Winter break is amazing: no class, no homework, no meetings. I can literally sit around my the house and do absolutely nothing. I love spending time with my family but sometimes, I find myself sitting on the couch, rewatching reruns of A Different World or Gilmore Girls, stuffing my face with chips and dip.

With only 16 more days left in 2014, I decided to start my search for the best calendars/planners out there! Planning is essential to my productivity. Plus, I need something pretty to look at when I write down my assignments :)

Since starting this blog, I have found it's EXTREMELY difficult to keep up. Sometimes I wanna write four times a day, others I forget to write until I'm halfway asleep. When I found this planner from AKA DESIGN + LIFE, I knew it would be perfect for me! Along with daily planning, it also includes monthly planning sheets and a section for notes/sketches! I just downloaded it and it's already coming in handy.

While I love daily planners, a nice monthly calendar that allows me to write down all of my meetings and appointments without having to flip back and forth between pages is great! This one came from Botanical PaperWorks. Also, they've got a free weekly planner if you wanna keep everything consistent!


Who doesn't love a colorful calendar? While I love the black and white, classic, modern look, a bright pop of color is always fun. Check out Miss Tiina for these monthly calendars, including a notes section on the side for any last minute inclusions!

The striped calendar below is also another favorite of mine! Along with the free printable calendar, the ladies over at iheartnaptime are also updating a family planner with all new designs so definitely check out their site and be on the lookout for that new update.

As of yesterday around 10:30 a.m., I am officially done with my second-to-last semester of college! Only one more semester standing between me and graduation!

As a college senior, I have had my fair share of dealing with finals. Late night study sessions, last minute cramming sessions - I've done seen it all. When November (also known as GPA Awareness Month) comes around, we find ourselves trying to make up late assignments, visit office hours and scrounge for extra credit opportunities, all of which make studying for finals much more difficult. So, in the hopes of lowering the stress level among college students across the nation, I've created a list of tips to help you survive finals!

CREATE A STUDY AREA
Sitting on your bed with a couple of papers scattered around and a book open while "listening" to reruns of Keeping Up with the Kardashians in the background is not considered studying. Create an area in your house conducive to learning! Whether it be your kitchen table or your desk in your room, designate that area solely to studying and try to study solely in that place over the course of the semester. That way, when you sit down at that designated area, your mind already knows that it's time to get work done.

ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE
I don't know about you, but I canNOT study in a messy room. My mind follows suit of my room and becomes cluttered and unorganized, making it impossible to focus on anything, including my studies. hen finals come around, I make sure to clear off my desk except for the essentials: laptop, books, pens & pencils, notes, and coffee. Yes, I consider coffee to be essential.

KEEP AN AGENDA
Last year, I invested in a Lilly Pulitzer planner and I absolutely love it. Along with writing all of my assignments, organizational meetings, and upcoming exams, using an agenda especially helps during finals time. Keeping track of organization obligations and academic assignments is much easier when you can see it right in front of you. 

STUDY GROUPS
The worst part of finals is relearning all of the information that you learned over the semester. Make it a little easier by organizing a study group with a couple of people in your class! Sure you'll spend half of the time venting about your annoying professor whose tests are unbearably hard, but the other half will be super productive!

REVIEW PAST ASSIGNMENTS
We all wait until the last week or so of classes to start working on the study guide our professors gave us a month ago. Instead of repeating that ugly cycle, review your assignments/exams every week. For example, if you take a history test at the beginning of October and your professor gives it back to you graded a week later, get to class a couple of minutes early once a week for the rest of the semester and read over your exam, noting the corrections. That way, by the time December comes around, you're still familiar with the material which equals less study time and more sleep time!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Now, I'm not talking about getting your hair and nails done every week. Take the time to get some sleep and eat healthily. Ramen noodles and pizza rolls are not real food! While they might be good on your pocket, these foods definitely take a toll on your body. Staying up until 3 a.m. studying for your 9 a.m. final the next morning isn't doing you any good either. Instead, drink lots of water (in between coffee breaks) and try and eat real meals. Ya know, the ones that have vegetables and meat!

What tips do you have for surviving finals? I'd love to hear from you!

"What do you want for Christmas?"
"Ummm...I'm not sure."
This happens to me literally every year. Of course I create lists throughout the year but by the time December rolls around, I never have a good answer. This year, I searched for some cute (yet inexpensive) finds!