January 2015: Mascara Warrior

8 Blogger Tweaks to Make You Look Like a Pro

Blogger is a great option if you're looking to start a blog. Not only is it easy for beginners to learn on, but it also includes most of what you need to get your blog going. I've been using it for about two years and have been happy with it, but because it's often used by beginners it can sometimes make established bloggers look inexperienced.

If you're trying to improve your blog, it's easy to feel limited by what Blogger has to offer. You may not have access to the cool plugins available on Wordpress or the ability to customize like you can on Squarespace, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to have a professional-looking blog on Blogger... especially if you're new to blogging, or if there's not much room in the budget for an upgrade.

Lucky for us, there are a few simple tweaks you can do to add a bit of professionalism to your blog. Adding this level of competency and expertise will not only convey that you take your blog seriously, but it will give you the confidence you need to produce better content. Everybody wins, right?

The Perks of Being in a Long Distance Relationship

A photo of us just a few days before we began our long distance relationship.

I've been in a long distance relationship for a few months short of a year, and it's definitely been rough. My boyfriend and I discovered that going from spending time together daily to seeing each other only a few times a year is excruciating. It can be even tougher to begin your relationship from a distance - my old roommate started dating her boyfriend while he lived across the country after they were introduced by a mutual friend, and they just celebrated their four-year anniversary.

Long distance relationships come from all sorts of backgrounds. Though your circumstances may be different from mine, and even though sometimes you'll absolutely hate the situation you're in, LDRs are actually pretty special. The difficult circumstances that they bring might provide you both with a challenge, but it's up to the two of you to rise to the occasion. If you can get through a long distance relationship together, you can get through any other troubles that come your way.

I wrote an entire post last month dedicated to surviving a long distance relationship, which focuses a lot on how to get by without each other. However, one of the most important things to remember when it comes to your LDR is that it's not all that bad. There are good things that come from long distance relationships. Really, there are. Here are a few of them.

7 Ways to be Productive When You Really Don't Feel Like It

Have you ever had a lot of work to do, but absolutely no motivation to do it? In times like these, being productive isn't always easy. If you're like me, your first instinct might be to stop doing work altogether. When I had a lot of work to do in college and no time to do it in, I would lie down on the floor pathetically until I had a game plan figured out.

Don't be like me. No really, don't. For the sake of your sanity (and mine), here are 7 ways to be productive when you really, really don't want to be.

How I Write My Blog Posts

Blogging has always been a fun activity for me. I love to read blogging tips, brainstorm new ideas, and tweak the way I do things in order to improve the overall experience on this blog. Not only has my blog evolved content-wise since it began in May 2013, but the way that I blog has evolved as well. As I've done once before, I like to document what I do around here for my own records and for you all to gain some insight into my blogging process. Here's what currently works for me.

What I want to get out of my blog in 2015

Friends, I've been having a blogging crisis lately. I've had this blog for nearly two years and have a good idea of what I want to transform this blog into, but I never really wrote down any specific steps to take or published them here. I know many of you have blogs too, so I thought this could be a great way to start a conversation and share what my goals were about the blog for this year.

What I've learned from 2014

I like to focus on positivity and motivation on this blog, but in reality 2014 wasn't the easiest year for me. I graduated from college and was totally not prepared for what came afterwards. I spent a lot of time looking for jobs, worrying about my future, and feeling isolated. However, I did learn a few things from this not-so-great year and I'd like to share them with you.