beauty & a blog

I'm done. This cold weather is absolutely ridiculous. My best friend has become my space heater. Yeap, that's a new low. Now that I'm over the initial shock of the negative degree weather, I'm trying to embrace it. Trying  is the key word here. No, but really there are some positive things about these teeth-chattering temperatures!  First of all, think of the cute clothes you can wear during the chilly months. Sweaters, boots, legwarmers- you name it. And what about those steamy, delicious Starbucks drinks you have to have to survive? I mean, when else can you rationalize spending five dollars on coffee? Or doing absolutely nothing but cuddling in bed in your cozy pajamas watching your favorite TV show? Or skipping class because it's "too dangerous" to be out in the cold? Use the weather to your advantage. When our bodies are cold, they actually burn more calories to try to warm up the core temperature. So...does this mean I can skip the gym again?...

Okay, I'll admit it I lied. I said I did absolutely nothing for the majority of winter break. False- I've become a pro at pretending to be able to sing and dance. Fake it til you make it, people. After discovering Spotify, I've spent endless hours blasting music, dancing like crazy, and singing at the top of my lungs in my room. (My deepest apologies to my family and neighbors.)  Turns out, singing and dancing actually have many benefits. So for the record, I'm not losing my mind; I'm simply enriching my life ;)   Whether you're talented or not, singing and dancing is necessary at least once in a while.  On a scale of one to Christina Aguilera, I'm a zero with my singing abilities- and my dancing is even worse. But ya know what? I still do it... and so should you!  Dancing-- “We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.” - Friedrich Nietzsche Cutting a rug is not only an excellent form of exercise, but also a great conf...

As it gets down to the last week of winter break, I've realized how much I still have to do before school starts. The first half of break consisted of sleeping til noon, watching endless hours of Netflix (aka  Gossip Girl ), and hanging out with friends, which turned out to be movie nights every single night. So what have I accomplished so far? Absolutely nothing. That is if you don't count sleeping 12 hours not including occasional naps during the day. Pretty sure I set a world record with the amount of sleep I got. But hey, at least I'm finally  caught up on the sleep I never got during first semester.  Time to get crackin' on that to-do list I thought I'd have accomplished by now. Here are some things you should do while you still have extra time before you get overwhelmed by the excitement and novelty of this next semester. P.S. If you're already back in school 1) I'm sorry but more importantly 2) try to take advantage of syllabus week and knock a co...

Can't believe it's already January. Let the countdown to Spring Break begin! I know right when I get back to school from break the gym will be PACKED. It's crunch time people. Literally. What's my plan? It's a little different than most. I'm trying going vegan. Yes, that means no meat, dairy, eggs, or anything  that comes from an animal. For me, this approach works perfectly because I have impeccable self-control when I have goals and restrictions, but when it's a free-for-all it gets ugly. I can't control myself. Today is day 2 of going vegan and I already feel so much better about myself. I feel more energized, more awake, more confident, more like myself. Yes, I want milk. Yes, that cake looks amazing  but ya know what? It's not worth it. I would rather feel like this every day, than give into temptation. Trust me, once you're over the initial pang of desire, you're golden. Remember, you're stronger than that. Veganism has health...

That's one of my new mottos- we're doin it live. In case you're confused, it means going for whatever opportunity comes your way. Just go with the flow and experience everything to the fullest. Kind of like starting a blog. I'm doin it live.  What influenced this new motto though? The Rose Bowl. Last year as a freshman, I went to all of the UW-Madison football games cheering on the Badgers week after week. When they finally made it to the Rose Bowl I was somewhat clueless. I didn't think it would be possible for me to solidify plans and actually come up with the funds to go. When people returned, they said it was one of their best experiences of their life. From that moment on, I promised myself I would go hands-down no excuses if they made it again.  This year as a sophomore, I again got season tickets. The Badgers weren't lookin' too hot early in the season and I thought it was out of the picture for them to go to the Rose Bowl a third year in a...