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Hello Future Career!
Here you are, graduate, on the edge of an exciting new stage of life, and you’re not sure where to take your next step. You know that college is where you’ll be planting your feet next, but you’re undecided about what your major will be in. You’re not alone in this, because somewhere between 20% and 50% of students start off as undeclared, so don’t panic! It’s normal for the college freshman to spend some time exploring their interests and figuring out just what they love doing. Choosing your major, though, is crucial to staying on track, and it will maximize the impact of your time at college. Whether you’re a college freshman exploring your opportunities, or a new high school graduate ready for university, here are five tips to help you choose the perfect major for you!
1. Think about what genuinely interests you.
I’m sure this one has crossed your mind, but for a lot of reasons, it might not be priority one when it comes to choosing your major. Majoring in something that you love should be at the top of your list, because the career that comes from it will most likely be something you’ll be doing for decades of your life. If there’s a million things you can see yourself doing, ask your career center for self-assessment resources to help you decide. Reflect on your past experiences – jobs you’ve loved, or subjects you love studying – and think about where you’ve excelled to help you find just where your passions lie.
2. Know your values and beliefs.
What you believe will determine how you live. When you’re choosing your major, think about whether you enjoy helping others, or if you enjoy thinking through deep issues and solving problems, or if you work best alone or in a team. Because your values and beliefs are the foundation of who you are, naturally you’ll want to work in a way that’s important to you. Figuring out what’s important in your life could be as simple as listing them out on paper and doing this might tell more about yourself and your beliefs than you knew before. Narrow down the values that you want to tap into in your career, and it will set you on a fast-track to choosing a major tailor-fit for you.
3. Get advice from those who know you well
There’s safety in an abundance of counselors. While you will always make any final decisions, going to trusted advisors can give you immense clarity about what you’re good at, and where you should apply your passion. Talk to your parents, your friends, and otherwise adults who could help guide you. Once you’ve done some thinking with them, seek help from career counselors and academic advisors to make sure that you surround yourself with support to help you make the best and most informed decisions.
4. Take majors out for a test drive
Knowing something is the wrong fit for you is just as important as knowing when it’s just right. Try a major on for size by enrolling in an introductory course. Most likely it will even count toward your general education or elective requirements, too! If you’re into business, for example, try out an introductory management course, and if it grabs your interest, consider continuing and talking with others in the major. Chances are they’ll be able to help you determine if it’s the right fit for you. If it’s not, count it as a success, because you’re one step closer to the perfect major. From there, look into other worthwhile classes, and keep exploring – you’re bound to hit gold.
5. Follow your own dreams
You should be the one who decides your major, and your major should be in what you’ve dreamed of doing. Your dreams are something that you’re passionate about, and they’re the best vision for determining what you’ll love to study. What’s more is that, if you’re passionate about your major, you’re more likely to fully engage with your studies and enjoy the process, which will make you more valuable when you enter the workforce. Avoid looking for the major that will make the most money; while there’s nothing wrong with making a good living, the most important reason for your happiness when you’re working, decades later, will be if you enjoy what you do. That’s where you’ll find the most fulfillment, and it’s following your dream that will get you there.
Hopefully these few tips will help set you up for success in your education and in your career. Congratulations on a job well done so far, and here’s to all of your many achievements to come!
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Stay cool and comfy this summer without sacrificing style!
Whether you’re uncomfortable from the sizzling summer heat, what you’re wearing, or both, sometimes having the right clothes can change your world. Here are a few must have summer pieces that will have you feeling oh so comfy this summer…
Flowy shorts: Flowy shorts are a lifesaver when it comes to a breathable, comfortable bottom. They can be a solid color paired with a fun top or a wild pattern with a simple top; either way a compliment catcher. This season’s florals have me dreaming of tropical beaches…Where to get this look??? Forever 21 has some awesome styles!
Graphic Tee: Graphic tees are the perfect way to be comfortable in the heat. They provide more coverage from the sun and give you plenty of space to move as you climb mountains or take off on you bike this summer. Super stylish and a perfect way to show off your favorite band, tv show, and more. Could be a way to get the conversation started with that guy you’ve had your eye on… How about a budget friendly source for graphic tees? My pick Target!
Dress: A T-shirt or tank top dress is a great way to dress up but still be relaxed in what you are wearing. They are flowy, flattering, and comfy. A dress is perfect for those days when jeans and shorts are not your idea of comfortable. Wit the right jewelry you can even wear it for a night out! I love this seasons dresses from Old Navy!
Boyfriend Denim Shorts: Boyfriend style shorts are the perfect way to wear denim and still be functional and comfortable. The looser fit gives you more room to do things and be more comfortable. Boyfriend shorts are trendy yet so comfortable! Hollister has great boyfriend shorts with a little stretch too them.
In the summer I’m always wearing relaxed clothes, it’s a must when it’s so hot out. Is it just me or is shopping for summer clothes so addicting? I want it all! Where is your favorite place to shop for comfy summer styles?
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How To Have Really Healthy Hair This Summer…
Using heat tools can be very harmful on your hair. There’s awesome healthy ways to have lavish hair this summer without the heat tools. Check out these 4 trendsetting hairstyles that will leave you scoring high marks with your hair goals:
Wavy hair: If you’re looking for the perfect waves throughout your hair this style is for you. This look is simple and easy to do. First you need to dampen your hair. Then part it down the middle and do two French braids down either side. Either keep the braids in overnight or go throughout your day until they’re dry. Then, take them out, add a little texture spray and you’re ready to show off your healthy hair!
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Messy Braid: This style is as simple as the name. A simple messy braid can be the best way to keep your hair out of your face but still show off your locks. This style can be done in minutes. Just braid your hair and then pull the sides a little until evenly spread out and a little messy! Great for a day when you need to get things DONE!
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Beach Waves: Beachy waves are an easy and totally to-die-for hairstyle that looks great on everyone! These beach waves will have you taking a road trip to the nearest beach. First you must dampen your hair and part it down the middle. Then, start taking one of the sides of the part and twisting the hair until that side is all twisted together, do the same to the either side. Then bobby pin or clip your twisted strands to the top of your head. Now just go to bed, wake up, take out your twists, and have beautiful beach waves. You can add texturizing spray for a little extra boost in your hair. We love Paul Mitchell Texturizing Sea Spray! What is your favorite product to help you achieve the best beach waves?
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Messy Bun: You know those days where you wake up and immediately know a messy bun is in order? Me too, girl! Luckily our new favorite duchess has made the messy bun hot enough to be royal. I found an awesome little video tutorial that can help you achieve Meghan’s trademark look…Tutorial
I love the fact that doing your hair doesn’t have to be so damaging. Summer can actually be the best time to do some hair recovery from all that winter stress.
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”Body confidence doesn’t come from trying to achieve the perfect body. It comes from embracing the one you’ve already got.” -Unknown
Are you ready to love your body this summer?
Only 5% of women naturally possess the body type portrayed in the media. – DoSomething.org
Read this to find out how to find the best swimsuit for you!
Summer is right around the corner, which means showing off that summer bod by the pool. It’s easy to feel insecure when all you see on Instagram is models with perfect beach bodies, but every body is beautiful and unique in its own way. With that being said, certain swimsuits are more flattering for specific body shapes. If you have more curves than the average girl, high waisted bikini bottoms will hug your curves in all the right places. Short legs? Look for higher cut bottoms and avoid boy shorts. For paler skin tones, stick to more solid colors like black, red, green, and blue. Stay away from pastel colored suits because they will be unflattering on porcelain skin. No matter what your body type, find a suit that makes you feel like the hot babe that you are and rock it!
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“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life.” – Renee Rouleau
Do you want to protect your skin from cancer?
Fact: “About 86 percent of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun” -Skin Cancer Foundation
If you don’t want skin cancer or premature aging, read this!
Today, everyone is obsessed with getting that glowing bronzed skin and as a result, abandon protecting their skin in the process. Not wearing sunscreen puts you at risk for skin cancer and prematurely ages your skin. No matter what skin type, color, or texture you have, using sunscreen in your daily routine is extremely important. These tips will help you find the perfect sunscreen without sacrificing a flawless full-face makeup look.
Think of your sunscreen as a primer. Most people don’t have an issue applying primer to their skin so look for a sunscreen that does everything you want a primer to do. Look for one that minimizes pores, extends your makeup’s wear time, and doesn’t feel greasy.
Don’t forget your neck! Just like you don’t want to forget to blend your foundation into your neck, you don’t want to forget your sunscreen either. The neck is the first body part to show age so i
t’s important to keep your neck moisturized and protected from the sun.
Let it set. Don’t try to apply your foundation directly over your sunscreen because it will clog up and apply unevenly. Allow your sunscreen to set into your skin and let it dry before applying anything to achieve a smooth finish. Using a beauty blender instead of a brush will also help the overall look of the makeup.
Use Mineral, Not Chemical! Chemical sunscreens are very harsh and can severely irritate sensitive skin. Mineral sunscreen contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These ingredients act as a physical barrier between the sun and your skin. Chemical sunscreens contain ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and avobenzone. These sunscreen work as absorbers which convert the UV rays into heat and release the heat from your skin. Mineral sunscreens are a lot more comfortable and wearable for everyday use.
No matter what sunscreen you use, its vital to use it every day and follow these tips. If you are still struggling to find your perfect sunscreen, give one of these a try!
● Australian Gold SPF 50 Tinted Face Lotion– $13.99
● Olay Luminous Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 -$28.99
● SkinCeuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50– $34.00
● Ulta Sun Care Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 – $10.99
Let’s be honest when we say that having a newborn is not all rainbows and butterflies. Of course, we all love our sweet squishy little miracles to death, but often as parents we tend to get tired, overwhelmed and just plain frustrated when we don’t know exactly what our tiny little humans need. That is when the 5 S’s come in handy! Dr. Harvey Karp developed this technique and talks all about it in his book The Happiest Baby on The Block.
The 5 S’s are all equally important and something each new parent should consider as their bible when it comes to soothing their children.
The First S: Swaddling
A warm, wrapped up baby is the first step to a calming method. Swaddling is great to decrease fussing and increase sleep for a newborn. Much like a warm hug, it recreates some of the sight snuggled security baby felt in the womb.
The Second S: Side Lying
This method is not for a sleeping baby, but for a baby that just needs to mellow out. Holding a baby on its side, stomach or even over your shoulder can help calm the baby to slowly relax. Sometimes, just changing baby’s position can make baby more comfortable.
The Third S: Shushing
Want to increase your babies sleep? Try white noise. It is the best way to reenact what the baby might have heard in the womb. It works almost every time and can even be a soothing noise for the parents! We love the apps “white noise” (a blue icon with a white noise meter across it) or “white noise baby” (the icon is a baby doing tummy time with a white background) from the iPhone App Store. I use a little machine during my newborn sessions that creates a shushing noise. It has been a life saver! You can get one of your own HERE.
The Fourth S: Swinging
The swing method is great to create small movements to soothe the baby like bouncing up and down or moving side to side. Although, remember to keep your movements small and support the baby while rocking. I know it is a weird picture but think of it like Jell-O swaying back and forth over and over again or laying in a tube floating in a pool. Soft fluid movements simulate the womb conditions.
The Fifth S: Sucking
Think pacifier! Sucking is a great way for a baby to relax and just lean back and move into a state of tranquility. Sucking helps the baby focus and stay calm. Not a fan of the binky? Nursing or a snack in baby’s bottle can even sooth baby enough to relax them.
All of the 5 S’s help increase a baby’s mellow state of relaxation while simultaneously increasing their sleep. Sleep is very important for a baby, so keep in mind the 5 S’s when trying to soothe your baby back into a deep sleep, especially for those late night wake up calls.
You can read more information and find a link to Dr. Kelp’s book on his website: https://www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/blog/the-5-s-s-for-soothing-babies
Working on building that resume? Did you know that Mary O. can help? Mary O. offers 2 Nationally Recognized Awards and a Scholarship to its SpokesModels and NONE of them have any sales requirements!
Ronald Regan Student Leadership Award – Awarded to 3 SpokesModels each year that exemplify outstanding leadership at school, in the community and as part of the Model Team.
President’s Service Award – The team performs a single service project at Christmas. Each girl that participates has the ability to assist the team in earning a team award, as well as, Mary O. will certify individual hours for girls wanting to earn an individual award.
Mary O. Unshakeable Confidence Scholarship – Mary O. will award one scholarship a Senior SpokesModel. Details will be released in January. Grades, Leadership, Citizenship, Essay and Servant’s Heart are at the heart of this award.
Internships – Opportunities to learn about the business of photography and assist with photography sessions are also available.
Mary O. has been photographing people since her kids were small. She began with just tying to get new and different photographs of her kids because places like Lifetouch, Sears and Walmart had let her down on the variety department. Her home styled photoshoots for her kids became so good with her point and shoot camera someone recommended she take a class and the rest is history! Eight years a college degree with a focus in photography and she is the best kept photography secret in the area and one of the most sought-after experiences. While she doesn’t spend a lot of time on advertising, she spends lots of time with her clients making sure their sessions create the most amazing art and they have a fantastic time in the process. Her senior and newborn clients rave about the experience!
Pre-consultation: Take advantage of the pre-consultation! All kinds of things happen at the pre-consultation. You will get to know Mary and her you. This will make the session less awkward and more fluid. You will discuss locations, wardrobe and all the components of preparing for your session and even look closer at some poses and wall art ideas. If you don’t have a chance to look and talk about it in advance, you may arrive at your sales session thinking, “I wish we had done xxx”.
Timing: You’ve heard timing is everything… Well for photography this can be especially true! Mary doesn’t say let’s photograph at 6 am to torture her clients. She knows the best sunrise light and coolest summer temperatures happen before 8:30 in the summer. She very carefully examines the weather and sunrise and sunset times before she recommends a time. Trust her!!! She knows pulling everything together at an early hour can be a challenge, but she wants to give you plenty of time to get a variety of shots before it gets HOT! Of course, other times of the year later morning sessions are available. Be sure and call and book well before those peak fall and spring seasons they book fast.
Wardrobe: Putting together the wardrobe is super personal. You don’t want to choose something fancy if you aren’t a fancy person. Choose things that fit your lifestyle, casual, country, boho whatever you choose it will reflect the real you. If you are posing with family, choose a pallet you can all agree on and let each person dress in those colors to reflect their style. Think you might be missing something… Send Mary O. a quick pic and she can help fill in the blanks or schedule a styling appointment with her and she can either help you shop or pull outfits together from your closet. Keep in mind she has a growing couture closet for seniors and a selection of maternity and baby items you can borrow for your session. She may have just what you need so touch base and find out.
Styling: Whether you are working on a theme for your session or trying to figure out hair and makeup, reach out to Mary O…. She has great answers! She has a variety of props for little ones and can make great location recommendations for seniors and families. Need to take the worry out of hair and makeup? No problem! Her hair and makeup artists are industry leaders and specialize in work for photography… in Texas. Which means your style will hold and your makeup won’t run. It’s also quite an experience to sit in that georgeous white leather chair and be pampered!
Wall Worthy Art: When it comes time for your sales session 5 small minutes can make the process so easy! Take a piece of white computer paper and tape it to any wall you want to put art on and take a quick pic and send it to Mary O. Include a bit of the surrounding furniture, so she can match your decorating style. This one small task will speed up your session and narrow down the millions of things Mary might recommend. It means during image prep she will be able to plan and prepare exact layouts with your images for your home. You’ll be able to see what your art work is going to look like on your wall BEFORE you even swipe your credit card! This will add confidence to your purchase.
We would love to hear from you!!!
What’s one thing you wish you knew before your senior/newborn/family session?
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Want to know how to review your year?
Did you stick to those New Year resolutions? Achieve any big goals? Little goals? Did you accomplish any ‘bucket-list’ items? Live out any life-long dreams? How about, did you ever fail? Make any big mistakes? More importantly, did you learn a valuable lesson from those mistakes?
With 2017 coming to an end, and 2018 nearing upon us, reviewing the prior year can not only be beneficial but be deemed necessary to establish a confident and successful start to the new year. Reviewing the previous year allows you to recognize what you have accomplished – helping you realize your personal ambitions and setting your goals for the year to come.
Accomplishments –
Make lists of what you have accomplished in the year. Whether it is big, life changing accomplishments, or small completed goals, both severely attribute to your life. Visually seeing your accomplishments awards you the satisfaction of feeling productive and motivated for the upcoming year, while allowing you to realize what you want to further accomplish.
Recognize Dramatic Events –
Whether, they may be positive or negative, recognizing the substantial events that have happened in the past year permits you to analyze the benefits and disadvantages of the circumstances, while also evaluating why the event happened and how to either encourage it in the future or attempt to prevent it from repeating.
People –
Write down everyone in your life that has made an impact in some way. Whether it’s your mom because she does your laundry, your best friend because she listens to all your boy problems, or the kid who helps you in your math class, the people who make an impact and continue to do so throughout the year deserve recognition. Writing down people also includes the people who have made a negative impact in your life. Visibly, acknowledging and distinguishing the difference between the negative and positive impacts of people will encourage a healthy social lifestyle in hopes of surrounding yourself will positively impactful people.
Self Reflection –
Analyzing yourself and the personal qualities and characteristics that you inhibit gives you an idea of how you want to improve yourself. Critiquing the habits you occupy can help you realize how to achieve more, tough, satisfying goals in the upcoming year.
How do you recap your year?
“A classic coat never goes out of style”
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“A classic coat never goes out of style”Bulky coat season is upon us and can make it difficult to plan our outfits. Coats are a blessing and perfect for staying warm during the winter however can be so bulky that it may ruin your outfit or not allow you to dress your outfit up. Styling isn’t the only problem when talking about winter coats, but also locating the perfect one and where to shop. These situations can be easily fixed with the help of the information below.
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Wool Coats:
If your outfit is more on the dressier side and you want to add a coat I suggest purchasing a wool coat. Wool coats have entered the fashion world for a quite a while now and are perfect for a more mature and dressier look. Wool coats can be pretty pricey; however stores such as Forever 21, H&M, and Urban Outfitters carry a wide variety of wool coats for affordable prices.
Trench Coats:
Looking for a coat to protect you from rain or snow, trench coats are the way to go. Trench coats are normally long and waterproof and are perfect if your outfit is full of layers due to the thin layer of fabric most trench coats have. Many websites and stores carry a wide variety of trench coats such as Nordstrom, North Face and more. Trench coats are very universal and are perfect for dressing up or dressing down.
Fur Coats:
How can I forget the most popular trend around? Fur coats have become a huge hit in the fashion industry. Not only are they super durable and keep you warmer than ever, but are extremely fun to wear. Fur coats range from different patterns, lengths and colors. Most stores such as Nasty Gal, Tiger Mist and thrift stores carry tons of fur coats. Depending on where you purchase yours, they can be pretty pricey, however last a lifetime and worth all the fun.
That’s just three of the most popular coats trending in the fashion industry at this moment. You have been provided the genre of three coats, how to style them and wear to find them. These tips will make It easier for you to bundle up fashionably for the winter.
