Summer Skin Care Routine

Confession: one of my favorite parts of the day is when I take off my makeup and get to wash my face. There's something about a fresh face that puts me in the best mood. 

I've always had acne-prone skin and my skin reacts to most products so when I find products that work for me, I use them and I rarely differ from them . I'm religious about my skincare routine, especially during the warmer months because warmer weather means more sweat (gross, but true) which leads to clogged pores. 

For the first time in a long, long time, I'm happy with the way my skin looks. I've found a minimal amount of products that I use to maintain my clear skin, they're a little different than the products in my previous skin care post but they're still all relatively affordable (#collegebudgetfriendly).

Instagram in 2019 is Confusing, Here's my Best Tips & Tricks

The other morning I sat down and began going through my blog archives, mostly out of curiosity about what I had written several years ago, but also to see if there were any posts I could revamp and relaunch here in 2019. I was shocked when I found out that one of my most popular posts here on Northern Prepster was a post I shared back in 2017 where I shared my tips & tricks for growing your Instagram (click HERE to read the post!)

It's no secret that Instagram has changed a lot over the two years since that post was written and the same things we did to increase engagement and grow our social media presence back then doesn't really work today. For example, Instagram stories are HUGE nowadays and with the Instagram algorithm constantly changing, consistency is more important than ever.

Relationships: I'm not in One & I'm Totally ok with it

I want to preface this post by saying that this type of content isn't what you'll usually read here on Northern Prepster. While I do share most of my life on this blog, there are certain bits I often choose to omit from sharing but this post is something I've been thinking about writing for a while and finally found the motivation to sit down and write it all out. So here we go.

Relationships are amazing, beautiful and important in life. I'm talking about all relationships; friendships, family, professional, the whole shebang. I believe that a key component to networking in today's society is all about who you know and who knows you. Relationships are critical for our wellbeing. Our whole lives are spent building relationships with one another, it's just in our nature.

To: High School Seniors Nearing Graduation From: A Rising College Junior

This post is from my 2017 archives, however, as a rising upperclassman in college, I want to revisit this topic and update it as I have even more to speak on. If you're interested in reading the original post, click HERE. 

Dear High School Seniors Nearing Graduation, 

Do you believe people now when they told you not to blink because high school would fly by? I was in the same boat as you just two years ago. I was ready to get out and be done and was convinced I would never think "gosh, I miss high school" but as a rising college junior, I can tell you that there have been dozens of times when I've sat and reminisced about my time in high school. 

Going to College 8 Hours from Home was the Hardest Thing I've Ever Done, but also the Best Thing I've Ever Done

528 miles.
There are a handful of numbers that have some sort of significance in my life and that I have memorized. My home phone number, my families birthdates, my street address, my old membership number from the golf course, and the distance from my college town to my hometown.

Sophomore Year: ✓

Somebody play Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer because oh man, I'm halfway there.

I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I'm 50% of the way done with college and that I will never be considered an underclassman ever again.

Sophomore year was one for the books, not only did I find "my people" (which you can read all about HERE) but I also had an amazing year academically, so all in all, it was a good year. From living in my sorority house, to weekend roadtrips to so many fun places (Charleston, Greenville, Atlanta, Edisto Island, & Oriental, NC) and everything in between, USC sure did treat me well.

I could go on and on about how much fun I had this year but instead of writing a novel in this one post, I opted to share some of my favorite photos from the year. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Sophomore year, thank you for everything, I loved every minute of you and will cherish the memories made forever. Junior year, hey there, I'm ready for you, let's see if you can live up to my sophomore year.

xoxo,

Ri