And while I promised you (and myself) a quicker blog post, I just forgot about it. But one of my extremely good friends from college recently got married. And the wedding was absolutely amazing. Luckily, I took a few pictures. And, yes, the wedding was held on Halloween. And it was a costume reception party. And it was quite amazing.
Enjoy!
I’ve become fairly horrible at keeping a blog. I keep telling myself that this time it will be different and I’ll keep updating it. I’ve found, however, that if I don’t have my blog in my face every time I log onto the internet, I don’t update it. Hence the five month window where there are no updates.
But I’ve decided to change that. Be it an end of the year resolution, or the fact that I happen to miss blogging, I’ve decided to (A) make this site my homepage and (B) make it a weekly task on my to-do list.
It’s not that I don’t love writing. I do. I went to school for it, honed my skills and, yes, am still seeking out a job where I can put those skills to good use. It’s just that motivation seemed to be lacking. But I’ve been doing all these things this summer and, once those tasks were completed, I kept thinking “This would make a great blog post,” yet never got around to it.
Well, that part of life is over. When I blogging here on a (fairly) regular basis, it helped me keep in check. As weird as it sounds, keeping the motivation to blog also helps me keep motivation to do other things.
So here it goes again, hopefully for the last time. I can’t promise another blog within a few days, but I’ll certainly try to get one more up by Saturday.
….so you know how sometimes you wipe your history off your computer (*ahem*those of you who stalk your ex’s on Facebook know what I mean)? Well, I recently did that and, for some reason, it chooses to wipe all my passwords off as well. So I’ve been trying to log onto here for about a week. Why wouldn’t I just reset my password? I’m too darn stubborn, that’s why.
But today, while shopping for goodies for my mom’s Mothers Day Basket (more on that when the day gets closer), I remembered my password. Standing in the middle of Marshalls, deciding between two items, it just hit me.
Honestly, I also haven’t been feeling like posting for awhile. A few weeks ago, I was ready to sit down & write, but then tragically the Boston Marathon bombings happened and my state was thrown into a whirlwind we’re still just getting out of. Even the town where I’m from, about ten minutes north of Boston, was hit hard. More than five people were injured just from our town, two of them brothers and one who I was friends with and graduated high school with. It’s been tough.
But I’m happy to say that I’m back. I have a few cute tutorials up my sleeve, as well as the daunting task of planting basil, spinach, peppers, strawberries (yikes), and brussel sprouts this spring. I’ve purchased potted strawberries and brussel sprouts and my mother received basil from a co-worker (she’s not a huge herb growing person like I am, so I’ve taken over the poor little basil plant). I’ve seeded yellow bell peppers, spinach, and sweet basil and am (im)patiently waiting for them to sprout. But with this, or should I say with the strawberry plant from hell, I’m also constructing a small chicken-wire plant protector. The tutorial I’ll hopefully have up within a week, as well as a little bit more a life update (I climbed a mountain…that happened) as well as another (bit more gleaming) outlook on the job market. I mean, who knew I’d get caught up in wanting to work for business journals? Not me.
Ah, Influenster. Sending me sample sized products to try out, that aren’t really sample sized. When I was chosen to receive the oral hygiene product, I was pretty excited. I’m always trying to find new products that work to make my smile a little brighter. I’m one of those weird people that actually enjoy going to the dentist. I mean…I carry around floss in my purse all the time. It’s a little weird, but totally okay.
So when I received my Influenster box (by the way, you don’t know what you’re getting until you get it), I was surprised to see Crest’s slogan on the box. Even more surprised to open the box and see a full package of Crest 3D Vivid White Strips (Level 4). I was beyond excited. I have been wanting to try this newer version of White Strips for awhile after having a bad experience a few years ago. So I’ve been trying them for about a day (yes, I’m that impressed that I am writing a review about them). I’m hoping to get my teeth a few shades whiter. I’m not looking for pure white, but a few shades would be great, especially just in time for the holidays.
Pros:
Cons
So we’ll see how this goes. I’ll be taking pictures right after I take them off every night to track my progress. Let’s see how this goes!
20. The number of applications and cover letters I’ve written & drafted, then sent out, in the past 12 days. It’s not even that much, when you think about it. I should be sending them out to every person on the planet. But I don’t have the energy for that. A few I would really like, a few I sent out to see if I could even qualify. I guess it’s the effort that counts, right? So long as that effort eventually leads to a job.
But, I digress. This post is purely for me. You see, there’s a website, called Influenster (all beauties go “YYEsssssss”), which is completely free to use. What happens is, you sign up, earn badges & points and then you get FREE stuff.
Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, sort of. You can’t just sign up and expect them to send you oodles of goodies. That wouldn’t be fair to the people who are active on social media and actively trying to get their name out there. I heard about this site through various Youtube Beauty Gurus and decided to check it out. Recently, it went through a re-launch and, as part of their re-launch, they’re giving out a TON of stuff. Which is why this blog post comes up.
Now, before any of you freak out: I was going to do a post about Influenster anyway. Not today, per say, but within ac couple weeks. Since their re-launch, there have been a lot of new changes, of which I’d like to highlight here, be it good or bad.
The Bottom Line: Influenster free-for-all in supplies. You sign up, you earn badges (such as Dog Owner/College Student/Mom/Bride to Be/Environment lover, etc), and you gain points. You can gain points by reviewing services and products (PetSmart, NYC Beauty Care, Dawn dish soap, you name it, you can probably review it). By reviewing products, blogging, youtubing, or basically just staying active on your linked up social media sites, you earn points. These points make more a more influenced member (get it now?) or less influenced member, depending on the time and effort you would like to put in. Mine currently stand at 79, which I think is pretty fair considering I’m not a Beauty or Review guru. You can then take surveys which qualify you for VoxBoxes, which is literally a box full of regular and sample sized goodies…all for FREE. Currently, I’m actually awaiting a sample sized version of dish washing liquid. Am I excited? Of course. I do most of the hand-dish washing in my house so I’m excited to use a new product. And it’s free. C’mon people…FREE.
The Good:
The site is MUCH more user friendly than before. You’re allowed more chances to get products and there are actually a lot more products and services you can review. Before, I didn’t go on the site that often. There weren’t too many badges and I would only go on to see if I ‘qualified’ for a VoxBox. I didn’t, because besides being a Youtuber, it didn’t seem like there was much room to grow.
I’m happy to say that these good folks have remedied this. You can link up all your social media sites and there are a lot more gifts to be given. You gain a lot more opportunities through this site, you can interact with other reviewers more, and it just LOOKS more user friendly.
The Bad:
I wish you could earn more Lifestyle badges. I have a few, but am blocked from getting more as of right now. I’m a complicated girl, Influenster! I love beauty gadgets just as much as I love hiking gadgets! Let me have my badges!!
Overall, however, it is a great program. I’ve known some gurus who’ve signed up for the programs you PAY for then are disappointed with the lack of samples for the price. Samples SHOULD be free you know. So Influenster is getting it right.
Want to sign up? Head over to http://www.influenster.com to learn more & get started.
(No, Influenster did not pay me to do this. As I said, I wanted to do this, was given an option by Influenster to do this for a re-launch voxbox and decided it was time.)
My amazingly-wonderful-close knit-reliable-loyal pledge class (minus 2).
If you had told me, senior of high school (oh so long ago), that I was going to be a member of a sorority I probably definitely would have laughed in your face. Me, the girl who found her solace in a small, concrete, costume room…a sorority member? You’ve gotta be kidding me.
And, for awhile, I wasn’t. Then something clicked my last semester at the University of Maine. I wanted to join a sorority. I rushed, I was given a bid to two sororities. I chose a national one (who I won’t mention for the sake of my still being friends with the alumni who gave me a bid then got pissed at their president..more on that later). I accepted the bid then was told they revoked the bid (too late to send out my acceptance to the OTHER sorority on campus).
Why? Well, one simple, very immature, very high school reason. There was a girl in my high school that I kinda-sorta-got along with. Honestly? I tolerated her. I thought she was snobby and stuck up. She was the kind of person that was sweet to your face and nasty behind your back. Now, I was sweet to her face and sweet behind her back, until this happened. I honestly thought she was an OK person. Not my best friend, but not a mere acquaintance. We were in theater together, both department heads/co-heads (not the same department of course), so we kinda had to get along. Why do I tell you all this? Apparently she knew the president of the sorority I was about to pledge and told the president I was (and I’m literally quoting this from a mutual friend I have with the president) “kinda weird and outgoing.”
SHOCK! Outgoing? Not normal? Well, shit, who wants someone who’s outgoing in their sorority? And ‘not normal’ because I chose to not go into business administration when I graduated high school and also chose to not go to one of the UMass colleges. I’m not even kidding, she said those things. I wasn’t “not normal” because of my pure love for the Boston Bruins or my searingly sarcastic personality. Or the fact that I get overly-excited about things (I’d rather get over-excited than be a hum-dum). I wasn’t ‘normal’ because I didn’t conform, somehow, to half of my graduating class’s idea of college.
So the president basically told everyone I wasn’t getting a bid. Even our mutual friend was disgusted with that (and some of the sisters, who I honestly got along with). It put me off Greek Life for a long time, understandably.
Then I changed schools. I went to the New England School of Communications (how do you fall in love with a school you’ve never seen? I don’t know but I did) and the first person I met was a Greek Life member. In fact, he’s now one of my brothers. I mean, I considered him a brother a year into school because we got along greatly, he was great friends with my RA (who I am great friends with) and he thought I was faking a Boston accent when he first met me, which I thought was hilarious considering we’re both from the area.
A semester in, I went to pledge a sorority. Needless to say, it didn’t work out (though again I’m still friends with some of the sisters..odd how that works). Then, in the Fall of 2010, a bunch of crazy (non-normal?) girls came barreling into my room (okay we had the door open), scrapped up a cheap 3M-wannabe sticker off the floor and convinced me to rush. I was hooked. ΚΔΦ Nationally Affiliated Sorority basically won me over in twenty minutes.
No longer did I have to fake being who I was or try to be like everyone me. I had found my place with my sisters. Had I wish I rushed and pledged sooner? Yes. But I also couldn’t see me going through recruitment without my pledge sisters. Was pledging hard? Yes. Did I ever feel like I couldn’t do it the next night? No. That was one of the great things. I never felt so secure before and all the sisters (and brothers) were there for each of us during that time.
I’m now an alumni of my chapter with two Littles back in Maine as actives. This semester, I’ll probably be a Grand-Big which just makes me feel old. I’m still close with all my pledge sisters and Bigs. Five years ago I couldn’t imagine life in a sorority and now I can’t imagine life without one.
As I sit here and plan out this post, I realize a lot has happened in the past three weeks. I’ve been hired (HIRED!) as a freelance writer for two start-up companies. Granted, it’s not a constant paycheck, but I’m severely excited about both of them and it’s getting me a crazy amount of experience.
Start-up companies are great for post-grads. They’re always looking for new help and, while they don’t pay top notch freelance pay (3-5 cents per word, competitively), they offer that experience you need to add to your resume. It’s also just exciting to work for a start-up. There’s so much excitement about the launch & new ideas are flowing from everywhere. I honestly think, if you work in communications, you should do some freelancing for a start-up company. I haven’t even submitted my first full-blown article yet (the deadline is Friday & I’m just working on some edits and additions), but I’m just excited about the entire process.
So, on top of that great note, I also have some starting prospects for full-time jobs. Are they exactly in my career field? No, but that’s where those freelance positions come in handy. While these full-time positions include administrative jobs, it means I can get out of my part time job (finally!) and start working regular hours & saving for a condo.
Third, I’ve started a new diet regimen & exercise plan. Unfortunately (fortunately?), my work has been putting me on mornings to cook/create all the store’s a-la-carte items, including to-go meals, sandwiches & fried items (ew). Why fortunately? It’s a morning job, so I get out early & I actually like waking up pretty early. I figure, since I’m getting up at 6:30 AM, that this would also be good practice if I get the full-time job. Why unfortunately? I usually slotted my early morning hours (7:30-9) for gym time, three times a week. I hate going in the afternoon, hate going on weekends & night time kills me. I feel better about the rest of the day when I go in the morning. So I might have to make some drastic changes to that, such as going after dinner & going early early on the weekends.
The diet regimen is…interesting. I cut out any kinds of soda & fruit drinks over a year ago and haven’t looked back since. The only time I’ve been to a fast-food restaurant was on the 15-hour road trip my college friend & I took in early August (and even then I stuck with salads and we packed all kinds of healthy goodies, since she was on the Insanity diet).
The regimen doesn’t consist of fasting or anything like that, but incorporates more veggies into my normal routine. As I’m still working with a small budget, when I go grocery shopping tomorrow I plan on buying mostly frozen veggies. Which, apparently, is just as nutritious as fresh, since frozen are flash-frozen (…or something) as soon as they ripen. I’m also obsessed with whole wheat & whole grain breads, and this diet includes a LOT of that. It also includes one cheat day (I think I’ll make it a Saturday…) and an exercise regimen that doesn’t make me work out 5-6 days a week, because who has time for that?
And ALSO, my school bills. Ohhh school bills. I hate you. My father figured out a way to drastically reduce the amount I would pay (interest wise). In short, he’ll be taking out a home equity loan on his name to pay out my loans, drastically cutting my interest rate to a mere 3%. He’ll pay each month, I’ll pay him a couple days before he sends out the payment. It cuts out close to $50 per month (yeah…that much), which in turn saves my dreary budget $600/year (basically what my entire car insurance would cost if I bought a car I’m currently looking at). So I’m pretty excited about putting that down in paper & sticking to it.
So yes, life has been going pretty great lately. I mean, it’s not 100% perfect. In that world, I’d have Tom Hiddleston as my husband (hubbah-hubbah Loki), have an amazing full-time job spear-heading the opening of an ESPN headquarters in Boston, living in a condo with rustic decor (I LOVE rustic), & owning the most adorable husky in the world…except for my current pup of course.
But, hey, who’s to complain? I have a part-time job, 2 freelance jobs, a roof over my head, and a bed to call my own. I’m pretty satisfied with that…for now.
In case you’ve been under a rock the past five years, Vera Bradley is seemingly an essential piece of wardrobe in a lot of women’s closets. Honestly, when I first saw the prints I hated them, but after re-modeling a lot of their patterns and bringing in fresh ones every season, they have me hooked.
Needless to say, I use my ID/Wallet/Phone holder a lot. I used it at school every day, so it got pretty dingy. Not to mention, it’s black & white, so the white on the inside was a stark contrast to the outside.
About two weeks ago, I decided this had infuriated me enough to sit down and try to find some reasonable ways to clean it…without having to buy a specific cleaner. I already have a Coach cleaner, do I really need another?
A lot of sites on the web told me to not put in the wash..or to put it in the wash. Many said the use of a washing machine would bend the cardboard inside to the point where it won’t stay straight anymore. Now, before you all rush off buying the shampoo, you need to know that you don’t need a washing machine to do this. In fact…you just need water, a cloth, and a small amount of detergent.
I decided to use a Woolite travel packet, because I have a small rubbermaid full of them (seriously, I love these things, they work great). You can find them virtually anywhere and are perfect for college students, since it’s a lot less expensive than buying a full container of Woolite. One packet is good for a full load of hand-washed laundry, which is great for sweaters when you live in New England, like me.
A little sneak preview of what my much-loved Vera Bradley wallet looks like, comparable to what the inside looks like:
Eewwww so dirty!! 
Honestly? After I took that picture, I immediately started filling up my bathroom sink with warm water & Woolite. I then just proceeded to plunge the wallet into the sink, to hell with cardboard consequences!
So I took a dark colored washcloth (that I use for all my little washing projects that can’t just be tossed in the washer; ie dog toys). Dipping the cloth in the sudsy water, I scrubbed the entire wallet down, dunked it again, then scrubbed a second time.
(Excuse the nails, work was brutal on them)
After I rinsed out the wallet, I squeezed it a little, taking care to not actually bend the wallet in case the cardboard was at it’s breaking point. I then laid out a dry towel on my armoire and left the wallet open face down to dry overnight.
At first, I was a little worried because it didn’t look like it had thoroughly cleaned anything on the wallet. But the next afternoon, I was surprised to see how clean it was! I mean, you can clearly see the dirt when you rinse off your wallet after scrubbing it, but look at the difference!!
I’m thoroughly impressed with how clean it came out. I did use a lot of Woolite, but last night I washed a second wallet, 2 lanyards, and 2 of my mother’s id cases and they came out just as well. I don’t know how well it would work with bargain brand detergent, because I always find Woolite gets things cleaner than normal, but you can always try!!
It’s summertime…or near the end of summer time for a lot of us. That means last minute hauls to the beach with friends & family in tow. Spur of the moment beach trips are always fun & rewarding, but your bag shouldn’t reflect that. So I’ve compiled a list of things that are essential to any beach outing, planned or not. Don’t have time to pack the bag every time you head to the beach? Keep most of the essentials in the bag and toss in what you need the hour before.
TWO towels. Why two? Have you ever tried to sit comfortably in the car after a day at the beach? Leave an extra towel in the car so that when you get ready to go home, you have something dry underneath you. No one likes wet car seats.
Sunscreen. This should be obvious. It may seem like a waste of time, but after you get out of the water, make sure to re-apply. Unless you want to risk getting skin cancer or looking wrinkly at the age of forty, do this. Don’t forget to also bring sunscreen for your face! Aveeno makes a great SPF 30 for the face.
Hats and sunglasses. Again, this should be obvious, but I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to the beach with friends who’ve forgotten these things. You don’t need to bring your best sunglasses or hat either, I usually bring my cheap $3 sunglasses because they’re bound to get sand on them and they could possibly get smashed by running children.
Extra baggies and napkins. It’s pretty obvious you should pack your lunch & some snacks for the beach. However, packing some large Ziploc bags can keep the trash sealed and away from pesky seagulls who want the ends of your bread or apple. Also, if you’re like me, you can easily collect some crazy-looking seashells to display in a glass case at your house. This will keep them from moving around in your bag, either breaking or spreading sand everywhere.
Camera, phone, money (all in a Ziploc bag). What’s with the zippered bags? Well, for one they keep the sand out of those tiny crevices in your phone or camera that would completely ruin them. Second, it keeps all three important things in one place, so when you grab the plastic bag to grab a snack at the vendor, you know you have all the important things with you.
Entertainment. Let’s face it, you can only do so much people watching at the beach, so bringing something like a book, iPod or magazine will help keep you entertained. I usually bring my ipod, an easy read book, and a magazine so that I can choose what I want to do. I do keep the iPod in the same baggie as the aforementioned camera/phone/money, so that it is kept away from the sand.
Baby powder. Say what? Why baby powder, without the baby, you may ask. Well, you know how you’re running around in the sand all day? Forget showering your feet off at the outdoor showers after you’re done & ready to go home. Just before you hop into the car, sprinkle some baby powder on your feet & rub it off. The sand will come off automatically and also help keep your feet fresh. Keep a travel size bottle in the car for late night beach walks as well.
Water, water, water…in a cooler. You may be surrounded by water, but that doesn’t mean you need to skimp out on bringing water. I suggest each person bringing a cold water, then one that is frozen. Halfway through your day at the beach, that frozen water should be melted enough to drink up, keeping you cooled down.
Beach blanket or mat. Some people use their beach towels to sit out in the sun (with sunscreen on, of course), but then those towels get really wet & who wants a bunch of wet towels? I usually bring an old blanket or a beach mat (a simple bamboo one works great). They’re larger, so you can sit more than one person on them, and they easily dry & roll up.
Blanket ‘chomps’ or clamps. You can find these anywhere during the summer, like <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Sand-and-Wind-Clips-Blanket/dp/B007AYRSR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342454809&sr=8-1&keywords=blanket+stakes”>these</a> at Amazon. They keep your blanket or towel anchored to the sand despite toes or wind kicking them up. If you live in the New England area, head over to your local Christmas Tree Store, all of which usually have a variety clamps at half the price.
Mini-first aid kit. Every lifeguard does have a first aid kit on their stand, but having a baggie with just some band-aids and aspirin is a lot easier than getting a lifeguard. Long exposure to sun can give people sun headaches and if you accidentally get cut by anything, those band-aids will come in handy.
Headband & extra elastics. Even if you go to the beach with your hair up, it’s helpful to have these two floating around in your bag. On more than one occasion, I’ve lost my elastic in the ocean while horsing around, so having one or two extra in my bag was extremely helpful. I also have a thick headband, like the no-sweat/no-slip wide bands, like Sweaty Bands that stay in place even in the water. Thick, colorful headbands will keep those wisps out of your face and help tame the frizz after you get out of the water.
Chair & umbrella. If you don’t want to bring an umbrella, or don’t have room for one, that’s fine. Just make sure you still have a hat to keep the sun off your face. A chair is pretty essential & I love the ones that come with their own bag and you can slip over your shoulder. In fact, I just spent a bit of money on a new one, a Sport-Brella chair. I bought the beach one, which comes in around $40 (but if you buy with a friend, it’s currently buy one, get one half off so it can be split $30 each way). These chairs are great, as they come WITH the umbrella that can be positioned any way you want. It may be a bit expensive, but it’s an umbrella & chair in one bag.
Cooler to keep all those snacks & drinks in. Bring one big enough to comfortably hold all the snacks & with outside zipper pockets to hold napkins, forks, & other utensils. Stuff a couple plastic shopping bags in there to toss the trash before you leave as well.
Bag big enough to keep everything in. I’m not talking a small tote bag that will easily get wet. Go out and buy an actual beach bag, one that is waterproof & large enough to hold all the aforementioned stuff (except the cooler, which you can carry separately). If you have a waterproof backpack, you can also bring that as well, which will help keep your hands free. Look around for a bag that will fit your style, as well as all your goodies.
And last, but not least, enjoy your beach day! Summer only comes around for a few months, so make sure to get the best of it!
If you have been on Pinterest, most likely you’ve seen variations of the following DIY. A main problem is that it doesn’t actually have a link up to show you step by step on how to construct this awesome (and kid friendly) DIY. And, trust me, it’s not as easy as painting a glass or candlestick with elmers glue.
I first took on this project about a month ago when I sauntered into my local Christmas Tree Store and found an entire section of Mason Jars. Obviously I bought about ten, at about 80 cents a pop (which is the cheapest I’ve seen in the Massachusetts area). I had Elmers glue, food coloring, and a couple random paintbrushes so I thought “Hey! This won’t be so hard…”
I wasn’t half wrong, either. I was mostly right, only there’s a slight science on how to do this. First off, you’ll need the following supplies:
The (1) first step is to get your color glue going. First, drop about a dime size amount of glue onto the plate (I did more than that, but I also did a couple candlesticks that I, unfortunately, did not get pictures of). (2)/(3) Then you want to to 2-3 drops of the food dye of your choice. Since I was going for purple, I did 2 drops of blue and 3 drops of red.
(4)Mix these together to form the color you want. Obviously, the purple is dark, but if you use the end of your paintbrush, you’ll be able to see the color if you wipe it on a paper towel.
Your next step is to simply paint paint paint! This is a great craft for kids, because there are no lines & it’s Elmers glue, so you know it’s going to wash off. If you have a smooth surface to paint on, that’s great, but the mason jars I found are actually engraved so you have to work the tiniest bit harder to get into those grooves. You can choose to paint the bottom or the rim, but it’s up to you. I choose to paint the rim because I usually don’t top it off with the lid when I have the candle in there.
Warning: If you glob on the Elmers, be prepared for drips & for it to take a lot longer to dry. Some is okay, because when lit it will give a different glow (the yellow one below is a drip one, for instance, the blue isn’t). Again, all up to you.
Let sit & dry, drop a LED/flameless tea candle in there and let it glow! (ps; should take an hour to dry)
Oh and for the price tag?
Mason Jar: 80 cents
Food dye: $1.00/package
LED Candle: $1.99/eight package (Christmas Tree Store)
Paintbrush: $4.29 for an ‘artists’ package (Michaels)
Total: $8.08
thepostgrad 