I start college in less than a week (eek!), but it literally seems like I just graduated from high school yesterday. Senior year was probably the best year of high school for me -- I barely stressed, I did so many fun things with friends, I did well academically, and I was genuinely happy.

The thing with senior year is it just doesn't automatically become the best year ever, unlike what HSM 3: Senior Year (yes, I am guilty of loving that movie) makes it seem like. You have to make your year the way you want it, and you have to focus on a little bit of everything.

d o  n o t  s a y  n o

One thing that I really focused on during senior year was not saying no to plans. I had the best friends and I realized that I would definitely miss them in college, so I wanted to make the most of the time I had left with them. I found a way to get around each excuse I was making with them so I could end up going out with them! Too much homework? Do it before you leave and after you get home, no matter how late you have to stay up. Too tired? Go to bed early the next night. Have to work? See if you can switch around your schedule with someone else. Don't say no to a simple opportunity because they'll end up adding up in the long run.

a t t e n d  e v e n t s
Any event that your school has that you're interested in, go! Sports games, dances, fundraisers, etc. are the best things to attend. I attended some hockey games and basketball games because our teams were really good and everyone went, so it made watching the game fun! And I went to every football game because Tyler was on the team. Homecoming and prom are crucial too -- who doesn't love the chance to buy a gorgeous dress?! Attend whatever you would like and bring your friends, too -- you'll be surprised at how much fun you end up having.

s h o w  s c h o o l  s p i r i t
I didn't really show school spirit until senior year and it made me realize how much I missed out on. My high school was really big into celebrating Halloween; every year it's a huge tradition to come to school on Halloween dressed up in a costume, and the best costumes get noticed! Some of my friends and I decided to dress up as tourists this past year and it was awesome. We went the whole nine yards with old Polaroid cameras, Hawaiian shirts, fanny packs, socks and salads, etc. and we ended up winning as one of the best costumes! Attend in spirit week and go all out. It'll be even more fun if you get your friends to go crazy, too!

d o  n o t  s t r e s s
My senior year was definitely my less stressful year of high school, which is weird because it's supposed to be the most stressful due to the endless amount of college stuff and making sure your grades stay good. I didn't worry about my grades that much, and it made my year so much better. My grades weren't perfect and my grades weren't bad -- they were just good. But I was okay with them not being perfect because I still graduated as eighth in the class -- something that was a huge accomplishment for me! Accept things for how they are and don't sweat the small stuff.

d o  n o t  p r o c r a s t i n a t e
Don't procrastinate on anything related to college. Write your college essay as soon as you decide on a prompt, apply to schools during any free time, and fill out any scholarships/financial aid forms as soon as you find out about them. You may seem like you have a while before any of those are due, so you'll put them off. But then you'll get so caught up in senior year that deadlines will come and you'll realize you didn't get anything done -- and then the stress will come. Get everything done as soon as you can and then you'll be able to enjoy your time later!

What advice would you have for high school seniors?

Written by Ashley from Lilly & Lemons

I can't tell you how many times we have unplanned guests over to visit. it's not like they stop by uninvited... no, we invite people over casually or last minute or in lieu of going to a bar, and next thing you know - company's coming over in five minutes. along with quickly scrambling to tidy up the apartment, it's also nice to provide some type of food and drink for guests.

as you know, I always have my wine fridge stocked at all times so no fretting there. however, the food situation can be a bit trickier if unplanned. welcoming guests with little to no pre-planning while making them feel as though you actually made an effort means big things [mainly, proof that you are an adult] in my hostess with the mostess book. 

here are three snack options that you can buy all ingredients ahead of time and leave in your fridge or pantry until you're in a pinch. simply scoop out the dips into nice bowls and arrange the chips in a platter, and voila! you are an impromptu hostess with the mostess.

from left

alouette dip and stacy's pita chips

cheese, sausage, crackers (add nuts and honey and you have a charcuterie board)

pimento cheese and pretzels

every time I went over to my best friend's house in high school, her mom would bring out a bowl of alouette. it's definitely nostalgic for me. I've tried other imitation brands since alouette can be a bit pricy [not really, but in comparison] - they are not the same. take it from me and buy the alouette.

depending upon how obsessed you are with cheese, you probably already have a few cheeses in your cheese drawer [this is normal, right?]. slice 'em up along with some sausage and throw some crackers out - bonus points if you have nuts and/or honey. all the sudden, you have a bonafide charcuterie board on the fly.

as for pimento cheese, if you haven't tried it - don't. your waistline will thank me. there was once a time I thought I didn't care for pimento cheese and I realized it just hadn't tried it... now I can never go back. one word: addicting. southern and delicious. palmetto is THE only kind of pimento cheese to buy, by the way.

...so what are you waiting for, y'all come on over!

Written by Lauren from laurensparkle 

One of the best parts of going back to school in my opinion has always been new school supplies! When I was younger and had a list of items to purchase I would spend so long picking out my items so that they looked just right and were the way I liked them. Well, not much has changed aside from the fact that in college there are no supply lists and instead you get to choose the items entirely on your own. Good thing I can drive because I don't think any of my family members would want to come with me list-less to shop for school supplies since they know that could take forever. 

Over the years I've discovered which school supplies I like most and tend to gravitate towards the same products year after year! I thought it could be fun to share these favorites with you!

Agenda // Notebook // Backpack // Le Pens // Sharpie Highlighters // Notecards // Folder // Bic Atlantis Pens

For me, I like to ditch the binders and instead stick to a folder and notebook combination. A matching color scheme makes these easy to spot and the duo helps to ensure that you don't just shove your handouts into your notebook with no rhyme or reason. Colorful pens pair perfectly with your agenda and if you couldn't tell, I love color coordinating! I'll be sharing my agenda organization but basically I choose a color pen for a class and stick with that all semester long and Le Pens are my go to and have been for years! Highlighters and black pens are a no brainer for me as are index cards for test studying and memorizing! Lastly, how cute is this backpack!? I have a post all about it tomorrow and can't get over how pretty and functional it is!

Written by Dorothy from Prep In Your Step

 Definitely check out Day Designer's awesome selections for the next year - there are so many pretty ones to choose from and I wish I could use more than one! 

Which agenda are you using this year? Comment below!

xoxo

I love summer, but I am getting so ready for fall. I am so “basic” in the sense that pumpkin is my obsession and I would wear huge sweaters with leggings and boots all year if I could. Not to mention FOOTBALL is coming! I can’t wait to share pumpkin and apple recipes as well as tailgating ideas with y’all! BUT with fall comes back to school and with school starting back, we all need some help getting back into a routine. These high-protein, low-carb On-The-Go Mini Breakfast Casseroles are the perfect thing to help you out! 

I make these ALL the time and there are a ton of variations you can use to switch them up, but I’m sharing our favorite version with you today – bacon, egg, & cheese! 

They only take about 20 minutes to whip up and with that you have breakfast ready for the rest of the week! Just pop one  in the microwave in the morning and you are all set! These are also freezer-friendly so you can make a bunch of them ahead and heat them directly from the freezer to the microwave.

What could be better?! 

I know you will love these – especially when you get your kids to school on time the first day because of them! ;) 

 

Are you ready to go back to school!? I am going to miss summer but I love being in more of a routine! :)

Here’s the recipe: