Old Navy Obsessed

Within the past few months I have become a fan of Old Navy clothing.  Don't get me wrong, I don't love everything! However, they have some really great pieces that can spice up your wardrobe or supply you with the basics for a great price. The quality of their clothing isn't always the best, but certain pieces are great.

Right now I am loving their boyfriend tee collection.  These tees can generally be purchased for less than $15. Their cotton blend is so soft and can be mixed and matched to be super casual or a little dressier.  I've worn them with norts, jeans and a scarf, and even a skirt.  The flexibility that they have makes them a great essential for packing into your summer vacation wardrobe.

You also can find some fun blouses there too! If you are looking to add some color, prints, and patterns for a cheap price, there are lots of options.  I have found some cute tunic type tops there.  They also have lots of adorable peplum tanks right now too!
(Here, here, and here)

Another area I frequent is the activewear section of their site and stores. What can I say, I am a huge fan of active wear bot for athleisure and actual working out purposes.  Old Navy has a rather large collection of sports bras, shorts, leggings, and tops that are sensible and fashionable.

Recently I purchased a pair of their cropped leggings. I loved the subtle floral print they had.  Unfortunately they don't have the exact print any more, but these Cropped leggings are the same style in other prints. These are great for doing yoga or going for a hike. I don't recommend them for running because they don't wick sweat away as easily due to their material.

I love their flowing athletic tanks. They have tons of color options and are super comfy to hangout in or wear for an intense workout.  They have lots of different styles, which are greta for running, yoga, piates, lifting, etc.  These are a few that I have.
Similar styles here, here and here.

Have a fabulous day!

XOXO

Summer Reads

Summer seems to be the time of year where people tend to enjoy reading the most (or maybe it's just me?).  There's just something about sitting outside, on the beach, in bed, or on the couch that makes reading so much better in the summer. Or it could be that most people just have a little bit more free time in the summer. Either way, most of us are in search of a few good reads to quench our reading thirst during the summer season.  Last week I spent some time at my local Barnes and Noble store.  I spent an hour browsing the many shelves in search of something great to read. After browsing, I ended up leaving the store with a handful of books and quite the list of "must reads for the summer". As an education major who is close to having their own classroom, I seem to justify buying books with the statement- I'll put them in my classroom library one day! 

This list is just a small sampling of the actual long list I have saved on my computer. I plan to get started by reading these books that I purchased the other day. 

I'm always adding to my reading list, so feel free to share a few books that are on your list to read this summer!

XOXO

Things To Do With Your Free Time

It's been awhile since I've done a Friday Five... and by awhile I mean close to two years. I decided to bring back Friday Five for the summer because there are so many fun things going on in the summer to share with y'all! Today's Friday five is a five times two post! 

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Now that most of you have started your summer, I'm sure you have a little more free time than you did during the school year. The free time is great in the beginning, but eventually we all get a little bored.  It's important to make use of your free time regardless whether you have a lot of it or hardly any time.  Sure, we can all spend hours binge watching Netflix, but let's be real there are tons of other things you can do that are a little bit more productive as well as healthier for you. 

Here's a lit of some things that you can do to make the most of your free time:

Social Media Clean Up:

With all the different social media accounts we have, it is important to manage your accounts. It's healthy to do a social media clean up every now and then just like you clean up your room. Discard the people and things that no longer apply to your life. Remove those blogs who don't post anymore from your bookmarks, unfollow the twitter accounts you thought were funny years ago, unfriend/unfollow the people from high school who you don't speak to anymore, unfriend/unfollow people who you would never talk to in person but yet are still friends with, and even delete some of the embarrassing pictures that are still floating on your Facebook page from middle school. 

Goal Time:

Take ten minutes to asses the goals you made for the month or year and formulate new goals to keep you moving forward to where you want to be. 

Exercise:

Go to the gym, take you dog for a walk, go for a quick run through the park, pop in your favorite workout DVD, head over to your favorite yogi You Tube Channel, etc. 

Reading:

Reading is great for your brain. Take out the book you've been trying to get through for weeks now and spend 20 minutes reading it, page through your favorite magazine, or read the latest news articles. 

Cooking:

Cooking can be very therapeutic.  Try a new recipe. This will take some time and allow you to have some fun too! If you don't have time to try something new, then get ahead on your meal prepping. 

Puzzles:

These are cheap and easy to find. If you have more free time, then this is something great to do in your free time. Puzzles help with your patience, stimulate your brain, and provide you with a challenge to pass by the time. 

Become an expert:

Take some time to research something you've always wanted to know more about.  Read a book, search the internet, or conduct some interviews and become an expert in this unfamiliar area. 

Create a bucket list:

Bucket lists are fun because they allow you to do a little dreaming.  Spend time creating your list and then get out there and start crossing things off of it. 

Meditate:

Meditating is good for your mind, body, and soul. It has been proved that meditation and mindfulness help decrease your stress levels, help you get better grades, lowers depression, and can help with your weight loss. 

Send a thank you note:

There's always something or someone to be thankful for. Let that person know you are thankful for them or something they have done for you by sending them some snail mail.  With today's avid use of technology we sometimes forget to send a handwritten note. 

How do you recommend people spend their free time?

XOXO

Gratitude Gifts

THANK YOU

Two simple words that we definitely don't say or express enough.  Thank you gifts can be difficult to think of because you want to get the perfect gift.  This year my brother graduated high school and was in need of a thank you gift to give some of his favorite teachers. My mom and I helped him think of some ideas. We decided on giving succulents to a few of his teachers.  Succulents are all the rage right now and make for a great gift because they are rather easy to care for.  

Plants are great gifts to give because they are good for people's health, growing something can build confidence and self-esteem, and they are decorative. 

So how can you make a cute gift using flowers?

One. 

Gather your supplies

(pot, stones, soil, plant)

Two.

Take the plant out of its store bough packaging and place it in the container you wish to plant it in. 

Three.

Add soil to your pot to make sure your plant is fully supported.

Four. 

Add decorative stones to give your gift a little more personality.

Five.

Add a handwritten thank you card and your gift is ready to go!

XOXO

What's Your Agenda?

It's that time of year again! Time to start thinking about what agenda you'll be purchasing for the upcoming year of events. Last week Lilly Pulitzer came out with their new line of agendas for the upcoming year. I have to say that I am liking the patterns so much better this year than last year. I have used Lilly's agendas for the past four years.  They are great for keeping my life colorfully organized.  I have used the large and jumbo versions, and have had more success with the large ones. I have contemplated switching to a different type of agenda like Erin Condren or the Day Designer, but am too afraid to drop the money and not love them. When it comes to agenda organization, I am a little OCD with color coding and making everything look pretty. 

This year I'll be purchasing another Lilly agenda, but I can't decide what print to get. 

My favorite prints are the Ocean Jewels and Tusk In Sun!

I'd love your advice for which one to get this year. 

P.S: You can now pre-order your agenda from Lilly Pulitzer with free shipping

What's your preferred agenda?

XOXO

Summer Bucket List

I love lists, so I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I have made a list of a few things that I would love to do this summer.  This summer I'll be working at two different jobs, but that doesn't mean I can't have any fun. On my days off, I want to work to do the fun things on this list.  I thought of more than twenty item that I could have put on this list, but I decided a smaller number would mean I'd be more likely to complete the list.  My bucket list is filled with things that I could do for free and others that I will have to pay a small amount for. I also have things that I have never done before as well as things that I have done since I was young. I think it is important to have a variety of items on your summer bucket list because it keeps life interesting. 

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What's on your summer bucket list?

XOXO

Monday Motivation: June Edition

I'm back again with another edition of Monday motivation. Today's post is a little different than some of my other Monday motivation posts that I've share with y'all.  Today I'm sharing how to find the motivation to get shit done when all you want to do is sleep and binge watch your favorite Netflix series.  

  Life has been a little hectic for me lately.  Since the end of the semester I have been working about 45 hours a week.  For the most part I really enjoy my job, but there are definitely some things that I don't like as much.  The number one down fall to working retail is the lack of consistency in your daily schedule.  I am a person who thrives on routines.  I prefer to wake up at the same time each day and establish a daily routine.  Working retail has definitely interrupted my daily routines since my nine hour shifts start anywhere from 8am-12pm.  The lack of routine has definitely taken a toll on my productivity.   

Today I had the day off and was stuck between laying in bed all day and being super productive.  After spending a few hours in bed, watching Netflix, reading some of my favorite blogs, and browsing Pinterest, I somehow found the motivation to get up and be productive.  Being on the go pretty much 24/7 has worn me down a bit. 

So how can you become more motivated?

I do have to say after getting everything done, on my list, I feel much better and more organized.  I am feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week filled with work, celebrations, fitness, and positivity. 

How do you motivate yourself when all you want to do is be lazy?

XOXO

Kitchen Adventures: Nutella + Banana

I'm back again with another kitchen adventure.  I love a little sweet treat after eating lunch and dinner. I've been working on eating healthier sweet treats, so today I'm sharing with you a healthier post meal option.

Ingredients:

Bananas

Nutella

Recipe:

Cut 1-2 bananas in slices that are about 1/2 inch thick.  

Place the banana slices on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Freeze the bananas for about one hour or more.

Place several spoonfuls of Nutella in a microwave safe bowl.

Heat the Nutella for 30 seconds.

Dip the banana slices on into the Nutella. You can cover as little or much of the banana slice as you wish. I found it is easier to dip half the slice in. 

Place the tray filled with Nutella covered banana slices back in the freezer for several hours. 

Remove the slices from the tray and place in a freezer bag for easier storage. 

Store in the freezer until you with to indulge. 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Graduation Gift Ideas

Tis the season for friends and family to graduate from high school, college, grad school, law school, etc. Who doesn't love celebrating the accomplishments of those that they are close to? These celebrations include ceremonies, dinners, brunches, toasts, parties, and of course gifts.  We all have felt the pressure to pick out and give the perfect gift to the graduate we are celebrating.  Gift giving can be tricky and we tend to put lots of unnecessary pressure on ourselves to get creative. Today I'm here to share with you some ideas of gifts you could give high school and college graduates this year. 

Money/ Gift Cards

You can always be boring and give money or gift cards as a gift. These make great gifts when they are packaged in a creative way or paired with a homemade sweet treat like this. 

Gift Card suggestions: Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Apple Store, Visa, Nike.

Laundry Gift Basket

Purchase a laundry basket or monogrammed laundry bag and fill it with towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, shout stain remover, and coins.  The towels could be the colors of where the graduate is going to college. 

Tool Kit

This may sound like a silly gift, but this one of the most useful gifts I received when I graduated high school. I used this all four years of college. Target has some great tool kits that come in fun colors.

College Apparel

Rain Boots

College students walk to class and around campus in all different weather conditions.  Your college bound friend/family member is definitely going to encounter some rainy days in the next year.  A rain coat and rain boots are certainly essentials in college students' wardrobes.  Hunter rainbows make for the perfect gift. Plus they come in many different colors, so you can customize them to best fit your graduate. 

Alcohol

Nothing says celebrating like a little alcohol.  Purchase your graduate a bottle of champagne, wine, or even a case of beer. If you head over to pinterest you can find lots of puns to spice up the gift like this. 

Weekender Bag

This bag is adorable.  After graduation, most people go on trips. This bag is great for a weekend get away, spending time at the beach, or traveling for the new job. You can personalize this gift with your graduate's initials, initial, first name, last name, sorority, etc. Etsy has lots of options like this one.

Planner

Most graduates have just gotten a new job, are seeking a new job, traveling, or headed to grad school. Each of these items requires them to schedule out their lives and be organized.  A personalized planner or professional planner make for an easy gift. 

Wallet

It's time for your graduate to enter the professional world. A nicer wallet is a great gift.  Fossil and Tory Burch both have great options for this gift. 

What gifts are you giving to the class of 2016?

XOXO

Creating Your Morning Ritual

Starting your morning off the right way is incredibly important. The way you start your day sets the tone for the rest of the hours to follow.  Establishing a morning routine can help you have a more productive day, become more of a morning person, and allow you to have a less stressful morning.  Routines are great because they provide you with some structure.  Because let's be real, there is nothing worse than having a crappy morning and working all day to recover from it. 

If you don't have a morning routine, don't worry.  Today I'm sharing some ideas for creating your own morning ritual!

Wake up around the same time each day:

Figure out what your "sweet spot" is.  This spot is the timeframe of when waking up works for you. There's not need to wake up at exactly the same time each day, but instead know your body and what works for you.  This "sweet spot" could even be a steady 8-10 hours from whenever you go to bed the night before as opposed to a daily 7:01 AM wake up.  My preferred wake up time during the summer is usually around 8:30 AM. 

Create a to do list:

Prioritizing the day's tasks helps you visualize what needs to be done and how you're going to conquer it. 

Eat Breakfast:

I'm sure I am not the first person to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  This provides you with your initial energy for the day.  Eating super foods is the best idea because they help jump start your digestion with contents that are good for your body.  Everybody likes to eat different amounts and at different times, but be sure to add fueling your body somewhere into your personal morning ritual.  

Get Moving:

Tackle the day by moving early on.  If you don't have time to go the gym first thing in the morning, then just take a few moments to stretch the areas of your body that have some tension.  You could even do some yoga. I love this 15 minute morning yoga routine. Moving also helps to wake up and remind your body that it's time to get going. 

Incorporate Inspiration:

Motivation is a key factor in having a great morning. Think about what inspires you and include this in your morning routine. This could be keeping a gratitude journal, reading a few inspirational quotes, reading some blogs, etc. 

 There are a few things I like to do each day to ensure a perfect jumpstart to my day.  

Water + Lemon

This is a habit that was created thanks to one of the detoxes I did.  Fresh squeezed lemon juice combined with water is a great way to get your digestive track going in the morning.  It's a tasty way to start the day. I usually drink this while I get ready.

Read about the health benefits here.

Stretch/workout

I like to get moving in the morning. I typically work out early in the day, but some days that just isn't possible because I don't like to sacrifice my sleep to wake up early for a workout.  On days when I can't get a workout in, I like to stretch or do 20 minutes of yoga to get myself moving and wake up.  Occasionally I will also do a mini 15 minute workout. These just give me a little bit more energy to start the day. 

Wash Face

I wash my face each morning as soon as I wake up.  This cleans my pores, wakes me up, and allows me to feel fresh.  Even if I plan to take a shower in the morning, I tend to wash my face because it allows for a better cleaning. 

Create To Do List

Each morning I create a daily to do list. This helps my prioritize my day and figure out how I will cross thing off of my list. 

Breakfast

I eat breakfast everyday. What I eat tends to vary. Some items in my breakfast menu include oatmeal, banana and peanut butter toast, avocado toast, yogurt with fruit, or eggs. 

Read

This is my inspiration to launch my day the right day. Sometimes I like to read a few blog posts, the daily Skimm, or some motivational quotes.  Sometimes this is only for five minutes other days it's for an hour. 

I do these six things every day and the regularity of the routine helps me start my day off in a productive manner with a positive attitude. 

How do you like to start your day off?

XOXO

Mellow Morning Playlist

As I've shared with y'all in previous posts, I definitely am the most productive in the morning. When I wake up I feel refreshed, inspired, and ready to go.  I don't like to work in silence. I prefer to have a small amount of background noise.  When I'm working on blog posts I like to listen to mellow music to help get my creativity flowing.  This music is upbeat but not too much for the early mornings of the day. This playlist has been my go to for studying for my Praxis exams, getting ready, eating breakfast, and making my daily to do lists. 

{Background image via}

I hope you enjoy these songs!

I always love discovering new music, so feel free to share your latest playlists with me too. 

XOXO

College 4.0

Hey y'all, it's me. I'm back to the blogging world, as of yesterday, now that the semester has come to an end. The past month has been pretty chaotic with end of the semester assignments, exams, moving out of my apartment, starting a new job, and adjusting to living at home (with my family) again.  Another year of college has come and gone.  This year was definitely one filled with lots of fun, growing experiences, new friendships, adventures, and a few obstacles.  

Academics:

I cannot believe that the year has come to an end. It really feels like I was just moving into my apartment with three of my sorority sisters, and now here I am moved back in at home with my parents with only one semester as a collegian left.  Senior year was definitely my best academic year of college.  I managed to make Dean's List both semesters and finished the spring semester with my first 4.0.  I had some of my favorite classes and professors this year, and I was certainly challenged to step outside of my comfort zone both as a pre- service teacher and as a student. 

This past year truly solidified that I chose the right major. I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in a year long student teaching experience that would allow me to complete my six credit reading practicum with the same teacher and school that my student teaching would be with in the upcoming semester. I completed the first half of this year long opportunity about a month ago. This spring semester, I completed over 135 hours in a sixth grade Language Arts classroom where I had the opportunity to work with 107 students and as well as a team of knowledgable teachers. Spending 15+ hours a week in the classroom allowed to get a feel for what being a teacher is really like.  Due to these experiences I was able to realize that I love teaching.  I am eager to get back to this sixth grad classroom, in the fall, where I will be completing my student teaching. 

To check out more of my experiences from my year long placement, check out my professional blog by clicking here and typing in the password EDR 318. 

This year I also had the opportunity to grow as a student.  I had a professor who pushed me like none other has done before. I was forced to teach in challenging environments that caused me to be creative, patient, disciplined, and think outside of the box. I had never worked so hard to get an A, in a course, ever before.  During this class, in the Fall, I realized how much I enjoyed learning. 

(yes, I'm a bit of a nerd)

 Anyways, all of the hard work and several meetings with my professor made me think about my plans after my undergraduate career ends. Obviously I'm hoping to get a teaching job, but this professor got me to think even further than that.  Through our conversations, I've decided that I would like to obtain my masters of education in reading with a reading specialist certificate.  I thought about starting this endeavor this summer, but after lots of thinking I chose to give myself the summer off and begin next Spring (hopefully). 

Sorority Life:

The first half of this year I finished the second half of my presidency as Chapter President of my sorority.  Handing over my gavel was definitely bittersweet, but I was able to enjoy the fun aspects of my sorority in the spring rather than worrying about all the operational side of things.  I can't say I didn't love not being on our Executive Board for the first time ever, but I definitely enjoyed the extra free time I had.  My hard work paid off when I was awarded Panhellenic President of 2015 this past February. To read more about my experiences as President click here. 

At the end of Spring semester, I went through a ceremony (Jewel Degree) to become an alumna member of Alpha Delta Pi. Although I won't be graduating until December, I had the opportunity to become an alumna since I won't have much free time during student teaching. This ceremony was so special since founding sisters who graduated the past few years came back, my mentor since day one of joining ADPi was there, and Alpha Delta Pi has been such a huge part of experience at my college since transferring. Following this ceremony was our senior sendoff ceremony where we gave speeches and the chapter gave us adorable notes/gifts.  It was difficult to say goodbye to the chapter that I helped create, but I have faith that they will continue to flourish in the years to come. 

Social Life:

Socially I had an exciting year. I was able to become closer with friends I had previously known and form new friendships with sisters and classmates.  This year I managed to make two trips up to Penn State University to visit my best friend, spend Halloween in Philadelphia, attend numerous greek life social functions, discover new restaurants and bars, enjoy homecoming,attend several weddings, celebrate lots of birthdays, volunteer at a fashion show and attend several benefits.

A glimpse at some of my favorite memories this year:

Lessons I've learned this year:

+Don't sweat the small stuff

+It's important to treat yourself every now and then

+Sometimes it's easier to just be nice to people rather than holding a grudge

+It's better to pick up the phone than text someone when you need to have a difficult discussion

+Having your act semi-together can intimidate people, even if you don't think you're a kind person

+It's important to get off campus to study

+The library isn't always the most productive place to get stuff done 

+Attention to detail is an important skill that will take you far in life

+ It's okay to break out of your comfort zone every once in awhile

+People can change- sometimes for the better and other times for the worse

+The saying the early bird gets the worm is actually true more times than not

+Your GPA won't define who you are as a person, but it can help you get to where you need to be

Checkout some of my other reflections from college:

Welcome to WAC

Transferring

Transferring Part 2

Semester Reflection

Two Years Down

Surviving Fall 2014

Three More Semesters

XOXO

Kitchen Adventures: Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie

These cookies are made with chocolate chips, ground oats, chopped walnuts, and shaved chocolate.  

There's a story that has gone around the internet for years about how a woman paid $250 for the recipe for Neiman Marcus' chocolate chip cookie recipe. The rumor goes something like this. Years ago a woman had a cookie at the Neiman Marcus cafe that was to die for. She asked her waitress for the recipe, and the waitress told her it would cost "two-fifty".  The woman assumed she meant $2.50. However, after receiving her bill she found out it was $250.  After spending $250 for this magical recipe, the woman was so mad that she decided to share this recipe across the internet. You can read Neiman Marcus' version of the story here.

These are one of my favorite cookies to eat and make. They're a little bit more labor intensive than your tradition chocolate chip cookie, but they are definitely worth the little bit of extra time it takes to make them. 

Ingredients:

2.5 cups rolled oats

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

12 oz. chocolate chips

4 oz milk chocolate (grated)

1.5 cups chopped walnuts

Recipe:

one.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper

two.

Blend the oats in a blender until they become a fine powder.

three.

In a bowl combine oats, flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt. 

Once combined, set this mixture aside.

four.

In a mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, and the other sugar until it is fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).

five.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. 

six.

Add the vanilla extract.

seven. 

Slowly add the flour mixture to the ingredients in the mixer. 

eight.

Add the chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and grated chocolate to the batter.

nine.

Use a cookie scooper to create two inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.

ten.

Bake each sheet of cookies for ten minutes.

eleven.

Let the cookies cool before enjoying them.

XOXO