Hey guys!
So I decided to make a new blog because I felt that this blog wasn’t really reflective of who I am/what I originally wanted to blog about. This blog will still remain here cuz I might go on it from time to time but i’ll mostly be on my new blog 🙂 Feel free to unfollow this blog and follow my new blog 😀
bye for now & thank you for following me
Find me on my new blog Science + Caffeine
Don’t let people discourage you. Go out there, follow your dreams, and defy expectations.
You’re probably wondering, whats she talking about? Yeah, its been a little while since i’ve posted on here. I just haven’t had much to say lately, until now.
I applied for a student job on campus at the end of last year (like early May I think) and hadn’t heard a reply for a super long time so i figured eh probably aren’t looking for help right now.
Well, I got a call a couple weeks ago and they said they wanted to do a phone interview! So of course I said yes and the next day I had a phone interview and at the end of my interview, they said they would like to give me a job!
Ya girls now a barista on campus!
Hit me up for all your caffeinated needs now
How are you guys? It’s been a while since i’ve talked to y’all
Waking up early in the morning can be such a drag. Your bed is so warm and comfy and the world outside your blanket cocoon isn’t. Morning people are successful people. The earlier you wake up, the more time you have to seize the day, so create a morning routine and stick with it!
Studies have shown that willpower is the strongest in the morning before you start to get exhausted and other priorities getting your way. Create your perfect morning ritual and stick with it! You will begin to see amazing results. So stop hitting the snooze button and read some of my tips for a more productive day!
|| Start Your Day With a Positive, Uplifting Message
What do you do when you first wake up? I know after I turn off my alarm, I’ll usually roll over, groggy eyed, roll some more and reach out for my phone to check my messages and other notifications. Lets be real, I don’t think I’m the only one. If you’re already going to be checking your phone, why not try adding this?
Put a motivating quote as your phone lock screen wallpaper or set it as an alarm so you can see it and start your day in a positive way. Similarly, you can download an app that sends you daily quotes. Just set it to send you quotes in the morning when you’re waking up so you get a new quote every day to help jumpstart your day.
|| Get Moving
Once you’ve actually rolled out of bed, get up and stretch a bit, walk around and get the blood flowing throughout your body! It can help to reduce pain and aches during the day.
You can also go for a full 30-min workout which can really help release endorphins that aid in making your day a positive, happy one. It can help you to kickstart your day with an extra burst of energy.
|| Look Good, Feel good
I know when I look good, I’ll feel better about myself and about the day. Confidence does come from within but my appearance can affect that. I know that if I don’t look my best, I won’t feel my best, thus lack in confidence. I am always sure to carve out a 10 minute window in my morning “getting ready” schedule for putting on make up and brushing my hair. Even if that just means putting on some lip gloss, it can really change my mindset about myself and my day. A full face of make up isn’t always necessary on a day to day basis. Try using tinted moisturizers with SPF to protect, hydrate your skin while providing some coverage. A couple coats of mascara and a nice lipstick is an easy way to look polished. I always try to pick my clothes the night before to save some time in the morning.
|| EAT Breakfast
One of the best ways to jump start your day is by eating a healthy, satisfying breakfast. Supercharge your energy to get the mind juices flowing. No one like a hangry you. If you’re constantly in a rush in the morning, stock up on fresh fruits that are easy to carry (apples, pears, etc) and granola bars. Easy grab n goes.
If you have a few minutes, sit down with a hearty bowl of cereal or oatmeal. Or blend up a green or fruit smoothie of some sort and drink it on your way to work, or wherever you’re headed that day.
|| Shower in the Morning
Showering in the mornings have allowed me to wake up my muscles and make me feel great. I’ll play some music and shower and have a little dance party as I shampoo my hair and such. Plus, showering in the morning will allow you to smell fab all day from your body wash (no need for extra perfume or body spray).
If you’re more of a shower at night person, I would still recommend maybe not shampooing in the morning but stepping in the shower for a quick body rinse just to wake up your muscles and to wash off anything that might have stuck to your skin during the night. Just as you wash/rinse your face in the morning, you should do the same with your body.
Those are just some of my tips on how I get ready in the morning to jumpstart my day 🙂
What do you do to jumpstart your day?
Hello lovely readers!
So next year me and two of my friends are going to live in a 4 bedroom apartment next year (whoop whoop)! Thing is though, theres only 3 of us and 4 bedrooms… So the apartment leaser people have paired us with a fourth roommate to fill all the rooms.
Basically, we just got our roommate assignment and my friends and I are terrified because all three of us had bad experiences with our previous roommates back in the dorms.
Shal hated her roommate (and honestly our whole dorm was terrified of her roommate) and her roommate ended up leaving our dorm. Shal ended up having her own room (one person in a double, so jealous).
Ashley (my roommate spring term) and her roommate did not get along at all. They did not get a long at all. No one in my dorm really liked her roommate because she was kind of annoying and was a moocher when it came to school work.
I had a semi-okay relationship with my old roommate (i think). We worked okay as roommates but we weren’t friends. We were acquaintances at most. Eventually, I ended up moving out of my room and switched rooms with Ashley’s roommate. So, Ashley and I became roommates.
We all just have bad luck with roommates so we’re hoping this new roommate isn’t like our previous roommates.
Wish us luck!
Have you had a bad roommate experience?
Walton DeCou // dec 2014
Why hello lovely readers! It’s been forever since I’ve written a real blog post in a long time (heh sorry about that). I was just texting some friends from my dorm and now that i’m no longer living in the dorms, it’s made me realize how important it was for me to live in the dorms my freshman year.
Since my family isn’t from Oregon, living at home was not an option for me. I chose to live in the dorms and not off campus because living in the dorms would be fun, they said. Honestly, they were right (whoever they may be…)!
In general, when people think of going off to college, they think of living in dorms. Dorms are basically like giant hotels on campus where undergrad students live with other students Most dorms rooms are doubles, counting 2 beds, 2 desks and 2 dressers, My roommate was randomly assigned to me, though I know some people chose their roommates from various roommate matching websites or Facebook, or they knew the person previously, Some dorms have bathrooms in their rooms but most are communal and shared by floor. In my dorm, I had 2 bathroom stalls, 2 urinals (my bathroom was gender inclusive) and 2 showers. It sounded horrible at first but in the end, it all worked out for a floor full of girls.
In the dorms, I was on my own, taking care of myself, doing my own laundry, getting my own food, etc. but i wasn’t truly on my own at the same time. Without my parents constantly being around, I had to learn to grow and truly take care of myself. I have always been independent but it’s different calling yourself independent with your parents versus when you’re parents aren’t around. I finally gained the independence and freedom I had always heard about growing up.
Not everyone will live in the dorms at any point in their college careers. It’s everyones own personal decisions but I know personally, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I met some really great people and made some really good friends. I am living with 2 other girls from my dorm in an apartment next year. My dorm got along really well in the beginning of the school year (we sort of started to get tired of each other spring term but then again we were sick of school lol). We were one gigantic family. We ate meals together, went to class together (we were in a residential FIG), and hung out in our lounge more than we did in our rooms. I loved my dorm-mates and I would not trade that experience for anything else.
Living in the dorms was important for me freshman year because I made some really great friends and some awesome memories.I learned how to be independent while still having some rules and regulations of the dorm. The dorm was an awesome stepping stone to living in an apartment with my friends next year. The dorms have definitely prepared me for life beyond my parents’ house. It has taught me to be independent and allowed me to learn a lot more about myself.
making gingerbread houses! // dec ’14
halloweekend #2k14
I’ve bene on summer break for a while now but I already miss Oregon and all my friends. I can’t wait to go back and see all my friends again. Even though we text like all the time, it’s not the same as being able to talk to them in person. This time though, we’ll be living in our own apartments and will actually be able to cook our own meals (my dorm did not have a kitchen). OH you will soon learn that while dorm food may seem great at first, you will get tired of dorm food and fast. And yes, the freshman 15 is very real.
While everyone’s dorm experience may be different, I do believe that living in the dorms your freshman year is truly important. I learned so much about myself and made some amazing memories that I know I’ll remember for a while.
Did you live in the dorms while in college? Did you like it? Or, do you plan on living in a dorm?
You’ve got a lot on your plate. You try so hard everyday to make sure all of your work is beyond perfect, to make it look like you’ve got it all together. You want to accomplish everything and perfectly. You want to be it all.
But the truth is, you can’t and that’s perfectly okay.
I know the feeling of wanting to do everything and perfectly. I’m in the same boat. Upon starting college, I thought it would be fun to take 18 credits while being in the Marching Band and attend various club meetings and do community service. Within those 18 credits, I was taking Gen. Chemistry + Lab, Psychology, Calculus, etc. I thought “If i could handle 7 classes all four years of high school with Marching Band, Swim Team, and be active in clubs, I should be able to in college too.” I was wrong. By the end of my first term, I had already dropped one of my classes and was not active in many clubs I wanted to be in. I had put too much on my plate.
It’s hard to learn to balance everything and to please everyone. Everyone’s said that giving in is a sign of weakness, that you can’t handle life when things get complicated. And you want nothing to do with that. You want to challenges, to prove to people that you can handle challenges and do things well, not just half-ass it. It’s perfectly fine to dream big and to challenge yourself; how will you know your limits if you never test them? You want to be an overachiever and that’s perfectly okay. I know I am.
Also know that it’s perfectly okay to say no. It’s okay to take a step back and say, “I have too much going on and I can’t do everything at this moment”. Everyone has their limits eventually, if not your health will soon tell you when you’re about to hit your breaking point. Don’t start comparing yourself to others, just because others can take on a certain task while doing other work doesn’t always mean you can. You’re not them and that’s okay. Be inspired by them but don’t let them make you feel inferior to them just because you haven’t achieved their version of success.
Learn to let go. Take on new opportunities but also know your limits. Know when enough is enough. You’re only one person. One person who can achieve a lot but can’t do it all at once. Don’t loose sight of the end goal. Once you learn to let go and say no, you will soon begin achieving more.
But until that day comes,
don’t forget to live and to explore life.
What’s your “stress reliever”?
Two more weeks. I can almost see the light.
Just two more weeks until sweet freedom. 9 more class days until I’m done with summer school.
One paper after the next. ugh note to self, don’t take calculus and writing in one 6 week summer course. i did not truly realize how intense summer quarter would be until it was too late to drop (without a w on my transcript).
Everyone’s out having fun and relaxing while i’m cooped up either in the classroom, at my desk, or at the library, studying and working on papers. A 12 week calculus course crammed into 6 weeks of my summer is way too intense. Writing on the other hand isn’t all that bad. 3 papers in 6 weeks isn’t that bad compared to having a new paper due each week during my regular school year.
eh, hopefully in two weeks i’ll have interesting things to write about (and the time to do so after i catch up on my sleep)
bye for now!
How’s your summer been?
Hey awesome readers! So today I decided to bake him cookies and everyone gets one! You get a cookie, and you get a cookie, and you get a cookie! It’ll be a cookie party! I mean who doesn’t like cookies?
I baked black and white chocolate chip cookies (wow that’s a mouthful). They’re super simple to make and super delicious! I found a basic chocolate chip cookie online and tweaked it a little (okay a bunch). Usually when I bake, I find a recipe online and tweak it a ton to my liking. I’m weird I know.
Back to the cookies! So these cookies are super easy to make and don’t take a long time or use a ton of kitchenware (yay). I don’t like recipes that require like 20 different kitchen gadgets because then I have to wash it after and California is in a super bad drought and wasting water blah i’m rambling sorry.
Anyways, did you try one yet? Did you like it?
Thanks for coming to the party! I hope you enjoyed the cookies! The recipe can be found below and lets have another cookie party sometime. I’ll be sure to send the invites a little earlier than the date of the party so you can RSVP. Hopefully we’ll have enough cookies next time!
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (can use salted, just don’t add salt later)
1/4 cup brown sugar *
1/4 cup sugar *
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (or chunks) -whatever you prefer
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (unless using salted butter, then no salt)
1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
*can add more/less sugar depending on how sweet you want your cookie (keep in mind the addition of chocolate chips will sweeten the cookie)
What to do
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 1-2 baking sheets (depending on how big your baking sheets are) with parchment paper or silicone sheets (I only used one baking sheet). If you only have one baking sheet but require multiple batches, allow the baking sheet to cool completely between batches.
Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium heat until melted. If you prefer, you can also melt it in a saucepan. Cool slightly. While that’s melting, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. When the butters melted and slightly cooled, slowly mix the butter into the egg mixture (make sure the butter is slightly cooled so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs).
In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together until well blended. Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Don’t over mix the dough. I used a rubber spatula and folded everything together but you can also use a wooden spoon.
Split the dough in half and place half the dough in another bowl (I used the bowl that once held the dry ingredients). In one bowl, fold in half of the chocolate chips. Set that aside. In the other bowl, fold the cocoa powder and the rest of the chocolate chips in (you can also use white chocolate chips in this half if you prefer).
Once you have both doughs mixed in separate bowls, measure approx 1.5 tablespoons of chocolate cookie dough (I used a regular soup spoon but can be bigger/smaller depending on how big you want your cookies to be). Roll into a ball. Take 1.5 Tablespoons of chocolate chip cookie dough (again, more or less depending on how big you want your cookies to be). Roll into a ball. Press the two balls together between your hands and roll them into one large ball. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Be sure to place the cookies about 1.5 inches apart as they do expand a bit.
Bake until golden brown, but still soft in the center (10-15 minutes depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies). I had mine in the oven for about 12 minutes 🙂
Take them out of the oven when they’re done and transfer to a rack to cool. Enjoy!
Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
What’s your favorite kind of cookie?
Hello awesome readers! My apologies for not writing much lately! haha i’m sure you missed me soooo much (sarcasm intended). Anyhoo, I’m finally on summer vacation (okay i’ve been on summer vacation for approx a month now hush).
Sadly, I began summer school last week so i’ve been focusing a lot on that. Hopefully now that I’ve finally been able to finalize my schedule (sort of…for now), I can write more regularly! Summer school is so blah. 6 weeks of intense school since they’ve basically packed 12 weeks of school into 6 weeks of summer….gross…
Okay, done complaining/explaining life.
Thanks for reading
Bye for now 🙂
ps if you’re on tumblr, feel free to follow me there (tropical // personal)
Always, Renée 