actually began back in 1947. It's an American, multi-brand and channel group. J.Crew Groups Inc. includes: J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Crew Cuts (kids' brand), Madewell, online, and catalog sales.

Originally, J. Crew Groups Inc. was run under the name "Popular Club Plan", and the idea was "a Ralph Lauren look for a lesser expense". In 1989, "Popular Club Plan" became J.Crew Groups Inc. The first store front was in Manahattan. The group opened their first international store in 2011 in Canada. Madewell became part of the J. Crew family in 2004.

That's the basics of the company thanks to Wikipedia (don't worry, multiple other sources confirm the same information).

However, here's why I love J. Crew:

1. Classic Look: I never have to worry about my items going out of style.

2. High quality. I don't really have to worry about them getting holes or fraying.

3. The cost. You're probably like you're crazy, but J. Crew often has great sales, and so does J. Crew Factory!

4. The options. I never leave J. Crew disappointed because I always feel like they have tons of options!

5. Comfort. No matter what, when I buy anything from J. Crew I know it's going to be comfortable no matter what item it is!

What do y'all love about J. Crew? Or, do you prefer another great clothing brand?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Thankful Thursday: Blogging

Hi Y'all,

Today I don't have a fun little graphic or anything like that, because I'm getting down the nitty gritty of what I'm thankful for: blogging!

This is my second blog, and in all honesty, the one I'm super glad I've started. Lindsey's Thoughts was really a place for me to share certain aspects of my life as I grew through my college years.

Shockingly enough, I'm going back to school for my Post-Bac so you'll still get some school related posts, especially since I'm going back to school for my teaching license!

I'm thankful for blogging because it gives me an outlet to write down words. I spend a lot of time during the day dealing with customer service issues. Often times, the people I'm dealing with are rude and/or inconsiderate of my feelings. I don't spend a lot of time writing unless it's an email requesting something from one of our other stores.

I'm thankful for blogging because it gives me a chance to express myself. This is the only forum where I am given the opportunity to share with the world like I am in a blog post.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to do something I love, on my terms. Often times, I think about what I want in life and realize how little I am actually given the opportunity to say/do what I want. With blogging, I am given that opportunity. I can say yes to whomever I want, but I can also turn down offers.

I'm thankful for the creative outlet. I'm thankful for a place where I can write, take photographs for, edit photographs and words alike, etc. I cannot tell you how often I see college students burned out because all these do is school and resume enticing volunteerism and jobs. This is my outlet to prevent me getting burned out from work (and just 12 credit hours plus a full time job next semester).

I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my story. I wrote a lot about my struggles with anxiety and bullying along with the toughness of college. However, I also got to share with you my travels, my promotions, and other joyous occasions!

I'm thankful for blogging, what are you thankful for?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Relationships 101: The Bully

Hi y'all,

Today's post is one that is very close to my heart... the relationship with "the bully". At some point in everyone's life, you will probably have someone pick on you or be downright hateful to you, for no reason.

Now, I will be the first to say that there is no "single" answer as to how to handle a bully situation correctly. Every person is different. Some will stop if you just ignore them, others take serious consequences before their behavior changes.

1. Analyze the threat. How big of a threat is this person? Are they just picking on you? Are they threatening to hurt you? If it's the latter, find help/safe space immediately. If they're just picking on you, ask them, politely, to stop. Another option is to just ignore them.

2. Realize who you can rely on. When someone is being mean/bullying you, it is very easy to think you're alone. In fact, a lot of bullies thrive off of making their victim feel alone. It's very important that you have at least one person that you can talk to about the situation.

3. Concentrate on the good. At the end of the day, you've probably spent the majority of the day being miserable. I think it's very important that you take some time at the end of the day and think of at least one good thing that happened. It can be anything from getting a good grade on a difficult test or saying "hi" to someone new.

4. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. I think it's extremely important to step out of your comfort zone, but this shows the bully that they don't hold any power over you.

5. Have fun/ Be Happy. Literally the worse thing to a bully is you having fun/being happy. They want to suck all the happiness and fun out of your world. By even giving the appearance that you're happy, they'll lose interest.

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Tips 'n' Tricks: Study Guides

Hi Y'all,
It's almost Thanksgiving (and only 5 Mondays left 'til Christmas)...which means it's almost time for final exams.

Studying is crucial for all those comprehensive exams that are right around the corner.

The key to a good study guide is good information, easy to understand, and neat.

Good information comes from both notes and your textbook (if applicable). I try and read the textbook as we go through the class, but if I don't have time for that, I go through the textbook while I'm making the study guide to fill in any gaps or to add more information to help me understand the subject more.

Useful tip: I always type my study guides so I make sure I have all the information, then I print it and write/highlight on it. I often type my textbook notes to make this a little less time consuming.

Easy to understand means that you have to understand every single bit of information on that study guide. This means changing words around and really thinking while you make your study guide. This means it's going to take time since you won't be "copying and pasting" the information.

Neat means that your study guide is readable and comprehendable. This means no messy handwriting (also the neater your handwriting the more time you're spending on it, which means you're spending more time with the material). I also don't clutter my study guides with page numbers, dates of class notes, etc.

How do y'all like to write your study guides?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Makeup Monday: All About Maybelline

Hey y'all,
I'm sure you've all heard and seen the "maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline" commercials and advertisements.

As you've probably seen for the past two Mondays, my Monday posts are typically make up related (at least for the time being)....this week's post is all about the brand Maybelline....

The Basics about Maybelline:
From the website:"From a small, family-owned business to the number one* cosmetics company in America, Maybelline New York takes trends from the catwalk to the sidewalk, empowering women to make a statement, explore new looks, and flaunt their own creativity and individuality. Inspired by confident, accomplished women, Maybelline gives you scientifically-advanced formulas, revolutionary textures and up-to-the-minute, trendsetting shades effortlessly, affordably, beautifully." 
*Maybelline claims to be the number one cosmetic company is the US based on sales between 1/1/10 and 12/26/10.

Parent company: Loreal

Started in 1915 by Tom Lyle Williams, who named the company "Maybelline" in honor of his sister Mabel, whom he got the idea for after watching her apply vaseline and coal dust as mascara.

Located: Little Rock, Arkansas (since 1975)

Animal testing?: No!

Drugstore brand: Yes!

What does Maybelline have in their line?

Maybelline sells everything for your makeup needs: the actual products (foundations, blushes, bronzers, nail polishes, etc.) to the applicators.

On the Website:

Video tutorials, makeup trends, and makeup tips.

You can search for product based on the exact type of product you are looking for or what you are looking for in a product (particular finish, etc.)

My Favorite Products:

Line Stilleto Ultimite Precision Liner

Masterdrama cream pencil (eyeliner)- This is a great dupe for the Stila eyeliner.

'The nudes' eyeshadow palette (the original)

"Expert Wear" eyeshadow (I use this to fill in my brows)

"Color sensational" lipstick

"Color sensational" lip gloss

Do y'all have any favorite products by Maybelline?

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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Disclaimer: All opinions are my own, I am not being compensated in any way for this post. 

Kendra Scott

Who is Kendra Scott? Kendra Scott is a jewelry designer. She is known as a designer, CEO, and philanthropist according to her website.

What is Kendra Scott? Besides a person, Kendra Scott is a nationally known jewelry brand. 

Kendra Scott uses a lot of gold in her pieces, and they're all absolutely stunning. I personally wear the Elisa necklace in ivory almost every day, and I love my Elle earrings in ivory. 

While the pieces tend to be on the more expensive side, Kendra Scott is a known philanthropist. According to her website, last year she gave away 50,000 pieces of jewelry and over $1 million to local charities. Also, at Kendra Scott stores, they will allow you to host a gathering where 20% of every purchase goes toward a philanthropy of your choice. Check it out here.

Along with her philanthropy work, she values family. Not only does she have children of her own, but on her website, there is a lot of talk about how her employees are family. 

What are my favorite aspects of Kendra Scott? There's the color bar for one! The color bar is where you can design your unique piece of jewelry. So, say you wanted a Dani earring with a particular metal and stone....you create it, and it's yours! Another favorite of mine is the charms! I especially like that there is the Greek letters! I can't wait for the store to open up in my hometown this month so I can take a peak at them in person.

Do y'all have any favorite Kendra Scott pieces? 

with southern grace,

Lindsey

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