the struggle of early rising

it's a constant battle for me. every morning, i set my alarm clock for 6am. every. single. day. and most days, i snooze until 7:15.

am i a glutton for punishment, or is this just some sick ritual i've gotten used to?

online resources agree that waking up earlier is beneficial for a myriad of reasons. according to forbes, early rising is linked to success. just an extra hour in the morning increases your productivity, mental health and sets a tone for your day. instead of feeling rushed to get out the door, your morning is more of a leisurely routine that calms your nerves, helps you feel in control and keeps you balanced. i totally agree with this entire list.

when i do manage to wake up at 6am, this time is used for a 20 minute yoga session, a healthy breakfast, chugging as many glasses of water as i can stand, preparing my coffee, getting ready & checking my emails/social media. usually, i'll listen to the soft pop wakeup call station (so good) on songza. before i've even gone to work, i've already devoted time to fitness, health & mental wellbeing. it's done wonders for any bouts of anxiety i've had, and it makes me feel accomplished.

but let's not get too carried away, here. because my problem is that making this happen daily is an uphill battle. i'm not naturally a morning person. i wish i was, so desperately. nighttime has always been when i feel most creative - it's not unusual for me to get a wave of inspiration at 1am. due to my schedule, falling asleep earlier has gotten easier, but waking up in the morning never has. i could go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 6am asking the world, "are you serious? already?".

they say to change up your routine, you should start waking up 10 minutes earlier each day. i've tried this. and hey, maybe i'm not dedicated enough, but getting out of bed is still rough as hell.

what's your morning routine? do you take advantage of extra time in the morning? is it easy for you - or are you like me, totally committed to the idea but struggling with the execution?

grad gift ideas

monogrammed sun hat, canvas boat tote, monogrammed tervis tumbler, initial bracelet, geometric thank you notes, gold foil thank you notes

it's officially been 1 year since i graudated from college. it's flown by! it's been so much fun to watch another round of graduates this year - i remember being in their shoes, and i remember that feeling of excitement (and kinda dread?) as may rolled around. it's such a rush, and it's over before you know it - but then what?! never fear, i'm trying to help y'all out with my post grad tales series. but as far as what to buy for your fellow graduates? that's another story.

whether you're looking for gifts for your peers, or you have a family member/friend graduating, swoozie's has the hookup on personalized, price-appropriate & adorable gifts. picking out fun, personalized summer items will always be a winner in my book - this floppy hat, canvas tote for beach trips or monogrammed tumbler make anyone feel special. grads are often provided thank you notes if they purchased a graduation package with the school, and those are great and all, but why not spruce up the process with some colorful stationary instead?

congratulations to all the 2014 graduates!

4 things they don't tell you about post-grad life

01. the world owes you nothing.

i won't get into the concept of degrees being a less-than-valuable commodity these days, or which degrees "guarantee" you a job and which don't. fact of the matter is, you aren't owed a single thing by having a degree or going to college. accept that your hard work and determination will make you stand out. your degree isn't a ticket. don't treat it like one.

02. the whole going out on a monday thing doesn't stop. or on a tuesday. or wednesday. or thursday. or ohhhh wait its friday and we're going out again.

maybe this stops after you're in you're 40's? who knows. but people still go out to the bars during the week & work 9-5 jobs. oh yeah. and it's up to you to decide how much of your sanity & health you're willing to sacrifice to continue to keep up. at the ripe age of 23, i've given up. i'd rather put on cuticle oil and do yoga on a tuesday night. grandma status.

03. it's ok if you have "no idea what you're doing".

pssst... this is a secret... but nobody knows what they're doing. college doesn't teach you how to be yourself or how to make the choices that ultimately decide where your life goes. embrace your gut feeling, do what feels right for you & your career, and just go with. everybody is just going with it.

04. your perspective is the most imperative mental component of your everyday life.

i realize that many people have circumstances out of their control and hinder them from developing a positive perspective. this part isn't about ignoring your reality, mental health or financial situations to just "put on a happy face". aside from those issues, this is about remembering to be grateful, accepting that your life is what you make it, and that the endless buzzfeed lists about lost & confused 20 something's are completely out of control and cliched. you aren't a lost soul if you're trying to decide where to go to grad school or what wine to buy - you're a fortunate, competent young adult. stop with the buzzfeed lists & social media whining. you're going to be just fine.

this is a blog series on college post-grad life. click here to navigate to the list of posts in the series. 

review: urban decay's b6 prep spray

there is an array of beauty products available that fall into the "mist", "setting spray" or just plain ole "refreshing spray" category. and honestly, they're a little silly. yet in all my makeup conscious years so far, i've had one of these lying around.

do they actually do anything? i'm still trying to get this question answered. i feel as if anything that happens on your skin could almost certainly be attributed to something aside from the few spritzes of fancy water you're putting on there (because that's what it is, y'all, fancy water!).

in the past, i've used mac's fix+. this spray is marketed as a "makeup setting spray". and while it smells lovely and feel refreshing on the skin, i didn't feel it provided any makeup setting qualities.

urban decay's b6 vitamin-infused complexion prep spray carries a hefty price tag of $33 for the full size - more than mac's fix+, which retails at $21. i originally received a sample of this product after buying urban decay's primer potion (which i love) at ulta. i tried the spray & used the entire sample - then felt compelled to purchase it. while it's not a product that provides results you can immediately see, i felt like my skin loved it. after 2 weeks of use, my skin just felt better - brighter, less redness & a more even tone. i sprayed it in the morning before my makeup, and at night after washing my face.

i'm almost done with this bottle, and will i repurchase it? i'm not sure. these sprays could very well be providing a darn good placebo effect. this was the only spray i feel i've gotten actual results with.

have you ever used a cosmetic spray similar to this? what are your thoughts?

swoozie's housewarming event!

hey y'all! i just wanted to invite all those in the birmingham area to swoozie's at the summit this satruday, may 3rd from 11am-2pm for some great deals at their housewarming event! swoozie's recently switched locations and wants to hook everybody up with some great prizes, discounts and more! be sure to stop by & say hello, and stock up on cute swoozie's stuff. what more can you ask for, right? i love swoozie's... and i try to limit my visits because i want to buy everything, so it doesn't get better than discounted stuff!

if you're a birmingham bloggers member & you attend, post your haul or review & use the hashtags #bhambloggers & #soswoozies!