How to be Smarter: You gotta have rules for your own life. They don’t have to make sense to other people, but you need to have boundaries that you have created for yourself and will not bend on. There is no need to have a million personal dealbreakers, but there is also no need to have none, either.  

How to be Prettier:  This is a great dress because you can wear it with a white blazer over it to work, and then ditch the blazer and reveal the cutout for a post-work happy hour.

How to be (less) Awkward: Sometimes, even if I have enough clean laundry, I still wear my bathing suit under my work clothes. During the summer I’m inside all day in an office building in the middle of the city, but secretly knowing that at any second I am beach-ready makes me feel happy.

How to be Smarter: A list of what one magazine is calling The New Book Classics—pretty interesting to see what you have read (and which ones you still need to pick up).

How to be Prettier: A general rule of thumb is to buy high-end basics (i.e. an Elizabeth and James LBD) and more affordable trend-driven items (i.e. harem pants).

How to be (less) Awkward: Everyone is annoyed by someone who sighs loudly when they are assigned projects at work or given tasks in a group project.

How to be Smarter: One of the scariest things in a long distance relationship is uncertainty about staying connected. Before embarking on a distance separation, mitigate the fear of the unknown future with a communication plan. It doesn’t need to be written down, but it needs to be talked about. If you are actually serious about staying together, you need to be serious about thinking of ways to stay involved with each other’s lives. Discuss: How often will you talk? At a set time each day? Before dinner? Before bed? Will you text throughout the day, or will you talk about everything you need to say in a daily phone conversation? Is email an option? What about old-fashioned love letters and care packages? Can you visit? How often will you visit? Be aware that as the relationship goes on, your routines will need to change, and some days you might talk five times and some days you might talk none. But some sense of what to expect—some semblance of a plan—can and will help.

How to be Prettier: The big trend for late summer-going into fall footwear is going to be peep-toe short boots. Some examples here, here and here.

How to be (less) Awkward: An awkward silence on the phone always, always, always ends. Someone will always, always, always say something. Remind yourself of that during an awkward silence — to my knowledge, an awkward silence has yet to prove fatal.

How to be Smarter: I love googling “Six Word Memoir” and seeing what examples come up; this is one of my favorite articles that explains the phenomenon.

How to be Prettier: In general, the least healthy food is kept in the middle aisles of the grocery store. The middle is usually where the Gushers and the Cheetos are kept; the edges of the store is usually where they keep the produce, premade sushis and salads, and other fresh foods. Try to steer clear of being tempted by unhealthy foods by sticking to the edges of the store.

How to be (less) Awkward: Even if you are eating with a paper napkin, treat it with the same care you would a cloth napkin: no ripping or balling it up.

How to be Smarter: Don’t date people that make a huge mess at the sugar/milk station at Starbucks and don’t clean it up themselves. People that make huge messes and expect someone else to clean it up, both at sugar/milk stations and in life, are to be avoided.

How to be Prettier: Polka dots + Poodles + Sale Price = Best Light Fixture Ever.

How to be (less) Awkward: Email annoyances to try to avoid.

How to be Smarter: I just finished a memoir called This Is Not The Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness and really enjoyed it. If you don’t have time to read the whole book, it is based off of the writer’s Modern Love column from last year.    

How to be Prettier: I’ve noticed that the most fashionable of my friends say “wear” when talking about their bags; i.e. “I’m wearing my blue Coach bag today,” as opposed to, “I have my blue Coach bag today.” Just a tiny change that makes you seem more hip to the style scene.

How to be (less) Awkward: This is not based in anything other than my observations; it’s not scientific. But I do think the more nervous and overprotective you are about your boyfriend cheating, the more likely he is to do it.

How to be Smarter: I really believe that one of the best compliments you can receive is “you’re fun.” Being called fun means that you are easygoing, reasonably humorous, cool to be around, social, chatty, and make others feel welcome and included. It is an all-in-one compliment. Trying to work to earn this compliment, and being generous in giving it out to those in your life who deserve it, is a great way to spend your days.

How to be Prettier: Intriguing article about beauty in France.

How to be (less) Awkward: It really sucks when you say “I love you” to someone and they don’t say it back. And it really sucks when someone says “I love you” to you, and you don’t feel the same way back. But you know what sucks more? Saying words you don’t mean, or wanting to hear words someone doesn’t mean. People feel love at different time in different ways, and you need to let the I love yous come, from yourself and others, when they are truly meant.

Please check out my interview earlier this week with AffordableScarves.com!

How to be Smarter: You gotta stay relevant. Stay relevant at work, asking to help out on new projects. Stay relevant in the world, peruse Google News each morning. Stay relevant with your friends, inviting friends you are on the verge of losing touch with out to dinner. Stay relevant with your family, remembering to call far away grandparents. You gotta stay relevant.

How to be Prettier: Most healthy eating plans call for lean protein. Am I the only person who had no idea what lean protein is? This link explains it well.

How to be (less) Awkward: I would love for one of my friends or roommates to get this alarm clock, just because it is so hilarious and I love the idea of someone I know bumbling around in the morning looking for a propeller.

How to be Smarter: When packing to go on a trip, pairs of heels tend to be the item that is hardest to squish down and condense in your suitcase. Try to limit bringing only one to two pairs of heels—maybe a nude pair and something a little more flashy for night. Anything else is just heels you most likely won’t wear, and will take up room in your luggage.  And in the winter, never pack a pair of boots—so much baggage room can be lost to a pair of boots. Either wear them on the plane, or don’t bring them at all.

How to be Prettier: In my life, I have yet to be asked on a bike riding date. However, if I was, I would most certainly wear these heels—especially made for bike riding. Good for any and all girlie bikers out there—or just fun girls that want to wear comfortable, sunny heels.

How to be (less) Awkward: We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.

How to be Smarter: It’s okay to ask for help from people you love when you need it. But if you trust them enough to ask for their expertise, in return you cannot micromanage their approach.

How to be Prettier: Another good alternative to  Forever 21, GoJane also provides trendy clothes that are affordable. In particular, I like this open-back maxi dress in navy.

How to be (less) Awkward:  If a drink is accidentally spilled on you while you are out, there is just no point in making a big deal of it–it is already spilled.  Mop it up a bit, tell whoever is watching “oh don’t worry, I’m not that wet!,” and move on. A spilled drink dries and goes away. But the impression people get when a girl makes too big of a deal over a little accident of a spilled drink does not.

Please check out my guest post on Journey-Work today!

How to be Smarter: If you have a free spot in your schedule, or as you are picking electives for the fall, I really recommend you take an anthropology or sociology class in a topic that interests you. Learning how to observe the world around you from both an observational and academic perspective is one of the most helpful things you can do for your mind. Bonus: these classes are usually extremely interesting and fun to take.

How to be Prettier: You don’t need to live in a fancy castle (or apartment…) to enjoy finer china. Life’s too short to wait until you “have money” to buy nicer quality things within your budget. I just ordered two of these glass tea cups with saucers and….am looking forward to having tea parties, even if the only attending members are me and my book.

How to be (less) Awkward: Instead of being jealous, be inspired.

How to be Smarter: Two favorite titles of mine for beach reading: Dog Handling by Clare Naylor, and How to Get Divorced by 30 by Sascha Rothchild.

How to be Prettier: The best pump-up song to listen to while you are home for the summer and getting ready to meet up with old classmates is “The Girl Got Hot” by Weezer.

How to be (less) Awkward: If a boy takes you to the zoo, he likes you a lot.

How to be Smarter: This is a simple site, and if you bookmark and visit it each day, your vocabulary will have to improve.

How to be Prettier: It is definitely not accurate, but it is definitely fun to do. And it serves as a reminder to wear sunscreen!

How to be (less) Awkward: If you don’t have time to fully listen to a friend, boss or child who needs you, better to tell them sweetly that now is not a good time than to only listen with half a heart or half an ear and distracted attention. And remember to swiftly schedule a better time to talk!

How to be Smarter: Pretty informative article about the American flag in time for the holiday.

How to be Prettier: If you are going to get your hair done for a special occasion, be sure to wear a loose fitting top (a zip-up hoodie is ideal), so you can change clothes later without messing up your hair.

How to be (less) Awkward: If someone is trying, with good intentions, to make your life easier, you must say thank you even if they didn’t help you as much as you would have liked. If a small toddler tried to help you carry the laundry upstairs but ended up dropping most of it, you would still thank them for their effort. If a co-worker tried to help you by organizing some files but accidentally messed up a few, they still need to be thanked for their effort and their attempt to make your life easier.

Hey Friends,

It’s been exactly 19 months today that I started Smart Pretty and Awkward. I did the rough math on it and figure that it’s been about 1,200 tips since then.

Today I’d like some feedback on those tips. What haven’t I covered? What would you like to see more of? Less of? Different of? I love and welcome ALL feedback (and, as anyone that has emailed me can tell you, I respond to every email!).

Please drop me a line at smartprettyandawkward@gmail.com

xo, Molly