Thrifty Thursday | Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is a super simple app that will help you save money on items that you buy normally. Every week, a list of about thirty grocery items are put on the app. There are items that, if you buy, you can save anywhere from $0.25 to $5.00 on. Once you purchase the item, you simply scan your receipt and submit it to the app. They process and approve your receipt, then award your account the specific cash back offer. Once you're in-app bank reaches $20, you can cash out using PayPal.

 

This is an app that I need to take more advantage of. I haven't used it lately, but need to because I'm almost at that $20 benchmark! It is also nice when the items listed on the app are also on sale in the store - it's like a double sale! One time, I had a coupon for a glade item, which was also on sale in the store, and there was a $3.00 cash back offer in Checkout 51. Once I applied all the discounts, I ended up getting paid like $0.50 to take my new smelly goodness out of the store!

Hawaii Part III

It's Travel Tuesday (I know, it's Wednesday, but use your imagination!) and we've made it to the last segment of my Hawaii adventure. Is it time to go back yet?

The week was shooting by, but some of my favorite parts of this vacation were saved for the end. Finally, finally, the water was calm enough to go stand up paddle boarding! I had been waiting for this all week, and it was well worth it. My sister and I each had a paddle board, and my dad took out a kayak. It didn't take long to get the hang of it, and I was up and paddling in no time! My sister, on the other hand, kept thinking her paddle board's shadow was a shark and refused to stand up for fifteen minutes. But she was up and going soon enough! My dad, on the other hand, fell straight backward on his first attempt to stand up. I would kill to do it again, and it was an awesome leg and arm work out to boot!

Good thing my dad has connections, because his friend was able to hook me up with a helicopter tour of Maui and the surrounding areas! It was beautiful! After I got over the weird feeling you get in your ears when riding a helicopter, I was able to really take in the nature of the island. There were huge waterfalls, enormous sea cliffs, and mountain goats scaling the side of these vertical cliffs. We even flew into the crater of a dormant volcano - one that the Hawaiians have believed to be dormant for a million years. It was pure beauty, and an experience I wouldn't trade for the world!

My dad and I were also able to go snorkeling again - and this time I brought my GoPro! We went along Kaanapali beach and around Black Rock. My dad had a hunch that this would be the best place to find some sea turtles. We hopped in the water and I began to film. The water was incredibly deep - deeper than the previous snorkeling trip. It took me a good amount of time to stop looking behind me every five seconds to make sure a shark wasn't nearby. Once I calmed down, I was able to enjoy the nature that surrounded me. We saw a manta ray on the floor of the ocean, long needle fish, and even a scuba diver instructor handling an octopus! However, the highlight of this trip it when I turned around to see an enormous sea turtle just feet away. I handed my dad the camera and swam over to lightly stroke its shell. I marveled at how calm and peaceful it was, despite our presence.

But alas, all good things must come to an end...for now! I departed Friday night, just after the sun had set. After eleven hours of travel time, a stressful layover in San Diego, and a more relaxed pit stop in Dallas, I had finally arrived in Cincinnati. And it was just in time for a last minute road trip - stay tuned!

Hawaii Part I

Hawaii Part II

Thrifty Thursday | Shopkick

One of the number one issues among college students, or anyone for that matter, is money. No matter how hard we work, there never seems to be enough of it. Between rent, tuition, student loans, textbooks, car payments, and more, college students' paychecks get drained pretty quickly. Luck for you all, I am slowly learning the tips and tricks to making your money go farther!

To kick off this Thrifty Thursday tradition, I will begin with the app that I use on a daily basis: Shopkick. A dear friend introduced me to this app back in April and I couldn't be more grateful, as it has helped me to earn $125 in gift cards since then!


Shopkick Homepage

The idea is that you get points, or "kicks", for walking into various stores. Additionally, there are certain items within the store you can scan to get additional kicks. For example, you can look in the app to see that you can get 50 kicks by walking into Macy's. Using GPS, it locates when you entered the store and awards you points. You can then see that you can scan an item's barcode for an additional 50 points. Bam! 100 points, just like that. Once you reach 6,250 points, which takes me about a month to a month and a half to do, you can choose from a variety of $25 gift cards. If you so choose, you can also redeem a smaller amount of points for a smaller gift card if you aren't as patient.

I have redeemed multiple gift cards for Macy's, Target, and Marshalls, and there are many others that you can choose from. And if you get three friends to join, that's a bonus 2,000! (So if you're interested and know me personally, let me know and I'll shoot you a text with the information, eh? Haha.).


My Shopkick Profile

Bonus tip: If you go to the home page and look at the recent mini product ads that read "new", those contain bonus kicks! I have earned hundreds of kicks just by looking through these product ads. 

Revamp

Creating this blog, I never really had a persona in mind. College blog? Food blog? Fashion? Travel? Lifestyle? I just wrote what was running through my head at the moment, like a public journal.

Over the last two years, All Roads Lead to Nowhere has evolved, and I think it's about time to organize it based on what it has evolved into. Now, I'm not sure exactly what that is, but for now I'm going to go with "college lifestyle & travel blog". Accurate?

With that taken care of, let's get a new weekly schedule up and running! Now, I won't post every single day of the week, but when I do, I will try to theme it to these subjects:

Travel Tuesday: My exciting adventures
Thrifty Thursday: Money-saving tips & tricks
Food Friday: Need I say more?

Any ideas for the rest of the week?

Hawaii Part II

It's been almost two months since I was in Hawaii, and boy do I miss the fresh mangoes. Each day, we would pull one off of the tree in the back yard, cut it up, and eat it as a snack. It was incredibly delicious, and probably the freshest fruit I've ever had!

After a fun day full of para sailing, I was absolutely exhausted. I spent the next couple days relaxing on the deck, laying on the beach, or nursing my scorched skin with the fresh aloe leaves from the backyard. Warning: Snorkeling causes your lower back to burn. A lot. Try wearing a rash guard or a ton of sunscreen. At one point when I was laying out on the beach one morning, a man and his two dogs came running down the beach and into the crashing waves. The smaller dog decided he didn't like the waves and came to sit next to me the entire time. It was pretty adorable.

Later in the week, I went out with my dad to go snorkeling in the reefs. Baby beach, where my sister had taken me earlier, was about 4 feet deep, murky, and nearly fishless. The beach my dad took me to couldn't have been more different. The water must have been fifty feet deep in some areas, and it was crystal clear all the way to the ocean floor. The fish were so beautiful and colorful - red, yellow, blue, silver, and everything in between. I even saw a rainbow fish and an eel! At this point, my GoPro wasn't charged so I don't have any pictures of this particular snorkeling trip, which I totally regret!

Though the ocean water is lovely and warm, I sure miss a dose of chlorine in my life every now and again. One day when everyone else was at work, my dad and I took off to the row of hotels that line the beachfront. For two or three hours, we swam in about five or six different pools at these resorts, judging which one we liked the best. There were water slides, bridges, lazy rivers, volleyball, and more. In case you were wondering, if I remember correctly, my favorite pool was the Sheraton Resort & Spa.

My sister and I also made some time to walk down Front Street, which is located right off of the shore and is lined with shops and restaurants. I bought a couple souveniers, took a stroll through the art galleries, and even sat at the Forrest Gump bench! (Note the missing foot in the picture, haha!).

Only a couple days left, and so much on my to-do list to check off!

Hawaii Part I

Hawaii Part III

Thoughtful Thursday | 10,000 Views!

I just want to thank everyone who has made a contribution to this blog. Whether you've commented, shared it online, or simply read my rants and raves, you are awesome! Three days ago was the two year anniversary of All Roads Lead To Nowhere, and just a day after that it hit 10,000 views. This is incredible to me!

Two years ago, I started this blog, purely out of boredom and a need to exercise my writing abilities, as a freshman at BYU. In my very first post, "Roma Capitale", I said, "It's understandable to not know where you are going in life. As long as you know where you are right now, you might as well take in the beautiful scenery and simply conclude that today, all roads lead to nowhere." 

Even today, this still holds true. Over the course of two years, I have changed my path so many times and still don't have a clear idea of where I am going. But this blog has taught me to simply enjoy now. This small advice to myself has resulted in the best two years of my life. Though I still don't know where my road is taking me, I have been able to travel this country and enjoy every minute of the ride.

So for all of you who are reading my blog for the first time, or for those who have persevered for my frequent extended leave of absences, thank you!

Hawaii Part I

After a month long hiatus, it's about time to recap my Hawaii/Florida/Seattle August vacation!

I got off the plane Wednesday night in Kahului and drove for a little under an hour until we reached Lahaina! The next morning, I woke up and walked to the closest beach, which is about a ten minute walk. Baby Beach was almost empty when I got there at about 8 am, which was great! After a couple hours, I headed home and hopped in the car. Driving south along the Honoapiilani Highway is a beautiful sight! It stretches right along the west coast of the island and there are many lookout spots to stop and take pictures at along the way.

Honoapiilani Highway lookout

The next morning, my sister and I headed out to Baby Beach again. This time, with a pair of snorkeling gear. We didn't go too far out, because she has a slight fear of snorkeling. The water was a little murky as well, so we could barely see five feet in front of us. So snorkeling was a little bit of a bust, but we're going to try another beach later this week. That evening, we walked down Front Street, which is filled with shops, restaurants, and art exhibits that line the beach. I even got myself a Dole Whip! It tasted just like I remember it at Disney World.

Saturday morning, we got up early and began our journey on the road to Hana, which is on the furthest east point of the island.  This is a must-do if you ever come to the island of Maui. We first went to the Haleakala National Park and hiked up a mile to the famous Bamboo Forest. From there, we hiked another mile up to Waimoku Falls. It was a beautiful sight, and a great workout! Although I warn you, the pool at the base of the waterfall is not large enough to swim in. We chuckled to ourselves when people hiked past us, two miles up with flip flops on and a towel over their shoulder. From there, we drove further up the road to Black Sand Beach. Honestly, it wasn't all that in my opinion. And apparently the water is very chilly, so I did not intend on swimming. However, the shaved ice they sell in the parking lot is to die for!

Sunday morning, we woke up with the intention of going stand up paddle boarding, but the wind was too strong. One impulsive decision later, and we were up in the air para sailing! It is insane how calm everything is once you get in the air. And the view of Maui and the surrounding islands is absolutely beautiful! Later in the day, we went pool hopping at the resorts that line the boardwalk. That was a blast, and well worth the scorching sunburn it caused!

Hawaii Part II

Hawaii Part III

Lockdown

It's been a little over a month, but I am here to tell you all that I will be back and writing this week! And with an exciting Hawaii/Florida vacation series in my back pocket.

I have a lot of exiting events that have happened lately, the most recent of which is the fact that I am writing this from the Little Library on the University of Kentucky campus, an hour after it was supposed to close. We are currently in lockdown after shots were fired on south campus. Luckily, we are on north campus. However, a recent announcement was released saying that the three gunmen fled toward north campus. Yay...

I'm not worried, it has given me time to finish the rest of my homework for the night and contemplate what I think is truly important in my life. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure I'm not in any actual danger. It's just a reflection opportunity. I also have a tendency to downplay the importance of situations sometimes.

Let's all hope no one gets hurt tonight on campus. While we're at it, who is most important to you in your life? Go tell them.

A Month of Adventure and Thanks

I just opened up my calendar and had the happiest realization. Currently, I am in Kentucky. In one week, I will be in Seattle. In two weeks, I will be in Hawaii. In three weeks, I will be in Florida.

No matter how many supposedly negative events pile up, it only takes a moment for me to truly realize all the things I have to be grateful for. I have an amazing family, once-in-a-lifetime friends, a quality education, and the incredible opportunities to travel this beautiful country we live in. A big "thank you" goes out to everyone who has endured my antics all these years, adventured by my side, and caused enjoyable trouble for the establishment. Here's to the past 20 years of no regrets, and to 80 more years of worthwhile shenanigans!

College Comes at a Cost

Ever since I entered college, I can definitely say that I have been living comfortably. Going to a university that only costs $10k a year and receiving scholarships that covered those entire costs greatly contributed to this comfort. The income I received from my job went straight into my pocket. This provided me with many opportunities - purchasing camera equipment, going skydiving, traveling to New York, and splurging while living at Disney World. It was a fun two years, and I am grateful for what I have been able to do. But now it's time to put in the hard work and earn my education - and I am also grateful for this opportunity.

I have now transferred to the University of Kentucky as an out of state student. This means about $25k per year in school costs, not to mention my rent (which is a heck of a lot more expensive than it was in Utah). Though I am currently employed and doing an unpaid internship, I am now in search for another job to decrease the amount of loans I must take out. Not only this, but I have started learning the craft of couponing! I still have a ways to go until I'm a pro, but I've saved a dollar here and there by using coupons, and it really adds up. I am really excited to learn some great skills over the next couple years - budgeting, conserving, and sacrificing.

What I may be most worried about when it comes to budgeting my money is my upcoming trip to Hawaii. Everyone knows that this is not a cheap vacation spot. Luckily my dad and sister live there, so I don't have to worry about paying for an expensive hotel. But I'll be there for nine days - I'm going to have to spend money on something at some point or another. My plan is to budget, plan, and record. I'll seek out cheap or free excursions or souvenirs, and share it with you all! When the time comes closer, I will give myself a budget and stick to it, then share the how-to's of vacationing cheap in Hawaii with the world! Stay tuned!

Food Friday | Pasta Alfredo & Kielbasa

I haven't done a Food Friday in an awfully long time, mostly due to the fact that I have once again moved across the country and have yet to get settled in. But I decided that I will start making an effort to redeem myself, starting with one of the tastiest dishes I have ever made. It's simple, foolproof, and delicious - perfect for those of us living on a budget or short on culinary expertise. I happen to be both!

Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite pasta (I like tortellini or shell)
1 can Alfredo pasta sauce
1 kielbasa (I usually wait until this item goes on sale to make this dish)

1. Cook pasta in boiling water for 7-10 minutes.
(Note: the best way to tell if its cooked all the way is to taste it!)
2. Strain pasta, stir in Alfredo sauce, and put on low heat.
3. Cut up kielbasa into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut these slices into fourths.
4. In a separate pan, fry kielbasa on medium heat.
5. Stir kielbasa into the pasta and enjoy!

Bucket List 2014

I wish I could say that this summer will be more eventful than last. However, now that I have transferred to a much more expensive school, I may have to get a little creative in order to save as much money as possible. Student loans are in my future, yet I don't want that to stop me from making this summer an adventure. I mean, you're only 20 once, right? I better make it worthwhile.

Skydiving last summer

I find that I accomplish more when I have goals written on paper. Thus, I will be making another bucket list this summer! If you would like to view all the bucket list items I completed last year, click HERE, or click the "Bucket List 2013" tab above. This list includes everything from skydiving to bridge jumping, to hiking to Walt Disney World! As a college student, I completely understand how it feels to have to survive on one meal a day in order to make ends meet, and I have learned to cherish leftovers. So follow me on this journey into the unknown, and hopefully on a manageable budget! Where will we end up? Who knows, because all roads lead to nowhere. There is no certainty. There is only adventure.

News!

Happy Wednesday everyone! It is my favorite day of the week, thus some good news is long overdue. As you all know, I love to travel. New York City, Orlando, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Seattle... you name it, and I'll add it to my list. This coming August, I'll be happy to add another adventure to my list: Maui, Hawaii! 

After my quarterly pit stop into Seattle to visit my mom, friends, and the rest of my family, I will happily make my way over to a vacationers paradise to visit my dad and little sister. I've already began concocting a list of to-do's for my trip. Snorkeling, hiking, maybe some skydiving? We'll see! And I get to add some more cities to my layover list (this includes cities that I have stopped in during layovers, but have not explored fully...still exciting though!) - Denver, San Diego, and Dallas. Stay tuned to hear all about this Hawaii adventure!

Cincinnati, Ohio

Last Friday, I took a friend to the Cincinnati airport. What was supposed to be a three-hour-round-trip-then-go-to-work day, turned into a one hour in the wrong direction, turn around, drive two hours, become in awe with the city and call off work and spend the day in Cincinnati day. Impulsive, but worth it.

Cincinnati, Ohio is like the small version of NYC, with a touch of a vintage, old-town feel. We roamed the city, got breakfast at a local bagel shop, and got lost numerous times. The waterfront was beautiful, and we headed just across the river to the Newport Aquarium (which is technically in Kentucky, but we still had a great view of Ohio from just outside). We watched the shark rays, which are a combination of a shark and a sting ray, get fed. This is the only aquarium in the world that has a thriving group of shark rays, which I thought was pretty cool! I also got to pet a shark!

After the aquarium, we headed across the boardwalk to a quaint seafood restaurant called Mitchell's Fish Market. The bacon wrapped barbeque shrimp was to die for, and my fish and chips were delectable. It all pooled together to be a fun impromptu trip that I will never forget!

Summer and a Sweatshirt

I hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend! The pool finally opened up at my apartments, so I spent all my free time laying out and enjoying the 85 degree weather that we've been having in Lexington lately. All in all, everything is going pretty well. Despite a job, internship, and school, I haven't been very stressed. Though I've been spending most of my free time outside, I'm going to try to dedicate some time each week to post on here.

Poolside on Memorial Day weekend!

So I just need a moment to rave about this job I have. Five days a week from 1-4pm and 6-10pm, I call alumni of the University of Kentucky asking for donations for student scholarships. Yes, it's telemarketing - but for a good cause! Anyway, I was the first new caller to reach $5,000, so I got a free sweatshirt. I was ecstatic! I knew I was doing well, and it was nice to be rewarded for that hard work. Then, over the course of the next two days, I received over $6,000 in donations, bringing my total to over $12,000. I am just so grateful for the success I have had, and that I actually enjoy going to work every day!

21-Day Challenge | Keep Going!

If you are unaware of what the 21-day challenge is, click HERE to read all about it! All caught up? Good. Now, although the 21 days are over (and have been for quite some time now), I have learned a valuable lesson. I did not learn to run twice a day and cut sugar completely out of my diet, though that would be ideal. Heck, I'm sitting here snacking on chocolate as we speak. But I learned how to develop a healthy love for exercising - a love that I have been missing since I was a year-round athlete in high school.

Post-workout cruise through town.

Now that things have settled down a little bit and the semester is over, I have finally found time to get out and enjoy the wonderful weather. It's 80 degrees and sunny almost every day here and I love it! I've found a nice park with a paved loop going around the perimeter that is great for running! I've started drinking tons of water and am trying to cut those unhealthy lattes and specialty Starbucks drinks out of my diet (which is so difficult... Have you tried their new Oprah Chai Tea Latte?! Get it with a pump of vanilla and caramel and you will be in heaven. It tastes like Christmas!).

But doing this has helped me to have more energy throughout the day and more motivation to get things done! So even though the challenge is over, I encourage you to keep going! There are so many benefits that will come out of developing a healthy lifestyle, and it all starts today.

Hello, Kentucky

It's final - I am now settled down in Kentucky, have landed a job at the university, and will be starting my internship next week! Things seem to be slowly falling into place, except for the lack of an apartment, but hopefully that should be taken care of in a few days.

Its odd to be in a completely different place. I have to memorize the road names, how to get to school, and the local lingo. I mean, I didn't even know what brisket or Ale-8 was until I moved down here. And there's a difference between dinner and supper? Who knew.

The real challenge will be balancing my internship, job, and classes - all of which start next week. Good thing my internship only requires 10-12 hours a week. So 10 hours for that, 35 hours for a job, and about 5 hours a week for my online classes... 50 hours a week isn't too bad, right? It seems like a lot, but it still leaves about 8 hours a day for leisure time. Wish me luck!

21-Day Challenge | Week 3

Boy do I have some explaining to do... Remember when I ran that five miles last Sunday? Well I haven't exercised since then. But you can't blame me, I'm right in the midst of finals week, and you know how grueling that can be. However, I did stick to eating well all last week, which was a plus! However, seeing as I have four exams ahead of me, I have allotted myself four days to splurge, because when I'm stressed and need ice cream, I'm willing to indulge if it means I can calm down and continue studying. Today is the last reading day where we don't have classes, and tomorrow is the first day of finals.

Only one of my finals are actually scheduled, and it's tomorrow at 8 am... Wonderful. The rest of my exams are a free for all. The way BYU organizes final exams is that you have a week to take them. When you're ready, you line up at the testing center anywhere from 7 am to 9 pm to go in and take your test. I love this because this allows me to take all four of my exams by Saturday night so that I can fly home sooner. My flight for Seattle leaves early Sunday morning, and I am so excited to be able to spend a week there before heading off to my internship!

Once finals are over, I can promise you that I will start working out and eating better again! But for now, bring on the ice cream, root beer, better cheddar's, and easy cheese.

Thoughtful Thursday | When Opportunities Arise

“Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.” 

                                                                          –Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and author

I aspire to be one of the greatest journalists of our time. I do not wish for mediocrity. I wish to be the best. In order to accomplish this dream, it is my job to not wait for opportunities to come knocking. It is my job to chase down these opportunities, tackle them, and claim them for myself. I do not care if these occasions are inconvenient or require a little hard work and dedication on my part – it is the experience that will help me achieve my dreams.

As this semester draws to a close, I am forever grateful for the priceless experience I have received while working for the alumni relations department of BYU Magazine, and am ecstatic to see my first story in print by the time the next quarterly magazine is released. But the time has come to take these skills I have learned and build off of them in order to expand my talents. This summer I will be picking up and moving my life. Again. This time, to Kentucky. I will be a social media marketing intern through Bloc Marketing.

At this point, moving another 1,500 miles away doesn’t seem that bad after my recent moves from Washington to Utah and Florida. I am taking claim of an opportunity that I chased down, and will use these newfound talents to further my career in the field of communications. In this internship, I will learn to communicate with audiences more effectively and efficiently. It will definitely be a change from writing for a magazine, where which it is very passive and there is not a whole lot of interaction between me and the reader. Contrarily, this internship will successfully challenge me as I actively interact with audiences in real time.

So my message to you: Chase down those opportunities and take them! Do not worry about what others will think, the inconvenience it may cause, or the hard work it will require. If it brings you one step closer to achieving your dream, do it!

21-Day Challenge | Week 2

Week one of the 21-day challenge is over. How did you do? Did you skip a run one day? Did you slip up and eat a hot dog? Were you lacking motivation to get up and get active one morning? Don't worry, me too. But that doesn't mean you can't finish these three weeks! Take this day to recommit to why you even started getting fit. Go follow a Pinterest workout board or Twitter fitness account for motivation. Not going to lie, when I need the extra boost to get me out of bed and into my running shoes, I look at pictures of how I wish my body looked like on the Fitness Motivation account I follow on Twitter. It might sound odd, but this form of inspiration works for me! 

On Sunday, I procrastinated until 3 pm to go on my run, and now that it’s week two, the cardio has gone up to 35-45 minutes. I was convinced that I would have to walk/run to get through this. However, once I hit one mile, I realized that I had enough energy to go to two. That two miles turned into three, then four, then five. Finally, my joints started to ache as I went on 53 minutes and five miles, so I stopped. Never in my life have I run that far without stopping, and it was the best feeling I could ever imagine! I looked at my running app that stated that I had burned a little over 600 calories, and that’s when it hit me.

I know for a fact I have easily consumed over 600 calories in one sitting. Whether it was a Domino's chicken alfredo bread bowl, a double entrée of orange chicken and fried rice at Panda Express, or a carton of Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream. It took no effort at all to eat that, albeit, delicious food. But after taking a full hour to run 5 miles, I wouldn’t dare give up all that effort for ten minutes of satiation. Instead, I would reward myself by supplying my body with food that will only further promote the level of fitness that I am trying to attain. Oranges, blueberries, tomatoes, eggs, spinach, whole wheat bread, fat free milk, water, water, water! I’ve decided to reward my body for its tremendous effort after a workout instead of maliciously punishing it by putting these sorts of processed foods into my body.

Now, splurging is okay! In fact, I would encourage designating one night a week where you indulge (moderately) in a not-so-healthy meal. This will help to eliminate episodes of binge eating throughout the week.

So go into week two with a new found confidence, and keep moving forward! And if you are new to the 21-day total body makeover challenge, click HERE to view the original post and join us!

Thoughtful Thursday | Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

With finals week fast approaching for those of us college students on the semester schedule, it is easy to stress about every single issue that life throws in our direction. Just last night I nearly had a meltdown because I broke my healthy eating routine and had Wendy's. I beat myself up all day, and then solved the issue by eating a doughnut. I see a vicious cycle forming here... But the point of the matter is, who cares if I have a doughnut every now and again? And, of course, there is a deeper metaphor at work here.

Will your life fall apart if you get a B+ in that class instead of an A-? I promise you, this will not ruin your life. And furthermore, don't let the stresses that school causes on its students effect your everyday life outside of the classroom. Try your best, and that's all you can do.

I've been freaking out because I might get a B- in one of my classes and a B in another. I kept telling myself that these grades were going to bring down my GPA significantly. However, once I took a step back and took into account the other three A's that I would be receiving this semester, I realized that even with these low grades, my GPA would still go up slightly. So if you're freaking out about something that is going to have an extremely minimal effect on your life as a whole, just take a step back and don't sweat the small stuff. 

21-Day Challenge

Wow, April is almost here already! With summer fast approaching, I quickly realized that I should start getting swimsuit-ready (I may have realized this a little late, haha). Every year, I have the goal to look great in a swimsuit, to get a flat stomach, blah blah blah. But this year I'm approaching the situation from a different angle.

My goal is to become confident in my body, and to treat it well. I've been trying to eat natural foods and exercise more, but sometimes "trying" simply isn't a big enough motivation. With the help of Fitness Magazine, I have committed to their "21-Day Total-Body Makeover Workout." In a nutshell, it is not intended to push you to your absolute limits or go on a crash diet. The goal is to help get you into the habit of exercising five days a week, have a good mindset, and form a healthy lifestyle. Want to join me on this challenge? Why not, it's only three weeks of your time!

WEEK 1
Mind: Dedicate five minutes a day to keeping an exercise journal, noting how you stay active. Seeing yourself achieve daily goals builds momentum.
Body: Do 2 sets of 8-12 reps per move twice a week on nonconsecutive days and 25-35 minutes of cardio five days a week.

http://www.pinterest.com/marielleeeee/fitness/

WEEK 2
Mind: Plan ahead. Rather than wait for a break in your day to exercise, schedule it the night before.
Body: Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps per move three times a week and 35-45 minutes of cardio five days a week.

WEEK 3
Mind: Find solutions, not excuses. If you don't have time for a full session, break it into 10-minute bits. Once you've started, it's easier to keep going than it is to quit.
Body: Do three sets of 15-20 reps per move 3 times a week and 45-55 minutes of cardio five days a week.

Click HERE to view the full article, as well as a list of exercises to do for the weightlifting segments of the body portion of the challenge. If you don't have free weights or a medicine ball, the site is full of weight-free exercises that you could try instead.

Three weeks. Twenty-one days. That's it. No excuses. What's stopping you from finally being fit, healthy, and happy? I'll check up with you all every week until we've finished this. Ready, GO!

Food Friday | Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

For my second installment of Food Friday, I have actually cooked food! These creamy, cheesy chicken enchiladas were heavenly. This was the first time I had made enchiladas completely from scratch, and I was surprised how simple it was.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 cups (8 oz.) pre-shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend cheese
• 1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/3 cups butter, melted
• 1/4 cups chopped onion*
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic**
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10-12 oz.) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup
• 1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained*
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions*

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and chili powder. Grill or bake until done. 
3. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. 
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, brush oil over both sides of tortilla. Add tortilla to pan; cook 5 seconds on each side or until toasted and soft. 
5. Remove from pan; arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla.
6. Roll jelly-roll style. Place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13x19 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 tortillas. Use remaining chicken mixture (about 1 cup) to spread over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese and green onions. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. ***

*Note that I don't particularly like these ingredients, so I replaced the chopped onion with onion powder and the green chilies with chili powder. You do you.

**I just used garlic powder instead.

***If you are making food for multiple people, then ignore this note. If you are making food just for yourself, then hear ye, hear ye! After combining all the ingredients (when I cooked this, I halved the recipe), I used enough chicken mixture to fill up and coat only one tortilla. I stored the rest of the mixture in the fridge so I could make one enchilada at a time from then on. That way, it is fresh, for the most part, every time you cook one! Considering the fact that I halved the recipe, this chicken mixture lasted nearly a week - about 5 enchiladas! Also, I just put the single enchilada in a smaller baking dish when cooking it. 

Enjoy!

Food Friday: Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Welcome to the first ever Food Friday! I will be the first to admit: I am a terrible cook. Therefore, every week I will be posting a new, simple recipe that even I can cook with the hopes that I can begin to eat something other than bean burritos. Though, with the weather warming up, I thought I would start off this weekly tradition with a refreshing smoothie!

And isn't this single-serve Hamilton
Beach blender so handy?!

During my two years in college, I have learned that one of the hardest things to do is eat healthy and spend frugally. Fruit and vegetables can be so expensive, and sometimes it makes more sense to instead reach for the hot dogs and top ramen. However, I have set goals for myself to be healthier lately, so no more hot dogs for me. If you are pressed for time, money, and want to eat smarter, then try out this delicious smoothie!

Ingredients:

Note that I don’t measure anything, so these are rough estimates!

1 banana

½ cup fat free milk

1 raw egg* 

1 handful baby spinach* 

1 scoop Slim Fast chocolate powder (I use the cheap knock-off brand)

6 ice cubes

*Don't be afraid of these ingredients - you don't even taste them in the end!

Blend it all together and voilà, enjoy! 

Thoughtful Thursday | Expand Your Talents

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made,
What's a sundial in the shade?” 
― Benjamin Franklin

Everyone has a talent. The real challenge is figuring out what that talent is.

For example, my talent is writing – I have known this from about the age of nine. Eleven years later, I am writing for a university magazine. But over these years, I have made an effort to figure out what other talents I may have. Benjamin Franklin might say that my talent of writing is a sundial in the sunlight, while my other talents are hiding in the shade. So for many years, I have ventured into the shade to locate these hidden talents.

In my junior year of high school, I turned out for the cross country team. I told myself that if I could only get in shape, I may be able to be successful in this sport. However, I soon learned that I am easily distracted and running in circles for over three miles does nothing to entertain me. Not to mention I always came in second-to-last in all the races. So instead, I joined the dance team and found a sport that was both entertaining and fun!

When I was about twelve, I decided that I was the next Picasso. I asked for sketch books and pencils for Christmas, and went out to draw the world! It was extremely clear, even to me, that the best I could do were stick figures and robots. Instead, I picked up a camera at age eighteen and began snapping away. Now, I have no idea how skilled I actually am, but it is a talent that I enjoy. Just last week, my roommate and I journeyed out to a nearby park so that I could take a few pictures of her. Here are a few of my favorites:

And it’s nice because the camera always ends up in my subject’s curious hands, so I always get a few nice pictures of myself as well!