Tag: summer

Entertainer blogger award

Published on by Alicia9 Comments

Good afternoon everyone, just taking a break from homework to do this award! Cassie nominated me for the Entertainer Blogger Award and I’m super excited to do it! Also, go check out Cassie’s blog because she’s super sweet!!! So, thank you Cassie for nominating me and let’s get started with the award!

THE RULES:

  • Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Add these rules to your post.
  • Answer all the questions below.
  • Display the award picture in your post.
  • Nominate 12 other bloggers who are funny, inspiring and most important of all ENTERTAINING!

THE QUESTIONS

  • Why did you start a blog in the first place? I love writing and since I’m not majoring in anything writing/ reading related in college, I don’t get to write in school, so I figured I would write outside of school
  • What is your favourite book? I don’t think I have a favorite book but one I read recently and really enjoyed is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
  • What do you dislike the most? When people put others down for doing something they want to do
  • What is your favourite food at the mall? Starbucks? Not too much mall food is vegan..
  • What is your favourite pasttime? Probably writing, listening to music, or doing like organizational things

NOMINATIONS

Alanna         Shannon         Jasmine         Laura         Tabi         Alana

Alyssa       Lu         Michelle         Monique          Kim         Jess

That’s it. Hope you enjoyed and if you complete the award be sure to tag me because I would love to read your answers!!

Alicia

Hello September

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Hi everyone, this week has been filled with school, homework, work, and going to the gym so I will update on all of that in the coming days. However, for the past few months (on and off) I have started off the month by writing a few goals for the month, During August I never followed up with them, but since I am finally back in the swing of things, I will be following up again at the end of the month. Let’s get started with my September goals

  1. Finish all of my homework the day BEFORE it is due. My classes don’t start until 12:55 but I don’t want to spend my morning rushing to finish any last minute homework and not make it to the gym or be late to class.
  2. Go to the gym 5 (or more) days a week. I joined a club called CHAARG which is for girls who love working out and fitness and to liberate girls from the elliptical, so that will help with  keeping myself accountable, however, if #1 doesn’t succeed, me making it to the gym after class is a rarity
  3. Call or Facetime my family at least twice a month. I call my dad daily to rant about life and to tell him about my future husband I met this week, but I rarely call anyone else. A facetime during a weekend where I get to talk to my parents, sister, and my dog, of course, would be nice.
  4. Practice good hygiene. I’m good about this in the usual aspects: brushing my teeth, using soap, showering etc. however, my skin sometimes needs some TLC. I need to remember to wash my face twice a day and to put lotion on my face and body twice a day as well.
  5. Go to club meetings. One thing I didn’t do in San Diego was join clubs or hell, talk to more than 5 people, so this year, I am making it a habit of joining 3 clubs and going to as many of the meetings that my schedule permits because I want to make friends here, besides my roommate.

There were my September goals. Do you have any?

Alicia

Weird

Published on by Alicia4 Comments

I feel weird. Ohio is weird. It’s my first night here and I just feel weird. Maybe it’s the fact that my sinuses are clogged beyond repair or maybe it’s because i feel like a speck of dust floating in the air, but I feel weird.

I am all moved in, my dad has come and gone, and my roommate and I have exchanged some small talk about our home lives and old schools.

However, as I sit here on my new bedding, looking at my tidy desk and 4 dorm walls where I’ll be spending a great deal of my next 9 months, I can’t help but feel weird.

This feeling is one I’ve felt before. It’s the feeling of being in a new place. When you don’t know what to do, so you float, you just float and float and float until you are given a routine or a task or a human plucks you from thin air and says you are not dust anymore.

I don’t want to be dust. I have 2 full days before school starts and I just feel like dust. Sunday will be fine with floor meetings and involvement fairs and scoping out classes.

But tomorrow, what will be of tomorrow? I might just go out and scope out campus, maybe grab a cup of coffee and write until my heart’s content. I don’t know what will be of tomorrow,  or the days and weeks to come after; but I know one thing: I do not want to be dust.

Back to school series: school year goals

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Finishing up my back to school series by doing something I love making; lists of goals. Whenever I start something new; a year, a school, a job, etc. I love making a little set of goals for myself. Here are my goals for school this semester

  1. Go to the gym 6 days a week
  2. Drink 64oz of water daily
  3. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night- Usually, I’d want 8 but let’s be honest
  4. Finish all of my homework before the day it’s due- Usually pertaining to essays and studying
  5. Get 10,000 steps in daily- With my job on the opposite end of campus, this should be no problem
  6. Try not to skip class more than once a month- The goal is not missing at all but it’s bound to happen a few times a semester and that’s okay.
  7. Use my planner!
  8. Visit my professors at least once each- Nothing says dedicated like going to office hours no matter how small the question may seem
  9. Join an extracurricular  activity (or 6)- I’ve already got a few ones I I’d like to join, it just depends on whether or not they fit into my schedule
  10. Aim for Straight As
  11. Read a book or two that wasn’t assigned- I love reading but sometimes I find that Netflix and napping are higher on my list of priorities
  12. Save money

What are your goals for the next 6 months?

Alicia

Back to school series: essentials for your emergency bag

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Hi everyone, tomorrow I am leaving for Tennessee to see the total eclipse (yes, I’m pumped) so I’ll be queueing a post or two while I’m gone to finish up my back to school series because once I get back… I go back to school. I am super excited to go to school and my room looks like target and bed bath and beyond exploded in it. Nevertheless, Poppy and I can still make our way to my bed which, of course, it all that matters.

Now for the fun stuff. I’m usually known as the parents of the friend group because I’m prepared for everything (I’m only the dad too because I handle everyone’s money when we go out to eat). My backpack will be nothing short of a mom’s as well. In my backpack (or purse when school is not in session) I keep an emergency bag of things that may come in handy to me, a friend, or a random somebody in my Spanish class.

 

  1. Tampon/Pad– This one is sort of a given and you NEVER know when it may strike anyone while wearing white jeans.
  2. Bandaids- Whether you get a paper cut in class or stab yourself with a knife, having a band-aid (or 10) never hurts
  3. Tide stick- I have a long history of spilling on myself and cleaning it right away prevents staining and people thinking that I  don’t know where my mouth is.
  4. Hand Sanitizer- For before you eat or you touched a foreign sticky substance.
  5. Tissues- For when September comes and literally everyone starts getting sick
  6. Chapstick- To prevent triple lip in winter months
  7. Writing utensil- For when you lose yours or that really attractive human next to you needs one
  8. Safety pins/bobbie pins- For bad hair days or when your clothes just aren’t cooperating (not pictured because I used the ones I had and my containers of them are already packed away)
  9. Hair ties- When its lab day and your usual hair is missing or it breaks
  10. Brush/Comb- for windy days or class after the gym

Another thing I like to keep in my backpack is a sweatshirt or something for if you have a large spill or its freezing in a lecture hall

What do you always have on you no matter what??

Alicia

Back to school series: guide to moving in

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Officially one week until I leave for Ohio and 8 days until move in. In honor of this, I would like to share my guide to moving into college. Obviously, every college is different but I’ve talked to a few friends and we all agree that for the most part, these things are universal (at least at our schools). Move in can be a fun time but when you start to stress and your parent(s) does the same it can be less than enjoyable.

 

  1. Talk to your roommate(s) about what you are bringing- By doing this it can save you from having 2 printers or 2 vacuums or 2 of any bulk item really. Things like toilet paper and paper towels are fine to bring a lot of because they’re cheap, but why spend $200 on a printer when you don’t have to. Also, if your roommate is bringing something big offer to bring something else (my roommate is beginning a printer so I am bringing printer paper and ink).
  2. Talk to your roommate(s) about which side of the room you guys want- This may seem minuscule and odds are neither of you will care, however, trying to make a good first impression can set the tone for the entire year. Always be considerate to your roommate, even with the small things.
  3. Check before you arrive to see if your dorm has an elevator– This will drastically change how you pack. If your dorm has an elevator, odds are you can use bins to haul up all of your stuff to your dorm. However, if your dorm does not have one, you may want to enlist your siblings to come with and to pack a heck of a lot lighter.
  4. Check what you can put on your walls- Will command strips stick? Can you use nails? How much of your walls can be covered? All of these are really good questions to ask when packing for school and avoiding fees at the end of the year.
  5. Bring a door stop- If your door automatically locks, this makes it easier and quicker to open it with constant trips to and from the car. Also, if you keep your door open, people can stop and say hi while moving in so you can make a few new friends.
  6. Get there early- The earlier you arrive on campus, the fewer people that are there so you get first dibs on the move in carts and the elevator. Also, you’ll be done sooner which means you can relax and hang out with your family before they leave.
  7. Pack smartly- Pack desk items together, pack toiletries together, etc. It will make the unpacking and moving in a lot less painful if everything is sorted and neatly in its own place.
  8. Put your bedding on last- When you’re moving in, and your roommates are also moving in, the floor is not a safe space to put your things.When I moved in at San Diego, I threw everything on my bed and then unpacked accordingly. When I was done unpacking, I put my bedding on and then I’m all ready to relax… I mean study.

What other move in tips do you have to make move in day a breeze?

Alicia

Back to school series: back to school preparation

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Good afternoon all, and on this installment of my back to school series, I wanted to discuss some ways to prepare for going back to school, whether it be high school, college, grad school, etc. These are some things I find to be most helpful for me when getting ready for back to school

  • Get on a solid sleep schedule- As much as people love falling asleep at 6 am and waking up at 4 pm, in school, life that just doesn’t work. Start waking up and going to bed earlier and earlier until you are getting a sufficient amount of sleep with hours that work with your schedule.
  • Develop an exercise routine- As easy as it is to finish class or work and just want to go to bed, exercise is such a great way to relieve stress and stay healthy so no matter what type of exercise you do (walking, running, weight training, biking, etc.) make sure you get in at least 30 minutes every day.
  • Stay hydrated- This is a given but if you start drinking your 8 cups or so of water each day before school starts (and in general) you’ll be more inclined to be drinking enough water daily, without thinking.
  • Create a routine- Something that I love having down pact is a morning and nighttime routine. Whether you take an hour for a face treatment or you read before bed, having your routines set before school makes the transition from home to school such a breeze.
  • Set goals- Whether it be maintaining a certain GPA, joining a new club, or just going to more office hours, setting small goals along the way is a super helpful way to reach longterm goals (getting a job, graduating, etc.)
  • Use your planner and get ORGANIZED- My planner is my whole life during school. It tells me days off, tests and quizzes, homework assignments, club meetings, everything. Start using it before school and write down any assignments you know you’ll have or university days off so that when school starts you’ll have one less thing to do.

How do you prepare for back to school?
Alicia

Back to School Series: college misconceptions

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In the next few weeks, 18-year-olds across the country will be road tripping to their new home and beginning the next four years of their lives. When my dad and I flew out to San Diego 2 years ago, I was terrified, excited, nervous, and every emotion in between. The only thing I could base college off were the movies, and that certainly wasn’t easing my mind. To prevent current and future freshman (or transfers) from having their share of mental breakdowns, I’ve decided to compile a post of some misconceptions my friends and I had about college our freshmen year.

  1. High school prepares you for college- In high school I barely studied, missed school once every other week (or more), and didn’t really care about high school in general. I still maintained a 4.2 GPA all 4 years of high school. However, when I got to college I was in for a major shock. In college, you can’t skip class, you have to study, and you HAVE TO care. These things are vital to succeeding, graduating, and getting a job.
  2. Getting classes out of the way early is a good idea- No. I had an 8 am second semester and 2 9ams my first semester. I am a morning person, however, having to sit in a room with words and facts being spewed into your face for an hour really takes the life out of you. On my days where classes didn’t start until 10 or 11, I had much more energy and was able to get little tasks done in the morning like eating breakfast, going to the gym, and organizing myself.
  3. Midterms and finals are hell- If I’m being honest, they do suck. I won’t lie. Having to know a semester worth of information for 5-6 classes isn’t easy, however, it’s not the end of the world. If you’ve been reading your books, attending classes, and studying regularly, finals will be over before you know it.
  4. Everyone parties- This was probably my biggest fear entering freshman year. I’m usually very introverted and I don’t like large crowds (unless it’s a concert) and I’m  more conservative when it comes to attire… college parties are not the place for me. I did go out a few times freshman year (first weekend, halloweekend, etc.) but most of my friends and I didn’t go out most weekends and that’s okay.
  5. You won’t make any friends- Join a club or make study groups with people in your classes and you are guaranteed friends. Freshmen (any year really) are always looking for new people to talk to with similar interests. Go out of your comfort zone and start up a conversation and you’ll be sure to have a few new friends.
  6. The food is bad- I don’t know where this rumor started but the food at San Diego (And Ohio from what I’ve had) is really freaking good. There are professional and student cooks who make such a variety of different foods daily to please everyone’s palette. If you can’t find something you like, you aren’t looking.
  7. Greek life is everything- Greek life is a good way to make friends and be social, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t join a sorority. At my schools and most of my friends’ schools, Greek life is less than 10% of the student body. If you want to go Greek, do it!, But if not, don’t feel pressured.
  8. You’ll never leave the library- First semester, I went to the library twice and the only reason I was there was to print something because my printer broke. If your roommate is quiet enough and you don’t have a lot of group projects, you are given a really nice desk that can work just as well as the library.
  9. You have to know what you want to do as a freshman- Most people enter college with one idea of what they want to do and end up changing it one, two, or ten times before they really know what they want. Don’t fret if you enter undecided!
  10. People instantly mature when they get to college- Have you ever met a college boy?

To all the new college students, I hope this helps. What else are you nervous for or what were you nervous for before starting college?

Alicia

Back to School Series: college shopping list

Published on by Alicia2 Comments

Hi everyone, sorry it’s been a bit since I’ve posted last. I’ve been getting ready for college and sleeping on the couch with Poppy so I’ve been exhausted. But, here I am, 9  days until I leave for Ohio, excited as ever.

Since I’ve been doing this whole shopping thing, I’ve decided that since I scoured the internet compiling dorm shopping lists, that I would make my own shopping list for people in college or people getting ready to head off to college. I hope you enjoy and let me know if there’s anything you would add.

Alicia

Hello August

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Happy August everyone. At the beginning of every month, I always see people making goal posts. I always make goals (small and large) at the beginning of each week, month, etc. so I figured I would jump on the bandwagon and post them here.

  • Finish dorm/school supply shopping
  • Read 2-3 books
  • Develop a workout plan for school
  • Do not spend any money unless absolutely necessary
  • Drink 64 oz of water minimum daily
  • Blog 10 times
  • Pack!
  • Spend time with friends before we go back to school.
  • Deep clean my room (my dog sheds so much everywhere so I needs to clean every square inch of my room)
  • Move into my dorm
  • Have a great first week of classes
  • Join at least 2 clubs

What are your goals for August?
Alicia

Summer Bucket List UPDATE

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Hey everyone, so at the beginning of the summer I made a post depicting my Summer Bucket List, I decided to give you all an update on the things on the list. Let’s get started…

1.Use no Social Media for the entire summer.

I did this for about 2 and a half months. June 3rd- August 22nd (I think but don’t quote me on this). It honestly wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Not using social media has taught me that there is more to life than constantly checking my phone for updates and seeing how many likes each of my posts gets. Funny thing… I still haven’t redownloaded the Facebook and Twitter app. I did redownload Snapchat and Instagram, but really only check Instagram once a day or less. I do however use snapchat a lot, but I used it wayyy more frequently before I gave it up for the summer.

2. Meet my Fitbit step goal 6 days per week. (goal is 12,000 steps)

Funny story… not actually that funny. I lost my Fitbit (end of July/early August) and just found it the other day, so during the past 3-4 weeks I haven’t been keeping track, however when I did know where it was (my wrist) I was meeting the 12000 step goal at least 5 days a week and almost always 6 days.

3. Take a photo a day (I may start another page on here documenting it)

This failed. I mean I was working constantly and didn’t have much time for other things… I did take at least a few pictures a day and may be putting up a page on my blog for them so keep an eye out…

4. Make a vegan cake.

Okay, I actually did this one last night. I was sitting at home with my sister and we were like “let’s bake something.” While she pushed me to make cookies, I told her that I HAD to make a cake because it was on my summer bucket list. So I found a recipe and we made it. I’m going to make a full post for it because I have a lot to say about it and actually took a few step by step pictures, so once again, keep an eye out for that.

5. Explore Chicago.

Well, I wouldn’t say I explored Chicago, but I definitely did go downtown more times than I normally would have. I went to a lot of new places… restaurants, museums, parks,etc, which is exploring enough for me

6.Spend a weekend in Wisconsin by myself

7.Go to my local farmer’s market.

8.Start doing yoga

9.Complete the one-month makeover

10. Get my passport.

7-10 did not happen… oops

11. Reorganize my room, throw out old things, get rid of clothes I don’t wear, etc.

I did a lot of going through old things and throwing out things I don’t use/need. I organized but since I’m moving into my basement within the month, I wouldn’t say everything is exactly to my liking but it will be once I’m out of this room and in the basement.

12. Make nicecream

nope

13. Go thrifting

I actually did this quite a bit and got some super cool articles of clothing

14. Read 3 books

Working on my third as we speak

15. Run, I want to be able to run a 10k but we’ll see. My knees hate running

16.Write down every good thing that happens to me and put it in  jar or here

17. Get another piercing

18. Get another tattoo

15-18 didn’t happen, unless you count my piercing that closed up and I had to re pierce myself

All for now,

Alicia

642 things to write about

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Hi everyone.

The other day, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble, searching for a book. Not any book in particular but I came across a book called “The Girls” and picked it up. I’m almost finished with it; very good but a little NSFW for all you little readers out there.

Anywho, I was looking for a planner of sorts to keep up with eating, exercise, work, food, life, etc. and found the book “642 things to write about” and decided to purchase that as well. I have decided that I am going to begin writing posts (when I can think of nothing and have nothing significant to blog about) using these prompts. It’s going to take me a very long time to complete them all, and some I may not even do. I’ll be making a page on the blog titled “642 things to write about” and will also be tagging each prompt post with the tag #642thingstowriteabout in case any of you are interested in seeing my collection. I may do one a week, one a month or may bust out 15 in a single day. I really have no expectations for them, however, since I bought the bought and they don’t allot ample space to complete the prompts in the book, I figured I would save paper, and share them with you all.

Also, I won’t be doing them in any specific order. I’ll just open the book and choose the first one that interests me.

So, that’s all for now. Just a quick little intro post. Be on the lookout for the page on my blog menu and for some interesting posts headed your way

Alicia

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Summer Bucket List 2016

Published on by Alicia2 Comments

Hey all, so as some of you may know for two years in a row a friend and I made a summer bucket list and blogged about it, one of the first times I ever put myself out there by blogging. I followed a blog the other day and her most recent post was about making a summer bucket list. It has been about 3 summers since I made a summer to-do list and I have decided that I want to make one this year. So, let’s get to it

  1. No Social Media. I mentioned it in my last post, I am giving up social media for the summer. I’ve been good so far, so let’s hope I can keep it up
  2. Meet my Fitbit step goal 6 days per week. I have been an avid Fitbit user for almost a year now, however in the past 3 months I have been really slacking. My goal is 12000 steps per day and I hit it yesterday and that’s a good place to start
  3. Take a photo a day. I have always loved photography and I need to keep up with that. It will be hard since I work about 40 hours a week and have no time to do anything else except work, eat, and sleep, but we’ll try
  4. Make a vegan cake. My birthday is this Sunday and I keep talking about how I want to make my own cake, but I’m lazy. However, if I put it on my to-do list, I hope I will actually get it done. 🙂
  5. Explore Chicago. This summer, Chicago has released a ton of new street art, and there are a ton of places I want to go to. I want to spend a weekend downtown and just see what my city has to offer.
    1. Sub to this one. I want to go to the Sky  Deck of the Sear’s Tower. I’ve never been and have wanted to for years!
  6. Spend a weekend in Wisconsin by myself- My mom’s friend’s family owns a house about 2 hours away from me in Wisconsin. Whenever I go up there with family I’m always forced to do things I don’t want to do, so if I spend a weekend up there by myself I will have a chance to relax, write, and just have some much needed time to myself.
  7. Go to my local farmer’s market. Every Saturday, I think, there is a farmers market about a mile away frim my house. Being vegan, finding yummy and fresh foods can be a challenge but where is a better place to look other than locally grown and picked fresh the day before.
  8. Start doing yoga- My roommate last year did yoga every day and I think I want to start. I wake up at 515 every morning to get to work so I’ll have to do a type of calming yoga before bed, but I am excited to try
  9. Complete the one-month makeover- My friend on Tumblr, Charlotte, has made this workout/eating plan  that people really seem to love. I want to complete it to see what all this fuss is about.
  10. Get my passport. Just something I’ve been putting off and need to seriously do.

 

That’s all I can think of right now, but I may add some stuff to it. I’ll be making  a page specifically for the summer to do list and tagging my posts as I complete things.

That’s all for now,

Alicia

OkBye