Because, God.

This all started from a throw-away, facetious comment made in conversation with my atheist best friend. We were discussing the fact that Jesus is widely believed to be white, but that geographically and historically he was most likely colored, or black.
She asked, 'How can people even say something like that?'
to which I replied ' Because... God'.
Gina had to agree that 'Because God, is a pretty strong argument, if you believe in that kind of thing.

It's not about the skin color that Jesus had; I for one think we'll never accurately know until we meet the guy ourselves. It's how relevant 'Because, God.' is in every single day of life. To me, God is the reason for everything.

The amount of times I've asked myself why I've been blessed with something so amazing is innumerable, as is the number of times I've found myself in a testing place where the problems just seem to be piling up and also asked myself why I've been dealt this hand. The answer once again is ' Because. God'. Whatever I've been given God has decided that it is right for me and that I can handle it.

When I think back on this pregnancy especially and how tough it was in the beginning stages, I often ask myself how I got through that.. Because, God gave me the strength to. He also gave me the blessing of the new life that's growing inside of me and that in its self is a miracle.

All those times where I just needed to cry and turn to God, confide my problems in him. I know I'd break down completely had it not been for Him. God is the one there in the shadows, listening to my whispered words and taking away all my fears and anxieties, and comforting me.

I am who I am; because, God.

How Consistency Improves Your Blog; Top Tips to Remain Consistent

Researching; 

• Even if you feel like you already know all there is to know about what you're going to post, researching is always handy. It can help you find ideas, help give you a different perspective and also allows you to see what other writers in your niche are writing about.
• All research should be done before hand and stored in an effective manner for you to source later, like Evernote.

Collecting Your Thoughts;

• Whether it's an app or a piece of note-paper you should always have something with you to jot down any ideas that come to your head. If your brain is anything like mine you're always mulling over some idea but can easily forget about it when another idea pops in, so to avoid losing valuable ideas at a time when your inspired you should collect your thoughts. 
• Any images that inspired the thoughts should also be collected & cited in your posts.

Creating a Template

• If it's a post that you write regularly, chances are you can cut your time in half if you come up with a template of the features that your post usually includes. 

• Templates help you to remain consistent not only in formatting and quality of your posts but the frequency of posting as the easier it is to post the more likely you are to do so.

Writing a First Draft & Second Draft

• Re-drafting and re-reading allows you to keep check on both grammar and content. Sometimes when you write a post it's not always your best so I always recommend writing a day or two in advance and checking over your post at least once or twice to make sure it
• Has no errors
• Says what you want it to and reads well.

Scheduling:

• Make sure you have content uploading to your site as frequently as you would if you were able to post authentically. If you usually have 5 posts a week and you decide to take a break, make sure you have 5 posts scheduled so your readership doesn't look for another blog to replace you.

How do you maintain consistency on your blog?

also, please take a couple of minutes to do this quick survey for me! 

Creating Great Content; What You Can Learn From Rappers

If you were a rapper, would you listen to what you write? Many rappers don't listen to people in the same genre as them, let alone their own music after production. Now I don't quite agree with that, but  I do agree with the creative process that many rappers take when they write.

When you're writing you should think of it in the same way that a rapper, or any music artist would come up with a freestyle in his ( or her ) head.

1. Find something that inspires you, ( a song, word, image, thought ) and let your thoughts flow. 
2. Let the idea build in your head; the things that stand out at this stage are usually the main points or the central theme/hook.
3. Write down/ type the 'verse'.
4. Come back and read it over, aloud - as an artist would sing over the instrumental. Actually saying it allows you to see what words are 'clunky' and don't fit.
5. Change what doesn't fit. 
6. Tell someone else about it; let someone else read it.
7. Market the hell out of it. Release it with a 'cover image' that fits your brand and spread the word about it.

I agree that  varying what you read and do outside of the content you create can make you a better writer, just like listening to other genres of music can make you a better artist and inspire you in different ways, but I disagree that you shouldn't read what you write after it's gone out.

In addition to writing your post like a rapper, you should come back at least once a fortnight - once a month and read over your posts. Improve upon them if necessary and update them with any links from newer posts of a similar theme.

Weekly Wishes #2 ; August Goals

• Finalize blog plan: I'm not exactly 'finished' this but that's because I tend to always find something to tweak. Made major inroads into blog planning though.
  
• Batch write posts: I wrote my little heart out this week, and I have a good few posts scheduled already and more in progress
  
• Work with sponsors & on sponsorship program: Definitely checked the box here, also did some research for the up-coming months in terms of possible sponsorships too.

• Continue to batch write: I'm officially stock-piling for September when my little one could make an appearance at any time.
• Finish reading Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett. This novel is so weird and intriguing. Death gets fired and people stop dying.
• Work on side project; while I don't really want to jinx it and say too much about it, I do want to get some serious work done on it over the upcoming weeks.

• Research for and work on my side project
• Completely organized and pre-schedule the blog
• Spend some time connecting with R before the baby arrives; it's really hitting me how little time we have left just us!

What are your goals for the upcoming week and month?

Weekend Reads; Volume 3

This weeks installment of my confessions, some of the best posts I've read and the song of the weekend.

• I confess that I'm thoroughly terrified at the thought of having a tiny human in my hands in like 8 weeks. Especially after breaking my boyfriends laptop because I'm fairly sure children break as easily/ easier than laptops.
• I've seriously considered becoming a picnic-ing nudist so many times this week because hellloo they don't wear do laundry or wash dishes.
• I find out about most recent events through twitter or Facebook. The news is just too depressing to actually watch.
• I check my email inbox way too many times for it to actually be considered productive.

• Entrepreneur = Organized?; GG Renee shares how she shares great content whilst still being scattered and unfocused.
• Dreams Don't Come In Organized Packages: Tyece shares how writing is her dream and how she pursues it even although it makes life hectic.
• What It's Really Like to Be a Labor & Delivery Nurse; Really makes you think about the kind of patient you'll be when that time comes.

How to Deal With Anxiety & Panic Disorders

Today's Post is a Guest Post by Alyssa of Sincerely, Alaska

Here is something about me that most of my readers do not know: I suffer from anxiety and a panic disorder. This is a pretty common thing to be diagnosed with but it can also be incredibly difficult. I want to share with you some information on the disorder and my own life with it. That way, if you or a friend/family member/significant other are also suffering from anxiety or panic, this can help! 

 Now, everyone gets some anxiety at some point in their life. Sometimes it's before a final exam, a job interview, getting married, or going into a new social setting. Typically, that anxiety fades once you realize that the situation is safe and good. You can even go have fun. You can be yourself.

An anxiety disorder is different. This is where you suffer from anxious feelings (either on a regular basis -- or in special situations like large crowds) but they don't fade. They intensify and can leave you jittery and terrified of whatever your situation is. The fear that comes with an anxiety disorder is usually overwhelming and it feels like your being hit in the gut with a baseball bat. Your mind goes into overdrive. For me, my vision will blur and it will be increasingly difficult to stand. I've collapsed a few times.

So...what happens when all the horrid feelings keep worsening? They become a panic attack.

Panic attacks are attacks of anxiety, fear, and/or terror. They can show up because you were under a large amount of stress, you were in an unfamiliar place, or because it just had nothing better to do. Thankfully, they tend to last up to about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, they can come in series. There have been nights where I will have one, a break, another, a break, and then another before passing out. They come with a good list of physically symptoms: sweating, heart racing, rapid/unsteady breathing, light-headedness, weakness in limbs, etc. Your mind is also a sufferer from the attacks. Thoughts of helplessness and "going insane" are very common. 

If you suffer from panic attacks, they do make prescription "sedatives" that are specific to panic/anxiety disorders. I have a little case of Clonazepam that will help shut down the attack within about 5 minutes of taking them. However, these are typically pretty strong and you are advised to stay away from driving or operating anything at all. Always go to your Doctor for advice on medication for any disorder. 

This is the question I receive most from people who are with me when my anxiety soars or a panic attack sets in. The problem with this though, is that when they ask, I'm already in a state that doesn't allow me to form any coherent sentences or even fully understand what is being asked. This is awful for both parties. I can't tell you how much it's killed me to see how helpless the Boyfriend looked when he first started seeing me during my attacks. BUT, there are things you can do to help someone who is panicking. 

1. Do not tell them to calm down. Anyone who is stuck in a panic attack is already internally searching for a way to calm down. Simply telling them to do it and then watching is far from helpful. 

2. Softly, and consistently, remind them that they are SAFE.

3. Hold their hand and squeeze while you take deep breaths. This helps get them back into the right rhythm of breathing and out of hyperventilation mode. 

4. Don't leave. They need comfort and you are providing that. Stay. 

5. If you and the person having the attack are in a public place (and that place is a possible cause of the attack), go somewhere quiet and mellow. Fresh air can help greatly. Loud noises, harsh lights, and large crowds are fuel for a panic attack. 

6. Be patient. They are trying and sometimes, all they can do is just wait it out. Wait with them. 

I was officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and a panic disorder last fall. I started actually experiencing the attacks when I was in high school. They were rare and mild. Last March is when they became a very regular thing for me. I had just started dating a guy I worked with and he was my first boyfriend. I was under stress from that and then some really unhealthy things happened in our relationship that put me in a place that I would have attacks at least 2-3 times a week. 

I started college and moved onto campus. Then I started experiencing crying spells and waves of terror. This happened every single day, except one, for 7 weeks. Professors would give me sympathetic looks when they saw me silently crying in class because I felt like I was drowning in stress and terror.  

It got to a point that I would try and scratch my self hard enough to leave marks or I would rip hair out which resulted in having to be held down during the more intense attacks. When my Ex and I broke up, they lightened for a few weeks and then worsened. I started dating my current boyfriend and they got out of control. He would simply touch my shoulder and I would spiral out. 

Eventually, I ended up in the hospital from trying to self-harm in the spring and that's when my mom got me medical help. My medications were changed and others were added. Honestly, even though the experience was absolutely terrifying, I'm glad it happened because it got me the help I wouldn't ask for. 

I still have them and the symptoms are still about the same but I have a much better grasp on what is happening and what to do during them. It's a hard thing to deal with but it isn't impossible. Plus I have a support group of the Boyfriend, friends, and my momma who all know how to handle them. 

Beside the items listed above, I want to share with you some things that I have learned about Panic Attacks and Anxiety in the period of time that I've been living with it. 

1. Remind yourself that you are not dying. You are going to be okay. This is normal. It will pass. 

2. Repeat # 1 as many times as you need. 

3. As stated above, remove yourself from the situation or person that has caused you to panic. If you don't feel physically able to do this, ask a friend to help. 

4. Try to regulate your breathing. In through the nose / count to 5 / out through the mouth. Repeat. Repeat. 

5. Water. Just make sure you get a glass when the attack has finished. 

6. Do not drive. I do not care what you say but if you are in the midst of having an attack, please do not get behind the wheel. It took me a long time to realize this and it took some tough love from the Boyfriend to stop being stubborn and just stay at his house instead of endangering myself and others. 

7. Don't let stress build up in your system. Get a journal. Get a set of paints. Learn to swing dance. Buy some good video games. Take a bubble bath. Make a playlist of calming music. Anything that helps you rid your self of the stress. 

4. Do seek help. I know doctors and psychiatrists can be really intimidating but they know what's happening to you and they can help. Take the plunge and let them know you need them. 

It's going to be a rough ride but it will be worth it in the end. As the beautiful John Green wrote: "We need never be hopeless because we can never be irreparably broken." You and I, we will come out of this. We will be OK. Don't ever forget that. Don't ever loose hope. You are radiant. 

How to Double Your Blog Traffic Using Pinterest

Whilst Pinterest is a tool that I no doubt use for procrastinating and 'wasting' 2+ hours of my day all the time it can be a useful tool to increase your blog traffic if you utilize it properly.

Here's what you need to do in order to see a difference.

• Use Pin-able images on your blog
• It's important to use high quality images, whether they are your own or they are copyright free stock images.
• All of your edits should be done in a similar format. This makes your blog look more put together.
• Ideal Pinterest optimized images are twice as tall as they are wide.
• If you have an image in your post that contains typography, or is an image with an inspiring quote it is MUCH more likely to get re-pinned. Pinstamatic is a good tool for creating pin-able quote graphics.

• Have a visible Pin It button hovering above all of your images
• Make it extremely easy for visitors to your site to pin images for later reference.
• Pin your own images on to your 'Blog' Board ; every time you post.

• Keep your Pinterest Boards well organized and updated
• Well organized blogs with useful content attracts followers, and those pinterest followers can easily translate to blog followers.
• Pin regularly across different boards
• You can get more exposure for your pins by pinning them to different relevant boards over a spread out period of time.
• Re-pinning old posts to a new board can also bring a traffic boost.

• Verify your site on Pinterest
• Verifying your site basically lets you 'claim' your site.
• Once you've verified your site you have access to the Pinterest analytics feature. Analytics are useful to see how your marketing is going and which posts have the highest click-through rate etc.

How to Improve Your Writing With Prompts

• What Prompts Are

Prompts are either pictures, sentences, videos or words used for the specific purpose to spark creative output.

• How Prompts Improve Your Writing

It's the same old principle that practice makes perfect. Using prompts regularly gives you inspiration and challenges you to write on many different topics and in different ways, therefore widely expanding your skill-set over time.

• How to Use Writing Prompts

Browse and choose a few that you like (fiction and non-fiction) , and a few that you know will really challenge you. Keeping a running list of prompts is a good idea in order to make writing a habit. Choose at least 2-3 per week and write upon what they give you.

Make sure you write at least 350 - 500 words each time. If you are planning to write a novel you should increase upon the word count expected, since a novel is much longer than short stories, articles or posts.

• The Best Prompts to Use

Writer's Digest; Creative Writing Prompts
       +
Writers Digest; Promptly for more C.W.Ps

Writing Prompts Tumblr; Huge Collection of prompts added by teachers and many different authors.

Write to Done; Scene Stealers - Short & Sweet Prompts that you answer with >350 words.

Pinterest; Find a variety of boards with prompts, including my writing content creation board.

Easy Street Prompts;Visual, video and text prompts.

The Periodic Table of Storytelling; Interactive graphic which helps build your stories, adding in different elements.

Weekly Wishes #1

• Finalize my blog plan; plan out posts, and branding. With re-launching and re-branding my blog I decided to change up a lot of things. So far posts are planned until August and 

• Batch write & schedule posts: Now that I've planned what I want to write, I actually need to finish writing it. In order to make sure that my blog runs smoothly when little Peanut gets here in September I'm pre-writing a lot of content straight through August so I can continue to write another month- 2 months content during August and schedule for when I'm in hospital and the first few weeks after the birth.

• Work with my sponsors & on developing my new sponsorship program: I have arranged a few upcoming sponsors and want to work thoroughly with them to test out my new sponsorship program. If you're interested you can get a free month right here.

Weekend Reads; Volume 2

+CONFESSIONS

+ I confess that I've been pulling all nighters to pull my blog together, and just had SO much content to write and plan sleep was simply impossible.

//I confess I'm completely in awe every time I feel my little babe move around/kick. I mean I know there's a person in there but somehow it still isn't completely tangible to me

+ I confess If it was acceptable to eat pizza every night for the rest of my life I'm pretty sure I'd do it.

//I confess I've once again been sucked into the Harry Potter books. I'm on Goblet of Fire and I'm hooked again, even although I already know what happens.

//READS

+ Alisha posted on Why You Should Expand Your Brand ; definitely something I'll be doing- Alisha Nicole

// Allie also shared how to Make Your Own Font from Your Handwriting  on  Call Me Sassafrass.It's so unbelievably easy I'm gonna have to try it!

+ Don't you know the The Importance of Learning to Say No?  

// God? - East & Blog shared this thought provoking and amazing post on how she views religion and her beliefs, or lack thereof in a God.

+JAM

Because I will be listening to this down low on my headphones , swaying and writing all weekend

The Best Free Blogging Resources; Productivity & Organization

SCHEDULING:

Google Calendar:

If you have a gmail account, you already have Google calendar. It's a free calendar app which is very user friendly and easy to organize. Has the option to color code, add Google Hangouts to Calendar Events (good for Meetings)and allows you to keep separate calendars as well which sync up to your iPhone/Android.

You can also plan out your day in time increments and have many different views such as month,week, 4 days and agenda ( which allows you to see events and tasks which are upcoming ). 

Super CC 

Is an app which allows you to email events into your Google calendar, icloud etc without having to take the time out to actually use the individual apps.

So when you receive an email about a blog conference, or online event you can simply forward that email to @super.cc and it's automatically added to your calendar.

Buffer App:
Whilst some prefer Hootsuite for managing their social media outlets, I find Buffer to be the most user friendly app.

Buffer allows you to connect sites like Twitter & Facebook and schedule updates to happen while you're offline. Great app for promoting posts while you're at work/asleep and generating valuable blog traffic. It also lets you see your click-through rates from all posts too- so you can see which tweets really worked.

NOTE TAKING & POST PLANNING

Workflowy

Is a simplified note taking site. Workflowy encourages you to put it all on one page, whilst it allows you to create multiple lists, subsets & bullets of each list. Comes with 250 free items monthly with the ability to upgrade to more by inviting more people & a  paid version.

Evernote:

Evernote is such a great resource for blogging because of how versatile it is. There is multi-platform integration which allows you to have anything you save on your desktop, the web & mobile devices.
You can make many different notes,notebooks and stacks allowing for endless organization. There is also the Web Clipper extension which allows you to grab parts of articles you may want to later read or refer to in a post effortlessly.

7 Tips You Need to Know To Learn Another Language Fast

// make it fun

Using interactive apps with pretty little graphics and fun games makes it a bit easier to learn without it really feeling like learning. This allows you to do quizzes and the repetition is good for the memorization aspect of learning. Duolingo is good for this.

+ learn grammar

While apps like duolingo are fun, I think it's important to learn the basics of grammar elsewhere, like queonda.com, which has more detailed notes that allow you to more understand what it is you're practicing on duolingo.

//use study cards

When you learn new phrases and words it can be helpful to write them on study cards. That way you can flick through them when you have 5 minutes and also get others to test you or test yourself. There are also  study cards apps for if you don't want to lug physical cards around in your bag. Study cards help you to practice everyday & learn your grammar. Repetition is how we learn!

 + write in the language

 Many people can fluently read or listen to a language but have extreme difficulty writing in the language because they don't practice writing it. This is where I fell down in my high school examinations, but now I've found a free website called Lang-8 where I can submit a journal entry in the language that I'm learning and have native speakers of that language correct my entries. This helps you as sometimes how you learn the basic grammar rules is changed when you conversationally speak the language so you get an idea of how things are said in your given country.

If you try writing at least a few sentences about your day each day for seven days and submit it to the site, then you'll receive corrections and expand your understanding of the language is spoken in tiny but useful increments without taking too much time from your day.

// Practice everyday 

Doing a little bit of the language everyday ( utilizing any of the methods above or others ) really help you to learn. In school we didn't get language classes every day and I remember sometimes being so lost after a few days break looking at things that I had written down in class. If you commute by train, carpool etc - do at least 30 mins or an hour every day while you're travelling & then you'll learn rapidly while just passing the time.

+ Use subtitles on programs you normally watch

This is one of the easiest ways to expand your vocabulary without proverbially bursting your brain. While I watch my series' on Netflix I select the option to have my subtitles in Spanish. I've learned SO many words without really noticing by just having the subtitles on. Whilst I don't remember every word/phrase it has helped me learn many words that I wouldn't have otherwise come across.

// listen to music in the language you want to learn

 This is one that will take a while to get used to. At first it seems reallly fast and loud and can be hard to grasp but after a few times of listening to the song you start to recognize phrases and words. Since I want to learn Spanish one of my favorite artists to listen to is Shakira and she even has English versions of some of her Spanish songs, so if I know what the song is saying in English I have a fair idea of the words general meaning in Spanish and it kind of filters into your brain after a while without conscious effort.

7 Reasons You Failed This Semester

Here are some of the top reasons that you might be failing in school and how to fix them!

• You Didn't Organize:

Organization is key to success. It's incredibly important to:

1. keep all school materials together.
2. pack your bag the night before.
3. write down all tasks you need to do.

Order helps you to be able to focus on what you need to do and it makes it WAY easier when it's test time.

• You Didn't Get Enough Sleep:

Sleeping is essential when studying, to allow your brain time to process the information you've gone over. If you only sleep 4-5 hours at night, your brain isn't working towards its full potential. Shut down all your electronics even an hour earlier at night and go to sleep and you'll see a marked difference in your ability to focus in school the next day.

• You Didn't Get the Right Nutrients

As hard as you may study, if your body is unhealthy; your brain function will be affected. It's tempting when studying to just grab junk food and go back to studying, but your brain/body don't function at their best when you're eating non-nutritious meals. Next time you're studying grab an some fruit and a glass of water, instead of a chocolate bar and soda and you'll notice that you don't experience a 'crash' like you do when you eat candy.

• You Didn't Plan Your Studies

A thing that really helps is if you keep track of due dates and test dates on calendars and in planners. When you can see just how much time you have and what tasks you have to do, it makes it much easier to plan what you have to do and when.

It also may be helpful to make a spreadsheet on your computer to make a 'study schedule' or drawing it out; if you're the type of person who needs to have more detail in order to stay on track

• You Didn't Utilize Your Time

It's not about the time you spend studying, but rather the amount of content you can remember when you're done.

So instead of reading the ENTIRE BOOK over and over, read it chapter by chapter and make condensed notes of the important points. When it comes time for the exam, it'll be much easier to revise and you won't have to pore over your boring book. Also

- make study cards

- get someone to test you

• You Didn't Pay Attention to How Your Teacher Teaches

A lot of times the way a test is structured is based on your teacher's specific teaching styles. As they vary and the test is usually set independently by them, you should make sure you understand what they mean.

It is also important that if you DON'T understand that you ask them for help.

• You Weren't Motivated Enough

It's easy to lose motivation when studying, because it can feel like you're not getting anywhere. The key is to set achievable short term goals, instead of having unrealistic goals that'll demotivate you. 

You should always keep in mind your long term goal- e.g. being a lawyer,doctor,teacher etc.

If you don't know what you want to do, just focus on working hard to finish school, and then take it from there.

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How to Kick College's Butt.

1.   Use a planner: I can't even begin to tell you how it helps to have somewhere to write down everything that you have to do. It's good to help you remember far off due dates and remember all tasks given to you in the day.

2.   Keep a calendar in your phone and on your wall: Especially if you're a visual person like me, a calendar is a great idea. I have an erasable calendar board that's on the back of my door, and I also have one in my planner and on my phone. If you constantly see future appointments, test dates etc then it avoids unfortunate mishaps where you forget about tests/assignments.

3.   Read ahead: Usually in college you get your syllabus at the beginning of the term. When you get it you should hold on to it and look ahead at what you're going to be doing. If you read over the topic the day or week before your tutor goes over it you'll be able to grasp it a lot faster in class and be able to ask questions during class time.

4.   Start assignments when you get them:  If you have a lot of different classes, chances are you'll get at least one assignment or test from each... if you have eight classes very soon you could end up with 6 assignments and 2 tests all due around the same time and that pile up is enough to give you nightmares. At least start &amp; plan out what you have to do and when you can fit in an hour or half hour of work on it as soon as possible after receiving it.

5.   Take breaks: If you don't take breaks in between studying ( every hour take 10 minutes, after 3 hours take a longer break ) then your brain can't process information at it's full capacity. If you start all work early then you can afford to take breaks.

Don't be like these Chinese students who tie their hair to the ceiling in order to stay awake and study all night!

6.   Take outline notes while you read: Reading from a textbook or lecture notes can be really boring so to hold your attention and to maximize how much information you remember when you read ahead take notes of the important points,definitions, dates or information as you read them

7.   Don't be afraid to go to your teachers: Tutors can seem scary but often when you go to them they're really helpful. Usually they have office hours but  you can ask questions in &amp; after class.

8.   Keep your school things well organized: The binder method is really great for keeping all your things together, and it's the one I use personally. It's a good idea to keep all the school documents you get together in one place so you have all your material when you have to revise for exams.

9.   Make a friend in every class so you don't miss notes: Teachers often don't help you when you were absent from class and make no effort to get the notes, so if for some reason you need to miss a class it's good to get the notes that you missed from a class mate.

10.  Review all your material that you learned at the end of each week: Exams come around way before you know it so it's a good idea that you at least take a half hour to review the material you covered that week while you have the time, and you'll remember way more when exams roll around.

The Life Binder

I consider myself to be pretty organized, so I thought I’d let you all in on a method I’ve tried and tested.
The life binder is exactly as it sounds. A binder with your life in it. Mine has 5 sections. I also use a planner for the day to day planning, but this allows me to have a place at home for my stuff to be, and for it to be easily moved (rather than a complex filing system).
                        

Pros:

• It’s affordable
• It’s extremely customizable
• You can add/remove things as you get an understanding of what you need.
• You don’t need to take the whole thing with you.

Cons:

• Is a bit bulky to carry around.
• It doesn’t have a fastening clasp (if you’re looking for that kind of thing).

The binder I used was a 1.5” binder 3 ring binder, with clear plastic front/back cover. You can use any kind of binder/folder but I like these because they’re not too big and you can customize the front. I merely inserted a few pictures.
What you’d see when you opened it up;

My favorite quote.                                 My New Years Resolutions ( Not Kept)

Also, you’d see my monthly calendars.

I handmade mine, but you can find free printables here,here or here.
These are great for keeping track of what you have to do and planning ahead. Color coding is useful for these calendars too– mine was Red=Exam, Blue= Blogging Business/ Work

Okay, so lets get started with the categories I included.


To Do;
Inside this I just use regular college rule binder/filler paper. It’s cheap and easy and if I want to be able to just take my to do list with me I can simply take it out and pop it in my school bag.  If you’re looking for a printable template check here

Blogging;
Here I keep a list of all the posts I have completed and uploaded. I also keep a list of the posts I’m planning to do/ blog challenge prompts in case I get writers block.

I also used to plan my posts by writing them out here when I first started blogging, but now I use Windows Live Writer. It is amazing, it makes adding photos and formatting SO much easier. Check it out  here. It cut the time it takes me to blog by at least 30 minutes/per post.

School Info:
I keep all my important documents in here. I have 1 folder with my exam certificates and school reports, and in the other folder I keep my citizenship and birth certificates and all the documents you need to take to apply for colleges& school. I didn’t include pictures of this just for security reasons as they have my full name and ID numbers on them.

Banking:

In this one, I have an envelope in which I keep any balance inquiry slips or deposit slips for my bank account. Behind that I then have the statements that they send – hole punched and in chronological order.
This is more suitable for those of you who don't have multiple incomes or bank accounts to keep track of. If you have more paperwork you may want to look into a separate binder for bills/bank statements.

Workout:
Here is where I keep any work-outs and nutritional info that I may want to refer to. I simply cut/tear them out of fitness magazines and put them in clear folders. This is also where I keep my monthly calendar that I print from blogilates.

They’re divided into categories – abs, yoga, diet and total body.

How do you organize?