I am Maggie. I am a senior at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Currently, I live in a house with three of my best friends, but it wasn’t too long ago that I was living in a dorm. I remember my dorm days well and wanted to share with you some of my favorite things and must-haves to make the best of dorm life.
1. WEST ELM | Auburn Ottoman | One of my most used items in my college dorm room was an ottoman. Since seating is very limited in a small dorm room, these were the perfect way to seat all of my friends.
2. UGG | SCUFFETTE II |Going back and forth between the dorms and the dining hall happens at all hours of the day and night. More times than I can count. UGG slippers were my go-to for these excursions because you just slip them on and out you go. Four years later I still use these UGGS almost every day. Such a useful buy.
3. TARGET | Women’s Cozy Robe | A cozy robe is a must! I didn’t think of this one until I got to school and saw that my roommate had one. You not only need it for getting in and out of the shower but you will end up lounging in it while you get ready for game day!
4. AMAZON | BESTEK 6-Outlet Round Power Strip |In most dorm rooms there are only two outlets. These power strips are a great way to make outlets more available in your room. Another benefit of these particular power strips is how they have a USB outlet attached. Now you can charge your phone without needing a charging cube. It comes in handy when lots of friends are in your room and everyone needs to charge their phone.
5. POTTERY BARN TEEN | Emily & Meritt Pirate Striped Bath Wrap | Many dorm rooms can get hot. Especially if they don’t have AC. This towel wrap is a perfect substitute for a robe, especially during the hot months. I still use my today.
6. POTTERY BARN DORM | Bed Risers, White, 8″ |Dorms are very small so you need to be very strategic on how you store your items in your room. Bed risers are a super helpful way to gain some extra space. This is where you put all the stuff you don’t need to get to often.
7. POTTERY BARN TEEN | Extra Long Bedskirt, 24″ | Going along with the bed risers, this extra long bed skirt is a great way to hide the items you have under your bed. This helps your small dorm room look cleaner and less cluttered.
8. AMAZON | Mesh Shower Caddy Tote|Shower caddies are the best way to store your restroom needs while living in the dorms. Personally, I feel a flexible shower caddy is better than a hard one. I liked this one because you can hang it in the bathroom or on a hook in your room. Less clutter and cleaner in my opinion.
9. TARGET | Non-Slip Velvet Hanger Black |One of my biggest pet peeves is when clothes slip off hangers. My mom sent me off to college with felt hangers and I have never turned back. Felt hangers are so useful because they hold all styles of clothes, no matter what the fabric is.
10. TARGET | Cut Plush Body Pillow Cover |To get more seating space in your dorm use a body pillow. Place it longways along the side of your bed and the wall. This turns your twin XL bed into a sofa. Works every time.
11. AMAZON | Hilife Steamer | One big issue my friends and I had when we lived in the dorms was our clothes would wrinkle quickly due to how small our closets were. None of us wanted to buy an iron because it would take up too much space and was a huge hassle to use. Steamers were the perfect alternative because they were a small, easy to use tool that gets the job done fast and effectively.
12. DORMIFY | Charging Two Tone Lamp with Catchall | Dorm rooms normally have extra bright LED lights on the ceiling. These lights are harsh. A resolution to this is to get a few lamps that have outlets on the sides of them. These will go perfectly beside your bed and can be used to charge your phone.
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We know spice is in the eye of the beholder…or in this case, the taste buds. One person’s taste-bud-singeing swelter is another’s “you call that spicy?” That’s why we’re excited to announce a pair of menu innovations arriving to U.S. restaurants this fall to please our spice-seeking customers: Spicy Chicken McNuggets and Mighty Hot Sauce. Both will be available September 16 for a limited time at participating restaurants nationwide.
Breaded with a sizzling tempura coating made of both cayenne and chili peppers, these craveable, dippable and downright-delicious Spicy Chicken McNuggets are joining our classic McNugget line up, and pack plenty of spice and flavor into each bite.
For those who care to dial up the heat, we’ve crafted our new Mighty Hot Sauce, boasting a powerful blend of crushed red peppers and spicy chilis. The new dipping sauce is both our first new sauce innovation since 2017 and the hottest one available at McDonald’s. Trust us – you’re going to want to take a dip.
“This is the first time we’ve introduced a new flavor of our classic Chicken McNuggets in the U.S. since they came to menus in 1983,” said Vice President of Menu Innovation, Linda VanGosen. “As our customers have been asking for Spicy McNuggets for some time now, we couldn’t think of a better time to bring them to our menus. We can’t wait for McNuggets fans to get a taste of these new spicy options.”
Spicy heat, meet cool and sweet.To give fans the sweet, cool relief they might need after experiencing the Spicy Chicken McNuggets heat, we’re introducing the new Chips Ahoy!® McFlurry®. This delicious treat features vanilla soft-serve, caramel topping and Chips Ahoy!® cookie pieces blended throughout. The Chips Ahoy!® McFlurry® will be available in Snack and Regular sizes for a limited time at participating U.S. restaurants nationwide beginning September 16.
Of course, fans can also treat themselves to a delicious moment with a McFlurry® year-round in McDonald’s two classic flavors: OREO® and M&M’S®.
We’re always listening to our customers and are thrilled to bring them delicious twists on two beloved classics this September with the release of our Spicy Chicken McNuggets with Mighty Hot Sauce and Chips Ahoy!® McFlurry®, all available through Drive Thru and McDelivery.
About McDonald’s USAMcDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook. www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.
About McDonald’s USA’s Chicken McNugget Quality
McDonald’s USA, LLC, is committed to serving our customers chicken offerings that meet our high-quality standards. In July 2016, we reached our commitment to serve chicken not treated with antibiotics important to human medicine* a year ahead of schedule. In August 2016, we removed all artificial preservatives, colors or flavors from our Chicken McNuggets.
*Farmers still use Ionophores, a class of antibiotic that is not important to human medicine, to keep chickens healthy.
Read Morefor the second event in our Summer of Surprises series, we partnered with Casa del Barco to give out 200 free tacos to Short Pump Town Center Guests
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Thanks so much to Short Pump Town Center, The Cheesecake Factory, 103.7 Play, Melissa Chase Balloons and Things, and the TFB team (Jocelyn and Kim!) for making the Short Summer of Surprises kickoff a fun and safe event! Thanks to WTVR CBS 6 News and NBC12 for helping us spread the word. See you next Friday 8/14 for free TACOS from Casa del Barco! 🌮 🎈 🛍
We’re so excited to announce Short Pump Town Center as Tiramisu For Breakfast Agency’s newest client! Our first project is the Summer of Surprises, and we really think you’re going to like it 😉
Short Pump Town Center Launches Summer of Surprises Series with Giveaways from the
Retailers and Restaurants of Short Pump Town Center.
WHO/WHAT:
Many events have been postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to bring a little joy during these unprecedented times, Short Pump Town Center is
rolling out its Summer of Surprises for local shoppers and the surrounding community. Short
Pump’s Summer of Surprises will include a series of giveaways kicking off on August 7th and
running through the end of the month. Enjoy a cheesecake slice from The Cheesecake Factory
as a fun summer treat and add a little fun to your Friday with a free taco from Casa del Barco.
Visitors can stop by Short Pump Town Center’s Main Plaza near Crate & Barrel and Pottery
Barn to grab one of these complimentary treats while supplies last:
Free slices of cheesecake from The Cheesecake FactoryAugust 7th, 1:30 pm – 3:30pm
Free tacos from Casa del BarcoAugust 14th, 1:30 pm – 3:30pm
*giveaways available while supplies last. One giveaway per person. No purchase necessary.
More dates & giveaways to be announced soon! The safety of our staff and visitors is of the utmost importance. Visitors will be required to wear a
mask and practice social distancing.
Visit @ShortPumpMall on Instagram or Facebook for information on each week’s giveaway
WHEN:Free slices of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory on August 7th,1:30 pm – 3:30pm
Free tacos from Casa del Barco on August 14th, 1:30 pm – 3:30pm WHERE:
Short Pump Town Center
11800 West Broad Street MORE:
For interview requests and exclusive photos, please contact Christina Dick at Tiramisu
For Breakfast Agency christina@tfbagency.com.
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Eric Morehouse of The Morehouse Group in Richmond, Va. admits that one of the biggest challenges REALTORS® face is a lack of trust. Buying a home is a very significant life purchase, and trusting a REALTOR® to be a partner in that transaction doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no single post, ad, or photo that will immediately win over potential buyers or sellers. But, you’ve got to start somewhere. Here are a few tips for starting and maintaining a social media presence that builds trust through consistency and community.
GETTING STARTED
There are a few initial steps you’ll need to take to set your social media strategy up for success.Analyze your current plan
Start by auditing your current social media plan and strategies. Take a look at what’s working for your business, and also what’s not. Examine what you’re posting, and more importantly, how your audience is reacting. Is there any piece of promotion that doesn’t feel true to your values? If you’re just getting started, you might not have much to analyze — and that’s OK.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
It’s important to look to your competitors and othersin the industry for inspiration. This will give you an idea of what’s out there, and will ultimately help you to determine what differentiates you from others in the market. You must also analyze your audience. What are your buyer’s pain points? What are the frequently asked questions? What always comes up in conversations?
EVALUATE YOUR GOALS
Ask yourself: Is my current social media plan helping me to achieve my business goals? This answer will help you decide what adjustments you need to make. What’s important to you? Obviously, showcasing your listings and educating the public on the real estate industry is a must. But what else will you add in to make your approach unique? What about your business do you want highlight? Knowing your goals will help you determine what kind of content you should create and share.Decide what channels you want to be on and why
Do you want to maintain a Facebook and a Twitter account? What about Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube? It’s important to consider your bandwidth — how much time do you have to maintain each of these channels? You don’t need to be on each one of them, but if you’re going to be, you’ll need to dedicate enough time and resources to make the most of it. You’ll also need to consider what channels your audience prefers. Talk to your buyers and sellers about how they use social media. Maybe you’ve traditionally used Facebook to market and connect, but your clients prefer Instagram. Meet your audience where they are. With a good strategy
and proper planning, you can overcome the offenses
to make social media a tool
for marketing success and business growth.
BUILDING TRUST
In marketing, we talk about “touch points,” referring to every interaction your customer/client/audience has with your business/brand. Everything you say or do is a chance to make an impression, or as Seth Godin says in his blog, a “chance to either raise or lower your average.” Use this same strategy with social media to build lasting, trusting relationships with your clients. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Be consistent: Make sure you seem like the same person on social media as you do in your print ads or at networking events. Social media is your opportunity to reinforce that you are who you say you are on a regular basis.Infuse your personality: Be you! But, remember to resist revealing too much of your personal information.
Be part of your chosen community: Just as you support others in real-life, make an effort to show your support on social media. Dedicate time to commenting, liking, and sharing to reflect the things you care about.
Know what results you want: Are you trying to drive people
to your website, to build awareness, to engage or entertain your audience or to strengthen your relationship with them? If you’re
just posting and sharing to check off a box, that will come across to your audience. Instead, ask for information through comments and replies. Just make sure you know what you’re going to do with the information you receive, and show your audience you appreciate their engagement by continuing the conversation. Make successful client stories work for you: To help buyers overcome the intimidation/hesitation of working with a REALTOR® they don’t know, highlight the stories of those who you’ve already worked with. Your past clients can become advocates for you through testimonials. This tactic has always been a great business strategy, but it’s even more powerful in the age of social media. Want to make an even bigger impact? Encourage your past clients to submit video testimonials and post those on your social media channels.
Analyze and optimize: My favorite thing about social media is the ability to explore new opportunities and improve. Most of us are intimidated by change, but it’s important to try new things and watch how our followers react. Your social media community will give you clues to determine how your content should evolve.
Remember to use social media as a tool to amplify the things you and your business are already doing well. Social media should not be an extra thing you have to do or learn. It should be a tool you can use to make the most out of all of the hard work, energy, and passion you’re putting into all parts of your business. Focus on this, and your clients will see this passion and will trust your expertise to lead them through the home buying and selling process. 360 Photos
Photos have been shared on
Facebook for more than a decade
now, and they are one of the
main ways REALTORS® showcase
their business. Buyers look to
REALTORS® to be their eyes and ears and Facebook’s new 360 photo feature allows you to do just that. Simply take a panorama with your phone or capture a 360-degree photo using a photo app like Google Street View or a 360 camera and then post it to Facebook as you would any normal photo. Facebook then converts it to an immersive 360 photo that people can explore and experience as if they were standing in the space the photo is representing — like a listing for instance.
But you don’t have to use 360 photos just for views inside the house. Get creative and show a 360-view from the bus stop, the neighborhood park, etc. You can also incorporate 360 photos into the other types
of content you share. Think about taking beautiful shots of your community/city to get buyers to picture themselves living there. Read More
Kristina Karlsson, the woman behind the inspiring global success story, kikki.K, shares personal insights from her amazing journey, from humble beginnings on a small farm in Sweden to the 3am light bulb moment that led her to chase and achieve dreams that are now inspiring a worldwide community of dreamers.
Filled with simple and practical magic – and inspiring stories and wisdom from people who’ve dared to dream big – this book will show you how to harness the power of dreaming to transform your life in small, simple steps.
“The job is what you do when you are told what to do. The job is showing up at the factory, following instructions, meeting spec, and being managed.
Someone can always do your job a little better or faster or cheaper than you can.
The job might be difficult, it might require skill, but it’s a job.
Your art is what you do when no one can tell you exactly how to do it. Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people.
I call the process of doing your art ‘the work.’ It’s possible to have a job and do the work, too. In fact, that’s how you become a linchpin.
The job is not the work.”
“what we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.”
“If you see your creative work as a chore, an obligation, or solely as an item to cross off your to-do list, the work will feel that way to you and anybody who interacts with it. On the other hand, if you see your work as a gift, a privilege, an opportunity to share the truth of what’s in your heart with the world, that’s the experience you’ll have with it. Same work, different perspectives.
The creative process—not the result—is the source of our happiness. We feel the joy of being so immersed and engaged in what we’re doing that we lose track of time. We experience moments of creative daring, beautiful magic, and the unexpected surprises that show up along the way. Fortunately, our commitment to and belief in the process is entirely in our control. We can decide to show up, sit down, and create. If we listen to the process of creativity and stay attentive, it can be our gateway to meaning.”
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw
The least favorite students were the non-conformists who made up their own rules. Teachers tend to discriminate against highly creative students, labeling them as troublemakers.
“Generosity is, by definition, disinterested.”
“It’s all really very simple. You don’t have to choose between being kind to yourself and others. It’s one and the same.”
“Try this experiment. Start with an ordinary situation such as riding in a taxi, buying paper at a stationary shop, or sitting in the train. Then try exchanging a few words with the taxi driver, making eye contact with the salesperson, striking up a conversation with someone on the train. For some of us, that happens spontaneously; others have to do it deliberately. Be fully present in this brief contact, and expect the other to be so as well. Suddenly a change occurs: Something becomes unblocked and energy circulates. It might not be an encounter of two souls. But it surely will be an exchange of vital energy between two people.”
“Like a kid in a candy store” is one of the most iconic images of joy in our culture, expressing the wild, almost delirious pleasure we take in being let loose in a bountiful world. When I first started hearing about the places that give people joy, I realized that many of them evoke this giddy feeling of abundance: carnivals and circuses, dollar stores and flea markets, and giant old hotels like the Grand Budapest of director Wes Anderson’s imagining. The same feeling also exists on a smaller scale. An ice-cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles is like a candy store held in your hand. A shower of confetti, a multicolored quilt, a simple game of pick-up sticks, have this irresistible allure.
Even the language of joy is rife with excess. We say we’re overjoyed or that we’re brimming with happiness.We say, “My cup runneth over.” And this is very much how it feels to be in a moment of joy, when our delight is so abundant it feels like it can’t be contained.”
Busy is a decision. – Debbie Millman
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – William Bruce Cameron
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