My Daily Cuppa'

it's not shocking to say that my body now runs on caffeine.

My days usually begin, continue, and end with a hot drink. From plain coffee to green tea to fancy Starbuck drinks, as long as it tastes good and keeps me awake, I'm sold! From what I can tell, this habit is one that will carry on for a very, very long time (my grandma still drinks coffee in the mornings) so I've been doing what I can to spice things up. I'm all for trying new things and having variety in my drinks, but I will always love my Caramel Macchiato... which has had to become skinny with the frequency with which it is bought. 

Unfortunately, the Caramel Macchiato isn't an option in this fun Levo League article.

Since the last time I looked at it, I've fallen in love with Chai Tea Lattes and have begun to carry around my "mom bag" with everything under the moon... except for band-aids, which I'll have to add now :) 

add that to my to-do list.

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When coffee isn't what I'm wanting, I get my caffeine from tea.

Green, black, sweet, with honey and lemon. You name it! I love Tazo Zen and this Organic Chocolate tea that I found at TJ Maxx... I know, random. And, remember when I said I end my days with a hot drink? 

Honey Chamomile. 

No caffeine and such a soothing drink to enjoy with a good book. 

What's keeps you going?

Weekend Reading

Like I said, I've been really enjoying keeping up with the news lately.

It keeps me from being sucked into the "college bubble", yes. But it also has given me so many different aspects of the world to think about that I normally wouldn't. Flipboard has given me access to so many different news sources- many more than I would be able to look at if I had to go to websites individually- so I've discovered sources that I didn't even know existed. The best part? Everything is channelled to my interests, but it's also not the same news over and over.

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With the weekend arriving, I hope to have some relaxing time carved out to catch up on the articles that I saved for later while discovering even more. I know I'll never have as much time as I'd like to, but that's what next weekend it for... right? The past couple of weeks I've come across some articles that I've loved- some have made me laugh and some have made me want to travel. Some just seem unnecessary, but are interesting nonetheless. 

If you have some spare time this weekend, these are a few articles that I'd definitely suggest:

and if you don't have some time for reading in your weekend, I suggest you rethink your plans. 

Vogue's Fall Reading List

Elle's How to Take a Selfie

13 Everyday Phrases that Actually Came from Shakespeare 

Surviving Whole Foods

An Insider's View of 19th Century Paris

From to-do lists to satire, this list of articles really is very random and inconclusive. 

None of the articles are long or deep, but they all caught my attention enough for me to save them and look over a second time. For a college student with not a lot of free time, I'd say that's enough evidence for promotion. 

These articles would go perfectly with a relaxed morning and a cup of coffee. 

Doesn't that sound wonderful?

College Morning Routine

I've been at school for 6 weeks now- crazy, I know- and 

I'd like to think that I'm adjusting well.

I've experienced my first round of exams and meetings. I've found a few clubs to love and a [more than] a few friends, too! The work load is crazy. I'm always busy, but I'm loving it! One aspect of life that really suggests that I'm adjusted is my morning routine.

I love waking up earlier than I need to in order to get things done. 

At home, I'd get up in time to make breakfast and get to school in enough time to get a good parking spot. College is... different.

In college, I get up in time to watch my beloved Today Show. I make a cup of tea or coffee, get my blanket and pillow, and wake up in the most peaceful way I can imagine. Depending on when I need to get to class, I can watch more or less. Some days I have it on while getting ready and peak around to the tv when something catches my... ear. 

College has been one huge adjustment. 

For me, it was all about finding my routine. I like having things planned and having a general schedule, but I really love being able to make my own schedule. It's made college feel a lot more like home and having that "waking up" time in the morning to mentally prepare for my day is sacred. Finding this little bit of time (even if it means sacrificing sleep) has been so wonderful for me. 

I love waking up with Today!

How do you wake up?

Top 5: August 2013

It's crazy to think that today is the final day of August! 

I've been looking forward to this month of change for so long. College, new friends, new habits, so much has happened this month. It's all for the better, though. I think I've adjusted to independence and college life well! Recruitment is going great (bid night is Tuesday! eeee!), my roommate and I are a perfect match, I haven't ruined any laundry, and I've stayed on top of my studies. Not easy at all, but all this change has led to some favorites that I'd never expect to love. 

Let's re-cap my favorites of this month:

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5. Mio Energy

This stuff has been my life saver! I've been trying to drink more water, but just plain water doesn't do for me what coffee or tea does- I still drink both in my dorm room. When I'm out on campus, these mio bottles are really easy to carry around and add to my drinks. They make water a little more tasty, and I don't feel like I want to go to Starbucks when I have Peach Tea water. Yum!

via Instagram

4. Reading.

Okay I know I've said that I love to read before and you're probably thinking that this can't be a new favorite of mine. But, trust me, I've come to appreciate my books so much more these past weeks. They are the ultimate "unwind" material. They give me a break from the textbooks without feeling guilty, and I'm loving branching out and reading all different kinds of books.

via Instagram

3. Campus!

Purdue is seriously like a little town of it's own. Actually, it is. West Lafayette isn't really a very hoppin place if school isn't in session. It's definitely a college town.. but it feels like it's own little city. There are tall buildings, housing options, restaurants- the normal stuff you'd see on college campuses around the world. But then there's the Purdue stuff that makes it a little different. Because we have an Aeronautical Engineering major, we have our own Airport! We have no less than 5 beautiful fountains. And, my personal favorite, all of the malls around! Not the shopping kind, but the green, grassy, park-like malls. I love to sit under and tree and just imagine that I'm in Central Park.

2. Twitter

 As you may have noticed, this blog now has an anonymous and official "PurduePrep" writer. Well, along with that, there's a twitter. PurduePrep is no longer only on the internet. Keep up with my preppy life wherever you are by following @PurduePrep!

1. New Friends

Okay so I'm not the most... outgoing person. I'm not shy, but I'm an introvert. I enjoy time alone and don't really mind that I don't constantly have people around me. Usually. But, since I've moved to school, I've been trying to embrace the abundance of people. There are always kids to study with, workout with, go to the bookstore with, or just to sit with. The girls on my floor are awesome. My professors are approachable- I even went to lunch with one this past week! Recruitment has introduced me to new people and lots of girls, something I lacked at home.

College so far has been treating me well. While I'm sad to see summer go, having August over with allows me to breathe a sigh of relief. I made it through my first 3 weeks at school and I have so much to look forward to in September-

football, going home, and the coming of the best season!

No Impact Man

So Purdue assigned all incoming freshmen with a common reading assignment.

It wasn't a huge deal to me because... I love reading! Of course, I wasn't able to pick the book and it certainly wasn't a book that I'd pick up on my own. But it was a quick, interesting read that caught my attention once I got into it.

The cover says it all, but the book chronicled the year that Colin Beavan and his family spent making as little impact on the planet. Infamously, the stop using toilet paper... among other things. I'm not exactly a "save the world" advocate, but the book did bring up some interesting points about just how much energy is used by Americans versus the rest of the world.

Naturally, our assignment was not only to read the book, but to answer a few questions too. Nothing too involved- what questions do you have? how did Colin's story get you thinking? etc. etc. All this environmental stuff got me thinking of ways in which we can lessen our impact on the world while improving quality of life (an idea that Colin hones in on for most of the book).

1. The introduction of public transportation to more American cities.

Colin mentions this briefly, but I think that it has a huge impact on the lives of Americans. As a commuter nation, people spend so many hours in their car- away from human interaction. Public transportation not only acts as a massive carpool, it gets people together. It gets communities talking and cuts down on traffic. On top of that, public transportation is moving to electricity. Still not exactly "Zero Impact", but it does lessen the carbon footprint per person.

2. Disposable Items

Colin mentions this almost every other sentence. From toilet paper to plastic bags to cars, our world is disposable. It's meant to be so that people stay in business. When things break, we buy more of it. So why would the industry try to make things that last? Regardless of this, there are small ways to make an impact. Number one on my list is to always use reusable cups when I get coffee. Not only is it a lot cuter, but I'm not making trash. I still am not sure what to do about cars and toilet paper, but reusable bags are much cuter than plastic ones, too.

Now I'm not some environmental freak who's out to condemn you. I'd have to seriously condemn myself, first. I'm just observing my thoughts that were brought up by an extreme experiment. And while I don't plan to go no impact, there are small ways to make less of an impact on the world and more of an impact on my peers and community.

and that's what I'm striving for.

25 Random Facts

One of my most watched YouTube subscriptions, Sarah belle, recently did a 50 random facts video.

I thought that it seemed kinda fun, but since I don't do videos...

here we go!

and I shortened it to only 25 facts because I'm not that interesting.......

1. I was born and raised in the suburbs

2. My Meyers Briggs Type is ISTJ

3. I tend to gravitate towards Navy and hot pinks when I shop

4. I hardly ever wear eyeshadow

5. I have a HUGE sweet-tooth and my biggest weakness is ice cream :)

6. I love to read

7. If I could live any other life, it'd be the life of Blair Waldorf

8. I have always loved dogs and got my dog for my 10th birthday (and we share a birthday- October 11)

9. I've never been a hug fan of jewelry, but I love my Marc Jacobs watch

10. The last time I got stung, it was 4 wasps at the same time. They got tangled in my hair while I was laying out- I will never lay out with my hair down again.

11. I love sweet tea, but I have to limit my intake......

12. I was in a building that got hit by a tornado, but I still love storms!

13. Sometimes I'll spend money like it grows on trees but other times I've got to really think about spending any money

14. My last relationship was 3 years ago. I've been very single since then.

15. I love my parents and family

16. I am one of 10+ family members who went to Purdue

17. I don't really believe in luck, but I do believe in destiny

18. I am very very organized with all aspects of my life

19. My strictest budget is for Starbucks.....

20. I'd much rather speak in person than texting or on the phone

21. I love running and working out, especially at night

22. If I could buy only bags the rest of my life, I probably would

23. I really love Italian food- like a lot.

24. I love to travel and hope to make it to every continent before I'm 30

25. I use a seasoning called "Slap Yo Momma" on just about all of my food