Hello, hello everyone,

I've taken a hard look at my blog this past month and want to try something new. I have been setting goals left and right for the socials associated with this account, but I've come to realize how few goals I've had for my actual blog. How crazy is that? 

This month, I want to set a goal for myself and for this blog that is going to be more than the two posts you see from me a week. This month I want to push myself into creating much more great content much more frequently than my usual Tuesday - Thursday schedule and extend it to Monday through Friday.

Wait, five whole days of posts? Aislinn are you insane?

Insane? No. A little bit curious? Yes.  

My reasoning for having this goal is simple: I want to see how far I can push myself and what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. I know that when I am determined that I can get anything done, so why limit this feeling to just my socials? Why not extend it to this blog? I want to apply what I've learned for this next month and see what magic I can make! I hope you will all join me in supporting this goal.

Who's excited? I know I am!

Look forward to the first week, which will be featuring posts on how to live a better, healthier life. 

Hey everyone,

Without realizing it, and unintentionally so, I have been talking for so long about my plants and have yet to make a post about them! Considering the time I waited to start this hobby, you would think that I would have been writing about them for much longer than I have. 

My love for small house plants begins far earlier than the recent trend that you'll see all across social media today. For years I had wanted to try raising a bonsai, and it wasn't until my 16th birthday I had finally been given a card with the promise, "Good for one free tree" written on the inside. That was five years ago, and since then I have grown a fond love for the art of bonsai. 

My first is a jade bonsai tree, an adorable little tree that I, quite literally, raised from the dead. My other three are tiny succulents that I purchased for more of the aesthetic than the actual process. Personally, these plants are harder to take care of than my jade tree, how strange is that? 

When it comes to plants I've seen that there is no in-between-- you either have dozens scattered across your home or one to two sitting in a windowsill. I believe there is a misconception about these plants and the difficulties that come raising them, and I wanted to shed some light on what raising plants have taught me. 

Above all, my bonsai tree has taught me how to be patient. Trees, even little bonsai ones, don't grow overnight, and tending to my bonsai required I be patient with the tree. When I first bought my tree and potted it, the shock from repotting caused the tree to begin to die. Out of nowhere my plant was weak and losing a handful of leaves in a day. This was something that really worried me, and I had to be patient in that the tree would make a turnaround. After reviving the plant, another mishap struck: a pest infestation. I had never seen that trees could be infested with bugs, but it seemed that one day my tree, just as she had began to get better, started having little white bugs on the leaves and a weaker foliage. This time I had to be patient in treating the tree for the bugs, and I found myself at one point sitting in my bathtub scrubbing each leaf with a pest blend I had purchased. Can you begin to see the amount of time that goes into taking care of plants? 

As cute as plants are, something I didn't realize was who the caretaker would be when I went away to school. Without realizing it, I was leaving for school with no one around me knowing how to care for plants. For those who are lucky enough to bring their plants to school with them; congrats! Freshmen year me is envious of you. But for those of us who can't, make sure to explain to those around you the watering process and how often you should add supplements to your plants. My biggest fear would be that I would return home and no longer have these adorable little plants, but I made very clear instructions on how to care for them and was pleasantly surprised to come home and see that my plants had thrived while I was away. 

My advice for those wanting to raise plants is simple: do your research. Some plants are harder to care for than others, and if you aren't knowledgable of how to raise (or revive) a plant than chances are the process will be more tedious and less enjoyable for you. A jade tree is a fantastic starter tree for those interested in bonsai trees, and I would recommend going bonsai before going succulent, but that is my preference. 

Also, while I don't shame those who choose to buy their plants at home stores such as Lowes or Home Depot, try finding a garden store near you and taking a look at their plants. In my case, there is a garden center about 20 minutes from me and they often have classes on succulents; having this as a resource makes me all the more comfortable when buying my plants! 

Do you have any plants? Leave a comment telling me what you like, or don't, about your plants and the process behind raising them!

Hey everyone,
Where is the summer going? I can't believe its already July and soon will be August. As I look back on my two years I am reminded of where I was at two years ago: watching dozens of dorm hauls and trying to come up with the perfect list for my future room. Of course, going to school in Hawaii means that I can't buy anything beforehand, but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to open more time reflecting on what I want versus what I need.  To help you out I have decided to compile my top five most used items that I highly recommend anyone, no matter the school, look into purchasing! 

Item One: A Quality Throw Blanket
Skip the accent pillow and opt for the versatile throw instead. As cute as those accent pillows are, in reality having a quality throw blanket that can work in both your bed and out in the quad is much more worth the money. This doesn't mean you need to go out and buy a blanket that is the staple piece of your room, but be smart about how you invest in it. For me, I went and search the children's section at target and went with a nice, soft blue blanket that I used in my freshmen room and the living room in my apartment for our movie nights. Shopping in the children's section saved me money and also left me with more of what I was looking for, simple colors that are meant for comfort and not style.  Here is what my room looked like with the blanket. At first it was hard to get used to, given the humidity, but after a while I got used to it. 

The set up of my freshmen room

Not exactly in love with throws like mine? Try something a little more unique, like the falsa on amazon-- perfect for laying in the lawn and in bed!
Item Two: Paper Organizers So often did I watch videos where the creator talked all about her cute notebooks and pencils but never once mentioned anything about storage. How crazy is that? If you're going to invest into quality  materials than it's only fair you spend as much time trying to find an organizer for all of the papers that you'll be getting back, because you will be getting papers back.  I've had my eye on a few metal containers, but something I was gifted before I went off to school was a set of file folders. I've never used file folders before, but I quickly found that I could designate one folder per class and bam! just like that I had a place for all of my graded papers. Once I graduate I'm going to continue using a file folder, only I plan on upgrading to a metal structure. Here is an example of the ones I was given: 

Source: Erin Condren 2018 Collection

And here is what I hope to have post grad: 

Source: WorldMarket

Item Three: A Versatile Planner
Planners are a college essential, if you ask me. I use my planner to keep track of my classes, my meals, my workouts, my pay-days at work, and goals for my blog. I personally recommend the Happy 365 planner, but I've heard great things about Day Designer and Erin Condren, as well! 



Item Four: A Drying Rack
This item saved my butt on multiple occasions! A folding drying rack is perfect on those laundry days where you forget to load your card with enough for both a wash and dry. Mine was given to me by my friend Shannon and somehow I never got around to giving it back (rest assured I offered!). This is definitely a must that you won't think to buy but will wish you did at least once your first year. 


Item Five: An Over-the-Door Hanger Set


If you get anything out of this post, consider this to be your must-have. I cannot tell you how nice it was coming home and getting my shoes, sandals, and more off of the floor. Having an over-the-door rack for shoes can also double as an accessory holder for your hair dryer, curler, and more. You can even store some of your shower necessities in here, too! Trust me, the more space you can use on the door and wall, the more room you will have to walk around.

Happy shopping! Let me know what you recommend for your dorm that you forgot the first time around (or wish you had gotten!). 

Until next time,

If you follow me on instagram than you would have seen what I got up to this past week. In my latest endeavor I was fortunate enough to try eyelash extensions, and I am so glad to have done so!

I've never considered myself to be one of those girls who spends her money on things like permanent makeup, waxing services (besides eyebrow!), or even eyelashes. But I have to say, after my appointment I can definitely see why people pay for their lashes. 

The Appointment

The appointment itself was two hours long and consisted of me laying down in a "lash bed" with my eyes closed while the lash artist glued on the lashes. To prep the eyes they put on an under-eye mask which was full of good, healthy nutrients for the skin. As my lash artist said, "You're going to come out of this with new lashes and an eye lift!" and, needless to say, it was such a refreshing feeling having such a full mask on under my eyes. During the procedure on each real eyelash two fake ones will be glued on, and the "life span" of fake lashes is anywhere from two to four weeks. While it takes a long time I would do it again for the results. 

Post Appointment 

Once getting them done there are a number of things you have to be cautious about going forward. For starters, you cannot get your lashes wet for 24 hours. Due to the glue still taking to the real lash, its even advised to go as long as 48 hours before getting them wet. You cannot pick at the lashes, scratch at your eyes, and in some cases you can't even wear contacts (I was originally told this and at the studio I went to they informed me that with their glue that it's perfectly fine). 

Overall Thoughts

While I enjoyed the experience I can see why people are turned off by the process. For starters, fake lashes are not cheap. It's very hard to justify the price when the lashes aren't permanent and have the potential to fall off before the month is done. However, I can also see why women love this so much. For two hours you have a hype-man boosting your confidence and telling you how good you're going to look. It's a good feeling but, once again, for the price of a full set I can't justify paying for them myself. The only time I would really invest in this process would be for a wedding or special occasion. Other than that, I wouldn't go for just a weekend touch up. 

Have you ever gotten eyelash extensions? Let me know below if you have and, if not, whats holding you back! 

Hello everyone and happy Thursday!

As we approach the middle of July, I felt it fitting that I start up a new series on this blog where I cover all of the Back to School essentials and questions. I'm very excited to see where this series takes us, so let me break down how this is going to go. 

Every Thursday I am going to share a new subtopic within college preparation and the back to school season. Here is what that will look like:

July 19: Top Five (Lesser Known) Must Have Items for a Successful Dorm Room

July 26: Things You Think You Need (But Don't!) for College

August 2: How to Curate the Perfect Skincare Regime in College

August 9: Your First Dorm Room vs Your First Apartment 

I am so excited for this series and I hope you are, too! I am working with some amazing companies for this series that I hope inspire you and your future abode. 

As always, leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts! I would love to tailor this series to fit YOUR needs. 

Until next time,