tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29294554240896697572024-03-13T20:55:17.339-04:00Riley CarpenterRiley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-67156551647627291202021-05-21T02:00:00.003-04:002021-05-21T09:02:15.934-04:00Onto the Next Chapter<p>A lot can happen in a year.</p><p><br /></p><p>The last 12 months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster of events, both worldwide and personally. Not writing for 366 days leaves me with a lot of words I want to write, but because one of the biggest things I learned over the last year is that <i>time is of the essence</i>, I'll give you the SparkNotes version. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutPugXDUB5ptwNxM0R6f5RBCh_rgtm1mXRG1fnrH48F6ktsHxbhkqEIPFUgQ-4emmAVMDInxt8DSR8SjqgAQIT4eTAE9KdpSh2OI8HiLYbm9NgoiZHUT961LmD_qIhVGi0fUumVc4OLFn/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutPugXDUB5ptwNxM0R6f5RBCh_rgtm1mXRG1fnrH48F6ktsHxbhkqEIPFUgQ-4emmAVMDInxt8DSR8SjqgAQIT4eTAE9KdpSh2OI8HiLYbm9NgoiZHUT961LmD_qIhVGi0fUumVc4OLFn/w426-h640/IMG_2573.JPG" width="426" /></a><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll start with my biggest (& proudest) accomplishment that happened in the last year: I graduated from college. On May 8th, 2021 I am excited to say that I walked across the stage in Williams-Brice Stadium and became a proud alumna of The University of South Carolina. I now hold a Bachelor's of Art in Elementary Education and am a licensed teacher.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's no secret that my experience at South Carolina wasn't always a walk in the park. I struggled with homesickness, considered transferring my junior year (read about that <a href="https://northern-prepster.blogspot.com/2019/10/i-almost-transferred-but-heres-every.html">HERE</a>), and even opted to spend the fall semester of my senior year at home in Columbus, Ohio. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am a <i>huge </i>homebody so dealing with constant homesickness was a challenge for me but, as a recent graduate of the university that was so far from the only place I had ever called home, I can say with 100% certainty, that going to college eight hours away from home was the best decision I have ever made (read about that <a href="https://northern-prepster.blogspot.com/2019/05/going-to-college-8-hours-from-home-was.html">HERE</a>).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSz1-YAXluJ5xEMCIga69v5FGMzmxQAF7QIiB7udjP-X0OOdA-bZwgBZmzr168yfNido_LXq8b7TPhTh-cSOT8YN3V4leEJEnc6119GTKMpQBkGIDW9qiQ3RMSzZ55CNQiyjOHzz6vrdn/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtSz1-YAXluJ5xEMCIga69v5FGMzmxQAF7QIiB7udjP-X0OOdA-bZwgBZmzr168yfNido_LXq8b7TPhTh-cSOT8YN3V4leEJEnc6119GTKMpQBkGIDW9qiQ3RMSzZ55CNQiyjOHzz6vrdn/w426-h640/IMG_2596.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Post-grad life (the first two weeks of it, at least) has been a time for transitions. I finished student teaching and classes, said many teary-eyed goodbyes, and packed up my life in South Carolina. I moved out of my college apartment the morning of graduation, attended my graduation ceremony later that evening, and tried to wrap my head around the fact that I am no longer a student (spoiler: it still hasn't hit me yet). At 5:45am the next morning, not even 12 hours after I flipped my tassel, I was in my car heading home for good, a moment I admittedly had been looking forward to since my parents hugged me goodbye and left me in my dorm before my freshman year. <div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtP2BppMulv4Ff29PWRPivjcLsu9bAU-91ZcUa6XMJ_lNV0TbSEuTOwBmvcurYBjJVgr77slo2EYTzjKbCtbAhcYQsgdQ-10z0Z3pJWwJ_GQ6blU2AkCuND4HKIWKtYZnxOPEW6YTXDeV/s1600/IMG_2589.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtP2BppMulv4Ff29PWRPivjcLsu9bAU-91ZcUa6XMJ_lNV0TbSEuTOwBmvcurYBjJVgr77slo2EYTzjKbCtbAhcYQsgdQ-10z0Z3pJWwJ_GQ6blU2AkCuND4HKIWKtYZnxOPEW6YTXDeV/w426-h640/IMG_2589.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /><div>"So Riley do you have a job lined up?" The short answer: no. </div><div><br /></div><div>The long answer: Like mentioned above, I graduated with a BA in Elementary Education and have passed all of my licensure exams to be an elementary school teacher. Teaching will always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not sure a classroom is where I want to be at this point in time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been grappling with the idea of going down a different career path for over a year now. I've always been interested in PR and Marketing and during peak quarantine last year, I found myself with a job that really allowed me to learn more about those fields and the jobs that are available. </div><div><br /></div><div>At this point in time, I don't have any jobs or internships lined up in the world of PR and Marketing, but I'm moving in the right direction. Up until now, I've always had a plan for what comes next in my life and I will admit that my type-A self is freaking out that I'm pursuing a career that isn't even remotely related to my degree. I brought on a lot of anxiety about the uncertainty of my post-grad plans the other night but like one of my best friends told me, "it's okay! You can do whatever you want, you don't have to follow your major."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ever since 3rd grade, teaching was always my plan. I prided myself on knowing what I wanted to do from such a young age, but I now realize that because I was set on entering the field of education, I didn't even give myself the opportunity to explore other career paths. It was through blogging that I discovered that the world of PR and Marketing would allow me to do things similar to what I was doing here.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxYFBKhFqTF-EEadTGa0-M_Ielpdsnmv5Fo85r-ljOclbZ4BM0o4Xt_wK-lfVKAWYDbI-dAt60eOEBjdXEn-BaB2_wp4CHQWKhgNKuJ4G4h2OzpP2Y6O-utsAzIEaHGGXfFmP9UNdryue/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxYFBKhFqTF-EEadTGa0-M_Ielpdsnmv5Fo85r-ljOclbZ4BM0o4Xt_wK-lfVKAWYDbI-dAt60eOEBjdXEn-BaB2_wp4CHQWKhgNKuJ4G4h2OzpP2Y6O-utsAzIEaHGGXfFmP9UNdryue/w426-h640/IMG_2577.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>College and career changes aside, not a lot has changed. I still spend the majority of my time at the golf course. Unhealthy amounts of iced coffee are still being consumed and fresh flowers continue to be bought in abundance. I still take too many pictures of sunsets and my favorite part of my days are my evening runs during golden hour.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is one change that is happening though, and it's a bittersweet change. Just like I'm starting a new chapter in my life, it's time to start a new chapter here on the blog. Northern Prepster has served me so well and will always be a big part of me (my friends do refer to me as "NP" after all) but it's time to close the Northern Prepster chapter. </div><div><br /></div><div>The name Northern Prepster was a great fit when I picked the name back in 2014, but I've grown up and changed a lot in the last seven years, and isn't the best representation of myself or the content on this blog anymore. I am excited to announce that I am rebranding the blog to be self-titled, so let me be the first to welcome you to Riley Carpenter.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6YNFUpfsaseaIf4Cs8_wDh4MRUsLKp2NBjRt_T7osTwgsuCgZY_8UeCQyjooeN8mo1Bx0p4Es8kEz8QS6Ganj2e40Tpk4pY_7nAKWYKXtrCOBcgDM-RFnrA7ACnvnOsf1vJQ3wq7CG2s/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6YNFUpfsaseaIf4Cs8_wDh4MRUsLKp2NBjRt_T7osTwgsuCgZY_8UeCQyjooeN8mo1Bx0p4Es8kEz8QS6Ganj2e40Tpk4pY_7nAKWYKXtrCOBcgDM-RFnrA7ACnvnOsf1vJQ3wq7CG2s/w426-h640/IMG_2565.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One last time:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">xoxo,</div><div style="text-align: center;">NP :)</div></div></div>Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-13507863358525145792020-05-20T02:00:00.003-04:002021-05-21T08:58:16.554-04:00Post-Grad PlansAs a rising senior in college, the topic of post-grad plans is becoming more and more prominent in my life. I can't say I'm upset about that either, as much as I love college, I've been looking forward to my life post-grad for as long as I can remember.<br />
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A few weeks ago during one of my Q&A's on Instagram, I got asked a lot of questions about my post-grad plans. While this plan is not definite and everything is subject to change, I wanted to share a little bit about what I'm thinking the future may have in store for myself.<br />
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<b>What's your plan for a job post-grad?</b><br />
Upon graduating next May, I will have a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a teaching license that will allow me to teach grades K-5. I like to be transparent and honest on here and I can honestly say that I don't know if I'll be teaching after graduation or not. A lot has changed for me in the last few months and I've discovered some new talents and interests and have been exploring some alternative paths as well. So to answer this question, I really have no idea what kind of job I'll be working post-grad. <div><br />
Obviously, this is all subject to change and with this being a year out, a lot probably will change with these plans but for now, my plan for next summer is to return to my camp counselor position again for another year. I adore this job (and am SO excited that I'll be able to be a counselor this summer!), it pays well and it keeps me busy when school isn't in session.<br />
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I also plan to still be running my <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/nppresets" target="_blank">Etsy Shop</a> where I sell Lightroom Mobile presets and custom digital illustrations. While this will by no means provide me with enough income to support myself financially, it does provide me with a decent amount of extra income which is always nice.<br />
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<b>Are you moving back to Ohio? Staying in South Carolina? Or going somewhere else?</b><br />
From the day I left Ohio for my freshman year at UofSC I knew I would be returning back to Columbus after graduating. I love Columbus and have so many connections here that it's not even up for debate about whether or not I'll be moving home. I love South Carolina but so much of my life is rooted here in Ohio and my entire family is here so you will find me back here after graduation.<br />
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<b>What are your living arrangement plans?</b><br />
A very good question. This is definitely one part of my post-grad plan that is very up in the air and is not one of my main concerns at this point in time. Ideally, I would love to live in an apartment here in Columbus and have done some brief searching with my best friend from home, Lauren, who is also going to be a teacher and will be moving back home after graduating, but for now, we're more focused on finishing up our degrees and will worry about finding a place to live later on down the road. If I don't end up finding an apartment to live in, I'll likely just live at home with my parents to save some money and figure things out before I decide to move out on my own.<br />
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<b>Will you keep blogging?</b><br />
Absolutely! This blog has followed me through high school, college, and I'm so excited to see how it will shift once I'm not a student anymore but actually a real adult in the real world. Blogging has provided me with incredible connections and opportunities and a lot of my post-grad plans wouldn't be what they are without blogging. So yes, don't worry, Northern Prepster will still be here!<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
</div>Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-7069922634570420342020-05-18T02:00:00.000-04:002020-05-18T02:00:07.271-04:00Five Things I Wish I Knew as a Freshman in College<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As another school year wraps up and I just watched as my classification status changed from 'junior' to 'senior' I've been doing a bit of reflecting on the last three years of my college experience.</div>
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I get asked a lot about my tips & advice for incoming college freshman and especially because my younger brother is going to be a freshman in college in the fall, it only seemed fitting to share five things I wish I knew as a freshman in college.</div>
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<b>* it's ok, & completely normal, to have no idea what you're doing</b></div>
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Your first semester of college is absolutely an adjustment period. Especially if you're like me and attend a school out-of-state, not only are you trying to adjust to living in a dorm, trying to make new friends, learning how to navigate the dining hall, balancing schoolwork but you're also trying to make this new city seem a bit less daunting and get to know your surroundings. I'm from the north and attend a school in the south and it's safe to say I was hit with a bit of culture shock when I moved from Ohio to South Carolina. Not in a bad way, things are just different down south that took some getting used to. It's safe to say I had NO idea what I was doing for the first month or so of my freshman year, and if you ask any of my friends, they'll tell you the same thing. It's normal, don't worry.</div>
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<b>*you don't have to go out/to parties to make friends</b></div>
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Something I was really nervous about as a freshman was whether or not I would be able to make friends. I had been friends with my hometown friends since we were in elementary school so making friends was a skill that I admittedly had forgotten about. </div>
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I wasn't (and honestly still am not) the biggest fan of parties and going out simply because that just wasn't who I was and I was nervous when I started to notice that a lot of people were becoming friends at parties and out at the bars. Even though I realized this was a common way for people to meet others, I didn't change who I was and I ended up meeting people just like me and they're my friends to this day.</div>
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<b>*developing a routine quickly is so helpful</b></div>
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The transition from high school to college was a very anxious time for me but one thing I did shortly after moving into college that helped significantly was to develop a daily routine for myself. Having a consistent morning routine & night routine really helped me develop some consistency in my life even though I was still going through a huge transition phase.</div>
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<b>*homesickness is real</b></div>
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You will get homesick and when you do, know that you are not alone. My biggest advice on dealing with homesickness is to not try to act like you aren't homesick. I tried to push down my feelings of missing home and ended up breaking down one night because of it. Whenever you're homesick, take some time to call your parents, FaceTime your friends from home, and do something to remind you of it. It's 100% normal to miss home and I promise it does get easier. </div>
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<b>*dorm life may not be ideal, but take advantage of it</b></div>
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Sure living in a tiny room with a roommate might not be ideal but take advantage of the fact that you're living on campus! There are constantly things going on, you're probably the closest you'll be to your classes for the rest of your four years, and all of your friends are likely in one place. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-67593722621865264622020-05-11T12:00:00.002-04:002020-05-28T15:43:34.346-04:00Looking Back: Second Semester Junior Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The second semester of my junior year at The University of South Carolina is certainly one that I will <i>never</i> forget. Partly due to the fact that my semester was basically cut in half due to a global pandemic (that's going to make for an interesting story for my future kids one day, wow) but also because even though I only got to spend seven weeks of the semester in Columbia, they were seven busy weeks filled with lots of memories. </div>
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I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that the next time I'm in Columbia it will be for my senior year. UofSC just recently announced that we will be returning for in-person classes in the fall which I am so excited about, but I know that things will definitely be different than they have been in the past. This past semester and for my last two semesters at Carolina, I don't have any classes on campus as they are all in schools in surrounding communities, so I'm not sure what that means for me but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my student teaching will still take place!</div>
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The first notable memory of spring semester was my 21st birthday. My birthday fell on a Monday this year which was not exactly <i>ideal </i>as my sorority has chapter on Monday nights and I taught on Tuesday mornings so I was always in bed super early, BUT I was able to convince a few of my roommates to go out with my after chapter so I could order a drink. I celebrated with a glass of Sangria from Publico (a must-visit when in Columbia!).</div>
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Later on in January, I had my 21st birthday party. My best friend from home, Lauren, drove all the way from Ohio to spend this weekend with me which made this night extra special. My roommates also made me the most "Riley" 21st sign you could imagine. Signs are a big thing for 21st birthdays at Carolina (not so much at other schools, a lot of my friends from home had no idea why I had this big boa and sign around my neck all night!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UZ9ra23m3X9YMInnYawZG7w6RAkfFheowcvbdbPxkMM39WNyiaTXp0z0_PnZ-wjeXEMBSZM4OYKVWCFAyo55303vE4kvbwZFwVBF3Mvi6clNHpb-pTzt86rfsj3ohy7Ebb7eVRs-OLAx/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UZ9ra23m3X9YMInnYawZG7w6RAkfFheowcvbdbPxkMM39WNyiaTXp0z0_PnZ-wjeXEMBSZM4OYKVWCFAyo55303vE4kvbwZFwVBF3Mvi6clNHpb-pTzt86rfsj3ohy7Ebb7eVRs-OLAx/s640/IMG_7175.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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This semester was also the semester that I had my first teaching internship (basically student teaching, just more shadowing as it was my first one!) I was placed in a 4th-grade classroom and immediately fell in love with the school I was at and loved getting to know each of my students.<br />
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I had my internship on Wednesday's (half days) & Thursday's (full days) and although I had to get up at 4:45am in order to get ready and make it to school by 7:10am every morning (it was a solid 45-minute drive from my apartment on campus) it was SO worth it. I also loved getting to wear "teacher" outfits and documented them daily on my Instagram stories (shameless plug, click <a href="http://www.instagram.com/northprepster" target="_blank">HERE</a> to follow me!)<br />
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February brought a spontaneous, last-minute decision to visit Lauren at Ohio University and fill-in as her sibling for OU's siblings weekend. Thankfully, I didn't have Friday classes so I woke up and left Columbia at 6am to drive to Athens, Ohio and loved getting to experience OU life (only seemed fair considering I made her experience USC life only a week earlier) and an added bonus was that a bunch of our friends from home also came down to Athens for the weekend so I got to see so many of my friends from home which is always nice for my homebody self.<br />
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Later that month we celebrated my little's (hi, Katie!) 20th birthday and another one of my roommate's 21st birthdays. A good majority of my friend group turned 21 this semester which is super exciting, hello Sunday brunches with mimosas!<br />
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Our sorority only ended up getting to have one function this semester (formal & senior band, unfortunately, were scheduled for later on in the semester which clearly did not end up happening) but we did have a disco-themed function which was a fun theme to get dressed up for. My roommate, Lauren, and I found these matching shirts on Amazon that said "Dancing Queen" and admittedly spent way too much time at the fabric store to make sequin headbands but oh well, did it for the memories (and the pictures).<br />
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At this point in the semester, talk about the Coronavirus was becoming more and more common and serious but it was nothing that we were super worried about. Little did I know that the photo below would be the last teacher outfit I would take for the semester and would end up being my last day with my sweet fourth graders.<br />
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The first week of March was my spring break and because mine didn't match with my younger brother's, I just decided to go home for the week. My best friend, Lauren, was also home on her spring break and we kicked off our break with the Dan + Shay concert. If you know Lauren & me then you know how much we LOVE Dan + Shay. This concert was hands down one of the best ones I've ever been too and I'm so fortunate that we were able to see them as Columbus ended up being one of the last tour stops they played because later on that week was when everything started to get serious with COVID-19.<br />
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About halfway through my spring break was when universities across the country began to extend their spring breaks or completely cancel in-person classes for the remainder of the semester. Within several hours, all of my friends from home had found out they would be completing the remainder of their semesters virtually, meanwhile South Carolina wasn't saying anything. When USC finally did announce something, it was just that they had extended our spring break an additional week.<br />
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My family was heading down to Hilton Head the next week for their spring break and because I didn't have classes, I joined them. Things were still very uncertain at this time but there was no restrictions on travel, and if there were any travel restrictions, we wouldn't have gone.<br />
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It was while we were in Hilton Head that everything started to take a turn for the worst. South Carolina did not announce until late that week that we wouldn't be returning to school that semester. Waiting for this decision to be made caused my anxiety to skyrocket, seriously, ask my family, I was a basketcase. I had a lot of loose ends at school that I had planned to tie up after returning from break and when I when all of these extended breaks and closings started to occur, I panicked.<br />
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Fortunately, everything worked itself out with everything I was worried about with my classes. On our way home to Ohio, we stopped in Columbia where I packed up what I needed from my apartment for the remainder of the semester and the summer.<br />
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This was really bittersweet for me. I love being home and was grateful that I was able to spend this time with my family, but I was also devastated that the second half of my junior year was no longer going to happen. I never got to say goodbye to my roommates (we still talk daily but one more hug would have been appreciated) and I never got to thank my fourth graders for being the sweetest and most supportive group of kiddos.<br />
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Thankfully, my family and I are all in good health so while finishing up my junior year in my childhood bedroom is not exactly how I imagined things, I'm just grateful that I still had the chance to complete my school online and am still set to graduate on time.<br />
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And now I'm on summer break. *FINGERS CROSSED* I get to be a camp counselor again this summer and see all of my campers next month but for now, I'm just taking things day by day.<br />
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Junior year, while a wacky one, was another one for the books. Senior year is definitely going to look different than expected but it's going to be a blast, after all, I have to make up for lost time.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
<br />Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-15190760700783607642020-04-05T02:00:00.000-04:002020-04-05T11:45:32.466-04:00On Finding Happiness during a Period of Unknowns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The world around us right now is a blur of unknowns, questions, concerns (& lots of hand sanitizer) but amidst all this craziness I've realized something about myself: I'm genuinely happy. </div>
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I can only hope that this post doesn't come off as being insensitive because I'm right there with everyone else in that I'm scared of what's happening and have a constant fear of the unknown, but these past few weeks have given me clarity about a lot of things and helped me realize what makes me genuinely happy.</div>
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I like being around people. Whether it's my college roommates, my student teaching classroom filled with my sweet students, or an afternoon coffee date with my little, I just enjoy the company of others. So this period of quarantine and sheltering at home was a bit of an adjustment for me, as I'm sure it was for most of you, too.</div>
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I'm home in Ohio with my family now and have been for the last three weeks and although I'm surrounded by them, I've spent a lot of time by myself lately. Whether it's in my room watching Netflix or when I go for my daily runs, I've had a lot of time to be alone with my thoughts.</div>
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The first week or so after everything started to get really serious and the fear of the unknown began to settle in, I was upset. I was in Hilton Head with my family yet I was devasted that the rest of my junior year of college was going to be completed remotely and online, I was heartbroken that I wouldn't get to say goodbye to the 50 fourth-grade students that I had spent the last eight weeks getting to work with, and was trying to process the idea that life as I knew it was slowly starting to change.</div>
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Driving home from Hilton Head, we stopped by USC so I could pack up the things from my apartment that I needed for the rest of the semester and for the summer. It was hard to leave my apartment knowing that I won't be back for five months, and it was bittersweet realizing that the next time I'll be back it will be for my senior year.</div>
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During the 12-hour car ride home, I had a lot of time to try to process all the changes going on in my life. Overwhelmed is an understatement to describe how I was feeling by the time we made it back to Columbus. </div>
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I went to bed that night extremely anxious and woke up the next morning feeling anxious. So I decided to go for a run that afternoon. Running has always been my way of escaping reality and has also been my way to reduce my anxiety. </div>
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During my run that afternoon, I began to see things differently. Maybe it was the endorphins that caused my shift in thinking, but I began to see things in a more positive light.</div>
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It started with me realizing that I would get to run through the streets of my hometown (one of my favorite things) for the next five months instead of a treadmill in a crowded gym. A simple thing, but a happy thing nonetheless. </div>
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Social distancing and being away from my friends and loved ones (that aren't my mom, dad, and younger brother) is hard, but this distancing has made me realize who my real ones are. My real friends are the ones that sent me text messages asking "you gonna be ok?" when I was having a hard time adjusting to all the changes and "thinking about you and your family" and "hoping all is well with your grandfather" and even the joking ones in response to my hyper Snapchat stories that said, "how's quarantine going over there?" </div>
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Those text messages put the biggest smile on my face because it showed me that those people genuinely wanted to know how I was doing. They took time out of worrying about themselves and their loved ones to check on me and my loved ones. That means a lot to me. Y'all know who you are, thank you, I appreciate you more than I can express in this blog post. </div>
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It's the friends that will meet me during my runs to walk with me, even if it means walking on opposite sides of the street. It's the friends that encourage me to bake cookies for them just so I can get out of the house for 15 minutes and leave them on their porches for them. It's the friends that encourage me to keep making TikTok dance videos, regardless of how horrendous of a dancer I am. With friends like this, I've been able to find happiness and positivity in this chapter of unknowns.</div>
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I've found happiness and comfort in being home. I'm arguably one of the biggest homebodies you'll meet so being home during this time has been such a blessing. I've found happiness in getting to spend time with my little brother every day. I'm happy because I get to see the sunset from my bedroom window every evening again, something I love during the summer months and now get to enjoy more often. I'm happy because I got to sit at my desk and watch (through the window) my 6-year-old neighbor learn to ride her bike without training wheels and see how excited she was when she finally got it.</div>
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I'm scared and worried about our world, but I'm learning to find happiness in the little moments. It took slowing down my life, my routines, and my mind for me to realize that even though I was scared, I didn't need to let that consume me and that I had so many things that make me happy. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-80860544757810586192020-03-05T02:00:00.000-05:002020-04-04T20:29:11.123-04:00Question & Answer<div class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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It's been a hot minute since I've posted on here (thank you junior year) so I asked y'all what you wanted to know about me & compiled all your questions into one big Q&A post. I've always loved writing these types of posts because it's fun for me to get to answer your questions and it allows you to get to know me a little bit better.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: Favorite adult beverages? Wines, beers, mixed drinks, etc.</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Ah yes, I’ve been waiting for this question since the day I turned 21 a few months ago.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wines: Barefoot Pink Moscato (I know this is such a stereotypical college girl favorite but it’s good ok) and Sangria (is this technically considered a wine?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Beers: Not the biggest beer gal at the moment but if I had to pick one it would be Blue Moon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mixed Drinks: Vodka Cranberry.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: What grades are you student teaching in this semester?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: 4th! It ended up working out that I’m working with 4th-grade students in all three of the schools I’m in this semester. This is super nice because I’m being exposed to all content areas of the same grade level so looking at standards and generating lesson plans is so much easier because I’m not bouncing from grade to grade.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: Have you always wanted to be a teacher? What other career paths did you consider?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: For the most part, yes! I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was in 3rd grade and to this day I’ve stuck by that. When I was really little I probably would tell you that I wanted to be a meteorologist because I was (and still am) fascinated by weather.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: How do you survive waking up so early for student teaching & class each day?</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: I’ve always been a morning person so waking up early is never something I’ve struggled with and I also get so excited to see my kiddos that I practically jump out of bed most mornings. I will admit that I can’t sleep in past 6am anymore but that’s the least of my worries.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: If teaching wasn’t an option, what field would you want to go into?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Public Relations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Being a player on the LPGA Tour.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: What are your plans post-grad? Are you moving back home to Ohio?</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: I’m definitely moving back home to Ohio where I will hopefully (fingers crossed) have a teaching job lined up post-grad. I decided to hold off on going straight to grad school for my Masters to make sure that elementary school is the place where I want to be and to get a couple years of teaching under my belt before pursuing my Masters.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: What’s one fashion trend that you’re really loving lately?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Flare jeans! I have a pair and they’re my go-to whenever I’m going out or want to spice up an outfit. We’re allowed to wear jeans on early dismissal days at the school where I’m interning and I love wearing my flares with a fun sweater and slip-on sneakers for a fun twist on a casual outfit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: I’ll be certified to teach all elementary subjects (math, science, social studies, and ELA) but if I had to pick two to specialize in it would hands down be math and science.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: What are your plans for your last summer before the real world?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: I’m working as a summer day camp counselor again this summer! I had a blast working this position last summer and can’t wait to see all of my camp kiddos and other counselors again in a few short months!</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Q: Are you more excited or sad to be a senior next year?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Honestly, I’m excited! I’m so eager to be in my full-time student teaching and start to interact with school districts back home about finding a job. I’ve had senioritis since freshman year and it’s crazy to me that I’m just over a year away from being done with school and being a certified teacher (!!!).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Q: Do you have any interest in teaching higher education (middle/high school)?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A: Actually yes! I’ve always joked that I could see myself becoming a high school chemistry teacher because chemistry is hands down my favorite class I’ve ever taken. I love elementary school kids, though and plan to teach that but if I ever decide to change things up, high school is definitely something I could see myself switching to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">xoxo,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ri</span></div>
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Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-25188520395649348462020-01-06T15:16:00.001-05:002020-01-06T15:16:11.340-05:00Six Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Six years ago today I was a 14-year-old freshman in high school home on a snow day, absolutely bored of my mind and desperately looking for something to keep me busy.<br />
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I never imagined that the blog I created as a boredom buster would have grown into what it is today.<br />
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The past six years have been filled with incredible opportunities that I never imagined having, connections with so many amazing individuals and companies & a whole lot of personal growth.<br />
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I've come a long way from the 14-year-old girl that sat down to write her first blog post even though she didn't have the slightest clue as to what she was doing.<br />
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Northern Prepster has watched me grow up. It watched me get my drivers license, make the Varsity golf team & later go on to become the captain and play in the state tournament. It watched me go on college tours and decide that South Carolina was the school for me. It watched me graduate high school, move eight hours away from home to start college, join a sorority and learn how to "college". It's watched me go from living in a dorm room, to a sorority house, to moving into my first apartment. It watched me get jobs that I adored (I'm talking about you, Safety Town). It's watched me gather the courage to share posts about things such as relationships & anxiety. And it's seen me gain <i>so </i>much self confidence and prove to myself that I can do anything that I set my mind to.<br />
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From the very bottom of my heart, thank you for all of the unconditional support that you give. Every email, Instagram comment & DM, and post share means the world to me. I still get excited whenever a reader comes up to me and says they recognized me from Northern Prepster, that's something I <i>never </i>imagined would happen six years ago. <span style="text-align: center;">Cheers to six years & many more to come!</span></div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-5809586425492648962020-01-03T02:00:00.000-05:002020-01-03T02:00:09.009-05:00Looking Back: First Semester Junior Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I posted on my Instagram story on January 1st and asked what type of content everyone was interested in reading on the blog this month and was overwhelmed at the amount of "college" and "personal life" responses I received. Since I have a little over a week until I head back to South Carolina for the second semester of my junior year, it only seems fitting to recap the first semester. Get ready for a photo overload, fall semester is always crazy busy and I've got ALL the photos to document it.</div>
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Junior year started with me moving into my first apartment! Freshman year I lived in a dorm, sophomore year I lived in my sorority house & now I'm in an apartment with four of my friends. It took some adjusting to get used to apartment life but I loved every minute of it first semester! I love having my own room and bathroom, how close it is to campus & the college of education, and the fact that I have a kitchen. </div>
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Sorority recruitment at UofSC takes place prior to classes starting which I why I was back in Columbia so early on in the month of August. For those that may be new to Northern Prepster (welcome!) I'm a Delta Zeta at South Carolina and our bid day theme this past year was Ice, Ice, DeeZee. We welcomed home over 100 new members this year and easily used enough glitter in our hair and on our bodies to last us a lifetime (no, really, there's still glitter in our apartment, we can't get rid of it).</div>
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Saturday's in South Carolina during football are some of the best parts of fall semester. Despite having a pretty bad season, we still got dressed up in our garnet & black and cheered on our Gamecocks every weekend. I even came back early from Thanksgiving break to attend the South Carolina vs. Clemson game, as they are our rival and this is the last year it will be home while I'm a student here. I skipped it freshman year and even though it was a total bust this year, I'm still glad I got to experience a Carolina Clemson game at home. </div>
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Our first sorority function of the semester was Fall Band with the theme this year being Deezeeland Delight. The best part about this function was that my roommates and I ordered what we thought were normal sized cowboy hats but when they showed up, we realized they were child sized. They looked absolutely ridiculous but we ended up keeping them because it was too funny.</div>
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Parent's Weekend rolled around and since my parents and all of my roommates parents couldn't make it down for the weekend, the five of us ended up volunteering to sober monitor our parent's cocktail. Even though we didn't get to spend it with our families, we still had fun dressing up and getting to spend a night together outside of our apartment.</div>
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In early October my friends Avery, Maddie, and I participated in another sorority's philanthropy event that was a paint war. I did paint war my sophomore year but this year I came home wearing easily 5 more pounds of paint then last year (to the boy from the fraternity that got placed next to us, thanks for dumping the ENTIRE bucket of red paint on my head, really appreciated that, haha). My hair had blue streaks in it for weeks! But it was for a good cause and a fun (& messy) break from schoolwork and lesson planning.</div>
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Mid-October meant it was time for Fall Break. I flew home for the weekend and enjoyed getting to see my family & the cooler Ohio weather. I also got to go to a Blue Jackets game with my best friend Lauren as her fall break matched up with mine, which was so fun to get to spend some much needed time with her.</div>
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Later that month I <i>finally</i> got to visit the South Carolina State Fair. I had been trying to go since freshman year but always had exams and papers due that week and didn't have the time but luckily this year my schedule was a little bit lighter and I got to go for a little bit with two of my roommates, Maddie and Jess.</div>
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I became a grandbig this semester as my little, Katie, got her own little, Jessie. Our reveal theme this year was L'oreal kids shampoo bottles with our tagline being "no knots, no tears, no tangles in this fam!" I didn't start to realize that I was an upperclassman and getting older until Katie handed me my grandbig sign. </div>
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Our next function theme was Grease vs. Greece which was one of my personal favorites! Growing up, I loved the movie Grease so I had SO much fun getting to dress up like a Pink Lady for a night. I brought my freshman year roommate, Sophie, as my date and we had such a fun night, especially trying to see out of our giant sunglasses (shoutout to Amazon for those).</div>
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One of the cool things about the location of my apartment complex is that there's a small concert venue right behind us. When my friends and I found out that Chris Lane was coming to Columbia to play at that venue we immediately bought tickets. Chris Lane is one of my go-to country artists with "Fix" being my favorite song. You can imagine my excitement when he opened with that song. I lost my voice that night but it was 110% worth it.</div>
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One of my roommates, Lauren, turned 21 in early November and I had way too much fun decorating the apartment for her party. I was also in charge of the playlist for the night (an honor) and had so much fun celebrating her with all of our friends.</div>
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Right before Thanksgiving Break we had our semi formal. This year it was held at the children's museum in Columbia which I admittedly had way more fun than a 20 year old should have at that place. Mike Johnson from Hannah's season of the Bachelorette was also there, so that was pretty cool.</div>
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I drove home for Thanksgiving Break early the next morning after semi formal the previous night and got to spend a few days at home with my family & even get to go to another Blue Jackets game with all of my friends from high school.</div>
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Before I knew it I was back in Columbia for finals. Being an education major, I don't have written exams very often, usually it's just papers or presentations so my finals weeks aren't super stressful which is a huge blessing. I was able to convince my little and grandlittle, Katie and Jessie, to take a study break one morning and we all drove to Target and bought matching pajama and took pictures in front of the Christmas tree in the foyer of the Delta Zeta house.</div>
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First semester of junior year was definitely one for the books and I'm looking forward to second semester starting up here in a few days. It's crazy to think that I only have one more semester before I'm a senior, and just a little over a year before I graduate. It's scary and exciting at the same time.</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-70382167511718103752020-01-01T14:30:00.000-05:002020-01-01T14:30:01.123-05:002020 Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a safe & enjoyable New Years Eve as well as New Years day. The last couple of years I've sat down on January 1st and created a list of goals that I have for myself for that coming year. I use the term goals because I like the idea of having an ending spot or target that I want to reach rather than resolutions, meaning things that need to be changed. </div>
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Some of my goals are pretty simple & are repeats from previous years but I'm excited about the six things I came up with for this coming year. </div>
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<b>TRAVEL TO THREE NEW PLACES</b></div>
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Within the last few years, traveling has become one of my favorite things to do. I'm fortunate to attend a school in South Carolina that is located in a close proximity to so many cool places that I've never been before. Last year I got the chance to visit a few new places (Atlanta, GA - Edisto Beach, SC - Oriental, NC - Cape Coral, FL) and I would love to add a few more cities to the list this year! </div>
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<b>DRINK MORE WATER</b><br />
I'm already a fairly good water drinker but there's always room for improvement. I'm hoping that by drinking more water, I'll cut back on the amount of coffee I drink & eliminate soda from my routine.<br />
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<b>READ ONE BOOK EACH MONTH</b><br />
I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of reading, but when I find a book that I like, I can sit for long periods of time and get through the book in only a few days. I think a goal of reading one new book each month is reasonable and would give me something to do in my free time that doesn't involve a screen.<br />
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<b>WORKOUT AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK</b><br />
I've started to get into a good routine of running everyday when I get home from work and I'm really enjoying it. Running is a huge stress reliever for me and the resulting runners high I always get is an added bonus. I know that when I get back to school later this month that I might not have time everyday to workout but I'm going to make it my goal to get to the gym or outside to run at least three times each week.<br />
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<b>SAVE MORE</b><br />
Even though I still have 3 semesters left in my undergrad, as someone who recently started sitting down and planning for grad school and looking for postgrad apartments, I realized that I really need to start watching my spending and working on saving as best I can. I've always been a saver rather than a spender but this year my goal is to eliminate any unnecessary and avoidable expenses (like getting coffee when I have a perfectly nice coffee maker at home. yeah, I just called myself out. it needed to happen.)<br />
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<b>DON'T BREAK PERSONAL PROMISES</b><br />
This goal is a goal of mine every year. It's important to me that I keep all promises I make, but especially the ones I make to myself. If I tell myself I'm going to work on that paper tonight, I need to stick by that. If I tell myself I'm going to wake up early to go for a run, I want to make sure I follow through. My goal this year is to keep the promises I make to myself, I think I'll see a lot of positive improvements in my life if I do.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-34919068888303879902019-12-30T02:00:00.001-05:002023-02-28T22:58:57.040-05:00The Importance of Reciprocity in Friendships<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Back in May I shared a post all about relationships and within a week it jumped to being my most popular post & has remained one of my top posts ever shared.</div>
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I began that post by saying this:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "crimson text" , serif; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: justify;"><i>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 of networking in today's society is all about who you know and who knows you. <b>Relationships are critical for our well-being.</b> Our whole lives are spent building relationships with one another, it's just in our nature.</i></span></div>
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In this post, I want to focus on the bolded statement above. Relationships are critical for our well-being. Due to the fact that relationships play such a large role in our lives, how healthy and, on the contrary, how unhealthy they are can impact us in more ways than initially imagined. </div>
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<a name='more'></a>All relationships are about give and take. In order for a friendship to work, you have to be there for the other person just as much as you need them there for you. I am a firm believer that the best and strongest relationships and friendships are ones that have reciprocity, you get what you give.<br />
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I'd like to consider myself a good friend. I put effort into each and every one, whether that's reaching out to wish them good luck on an exam I know they have coming up, making plans to get coffee or dinner together, or even simply sending them a funny tweet that made me think of them. I try to always be there to lend a shoulder to cry on, a set of ears to listen to a rant, a set of eyes to proofread papers & pick out outfits, and arms open wide for when someone just needs a hug.<br />
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Growing up, my mom would always remind me to treat others the way I wanted to be treated and to this day I still live by that. While it feels slightly selfish to say that I expect certain things in return, I do desire reciprocity in my relationships with other people. If I'm making an effort to be in their life, I want to know that they're doing the same to have me in their life.<br />
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I'm not saying I need grand gestures to know that someone values my friendship but sometimes a little acknowledgment is appreciated.<br />
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We all know that I love quotes & words and the other night while I was doing my nightly scroll through Pinterest, I came across a quote that said "someone's effort is a reflection of their interest in you."<br />
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If you find yourself always being the one to reach out to make plans, or if you're always there to celebrate their successes but they aren't around to celebrate yours, perhaps that isn't the healthiest relationship in your life, and as much as it hurts to think about, if the effort isn't there, the interest probably isn't either.<br />
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Toxic friendships are, unfortunately, no stranger in my life. I do my best to make an effort to keep people in my life but I eventually reach a point where I'll realize that there's no reciprocity in that relationship. I hate giving up on things, especially friendships, but when trying to keep someone in my life that clearly doesn't want to be in it starts to become a burden on me, I've had to learn to walk away.<br />
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In my opinion, the best relationships are the ones that don't take a lot of effort to maintain and the ones where it is clear that both individuals value the other and want them in their life.<br />
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But I also believe that the best relationships are the ones that don't require daily conversation and seeing each other every single day. Some of my strongest and most valued friendships are with those who I only see several times a year, or whenever I'm home or even every 5-10 years when you just happen to be in the same city. It all comes down to reciprocity. If both individuals put effort into the relationship, it doesn't matter how often you talk, as long as the effort is there when you do.<br />
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I shared my struggle with anxiety in a post recently (click <a href="https://northern-prepster.blogspot.com/2019/12/how-i-discovered-importance-of-slowing.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read it) and I want to be transparent with you and tell you that a lot of my anxiety stems from one-sided relationships in my life.<br />
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I understand and am fully aware that this is something I have control over but it's hard not to feel anxious when someone doesn't return any of your calls or texts even after you've always been there to answer them. Sometimes it's hard when someone tells you all about their life and then when you go to talk about yours, their interest and attention isn't there. Or when it is, it's condescending or uninterested, making you wish you hadn't said anything in the first place. As much as you try not to take it personal when someone backs out on plans only to later find out they were with someone else instead, sometimes that's really hard to do.<br />
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Because I am someone who values my relationships and friendships more than anything in my life, I don't think it should come as a shock to anyone that a lot of my energy gets put into maintaining them and when things seem different, I easily get anxious.<br />
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With 2020 being right around the corner (no really, it's two days away, this is like game 7 of the world series and 2019 is up to bat and 2020 is on deck) one of my goals is to continue to have reciprocity in my relationships but to also worry less about friendships that are clearly one-sided and toxic. I have bigger and better things to worry about in my life and worrying about how to keep someone in my life that doesn't want to be there should not be one of those worries.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-33574729231592297382019-12-01T02:00:00.003-05:002023-02-28T22:53:58.048-05:00How I Discovered the Importance of Slowing Down & Breathing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's 11:51pm on a Saturday night and I'm wide awake. I shouldn't be, because I've been awake since 7am and am currently sick and fighting a pretty bad cold so this lack of sleep is definitely not what I need. I had the plans to go to bed early but my anxiety had other plans (so did the fire alarm in my apartment building but that's a story for another day.)</div>
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As I sit here in my bed wrapped in my weighted blanket hoping that it helps calm me down, I realized that the topic of stress and anxiety and something that I seldom talk about here, yet as a college student, both of those things have a fairly large presence in my life, so I want to talk about it.</div>
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I don't usually share posts like this because they are very personal, but I want to be transparent on here and know that as many of my readers are college students and as we prepare to head into finals season (aka stress city), that maybe sharing my experience with stress and anxiety and how I've learned to cope with it will be beneficial for others. </div>
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I am an avid over thinker, master of indecisiveness and borderline perfectionist so naturally, being anxious and getting stressed out over the little things is nothing new for me. I worry a lot, about things that I can control, and things that I can <i>not </i>control. I get nervous easily, whether it's before an exam, meeting someone new, or just for small everyday occurrences. </div>
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While stress is no stranger to my life, I've always done a good job at managing it. Growing up I was a very active individual and exercise and sports served as a huge stress reliever. As I got older, blogging and writing became a creative outlet from stress and anxiety, as did golf. When I'm writing, the only thing I'm focused on is the words in my mind. When I'm on the golf course, I'm only focused on my game and for the four hours it takes me to play a round, I can tune out the world. I never would have guessed that something as simple as a round of golf would have the ability to completely ground me mentally and emotionally, but it does. (Why do you think I'm on the golf course 24/7?)</div>
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I acknowledged that I was stressed and anxious and I made an effort to do something to reduce those feelings. My anxiety has always been a mental thing; over thinking, indecisiveness, and constantly seeking approval. But this past summer, it started to have physical effects on me, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvhcNXFA5RAT1oaf2Mvw8mlJYdlUglgdR04a6uKnr8lxNmkCp9dw6DPAfLUqWoA6BKppcVUZxwxHmJ5VYO3mPLwzhqX2U72cJ9xyo3VzsavROYXJJKaNY4zoAX4aMdTsHJ-sJZ6KAfnIg/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvhcNXFA5RAT1oaf2Mvw8mlJYdlUglgdR04a6uKnr8lxNmkCp9dw6DPAfLUqWoA6BKppcVUZxwxHmJ5VYO3mPLwzhqX2U72cJ9xyo3VzsavROYXJJKaNY4zoAX4aMdTsHJ-sJZ6KAfnIg/s640/IMG_8396.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I worked as a summer day camp counselor this past summer which means that I spent the majority of my eight hour shifts outside in the central Ohio heat. </div>
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One morning I walked into the staff room to grab my water bottle, tried to take a sip, before realizing that I couldn't swallow. I didn't think anything of it at first and assumed that I was just moving too fast for my mind and body, but when I came back 30 minutes later and still couldn't swallow, I started to worry. </div>
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I texted my mom and explained to her what was happening, hoping she would have a quick fix or an answer. But she didn't. At this point, I was starting to worry that something was seriously wrong with my throat. Why couldn't I drink my water? I was running around with children in 90º heat in full sun and knew I was thirsty but I just couldn't bring myself to swallow. </div>
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Lunch rolled around and I assumed that I would be fine and able to swallow food but I was wrong. I then had to explain to my supervisor what was going on and he sent me home for the rest of the day because it wasn't safe for me to be outside in the heat with no food or water in my system.</div>
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When I got home, my mom and I made a few calls to doctors and the initial "diagnosis" was that my throat was just having a bad reaction to a medication that I had stopped taking. This seemed like a perfectly valid reason to me and I went about my day assuming everything would be fine in a couple of days once my throat calmed down. </div>
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Fast forward to a week later and I was still having trouble swallowing. By this time, it's safe to say I was freaking out and thinking that something was seriously wrong. I ending up meeting with a gastroenterologist who told me that it wasn't a reaction to stopping the medication and diagnosed me with dysphagia (the medical term meaning difficulty swallowing) and ordered for me to schedule a modified barium swallow test at the hospital. </div>
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Because I'm me, I went home and immediately googled what a modified barium swallow test entailed and after learning that I would have to swallow some kind of barium paste (mmm yummy) while an x-ray machine watched the mechanics of my throat to determine what was going wrong that I was having so much difficulty swallowing.</div>
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I knew that if I was asked to swallow something on command, I wouldn't be able to, so I told my parents to hold off on scheduling the procedure and asked for two more weeks to try to figure out what was going on. </div>
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It was a week later that I was talking about this with one of my friends when she sent me an article she found that was titled "How Anxiety Causes Trouble Swallowing." I had never thought that the problem might be entirely inside my head but after reading the article and thinking that someone had wrote it just for me, I realized that the problem was all mental.</div>
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In short, my mind was focusing so much on swallowing, which is something our bodies normally do automatically, that I was psyching myself out and telling myself that I couldn't do it. My mind was so focused on not choking that it overcomplicated a natural reflex. </div>
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Per the recommendation of my doctor, I met with a psychologist who helped me find ways to help reduce my anxiety and gave me tips on what to do if I ever feel really anxious. One of the biggest things that I've discovered helps reduce my anxiety is running. When I start to feel anxious or if I can feel an anxiety attack coming on, I just put my headphones in and go to the gym and run because for those 30 minutes, the only thing I have to think about is putting one foot in front of the other.</div>
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I also learned the importance of breathing. Deep breathes help bring me back down to earth when my mind is moving a mile a minute. I also invested in a weighted blanket which has made a big difference, too. It helps me fall asleep faster at night and it makes me feel secure (like someone is hugging me, which is something that calms me down so quickly). </div>
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There are still times when my nerves get the better of me and I have difficultly swallowing but thankfully, I've learned that when that happens, it's just my body's way of telling me I need to slow down and breathe. </div>
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If you find yourself stressed, or it feels like your mind is running a marathon, don't underestimate how much three deep breathes can do for you. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-80034587847520262052019-10-28T02:00:00.000-04:002019-10-28T10:33:10.312-04:00I Almost Transferred, But Here's Every Reason Why I Didn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If I'm being completely honest, I was never planning on telling anyone that I almost transferred from USC. Partially because I didn't want to face the questions about why I thought about it or how long it had been on my mind, but also because looking back on it, thinking about transferring is one the silliest things I've ever done. </div>
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This past summer, as I was preparing to move back to South Carolina for my junior year at USC, someone had mentioned to me that I should consider doing my student teaching in Ohio, as I do plan to return home upon graduation and teach there. </div>
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I've always been the type of person to think one step ahead of where I currently am, especially when it comes to my career. Teaching positions in the districts I would like to teach in down the road are highly competitive and the idea of student teaching in those districts and getting my foot in the door was very appealing to my plan-ahead, have everything figured out in advance self. </div>
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It's also no secret that I love Ohio State. Partly because I grew up a Buckeye fan, partly because campus is basically in my backyard, I was raised a Buckeye and my love for that university is still as strong as ever, even though I am not a student there. </div>
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So I decided to look into the option of transferring to Ohio State for the sole purpose of completing my field experience in the school districts that I would be applying for jobs at in two short years. I sent in my transcript for a credit evaluation, scheduled a call with OSU's Education Department and tried to picture myself at Ohio State. Again, I want to emphasis that the motive behind transferring was purely and entirely an academic decision, not because of anything else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-iUAMHevci0G2JWPBFrj_xskWA1MiCHng5n9BEynV-s6pwcE5uZUZqEAWhzks0dgZDcsPj_gLcmAdkrUGtlUUpvKxI5O40QCxCXtIFodBDfISWByL2tnh-8wHr29iu_UJfexYc-AtDTt/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-iUAMHevci0G2JWPBFrj_xskWA1MiCHng5n9BEynV-s6pwcE5uZUZqEAWhzks0dgZDcsPj_gLcmAdkrUGtlUUpvKxI5O40QCxCXtIFodBDfISWByL2tnh-8wHr29iu_UJfexYc-AtDTt/s640/IMG_2900.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
I've said this many times but I am a HUGE homebody. Being a homebody and having been home for two months for the summer at the time when this transferring topic came up didn't help. I was used to being back in Columbus and was enjoying being surrounded by my family.<br />
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Before I knew it I was driving back to South Carolina to move into my apartment with four of my best friends. Within 24 hours of being back in Columbia, sitting in our empty, dark apartment with only one of my roommates in town so far, I realized that transferring would be the silliest thing for me to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUKeD5lCYVGNzEis_ZGnAVF6ds2acuVRlfcQFPyEw4yi3Pz4XYpjmYYrGUVybIEKP8iLC-P4Z7ZC443k4h0erOITI1UQomueUrFuVMdMJO5OuVnfBYm4PbUGoddkCOEyu9q7sX182tvVy/s1600/IMG_3411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1199" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUKeD5lCYVGNzEis_ZGnAVF6ds2acuVRlfcQFPyEw4yi3Pz4XYpjmYYrGUVybIEKP8iLC-P4Z7ZC443k4h0erOITI1UQomueUrFuVMdMJO5OuVnfBYm4PbUGoddkCOEyu9q7sX182tvVy/s640/IMG_3411.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
Yes, I am a huge homebody and I'll admit that I love Ohio State more than I should for someone who doesn't go to school there. But I've made a home here in Columbia, South Carolina with the best friends that I thought only existed in my dreams. There's a reason that I got deferred from Ohio State three times (there's a confession I never thought I would be sharing) and that's because I wasn't meant to be a Buckeye. I was meant to be a Gamecock and I was meant to attend The University of South Carolina.<br />
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So while the thought of transferring may have crossed my mind for a brief moment, that ship has sailed and is now long gone.<br />
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During this time, I didn't tell anyone about any of this, because nothing was certain and I didn't want to get other people involved in something that was so far up in the air. After realizing that I didn't want to leave my life in South Carolina (& after OSU telling me I would need to stay for an additional two years to make up for lost credits) I told my roommates.<br />
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I didn't think that telling them would be that hard but looking at the faces of my <strike>friends </strike> family and seeing their expressions change brought a wave of emotions over me when I realized how stupid I was for thinking that I could leave these people, and that I had considered leaving these people, just to get a leg up on finding a job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNENXAi8yg9uUl8p7e75cPaDjvG6MQoksFCyItp3pvo7jre6gKgwfZ7aeQJR4i78PQa21LzBWuvFbiXC3iHPe6FKdMYyZdJ_llNcwa3k314OVtqTaGJsqwSTtwHpnGz9LbaU45mAysFkRL/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNENXAi8yg9uUl8p7e75cPaDjvG6MQoksFCyItp3pvo7jre6gKgwfZ7aeQJR4i78PQa21LzBWuvFbiXC3iHPe6FKdMYyZdJ_llNcwa3k314OVtqTaGJsqwSTtwHpnGz9LbaU45mAysFkRL/s640/IMG_3778.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
I'll find a job one day but I won't get to find friends like the ones I have now again. The people in my life that South Carolina has brought to me are once-in-a-lifetime people. My dad always tells me that people come into our lives for "a reason, a season, or a lifetime" and these people are definitely the lifetimers.<br />
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Home will always be there, but Thursday night horror movie marathons with Maddie won't. Late night drives to Willy B with Jess won't be always be here just like Friday morning walks to Starbucks with Lauren won't always be here either. I have less than two years left with all the people I love being in the same place at the same time and I don't want to waste any time away from them.<br />
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A career is what I'll be doing for the rest of my life, but college is only four years. I'm so grateful to have made a home here in South Carolina and to have friends that make leaving this home to go to my other home so hard.<br />
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My GPS has considered Columbia, South Carolina home for two years now, and I'm happy to say that I now consider Columbia, South Carolina home, too.<br />
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Attending this university, living in this city, and being surrounded by the sweetest & most supportive friends everyday reaffirms the thought that coming to South Carolina was the best decision of my life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6cYqqRSXINXbELyojbrgYWKCdTuP9reE0Y_mERm71NNFG8cAYxAd7LR4rr1vPL7GfcDuuD4Nl4B8q8K1SKegp_oLyMcFDpdtBkj7svp-N2T4JYnDV6q5H1CpyP2CNu3lgg3aYaU4K8Qp/s1600/IMG_5076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6cYqqRSXINXbELyojbrgYWKCdTuP9reE0Y_mERm71NNFG8cAYxAd7LR4rr1vPL7GfcDuuD4Nl4B8q8K1SKegp_oLyMcFDpdtBkj7svp-N2T4JYnDV6q5H1CpyP2CNu3lgg3aYaU4K8Qp/s640/IMG_5076.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
To anyone that may be considering transferring, whether that's transferring schools, jobs, you name it: <i>don't just think about all the reasons to go, think about all the reasons to stay. </i><br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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<br />Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-52825975029985653512019-10-02T02:00:00.000-04:002019-10-02T02:00:11.147-04:00A Brighter & More Confident Smile with Smile Brilliant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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News flash: I'm slightly obsessed with coffee.<br />
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Before college, I would have coffee every so often, drinking it only because I associated it with productivity.<br />
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Now that I'm a junior in college & life is coming at me at 100mph, I drink coffee because I <i>need it </i>to function. But with my constant coffee consumption came a smile that I wasn't so confident with.<br />
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I had tried whitening stripes & whitening toothpastes, but nothing gave me the desired results.<br />
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Then, I found <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/teeth-whitening-trays?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8svsBRDqARIsAHKVyqFZTvUOgGkNu2EI6MUo6lp5eEMyX7OlHMooEPQc7JqFmbNJCDY3OqQaAnekEALw_wcB#awbleachhome" target="_blank">Smile Brilliant.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6mzvvqL-M_T81t10UV98Ey8ggHCTdDlo4tQx2oH9qY0TOInPoNMAcV0c3YNfGcYp4eEg2mjmMfqIUXLlV8plUcQKhDDfwnCyfHR8dLfonpkkYBypB3_svTihmQTtwef4t1xpOhNWMWEW/s1600/IMG_2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6mzvvqL-M_T81t10UV98Ey8ggHCTdDlo4tQx2oH9qY0TOInPoNMAcV0c3YNfGcYp4eEg2mjmMfqIUXLlV8plUcQKhDDfwnCyfHR8dLfonpkkYBypB3_svTihmQTtwef4t1xpOhNWMWEW/s640/IMG_2178.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Smile Brilliant offers a custom at-home teeth whitening kit for a small fraction of the cost. With your whitening kit, you'll receive 3 whitening syringes, 3 desensitizing syringes (a blessing if you have sensitive teeth & gums), as well as the trays and paste that you'll need to make your <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/teeth-whitening-trays#northernprepster" target="_blank">custom teeth molds.</a></div>
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What I loved about Smile Brilliant is that I was able to make impressions of my smile, send them to their lab, and within a week I had my very own custom trays shipped back to me. With tray whitening, I knew that all of my teeth were being whitened because the trays are custom designed for me. </div>
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What I loved about Smile Brilliant is that when I whitened, I could put the trays in and go about my normal nightly routines. All I would do is set a timer for my desired whitening time and then continue working on homework or watch an episode of a show on Netflix.</div>
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After I had finished whitening, I would always use the <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/sensitive-teeth-gel" target="_blank">desensitizing gel</a> for 15 minutes to decrease any sensitivity that the <a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/teeth-whitening-gel" target="_blank">whitening gel</a> may have caused. I never felt any sensitivity during my whitening treatments, but I figured it couldn't hurt to do it just in case. </div>
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After my very first whitening treatment, I could already see a difference and I could start to see some of the stains on my teeth beginning to lift. I was <i>so excited </i> because I had finally found a product that worked for me & would gradually give me my smile back.</div>
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Here are my before & after photos after one week of whitening treatments. I'm happy with the improvements I'm seeing and I know that as I continue to use Smile Brilliant, my smile will continue to brighten. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have so many reasons to smile, and I'm so happy that I can now smile fearlessly. </span></div>
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<b>GIVEAWAY</b>: If you would like the chance to win a FREE Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Kit, click the link below to enter! </div>
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<b><a href="https://www.smilebrilliant.com/g/northernprepster" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY</a></b></div>
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Also, you can use my code '<b>northernprepster15</b>' for 15% storewide on Smile Brilliant's website!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-52178716564565631542019-08-20T02:00:00.001-04:002019-08-20T02:00:06.614-04:00Tuesday Thoughts vol. 4<div class="separator" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 15.399999618530273px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
Tuesday Thoughts: a weekly post where I share a quote that had an impact on me. From deep quotes about life to silly quotes about remembering to smile, if it affects me, I'll share it. </div>
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Today's thought: don't let anyone rent space in your head unless they are a good tenant.</div>
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<a href="http://sashabrown.co/" target="_blank">via</a></div>
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I'm an overthinker.</div>
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Always have been, probably always will be, despite how hard I try not to be. </div>
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I'm also a worrier. </div>
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I worry about just about anything and everything. Including people and what others think about me. </div>
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As much as I wish I could say that I don't worry about what others think of me, I do. I'm getting better about it, but there's still part of me that worries what others think.</div>
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This school year, I want to work on not worrying about what other people think of me, nor about other people in general. I have plenty of other things to remember and think about and deal with, so worrying about others is being put on the back burner. If someone is constantly on your mind for no good reason, I invite you to do the same. Don't worry about things you can't change and don't worry about people you can't control.</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-71127186726716771522019-08-13T02:00:00.000-04:002019-08-13T02:00:06.456-04:00Tuesday Thoughts vol. 3<div class="separator" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 15.399999618530273px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">
Tuesday Thoughts: a weekly post where I share a quote that had an impact on me. From deep quotes about life to silly quotes about remembering to smile, if it affects me, I'll share it. </div>
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Today's thought: what is meant for you won't pass you by.</div>
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I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason. I am also a believer that what is meant for you will not pass you by. If something is meant to happen to you, it will. And if something isn't meant for you, it will move on.<br />
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If you are meant to have that job, you will. If your relationship or friendship is meant to be, it will be. Your life unfolds in a certain way because it was designed to do so.<br />
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Just remember, the next time you find yourself upset or frustrated because something passed you by, that it simply wasn't meant for you. Bigger and better things are coming. Just be patient.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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<br />Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-29316273634773278912019-08-06T02:00:00.000-04:002019-08-06T02:00:06.392-04:00Tuesday Thoughts vol. 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tuesday Thoughts: a weekly post where I share a quote that had an impact on me. From deep quotes about life to silly quotes about remembering to smile, if it effects me, I'll share it. </div>
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Today's thought: it's very okay not to know yet.</div>
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As a 20-year-old college student, there's a lot of things that I flat out don't know.</div>
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I still don't fully understand how taxes work or how to pay a mortgage on a house. I don't know where I'll be in five years, heck, I don't even know where I'll be in six months. </div>
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Nowhere does it say that you need to have your life figured out by a certain age, there's no rule that says you should be dating someone by the time you graduate college. It is perfectly fine, and becoming increasingly more common, to go into college undecided as to what you want to major in. There is no universal timeline that can tell you when everything should be figured out by. When it's time for us to make decisions about things, we will. But for now, don't let the unknown worry you and don't worry about trying to figure everything out.</div>
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If no one has told you this before, let me be the first: you don't need to have your whole life figured out right this moment. You are in control of your life and you get to the make the decisions about what you do and when. </div>
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It's very okay not to know yet. Remember that. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-61970609561522138122019-07-30T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-30T02:00:00.940-04:00Tuesday Thoughts vol. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love words and can spend hours scrolling through quotes on Pinterest at night. I'm notorious for pinning quotes that relate to my current life situations and the types of quotes I pin are strongly influenced by my mood, which my friends can attest to. I love words because they have the ability to tell stories, inspire, and impact our lives. </div>
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I'm starting a new series here on Northern Prepster called 'Tuesday Thoughts' where I'll share a quote that has impacted me recently and share some <i>hopefully </i>wise words related to it.</div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mantramagazine/?igshid=1rkarad7dzz4g" target="_blank">via Mantra Wellness Magazine</a></div>
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No matter how many times I remind myself that the past is in the past, I still manage to find ways to let my past impact my current life & my future. I focus too much on mistakes made previously that I instead of working to make positive changes to fix those mistakes, I instead just spend more time worrying about my mistakes and worrying about making them again.<br />
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Beginning now, I'm going to start making more conscious efforts to leave yesterday in the past. A lot can happen in 24 hours, but if we continue to carry the weight of the previous day, we aren't leaving ourselves much room to take on the things that the current day is offering to us.<br />
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Yesterday is history. There is nothing you can do to go back and change it, however, you can learn from your experiences and allow those to impact how you move forward. Together, let's spend less time dwelling on the past & carrying the weight of yesterday and more time living in the moment, something I am really trying to do as I prepare to head into my second-to-last year of college.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-88413619399713653352019-07-29T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-29T02:00:04.910-04:00Home is More than a Four-Letter Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Home & Ohio both have four letters? Coincidence? I don't think so. </div>
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Choosing to support <a href="https://www.clotheohio.com/" target="_blank">Clothe Ohio</a> when they reached out to me was an easy decision because not only does it give me the chance to represent my home state, but for every item sold, <a href="https://www.clotheohio.com/" target="_blank">Clothe Ohio</a> donates an item to an Ohioan in need. Not only do you get a new shirt or hat, but someone else does, too.</div>
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I was born & raised in Columbus, Ohio. I grew up in the shadows of The Ohio State University, attended Columbus Blue Jackets regularly and am still a die-hard fan. My wardrobe contains ridiculous amounts of scarlet & gray (alarmingly similar to my school colors of garnet and black), I live for peanut butter buckeyes and Graeter's ice cream.</div>
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If you've ever had a conversation with me before, I've likely managed to slide in the fact that I'm from Ohio at some point in the conversation. I'm proud to be from Ohio and I'm proud to wear clothing from companies like <a href="https://www.clotheohio.com/" target="_blank">Clothe Ohio</a>, who are working to make my home a better place, one shirt at a time. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
<br />Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-8484260571422549932019-07-08T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-08T02:00:00.684-04:00Rosie the Flower Truck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Meet Rosie. </div>
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Rosie is the adorable organic flower truck that I had the pleasure of meeting last Sunday morning. I was sitting at brunch with my mom when I looked out the window and saw this adorable little truck pulling up right outside the building we were in. I was enjoying the yummiest brunch at the time and didn't think I could be happier, but it turns out I was wrong. </div>
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I had seen photos on my social feeds of flower trucks before and thought they were the cutest things so I was SO happy when I walked outside and got to build my own bouquet straight out of the bed of this old truck named Rosie.</div>
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The girl driving Rosie that morning was so sweet and helped me pick out the prettiest flowers to make a cute little bouquet of my own. This little experience left me in the best mood and the flowers made my room feel so much <i>happier</i>. It really is the little things in life that have the biggest impact.<br />
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Rosie, you made my week and I'm so glad we met. Hopefully we'll meet again soon, I could use some more peonies in my room. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-33232217547542946772019-07-05T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-05T02:00:07.681-04:00Apartment Bedroom Inspiration<div style="text-align: left;">
I've always been extremely interested in interior design and grew up looking forward to the first time I'll get to decorate my first apartment. Luckily, this upcoming school year, I will be moving into an apartment of my own! I am a rising junior in college and am SO excited to finally have my own room and bathroom to get to decorate however I please.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/476803446/ohio-state-pallet-sign-ohio-shape-sign?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=wooden+ohio+sign&ref=sr_gallery-2-8&organic_search_click=1&sca=1" target="_blank">wooden Ohio sign </a><span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">• </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.steinmart.com/product/3+piece+dakota+tufted+comforter+set+70156211.do?sortby=priceAscend&refType=&from=Search&selectedOption=100322&ecList=6&ecCategory=" target="_blank">comforter</a> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">• </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/eLuxurySupply-headboard-Craftsmen-Contemporary-California/dp/B07CSKBFG9/ref=sr_1_104?crid=355O8VA55Z83R&keywords=wooden+headboard&qid=1561938786&s=gateway&sprefix=wooden+head%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-104" target="_blank">wooden headboard</a> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">• </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.target.com/p/woven-stripe-square-throw-pillow-threshold-153/-/A-54188453?preselect=54002484#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">blue & white striped throw pillow</a> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">• </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.target.com/p/400-thread-count-printed-performance-sheet-set-threshold-153/-/A-14220754?preselect=51388267#lnk=sametab" target="_blank">sheets</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://shoplohome.com/collections/blanket-bar/products/cherry-blossom-throw-blanket" target="_blank">throw blanket</a> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">• </span><a href="https://www.target.com/p/clear-globe-lights-white-room-essentials-153/-/A-53197541" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">string</span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38); color: #262626; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">lights</span></span></a></div>
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Like the majority of college freshman, I lived in a dorm room my first year which gave me a bit of decorative freedom but because there were two people squished into a room that could barely even fit one, I was limited. This past year, my sophomore year, I lived in my sorority house and also shared a room with a roommate so again, I didn't have a space to call entirely my own.</div>
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This year, I will be living in an apartment with four of my best friends, with each of us having our own bedrooms and bathrooms. Because I am planning to resign my lease and live in the same apartment for my senior year (woah, that's crazy to read. <i>senior year.</i>) I want to decorate my space in a very simple and timeless way that I know I won't get tired of over the course of the next two years. </div>
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The comforter pictured above is the exact one that I have ordered and I'm going to be planning my room around that. The furniture in my room is black so I've opted to go with shades of light pink and light blue with pops of gray and gold throughout my room. I'm planning on making my own wooden headboard to give my space a rustic feel (BIG Joanna Gaines vibes) and also including this adorable wooden Ohio board on my gallery wall that will be mixed in with several of my favorite photos that I'm going to get printed and framed. </div>
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Once I get settled into my apartment in the fall, I will definitely be sharing an apartment room tour here on Northern Prepster so if you're curious as to how my room turns out, don't worry, you'll see here in the next couple of months!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-61066332148475412762019-07-03T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-03T02:00:03.882-04:00Brunch at the Brekkie Shack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's no secret around here that I adore brunch. No matter if it's Sunday brunch or an impromptu Wednesday brunch, I will never turn down a chance to grab a bite to eat. I'm not a big breakfast gal and I'm equally not a huge lunch fan but if you combine them together, I'm in. So what I'm saying is, if you ain't talking brunch, I don't wanna talk at all ;)</div>
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Brekkie Shack is a new-to-me brunch spot located in the Grandview Yard here in Columbus, Ohio. As if the aesthetically pleasing interior decor isn't enough, the food is delicious and the beverages are sure to leave you refreshed, whether that's with an iced coffee, a pop (yes, I said pop, not soda) or just some simple water, Brekkie Shack has it all. </div>
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I opted for the avocado toast & an iced coffee, both of which were FANTASTIC. The avocado toast comes with two <i>huge </i>(seriously, look at the picture above, those puppies were THICK) pieces of toast, would definitely recommend sharing this. Or just show up really hungry. My mom had the egg sandwich & an iced cafe mocha which she also enjoyed. It's safe to say that the Brekkie Shack will be seeing more of me during this next half of summer. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-61073013767669514382019-07-01T02:00:00.000-04:002019-07-01T02:00:06.046-04:00How my Life went from a Hot Mess to an Organized Success (in my opinion) + how you can, too!As much as I wish I could sit here and tell you all that my life is a breeze and I have all of my ducks in a row all the time, I don't. Instead, I'm over here serving as the conductor of the hot mess express on my way to chaos-town 95% of the time. And I'm ok with that because that's life and I'm still trying to figure it all out.<br />
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BUT, that does leave 5% of the time when my life is organized and I have my ducks in a row, and today I'm sharing my tips on how you can work towards organizing your life, too.<br />
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P L A N N I N G</h2>
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<b>USE A CHEAP & SIMPLE PLANNER + HOW I UTILIZE MINE</b></div>
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Not only am I operating on a college budget here but I've also found that when I would buy expensive planners from the big agenda companies, I was so worried about keeping them in pristine conditions that I never wanted to write anything in them for fear of ruining them. The best planner I've ever had was a $5.99 agenda from the stationary section at Marshall's. It was durable, cheap, and provided me with the things I needed in a planner: a monthly view and daily views with ample space to write my schedule and a to-do list for each day. </div>
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Regardless of which planner I'm using, the way I organize them are all the same. Under each day, I split the box into two sections. The left section is where I will write down everything that I have planned for that day along with the times of each event (work, classes, gym, meals, meetings, calls, etc.) The right section is where I write my to-do list. I just make a little square and then write the task next to the square, then, once the task has been completed I put a check mark in the square. At the end of the day, I take a yellow highlighter and highlight any incomplete tasks so that I remember to write them on my to-do list for the next day. </div>
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Another tip that I have when it comes to making to-do lists is to write your to-do list on a stickie note, too. I always have my to-do list in my planner but I also write my to-do list on a stickie note that is usually placed on my laptop next to my mouse pad. Having my to-do list literally at my fingertips helps remind me of what needs to be completed because I'm constantly staring at it. </div>
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<b>SYNC YOUR PAPER PLANNER & CALENDAR WITH YOUR DIGITAL CALENDAR</b></div>
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In addition to my paper agenda, I also use my iCal on my laptop. I use iCal because it syncs to my laptop, phone, and Apple watch so no matter where I am, I always have access to my calendar. This comes in handy when I'm out and about and don't have access to my agenda. Especially at appointments, it's so easy for me to take out my phone and see what's on my calendar when it comes time to book future appointments. iCal also allows me to color-code my calendar which is extremely beneficial for me as I am a huge visual person so seeing all of my events formatted the same way helps me a lot. Using a digital calendar is also helpful because you have the option to schedule reminders for events and tasks that you have planned. If iCal isn't your thing, I have friends that use Google Calendar and they <i>rave </i>about how beneficial it is. </div>
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<b>REVIEW THE UPCOMING WEEK EVERY SUNDAY</b></div>
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On Sunday evenings, I sit down with my planner and my laptop and write down everything that I have scheduled for the upcoming week. I also go ahead and start making to-do lists for days when I know certain tasks will need to be completed. </div>
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<b>PUT EVERYTHING ON YOUR TO-DO LIST</b></div>
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Maybe it's just me but I love when I get to cross something off of my to-do list. Even a task as simple and mindless as taking a shower or making your bed every day allows you to cross something off that daunting list and hopefully motivate you to keep moving on down your list. Doing this allows me to get an idea of how my week will be and allows me to see which days are going to be busier than others so I can divide my time accordingly.</div>
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<b>F I N A N C I A L</b></h2>
<b>TRACK YOUR FINANCES</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I made the decision to start tracking my finances this summer and it is hands down one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Not only am I taking steps towards becoming financially organized, but because I’ve created a spreadsheet where I track all of my expenses, I’m now aware of where my money is going and have been able to set reasonable budgets for myself. Shockingly enough, a decent amount of my money is spent on coffee. I had known that I frequently made coffee runs but once I saw the actual amount of money I had spent on coffee for the month of June I knew that something needed to change. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The way I track my finances is fairly simple: I created a spreadsheet using Google Sheets and made two pages: one to track my income and one to track my expenses. My income page has 5 columns: the job (right now </span>there are<span style="font-family: inherit;"> only two options; babysitting and my work), the date of the payment, income (the amount received), the form of payment (cash, check, Venmo, direct deposit) (this makes it easier for me to remember if I need to cash a check or transfer my V</span>enmo<span style="font-family: inherit;"> balance over), and then the income type (I just highlight the box and fill it with the designated color) (I’m a visual person so seeing the colors that correspond with the different types of income helps me understand where most of my earnings come from). Further over on my income </span>page<span style="font-family: inherit;">, I have a ‘Monthly Totals’ tracker, too. For </span>this<span style="font-family: inherit;">, I just have all of my income categories (babysitting & work) and then the month and at the end of each </span>month<span style="font-family: inherit;">, I go in and total up my earnings and place the totals in the respective category. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">My expenses page is pretty similar; I have five columns: expense (where the money was spent), the date it was spent, the amount that way spent, whether or not it is a reoccurring expense (subscriptions that occur each month, etc.), and the </span>color-coded<span style="font-family: inherit;"> expense type. I track all of my expenses and the categories I use are food & dining, coffee shops (yep, this needed </span>its<span style="font-family: inherit;"> own category), entertainment, clothing, gas, subscriptions, & transportation. As with my income page, I track each expense categories monthly totals too which helps me see where my money is being spent and helps me revise my budget each month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>CREATE A MONTHLY BUDGET</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">This is something I started doing recently and I've already started to notice a difference in my spending habits. My bank app has a feature that allows me to set budgets for different expense categories and when I start to get close to my budget limit, I receive a text notifying me how much I've spent and how close I add to my limit. I also get a text when I hit that budget limit, too. If your bank doesn't offer this type of service, there are tons of apps on the market that help monitor your spending habits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>CHECK YOUR BANK STATEMENTS & </b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">REVIEW YOUR PAYCHECKS</b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">A quick and easy thing to get in the habit of doing is reviewing your monthly bank statements to make sure all the charges are correct and accurate as well as reviewing your paychecks. Each payday, I make sure to double check my time sheet to ensure that I was compensated for the correct amount of hours worked so in the event that my hours are off, I am aware of the issue and can make the necessary calls to fix the error.</span><br />
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<h2>
H O M E O R G A N I Z A T I O N </h2>
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<b>PURGE YOUR CLOSET</b></div>
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Go through your closet and take out anything that you haven't worn within the last year. Once you've collected a handful of pieces that you no longer wear, decide whether or not to toss them, donate them, or if they're in really good condition, you can take your chances at selling them to a secondhand store and making a little extra cash (I did this a couple of months ago and ended up making over $130 because I had so much that I just didn't wear anymore!)</div>
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<b>MAKE YOUR BED EVERYDAY</b></div>
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It takes 3 minutes MAX and is such an easy task to check off your to-do list. Plus, you won't be tempted to crawl back into bed later in the day! I always feel so much more organized when I walk into my room during the day and see my bed all made up. It makes my room look so much cleaner and organized and is such an easy thing to get in the habit of doing as soon as you wake up every morning. </div>
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<b>CLEAN OUT YOUR PURSE</b></div>
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Get rid of all of those old receipts and iced coffee straw wrappers. Put that loose change back into your wallet and find that chapstick that you just haven't been able to find for days. I bet you'd be surprised at the amount of junk that accumulates in our purses, take a couple of minutes once a week to organize your bag. </div>
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H E A L T H & B E A U T Y</h2>
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<b>CLEAN YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES</b></div>
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This is something I need to continue to get better about doing every week but cleaning your makeup brushes should be something that is done every single week. Believe it or not, the amount of makeup, bacteria and other nasty things that can build up in our brushes over the course of a single week is enough to cause unwanted breakouts that none of us want to deal with. </div>
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If you don't want to go out and buy makeup brush cleaning solution like myself (because I'm #broke) you can just put a small amount of baby shampoo into some warm water and let your brushes soak for several minutes. After I let my brushes soak, I brush them over my hand several times to get any additional build-up out before I lay them on a towel to dry overnight. </div>
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<b>PURGE YOUR MAKEUP & NAIL POLISH</b></div>
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Just look the food in our fridges and pantries, our makeup does not last forever either. Take a look through your makeup bag and toss any products that have exceeded their lifespan:</div>
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Mascara: 2-3 months</div>
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Eyeshadow: 1-2 years</div>
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Pencil Eyeliner: Up to 2 years</div>
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Liquid Eyeliner: 2-3 months</div>
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Foundation: 6 months-1 year</div>
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Concealer: 1 year</div>
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Powder Blush: 2 years</div>
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Cream Blush: 1 year</div>
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Lipstick: 1 year</div>
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Nail Polish: Up to 2 years</div>
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D I G I T A L</h2>
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<b>UPDATE YOUR ELECTRONICS</b></div>
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Bite the bullet and do all of those updates that you keep pressing "remind me tomorrow" for. Not only will it get rid of that annoying reminder every day but it will also make sure your device is operating at its best performance, something we want to ensure that our electronics last as long as possible. </div>
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<b>DECLUTTER & ORGANIZE FILES AND PHOTOS</b></div>
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Organize your files and photos into labeled folders to clean up your desktop and make finding things a breeze! I have a folder for every event that I have photos from which helps me locate photos quickly which is extremely helpful when working on blog posts. For files</div>
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<b>UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EMAILS</b></div>
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I bet there are at least a dozen emails that you're subscribed to that you never even read. Do yourself a favor and scroll to the bottom of the next email from that subscription and hit 'UNSUBSCRIBE' to take a step towards inbox zero. </div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-32706823948826013732019-06-24T02:00:00.000-04:002019-06-29T22:22:03.603-04:00Social Media - Numbers Don't Define YouYesterday morning I sat down in church and eagerly awaited for the service to begin, excited to hear the message that the guest pastor would be delivering. The topic of yesterday's service: addictions.<br />
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I'm sure most of you, like myself, immediately thought of addictions such as alcohol or drugs, and Pastor Kyle also acknowledged this. He also explained that addictions may not be visible to us at first and we may be oblivious to one that most people are affected by: social media.<br />
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As a social media influencer and blogger, a lot of my work (correction: most of my work) for Northern Prepster involves social media platforms. In the world of blogging and influencers, we base a lot of what we do off of our social media analytics, we gauge what our audience likes to see by the number of likes and comments we receive.<br />
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While sitting in church yesterday morning I found myself wondering how many times I check to see how many new followers or likes I've gained each day. I'm glad I don't know this number because odds are, I would probably be disgusted by it.<br />
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Yesterday's service was a wake-up call for myself. It made me realize just how much of a role social media plays in my life and that something needs to change. </div>
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My Achilles heel is that I'm constantly seeking validation from others, and unfortunately an easy way for me to get that validation is via social media. For a while, I associated the number of likes I got to my worth on social media, which I've now realized couldn't be further from the truth. Likes on our photos provide us with that instant gratification and validation that we crave, but what we fail to realize at the moment is that in a couple of days, the gratification from those likes will be gone and we will be right back where we began.<br />
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In a world where likes and comments have such great power, it is easy to get discouraged when a post doesn't perform well. My engagement has dropped significantly over the last several weeks and it left me wondering what I was doing wrong. It took me a while to realize that I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was posting for me and that was enough. I wasn't posting everday, because I didn't have something to share everyday. I was posting photos that I loved, on my own time, not on the times that my analytics told me were best to post. I was posting for me. </div>
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I'm embarrassed to admit that there have been countless times where I've omitted to post something because I didn't think my followers would like it or because it didn't go with my theme. Something is not right about that. If people are following me in the first place, that means that they like the content that I produce and share, so why should I be questioning whether or not they'll like it? We need to stop worrying about what others will think and do things because we like them and because we want to.<br />
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Does that photo make you happy? Do you have a funny story to share with it? Do <i>you </i>like it? Then post it. Don't worry about what anyone else will think. We need to realize that the little number next to that red heart doesn't really mean anything. It doesn't make you a better or worse person, it doesn't mean you have more or fewer friends, and it doesn't define your worth.<br />
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Who's really counting? How many times have you scrolled through your feed and looked at the number of likes someone else's photo has? Odds are you don't do this often (or maybe you do, just subconsciously?) No one is counting... or at least they shouldn't be, so why should you?<br />
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Ask yourself this: does a picture become better based on the number of likes it receives? Should the number of hearts underneath a photo change the way you feel about it?<br />
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I think we should all stop counting. Let's ignore that number beneath our photos. Here's an idea: post a photo and turn off your notifications. See if it changes the way you feel about the photo. It shouldn't.<br />
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You are not defined by a number. </div>
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Not by your ACT or SAT score and not by your GPA. Not by the number of likes your latest Instagram photo or tweet has or by the number of followers you have. Nor by the number of figures in your salary or the number on the scale. You can not quantify your worth and value. </div>
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You and only you have the power to decide how the world sees you. <b style="text-align: center;"><i>Choose to define yourself by what you like, not by what you think the world will like. </i></b><br />
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If you're like me and believe that numbers do not define us, I encourage you to share a photo that you love and use the hashtag <i style="font-weight: bold;">#</i><i style="font-weight: bold;">NumbersDon'tDefine. </i>Don't think about anyone else's opinions on the photo, whether or not it matches your theme, or if the exposure is too high, if it makes you happy, I want you to share it. Together, let's remind others that our worth and value is not quantifiable.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
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Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-59463368801068297142019-05-20T02:00:00.000-04:002019-06-29T14:33:29.875-04:00Summer Skin Care Routine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnzNpBzUlpzNQ8ARzBvhQeGLTuEQnnQFhc0DDY3Sia8mVdI2AONj04Z3jJEsC23NMMxUsXT5rTSqefMuQmi-_66aJ9T3XuMgloiTAafhIRqQZhyphenhypheng3YwfdpbnNud9VRRi51upe6zs7jLbd/s1600/the+home+makers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnzNpBzUlpzNQ8ARzBvhQeGLTuEQnnQFhc0DDY3Sia8mVdI2AONj04Z3jJEsC23NMMxUsXT5rTSqefMuQmi-_66aJ9T3XuMgloiTAafhIRqQZhyphenhypheng3YwfdpbnNud9VRRi51upe6zs7jLbd/s640/the+home+makers.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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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. </div>
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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).</div>
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<b>FACE WASH</b><br />
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I used this face wash back in middle school, strayed away from it during my high school years, and now I'm back to using it & I'm loving the results I'm seeing! I use a small pump of this each morning and night, massage it onto my face until it forms a lather, and then rinse and pat my face dry with a clean towel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl957EshuTH9peHzXCVvk4JMm_m9ry3EnmlYpf7uWXG3EgKMqliMLQrpTetXNab-FhnxpjNLaw8snDVvDI2v7xDM5cbifzJ7rdEziwUORCFKOCdtMZy-ISh5l-sZ8nbt2-71u0tAQnQoyA/s1600/DSC_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl957EshuTH9peHzXCVvk4JMm_m9ry3EnmlYpf7uWXG3EgKMqliMLQrpTetXNab-FhnxpjNLaw8snDVvDI2v7xDM5cbifzJ7rdEziwUORCFKOCdtMZy-ISh5l-sZ8nbt2-71u0tAQnQoyA/s640/DSC_0384.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>MOISTURIZER</b><br />
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My dermatologist recommended this moisturizer to me because my skin dries out quickly, especially in the summer from being exposed to sunlight most of the day. The best part about this moisturizer is that it doesn't leave my skin looking oily and it's super light and doesn't feel heavy on my skin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgAQiMmQF6GZQRHIXTm1XYdnodLsjoigMi_Hl47px1DV39fzAgJSapdp3R15iWG8s5jhXH3TmlEVM89v5dBTFPloh-pFy5cSGuj8zFPQNmtoYiBix7pSunlrWdm4grGhzPRT5x8hGExKm/s1600/DSC_0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgAQiMmQF6GZQRHIXTm1XYdnodLsjoigMi_Hl47px1DV39fzAgJSapdp3R15iWG8s5jhXH3TmlEVM89v5dBTFPloh-pFy5cSGuj8zFPQNmtoYiBix7pSunlrWdm4grGhzPRT5x8hGExKm/s640/DSC_0385.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>FACIAL SPRAY</b><br />
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I use this facial spray as soon as I get out of the shower. Not only does it smell good but it also cools my skin down, which is super nice after I get out of a warm & steam filled shower.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdTnsYlkrwssJh5A2FmF8mwvivYxGIm4WsVEhjXNVVTNF0ulli6lJR-X0nzYbGQ9IvcnLiMt6i3S3azsMsEqQEd8eIjDlBqg9GnOmFzs0rf5e5wFXETu-pSBcwF0N8Dd2sg41YVZDb3A4/s1600/DSC_0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdTnsYlkrwssJh5A2FmF8mwvivYxGIm4WsVEhjXNVVTNF0ulli6lJR-X0nzYbGQ9IvcnLiMt6i3S3azsMsEqQEd8eIjDlBqg9GnOmFzs0rf5e5wFXETu-pSBcwF0N8Dd2sg41YVZDb3A4/s640/DSC_0383.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_iS-tJpDa5Y7dHhq4Ss2fLXLMk5Om3xvfv9ER_S6aJKCqNAhhzfGIZpI-gMz5zabmzdYbu3kgxLW34tG7huan2_z87kimzovjE5kVapvQ6gnBnCvmHG6e7UQd8viu3OmieKN2xwfv5hm/s1600/DSC_0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_iS-tJpDa5Y7dHhq4Ss2fLXLMk5Om3xvfv9ER_S6aJKCqNAhhzfGIZpI-gMz5zabmzdYbu3kgxLW34tG7huan2_z87kimzovjE5kVapvQ6gnBnCvmHG6e7UQd8viu3OmieKN2xwfv5hm/s640/DSC_0381.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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xoxo,<br />
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929455424089669757.post-74331293759257846422019-05-17T02:00:00.000-04:002019-06-29T14:33:47.885-04:00Instagram in 2019 is Confusing, Here's my Best Tips & Tricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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 <a href="http://northern-prepster.blogspot.com/2017/01/tips-for-growing-your-instagram-account.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read the post!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81QTjQYiYupk_NVzcx-gZMFcFboPnNWNNfceCoox_HVGvPV3jptAJtqSblQHOUyTCVnJcojS5Rlg1BtL1FQ4QiRbmfIl0hBq9igZLlRur3TPeCev9oKY_z1O9ARfGf4EucR0euNGwlLOV/s1600/the+home+makers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81QTjQYiYupk_NVzcx-gZMFcFboPnNWNNfceCoox_HVGvPV3jptAJtqSblQHOUyTCVnJcojS5Rlg1BtL1FQ4QiRbmfIl0hBq9igZLlRur3TPeCev9oKY_z1O9ARfGf4EucR0euNGwlLOV/s640/the+home+makers.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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It's no secret that Instagram has changed <i>a lot </i>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.<br />
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I am far from figuring out how to work the current Instagram algorithm (if anyone has, kudos to you) but I have found ways to keep my engagement up and make the most of my account. I've compiled a list of 11 of my best tips & tricks to get the most out of your Instagram account.<br />
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<b>CONSISTENCY</b><br />
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This should be a given but if you want to grow on Instagram, you have to work towards consistently be putting out new content. These last few months I struggled to put new content out regularly because I was so busy with school and I saw a HUGE drop in my engagement. Now that I'm home for the summer and posting more often, I'm seeing my engagement climb back to where it used to be when I posted every day. I aim to post <i>at least</i> one photo per day and try to share at least 2-3 things on my story and have found that this seems to be the perfect amount of exposure each day for me.<br />
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<b>ASK QUESTIONS</b><br />
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Whenever a post I'm sharing has an applicable question that I can ask my followers, I ALWAYS ask them! This encourages them to engage with the post and it shows that you're interested in what they have to say. Especially with stories, simply posting that little question box and having people submit questions is a great way to interact with your audience. I started doing Monday Night Nine a couple of months ago and I've noticed a higher follower retention rate since I started engaging and answering questions, that they asked, consistently every week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1ke1aW1giEFi9yL3LiFRwItYv41U4qibyrCMaky_tq5jOf8SOkSrYpNDhx-omzP-Y3Vs7-LLVAKuWMDGW7Uq-GTgSEdS6TgYkqncX3iWRSa05JfDKr05CVB7rTcZePxR7IYCMR3_rK4Z/s1600/IMG_0822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="749" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1ke1aW1giEFi9yL3LiFRwItYv41U4qibyrCMaky_tq5jOf8SOkSrYpNDhx-omzP-Y3Vs7-LLVAKuWMDGW7Uq-GTgSEdS6TgYkqncX3iWRSa05JfDKr05CVB7rTcZePxR7IYCMR3_rK4Z/s640/IMG_0822.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
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<b>INTERACTING WITH YOUR FOLLOWERS & THOSE YOU FOLLOW</b><br />
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Instagram is a <i>social </i>media platform. The media part is easy, just share your favorite photos. Now the social aspect of it, this is the part that requires a little bit of time and effort. I spend 15 minutes every morning going through my feed and liking and commenting on posts. I'm picky about my comments though, I don't leave a comment just to leave a comment, I leave a comment when I have something genuine to say.<br />
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I've found that comments that are more personalized and are obvious that you really mean what you're typing, get more interaction and can oftentimes lead to them reciprocating the engagement. The same goes for replying to comments, the more personal the reply, the more likely they are to stick around because it shows that you actually took a minute to read their comment and think of a thoughtful response. I do my best to reply to every comment I get because I want people to make sure that I see the effort they're putting in and that I appreciate their support.<br />
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<b>POST MULTIPLE PHOTOS</b><br />
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This is something that I just recently discovered myself. When you post multiple photos that allow people to swipe through them, Instagram will show the first photo on people's feeds first, and then the second time around, Instagram will show the second photo. By posting multiple photos, you're getting essentially double the exposure, on the same post!<br />
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<b>BE AUTHENTIC</b><br />
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This should go without saying but if you want to attract an audience that is genuinely interested in what you share, you need to be true to yourself. I've found that my posts that perform the best are the ones where I ramble on about my day and the picture is more of a candid photo (a real candid, not the staged candids that we're all probably guilty of taking, myself included) that showcases my personality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yoeFr1fIHwtZCBz_Tb23h9CtKoWIcXd9yTcaRR4OJdCMAtygfHWenxkGKaNmZlhxYqzbyEyT348EJ5H3Rq9VBFXPa6vf5W72AKIgnp25MlWA7sRdsYoUcsA9rphVoRXEYgZl3Py5bnsv/s1600/5FA64D0B-AE97-47FF-9236-FBCB4C659415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yoeFr1fIHwtZCBz_Tb23h9CtKoWIcXd9yTcaRR4OJdCMAtygfHWenxkGKaNmZlhxYqzbyEyT348EJ5H3Rq9VBFXPa6vf5W72AKIgnp25MlWA7sRdsYoUcsA9rphVoRXEYgZl3Py5bnsv/s640/5FA64D0B-AE97-47FF-9236-FBCB4C659415.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>TAG BRANDS</b><br />
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If you're posting a photo and can tag the brand or company of the shirt or shoes you're wearing, tag them! This increases your chance that they'll see your post, engage with it, and potentially share it on their page. I'm a blogger, I know that LikeToKnowIt is big nowadays and I'm not saying don't use this, I'm just saying that maybe in addition to tagging LikeToKnowIt, tag those brands, too.<br />
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<b>USE YOUR ANALYTICS TO FIND THE BEST TIME TO POST</b><br />
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If your account is set up as a business account, you have the ability to see a bunch of analytics about your account. I use my analytics because it helps me gauge the best time to post each day. For maximum engagement, you want to post when the majority of your followers are scrolling through their feeds, this tool is a great way to pinpoint your best posting times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwH_AtJeKuubHVKW0XoxX0kr_cE114OpPngALgYkaaJQ9iO3pcMQnKLZTEL3-EWnoEA2vvidzypLRbQcs22t29Zh-cmn6YkU6H4yeW7yjAdh8KaFJVA97FQL6RwfiTMLLe1lpYChL2-Po/s1600/IMG_0823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwH_AtJeKuubHVKW0XoxX0kr_cE114OpPngALgYkaaJQ9iO3pcMQnKLZTEL3-EWnoEA2vvidzypLRbQcs22t29Zh-cmn6YkU6H4yeW7yjAdh8KaFJVA97FQL6RwfiTMLLe1lpYChL2-Po/s640/IMG_0823.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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<b>ENGAGE BEFORE & AFTER POSTING</b><br />
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I always make sure to go through my feed and engage with a lot of my followers and those I'm following prior to posting a photo, as well as after I post. This is an easy way to show that you're online and when people check to read the comment you left on their post, they're more likely to notice your new post, too.<br />
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<b>SHARE YOUR NEW POST ON YOUR STORY</b><br />
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Thanks to Instagram's <span style="background-color: white;">confusing</span> algorithm, your post may not show up on the feeds of all of your followers. Every time I post a new photo, I make sure to share it on my story and put a "tap here" gif on top of the photo so in case my photo didn't show up in their feed but they did view my story, all they have to do is tap on the photo and it will take them directly to my post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXiZ4mMCTsm1Bm6R1QiEeSvZOO6wGmm7gAvYc-hJ1RETg6JyGIUtJfa6TC1zuGgNH7oM3FcXyrOLBjPUWDnVgi9EsBZiV1GUI0jZBJgMfADFLajx6r9WLNWlj4U0FC1szx6YsaTZtOPZX/s1600/IMG_0829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXiZ4mMCTsm1Bm6R1QiEeSvZOO6wGmm7gAvYc-hJ1RETg6JyGIUtJfa6TC1zuGgNH7oM3FcXyrOLBjPUWDnVgi9EsBZiV1GUI0jZBJgMfADFLajx6r9WLNWlj4U0FC1szx6YsaTZtOPZX/s640/IMG_0829.jpg" width="406" /></a></div>
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<b>COHESIVE EDITING</b><br />
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The way you edit your photos is kind of like the branding of your page. You want your followers to be able to recognize one of your photos when they see it so having a cohesive theme is an easy way to do this. I also know that I'm more likely to follow an account if their page looks put together and I can tell they spend time thinking about the overall look of their page. It's also kind of fun to play around with editing and figure out what you like!<br />
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<b>YOUR BIO</b><br />
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Your bio is the first thing people look at when they click on your profile. If you're an influencer, blogger, or business, I highly recommended having your e-mail in your bio. A decent bit of the companies I've partnered with have found me via Instagram and because I have my email in my bio, they can quickly figure out how to contact me. Your bio is also your place to quickly tell people who you are & what your page is all about, spend some time thinking about what you want people to know about your page, that fits into 150 characters or less.<br />
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xoxo,</div>
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Ri</div>
Riley Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10634842705327242423noreply@blogger.com