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.

..........................................................

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?

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:

.............................................

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!

Wish List Wednesday

These wish lists are beginning to get a little bit dangerous.

The reason? Because I'm entering a world of college-girl-brokeness. So I imagine my wish list will grow and grow and grow

....hopefully my mom is reading the blog and will send me a care package [or 5].

Or, hopefully my wish list will become less materialistic.

Anyways, here's what I'm wishing for. 

The Debra Sweater

I have been loving Lilly's Fall 2013 line. I already made one purchase, which has arrived and I can't wait to wear! This sweater looks marvelous, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy it just yet. My birthday is conveniently in October, which is perfect for mid-fall and winter clothing purchases. I can almost guarantee that I will have this on my birthday list (even if I buy it for myself). 

Leopard Loafers

I have been wanting a pair for the past year... I'm not kidding. I love the leopard because it's fun, but also functional- they can go with black or brown and look great with fall and winter colors. These are also great because loafers are extremely comfortable, which is necessary since I'll be walking around campus quite a bit. 

Starbucks

Honestly, I think I'd be happy if all I got for my birthday and Christmas was SBux cards. Seriously, I've gone out of my way so much lately to enjoy my favorite drinks, while still trying to pace myself. I just can't afford to make it a daily habit while I'm at school... unless someone wants to send me a $100 gift card. Then I guess I can.

Purdue Student Life

I picked a major that isn't exactly the easiest. I also picked a school that is extremely competitive and well-known. I can't wait for all of the experiences- sporting events, recruitment, meeting new people! But I want so badly to be able to balance all of that. I want to be able to study and have a life and friends. I guess I'm not the most outgoing and social person, so I doubt I'll struggle much with making studying a priority. I've just got to remember that student life is a priority, too.

............................................................................................................................................

Like I said, broke college life has become a reality. 

A stark, horrible reality. That I must live and embrace in order to appreciate my hard work and paychecks in the years to come.

No matter how long my wish list,

I'll always be blessed.

Hey, It's Okay!

Sometimes I get this feeling that my habits aren't okay.

I'm too this, I'm too that. But, as I thought about it, I thought

"hey, It's okay"

and I made a list of the things that I do that others may think are crazy.

1. wear the same jeans two days in a row because they make you feel skinny... or make your butt look good

2. get Starbucks two times in one day

3. eat ice cream for lunch

4. skip a night with friends for a dinner and movie date by yourself

5. judge someone by the amount of monogrammed items they own (in this case, too much is never enough)

6. cry about the loss of an imaginary relationship while listening to sad country breakup songs

7. refuse to eat at a restaurant because they don't serve sweet tea

8. always want the beach, a good book, and your Ray Bans

9. enjoy a night spent with a good book more than a crazy night out   
10. Stay up all night finishing a book

Kinda crazy. Kinda weird. But, hey, it's okay!

Why? Because, 

they all make me, me.

Paradise in the Suburbs

So, there's not much that I can get to within 15 minutes from my house. I can get to school, church, the movies theater/ mall, and .... Starbucks! Starbucks is my hometown paradise. I can come here and just forget the world outside (except for people watching, of course!). I've got to refrain from coming here too often; that'd break the bank and the scale! :)

Whenever I can, I try to make my way out here. I don't know about your local Starbucks, but mine has the kindest employees and costumers! When I'm here, I'm treated like an adult rather than a high school kid... probably because I come here and study when I skip school, oops!

One thing that I am loving right now are my iced drinks! With the sunshine and warmer weather, I'm finally getting back to my favorite drinks! I'm a huge fan of the Passion Iced Tea, Iced Caramel Macchiato, and the Iced Vanilla Latte! I always get them skinny so I can get them big.. plus the full ones are too sweet for me! I still want that coffee taste, just with a hint of somethin' else!

I feel as if I talk about Starbucks all the time! If you follow my twitter or instagram, you'd probably see that I'm more than a little obsessed. It's aright though, because if I go down, I'll take everyone down with me... starting with my study group who is meeting me here today.

what's your favorite drink?

What I'm Busy Doing

You may (or may not) have noticed that I've been taking a few days between posts. As much as I hate doing so, I've realized that I can't stress about posting, because I need to stay excited new topics and posts. I figured with all this time away, I'd give a little update on what I'm spending my very sparse free time doing.

When I first bought Mumford & Sons' music, I wasn't a huge fan. 

But that is quickly changing.

Unfortunately, March did not bring with it any warmer weather. 

But the newest Starbucks drink makes the cold a little more bearable.

It's a Hazelnut Macchiato... basically hot, liquid Nutella. Yum.

Lusting over a new MacBook. 

My laptop is old, so I'e been using my dad's laptop for the past year or so. Graduation is so close at this point, and I'm debating the best choice for college and the future.

I'm hoping that the craziness dies down, the weather warms up, and these next few weeks fly by. I just want to be on the beach right now!! 

What's been keeping you busy?