What I'm Into - October

Wow, do you agree that October flew by? Seriously, I cannot believe that it's November 2nd already. Last month I started a new series of sharing what I'm into each month, but I switched up the categories a bit. 

Painting: Essie Gel Setter Top Coat
I've previously expressed my love of Essie in this post, but I recently discovered this product. I love having painted nails, but manicures are not in my budget at the moment so I researched at home gel manicure products. I decided to give this top coat a try and I love it! It's super shiny, dries fairly quickly, and keeps my manicure looking awesome for about a week and a half.

To Drink: Dunn Bros Infinite Black Cold Press
I enjoy hot coffee, but cold press is my jam. What I love about a growler of Infinite Black Cold Press from Dunn Bros is that it's super easy to customize depending on your mood that day.

Reading: The Speechwriter by Barton Swaim

Texting: New emojis!

I cannot even choose my new favorite! (Sorry Android users - those square outlines are sad - I understand your pain)

Champagne?

Zipper Mouth? 

Taco? 

Champagne? 

Unicorn? 

Cheese? 

Champagne? 

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What were you into in October?

Fall To Do List

Autumn has officially begun 

and I've created a To Do List 

with the all of the fall essentials! 

• Visit an apple orchard. 
• Done! I visited Stone's Apple Barn with my girlfriends yesterday and came home with a bag of delicious apples!
• Visit a pumpkin patch. 
• Drink fall-ish beers. 
• I think Exile Oktoberfest is my new favorite!
• Enjoy fall leaves and foliage. 
• Savor hot espresso drinks. 
• Go to a bonfire and eat a s'more. 
• Make a homemade soup. 
• Donate to a shelter or food pantry. 

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What's on your "Fall To Do List"??

What I'm Into - September Edition

I cannot believe it is September 30th! Holy cow, we're mid-fall! Well, sort of, last week our temperatures were in the 80's! Anyway, this morning I spotted a new post from Modern Mrs. Darcy about what she's into at the moment. After reading hers, I was inspired to create my own similar post. Here's what I'm into right now... 

Smelling: Fall Candles
Autumn Wreaths. Apple Cider. November Rain. I cannot get enough. 

Listening: The Lively Show
My new favorite podcast! Jess interviews all sorts of interesting people with the theme of adding intention into one's life. Plus she ends each episode with "May something wonderful happen to you today". 

Reading: The Girl on the Train, Why Not Me?, and The Skimm (of course) 

Watching: Whine About It
Hilarious.

Doing: #ListersGottaList Challenge with The Reset Girl
This has been such a fun way to journal all month. At the beginning of the month, Cory provides subscribers to a list of prompts (one for each day). People share pics of how they decorate on instagram with #listersgottalistsept - it's so fun to see what others do! I keep it pretty simple compared to most. 

Farewell, September! Cheers to October! 

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What were you into in September? 

New Time List

I'm I finished grad school. Let me say (well, type) that again. I FINISHED GRAD SCHOOL! 

After two years of papers, reading, group projects, and presentations, I've completed my Masters in Public Administration program. (If you've never heard of MPA it's very close to an MBA just geared more toward people who want to work in the public or nonprofit sectors.) 

Finishing my degree has brought relief, but also disbelief. I no longer have to worry about making a commitment on a class weekend in the future. I never have to think "I should be working on school work" again. I don't have to get a coffee after work to help me as I write a paper late into the evening. I am nervous excited about what will fill this new found time. So I decided to make a list of ideas.

• Read for pleasure
• Take up a new hobby 
• Craft Projects
• Get back into a regular work-out schedule
• Enjoy Happy Hour
• Watch documentaries
• Go to more community events
• Volunteer
• Blog!

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Friday Favs - Cold Survival

I'm officially suffering from a spring cold. It is terrible. (hence this Friday Favs post on Saturday) Luckily, I think I'm finally over the worst (which was brainstorming ways to remove my ears to alleviate the pressure...). 

Anyway, here are my Friday Favs for Cold Survival:

1. Entertainment: Mine came in the form of Netflix (mostly Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Revenge) and Season 1 of Girls that I got from the library. Variety is key when your sickness lasts 3-4 days!

2. Tea: Nothing like some warm liquids to soothe an achy throat! I found this tea (that's suppose to help the immune system) at HyVee and love it.

3. Tissues with Lotion: An essential when you're going through them at a high rate! 

4. Popsicles: No explanation needed. 

Anyone else out there suffering from a spring cold? What do you do to get through it? 

30 Before 30 Update - Run a 5K

Another one bites the dust! AKA another item on my 30 before 30 list has been completed! Over the weekend, I (mostly) ran a 5K! I finished the Easter Egg Scramble! 

Before I started training I couldn't remember the last time I ran a significant distance, (I'm more of a treadmill walker so I can read a book at the same time) so I was a bit super nervous about a 5K. I knew I needed some sort of plan for training because I had no idea of where to start. I was already using the app RunKeeper so I decided to sign up for the Beginner 5K plan. Every other day they gave me a different workout to complete.

I missed a few workouts and I didn't start the plan early enough to get the whole training plan completed before the race, but I definitely think it helped! 


Overall, I'm super happy with how I did! The elevation of the race was way harder than I had done in training, but I still ran my fastest pace ever! Plus it was fun and breakfast burritos were served at the finish line!

Read about my 30 before 30 list here or check out my progress here!

Friday Favs - Books (Autobiography-ish Edition)

Time for Friday Favs! 

Today we're (well, I'm) talking books!

Specifically, non-fiction books written by awesome, inspiring, funny women.

• #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
• I found this book while browsing the "New" section at the library. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but what about its title? This book had me at hash-tag. Anyway, #Girlboss is the story of Sophia Amoruso and the way she started the online vintage retailer, Nasty Gal. My favorite thing about Sophia's book is that she encourages the reader to follow their passion into a career. She shares her failures probably more than the details of her success which helps her feel more like a friend who is trying to motivate you into fulfilling your dream.
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
• I've loved Mindy Kaling since the start of the office and her book is funny and empowering. Mindy's book is organized by topic and each topic has a few short stories. Her stories are relate-able and features the topics of body image, work, and relationships. She even has a chapter about her legacy which includes a plan for her funeral as well as a eulogy she writes for herself. Mindy's writing style is conversational which is probably why I have this idea that we are best friends. This book had me literally LOLing at times.

So, if you're looking for a book by a strong and funny female, give these two a try! 

I've heard good things about Amy Pohler's Yes Please and Tina Fey's Bossypants. So those are on my "To Read" list. 

To view other Friday Favs, visit my friday favs page.

(Opinions shared are my own. This is not a sponsored post.)

It's your turn: What great books by strong females have you read lately? Any book suggestions for me?

Things I Hate

Monday, the president of my alma mater issued a statement in response to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. President Heckler encourages cooperation and love. "We must find a way to live and work alongside one another in community. We must love one another." He adds that Valpo "will continue to welcome people of all faiths, cultures, and walks of life" in the community. With this development, a plethora of my Facebook friends shared the statement or news stories about it. Unfortunately, within moments each post seemed to have earned at least one negative comment. Hence my topic for today. 

Hate: to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.

things i hate

5. Disease

4. Natural Disasters

3. Poverty

2. Hunger

1. Hate

That's right, the thing I hate most is hate.  

Why is hate the thing I hate most? 
Hate hurts. 
Hate harms. 
Hate ruins. 
Hate separates. 

Hate seems to be the heart of each newscast...

Stories about disagreements between groups turning to violence. 

Comments that put down a group with different beliefs or lifestyle. 

Stories of harm or mistreatment of others.

Hate causes violence and brokenness. 
Hate destroys relationships. 
Hate breaks my heart. 
I hate hate. 

Why do people hate? Love (or at least tolerance) is so much easier. 

Spring Cleaning - The Purge

I'd like to share some very personal pictures with you all today. 
It's not something I show to everybody. 
I trust that you will not be judgmental or critical. 
I hope you'll appreciate my honesty.  

Ready? 

Here goes nothing! 

My closets. 

(What did you think I was going to show you? Also, how lucky am I that my 1930's apartment has so much closet space!)

Linen Closet -- Pantry -- Coat Closet

Bedroom Closet -- Bathroom Cupboard

My spring cleaning list (yeah, I'm still working on it - priority moved to grad school last week when a final took me a lot longer than I'd expected) requires me EMPTY each closet, clean inside and go through everything before refilling. Confession: I love this sort of task, but it is taking a while. During the process, I thought of a few tips to share:

1. For The Sort: Create a "sorting center". 
     Before you empty a closet, have these five stations ready to go: Keep, Consign, Donate, Move, and Trash. I've seen others use fewer categories, but here's my logic. Keep and Trash are pretty self-explanatory. I like to separate consign and donate, because I know that some items won't be accepted by consignment stores. The "Move" category is for items that actually belong somewhere else or to someone else.

[Tip: Go to the consignment shop BEFORE taking items to donate. I usually end up donating anything that the consignment shop won't take]

2. Sort Part Two: Like Items

     "One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong" 

During the sorting process, I found some random things that were not with like items. Use this time as a chance to put similar things together. 

3. Refilling: Be open minded!

     Don't be afraid to try new ways of arranging what was in the closet. Hopefully the closet will be less full so you have new options to explore! Plus, you might find something that distracts you (like a box of sorority notes and mementos) between the empty and refill and then you totally forget where everything was before anyway!

[Tip: This is also a great time to reconsider the use storage contains and switch uses if needed!]

4. Use it!

     Samples: I found all sorts of samples in my bathroom cupboard. Many of them have been in there for a while and they were just adding clutter. Anyway, this week I'm using them all up.

     Pantry Items: Plan meals to get rid of pantry items that are almost gone. I'm leaving mine out of the pantry so I think about using them up.

Check out the other posts in my spring cleaning series:
The Plan
The Playlist

I want to hear from you! Do you follow any of these closet cleaning/organizing tips already? What is your best closet organization tip?

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Spring!

Happy First Day of Spring!

I had planned to write a spring cleaning themed Friday Fav's post today, but got distracted by the final I must turn in on Monday along with all the great basketball games today/yesterday and changed my mind. (Seriously, I love March Madness (even though Valpo lost today). So many amazingly-close games!) 

Instead, I will share a few of the pictures that I took in my garden today after clearing away some leaves. 

I love the first signs of spring! 

Flowers bursting through the soil. 

Birds chirping.

Slightly warmer breezes. 

I planted these tulips in the fall so I was most excited to see them!

Poppies? 

Lillies!

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Spring Cleaning - The Plan

Spring Cleaning Continues! 

Being a type-A/planner/list addict, I decided that having a checklist would give my cleaning frenzy some focus. Of course, I turned to Pinterest to find one! 

After a bit of deliberation, I chose the list found in this post from Little Ms Robinson. I thought it was comprehensive and appreciated how it broke each room into small tasks. I love checking boxes so the more chances I get to do so the happier I am! Also, I like that she includes a section about computer clean-up too! 

(This week I'm focusing on spring cleaning. Check out my first post about my Spring Cleaning Playlist.)

I want to hear from you! Is spring cleaning on your to do list this week? What's your spring cleaning plan? 

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Spring Cleaning - The Playlist

I've lived in my apartment for a little over 2 years and embarrassingly I've probably never seriously deep cleaned it. (I clean just not super thoroughly) With myself in the midst of a job search and a frequent lack of focus in the afternoon, I've decided to devote the afternoons of this week to spring cleaning! (And you'll notice that theme in my posts this week)

(Well, I sort of started last week with some serious laptop refreshing. Seriously, I hate free antivirus software.) 

I decided that one of the most important features of spring cleaning was a solid playlist. And I've probably spent more time on that than I will on the actually cleaning...

Music can totally change your mood. Don't you agree? It can take you from grumpy to joyous in 3ish minutes. Crazy!

So, here's the playlist. "Fresh start" was in my mind as I was picking songs. It is a mix of feel-good uplifting and moody.


I want to hear from you! Do you have a musical ritual when it comes to cleaning?  

Friday Favs - Make-Up Edition

It's Friday the 13th! Do you know that means? Black Cats and Broken Mirrors? Just kidding! Friday Favs! 

Today I'm sharing items from my make-up bag! 

I'm a 5 (well maybe 7) minute face girl and keep my make-up routine pretty simple (see what I did there - makeup? pretty simple?), but I do have some serious favorites. Here they are! 

1. Pacifica - Enlighten Eye Brightening Shadow Palette

      Love this eye shadow palette! It's versatile and the shades brighten my eyes. The shadows wear well too. Bonus: Pacifica is 100% vegan and cruelty free and I got this palette at my friend's cute shop, Everfield, which features cruelty free, organic, vegan, and natural products. 

2. Youngblood - Brow Artiste

     My brows have a few bare spots, but eyebrow pencils freak me out so I was so glad when I found this product. Inside there are two shades of powder, a tinted wax, tweezers and a brush. I listened closely to the women at the salon, but this product pretty easy to use and long wearing. It is a splurge in terms of budget, but mine has lasted a long time! 

3. Mary Kay - Creme Lipstick in Whipped Berries

     Mary Kay lipstick is one of my can't live without items. It is creamy and long wearing. It doesn't get clumpy or bleed onto my face. Plus it doesn't try out my lips and it comes in all sorts of great shades. 

4. Mary Kay - Lash Love Mascara

     My most favorite mascara! It makes my lashes full and long and doesn't flake off during the day. It makes sense that it's one of Mary Kay's best sellers because this mascara is awesome! 

5. Youngblood - Lipgloss in Siren

    This is a fantastic lip gloss. It gives great color and is perfect alone or over a lipstick. This lipgloss is not sticky at all. 

So there you have it! My make-up bag favorites! 

(This is not a sponsored post.)

Are any of these items in your make-up bag? What are your favorite make-up items? 

AmeriCorps Week

March 9th to 13th is AmeriCorps Week. The goal of AmeriCorps Week is to recognize the commitment of AmeriCorps members and alums by highlighting the impact AmeriCorps has everyday. My first two jobs out of college were in AmeriCorps totaling about a year and a half of service. 

As a proud AmeriCorps alum, I figured I should celebrate. What better a way than to make a list!

Why I'm Thankful for My AmeriCorps Service:

• I got to serve my community through two local nonprofits 
• I learned how two organizations were structured and started to meet local nonprofit leaders, volunteers, and Board members
• Each role helped me to develop my creativity and resourcefulness (AmeriCorps is a grant-based program so funds are not abundant) 
• I was able to experience new things like a Board meeting and assisting with a grant proposal and presentation
• After my service ended, I received scholarship funds that helped offset the cost of grad school
• I learned to manage on a (super) small budget and discovered how to apply for food assistance
• I met other awesome AmeriCorps members and attended some training sessions with them as well as the Iowa Nonprofit Summit
• I celebrated a few Days of Service each year by planning/participating in service projects
• My service confirmed that I'm more motivated by feeling like I'm making a difference than a salary

AmeriCorps Fast Facts:

• 900,000: Number of individuals who have served as AmeriCorps members since 1994.
• 1.2 Billion: Total number of hours served by AmeriCorps members.
• $2.8 Billion: Total amount of Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards earned by AmeriCorps members.
• 4 Million: Number of community volunteers managed or mobilized by AmeriCorps members in 2014.
• $625 million: Amount of resources from private, philanthropic, and other sources leveraged by AmeriCorps programs each year.
• 25,000: Number of sites that AmeriCorps members serve at each year.

(source)

Friday Favs - New Favorite Tech Thing

Serious Confession: Every single time I think of/hear the words "favorite thing" (who am I kidding? Just "favorite" does it too.), at least five words from The Sound of Music's Favorite Things pop into my head. 

Maria aka Julie Andrews doesn't mention my new favorite thing, but I'm sure if there was wi-fi and iPhone's in Maria's time, she'd agree with me. 

My new favorite thing is... Listening to Podcasts! 

Honestly, until last Sunday I didn't even know how to even go about listening to one. Now, they are my new favorite gym companion. And I've spent a ridiculous amount of time browsing titles to find things I might want to listen too...plus all that I've seen are free!

Confession # 2: So far, I've only listened to Serial, but it is so good and makes time on the treadmill move along pretty quickly. 

I created a page with all of my Friday Fav posts. Check it out!

Am I the last person to have heard of Podcasts? Which are your favorite to listen to? 

Friday Favs - Blogs

It's Friday! That means Friday Favs!

Today I've decided to share a few of my favorite blogs. I periodically read a bunch of blogs, but here are two that are never-miss-a-post worthy!

1. Iowa Girl Eats

     Kristin, a fellow Iowan, posts mostly recipes in her blog. She usually writes three times per week and features amazing pics of the dishes she creates! I've probably pinned half the recipes she's posted, but I've made a few of them too. Her directions are easy to follow and the dishes I've made turn out delicious. Kristin has a young son and has a page related to being a new parent. Recently, Kristin found out that she had celiac disease so her recipes since that discovery are gluten free. 

2. Living with a Boy

     This is the blog of one of my sorority sisters. I probably love it because it is her, but I think Gabby has a great blogging voice. Gabby's posts are about her life so the topics vary, but she frequently focuses on running, home projects, cooking, and travel. Gabby's posts are not always on the same days of the week, but I never miss one thanks to her Facebook page. I love it so check it out!

Bonus: This isn't really a blog but I recently signed up for theSkimm. It is a news site (I guess it does have a blog too) that sends an email each weekday morning with a quick summary of a few national news stories. It is a nice overview of what is going on in the world. I like to enjoy it with my coffee and breakfast.

February Stitch Fix!

*This is not a sponsored post. I pay for these clothes myself. However, this post does provide referral links for new sign ups which gives me a little credit to go towards my next box. 

Getting a Stitch Fix was an item on my 30 before 30 list. I got my first box a few months after I created my list. I loved the surprise of it all, but the items are a bit of a splurge for me so I've spread out my fixes since.  

What is Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is a personal stylist service that ships directly to your door! You sign up by creating a "Style Profile" where they ask everything from what styles of clothes you like to your budget to your sizing. You can even link to a Pinterest board to help show what you like. You choose the date you want to get a shipment. A Stitch Fix stylist chooses 5 items of clothing or accessories and they are sent to you on that date. You determine how often you'd like fixes and pay a $20 styling fee for each box which goes toward your purchase. That fee is lost if you don't purchase any items. You can choose to get fixes automatically every month, but I schedule them individually. I got two last year and I'll probably do the same this year. Lastly, if you purchase everything in your box, you get 25% the total purchase. A prepaid shipping envelope is included for any items you want to return. 

To tide me over in the 6ish months that I've been waiting between fixes, I've been into reading Stitch Fix Reviews. Here are a few that I follow regularly:
Lauren's Latest
Spoonful of Flavor
The Box Queen

Feb. 2015 Fix!

Check out the items in my most recent Fix! 
(Sorry about the spotty pics - the fault of a cute vintage mirror!)

#1: Kensie - Conrad Speckled Chevron Dress

I loved the style and print of this dress. My stylist must know I have a weak spot for black and white dresses. The cut was girly, but there was a touch of wild with the faux leather on the shoulders. At nearly $90 this one would be a huge splurge for me right now plus I'm not kidding when I say that I have enough black/black & white dresses to wear one each day of the week (with 4 leftover...). Also it was a bit big and I don't think it does anything for my figure. I'll be sending this one back.

#2: 41Hawthorn - Benson 3/4 Ruched Sleeve Blazer

Loved this blazer! The fabric is of great quality - it feels sturdy, but soft. I almost always roll/push up long sleeves so I was glad to see that these sleeves were a 3/4 length. The ruched detail was girly and added interest without being distracting (sorry, it was hard for me to get a picture of it). I've been wanting to expand my blazer collection and this one may be my next purchase. 

Today's task will be to try it on with other items in my wardrobe to see how it fits in! This may be the item I keep...

#3: 41Hawthorn - Beatrice Exposed Zipper Dolman Top

This is a great basic top! It's flattering and easy to wear. I've imagined it being dressed up or down. The back zipper is a cute and sassy detail. 

At first sight, I thought I'd definitely be keeping it, but I'm less sure now. I think I could easily find something similar at a better price and I'm not sold on the polyester feel of the fabric. 

#4: Rune - Evelin Printed Pencil Skirt

My first thought upon pulling this out of the box was "There is no way this will fit me". I was partially right. I LOVE the print of this skirt, but its tight fit just isn't me. (Tight is for yoga pants and yoga pants alone) I loved it with the 41Hawthorn top, but I don't think I would wear the skirt much. 

#5: Octavia - Mondo Colorblock Cross Stitch Infinity Scarf
Such a cute scarf! Super cozy and I love the two types of stitching. However, I'm trying to think spring and my scarf collection is a bit obnoxious already.

Help! What do you think I should keep? 

Verdit: I kept the 41Hawthorn - Benson 3/4 Ruched Sleeve Blazer and I'm very happy with my choice! Overall, I enjoy the Stitch Fix experience including trying pieces I wouldn't pick up off the rack while shopping. I'll probably sign up for another box in the future. 

Are you interested in getting a Stitch Fix yourself? Check it out here!