Living Well While You're Young

Living well while young &/or in college isn't the easiest thing to do.
Eating healthy, exercising reasonably, organizing your life, & decorating your home aren't the first things on your mind or your paycheck!
Here are a few tips. I'll add more to my blog as we go :)

Eating HealthIER: 
You don't have to cook your food in order to be healthy!
Here in College Station I've found quite a few restaurants and even FAST FOOD restaurants with healthy choices. Additionally, always remember you don't HAVE to eat what you're served. Eating half or even 3/4 saves you calories AND money--there's a second meal or a midnight snack right there!

Some great places to eat out for your health:

1. Offers BAKED or GRILLED chicken fingers with Macaroni or Potato Salad; grilled chicken salads; & the worlds BEST sweet potato fries
2. Taco Bell offers Fiesta tacos & burritos. Honestly they're better tasting & much better for you than the regular tacos & burritos
3. Chipotle & Freebirds both have the option to nix the tortilla & choose a bowl/salad with all the fixin's! Same great taste, but you cut the calories!
4.  
5. Frozen Yogurt (FroYo) over ice cream or cake!
6. Fruit desserts
7. Pita Pit
8. Potato Shack

Exercising:

WHO has time for that?? With studying in the way it can be super difficult to get to the gym. Recently I've found it's a FANTASTIC idea to do BOTH at once!! 

Sure, you can't exactly lift weights & read or work problems, but hop on any cardio machine and underneath that little tv screen is a stand for your books. I plop my notes up & work on the elliptical for 30min-1hr, then recall things as I lift weights.

You can't write things down, but lifting weights or running is a great opportunity to create a lesson plan.

Alright what about those math-based degrees? You probably can't get any studying at the gym, but you can work problems on your feet or a yoga ball. After you complete a problem, reward yourself with a set of crunches or push-ups or a small jog instead of a candy bar. Gives you a small break so you don't burn out, and allows you to exercise... so you don't burn-out!

If you aren't crunched for time, go with friends. Going with 1 friend who is stronger, faster, or plain in better shape than you can SUCK. Instead, go with a group. You can work-out together, apart, next to each other, or mix it up.

My boyfriend goes with his roommates and sometimes one of us girls tag along. 

The boys come up with a routine they all work in separate areas, rotate a few machines, then go for a run together. The girls go off on their own, then take a little water break until the boys finish their extensive workout. It's a great time to chat!

Remember: A Half hour of cardio 4 times a week will do the job! :)

Okay you can drink, but here's how to do it "better:"
Even if you've never seen an episode of Real Housewives of NYC (like me), you should know about these amazing new cocktails Mrs. Bethenny Frankel has concocted. She's an amazing "natural foods" chef, so you know it's good for you.
Introducing: SkinnyGirl Cocktails!

Fewer calories, same buzz ;) So far she's introduced wines, vodkas, & pre-mixed cocktails.
Check it out!

Decorating:
Everyone knows to shop for discounts, so I'm not going to lecture you on finding good deals.
Instead, I found some cute DIYs & thought up my own based on things I've seen and purchased.
So I bought these on sale at Kohl's one day, but it gave me an idea. Buy any shape wood, plastic, or canvas; modge podge some of your pictures, a newspaper, or painting on the shape, then hang it up all cute. Anyone can do this and make it cute. If you don't think you're creative enough, wait for a sale. I got everything seen here for less than $20!

So this is a picture I found on Pinterest, but it's a great idea for anyone really. 

1. Buy the green foam wreaths at walmart OR some foam pipe from Home Depot (WAAAAAY Cheaper), 
2. Wrap some yarn tightly around it & hot glue every few spots,
3. Create a little monogram (or whatever you want-- a football, Michigan "M," etc.) & attach with hot glue.

Seriously, it's that simple.

Finally, organization is KEY:
My number one helpful hint is to NOT NOT NOT just throw your backpack/bag down when you get home from class/work. I know you've had a long, hard day, but just take 5 more minutes to put everything in it's place.

• put your shoes away
• put your bag away
• throw away food/drink trash
• make your bed
• fold a blanket over the couch
• take out the trash
• put your mail in one place
• check your messages
• put your keys in a safe place
• put away new purchases (clothes, anyone??)
• clean up your bathroom from your morning routine: hair supplies, makeup supplies, etc. Clean it up as soon as you're done getting ready in the morning!!
• do the dishes

THEN YOU'RE READY TO RELAX. This will save you so much time later when you're searching for things or trying to reorganize/clean when someone comes over!!

One more thing I always do is WRITE things down. Write with an EXPO on your mirror, a dry erase board, calendar, post-it note, paper... ANYTHING. Science has proven writing things helps you to remember them. If you don't remember, you still have it written down!! :D

Well that's enough for a headache & a half now, so I'm signing off.

Good Luck, minions

The Quirky Girl Down the Hall