Jamie Schneider

The Confident Girl’s Ultimate Last Minute Shopping Guide

December 23, 2016 by Jamie Schneider Leave a Comment

Whether you are lying on the beach in beautiful, tropical weather or still struggling with your last few finals, you have to admit that the holidays seem to be on everyone’s mind. Being crazy busy in college, it’s especially hard to find good holiday gifts that friends will actually like and use for more than a day. Additionally, being in college makes it even harder to find personalized, thoughtful gifts that also don’t break the bank. However, gifts don’t necessarily have to be expensive in order to show your college friends you care. Here, I’ve listed five easy gift ideas you can bring back to school after break for five different types of friends:

1. The Techy

This gift is for the friend that is always up to date on the latest technology, whether it is the new smart watch or a new social media app. To impress this techy friend, get her this charging case from Apple; she (and her battery) will definitely be grateful for the extra charge during the day. For a less expensive gift, buy her stick-on patches from brands like Hipstapatch or Society Stitched so she can personalize her technology during the holidays.

2. The Coffee Addict

Got a friend who won’t even speak before she’s had at least 2 cups? Get her this clever mug, and maybe she’ll start to be a morning person during the holidays! Feel free to also add some Keurig cups of her favorite coffee brand to let her know that you’ve put some thought into her personal caffeine habits.

3. The Work(out)aholic

This gift is for the friend that’s always ready to try a new workout class or take a run outside. She’s active, always on the move, and she probably needs a water bottle with her 24/7. Make sure she doesn’t get dehydrated by giving her a S’well water bottle. They get more expensive with size, so pick a pattern that matches her style, and she’ll be grateful every time she takes a sip.

4. The Music Junkie

Whether it’s on the way to class, studying in the library, or just hanging out at home, the Music Junkie will always have headphones in her ears. Why not make her entire holiday season by buying a new pair for her to use? For the friend that loves to play her music out loud and on repeat, buy her this portable Bluetooth shower speaker so she never has to part with her playlist.

5. The Sweet Tooth

This gift is for the friend who’s always craving something sweet. Instead of stocking up on candy from convenience stores, buy her these customizable candy gifts from Sugarfina. As a college student, there’s just something about getting gifts in the mail that is so exciting, and Sugarfina can be sent right to your door. With sweets that look just as good as they taste, this gift will have your Sweet Tooth friend ordering more candies online even after the holidays.

These gift ideas and personality types are very general, so feel free to tweak the ideas or find other gift options. I hope these ideas help you look for more easy, personalized gifts this year, and I hope that everyone has a happy holiday!

The SFTL Guide To Resolution Making – How To Make A Realistic Resolution For 2016 by Jamie Schneider

December 31, 2015 by Jamie Schneider Leave a Comment

The approach of New Year’s always has me thinking, “How can I make this year different?” Some people have the willpower to stick to their goal and follow it exactly how they planned (and if you’re one of those people, I’m extremely jealous and need you to teach me your ways). But if you’re like me, you make New Year’s resolutions way too general, which can be confusing and give you excuses not to follow them. So, if you’re serious about wanting to make a change this 2016, it might be better to start small and specific. Here I have given you some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions with more specific ways to make sure your resolutions actually happen.

“I will get organized.”

This resolution is popular for the classic college girl who needs a little more help balancing schoolwork with social events. However, just saying “get organized” can get a little confusing. Do you mean organized with school work? Your closet? Your life? It’s all too general, and because you don’t have a specific task, the resolution can get lost in the whirlwind of college life. Change “get organized” to something more specific like “I will use a calendar” if you’re worried about staying on top of school work, or “I will clean my closet every Sunday” if you need a little boost to sort out your clothes and shoes.

“I will be healthy.”

This is also a popular resolution, not only for college girls but for the general public as well. But what does “being healthy” actually mean? It’s such a broad term that it can mean anything from more exercise to eating less junk food to getting more sleep. Focusing on one aspect of health that you specifically need to work on will give you a more narrowed goal with better results. Try “I will exercise three times a week” or “I will snack on nuts instead of potato chips” or “I will go to bed early on Sundays” instead to get your health back up to speed.

“I will be nicer”

This resolution has great intentions, but is way too general. I believe that everyone wants to be a genuinely nice person, but constantly thinking about how to be nice every second of the day can get stressful. Instead of trying to change everything about yourself in order to be nicer, try to make a small, active change during your day. For example, “I will try to compliment a random person each day” gives you a direct goal that you can achieve so you don’t get stressed out in case you forgot to be nice one day. Complimenting strangers is great because it can usually make someone’s entire day (who doesn’t love getting random compliments?), and can even make your own day better when you see someone’s face light up with a smile from something you said.

“I will be less stressed”

How does a person be less stressed? There are many ways, and it depends on the person. This resolution doesn’t give you an actual task, which can stress you out more when you feel like you aren’t following it. Try taking baby steps toward the scary nightmare of stress by saying “I will take a break when I feel stressed.” This puts less pressure on you by saying that it’s okay to be stressed (in fact, some stress can actually be good for you), and when you get too stressed out it’s okay to take time off for yourself. This resolution can also relate to the organization one, and you can say “I will make a schedule of my day when I feel stressed” because organizing events can make people calmer when they actually see on paper what they have going on.

“I will save money”

This resolution is popular for the college girl who can’t seem to stop online shopping. However, saving money is a general resolution that can be difficult to follow because there is no active plan for saving the money. What are you supposed to save money on? Try saying “I will wait 24 hours to buy something I like” so that you can make sure you really need a fourth plaid scarf or a new blow dryer from Amazon.
<br /> You can also say “I will only eat off campus on the weekends” so that you can save your money during the week and can have more to spend on food on for special occasions (Friday, to me, is considered a special enough occasion).

Following all of these tips can help you make a more effective resolution this year, and if your resolution wasn’t mentioned, just remember to keep it specific. Also remember to celebrate the start of 2016 with lots of laughter, fireworks, balloons, and dancing!

Read More Of The SFTL Guide to Resolution Making:

What’s Wrong With Being Confident? Inspiring Resolutions by Carly Kahan

Resolving to Spend Smarter by Sydney Lieberman

Make 2016 Your Best Year Yet by Shelby Wildgust

The SFTL Guide To Fashion Resolutions by Hallie Salko

Resolutions for 2016 That Are Worth Sticking With by Kelly Sodano

Fitness Resolutions You Can Stick To by Ximena Iglesias

I Resolve Not To Resolve – Live It Don’t Diet by Kerry Silverman and Sydney Lieberman

Read More By Jamie:

A Texas Girl’s Guide To Winter

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A Texas Girl’s Guide To Winter – How To Keep Warm (With Some Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Cold Collegiate) by Jamie Schneider

November 25, 2015 by Jamie Schneider Leave a Comment

A Texas Girl’s Guide to Winter

As you probably know by the falling leaves, Starbucks holiday cups, and outbreak of puffy coats, winter is on its way, and it’s coming with a bang. As a girl born and raised in Texas and who has seen snow three times (two of those times the snow didn’t even stick to the ground, but it counts!), I’ve asked basically everyone for tips on how to stay warm during the brutal Michigan winters. I’ve gotten some great tips, and I’d like to share them with you. So here are some tips on how to stay warm during that walk to class that might seem like forever in the freezing wind, coming from a scared-but-prepared southern freshman.

Buy a good coat.

This is probably the first thing anyone tells me when I ask them about the winter. “Do you have a good coat?” they ask. I think, “What does that even mean?!” I looked up what makes a certain coat “good” and found that you should choose a coat that has a high percent of wool in the fabric. Coats with polyester won’t keep you warm when it snows, so choosing a wool or down coat is the way to go. Also make sure that the arms aren’t too skinny so that there’s room for layers!

Layer!!

As soon as you’ve bought a good coat that has room for layers, the next step is to bundle up. Stock up on long sleeves, vests, and sweaters and you’ll be a pro at the winter game. A hat is also a great way to keep your ears protected from the wind chill. Pompom optional.

You can be warm but still stylish like this girl.

Wear gloves, even if you think you won’t need them.

For me, the first thing that always gets cold is my hands. I always think that I’ll just stuff them in my pockets on my walk to class, but that is never the case. I’m either holding my coffee or texting a friend to save us the good seats in the lecture room. That being said, make sure your gloves have texting pads so you can check last minute emails or text a friend during your walk without getting icy fingers.

Drink something hot on your way to class.

Whether it’s tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, drinking something hot during your walk is the way to go. It warms your insides, and gives you a good excuse for that extra caffeine wake up before class. Set your alarm for a few minutes earlier to make that stop to Starbucks; it’s worth it.

It’s also just pretty to look at, which makes you happier in the mornings.

Use God’s gift to mankind, disposable hand warmers.

This is a personal trick of mine, but when I get really cold, I buy disposable hand warmers at Walgreens. You can put these guys literally anywhere: in your pockets, your gloves, even your shoes to give your toes a little extra warmth. Make sure to buy these in bulk, because they last for about ten to fifteen minutes, basically your average walk to class. You’ll probably use about four or five every morning this winter.

You’re now ready to rock this winter. Stay warm, and if this is your first winter like me, GOOD LUCK!

Meet Jamie

For More Articles Like This:

A Californian’s Guide to Campus Fashion by Rachel Becker, Johns Hopkins University

Glam Gift Guide by Hillary Macias
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