Dear Students: Let's Chill

Hey y'all! Sorry I haven't posted for a bit, I just got back from an amazing but short trip to Savannah, Georgia to a regional conference for Youth For Christ. It was a great experience and before I start this post I really want to show you this picture I took from my hotel room window 

Anyway, today I'm thinking about going to school. Even though I've only been in high school for two days, I've already witnessed the effects that stress has on people. I'm writing to tell you beautiful people to take care of yourself.

via tumblr.com

Here are some tips to making school a little less stressful, your body a little more happy and our school year a lot more chill!

1. Make sure you are getting enough food, water and sleep. It's pretty much the basic way to start feeling better. Being tired and hungry at school is the worst.

*Eat a good breakfast that fills you up

*Bring a water bottle to school and USE IT

*Put your phone out of reach at night and sleep

2. Organize your work in a way that doesn't put too heavy a load on your shoulders all at once. 

*Take study breaks 

*Do your homework early and get it out of the way if you can

*Write your assignments and due dates down and check them off to make sure you finished

3. Have a creative outlet and a friend!

*Make sure you are doing things that you love, like reading, drawing, listening to/making music, playing a sport, making new friends. Have time in your week just for hobbies

*When you have problems, knowing someone is there for you all the time is such a stress reliever. Talk to someone and get a new angle on your situation. 

*Also do fun things with your friends! School doesn't last forever and it's a great time to make some memories. Just make sure you're in a good place school-wise

4. Find positive role models

*Don't hang out with the kind of people that continuously make your life suck, even if you think it makes you cool. It isn't worth it

* Having a mentor is super cool. They aren't perfect but they might be a little more experienced and kind of know what they are talking about

There is a lot of things that need to be balanced, and hard work and confidence are essential. If you need someone to talk to, feel send me an email and I'd love to listen and be there for you. 

Please make sure to get enough relaxation and make good choices. 

I want everyone to be healthy this school year, so share this post with a friend!

Love ♥Brenna, the girl without shame 

Best Trail Mix EVER

I, Brenna, love trail mix. I can eat it at night or in the day, for lunch or breakfast or elevensies. 

But one of my least favorite things is when I buy a bag and only like the m&ms and peanuts! That is wrong! So below I have made a list of things that should be in a trail mix. 

• banana chips
• almonds
• large sunflower seeds
• m&ms 
• cashews
• dried coconut chunks
• peanut butter & dark chocolate chips
• dried mango
• yogurt chips
• cheerios
• peanuts
• dried pumpkin seeds
• dried cherries/craisins (NOT RAISINS)
• goldfish
• pretzels

Via bloganataveres.com

Being able to balance crunchy, chewy, salty, sweet, sugary and protein-packed is an ART! So mix these carefully and maybe one day you can become a master mixer like myself. Also, be reckless in combining these finger foods and discover strangely creative flavor combinations. 

Most importantly, enjoy the trail you are traveling that accompanies your snack.

What is the most important ingredient in your trail mix?

How to Take a Compliment

I saw this teenager post on my Twitter feed the other day from @HuffPostTeen and I got really excited because this would make a great blog post! Obviously I googled 'how to respond to compliments' and I feel I have researched this subject thoroughly. Ok, not really, but I'm doing my best!

com·pli·ment

noun

ˈkämpləmənt/

1. 1.

   a polite expression of praise or admiration.

   "she paid me an enormous compliment"

   synonyms:

   flattering remark, tribute, accolade, commendation, bouquet, pat on the back; More

verb

ˈkämpləˌment/

1. 1.

   politely congratulate or praise (someone) for something.

   "he complimented Erica on her appearance"

Personally I get embarrassed when someone compliments me and I don't know what to say. I think a lot of kids these days have that problem too, and it all comes down to confidence. I have previously written a post called How to Be More Confident and you should probably read that too, if you are really serious about this.

Via happymonsters.tumbr.com

It really is pretty simple. You just have to have the courage/confidence to go through with these three "easy steps." 

1. SMILE
2. SAY THANK YOU
3. SINCERELY RETURN THE COMPLIMENT

Ok, the last one is really the hardest. But with a little practice, you'll be a pro! 

Here is my guide of how to return a compliment: If they compliment your appearance, make a nice comment about theirs! If they say something about your personality, say something about theirs! If they praise your actions, praise theirs right back!

But here is the important part. WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE COMMENDS YOU FOR SOMETHING.

Do not, I repeat, do not, deflect praise. It's not modest, it's a teensy bit rude, kind of like rejecting the person that gave it to you. For example, someone says to you "Wow, your writing piece was very impressive"

Yes: Thank you so much! I actually just finished reading your last post and it was amazing, especially the part blah blah blah 

No: Oh, no it was garbage, I suck at writing

A lot of people these days try to play down their work to be modest, but it makes the rest of us feel terrible. I know when I tell someone they did a good job, and they say they didn't even care about it, I feel like a talent-less wreck! Do you know what I mean? I tried really hard and they didn't, but they still did better!

This is especially a problem on social medias, because sometimes people post selfies to get praise, and then act like they are super ugly or something. It makes me a little upset! I just want to shake them by their shoulders and yell at them "YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!"

To fix my anger, I have decided to challenge myself by complimenting people way more than normal. Since I've been watching Parks and Recreation a lot, I have been catching on to Leslie Knope complimenting. 

If you want to do my challenge too, next time someone says something nice to you, be sincerely nice back to them. It shouldn't be that hard. You can do it!

Love, Bree♥

p.s. you are a wonderful tropical fish and thank you for looking at my blog