Graduation gifts!

Hello readers!

It is almost the end of the semester and some of us are graduating this year! I am not graduating this semester but I know a few people graduating from high school and college. It is an exciting time for those graduating. When there are graduations, there are usually parties and gifts. It can be difficult when buying a gift for a high school/ college graduate. Here are some gift ideas:

- Money/ gift cards.  Target, Walmart, best buy,  and home goods gift cards are great because the graduate can buy dorm/ apartment stuff.

- Gift cards to restaurants or to activities make great gifts. Many college students do not have extra money to spend on fun activities since our money goes to school bills and other living expenses. Students would appreciate the ability to do something fun without the worry of spending money. One can personalize the gift card according to the person.

- Care package. Fill a basket with things that a college student needs. One can personalize it according to the person. School supplies, candy, food, and small dorm items are some things to consider for a care package. There are so many things that one can put in a care package. This is a great personal gift.

Remember we are almost to the end of the semester. Congrats to those who are graduating from college and high school. You are entering into a new season of life. Since school is almost done, I will be posting more often. This semester has been super stressful with TAing and health problems. Don't forget to check awordwithlm on Instagram so you can  get a sneak peak into my life.

~Liu Miao~

Finishing the semester strong

Hello Readers, there is about a month left of school for most college students. At this point of the semester, most of us are ready for the semester to be done and go have a great summer. It is so tempting to start slacking off in homework since the semester is almost done. We need to remember to finish the semester strong. Here are a few tips:

- Do extra credit. It can help boost your grade.  Even thought it might be 5 extra points, those points can determine if you get a B or an A. When I took government , I got Cs on all my exams but I ended up with an A in the class. Turning my homework on time and attending my class helped me get an A in government.

- Find out if your finals are cumulative or not. If it is cumulative, I would start reviewing the material from the beginning of the semester. It it's not cumulative, find out what chapters the exams are over and study those chapters very well. The less chapters an exam covers, the more detailed questions will be on the exam. Remember that final exams can be group presentations instead of a test.

- Find out when and what times your final exams are. This can help you  make a study guide for your finals.

Have a great week and finish the semester strong. What are your tips for finishing the semester strong?

~Liu Miao~

A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

I really love this verse. The rest of the chapter talks about a time for laughter, crying and etc. I am seeing the truth of this verse in my life. My life has been pretty easy. It really makes me think. Right now , I am in a season of struggling and learning to wait. It is hard to be in this season. Everything happens for a reason. I know God can use my struggles for something but I don't know what it is. One positive about struggles is that you can relate to others who are going through the same struggles. This can encourage your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ or just any person. What season are you in? Let's encourage one another in our different seasons in life.

~Liu Miao~

5 Quick hairstyles for busy Mornings

We all have those mornings when need to get ready fast. Even though you may be rushed, you still want your hair to look cute. It can be tempting to always put your hair in a bun when rushed. Let’s spicy up that hair for those busy mornings. Ready? Set Go.

1-    Half up hairstyle is great for those busy mornings. This hairstyle looks great with straight, wavy, and curly hair.

2-    A French braid can make you look put together without spending too much time on your hair. This may not be true if you are not good a braiding hair.

3-    Overnight curls/waves are great things to do for busy mornings. I love to do this when I have to wake up early or I don’t want to take a lot of time with my hair.

4-   A high/ low ponytail can look stylish. This style looks great with curl or straight hair. I like to use this style a lot.

5-    A simple braid is a great hairstyle for when you are buys. This a great style for those who don’t know how to French braid.

What kind of quick hairstyles do you like to do? I would love to read about them.  Have a great morning/night. I will be posting on a regular schedule.

~Liu Miao~

my everyday makeup products

Hello guys! I am going to start  blogging again. My health is doing better. Today, I want to talk about my everyday makeup. There are those days that we don't have much for makeup. On those days, I still want to still look put together. These products would also be great for beginners in makeup wearing. Here are the products that I use:

Elf eyebrow kit: Groomed  eyebrows bring a fresh look for a person. Eyebrows define your face and you want them to look nice. This product was inexpensive too.

Elf eyelash curler: My eyelashes are super straight. If you have curly eyelashes, I am jealous of you and you can skip this step. I would not recommend a beginner to use a eyelashes curler.

Eyeliner: I use a liquid eyeliner in a maker tip form. NYC is one of my favorite brands to use. I sometimes use gel eyeliner. It depends on my mood on which form of eyeliner to use. I find that gel eyeliner stays on better.

Mascara: I use cover girl brand. Do not buy elf mascara because it is poor quality.

Don't forget to check Instagram and Facebook for updates on the blog. I would to hear about your everyday makeup products.

Relax

As a college student, I feel like the word relax is a foreign concept. There are many responsibilities that college student have. In this day, people have a mindset of always going and never stopping. This is not good for people to do. It is a hard struggle balancing responsibilities and relaxation. Everyone struggles with finding this balance in life. College students need to find this balance especially during the college years. Homework, work, family, and personal struggles are some things that college students have. One can burn themselves out during college. Trust me, I have done this in my short time in college. Here are ways I find the balance of work and play time.

- Have a hobby while in college. I like to do hand lettering, color, watch Netflix for an hour each day. This gives me the relaxation I need each day. You need to take time to do something fun each day. This will help you be less overwhelmed with your responsibilities.

- Time yourself. Finish some tasks and then do something fun. I like to work for one hour then "play" for one hour. There are a variety of apps that help you with this. Sometimes I like to read a couple of chapters then take a ten minute break. It depends on the assignment on how I will time my work and play time. 

- Eating helps me relax. Yes, I know this is weird way to relax but it helps me relax. I like to eat my favorite foods/snacks. Chocolate, guacamole &chips, Asian snacks, vegetables with ranch, and ramen are some of my favorite things to eat.

- Post it notes and my planner help me keep up with my responsibilities. Writing reminders down is really helpful. There are so many responsibilities to remember as a college student. It can be easy to forget a test date or homework assignment.

This is the first post of a new series. The series is called :Making 2017 great. How do you keep the balance of work and play time? Don't forget to check Instagram @awordwithlm and Facebook @A word with Liu Miao: ParrieLiu

Happy New Year 2017

I cannot believe that it is a new year! I apologize for not blogging regularly. There is so much going on right now. This year I will have a regularly schedule for posts. My holiday break has been great. I have two weeks left of vacation left. School is quickly approaching again. I am very excited for the new year and I have many ideas for the blog this year. Thank you for following A Word with Liu Miao and I hope that I can help you with my writing.  There are a few secrets that I want to share and some of these secretes explain why I haven’t posted on a consistent basis:

-      I have been going through some health and school problems. I didn’t have the energy to write for the blog and I needed to rest.  Even though I did well this past semester, it was a hard semester dealing with school and health problems. This spring semester, it is a lighter load and I will be able to keep up with the blog.

-      During the fall semester, I was in the process of changing my major. I went from biology to psychology with a minor in Spanish. I needed time to think about it. There are several reasons that I change and I will go into detail in another post.

-      I am working on a project which is taking a lot of time. It is a writing project. I can’t give details until it is done. There is a possibility the project doesn’t work, but I think the project will work great.

- I am traveling to Europe this summer! I have been given this amazing opportunity to travel.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts. I have much planned for the blog! What are you doing for your holiday break? Happy 2017