My Word for 2020

I was debating this year if I should set goals for the year ahead or if I should come up with a word to serve as my word of the year. I've done both in the past and I honestly feel like we always have these grand plans at the start of the year but never really change anything! A year is a pretty long time and honestly sometimes I forget that I set goals for myself so I decided that maybe a word to serve as inspiration may be a better path to follow.

I decided on intentional for my word of the year and I really love it. The definition of intentional is "done on purpose; deliberate" and I think that in and of itself is a great goal to strive for. I want to make sure that I am being intentional in all aspects of my life: school, friends, family, blogging.

In school, I want to complete my assignments not so I don't fail or I can check it off of my list of to-dos but so I can learn from it. I'm now in the "professional" portion of my degree so most of my classes are focused on concepts that I will need to be a good teacher. I want to be intentional now so I can be best prepared for my future (oh that's scary to say!).

The past few weeks, I've really been aware of how quickly college has gone by and how much I really want to soak in the stage of life I'm in. Of course, I know that I have a lot of college left but I know it will go by quickly so being intentional with my friendships is oh so important to me. I want to be the type of friend who goes the extra mile, who takes care of her "people", and is present in friendships.

I think being intentional in friendships also applies to being intentional in my relationships with family. I am definitely a people person- I regain my energy from being around others but I think it's important to be choosy about how you spend your time and who you spend it with. As my siblings and I get older, it's natural for things to change and soaking in time with my family is so important.

And intentional really applies to blogging too. I think on Instagram + blogging it's so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be like every other influencer. I've had to take steps back and remind myself that I don't blog because I want it to be popular. That's not why I started Chic in Carolina. I was (and am) passionate about sharing what's going on in my life, outfits I like, and things like that. I want to be intentional in what I share because I read blogs because I find the blogger interesting and relatable not because they're a clone of everyone else so I need to remember that myself.

Do you have a word set for 2020? If so, what word did you choose? Let me know in the comments!

First Day of Class Tips

Happy FDOC from Clemson! Today marks the first day of second semester of junior year and is an exciting one for me since I won't be on campus but will be in an elementary school all morning. The first day of class is always exciting and can be a little bit nerve wracking so I wanted to share some tips to help you start the semester on a positive note!

wear what you feel comfortable in

At Clemson, campus is very casual meaning most people are in athletic wear 95% of the time. I did dress up the first few FDOCs of college but now I wear what I feel comfortable in, whether that is jeans and a cute sweater or leggings and a sweatshirt!

get to class early

People tend to get to class early on the first day so get to campus and class earlier than you think you need to! This will help you avoid the chaos of the parking lot (if you commute to campus) and then help you get a good seat in class! For a lot of my classes, the "unassigned assigned seats" are wherever you sit on the first day so you don't want to be stuck in a bad seat. Plus, it will help you avoid the stress of being late on the first day!

look for a friendly face

Now that I am a junior and all of my classes are in my (pretty small) major, I know everyone in my classes but back when I was taking gen ed classes, I would always try to see if I knew anyone in the class that I could sit with. When I didn't know anyone, I would try to find someone who looked friendly and introduce myself to them. It's nice to have someone in your class that you can ask for notes or if you have a question about an assignment plus it's a good way to meet new people!

organize your agenda

Odds are you have a bit more free time during syllabus week so use some of it to take all the information from your syllabus and put it into your calendar! I like to go through my agenda and assign each class a color, write down each time the class meets (in the hour section of my Day Designer), write down reminders about assignments, and write down due dates and other important dates. Doing this now helps you avoid missing assignments in the future and helps you start the semester on the right foot.

wake up earlier than you think you need to

I'd rather have more time to get ready in the morning so I always give myself a bit more time than I need that first week or so of classes. This helps me not rush to get there and then determine what time I actually need to get up to make it to class on time!

don't overpack!

Typically, the first day of class in college is going over the syllabus so you don't need to bring too much! I would recommend your agenda, a pen or pencil, your laptop, and maybe a notebook! An insider tip is to wait to take out your laptop as some professors don't allow them in the classroom so you don't want to start the semester on a bad note regarding technology.

eat breakfast

Be sure to eat breakfast before you head off to class! The start of the semester is a great time to start new habits so even if you don't eat breakfast now is a great time to start!

celebrate!

Be sure to celebrate the start of another semester whether it's a cookout run with a friend, going out to eat with your besties, or watching a movie after class! After winter break, you haven't seen your friends in a while so it's the perfect time to do something fun!

Hope you have a great start to the semester!

2019 Favorites

Can you believe it's almost been a week since the new year started? I have a few end of the year wrap-up posts to share with y'all, one of them being my 2019 Favorites! I always love seeing what products other bloggers loved over the course of a year and think it's so fun to share them with y'all (I also share my monthly favorites, which you can check out here!).

Lululemon Align Pant- These have been a favorite of mine for a few years now and they seriously are the best leggings ever! They are so soft and perfect for both working out and athleisure. I have a few pairs from the past couple of years and seriously wear them all the time!

AirPods- I received my AirPods as a gift before my trip to Italy in May and they're the best! While they are pricy, they are so convenient to use and I use them all the time!

Clemson Ring (image via)- I received my Clemson ring this fall and I don't think I'll ever stop talking about it! I had to send mine back as one of the numbers of my grad year came out and it needed to be resized but I am so eager to have it back on my finger!

Leather Tote- While I was in Florence, I purchased a very similar leather tote and I love it! It's so classic and such a closet staple as I use it all the time.

Alterna Caviar Shampoo & Conditioner- I had a free sample of this shampoo and conditioner and decided to invest in the full size. It smells amazing and makes your hair so soft! It is a bit pricy but Sephora sells both the shampoo and conditioner together, which brings the cost down a bit!

Blue Light Glasses- I'm on my laptop a lot for school and staring at a screen that long started to give me eye strain and a super fun eye twitch. I had heard good things about blue light glasses and decided to buy a pair from J. Crew Factory. It makes using my computer so much more pleasant and they were pretty inexpensive too!

Apple Watch- I received an Apple Watch for Christmas last year and I love it! I have a review of it scheduled in a few weeks so be sure to check back in :)

Trader Joe's (image via)- This is my first year having a kitchen and I absolutely love not being on a meal plan from school anymore! I tend to keep things pretty basic when it comes to cooking but Trader Joe's is a lifesaver for essential items plus frozen items! Our nearest one is 45 minutes away but I try to get over there a few times a semester to stock up!

St. Tropez Self-tanner- Last year before formal (which you can read about here), I decided I needed a bit of color so I bought this at Sephora and love love love it. It's pretty easy to apply (buy the tanning mitt too!), gives a natural looking tan, and the bottle lasts a while too (I still have a good bit left and have used it countless times!).

Natural Bliss Vanilla Almond Milk Coffee Creamer- Love this coffee creamer! I prefer a non-dairy coffee creamer and this one is so yummy- as if you needed another reason to look forward to your cup of coffee in the morning!

Lululemon Tennis Skort- I am a big fan of tennis skorts for everyday wear when it's warm out and probably wear this one at least once a week (I have it in both black + white). It makes your typical oversized t-shirt look a bit cuter!

Ugg Slippers- Another Christmas gift from last year that I am obsessed with! I wear mine all the time and they are so cozy!

Teleties- The best hair ties ever! I hate hair ties that crease my hair after using them and love that I can wear my hair down again after having it up using one of these. Would be a fun just because gift!

iPhone XR- I invested in the XR over the summer and it was such a good choice. The camera is such an upgrade and I love the convenience of Face ID! I do hate that it was pricier than the 11 that came out a month after I bought mine but it is what it is.

Lake Pajamas- Last but definitely not least! I've heard about Lake Pajamas for years but the price tag held me back from buying a pair. I bought a pair of the summer during their summer sale and have been obsessed ever since! They are so soft and luxurious- I never want to wear another pair of pajamas. I received another pair for Christmas and am so glad to have a pair of the pants for the colder months!

What were your 2019 Favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale Tips

Happy Monday y'all! Today is a little brighter and more exciting than your typical Monday since it's the first day of the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale! Two times a year (in January and then in August/September), Lilly hosts a big online sale and is the only time you can buy Lilly on sale from the main website. You can find some amazing deals and I wanted to share some tips I've learned over the years to help y'all have a great shopping experience!

make a list

For the sale, I always make a list of items I want to buy. This helps me as I know exactly what to look for when I enter the sale so I'm not aimlessly looking through page after page of items and it also helps me not blow the bank!

make an account before the sale & stay logged in

Once an item is in your cart, it isn't "yours" until you completely check out so making an account beforehand helps you hopefully avoid loosing an item in your cart as you had to type out your shipping information. Make an account beforehand to save time during the sale!

get into the virtual line early

The sale starts at 8 AM EST but sometimes it loads earlier than that so be sure to be on the website a few minutes before then refresh right at 8 AM!

don't refresh once in line

Once you're in the virtual line, don't refresh the page. If you refresh, it puts you in the back of the line and you have to wait longer to shop!

try different browsers

Sometimes the virtual line moves faster in different browsers so keep a few open to see if one moves faster. I usually have a tab open in Safari and then open in Google Chrome to see if one is moving faster. The key is to get in as quickly as possible so you can get your dream pieces!

check in again on the next day of the sale

The past few sales have had a few roll outs of items so what's included on Day 1 may or may not be everything that will be in the sale! Definitely worth checking in the next day (in past years they have released new items at 8 AM).

be patient

The line may be long. The site may crash. Be patient! It is just a sale afterwards so there's no need to get upset as it is just clothes!

follow Lilly on social media for updates

The Lilly social media team is usually active the day of the sale to ask questions and also to make important announcements! Follow along to know when they release new items into the sale as well as updates on if the site crashes and things like that!

use multiple devices

The past few sales the wait time has been pretty consistent across devices (the website takes the same amount of time as the app on your phone or iPad). Some years it has been faster on certain devices so it is definitely worth a shot!

stick to a budget

While the After Party Sale is very exciting, there will be more in the future and no amount of cute clothes is worth going into debt or spending too much on. I usually set a certain amount that I want to spend on the sale so I don't go overboard buying pieces that I may not actually need!

shop in-store

If you live close to a Lilly store, try to stop by and shop in store. While they will have a smaller inventory of items, you can try pieces on which is helpful if you don't know what size you need!

check other websites for deals

While the main party is on the main Lilly website, other sites usually offer deals as well! Lilly signature stores also have the sale online and in-store as well as websites like Amazon and Zappos (and sometimes Nordstrom). This is a good way to snag a must-have item if it sells out on the Lilly website!

know your size

The Lilly Pulitzer sale is final sale meaning once you purchase an item, you can't return it or exchange it. I always try to try items on at Lilly throughout the year to prepare for the sale so I know if it is an item that fits well or I should avoid in the sale. If you are unsure, look at the reviews or use the true fit calculator on their website to get an accurate fit!

shop quickly yet efficiently

Once you are in the sale, shop quickly as items tend to go fast and you don't want to miss out on any of your must have items. Don't spend too much time wandering just looking around but make sure everything you want is in your cart as once you check out, you'll have to go through the line again to re-enter the sale

Will you be shopping the Lilly sale today? What pieces are you hopping to get? Let me know in the comments!