A WEEK OF FRIENDSHIP | MY BESTIE LIVES FAR AWAY

ave a best friend that lives far away, or out of state? I know this all too well with my bestie in Oregon. Once all my friends and I graduated high school, we all went our our ways for college, which has been extremely hard. Life is busy, and it's easy to let distance come between friends. However, it's important to maintain wonderful friendships no matter the miles in between, or the busyness of life. And oh boy is it hard to cope with the reality that your best friend isn't around to meet up for coffee, sleep overs, movie dates, nor girls night out on the town. This past year I have been able to learn how to cope with it, and create some tips and ideas that have helped me during freshman year of college while all my friends were living out of state! I hope you've enjoyed this mini series on ABH I loved putting it all together. If you wish to see any other mini series just leave a topic suggestion down below.

SNAIL MAIL: I am a strong believer in some good old fashion snail mail. Being able to express my emotions, and life happenings on a blank canvas to my friends is the perfect way to stay in touch and make it more special than a quick meaningless text message. It always brought joy to my girlfriends knowing their mail box had something waiting for them to pick up!

GO VISIT THEM: So glad I was able to do this in the spring semester! I visited Emily in Oregon, hence all my Portland travel diary posts on the blog, and it was so amazing. It was a much needed girls weekend, and I was able to make wonderful memories with her. The best part of being able to go visit your friend is being able to have a peek into their life. Meet their new friends, see their dorm room, walk on their college campus, and perhaps join their weekly clubs such as choir, art, dance, football, or bible study. Visiting Emily's college really made me understand where she was coming from, and it was another thing we were able to connect and bond over!

SCHEDULE A HANGOUT: Just as you plan for a coffee date with a friend, so should you plan for a phone call or Skype chat! This is everything. Trust. Me. And if your friend lives really far away time changes can make a difference too. I love being able to text because it's no inconvenience to respond, yet it's important to make more of an effort of talking in a more personal way! Keeping in touch is key in a long distance friendship!

SPOIL THEM: Have a college friend? Nothing is better than receiving a package full of goodies, than actually purchasing them for a friend and surprising them with a special gift. For my college friends I put together a freshman surviving kit filled with essentials, food, chocolate, pamper items, and hygiene products that works perfect for the dorm life. This sweet idea isn't about the items, or money spent on your friends, but about the time, effort, and thought that goes into it. Let your friends know how much you love them, and make them aware of how much you miss them!

A WEEK OF FRIENDSHIP | BEAUTY GIFT GUIDE FOR YOUR BESTIE

ere are some beauty must haves that are essential for every girls collection! Part of this week of friendship is to include a gift guide for your girlfriends. Gift giving is a favorite of mine, because it's a very personal and thoughtful act. I know that with my girlfriends we have been best friends for over ten years, and once their birthday rolls around, the ideas of the perfect guide have already been taken, from down the road. However, beauty products never go out of style. So, I have categorized some beauty products that fit perfectly under the special occasions of gift giving for your bestie. Any beauty products you enjoy gift giving?

BIRTHDAY GIRL...
This occasion calls for something a little fancy, and something very personalized. A great beauty product to purchase is an elegant bottle of perfume or body spray. Whether it's from Anthropologie or Bath & Body Works, this gift shows that you took time to think about that person and who they are. What scent represents them, and their favorite flavors.

VALENTINES DAY...
I know what your thinking, and no valentines day isn't always for lovers. It's one day out of the year that presents love towards someone who means a lot in our lives. For us single gals, our nights aren't spent over a candle light dinner, or romantic picnic. Instead it's all about the pizza, chocolate and chick flicks with our besties. Well, at least for me! So I love to present my family and girlfriends a small gift attached with a pun tag. Such as a bottle of nail polish that say's "Thanks for being a toe-tally awesome best friend." How cute is that! Amirite?

CHRISTMAS EVE...
Every year my girlfriends and I always gift exchange for the Christmas season. A wonderful beauty product to give is some makeup brushes. Gold brushes are just to die for! Not everyone spends their own money on beautiful sets of brushes, so the odd of them owning this is slim!

A WEEK OF FRIENDSHIP | HOW TO HELP A DOWN & OUT FRIEND

'm so excited to announce a fun little series on the blog for this week and it's all about friendship. Here and there my hope is to chose an interesting topic to discuss for one week to dive deeper into understanding and learn more about a particular something. Nothing in this world is better than best friends, and since mine are home from college it's made me miss them more than I realized. So what's better than diving into friendship this week? Today, I'm sharing some great ways to help a down and out friend who is in need of her girls by her side to cheer her up! Have any writing prompts you'd like to see me talk about here on the blog this week? Grab a cup of coffee, text your friend you love her, and enjoy three friendship posts coming your way!

If your friend is going through a breakup...
Breakups aren't easy, and they take time to get over and fully heal. During this time, don't tell your friend that she messed up, or that there's many fish in the sea. Instead, show up with ice cream, and a classic chick flick that can lighten the mood, make her forget about her problems, and spend the night laughing. Boost her confidence with ensuring her strong character, beautiful appearance, and wonderful personality that anyone would die to have in a relationship!

If your friend loses a loved one...
This is the hardest thing any person could go through in life, and as a friend how do you even be there for your friend? What kind of friend do you become? The conversations, mood, and events all change. My advice during this time wouldn't be to constantly say "I'm sorry. I know it must be so hard. I cannot even imagine." Instead, know that in certain moments words aren't even needed, yet the company can be enough. In this time, comfort, support, and love are the most important aspects to offer to your friend. Don't be afraid to open up and share wonderful memories, and stories about the person your mourning over. Nothing is more needed than to cherish over past events with that loved one.

If your friend is ill...
Either critically ill, or just dealing with a cold send them an uplifting card encouraging them to feel better. Share some comforting scripture with them, letting them know that God is in control. A few years ago I had emergency surgery for my mouth, and the greatest gift I received from my friends was a phone call wanting to pray for me. Knowing that they were concerned for my health brought much joy!

If your friend was laid off...
This subject is a bit touchy, because your friend may be very vulnerable, upset, and low self esteem. Instead of trying to shop, or go to a fancy dinner to take things off their mind, try a baking session, or coffee outing as money may be difficult unlike before. During this time, my advice would be just to listen, and be positive for your friend. Don't go crazy with the benefits of leaving a certain company, or come with a list of businesses hiring, yet just remind your friend that perhaps when a door closes, another one opens.

What Is a Friend?

A friend is someone who is concerned with
                   everything you do.
 A friend is someone to call upon during good
                      and bad times.
A friend is someone who understands
                    whatever you do.
A friend is someone who tell you the truth
                       about yourself.
A friend is someone who knows what you are
                       going through.
A friend is someone who does not compete
                          with you.
A friend is someone who is genuinely happy
              for you when things go well.
A friend is someone who tries to cheer you up
               when things don't go well.
A friend is an extension of yourself without
              which you are not complete.
            Thank you for being my friend.

                                                    Susan Polis Schulz


Friends are truly a blessing in my life. Without my friends I don't know what I'd do. They bring me joy, laughter, and happiness. I know that if I ever needed anything they would be there for me whether it is during good or bad times. The poem up above covers what true friendship is all about. Here is another quote I absolutely love. "A friend is someone who knows all about you, but loves you anyway." I strive to be a loyal, and honest friend. Because with out honesty, and loyalty there is no foundation for a friendship .A friendship cannot be built on lies and gossiping. its about being there for each other, speaking kindly of one another, but most of all... LOVE. Remember to be thankful for your friend that the Lord has placed in your life. <3


                                                      Here are some of my dear friends....