Winter Break

This week officially starts my week of finals. I have a lot of papers to write, projects to finish and tests to study for, along with trying to keep up with my last week of work before I go home. This semester has gone by faster than the other two I have been in combined. When they say that college goes by faster than High School they are not joking. I feel like I just moved back into school a month ago and it is already cold and snowing and time for me to head back home for a month away from school.

A month is not that bad, a month is really nothing. I will go home and not have to worry about anything except working at home and seeing my friends. No classes to worry about or finals or papers for another couple weeks that I cannot wait for. But for a month I will not see my friends from school, I will not have a room across the hall from my best friends or across the street from my job. I love my bosses and I will miss them for a month.

During winter break I will be up on the slops at the mountain in my town snowboarding with my friends who attend different colleges and swapping presents during the season. Attending parties for Christmas and New Years with these people and my family.

Winter break for me is all about spending time with the friends I never get to see and my family. Enjoying the time I have until I have to venture back to school and get my butt back in gear to working. I cannot wait for the snow though and to see everyone I want to see.

What do you do during your winter break? Tell me in the comments below. And goodbye for now as this will be my last post for a while, at least until I get back from break. Have a great break ya’ll!

Christmas Movies

I did a post for Halloween movies so it is obvious that I need to do one for Christmas time movies. I already did a post on my family traditions and how we watch Scrooge every year and how that is not my favorite Christmas movie. But what is my favorite is a classic. I am going to let you think for a second before I admit what it is. There are plenty of movies probably going through your head right now, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Jingle All the Way, Unaccompanied Minors, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or The Polar Express. But my favorite is not actually any of those. In your head you probably know now what it is, if not any of those. It is The Santa Clause staring Tim Allen. That is my absolute favorite Christmas movie. I love the concept of the real and make-believe and it honestly makes you believe it is real. You learn how Santa can get into houses if there is no chimney and you have his son Charlie who will always believe in Santa because his dad is Santa.

Other than the Christmas movies I listed there are many, many more. Here are just a few:

• Fred Clause
• Lethal Weapon
• Die Hard
• Trading Places
• Just Friends
• Jack Frost
• Home Alone
• Home Alone 2
• The Polar Express
• The Santa Clause 2
  

  The Santa Clause, My favorite Christmas movie

• The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
• Scrooge/A Christmas Carol
• Frosty the Snowman
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Elf
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• A Christmas Story
• Unaccompanied Minors
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Jingle All the Way
• Deck the Halls

I know this is a big list, but this really is just a few of the hundreds of Christmas movies. There are so many and even some of these movies I have yet to see. What is your favorite movie during the holiday season? Or if you cannot decide your favorite, what are your top 5? Let me know below! My top five would be, I cannot even decide on my top five so here is my top 7 but not in this order except for the Santa Clause because that will always be my favorite.

• The Santa Clause
• Elf
• Home Alone
• The Polar Express
• Unaccompanied Minors
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Jingle All the Way

Finals

Finals.

If you are in college, graduated, will soon be, or have been there for even just a semester, you have experienced, or will experience college finals. The time of the year where if you have a test, you cram to try to know everything that you should already know or if you have to write a paper, it is usually long or it is about something that has had to do with the class you are in.

I am an English major, which makes it that the majority of my classes have an essay as our final. For only one of my classes I got the final paper not too long ago, all the rest I have had since close to the end of September early October. I have had the prompt to write my final essay for months. Did I write it? No, I was lazy and will always wait till it MUST be done.

I, as well as my friends have already gotten stressed out already and finals do not start for another week. If you are a student that is about to start finals for are starting college soon and will experience finals another semester, keep these helpful hints for a stress free finals week.

1. Exercise – This is a great way to let out your frustrations or what in your head is stressing you out. You can put it all out on the table and hit as many things as you want. If you do not have time for the gym, do some exercises in your room, watching a Netflix workout video is also good. If none of these interest you then you can also try Yoga.
2. Make a schedule/list – You may be someone who cannot stick to a list, or the opposite where unless you have a list nothing gets done. Well during finals it is a very good idea to have. If you write down every.single.thing that you need to do, you are less likely to forget something important.
3. “Save early, save often” – Those are the wise words of my TV Production teacher in high school. Because believe me, the one time you do not save will be the time that your computer crashes and your whole essay is gone.
4. “You” Time – as much as you need to get everything done during this week, you will be even more stressed out if you do not leave time for you. Catch up on a TV episode that you missed or a movie you have wanted to watch. Go out with your friends so you all can have you time, but not talking about finals or school!
5. Eat. – You probably hear it ten thousand times a week, eat breakfast. It does worse things to you if you don’t. If you are hungry you are less productive and will not be able to focus as well.
6. No Distractions – If you need to study, then sit and study. Shut off your phone. No TV, No music, unless that helps you study. No people around.
7. And Finally, Sleep – You do better if you can sleep. Your brain needs sleep to comprehend information better. So staying up all night does you no good. If you need too naps are a great thing too.

Finals week is hard and if you have experienced it before you know what I am talking about. But just do your best. It is a big deal but not so much to lose your head over it.

Winter

As I said, in my very first blog post and as I say on my about page, I love the fall. It is my favorite season. It has always been. But a season I do not have a choice but to love is winter. My birthday is in winter, late winter (March) but still winter. I snowboard and ski, I live in New England, and all of these factors make it very hard to hate the winter. I go to school near a mountain so I can snowboard whenever I very well please which is a great thing. And since it snows a lot, I get class canceled sometimes!

I am the person who loves to just go outside and have a snowball fight, or make a snowman or snow angels and then come inside and drink a nice hot cup of cocoa and warm up and then two hours later I am doing the same thing back outside freezing my butt off.

I love the snow falling; it is so peaceful and makes everything look so pretty and quiet. Everything seems to be at peace. I am a hopeless romantic so having a winter walking scene from a movie is something that I can only hope for in my head. It is a dream to have that scene one day like at the end of The Vow.

The only thing I dislike about the winter time is how cold it is. If I could have it warm and have it snowing at the same time, I would be a happy camper. As Phineas and Ferb said “Swinter” summer and winter mashed together for the best of both world. And yes I know I am in college and just quoted a Disney TV show.

What are your favorite things about the winter time? or do you hate every aspect of it? Let me know below!

Black Friday

Black Friday. The day that shopping is in full swing. This day is one of the biggest shopping days for America. I do hate to say it, but I was even apart of this shopping day. People everywhere flock to stores in hope of getting the best deals, whether it is be for them for people that they need to get presents for. You could get an 800 dollar television for 500. That is how great the deals are on this day. Along with Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, Which is when a lot of smaller business’ have deals so people will buy things from them that day and then there is also Cyber Monday. That day is for all of the deals on-line. Free Shipping usually, 50% off regular price, all of that.

Personally I do not like Black Friday. It is a day for people to become so crazy that some get hurt. Yes, it is the start of the Christmas season but that does not mean that you need to go all out and buy everything in one day.

You were just Thankful the day before for everything you had and now you are going to go out and buy things that you do not need? That is just not right.

You should be thankful for what you have and think about that. I am not saying that there should not be a Black Friday; it just should not be the day AFTER Thanksgiving. People should still be spending time with their family. Now Black Friday has gotten so bad that stores open at 7 or 8 pm the night OF Thanksgiving. In my opinion, you should be spending time with your family at that time. I spend that whole day with my family, eating, drinking, talking, watching movies and being together. That is what Thanksgiving is about.

If you do Black Friday shopping then good for you, like I had said, I did it too, I just did it much later in the day on Friday. I did not rush out the door the night before or the morning of Friday. I took my time and did things before and after to not worry about it. I still went shopping, I still got amazing deals, but I did not have to get up at the crack of dawn to get what I wanted.

What do you think about Black Friday? Your opinions. Let me know below!

Happy Thanksgiving

My baby cousin Summer on Thanksgiving

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving Everyone!

I know I am a day late; I was spending all of yesterday with my family as I am sure you were doing the same. I ate way too much but all was so good. This past year my sister decided she wanted to go full on Vegan. This meant that some of the food we had yesterday was all vegan. I was not a fan. I would not have chosen it myself that is for sure.

Seeing my family was great though. It was my first time home from school since I left for school in August. That is much longer than I thought. So seeing my family was something that I could not wait to do.

My favorite thing I got to eat yesterday was my mom’s German Chocolate Cake. I have talked about it in another post. Check it out here. It will always be my favorite. But for a non-sweet it would have to be Green Bean Casserole. I had it when I went to my grandparents’ house in the afternoon.

In my family we all split up for the beginning of the day then meet back at my house for our main dinner at night. I go to my grandparents, my brother to his girlfriends and sister to her boyfriend’s house with their families. Since we have had someone else apart of our lives it is how we have done it. I think it makes much more sense that way there is no picking where you go and who you eat with, you get to eat with everyone! Does anyone else have to survive the “double holiday”? For a way to work with it click here

Well, I hope everyone’s holiday was tasty and fun. I know mine was. Tell me about your Thanksgiving in the comments below. I want to know what your favorite part was.

Winter Activities

Do you snowboard, or ski? Go tubing or sledding? What’s your favorite “sport” to participate in during the winter? For me I have been snowboarding and skiing since I was in third grade. I stop from time to time but always go back. Right now I am on a snowboarding kick and cannot wait to go this summer. I work at a snow resort so I get to go whenever I like. I am not that great at either of those activities, Skiing or snowboarding but that’s not what matters, having fun is. Just try not to get hurt because believe me I have gotten hurt plenty a time and it is not fun, not at all.

I remember as a kid going tubing and sledding down a hill in my town with the rest of the town during the winter. Then they put a huge telephone pole in the middle and people ultimately started to not go anymore. But that’s what you do as a child unless you learn to ski or snowboard early in life.

I love just going out and playing in the snow with my friends. Having a snowball fight or making a snow angel is one of my favorite things. Making a snow fort that doesn’t fall on top of you is amazing. Then after you are all cold you get to go inside and drink hot cocoa with marshmallows and fluff on top and warm back up in a blanket watching a movie. That right there is probably the perfect winter day. Just add friends and or family and you are all set.

I am in college and I still do these things. I still go out and make forts or snow angels. I honestly do not think that will ever change no matter how old I get in life.

What do you like to do during the winter time? Do you like to just stay in with a good book and hot cocoa or coffee? What is your ideal winter day? Tell me in the comments below.

Holiday Traditions

Holiday traditions, we all have them from the people I have known throughout my life. Whether it be singing Christmas carols for Christmas or always going to the Grandmothers house for Thanksgiving no matter what, it is a tradition. My favorite tradition in my house is every year since I can remember on Christmas eve my parents give me, my brother and my sister all pajamas as well as a pair for the two of them. As we have gotten older they have even gotten some for our significant others on the holiday. It is something that I look forward to getting every year and I mean come on what college kid can’t use more clothes, especially pajamas?

For the kids that still believe in the magic of Christmas then putting cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer is a must. I asked my roommate what a family tradition of hers for the holidays was and it is having a Christmas eve party every year with her family and her Grandmother makes pajamas for all the grand kids and they change there for the Grandmother to see.

The musical my family watches every year.

Some people bake the same things every year with their family. I talked about what I love to bake every year in my last post. Check it out here. Some people decorate the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve every year. They may eat a ham instead of a turkey for Thanksgiving. My family every year on Thanksgiving night after we are all full and sit down to have our first glass of eggnog of the season and try to stuff more into our stomachs with desert, we watch Scrooge. For those who do not know what Scrooge is, well it is A Christmas Story by Charles Dickens, but instead of the usual play it is a musical. Click Here to learn more. This movie also gives my father official permission to listen to Christmas musical freely and no one can complain.

For some I know the day after Thanksgiving, other than being black Friday, it is also the day that they get their Christmas tree or put up their fake one.

What is your holiday tradition? Tell me in the comments below.

Holiday Baking

How can you not like this cake?

What is your absolute favorite thing to bake during the coming holidays? Got ideas in mind? Is a Pumpkin Pie or a batch of sugar cookies amongst them? Well when I think of my holiday baking I do with my family Pumpkin Pie is one of the top five and my version of sugar cookies is also there. My favorite by far is German Chocolate Cake. Some of you may have no idea what this cake is; well let me tell you that you should. Here is the recipe for this sumptuous cake.  Then there is Pumpkin Pie as I said and Red Velvet Cake. Then I have sugar cookies. Not just any sugar cookies but citrus sugar cookies with a homemade butter cream frosting. It is to die for. I cannot give you a recipe for I do not have one. My mom found the recipe out of a newspaper article and we decided to try the amazing treat. They are something I make whenever I need to bring food to a party or for my friends.

How this next thing is something that you can have during your thanksgiving dinner with the turkey or next to the ham at Christmas dinner or for desert at either of the two. It is called Sweet Potato Casserole. Smothered with marshmallows and sweeter than some of the things that we put out that are our actual deserts, my dad and brother will have this for dinner and dessert if they have their way.

My baking list for the holidays:

1. German Chocolate Cake
2. Pumpkin Pie
3. Red Velvet Cake
4. Citrus Sugar Cookies
5. Sweet Potato Casserole
6. Almond Crescents
7. Pizzelle
8. Raisin Puffs

The few last ones there you are probably wondering what they are, almond crescents are a cookie I make with my Nana every year that my uncle and I fight over. They are almond extract infused with slivers of almonds within sugar cookie dough; they are cooked for longer so they are harder and then once they are out of the over are covered with powder sugar. A pizzele is an Italian waffle cookie, very thin, buttery with anise infused and also covered with powder sugar. And raisin puffs are a raisin cookie, which are fluffy and are a mixture of allspice and cinnamon. These three are all childhood cookies that I make every year with my Nana and only her. The only reason she still makes Pizzeles is because I ask for them every single year.

I wanted to talk to someone who has had many, many more years of baking than I have, my Nana. The person who has taught me how to make many of those deserts and the other half she taught her daughter, my mother, who then taught me. Since I can remember I have been in the kitchen cooking or baking with one of those women, they are some of my greatest memories. When I was speaking to my Nana I asked if she could tell me something that not many people know about baking and she said “If you are making cookies and it calls for both brown sugar and granulated sugar, use all brown sugar. The sugar will be the same measurements just all brown sugar. If there is 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar and 1 cup of granulated sugar it will be 2 1/2 cups of brown sugar. This makes the cookies chewier This can only be done if the recipe asks for BOTH sugars though.” This is a very useful piece of information I think because people always wanted chewier cookies from what I have seen since I have been baking. Next time I bake cookies I will use this. In the recipe I use for Chocolate Chip cookies it calls for both sugars so I will try it for those. Will you try this?

What do you do during the holiday? What is your favorite thing to bake or your family tradition for baking? Let me know below!

Fall Outfits

One of my fall outfits, cardigan, tank top, boots, leggings, curls.

So wearing shorts, dresses, flip-flops and tank tops is cute and all but that time has come to an end until next year. I think the times where guys and girls look their best is in the fall. There are the cutest outfit ideas, throwing on 5 different items to make one is my favorite thing to do. Boots are in, sweaters, leggings, hats and scarves are all for this time of the year. My friends and I exchange clothes if one of us does have what the other needs to finish off an outfit. This time of year I am into leggings, printed and just plain black, scarves, and cardigans. For the autumn those are my go to essentials for everyday class outfits. Check out Urban Outfitters for awesome scarves. I have gotten a couple from my collection from here.

The holidays for me are always a tough time to figure out what to wear. If you are just going to be with family, as I am, then it is not a huge deal, but let’s say you are going to a significant others house, then you are probably thinking “I must look my best”. One of my favorite places to shop for inexpensive attire is Kohl’s. At this moment you are probably questioning me, but check it out you will be surprises as to what they have at an awesome price. But if you would rather something that no one else would have check out The Rage. They are an online store, but the clothes they have are amazing in my opinion I have bought many a things from them and loved everything. For advice on your relationship when you are picking out that outfit for Thanksgiving Dinner check this out. You will be very happy you did.

My friends and I out for the night.

Dark colors are big during the autumn,like blacks, greens, reds, purples, gold’s. I have dresses that I am not ready to put away so I instead pair them with tights or leggings and heels for a more autumn look that transitions well. You can do the same with shorts, high-waisted with tights and boots is adorable. I am a lover of floral and keep them in my wardrobe during every season.

What are your favorite trends for the fall? What is your go to look when you are running to class or work? Let me know.