Grad Students Have No Life

So I got out of a class early today (miracle!!) and found this wonderful Blogger app so I can write to you on the go!

My first point of business: graduate-level students have no life. Zero. I don't have time to eat most days unless I pack a lunch or find a vending machine and can cram it in under 5 minutes.

Grad school is a beautiful experience, but don't be alarmed when it's nothing like undergrad and you actually have to read, study, and so some work earlier than the night before it's due. Get ready for group semester-long projects in every class and tests without multiple choice where essay questions can really be incorrect. Get ready for your grades to be based on how well/poorly your classmates did and not the work you put in. Grad school isn't like work either. It isn't the real world. There are deadlines that get moved around, yes, but you're also assigned things you don't know how to do and can't figure out by asking the professor or even searching the web. Grad school makes you a mess.

But it is still a great experience to learn something for once! You get hands-on experience and don't just memorize for the test, rather you soak it aaaaaaaall in.

Ok so there's my educationally aware post of the day! Now I invite everyone to check out my best friend's tumblr on what life is like when you actually work for something:

Www.missivylynn22.tumblr.com


Happy days to all!

ReStyle Yesterday's PonyTail

**Pay no attention to the lax clothes & lack of makeup, this was a lazy/study Sunday for me! And obviously on a normal day I actually try a little harder with the styles, I don't just let my frizzy hair fl & neither should you! This is just a step-by-step tutorial of what it would generally look like.

My typical ponytail consists of:

1.  Throwing my bangs into a mini pouf:

Then I pull this mess into a ponytail

    2.   Letting my curled bangs hang it out


So I decided to try some new things out.  Now I'm telling you right now, I'm awful with doing my hair all by myself, so everything talked about here is SUPER SIMPLE!!


Here are 5 different ways to spice up your ponytail a bit:

First we have the wrapped pony.  This comes first because you can do it to almost any type of ponytail you choose to do.  All you have to do is wrap your hair around the band that is actually holding your in place.  There are two ways to do this:

What the top of either pony looks like

• Put all of your hair into a pony then take some bottom section of the hair coming out of the band and begin to wrap it around the band.  Use a bobby pin to secure the wrapped hair into place (I like to shove the pin into the pony rather than laying it across the hair underneath the pony tail. 

Taking hair from the pony for the wrap

• Pull all of your back as if you are going to put it into a pony, THEN take a small section of the bottom hair out to not be banded.  This section is 1.5-2.5 fingers wide.  Secure the remaining hair in a ponytail holder.  Then wrap the excess hair around the band as done previously & secure with a bobby pin.  Note you can split this bottom section of hair and wrap from both sides for this look on both sides of your ponytail. I like to think it looks a little chic-er!
  

  

  With the hair separated pre-pony

Second is the side pony. It's fairly simple and something I used to do with a Topsy Turvy & now I do it on my own! 

Step 1: Secure all your hair to the side, just in front of your shoulder

Step 1 Glare into the camera with exasperation

Step 2: Part the area just above the band, throw pony hair upward then through the hole.

Step 2--But try a little harder than I did to hide the pony,
 give me some credit though, this band has no
stretch left in it

 Step 3: This is the optional part. You can either choose to braid some of your bangs diagonally backward & pin down as if it's flowing into your ponytail OR make a bun out of the pony flowing at your shoulder.  For the bun, simply tuck the pony into the hole above the band.

Step 3 is optional, but the pout sure helps ;)

Okay moving on to number 3!
This is one of my new favorites & it's super simple to do!

Step 1: Separate bangs/*shorter hair that are as close to bangs as you have* from the rest of your hair. Step 2: Put your main hair back into a typical, mid-level pony tail (note, low ponies also look great with this style)
Step 3: Wrap the pony like in Example 1a
Step 4: Braid each side of your "bangs" diagonally. This may take a few attempts to make it look right because diagonal braiding can feel quite uncomfortable! I used Jennifer Lawrence's hair here as my inspiration
Step 5: Bobby pin the braid into the pony tail so that all your hair meets and it looks as if the braid becomes part of the pony tail.

Front view, super simple, but collected

Back View

My favorite side view 

The other side view, where I'm obviously less-talented

 Pony #4: Is very simple, a braided half-headband as sported by Miss Ashley Tisdale, found here via Cosmopolitan, but I put the remaining hair in a half up pony


&& finally #5: A half pony half pouf do. It's my all-time fave hairstyle when a pouf on its own looks like poo.
Step 1: Create pouf & secure with bobby pins
Step 2: Gather hair just above the ears back & secure with a small pony. **Note this pony can be left as a pull-through bun if you want. It give a little extra bounce!

Front view

Side view w/ the bounce

And remember all of these styles can be played around with and morphed together!

Happy styling!!

So I'm Sitting Here...

So I'm sitting here hosting office hours, which I know no one will ever come to because really who asks for help in college??
And I'm thinking, I haven't ranted in a while.

Like who really cares if Kim Kardashian is pregnant with Kanye's baby??
I'm more concerned with the fact she's the umpteenth pregnant, unwed celebrity. OH WAIT SHE IS MARRIED.  Her divorce still isn't finalized from an NBA player and she's shacked up with the world's most egotistic rapper (which is saying ALOT because what do rappers rap about other than themselves??).  Anyway, why isn't there anyone here to set a good role model for our children?? I don't want to raise kids in a world where Kim Kardashian is their role model. Like, woo she's a "thick" girl FOR HOLLYWOOD, but she's afraid to be herself and living a little to unpiously.

Secondly, Jennifer Lawrence. More people need to be in love with her. Idc who you are, she's awesome because she's herself. You may hate what she says, but you have to respect that after the mega-year she's had in 2012, she's keeping it real.  She hasn't lost sight of who she is. 

Third, Johnny Manziel.  I'm an Aggie, so I love the dude.  Lay off the fact he's acting like a college kid... BECAUSE HE IS A COLLEGE STUDENT.  Sure he probably doesn't go to class as much as I do, but he's doing important, BIG BIG things. Who hasn't broken the law a time or two? AND WHO EVEN HAS PROOF HE HAS BROKEN THE LAW?!??!?!? Before you get all accusatory, get all the facts straight... 

Okay... Rant done for now :)

Hollywood, thank you for the fuel to my fire.




xoxo
I'm pretty much a gossip girl

Maintaining a Healthy Relationship

When you first start out, everything is hunky dory ♥ and your lover can do no wrong.  After a few months those rose-tinted glasses dissolve and you're left figuring out how to co-exist with another human being (and trust me, no matter how much you love someone, no one is just like you and something will go downside!).  Here are some great tips that have helped me in my most beautiful relationship.

Don't think of these as relationship rules, think of these as ideas for a healthy relationship.

• 
  
• "Remember love."  This is my NUMBER ONE and most important rule.  Even if you don’t read the rest of this article, finish this bullet.  Don’t get so caught up in your anger to forget about the love.  You’ll realize that the reason you’re so angry usually isn’t that big of a deal.  Also, saying “I love you” goes a long way, especially during a fight.  My boyfriend actually says this exact quote to me every time something looks sour or I get sad because plans are ruined and suddenly we can't see each other for the day.  "Remember love" because true love will always get you through tough times.
• Always communicate.  If something is bothering one of us calm ourselves down & sort out our thoughts, then discuss it rationally and LISTEN to each other.  Don’t plan out your next words while the other is speaking; actually take in what he/she is saying.
• Listen via text message.  If you take something offensively, reread & think of other ways he/she may have meant to say those things.  In your mind, read it in his/her voice to really get the gist of what you think he/she might have meant.  If you can’t imagine your significant other saying it, then it probably wasn’t meant in that offensive way.
• Don’t be passive aggressive.  Being passive aggressive can only hurt the other’s feelings even if it makes you feel better temporarily.  Calm yourself down & say what is on your mind immediately, don’t hint around at it, no one can really read your mind.
• Spice it up every once in a while.  Don’t try to spice it up al the time, but everyone once in a while a nice dinner or lingerie in the bedroom can go a long way.  Ain’t no one got time for that every day, but you can take once a month or week to spice things up in the relationship.
• Remember the little things. We get mad so often over such little things that we start to overlook all of the greatness of everyday life.  Sometimes he might buy you some candy in the checkout aisle or text you some cute emoticons or give you a new sweet nickname.  She may leave a post-it note or
• Give in to each other every once in a while.  I’m not talking full-on compromise over things you don’t agree on, but give in a little.  Let him/her win a fight, do some new foreplay, go hang out with their friends when you made plans, or watch that movie you weren’t terribly interested in.  Give in to the little things.
• Compromise when you are at an impasse.  Sometimes you both really believe in opposite
• Agree to Disagree.  A perfect relationship doesn’t require you to have the same opinions on EVERYTHING.  Instead of trying to convert him/her to your point of view, agree to disagree on smaller things.  If you are really passionate about something, go ahead & be a bit of a missionary, but don’t push the issue too far and start a fight.
• PDA.  Kiss him/her in public, hold hands, hug, show him/her you love him/her in front of your friends or total strangers.
• Show the love.  People accept and give love in different ways, so hit every angle! Say it, do it, give it, feel it, acknowledge it.  Find new ways every WEEK to remind that special someone that you really do love him/her.
• Be selfish.  Sometimes it feels like letting him/her give you a special gift or letting him hold the door open is you being selfish.  But honestly, your lover lives for that kind of thing.  Let him/her spoil you sometimes.  Sometimes you’ll want to spoil him/her too!!
• Never keep count.  Never be “even.”  This doesn’t mean you should try to one-up your significant other, instead it means don’t give him/her something because you’re given something.  Don’t “owe” each other.  That isn’t what love is.  Love is doing things for him/her and expecting absolutely nothing in return. 
• Try something he/she enjoys.  It’s great to have things to do on your own and with friends, but sometimes taking an interest in his/her interests can be great for the relationship; give you something new to do together!

 

 

Your Momma's Macaroni Gets an Updo

Doesn't this look delicious??  It's an imitation of Hard Rock Cafe's Twisted Macaroni & Cheese.

Yields ≈ 5 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Uncooked Pasta (I chose Rotini)
• 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
• 8oz regular Velveeta
• 1 cup shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese (shred it yourself, trust me it tastes better than pre-shredded cheese)
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper
• 4 dashes Paprika
• 4-8 dashes crushed Red Pepper
• Chili Powder (add & taste as much as you want)

Directions:

• Mix together cheeses & milk in saucepan on medium-low heat
• DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL this will burn the sauce
• Mix in spices periodically
• When all is melted, put on warmer
• Boil 2.5 qts of water & add pasta
• Boil for an extra 5 minutes
• Strain water from pasta, then pour sauce into pasta pan
• MIX WELL!! 

Trust me, this stuff is DELICIOUS

Happy cooking :)

On the 12th Blog of Christmas

12 Ideas how to lose the holiday weight you're putting on today (& all month prior to this thanks to the many gluttonous parties!).

1. Yoga.  If you've read my blog before you know I'm a huge fan of yoga.  It zens you out, stretches your muscles to keep you flexible, burns some calories, and can tone special areas.  My favorite is to hold as many of these moves as possible for 30 seconds.  Some of them are meant to be done on the left & right side, not just one, or meant to be done all at once.
2. Jumping Jacks.  35,000 jumping jacks alone will burn approximately 1 POUND off.  Yes: POUND.  So, if in addition to watching what you eat & exercising regularly, you do 5,000 jumping jacks a day each week or 1,000 every 12 minutes for the course of an hour workout, you will quickly shed those pounds.
3. Get some rest, stay stress free.  After the holiday season of eating, take a load off.  Don't give up as much sleep as you did worrying about how the Christmas dinner was going to turn out or if little Suzy would love her new Dooney & Bourke purse.  Get a full 7-9 hours every night.  EVERY NIGHT.  Don't just do this every once in a while and think it'll help, get adequate sleep every night.
4. Get off your butt.  It's well known that fatty tissue LOVES it when you sit.  More sitting really does move that fat to your tummy and makes it bulge over.  So get up, walk around, stand, lay down... just sit around less.
5. Water.  Flush out all of those nasty sugars and fats that have gotten in your system!  An all-water or majority-water drink "diet" is great for you.  Stay away from sugary juices and soft drinks for a few weeks after the holidays.  Just think of all that pie and stuffing as a trade-off for soda!
6. Hardcore stand-alone moves.  From a trainer, here are 4 tough, great moves to quickly get rid of holiday weight.  Trust me though, you'll be putting a lot of sweat and tears into this exercise!
7. Increase your metabolism.  You'll be eating less than you did on Christmas day, but you still want to burn off more than the fat coming into your body, so increasing your metabolism is a great way.  You can find a few different ways to kickstart/rev up your metabolism from eating when you first wake up, to doing a small exercise set or even just drinking a glass of cold water.  Here's a great workout to wake up your metabolism & do some cardio beside your cardio.
8. Bikini Workout.  Why not start one right after the holiday season of eating?? This way you guarantee you'll have more time to work on getting bikini ready & attack the fat right away.  Here's a bikini workout to start ASAP.
9. Find small ways to burn calories throughout your day without working up a sweat
• Tap your toes while sitting
• Sit up straight & squeeze your abs or butt
• 50 calf raises
• Sit on the edge of your chair, forcing you to sit up straight
• Walk around at the end of every work hour for 5 minutes or so, don't be so sedentary!
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator (live/work on a HIGH floor? Take the elevator to a floor closer to your level, then walk the remaining flights up)
10. 100-calorie workout plans.  These are short bursts of workouts that can be added to your current workout plan or aggregated to form a workout plan, that will burn 100-1,000 calories in one "sitting."  Some examples: The Mover, The Fundamentals, or the Big Burner
11. Negative Calorie foods.  They're a true gift from God.  These puppies eat out the calories the rest of your menu is piling on!  
12. 54321 workout.  I've found these give you so much motivation as you climb down the minute marker and you can see you're almost done. There are many out there for any type of exercise plan, but the one I've linked to gives options for beginners, intermediate, & advanced routines.

Most importantly,  DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.  Get out there and shed those pounds!!

Happy eating ;)

On the 11th Blog of Christmas

11 Pictures to make you smile.
Happy holidays, all :)