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hey all!
i feel like its been awhile since i was like really inspired for a blog post and as soon as i got my hands on this one i was like ‘oh my GOSH’ and i totally knew what i was gonna do! since y’all JUST read about my first month in college – and i’ve been getting many comments about making more college blog posts, and i was really excited for it. i had seen in another friend’s blog that recently she featured some really cool GIFS in her posts! so today i made a gif to go along with the post i created!
these are just my basic college backpack necessities, things that i basically keep in my backpack 24/7 because of the amount in which i use them, the frequency of needing them or simply because they make me happy! here we go!
firstly, my backpack! ever since i decided that the fjallraven was too small to use as a school backpack (i couldn’t even fit my sketchbook in) i’ve been carrying the adidas national plus backpack! i picked it up on the nordstrom site while it was on sale in late august. it has been the best decision i’ve ever made because it gives me the right amount of space while being really light and maintaining a great waterproof texture.
#1: glossier balmdotcom: obsessed. like literally. i use it as a lip balm, to lay my edges if my hair is poofy, on my cuticles if they’re dry and its a fix all solution. i feel as though it does not chap my skin like other lip balms and y’all know i’m obsessed and could not say one bad thing about glossier.
#2: leuchtturm1917 dotted notebook : i’ve been using my leuchtturm notebooks for bullet journals since 2016 so they’re pretty much my most trusted product. i honestly could tell you about how cute set-up planners are but fact is, i used them for awhile and then stopped after a few months. i have been on the bullet journal system for a little over two years and honestly its probably the best thing that i’ve decided to do, because i need a really personalized product to keep in my life and to keep me working.
#3: glossier bag : okay, okay, yes i’m a glossier stan. and yes i am that basic girl who carries everything in her glossier bag. they are gifted free with a purchase both in a store and online, and pretty much all of my skincare and makeup are glossier so you can see i have a few in my posession. i just love the way they are shaped and padded, they are so easy to clean and perfect to keep my pens in.
#4: mead five star folders : one of the things that has greatly benefitted my college organization have been those paper mead ‘five star’ folders. they’ve been fantastic because i have one for ~almost~ all of my classes and they are thin enough to always carry in my backpack and be able to locate whenever i need them on me. i seem to accumulate loads of paper and this is one of the ways in which i organize it.
#5: kate spade umbrella : one thing i’ve learned about DC, always carry an umbrella on you. when my dad and i came here in april we noted that everyone seemed to have umbrellas on them, where their backpacks had the pocket for your water bottle. at the time, i found this really curious, but now, i totally understand. it can basically start raining whenever it wants here (even if rain is NOT in the forecast) so i’d rather be safe than sorry and just carry it with me all the time. and i have actually been able to use it when i think i wouldn’t need it.
#6: rayban evolve round sunglasses : another thing about the weather here, its bipolar, yes one moment it can be raining and overcast but the next moment its sunny and hot. i’ve learned to just be able to accomodate both extremes by always carrying sunglasses and an umbrella. also just sometimes i like to wear my sunglasses to feel invincible – yes thats what i mean. i just feel powerful wearing them for some reason.
#7: madewell leather pouch wallet : in my backpack i carry an ‘abridged’ wallet. it has a few things that i seem to always need while leaving out all of the gift cards and loyalty cards which are in my bigger wallets. its just enough space to carry some cash, a few cards and my metro pass, and the little zipper chain can connect to my lanyard and i can wear it around.
#8: apple earpods : okay, so you don’t have to be ‘boujee’ and get these ones, but headphones are definitely a must. i find myself in the library wanting to listen to music, on the vex headed to the vern wanting to listen to a podcast (omg i’m dying listening to serial season 1! so so good!) or just walking around and NEEDING to listen to ‘killer queen’ by queen (my anthem) as a ‘pick me up’. also sometimes you need them in classes or to finish assignments so i’d rather just always carry them with me.
#9: mead composition books : don’t @ me, but i much prefer composition books to take notes in than spiral notebooks. you don’t have to believe me, but here are my arguments: #1: they don’t take up as much space as a spiral notebook #2: they cost less than spiral notebooks #3: they make my notes look much prettier, sorta like in a bullet journal style, #4: (LOOKING OUT FOR YOU LEFTIES) they have no spiral to hit your hand on! anyway, i’m obsessed with using them and really love em.
#10: rx bars : i’ve talked about this before, but breakfast and i are foes. i am not a ‘breakfast fan’ by any sense of the word. i do more like mid-morning breakfast like snacks. my favorite things to carry with me are rx bars. they are pretty clean with no added sugars, gluten free and sans grains. they have an egg white and date base and flavors go on from there. my favorite to eat are the coffee chocolate and the dark chocolate sea salt! i just love em, and they’re easy to carry with you!
enjoy all! tell me what y’all carry in your everyday bag!