I’m not sure how long the US has been “social distancing,” but every week is changing. The state of Alabama has required all unnecessary businesses to close for at least a month. My dad owns a gym and had to close, and I can tell he’s worried. Donald Trump announced the other night for the US to see 200,000 deaths by the time this all ends possibly. The county I am from got its first case last week. One of them is a pediatrician, and today another case was found. When people were buying all the toilet paper and cleaning wipes, it seemed like a joke and ridiculous, but now people are scared to go to the grocery store. Before we all know, trucks will no longer have routes, and then stores will not be able to stock up. This virus is affecting everyone in different ways, and I think talking about it is therapeutic, especially since there is nothing else to do.

Before all this happened, I was hoping for a summer job at a local business where I could potentially have a future career. The company won’t have any summer workers this year because of COVID-19, and I will miss my chance of getting my foot in the door because I graduate next Spring. Many people my age won’t have an opportunity for internships or summer jobs. It is hard to predict if our economy will be up and running fully by the time I graduate, so that worries me. This isn’t the end of the world because I can take summer classes instead.

All of my classes at school have moved online, and all summer courses will be online. None of my classes are lecturing, so a lot of the material I am learning, I have to cover myself. I had a group assignment due today, and I’m still waiting for someone to do their part. How am I suppose to be responsible for their part if they don’t have good internet service or don’t care? My Excel professor has been saying all semester how receiving a certification in the class is a big deal and how it can go on resumes, and it attracts job offers. I received an email today stating that we wouldn’t be able to take the exam to receive the certification. Some of my other class professors will only send one email a week, and that is all. I made a 70 on an assignment that I thought I did well on, but there was no feedback. No student can blame professors for what this pandemic has caused, but students are still frustrated.

I think a lot of people are experiencing stress eating and maybe a little depression. I don’t remember the last time I ate this much junk food. I used to drink only bottles of water, and now I might have one a day and either juice or cokes. The only thing to do is sit at the house, watch Netflix, and procrastinate because how are we supposed to keep going with school without being distracted by the breaking news? My mom and I painted our kitchen table and hutch. I feel like cutting my hair or dying it and making impulsive decisions because why not? I have decided to start journaling each day beginning yesterday until all this is over.

I think all Americans are mostly on the same page about this pandemic. We are all scared of the uncertainty that lies ahead.

Last summer I flew for the first time and went to the Dominican Republic with my boyfriend and his family. Although I was excited, I didn’t have a passport and I knew I had a lot of preparation. Everything I’ve ever heard about packing for flying is it can be tricky and TSA doesn’t play around. I went on Youtube and found some hacks and tips that really helped me and I must say, I don’t think my experience through Atlanta airport could’ve been easier than it was.

When it comes to packing clothes, most people fold them and stack them vertically, but what they don’t know is it actually takes up more room and it’s harder to see what clothes you have. A tip that I found helpful for organization and to make extra room for clothes is to either roll them tightly or fold them but pack them horizontally. If you fold and pack them horizontally, you can actually see what clothes you have and you don’t have to dig through them. Hats are also one of the hardest things to pack. They usually get deformed when traveling by clothes, but this hack works for all types of hats. If you are bringing socks, try filling the center of the hat with the socks so the hat doesn’t lose its shape.

To keep things even more organized, I highly recommend going to Amazon and buying packing cubes. These packing cubes are a game changer; you can divide your belongings by different types of clothing, shoes, undergarments, and hats or socks. Shoes can be really gross and no one wants their dirty shoes touching clean clothes, so these packing cubes keep that from happening. They are pretty inexpensive and it’s basically zip up bags that come in different sizes to best fit the variety of items. Before I discovered these, I would try to pack neatly so everything would stay organized, but by the second day of living out of my suitcase, everything is mixed together and almost impossible to sort through.

One of the biggest stresser for me was trying to fit all of my liquids in a quartz size bag for my carry-on. I love skincare products and have to have my own shampoo and conditioner, so this was a challenge. Luckily, I found a pack of 3 3.4 ounce squeezable silicone bottles on Amazon. They are the perfect size and you get every bit of the product without wasting some. Because they are silicone, they form to the other products that are in the bag, making it easier to fit more things. Something else I found helpful with fitting products in a quartz size bag is using travel sized products. When I order something from Sephora or Ulta, usually they give samples of products too, so I keep them for when I travel.

Using these tips for flying will make the packing experience easier and you’ll be able to go straight into enjoying your vacation with a little less stress .

All businesses are being affected by Coronavirus around the world. Places of businesses are shutting down until further notice out of fear of what the future holds. While places like Wal-mart and grocery stores are selling out of products such as toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers, water, and bread, other businesses are suffering a loss of income, and it is hard to say what the outcome will be in the end. I am from a small town, so I am seeing how COVID-19 is affecting local places or small businesses. I want to talk about a couple of businesses that I explicitly see in my surrounding area.

Locally owned restaurants are facing the challenges of whether or not to allow dine-in because, of course, they want to prevent the spread of the virus, but also if people are staying in, then they have to pay workers with no inflowing money. As a customer, the most crucial aspect of all this is to remain safe and try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is uncertain of how long the world will be facing this virus, but for locally-owned restaurants to stay afloat, customers can still do takeout to prevent contact with lots of people. If really wanting to help out, you can always buy gift certificates for significant future dates for when all of this blows over.

My dad owns a gym, so it is affecting his sales of memberships and daily attendance. Gyms around the country are closing or are required to close by the city, which is affecting income. My dad told me that 9/11 even changed his business because people were scared to leave the house, and they did not want to spend money. What is another way to spread a virus than sweating all over equipment that lots of different people use a day? There is no way to get around this situation when operating a gym besides reassuring customers that you are staying updated with COVID-19 and continuously cleaning everything.

This epidemic is killing all businesses, and I do not know how fast we will recover our companies or services. There is no making light of the situation when everyone is quarantining, including places not required by states/cities. Each day we hear different things, and I guess the only thing we can do is stay inside and wait for updates.

I have been using Poshmark since I was thirteen or fourteen. I discovered the app while trying to find an easy way to sell clothes. Poshmark is an app where you can buy, sell, or trade clothes, accessories, shoes, and home items. I have earned a good bit since using the app, but after discovering Mercari, I have come to use it more than Poshmark. I discovered Mercari a few years ago while trying to find a different app to sell my clothes on. Mercari offers the same options, but more control over the item that sells. They are both great apps and are similar in a lot of ways, but Mercari offers more for me personally.

Mercari defers from Poshmark in a lot of ways. The app allows the seller to choose whether they pay for shipping or the buyer does. The percentage that Mercari takes from the sale is a lot smaller than Poshmark, which is the main reason that I changed from Poshmark. The seller does have the responsibility of choosing the correct shipping rate, and if it is not right, then it can create a dilemma and potentially lose the sale if the buyer is not patient. Both apps are quite easy to operate, but I earn more money back when using Mercari.

However, on Mercari, there seem to be more low quality, outdated items, so you have to have the patience of going through the bad before getting to the good. Poshmark is more organized, and I usually can find an item I am looking for more quickly than on Mercari. Poshmark offers more of a variety of high-end brands, and there are more products of high-end brands than on Mercari. If you don’t have patience when it comes to shopping or you are not a “digger,” then I recommend using Poshmark.

My listings on Mercari seem to sell faster than on Poshmark, but the good thing about using both of these apps is that I can list the same item on both apps. Whichever app sells the listing first, then I deactivate the listing on the app where it did not sell. In my opinion, Poshmark is a better app for shopping on, and Mercari is better for selling.

My dad has owned a health & fitness center for 22 years now and started from nothing. I no longer work for my dad, but I worked under him for almost 4 years. My experience at the gym was good overall, but there were times where I think situations would have been different if under management that was not my dad.

When I first started, I knew that my dad would expect more out of me than his previous employees, and I felt intimidated. My job included cleaning equipment, updating member’s information, writing receipts, taking payments, selling supplements, and signing up new members. It was my first job, so it was stressful having to adapt to this new work environment and perfecting the required skills for the job.

Something that I learned from working under my dad is you can’t take things personally. There were times where I would make a mistake on a receipt or forget to record information in the system, and he would tell me that I would have to fix it or someone else would have the responsibility. I was treated like any other employee for the most part, including pay. He paid me minimum wage and gave Christmas bonuses. I was only a part-time worker since I was in school, so the pay was fair. He gave me opportunities for extra hours, which was nice.

When it came to missing work, I was treated the same as everyone else. If I did not go into work, I did not get paid for those hours, unless it was a holiday that everyone was off. My dad would let me sometimes get off an hour early, but that meant an hour less pay. I have heard of some cases where the kid’s parent pays them back in whatever taxes were taken out, but it did not work that way with my dad. Whatever taxes were taken out was my paycheck.

Overall, I am glad that I have that experience of working for my dad. I worked along with my sister sometimes, so I got to experience the family business. I don’t plan on working there after finishing college, but its experience that has helped me be prepared for the real world, especially not being favored.

I have always had a passion for clothes shopping, but it can be hard to find cute and affordable clothes. If you try and buy local at a boutique, you most likely will pay a high price for a low quality piece of clothing. The most convenient way for me to shop is online where I can check prices before purchasing, and see reviews if the price seems too good to be true. I want to share some clothing stores/websites that I have had the most luck with in affordability and quality.

1. Old Navy

I used to think that Old Navy carried clothing that was styled only for older women, but that could not be further from the truth. I have had pretty good luck with Old Navy the last few years with their seasonal clothing. Lately, I have been looking for business casual outfits, which has been hard because finding business clothing for affordable prices is almost impossible. I ended up coming back to Old Navy and found that they carried women’s work pants in a variety of styles and colors for the price of forty, if not on sale. Old Navy’s original prices are ok, but the best time to shop, is when they are having big sales. I racked up over sixteen different items for less than one hundred dollars with discount codes and clearance or sale prices. They have nice dresses, shorts, and tanks during the spring and summer. I do not own a pair of there jeans, but I know plenty of people who do and say that they are the most comfortable. You can almost guarantee that there is a huge sale going on online or in stores. I receive several emails a week about sales and discount codes specified to me because I signed up to receive emails. Old Navy is one of my favorite places to go for basic tees or tanks and are usually under ten dollars.

2. American Eagle Outfitters

I am twenty years old, and some might say that I am too old to be shopping at American Eagle, but their prices are hard to beat. AE always has sales on their jeans and clearance items. Usually when a season is ending, they will mark the prices down on those items to half price and then discount twenty-five percent on whatever else is left. I have been wearing AE jeans since high school and they can be pricy, but there is usually a variety of jeans on sale or clearance to choose from. Everything that I have purchased from there has been great quality thus far. Some of my other favorite things to buy from there are the Aerie swim suits, undergarments, basic tops, and sweaters. Most of their clothing is made with soft material and is long lasting. In the last few years, AE has moved towards a body positivity brand, meaning they have models of all races, sizes, and some with disabilities, and even offer a large range of plus sized items. Their brand has shown that you can be different and still wear whatever you want to, which is important in today’s society.

3. Amazon Fashion

Amazon is known for its massive variety of items. One thing that has become popular through Amazon is amazon fashion. Amazon basically takes clothes trends and puts different types of clothing in categories. The best part about this, is that there are usually thousands of reviews to go off of, if it is a high quality item. Amazon also has an option of uploading a photo of clothing that you are looking for and it helps find where you can purchase it, which is amazing when you want to find the lowest prices. Amazon fashion has helped me out by offering similar clothing to high-end name brand clothes or boutique clothing. Most tops run under twenty bucks, but if it seems too good to be true, I would be careful. I have purchased jewelry, shoes, tops, and leggings from Amazon and have had good luck thus far. Most items offer free two-day shipping or you can buy Amazon Prime and have it year round.

4. SHEIN

I have no idea how this clothing store is pronounced, but I know it has good stuff. With this online store, you have to be careful with what you purchase; It is the kind of store that you probably need to use reviews to go by. I do not buy a product unless it has fifteen plus reviews (rated at least four-star) and two customer provided photos of the clothing. If there are no reviews or a few, the product can be a hit or miss. Based on reviews, you can tell if the product is true to size and a nice material. I have purchased several sweaters from here, and they are nice material and sized appropriately; Although, some of the clothing that I have bought is oddly fitted, but I pair it with a belt or do a front tuck and it makes it look better. Most of their tops are under twenty and if above twenty, are probably better material. SHEIN always has discount codes and sales running all year round and has an unbelievable amount of inventory to choose from.

Hopefully these four stores/websites have been helpful with finding affordable clothing, while maintaining good quality. All of these have different products to offer, so there is a lot to explore.

Since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with makeup. I started wearing it in middle school and wore it like every other middle schooler: sparkly eyeshadow up to my eyebrows, foundation five shades too dark, and shimmery pink lipgloss. As I got older and started high school, my makeup application skills increased, and I also was able to choose the correct foundation color. I am not a beauty guru by any means, but I do love makeup. I am now 20 years old and am growing up in a generation where youtube is more popular than ever, and the beauty community is expanding. There are so many different makeup brands and different products out there, so I wanted to share my favorite products/brands that I have discovered over the years.

1. Foundation

If there is one makeup product that I have struggled with finding, it is the perfect foundation. I cannot begin to list how many different foundations that I have tried and had no luck with; Although, I have found one product that I will stand by. The first product is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation. This foundation has won The Best of Beauty award by allure and usually any product that has this award, you can almost guarantee it will be good. The foundation is full coverage, has a matte finish, is a liquid, and is for combination and oily skin. It does not dry out the skin or make the foundation look cakey, but it feels light-weight and looks natural. It is the only foundation that I have found that can withstand hot, humid weather. When you live in the south, a foundation like this is a must! Estée Lauder is a great beauty brand, and everything that I have tried from there has been high quality. The product can be bought straight from their website or Sephora.

2. Concealer

Unlike foundation, I have had better success with finding the right concealer. I have used a few over the years, but my go-to is the Tarte Shape Tape concealer. I probably buy two a year, so one easily last me for around six months. The coverage is unreal, and a little goes a long way. This concealer came out a few years ago, and I have been in love ever since. It has over 16,000 reviews and a 5-star rating on the website. There are new concealers on the market now, but it will be hard for me to try something new. I use the same shade all year round, but during the summer I use less product. Tarte is a great brand, and I have also had good luck with some of their other products. It does not look cakey nor make creases in fine lines. There are 30 different shades to choose from, which is a vast shade range for a concealer. You can purchase this product from the Tarte website, but it is currently not available on Sephora.

3. Eyeliner

For some reason, when it comes to me wearing eye makeup, my eyes frequently water. It has been a struggle to find the perfect black liquid eyeliner that is smudge-proof and water-proof. I have tried Stila, Urban Decay, and Tarte brand eyeliner, but all of them smudged away. The eyeliner that I have used for at least three years is the Tattoo Eyeliner by Kat Von D or KDV Beauty. It has a precise point for the application and lasts all day. The eyeliner also has some benefits of being cruelty-free and vegan. Once again, one of my favorite products has won an award from allure: Reader’s Choice Award. There are over 17,000 reviews on Sephora with an average four-star. The price is 21 dollars, but it does last for a while. I have only ever used the Trooper-Satin Black color, but it also is available in dark brown. You can purchase this item from Sephora or straight from the KDV Beauty website. Through teary eyes and all, this eyeliner will still be there at the end of the day.

4. Setting Powder

Setting powder has been around for a long time for those who do drag, but it has just become more popular, probably within the last five or so years. Some people think that any translucent setting powder will do the trick, but I beg to defer. I stand by Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder. It is somewhat pricey at forty dollars, but it is worth it. If you have oily skin like me, this setting powder ‘sets’ the face all day. Most days after applying this product, I will not have to touch up my face with pressed powder. It is light-weight and not cakey on the face. It gives a flawless matte finish and controls the shine in areas that are the oiliest. It has 8,000 reviews on Sephora with a four and a half star average rating. It has a natural finish and comes in regular translucent or translucent medium deep in color. This powder can work for any skin tones and helps prevent lines on the face.

Hopefully, if you have been having trouble with finding the right product for these categories, this has helped. I do plan on exploring new products in the future; however, these are my favorite at the moment.

Up until November of 2019, New York City was still at the top of my bucket list for places to visit. I received an email from my school two months before the trip, stating that a charter bus would be taking students to Washington D.C. and NYC for an affordable price, and I knew I had to take the opportunity. As you might know, there is A LOT of things to see, do, and eat in NYC. NYC is well known for its diversity in food, so it’s essential to know where to hit up the best restaurants. Before I left for the Big Apple, I did my research on the best places to eat, combined with affordable prices, and I found some great places. To help you out, I am going to list a few restaurants that I enjoyed as a first timer in NYC.

1. Little Italy and Chinatown

I am going to start first with my favorite: Little Italy and Chinatown. Located in Manhattan, the neighborhoods thrive with variation in food and culture, and you really can not go wrong with a restaurant there. In Little Italy, there are authentic Italian restaurants around every corner. It is not easy to choose a restaurant because all the food is amazing, so I am going to recommend a bakery with amazing cannolis: Ferrara Bakery & Cafe. The cannolis have the perfect crunch on the outside and the sweet, creamy filling on the inside. They come in multiple flavors and sizes at an affordable price. Although I only tried the cannolis, they had other pastries that looked divine as well. While in Chinatown, I got to see different markets that sold fresh seafood, produce, and I even saw the sales of fake designer products on the streets. After all of that walking, I was craving an eggroll and walked into Super Taste. Like most restaurants there, Super Taste has all of the different Chinese dishes, but their egg rolls are homemade and cooked to a perfect crisp. They have all the right fillings with pork and cabbage and also at a reasonable price.

2. Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Most people consider Stardust Diner as a place of entertainment, and not a restaurant that is known for its food; however, I beg to defer. It has a lively atmosphere where it is themed as a 50’s diner and is the place for aspiring Broadway performers. All of the waiters and waitresses sing and sometimes perform on tables, so it is quite a show. They serve American food such as burgers and classic sandwiches, but with a twist. When I was there, I ordered the burger with a donut as the bun. I love the combination of salty and sweet, so it was right up my alley, and I have never tried something like this, so to my surprise, it was excellent. The burger was quite big, the patty was juicy, and it also came with waffle fries. The prices are reasonable if you consider the entertainment with the meal; however, the shakes are pricey. It is hard to find a place with entertainment and good food, so I recommend experiencing this, plus you could be watching a potential broadway star!

3. Katz’s Delicatessen

Some food is a must-try while in NYC: a slice of pizza, street dogs, bagels, cheesecake, and sandwiches. When I say sandwiches, I don’t mean your basic sandwich; I’m talking about a meaty, hearty sandwich with hand-sliced meats stacked high in-between two slices of thin bread. Katz’s Deli is the perfect place for a classic NY sandwich. Their most served and famous sandwich has pastrami with mustard on rye bread. When I went, I split one sandwich with three other people! They pack as much meat that the bread will allow without it completely falling apart. I ordered the pastrami with mustard, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on rye bread with pickles on the side. The sandwich was pricey, but when you consider all the meat and the overall quality of the sandwich, it is worth it. The atmosphere is interesting also; when you enter the restaurant, you receive a ticket, and then you order straight from one of the butchers who cut the meat as you are ordering. It is not only famous for its sandwiches, but it is also where “Harry met Sally.” I have personally never seen When Harry Met Sally…, but from what I understand, part of the movie is filmed in the deli. When you visit Katz’s Deli, you might be able to snag the table where they filmed the movie.

If you select the restaurants I recommended, you should be satisfied with experiencing the NY atmosphere and food. Regardless of the places you choose to eat, most of the food in NYC is guaranteed to be appetizing. If you do decide to try a restaurant that you have not heard of and maybe a hole in the wall, consider using Yelp for reviews.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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