GAIQ Exam- My Experience

I'll just come out and say it: I do this to myself. I hate anticipating taking a big test. Studying is fine...but the length it takes to learn all of the information makes me anxious because I have NO PATIENCE, people! But despite this, I still sign up to take these tests and certifications anyway because I WANT THEM! Ugh. The perfectionist in me needs to be put under a little more control...

Anyways, I have signed up to take the Principles of Public Relations certificate exam, and I have been (attempting) at studying during every moment of free time I have. At work, we need to be knowledgable of Google Analytics because of the data and information it collects about our social media platforms and users. So... despite already being in the midst of studying for one huge exam, my coworker and I decide to dedicate ourselves to another. Behold, the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam.

The GAIQ exam is composed of 70 questions- all multiple choice with some true/false mixed in. The exam used to be $50.00, but now it is free. Thank you, Google Gods! Here is some more information about the exam, screenshotted from Google:

Creating a Google Partners profile is very easy and is free. When you get to the main screen, click on the "Join Google Partners" tab and then click on the green "Join Now" button. From there, you will accept terms and conditions and have access to your main page. When you click on "certifications" you can click on "analytics" and then it shows an option to take the GAIQ test on the right hand side. I highly recommend running through the Google Analytics Academy Google Analytics Academy offers free courses that highlight information that will be on the exam in the form of videos, along with practice assessments and quizzes. 

Whenever I am gearing up to take a test or certification, I often go online to see if anyone else has taken the same exam that I will be taking and shares their experience. Almost like an exam review- with thoughts, opinions, and how the user thought the test questions were. Sadly, there is nothing available for my Principles of Public Relations certificate exam, so I plan on creating a similar post after I take the exam for all PRSSA members who want an idea of what the test is like and my experience!

As for the GAIQ exam itself, I won't sugarcoat it: These questions were HARD. The good thing is, there is so much out there online to help you with this test. There are multiple websites with an abundance of practice quizzes and materials. If you spend a couple times a week highlighting different sections, watching videos, and going through different practice quizzes, you should be fine. You know yourself best and how you study and take tests, so take the test when the time is right for you. A lot of the test questions had multiple answers that you could pick- like an "A, B, and C are correct" kind of thing. A lot of the questions had to do with tracking as well. Make sure you really pay attention to API and tracking for emails.

I know that some of you are probably reading this thinking "why should I take this exam?" here are some reasons why I took the exam:

-This exam is beneficial for someone in the social media marketing, public relations, or business field.

-Gives a leg up on Google Analytics knowledge which will be used in your workplace

-Looks great on resume!

-Makes life easier for YOU when figuring out Google Analytics and gathering data

-Really makes you stand out when job searching

-You get this:

When you finish the exam, you get a lovely certificate to print and your certification will be valid for 18 months. If you want to keep your certification, you (unfortunately or not) will have to retest but at least 18 months is a good amount of time to keep your certification.

You also get this awesome little title in your Google Partners profile:

If you have any other questions about the GAIQ exam, don't hesitate to reach out or post a comment below!

Good luck!

-Grace

Article Published on The Legal Equestrian

 I have recently been asked to be a guest writer for The Legal Equestrian blog, and I am so excited! I am pumped to be able to write about horses and riding, my absolute two favorite things combined! I found out about The Legal Equestrian by combing through the internet, and I loved the large amount of content on the blog. It truly has something for every rider and horse lover and I am so excited to contribute and document my journey on riding and showing in this new chapter of my life. I have published an article on the blog before being chosen as a guest writer, and the link to that is below, if you would like to take a look! I highly encourage you all to check out The Legal Equestrian if you are a horse lover. If you would like to contribute, they have a submissions page! <3 Good luck!

Here is the link to my article:

http://thelegalequestrian.com/2016/06/08/saying-goodbye-and-gaining-a-forever-friend-a-story-and-perspective-about-losing-your-first-horse/

Check out the blog periodically to find my articles, and I will post the links here as well!

Have a great day, everyone! :)

I have a question... Why do we all suck at dating advice?

"I think it's time to move on."

This was a sentence frequently exchanged between my best friend and I whenever we vented (read: cried, griped, screamed) about the guys who broke our hearts. We were both still clearly hurting YEARS after the initial heartbreaks, but whenever we would go to each other upset about the Mr. Heartbreaker in question, we would BOTH become annoyed at each other for still being upset, and utter the magic sentence shared above. It did absolutely nothing to make us both feel better. However, it did succeed in, excuse my language- making us both feel like shit.

What about this sentence?

"I don't really think it is healthy that this keeps happening..."

UGH. How many times have we gone to a friend, feeling upset and lost after a fight with a significant other, and gotten THIS for a response?! What is saying something along the lines of "oh, you got in a fight with your boyfriend? That's not healthy!" going to do to make any friend feel better about their fight? Answer... nothing. And to the friends that I have said this to... I LOVE YOU AND I'M SORRY.

Let's be real for a second. As much as those glossy & shiny social media photos may lead you to believe otherwise- couples fight. They bicker, they argue, they pout, but then they get over it and life moves on. As difficult as it can be sometimes, fighting is such a natural part of a relationship. And at the end of the day, we know nothing about our friend's relationship compared to what they know. Who are WE, complete outsiders essentially, to tell them what is healthy and what is not (except for abuse/cheating)? But for your average couple that has an otherwise normal young relationship, getting into a few fights is completely okay. If your friend is coming to you to vent about a fight, ask them if they are alright. All of us (myself included) are so quick to rush to the "what happened?!" and get all of the juicy details. I think that asking our friend if they are okay is the most important first question. Let your friend vent, and then ask how he/she feels. How are you feeling right now? or what are your thoughts right now? Another great question to ask is the actual can I give you advice? It is so common (myself included x1000) to just go ahead and give our best friends unsolicited advice. We think that it is our place to since we are so close, but in some instances (read: relationship problems) where people are especially sensitive, it is important to ask first before we give our opinion.

How about this sentence:

"Break up with him/her."

Oh, man... to those of us in relationships, if we had every dollar for a time we got this sentence after going to someone for advice after a fight, we would be rich. 

Why is it a default to tell our friends to immediately break up with a significant other at the sight of a problem or disagreement? I guess we could say it is because we are protective. I think about it in terms of one of my close friends. We have gone through so much relationship BS in the past that when a current boyfriend begins to act up, I get all "grrrrr" protective mama bear. We love our friends and want the best for them, but sometimes, we have to put that protectiveness aside and let them get through these challenges with their significant other, because how else will they grow as a couple and get through it? Especially if they actually, you know, LOVE and care about he person they are with. Hearing "break up with him/her" will honestly do NOTHING for them except make them feel bad.

Okay, getting real again: None of us are "perfect" friends. Each one of us brings a different perspective to the table and we are all there for each other in different ways. Some friends may just be better to talk to about relationships with than others. That doesn't mean one party is the "better" friend and the other one is the "worse" friend.

I think of my close friend Amanda. Whenever I get in a fight or disagreement with my significant other, she doesn't give me advice or direction. Instead, she is genuinely sad for the both of us and offers an ear to listen in on how I am feeling about the argument or how I want to get through it. When things are good between my significant other and I, she is genuinely happy that we are happy.

I think we all need to strive to be more like Amanda in that way. Instead of being quick to say something along the lines of "move on", "that isn't healthy/right/shouldn't be happening", or "break up with him/her", let's be there for our friends and feel for them when they are sad or going through something with their boyfriend or girlfriend. And no matter what decision they decide to make in regards to their relationship, whether it be a breakup then makeup, an anniversary, a trip, or a certain feeling after a big fight, let's be there in 100% support every step of the way.

Grace

OMG Alert- New Maybelline Baby Lips Glow Balm 2016

Everyone who knows me knows that I love the ever popular Baby Lips lip balm from Maybelline. I didn't even catch this on their Instagram page until just now, and O-M-G, am I excited! I recently just added to my collection by buying the remaining shades in the Baby Lips Balm Balls collection, and then bought Spice It Up and Sprinkled Pink from the 2015 holiday collection. It is safe to say that I own- or have owned at one point- every Baby Lips shade there is from the United States. So, with that being said, I have to get my hands on this new product.

I immediately went to add Maybelline on my Snapchat to get more of a scoop, but apparently missed their snaps detailing the product. Darn it... The description in the Instagram caption reads:

"NEW #babylips alert! Get the entire scoop on our most innovative lip balm, the super collectable new baby lips glow balm on our snapchat. dd #babylips alert! Get the entire scoop on our most innovative lip balm, the super collectable new baby lips glow balm on our snapchat."

Hmmm, I cannot wait to get my hands on this new balm. I went to go order it online through the Ulta website but with shipping, my order totaled to over ten dollars. I found it on Amazon.com and tried buying it since I have some leftover money from a graduation gift card on there, but the lip balm was sadly an add on item and I would have had to make a $25.00 purchase before adding it on. Sorry... but #aintnobodygottimeforthat. Sigh... If anyone gets this balm before I do, please let me know in the comments below how you like it! I am so excited there is a new shade and am ready to start collecting again and really hope it hits stores soon. 

An interesting note, Maybelline already has Glow Balm here in New Zeland. I wonder if it is the same stuff just in different packaging. 

Amazon reviews on the product can be found here.

Have a great evening, beauties, and happy hunting!

   Grace 

Internship Outfit Ideas and Tips

Good morning, everyone! Here I am finding the inspiration to type up this blog -on my phone- at 6:50 a.m. on my morning train. Whew! As those of you who are my Facebook (and Instagram, and Snapchat, and Twitter, and...) friends know, I have a social media internship with a tech/web development agency in their Chicago office. I starred virtual work in late April and started in office on May 9th. The commute can get a bit long and the 5:30 wake up time isn't my exact cup of tea, but I am learning a lot so far, especially about the right kinda of clothes for traveling to the city and sitting in the office all day.

You all know that I have mentioned dressing up makes me feel more confident and prepared, and that is no exception when it is time for my internship. Let me walk you through a typical outfit you will usually find me wearing ambling my way around the city:

1. HIGH WAISTED WORK PANTS. I write this in all caps because these are a must. My office has a casual dress code and employees usually just wear whatever they are comfortable with. And yes, that includes jeans. I have worn jeans in the office a few days for work, just because they went along with the rest of the outfit I was wearing that day and were dark in color. But even if your office has a relaxed dress code, I would not recommended working in jeans, just because *ugh, the pinch* and because I feel more professional wearing dressier pants. I have a pair of black pants from Banana Republic, and a blue, polka-dot, and striped (shown in photos) pair from Gap. These pants are great because not only do they look more professional and have more fun patterns you can work with, but because hello high waist! So comfortable for whatever form of public transportation you take as well as sitting in the office all day.

2. Top of choice + sweater or cardigan: I base what top I am wearing on any given day on the pants I decide to wear, but regardless of if it is cold or hot out, I always bring a cardigan or a sweater with me to work (shown in photos). I don't know about you, but my office is C-O-L-D. Having something extra doesn't hurt, and if you walk in one day and the office is surprisingly warm, you can always take it off.

3. Comfortable, sturdy footwear: I usually opt for the shoes I am wearing in the photos, black with a very low heel. These shoes look and feel professional, and despite the heel, I am able to walk comfortably in them. The shoe is the icing on top of the outfit cake- it can make or break. Make sure it is comfortable and doesn't pop off of your feet or cause blisters when you walk (my flats are guilty of doing this in the middle of busy train station walks- not fun).

4. A watch and statement necklace: Simple accessories can add a fun pop of color. For example, my statement necklace brings a bit more to the outfit I am wearing. I also wear a watch because it helps me look and feel a bit more professional. It's nice to have something fun to look down to on your wrist.

I usually have the same exact makeup routine each day. On my lips is something usually Baby Lips related, whether the regular lip balm, gloss, or a combination of both. Hair changes each day as well. Some days I don't have enough to style my hair and I'm walking out the door with it flat (the worst feeling), but some days I curl it the night before so I have some texture in the morning. The glasses are usually to cover up those 5 a.m. under eye bags ;) Here's one other tip- for some reason, my skin feels and looks extremely oily at work, so I purchased a few packets of Walgreens oil blotting sheets. They are perfect to use discreetly in the office bathroom if you feel some major shine going on.

P.S. How is everyone doing on the no skin picking challenge? I've had my fair share of flare ups, but
since I haven't been picking, my entire skin tone looks more even. It feels good to break a habit! My current goal is to get rid of some of the acne scars I currently have. Does anyone have some tips for that or products that have worked for them? I would love to know!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and have enjoyed these tips- the goal is to wear something that will make you look and feel like an utter badass at work. Because you got this!! We will talk soon!


XOX, Grace

Happy Birthday Anthony: 22 Things I Love About You!

                         Our relationship in a nutshell: Me being annoying and you tolerating it :D 

Happy Birthday, Anthony! In honor of your 22nd birthday, I made a list of 22 things I love about you:

1. That night you stayed with me all night when I had that bad migraine 

2. Helping me fix my printer 

3. Your smile and laugh when you are being goofy

4. YOU IZ SILLY BOI

5. Fert

6. You always going out of your way to take care of me

7. Your kisses

8. Your too-tall-for-me hugs

9. Your serious side

10. Your love of Dunkin

11. The time you lied to the car wash man (sorry for broadcasting it to the internet) 

12. Mustache you know what 

13. Your freckles

14. Playing with your hair

15. Your cuddles

16. Lazy days at the lake

17. Your driving skills

18. Your Snapchats

19. That you tolerate me/everything that we have gone through 

20. That you go see silly movies with me that you might not want to see

21. The you like The Bachelor now

22. The fact that you waited three months for me :)

                                         Our first ever picture together- December of 2014!!

I LOVE YOU ANTHONY! 22 will be an amazing year for you! Full of new beginnings, work, blessings, and fun times. Soak it up and enjoy every single minute of it. I am so happy to be by your side. Love you long time!!! Also, TBT to your birthday last year when I accidentally flushed your only pair of contacts down the sink and you had to wear glasses during your license picture.....

Love Grace

2016 Christie Clinic Illinois Half-Marathon Race Recap

I survived!!!!!

Well, looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't think I would survive this race. It was partly because I had done a 10 mile training run at the beginning of April and afterwards I stuck to mostly 1 mile runs for the next few weeks. I felt bored and burned out, and therefore in my mind, I "wasn't ready". I love running so much and love having a goal to work towards, but sometimes, knowing that I "HAVE" to go out and do a run can be a bit of a drag sometimes, especially if it is something that is done so often during the week. I did an 8k (around 5 miles) trail race back in October with Anthony, who ended up doing the 5k, but that has been about it since the 2014 Chicago Marathon. I think that I had psyched myself out so much before this race because I haven't ran a distance race since 2014.

Anthony and I at Timber Pointe for the Run The Woods 5k and 8k- Anthony got 2nd in his age division and I took 1st.

Because of my worrying/anxiety/spazzing out about the whole thing, I sent a text to Anthony right before leaving for packet pickup saying "I don't think I can do this". I was seriously considering just calling it a day and sleeping in the next morning. But our friend Devin was running as well, and calmed me down right before we left. Having her there truly made me feel better, and I went to the expo/packet pickup sucking it up and knowing that I had to stick with it.

Expo/Packet Pickup: Located in the ARC at the U of I campus. Went very smoothly, and there were so many great vendors at the expo as well as wonderful volunteers. After walking around the expo, Anthony and I drove around the campus to see all of the fraternity/sorority houses. 

Race day: Anthony and I woke up bright and early at 4:50 to get ready to leave. We wanted to take as much time as we needed since we had the drive to make. I had my pre-race steel cut oatmeal breakfast and Anthony got six donuts from Dunkin'... LOL. We then filled up my car and were on our way!

Besides for slight traffic, parking went smoothly and we headed out to the starting line. The whole day was rainy and gross, and it was actually one of the things I was really nervous for with this race. I had never ran a distance race in the rain before, so I was nervous it would mess with me. Luckily, it didn't. Besides just getting totally soaked like Splash Mountain, the rain didn't bother me as much as time went on, I was so focused on finishing I didn't actually notice it. I ran with Devin and her mom for the first four or so miles, then we naturally separated with different paces. Just before mile two, however, I dropped my phone and it fell into a puddle with hundreds of runners stampeding around it. I had to run back into the sea of runners, grab my phone, made sure it still worked, and then ran back to Devin and her mom. WHEW.

Besides that, the rest of the run went very smooth. I usually stop a lot to stretch/catch my breath during training runs, and this time I didn't stop at all. By mile six, I had found my groove and was in the mindset to finish this thing. The individual miles seemed to stretch on and go by fast at the same time. We ran through charming Urbana neighborhoods, streets lined with shops, and the U of I campus. I was so surprised I didn't stop, and my legs felt like heavy bricks by mile 11. My pace slowed, but I knew I would be able to finish. I saw Anthony standing with Devin's boyfriend at mile 10, I was able to give him a quick kiss and look at the sign he made for me: "Grace runs and I eat donuts". 

The race finished in the U of I football stadium, which was super awesome. I pulled out my phone to film myself running across the finish line for Snapchat, which was awesome because now I can go back and savor the memory as much as I want to. After finishing the run, it hit me how COLD and RAINY and GROSS it was, and I needed to get warmed up! I didn't prepare as well as I thought, and I didn't bring any dry clothes for after the race. Luckily, Devin had some dry clothes for me to wear, so shout out to Devin because she seriously saved my life.

After changing/stretching/shivering, we went to get food at The Original Pancake House in Urbana. It was a super busy day, but the food was excellent. Anthony got a meat lovers omelet, Devin got a veggie omelet, Devin's boyfriend Ethan got a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, and I got Eggs Benedict. Everything was so yummy with great portion sizes (the omelets were huge). We all left full and happy, but still a little cold. 

Devin and I after breakfast!

Overall, I have learned to never doubt myself, because I exceeded my expectations on race day. I am so proud of myself that I crossed the finish line! Now, it is time for foam rolling and lots of stretching! Special thank you to Devin for giving me dry clothes and running with me, and Anthony for waking up with me so early, going to packet pickup with me, and supporting me through this whole thing. I am so incredibly grateful! Overall, wonderful spectators and volunteers, such kind people and a wonderfully executed race. Congratulations to everyone that finished! 

P.S., I have had many friends tell me that running a distance race is something they have always wanted to do, but don't know where to get started. Let me tell you that anyone can do these runs, it all comes down to training properly and having the right mindset! Maybe I will write a future blog post about running advice, how I started, and how to train properly for distance races!

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Grace