What's in my gym bag? {Literally and Figuratively}

Hello All,

A couple of weeks I wrote a post talking about what's been going on currently in my life (Check it out here). In that post I mentioned that I've been working out a lot recently. I know that I've talked about it multiple times on here and then "fell of the wagon" so to speak. But a few weeks a go while I was at the gym I thought about all the things I would tell a friend if they told me they wanted to start going to the gym but had never been. And then I was like I could share it on my blog and maybe it'll help someone. 

With this post I wanted to tell you guys not only the physical things I bring to the gym, or use right after the gym. But I also wanted to tell you guys about the mental and figurative things that I think about before, during and after the gym. 

1. Good sneakers

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This probably seems super obvious. But what some people don't realize is how many different types of sneakers there are out there. When I was getting my shoes about a month and half ago I knew I wanted running sneakers so focused on finding the running styles. But there are other types so think about what your work outs are going to consist of before shopping for sneakers. Personally I am a huge fan of the Nike Brand, I feel like my Nike sneakers last a long time and are great quality. But I highly recommend find the brand and the shoes that work for you and your style. 

2. Comfy gym clothes

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Again this one is pretty obvious. Since starting at the gym I've seen so many different styles and people feeling comfortable in different styles. For me personally I I like wearing shorts and tank tops. I like shorts because I feel like they fit me better then work out leggins (I don't have a butt to keep them up, lol) and I don't have to adjust them as much. As for tank tops I like that there's nothing on my arms but I also feel like I look cutest in them, which gives my confidence, which I feel like makes my workouts better because I feel like "I'm yup I got this." Also when I pick out my tank tops I like them to have motivating sayings on them because every time I look in the mirror it motivates me. For the most part I've bought most of my workout clothes at Target, their Champion brand. 

Before we move on I just wanted to share a tip that I've learned at big breasted women. I've learned that by layering a typical everyday bra over a sports bra I feel like I gain more support. :) 

3. Headphone and music player

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This is another one that is probably pretty obvious but music has been my life saver at the gym. Especially when I'm running. Instead of focusing on the fact that I'm running or that my joints are sore or whatever makes running hard I focus on the words from the music. My playlist is pretty varied to, it goes from Iggy Azalea's Fancy to Britney Spear's Work It B*tch to even some old Disney Channel because the beat is awesome. Basically my rules for my work out playlist is that it needs to have a good beat, I need to know the words and fun. I especially like the ones about pushing yourself or working harder to better yourself. I recommend finding out if your gym has wifi so you can create gym playlists on Spotify so you don't have to pay for the songs.

4. Water Bottle

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Another obvious is water because you need to stay hydrated. I drink a lot of water when I work out and on the car ride home. I love using reusable water bottles because they are easy to refill, cheaper then constantly buying bottles at the grocery store and easy to add ice to. I also like ones that are insulated so that they don't sweat and get condensation everywhere.   And aren't those water bottles above adorable.

5. Face wash and/or make-up wipes

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In case you didn't know working out with make-up on is a really bad habit and horrible for you skin. It causes more make-up to get into pores which could cause acne. I highly recommend at least wiping your make-up off with a wipe before starting your work. I also love to wash my face with face soap as soon as possible after I work out. My personal favorite face wash is the Clean and Clear brand.

6. A plan

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One of my work out goals is to be able to run a 5k! So, I found the couch to 5k plan (shown above) as a way to start working towards that goal. For the first few weeks I changed the plan up a little to work better for me but as I get deeper into the plan I'm realizing that I have to follow it more to the T. I also like to plan out what work out I'm going to do each day. I spilt my workouts by days, i.e. arms, legs and abs. At the beginning of each week I chose what days I will be going to the gym and write down in my planner which day its going to be. Coming from some who is planner I like to know what day I'm working on.

7. A place to record your progress

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I'm one of those people who like to see how things have changed. So, I use to things to track my progress. The first one is the app, My Fitness Pal, which has the ability to track what foods your eating, some of the exercises you do (I'll be honest I have a hard time finding some the exercises I do on there but I do track my cardio) and weight loss. I mainly use the app to track my weight lose. Each week I weigh myself and add it into the app so I can see the progress. One of my favorite feature is it has the option of adding in a picture next to your weight lose so you can see the progress. I personally like to add a picture every five pounds. The other way I track my progress using my notes on my phone. I keep track of what I'm lifting during each session at the gym. That way I'm consistent with my workouts and I can make notes of when I want to add weight to what I'm lifting.

8. Flexibility

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Like I said above I'm planner but I also need to know when to go with the flow. My goal is to go to the gym 5 days a week but I also know that sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes I change what day of the week I'm going to the gym or add it to a different day. Sometimes my workouts don't always go as a plan. I find is espcially hard to run when it's humid out. So, although I go in everyday thinking I'm going to run a little better then the time before it doesn't always work that way when it's humid so I have to change it up and maybe run a little less.

9. Positive Attitude

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Working out is hard! There's no doubt about it. And although it doesn't ever get easier you do get more practice and a better understanding about what your body can do. Because it can be hard sometimes I highly recommend going in with a positive attitude. If you think its going to be a bad workout then your aren't going to be as motivated. But if you go in thinking "I can do anything" then you can. Also I love the quote above, I think that every time I'm disappointed with my time or distance.

10. A goal

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I feel like when your first starting out if you don't have a goal your aren't going to be motivated to keep going to the gym. It doesn't have to a goal that is completely set in stone. You don't have to say I'm going to lift x amount of pounds or have an exact weight in mind but maybe you have something small in mind. For me my goals are to get to the gym 5 days a week, get to a healthier weight and run a 5k. And those 3 items get me the gym every time.

And that's what I what has motivated me to go to the gym and pushes me each time. If you're a gym goer what are things that help motivate you? Let me know in the comments below.

*This is NOT a sponsored post, All opinions are my own and products mentioned are ones I truly use and believe in***

When Life Gets Stressful

Hello All,

Recently my life has been crazy busy. You probably noticed because I'm rarely writing on here and even my social medias aren't updated as often as they used to be. (Find me by searching @judy_judy94 on any social media) Being busy has left me majorly stressed. There are some things that I found that really help when I'm stressed.

1. Venting

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Sometimes you just need to get things off your chest. Especially when it feels like everything is going wrong. And sometimes if your lucky and you have friends like my friend Mandi they'll send you little pep talk text messages to help get you through the day. 

2. Binge Watching Some Netflix

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Sometimes you just need to disappear into a world of make believe. Or a world that has more drama then your own life and you don't have to personally deal with the aftermath. Plus when your binge watching you don't really have to think about all the poop hitting the fan which is a nice little vacation for your brain.

3. Call Your Mom

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Somehow no matter what the problem or situation is moms always have the answer. Even if you don't want to hear that advice. Plus moms are pre-programmed to love you even when you go on ranting about the same stupid thing for hours on end.

4. Work Out

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Okay I'll be honest I'm not following my own advice on this one but I know from the past  working out does help when your stressed and having a bad day.

5. Treat Yo Self

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Whether your buy yourself a new shirt or eat an extra cookie with your dinner every once in a while its good to treat yourself every once in awhile.

6. Sleep

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Sometimes your body needs to sleep and it needs to sleep good. Don't feel bad when your friends want to go out one night and you chose to sleep. Also don't feel bad if you crash out at 9 PM and sleep until 9 AM the next morning because sometimes that is well needed.

7. Make Yourself Feel Good

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I find the days that I get ready for school and make myself feel pretty that I have more productive and happier on those days. Some days this doesn't work but most days it does.

8. Find a mantra

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This particular mantra has been this recently. I wrote it down on index card and have it clipped in my planner. Everyday I read it and remind myself that sometimes your going to have a rough couple of days but then you fake it and you're eventually going to make it.

Whether your you need to chill on the couch get up and be active or just remind yourself that your worth it there are so many ways to de-stress yourself and take a mini life vacation.

How do you de-stress? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Travel Thursday: Travel Essentials {Feature Post}

Hello All,

Today for Travel Thursday I am taking a slight break from my current Disney 2014 Recap to do another type of Travel post. Recently I was contacted by Turo (Formerly Relay Rides)  which a car trading services. Find a city near you by clicking here. Basically people can list their cars on this website and people who are vacationing in their area can rent their car. It seems like a way to earn some extra cash while you travel. 

They inspired me to write this post about what my must have travel essentials are. All opinions in this post are mine and was not told what to write in this post.

-Some sort of identification

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That one is probably pretty obivious but its one thing that I find myself checking for every time I leave on vacation. I find myself double and triple checking that my ID is in my bag.

-My camera

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I love to take pictures and I love to document memories. So having my camera with me everywhere I go is a must have. 

-My Computer

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This might sound a little strange. Your supposed to be on vacation, your supposed to turn off the real world. But when I bring my laptop I don't normally use it for work, school or social media. I like to have my computer so every night I can load all the pictures and any video clips I have on to my computer and clear my memory stick. I don't want to be somewhere and have to delete pictures half way through the vacation because my memory stick got full. Plus, watching movies are fun for long plane flights.

-My phone

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Especially when I'm travelling in a group I need the ability to keep in contact with them. Plus instagraming pictures are fun and music when I fly is really nice.

-Chargers

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Because of all the electronics that I need to bring with me I definitely need my chargers. These are things that I double check for before I leave.

-Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Advil 

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You never know when a headache is going to hit you. And if you are anything like me you can get pretty crabby if my head hurts or I'm not feeling all that great. Having something to make me feel better definitely helps.

-Extra/In Case of Emergency Cash

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I always bring money to buy souvenirs but you also want to have some extra cash. You never know what kind of pickles you might get yourself into that you can't use a credit card in. In the same boat if you only use cash you should bring an emergency credit card for larger purchases or in the small case you run out of cash. 

-Band-aids

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Especially if you're walking a lot you might develop a blister. Or if you me you might fall and end up with a very uncute cute on my leg.

-Raincoat or Umbrella

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As we all probably know my favorite place in the world to travel to is Disney World in Florida. And it rains almost once a day there so I try and remember to bring some sort of rain protection for when the skies decide to open.

Those are my travel essentials and must haves. What are some of your travel essentials and must haves? Let me know in the comments below! 

COLLEGE TIPS: Changing Your Major is OKAY!!!

Hello All, 

A few months back I wrote this post about how I changed my major. I went into college thinking that the only thing that I could be when I grew was teaching. It was the only thing that I could picture myself being. But one day I woke up and knew that I had been wrong.

It took me a while to tell anyone that I wanted to change my major. For the longest time I had wanted to be a teacher and I was worried I would be letting people down by changing my major. But it was actually the complete opposite when I told my family (at Thanksgiving) that I had changed my major. They were all very surprised but supportive. 

One of my best friend told me she had always told me that she couldn't see me being a teacher, although she knew I was good with kids she thought that I would make a better mom then a teacher. And one of my aunts told me she wasn't surprised, she told me that she always had wonder if it was really my dream or not. 

There wasn't a single person in my life who didn't support my decision to change my major. There were a lot of questions I had to answer like why? And what are you going to do now? And those questions are hard to answer. Sometimes its just easier to say what you don't want rather then what you do want! 

But for all you college students out there who are struggling or ashamed with the thought that they might have changed there mind from their childhood dream to something more them, trust me from someone whose been there and is still going through it, its perfectly OKAY to change your mind!

Follow your heart because its normally pretty smart! If don't think its for you or it no longer makes you happy then change it, move on. Your happiness is more important then what you may have written in a five years from now I will be...essay. 

I wish I could tell you that deciding to chang your major was easy but in reality its not. A lot of times you have to get a whole new academic advisor, you have to change you course plans you might have made. Sometimes you lose a lot of your credits and it sets back your graduation date! 

But in the long wrong you will probably be happier doing something that you are passionate about rather then what your high school self thought would be cool so you checked it off on a college application. 

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Good luck to all the incoming freshmen to colleges and don't forget to follow your dreams!

Pack Your Bags...5 Tips for International Travel {A Guest Post}

Hello All,

Today's lovely guest post is by the lovely Kelly who is an expert on traveling. Check out what she has to say about traveling internationally. 

Hi, I'm Kelly. I am a wife, teacher, foodie, traveler and author of the blog, A Lovely Life Indeed. I live in the Boston area and also, part time in a tiny coastal village in the Northwest corner of Galicia, Spain. I write about love and marriage, about travel, both in Europe and around New England, and also, inspirational musings on life and wellness. Join me. 

Now that spring is here, people may be starting to plan their summer vacations and summer time is a popular time for international travel. If you have your passport and you're ready to go, consider these five tips to put your mind at ease before you even get in line for security.

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1. Scan your passport and email a copy of it to yourself. Make sure your photo and passport number is visible. If for some reason, you lose your passport, it will make it easier for you to get it re-issued if you have evidence of the documentation. You can access it from any computer in the world.

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2. Call your bank and credit card company. Let them know your travel dates and that should reduce any chance of your charges being denied overseas...perils of living in times of identity theft.

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3. Speaking of banking, make sure you have a 4-digit pin for the ATM; otherwise you may not be able to use the foreign machines. You can always change it back when you get home.

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4. Call your bank and find out their partner bank overseas. If you use these for your ATM withdrawals, you will not have to pay the ATM fees.

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5. Find out what your credit card charges in foreign transaction fees. One of the main benefits of the Capital One Ventures card, in addition to miles accumulation, is no foreign transaction fees. If your card charges exorbitant transaction fees, make sure you have cash and save the credit card for only the emergencies. Save where you can. 

They're simple tips, but they can make a real difference. Knowledge is power and having things taken care of before your trip can save a hasty decision in the heat of crisis. 

Buen viaje!

Thanks for all the great advice! Hope this advice helped some of you as well. You can also find Kelly on: Twitter, Bloglovin, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+.

COLLEGE TIP:Being Sick in College

Hello All,

So, all last week I was fighting a pretty nasty cold. You know the type, sore throat, runny nose, and not wanting to do anything or get out of bed. All of that sucks but it even more suckier when you're at school. So, today I want to give you some tips on how to handle being sick at school. 

1. Do everything in your power to stay healthy.

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You are going to be healthier if you eat balanced meals, go to the gym and get the right amount of sleep. All of which is really hard to do. I know this because I definitely feel that struggle. 

2. If you have a cough bring cough drops to school with you

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If you're having a coughing fit in the middle of class you're distracting to yourself and your classmates so try any have cough drops that can calm your cough and make you feel slightly better. And all your classmates will be grateful.

3. If you can go, then go

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If all you have is a cold and the problem can be solved with some tissues, cough drops, a cup starbucks tea and a nap between classes. Then go to your classes, you don't want to miss out on a day of classes if you don't have to, espically if you have a quiz, test or something huge due because in most cases professors don't care!

4. If you ARE really truly sick don't go!

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If you have something real like strep throat, the flu or basically anything with a fever stay home. Get better and prevent spreading the big stuff. In that case text/Facebook/Tweet at classmate and find out what you missed so you don't get too far behind.

5. Drink a lot of water

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I'm all for and have always have been the person who is all for bring bottles of water with me to class to stay hydrated but especially when you're sick because you can pee the virus out of you. That's always what Mama J tells me.

6. Sleep

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When you're sick your body needs rest and lots of it. So, even if you aren't someone who normally takes nap, think about taking 45 minutes and try sleeping in the afternoon. Go to bed somewhat early and sleep a little bit later in morning, it doesn't matter if you don't look your best when you're sick.

7. Don't be afraid to visit the health center

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You know your body. If it doesn't feel right or you aren't getting better after a few days go to the health center and talk to the doctors and nurses there in order to make sure its not worse then it.

And those are my tips for how to handle being sick in college. For any other college students out there what are your tips for being sick in college? Let me know in the comments below!

A Letter to Me

Hello All,

I wrote a letter to me back turning blogtember but looking aback on it I didn't like it. I was so burnt out from writing pre-determined topics for blogtember and writing 7-Days a weeks. But the other day I was driving back to school I heard the song that I used when I first wrote this post, Brad Paisley's "Letter to Me". 

And I re-thought about all the thing I would tell myself and decided to re-write here. 

Dear Emma,

You're half way through your sophomore semester  of high school now. You are going through one of the hardest moments of your life so far, At times you feel alone but talk it out with people you trust because you have some awesome people who love you. 

Now I'm a sophomore year of college and I am no where near where I thought we'd be. For one our major is NOT what we expected it to be. BUT the journey we've gone on so far to get here is AMAZING! And definitely created who you want to be. 

We still haven't met the one, at least that we know of. But PLEASE don't lose your believe that everyone has a somebody because that is what will get your through the summer after senior year when you realize that the boy you liked was ONLY meant to be a friend no matter who right it felt. 

Friends is another thing that has always been an self-conscious about. You know what I mean the questions swim in your head. Why don't they like me? Why don't I have more friends? Do they really like me?  well as bad as it sounds of all the friends you had in high school, you only talk to two of them. BUT you are super close with your roommate and you make another best friend who is always there for us when you need them. And trust me there will be  times when you need her. 

But trust me when I say our Mom, Mama Judy is your best friend. She is the only person who loves you unconditionally. I know you guys fight all the time but you make up within in minutes because you guys are the real life Gilmore Girls, don't ever let that change!

And know that OD is one of the best teachers you will never REALLY have because he taught you to love the theater, Flan-Flan will help you find your love for English and she will make you the writer you are today and Mrs. Fredrick will be the teacher you miss the most when your out of school. Make sure you say hi every chance you get!

Hang in there girl because the best is yet to come!

XOXO,
Emma.

If you could tell your young self something what would you tell yourself? Let me know in the comments below!

Meet A College Blogger! Rachael

Hello All,

Today I want to bring back a feature that I started last semester and put on break during the Winter Break. 

Today I'm going to introduce you to an AMAZING college blogger, Rachael from The Rachael Way. She has been blogging pretty much whole college career and it graduating soon! I asked her a few questions and this what she had to say!

1. What inspired you to start blogging? Where did you get the name for your blog?

I blog because I like to write.  I started in my freshman year because one of my sorority sisters made one and it looked cool.  I didn't really get "into blogging" until this summer when I moved to a new place and didn't have a lot of friends :p  The name of my blog is The Rachael Way because it's about my life, I'm quirky and this blog documents it!

2. What is your favorite post that you've written?

 My favorite post I've written is called "Enough" I think a lot of people struggle with what I wrote about and it helped me to put it into words!

3. What are you planning to do after you graduate?

After I graduate, I am going to be a teacher!

4. On your blog you are doing 22 before 22 where you are trying to complete 22 goals before you turn 22. How much longer do you have before you turn 22? Which goal are you must proud of completing? Which do you think is going to be hardest to complete?

I turn 22 on September 24th.  The biggest goal I am most proud of was organizing a blogger meetup.  It was so much fun and I was so happy with the turnout.  

***This picture belongs to the Rachael Way***

I think it will be hard for me to get to New York City before I turn 22, but I'm certainly going to try!

5. What tip would you give to someone who start a blog?

Best blog tip- write for YOU.  Don't write for followers and screw the numbers.  Write from your heart and it will all work out!

6. What is the biggest piece of advice that you would give a college freshmen?

 My advice to a college freshman is totally cliche but true.. join everything until you find your niche!  You will meet so many people and then find what you really love and where you really shine!

7. Where do you see your blog going after you graduate? Will you continue to blog or will you end it? 

I plan to keep my blog when I graduate.  I just really like it and can't really imagine what it would be like to not have it!

8. Since this feature is all about college blogger who are some of your favorite college bloggers?

The College Prepster, The Darling Prepster and Sunshine and Sinatra

Thanks again Rachael for participating in this feature! Make sure you go and give Rachael some love!

P.S. - Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

So You Want to Start a Blog?

Hello All,

Its early in 2014 and from looking at other bloggers I know a lot of them started there blogs in January, a new hobby for a new year, this was around the time I started thinking about starting mine and did four LONG months later. I have feeling a lot of people might be looking for outlet to share their thoughts on a blog. So, I figured like a lot of bloggers out their I will give you my advice for starting a blog. 

Now I will be honest with you I don't have a blogging niche, except maybe that I'm a college blogger but I don't write only about organization or fashion or cooking. I write about whatever I please, but more on that later. I also don't have a lot followers right now but I truly believe that I'd rather have a few loyal followers then 100s of followers for status. But here are my tips and rules for blogging. 

1. Blog about what you want!

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My blogging and real life friend Natalie always reminds me when I got all crazy about a blog post that the best posts are always the ones that you love what you are writing about and get excited about. And that is true. The post that has excited me the most is still one of my most popular post and I still love it. Plus if you want to blog about it, it probably means that you know what your trying talking about instead of trying to write about something that you don't do. :)

2. Comment on other Blogs

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Commenting on other blogs does a lot of things. 1. Who wouldn't want to get a little note on something they worked really hard on saying that you loved it! 2. It gets you name out there. I know that whenever someone who I don't know  I click on their name to see who they are and check out their blog. 3. It helps you make bloggy friends, and they make the experience extra special. With all that being said, don't say mean things in comments for other bloggers because remember they worked hard on everything they put out and like ever mother says, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Okay mini rant over. Also, always reply to comments on your blog, it will bring people coming back but also it'll help you make friends. :)

3. When coming up with URL chose something you will stick with

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I originally had a different URL name and then I changed it because it didn't really go with my blog anymore. When I changed the name I lost all of my followers because I had to register my blog on Bloglovin again. I honestly suggest using your name or initials because that way if you get tired of the name you can change it. 

4. Social Media it up

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The more places that you promote your blog the more people are going to see it. I personally use Blog's Facebook Page and my twitter to posts my links on. I actually use my personally twitter as my blog twitter so that people in my everyday life can read posts. 

5. Find your own style

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When I say find your own style I mean write the way you want, if you want to write long paragraphs write long paragraphs, if you want to write lists write lists, if you want to use picture or gifs well you get the points 

6. If you steal an idea give credit

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I know that you are going to see ideas on someone else's blog that you love and want to do on your own. But giver her credit for the idea you can be like "Oh I got this on (insert name here)'s blog" and that way everyone else can see where you got it and maybe you're reader will find a new blog that they love. 

7. Design Your Blog

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The prettier your blog, the more likely someone is going to stay on your blog. I'm not that smart when it comes to how to design the blog but luckily I found Rachel who does awesome blog design and she did mine! She's awesome so go check her out!

8. Remember its YOUR blog, run it the way you want

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Everyone is going to run their blog differently. Some are going to write 7 days a week and write the post on the day it goes live. Some only blog certain days a week. Some blog whenever they want and have not schedule. No way is better then others, because its whatever you want because you are the boss! I personally have a post that goes up M-F at 7 AM but I pre-write EVERYTHING. That way I can make sure I have some M-F and not have to stress about it on stressful days. And then I have editorial calendar that I keep track of what post are going up on which days.