Happy March!!!

This is one of my favorite months of the year for no particular reason quite honestly besides the usual beginning of spring weather! February was unusually warm at certain points of the month (usually on weekends, usually on game days, NOT complaining!) My parents came down for a Wednesday night basketball game v. TCU (and got to stay for the 13th straight Big12 Champion ceremony…rock chalk!) and we went out to my fav little pizza/salad place downtown and sat outside for some drinks and it was EIGHTY DEGREES!!! I had a long-sleeved athletic shirt on and was DRIPPING sweat but luckily I had shorts on or I would’ve really passed out! Having my family comes visit me, even for just a quick afternoon dinner and basketball game, is so nice to catch up quick and have that little visiting time without driving the full 3 hours back home! (Although I for sure miss a few friends and my doggo 3 hours back home! spring break can’t come sooner!)

The first two months of 2017 were beyond a roller coaster for myself. Sure there were some great moments, but there were some also pretty darn ugly ones as well. March is here and I am hoping and praying that I will finally catch a break this month and have the madness slow down even just slightly. Spring has always been a time period for myself when I start to feel really motivated. Whether that be academically, health wise, or even in my faith life, March hits and I feel like the winter months are finally ending and I have some time to rediscover my goals and plans for myself. Maybe it’s just the fact I can’t stand winter, but I always feel trapped and like not much can change when it is freezing cold outside. (Don’t listen to me, you can totally make things happen in the winter, I am probably just really angsty that it is semi-cold outside today…)

Anyways, I am ready for spring break! I am just headed home to spend the week with my family but spring break always tends to be some of my happiest memories so I am pretty excited for some chill homebody time. A quick trip to Lush, the outlet malls with my mama, and some good spring salads at home & I will be ready to take on the rest of the semester! I still have about two weeks until I am headed home, but am itching to get on the road. My family is coming down this weekend (before they head to Orlando…without me…) and my little 13 year old sister and I already have plans to get our nails done and getting some yummy food downtown with them is going to be so nice.

This spring, I really want to try to find out what exactly gives me that good mood. I want to be able to find the habits I am creating during the spring season and learn to adapt them all year long. I mean, boy do I wish I could live in San Diego and have spring weather 24 actual 7, but that’s not super realistic. Maybe it be going on more runs outside when it is nice out, keeping my diet fresh, or overall just trying to stay positive! There can definitely be points in life, or seasons if you will (this is me @ing you, winter) where we can find ourselves in ruts. Maybe it be we don’t quite know what we want from ourselves, we can’t seem to find a daily routine that fully makes us happy, or we are simply in a bad mood! These are super normal and trust me, I have been there. The most important thing is to know that it is just a season. Seasons change and so can you and your outlook on anything.  It is so totally normal to have periods of rest. Nothing in life grows all year round, so don’t expect yourself to either. However, you can’t call it quits the moment things go bad and think your entire life will bet this way! Find a reason to make sure your seasons change so you aren’t constantly stuck in a winter mindset. Sometimes it takes a little forcing of yourself to get in a good mood, but you won’t regret it once you are!

Well there was no real point to this post besides kinda updating you on my life a bit and wondering if any of you feel the same in terms of spring motivation? Let me tell ya, the minute the weather hits iced coffee and outdoor run season, I am at my peak. I can’t wait to get back into the zone and out of this winter funk! Grab an iced coffee and let’s take on the world!

Until next time, stay warm, xoxo,
Ally

Eight is the magic number here friends. Eight hours of sleep is the recommended amount for the average, healthy college student. Let me tell you, boy is this accurate and I am the BIGGEST advocate of actually obeying this suggestion. As someone who woke up before a majority of the birds did back in high school due to dance team morning practices, I never imagined myself as someone who would be sleeping past 8am duding the weekday. Ever. I arrived to nanny this summer around 7:15 every day and sure I sleep in a tad on the weekends in the summer, but my internal body clock was set pretty darn early Monday-Friday. However, college is a whole lot of change (who would’ve guessed?!) and my summer self who attended orientation thought 8am classes sounded like a GREAT idea!!!! My Friday college self who didn’t have class until noon, begged to differ.

First semester is all about finding out who you are and as I said, a LOT of change, so finding out that I needed a little more sleep at this point in my life wasn’t too surprising. Now that second semester is here, I have a pretty good routine and schedule figured out that works best for me so I figured I would share a few of my own personal tips and secrets if you will!

make your space comfortable + cozy // I got my bedding for college over a year in advance (typical over-planner of myself) but when I saw it in a PBTeen magazine (my literal weakness, now that I think of it, I really need to get a subscription sent to my dorm..) I knew I absolutely had to have it for college. It is just a bright pink with matching pink pompoms adorning it and despite the unrealistic embellishments (can’t even count the amount of pompoms that have been lost due to my aggressive waking up/bed making) I still love it just as much as when it was purchased! I also have this weird thing for fleece tie blankets and have two on my bed as well but honestly use them more often wrapped around myself almost like a cape for utter comfort (I am 18, this is still comforting.) As far as pillows go, I have an assortment, but quite honestly never end up using any when I actually sleep. I always end up tucking my arm under my head and somehow can ONLY fall asleep this way. However for lounging purposes, I totally use plenty to prop myself up from my top bunk spot. Top bunk also means no one can really see my bed (which has made motivation for making it daily slim to none…), and so I don’t really use any decorative throw pillows (as fun as they are to shop for 😦 next year!) But, next year when I will be living at the sorority house, I have already verbally claimed a bottom bunk spot in my 4man room with my pals, so decorating AND actually making my bed will be slightly more essential next year!

aromatherapy// THIS STUFF. My grandma got me this pillow mist a few years back and I am finally running out of it (I don’t use it every single night, mostly because I am forgetful.) The Lavender and Chamomile Pillow Mist is everything when it comes to falling asleep quickly and comfortable. It’s seriously as easy as it sounds too! You just spray a few squirts onto your pillow (I also give my childhood teddy bear and blanket a good mist too…) They have a Lavender Vanilla scent too that seems just as appealing and I may have to try that one once my current bottle is fully out. It is beyond worth the $12.50 and works wonders. My friend and I jokingly call it “sleep sauce” because seriously guys, this stuff will put you to sleep when you think counting sheep is nearly impossible for the night.

stick to a schedule // I know things come up and plans change and some nights call for more studying than others, but try your best to stick to a within an hour schedule. The earliest I have class this semester is 9am and the latest is 10am so I usually wake up between 8:15 and 9:00 depending on the day! I am a pretty early bird when it comes to bedtime too (basically I am an old soul and am finding this out more and more as I get older…dinner at 4pm you say?) Usually getting to bed around 10:30/11 is my goal.

do something to wind down// I will admit that I am fully guilty of bringing my phone with me to bed. I like to claim it is just for my alarm, but I have also been guilty of the typical social media scrolling. Lately I have actually REALLY been into reading the free downloadable books on the books Apple app…which admittedly, still isn’t winding down. Try to avoid screentime before you sleep as much as possible. If you MUST use technology, the “night shift” feature Apple recently applied to the iPhone is EVERYTHING! I use it honestly during the non-night hours as well simply because it is better for your eyes than the harsh blue light. I also downloaded a feature on my laptop that kicks in at a certain hour of the night as well so my eyes aren’t kept awake longer than they need to be! As for non-techy winding down: read a book, journal (my favorite option), or even do some yoga or meditating before you hit the hay. Not only will this help you fall asleep better, but it is SO good for simply the overall health and fitness (yes, that’s a thing!) of your brain!

go to bed clean// take!! your!! makeup!! off!! before!! bed!! + wash your face. + exfoliate. +moisturize. + if my mom is reading this she is going to text me saying take your own advice Allison. But seriously mom college has taught me a lot and I am doing all of this without you asking me if I did every single night. (tough love, she means the absolute best, and moms are annoyingly always right about this kind of stuff.) But all mom lectures aside and the advice coming from the fairly lazy once 10pm hits college student: makeup wipes = essential. Costco size amount of them = essential. Buying them when your parents are in town because they’re actually hecka expensive = highly recommended. Now I went to an all girls high school as you may know if you’ve been reading here for awhile, so a large amount of makeup isn’t really in my daily routine, but even taking off the daily sweat and grime (because it is currently 80 degrees in February while I am typing this outside????) is so relaxing and makes going to bed feel even more accomplishing.

That’s about all for my sleep talk today! Do you have any nightime rituals? Leave a comment below or shoot me an email @ xoxoallisonnicole@gmail.com if you’d love to chat!

Until next time, xoxo, Ally

We’ve all been there. Whether it be a test you feel like no matter how much you study you still aren’t ready for, a risky text you sent waiting for a reply, or simply just waiting for news from a family member or friend…we’ve all had those stages of worrying that we just can’t seem to escape. If you aren’t familiar with these feelings of anxiousness and restlessness, count your blessings for being the carefree individual you most likely are! Trust me, I am working every day on being more carefree in the best sense while still keeping up with daily responsibilities and maintaining stable relationships with my friends and family. & believe me! For someone who can let uncertainty get the best of her at times, it isn’t always easy to work through. Usually your worries are remotely small and things that a few weeks later don’t even cross your mind. Which is awesome, but at the same time can also make them hard for other people to relate to or help you out on!

I am slowly but surely deepening my relationship with God every single day. It isn’t a snap of my fingers and I am a changed person kind of deal, as nice and easy as that would be. However, one thing I have realized that stays constant in my journey with Him is that the more time during the day I spend talking to Him, the less time I have to worry. The more I trust in Him, the less concerned I am about simple problems that I face every day. It’s not easy. I can promise that. It’s actually really really hard to surrender all your struggles and things you think you can control to God and say “alright, take charge, I am following you” but in all honesty, that is the hardest step you have to take. The initial step of wanting that relationship and wanting God to have control of your worries and fears is the biggest step you are going to take.

That being said, it isn’t the ONLY step however. You’ve gotta maintain that trust every day. God has you in His hands and will forever take care of you as long as you trust in Him, but you’ve gotta put in some work yourself in order to stop worrying. For me, a big thing is journaling or taking walks. I love to walk to class and lately I have been listening to a Spotify playlist I made of some of my favorite songs that I journal to and just having that time to remember how great God is and how my entire day is already planned and protected by Him is a big step for setting my day off well. Journaling is another biggie for me. I journal every single day, and don’t leave out anything. I tell God my fears, all the bunches of them, and talk to Him as a friend. Looking over my journals and allowing myself to physically write out and lift up my worries to Him is something so beneficial to me and something I highly encourage you to try to do at least once a week if not every single night. It’s also crazy cool to look back at old journals and old problems that you thought would never be able to be solved and how you never even have them cross your mind anymore.

Throughout every worry that I have I always find myself thinking how I can’t wait for it to be resolved and I feel calm again. However, I will look back and remember that before that there was a different struggle, and before that there was another one. But, there were also joys in those times of struggle and there will be plenty more to come. My struggles and joys will change as will yours, but our God will remain the same and forever be our counsel. Nothin’ more cool than that.

I honestly can’t give you a step by step guide to staying calm and worry-free. Trust me, if there is one, I would have it memorized by now. I also can’t specifically instruct you on your relationship with God or force you to have one. But I can promise you that all your worries will end up okay. The things you are concerned about now will one day seem minuscule, your life will go on, and you’ll find yourself smiling. Best piece of advice I can give you? Don’t give up. Don’t let something you’re worried about mean you quit it all together. If you can’t go a day without thinking about someone or something, don’t give up on them or it. Be patient, be kind, be good to yourself, and be good to others. You may be worried about an outcome of something, but there is never a circumstance where you will regret being brave and kind. Don’t ever waste an ounce of your bravery and kindness.

Until next time, chins up and let’s do this!

xoxo, Ally