Growth is not consistent; growth comes in spurts. And today, I had a growth spurt. Today, I feel older than I did yesterday, not because I am almost finished with my first semester of college but because I cooked. I went to the store, bought the ingredients and cooked brownies for my friends. It's amazing how little things like that can make you feel so grown up. I guess it is just the fact that I made a decision and carried it out all on my own. I used my own eggs and oil and pans. I am an adult now and it freaks me out a little bit. The best I can do is remember that I am not quite as old as I think, because I still licked the spoon like a little girl when I finished mixing my brownies. :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
I'm grown up. . . sort of
Growth is not consistent; growth comes in spurts. And today, I had a growth spurt. Today, I feel older than I did yesterday, not because I am almost finished with my first semester of college but because I cooked. I went to the store, bought the ingredients and cooked brownies for my friends. It's amazing how little things like that can make you feel so grown up. I guess it is just the fact that I made a decision and carried it out all on my own. I used my own eggs and oil and pans. I am an adult now and it freaks me out a little bit. The best I can do is remember that I am not quite as old as I think, because I still licked the spoon like a little girl when I finished mixing my brownies. :)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
No More Mr. Nice Spy
I just wanted to share a promo for my one and only "story." I love Chuck. The show is well written. It's funny, romantic, and action packed. It comes on again January 10th, so be ready. :)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
New Look
So, there you have it; my blog has a new look. Now I want to share a few tips.
1.) Use smilebox to get some free digital scrapbook pages. It is such a cool program. I used it to make my new header. If you're interested, just click here to visit their site.
2.) Insert your own personalized signature at the end of each post. They are really cute and give your blog a unique feel. I made several before settling on the one on the bottom of this post. To make your own, click here. Once you get the HTML code, go under Settings > Formatting > Post Format. Then, it will be added automatically to all of your new posts.
3.) Get a fee version of photoshop. Alright, that one was too good to be true, but you can get almost the exact same program under a different name: Gimp. If you don't have photoshop, you should definitely look into trying out gimp. It's free! What harm could it do? Just click here to visit their site.
4.) Insert a post separator like mine with the birds. It can give any blog a little pizzaz! To learn how, click here. I chose to use my own separator image, but they have some on their site to choose from as well.
5.) Add a "Recent Comments" widget on the side of your blog. Why? Because it supposedly increases comments by 70%, and let's face it we all love comments! I named mine "The Buzz" in an attempt at originality. haha. To get yours, click here.
Well, I guess that's all the tips I have for now. Happy Holidays Everyone!!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Goodbye Eric Berry!
Goodbye Eric! You will be missed!
So, I'm back. . .
Friday, October 23, 2009
Grieving is Over
Anyways, I think I could probably make a cute M&M costume like the one in the picture below that I saw from Party city, but i just don't know when I'll have time to make it. . .
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Best Game Ever!
I'm guessing if you are any kind of sports fan, you've already heard about the huge upset in Neyland Stadium yesterday. You know. . . when Tennessee raped Georgia. I shouldn't rub salt in the wound, but I can't help but write about the BEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER!
Monday, October 5, 2009
"This May Qualify as the Most Random Interview Ever"
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Where did the Weekend Go?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It's Midterm Time in Tennessee!
Monday, September 28, 2009
I'm Hooked
With midterms coming up, I really should be studying, however, to distract myself from this stressful event, I've come up with an alternative: READING. Since our library's leisure reading collection is fairly limited, I only had a few choices, one of which was Stephanie Meyer's The Host. Though it didn't seem to be my type of book, my love for Twilight eventually won out and I chose The Host as my latest distraction. Well, I'm hooked. Not to be blasphemous, but I think it may be better than Twilight. It's packed full of suspense and you honestly get inside of the character's head. . . I honestly can't wait to find out what happens next. Plus, it too will soon be on the silver screen. Producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Schawrtz have acquired the screen rights to the novel, and Andrew Niccol will write the script and direct.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Evolution of Beauty
So, I saw this video on Sweet, Sassy, Southern, and Classy's blog and I was shocked at how clearly it displays the distortion of "beauty". I am proudly joining Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, because I think it is about time we all celebrated our individuality and stopped attempting to conform to this media monster.
11 Signs You are in Love
TEN: You feel shy whenever they're around.
NINE: You smile when you hear their voice.
EIGHT: When you look at them, you can't see the other people around you, you just see them.
SIX: They're all you think about.
FIVE: You realize you're always smiling when you're looking at them.
FOUR:You would do anything for them, just to see them.
THREE: While reading this, there was one person on your mind this whole time.
TWO: You were so busy thinking about that person, you didn't notice number seven was missing
ONE: You just scrolled up to check & are now silently laughing at yourself.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid. . .
It has been raining here in Knoxville for about two weeks and according to my small-talk source in the elevator it is predicted to continue raining for the next 11 days. It seems to me that this is the perfect weather for vampires, which in itself is very scary, but even more frightening yet, it is the perfect weather for horrible hair days. I personally have taken to wearing a hat like the one in my profile photo, but other than that my hair has become untamable. The last day it looked good was September 13th as demonstrated in the pictures to my trip to the library above. Try to ignore the bad angle on the second photo. . . or is that the freshmen 15? Either way try to focus on my hair and not my chipmunk cheeks. : )
Monday, September 14, 2009
This Week at UT. . .
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Cutest Pink Dorm Room known to Man!
New New Moon Trailer!!!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Campus Fashion
Here's the down low on campus fashion: Most students wear Nike shorts and various university affiliated t-shirts to class, paired with rainbow flip-flops of course. I'll admit it. I gave in on the flip-flops. At first I was let-down, because I just paid $50 for these "fantastic" flip flops and low and behold they gave me horrible blisters. I then further complicated the situation by listening to the advice of a certain cute boy I know and covering the blisters with super glue. Well, that backfired and ripped off all the blisters and the accompanying skin. Ouch!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Boomsday!!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Did I mention that I love Thursdays?
Well, I thought I was done bragging about how awesome my Thursdays are, but I'm not. I just had to share one more fun fact! Thursday's are free bowling shoe rental night at the Down Under, so my free bowling shoes were the perfect end to my perfect day. : )
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thursdays Are My Favorite Days!
Today was basically the perfect day. Then again, Thursdays are my favorite days. Mainly because my classes end at 12: 25, which is really, really amazing. It almost makes 8 am classes worth it when I have the entire afternoon to chill out. Plus, Sophie's (my favorite cafeteria) has a potato bar on Thursday's. Last week, I got this amazing sweet potato with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. This week, I opted for a regular potato. I just decked it out with butter, cheese, ham, and bacon. It was basically the best thing I've ever tasted in my life. : ) Which is a pretty amazing complement considering they also had a customize your own cobbler line today with ice cream and everything.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Happy Biking!!
10: You get ultra-cool tan lines!
We'll start with a fun one, and you can laugh if you want. We wear our cycling tans like a badge of honor, a sign of our healthy lifestyle choices, a tangible token of membership to an exclusive group. It says, "hey, I ride a bike," or "I grow turnips." Either way, or both, people are bound to be impressed at the beach. Just be sure to use sunblock so you don't overdo it!
9. You see your city like drivers can't!
On two wheels and moving at a comfortable pace you can enjoy your environment and see, smell and hear things you never notice in a car. Which of your neighbors has the best-landscaped yard? What bakeries smell so good you just have to stop? How many different architectural styles can you spot? On a bicycle you can take the scenic route and explore and become a tourist in your own city. Every ride is an adventure.
8. All those we-miss-you cards from your doctor!
Pedaling only 10mph, a 140-pound cyclist burns about 400 calories an hour. And studies prove that biking a few times a week reduces blood pressure and stress while increasing your energy and elevating your overall mood. Your doctor may have to wait a little longer to buy that yacht!
7. You never get stuck in traffic and always have a great parking spot!
If you ride in a city and bike during commuting hours you'll love being able to cruise past long lines of vehicles held up at red lights (be sure to watch carefully for right-turning traffic who might not see you). While drivers breathe exhaust (studies have shown that cyclists breathe less exhaust), and honk at each other, you feel the breeze and enjoy the sights off the roadside. Not to mention that you always get a great parking spot and often even beat your coworkers who drive to work.
6. You have one less car payment and don't pay registration or insurance fees, either!
According to our very unscientific study (read: quick Google search), the average car payment is $500 a month. On top of that, add the cost of insurance, registration, gas, maintenance, etc. By eliminating that vehicle and using your bicycle instead, just think of all the bike gear you can buy!
5. You find cool free stuff on the side of the road!
By observing the flotsam and jetsam along America's streets and highways, you never know what you may find. Loose change, designer sunglasses, cool tools, $20 bills — heck, maybe an entire bag of money? Of course, you'll have to come back to grab that awesome Naugahyde sofa with the "free" sign you spotted on someone's lawn.
4. You can cancel your gym membership!
Riding outside sure beats the treadmill, elliptical machines and the three pieces of cardio equipment you still haven't figured out. No waiting in line for those machines, either. Best, you'll no longer have to spot for Rocko while he's bench-pressing weights equivalent to a small car.
3. You'll never be late for work again!
Because you can avoid traffic and cruise faster than jammed vehicles, it's likely you'll commute faster on 2 wheels and never be late again. Plus, if you are late sometime, it'll probably be because you decided to take the scenic route in. We've done it, too. But tell your boss instead that you got a flat tire. We know you can fix a flat tire in a matter of minutes, but he doesn't. And, he should be impressed that you're making the effort to bike in, keeping yourself healthy in the process and saving a parking space for someone else.
2. Cyclists make better lovers!
According to a study led by Dr. Romualdo Belardinelli, director of the Lancisi Heart Institute in Ancona, Italy, the results of aerobic exercise are comparable to those of Viagra, because both widen blood vessels. Hmmm... that's a little scary. Our point is that regular exercise like cycling, will make you feel better, increase your energy and even help you look better, too. All of which make you more interesting to and interested in the opposite sex.
1. Bicycling is a Fountain of Youth!
It's an amazing thing. You feel younger and actually get more years out of your muscles, joints and organs simply by using your highly capable self to pedal around instead of sitting statue-like behind that steering wheel. In fact, cycling might just be the closest thing you can find to a genuine Fountain of Youth. Like few other sports it keeps you fit and young with very little risk of injury. For example, we know plenty of 55-year-old regular riders who look and move like they’re closer to age 35, and also 80-year olds who still love to ride — and can because they're been riding for years.
If you're interested in more tips for bicycle commuting visit the League of American Bicyclists.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Advice from the Older and Wiser. . .
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone for everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Week One: College Life
My first week of college is officially over, and I've been asking myself: What in the world have I learned? In class, I've honestly learned very little. Mostly, we have had syllabus quizzes and spent our time deciding where to sit and who wants to drop. It's outside of class that I've learned a lot. Too much in fact to put in paragraph form, so I'm just making a list. Here are the ten most important things I've learned during my first week at the University of Tennessee:
1. You really do have to go to class. Teachers still take attendance even in my lecture classes with 600 people. They just use these fancy "clickers" that you have to pay $50 for. Plus, if you miss more than three classes, they start docking you grade by a letter (a.k.a. from an A to an A- to a B+ to a B-, etc.) Once you miss 9 classes, you automatically fail. Yeah, no skipping for me.
2. There really is a big difference GPA wise between an A and an A- and a B and a B+, etc. I haven't really figured it all out yet, but I do know that you have to be careful.
3. Time management is key. It is WAY, WAY, WAY too easy to put off work here, because living in a residence hall feels like a slumber party all the time. There will ALWAYS be friends going to the movies or the mall. There are always frat parties and pick-up games of ultimate Frisbee. Anything that can stop you from doing your homework will happen. Then, you find yourself up at all hours of the night scrambling to complete that English essay. You have to learn to make time for everything or you won’t have time for anything.
4. The meal plans are a total rip off if you don't know how to use them. i.e. CHECK to see when the cafeterias close so you don't have to eat out every night like me. CHECK to see when and where you can use your meal equivalency. Lastly, don’t be afraid to eat alone or eat with someone you don’t know. It’s a great way to meet new people when your friends no where to be found.
5. Teachers don't baby you here. They expect you to know what's assigned even without them telling you. For example, at UT they write it on "Blackboard." You have to check it constantly just to stay on top of things.
6. That brings me to my next life lesson: SYLLABUSES ARE YOUR COLLEGE BIBLES. The professors outline the entire class for you from the get-go. All you have to do is follow the road map. And yet, it's still harder than you think. It’s easy to fall behind and feel completely desperate, but if you stay on track with the syllabus this will be some other freshman’s horror story and you can just shake your head and feel sorry that they never read my blog.
7. So why is it so hard to follow the syllabus? Well, because you have to devote more time outside of the classroom than you ever imagined. In the words of my Chemistry 120 professor, "You must devote an hour a day, every single day to get a C in the class. If you want an A, be prepared to live and breathe chemistry." Easy enough, right? WRONG, because every single class holds this philosophy. It's might be easy enough to live and breathe chemistry and biology at the same time, because you get biochemistry. It gets a little more difficult, however, when you're immersed in biochemistry in French from a sociological prospective. Seriously, what does that even mean?
8. Drinking is STUPID. It's expensive. College kids can't afford it academically or financially. If you want to drink, DON'T. That is the single best piece of advice I an offer. College is hard enough when you're sober. With a hangover, it's impossible.
9. Textbooks are EXPENSIVE, so you need to actually read them. Why pay $200 for a book you never open? Seems ridiculous, huh? As for campus textbook reservations, I have mixed feelings. I’ll admit that it made purchasing my textbooks EXTREMELY easy. That ease comes at a cost, though, because I definitely paid top dollar for them. Overall, I would recommend the program to freshmen their first semester, because they need to focus on the transition into college life rather than where to get the cheapest textbooks. Nonetheless, next semester when I feel more adjusted, I will be shopping around for the lowest price.
10. This one was probably the hardest one for me – a former fashionista – to embrace. No one cares if you look cute during class. The pedestrian walkway is not a catwalk. Name brands and perfect hair rule do not rule the world – that was high school. So sleep an extra 20 minutes, wear shorts and t-shirts, and don't bother to straighten your hair in the mornings. After walking a mile and a half up and down hills to get to class, we all look windblown and sweaty anyway. : )
Friday, July 10, 2009
100 Things to Do Before You Graduate
1. Carolina-Duke basketball at Cameron
The Carolina-Duke frenzy reaches its delirious climax in the Crazy confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
John Biever
Why would someone spend as many as four weeks waiting in line for a basketball game that takes two hours to play? Because when it comes to a battle between North Carolina and Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the waiting is part of the experience. Krzyzewskiville, as the tent city outside Cameron is known, has all the comforts of campus. You can toss Frisbees and footballs, blast music, drink beverages, do homework -- made easier by high-speed Internet lines provided by the university -- take naps and scope out members of the opposite sex. (It has been scientifically proven that the closer your tent is to the front of the line, the better your chances are of hooking up.) As the big game approaches, Krzyzewskiville becomes even more sprawling, and the air outside the arena is electric. The players and coaches wander around "town" and press the flesh, and on the eve of the game Coach K himself provides pizza for the tenters and invites them inside Cameron for a chalk talk.
Finally, the big day arrives and you rush in. At tip-off the bubble that has been building bursts in a blast of heat and noise that's sustained until the last tick of the clock. After a Blue Devils' victory, you and the rest of the Cameron Crazies storm the floor and then cap off the win with a huge bonfire back on West Campus. The next day you return to Cameron, fold up your tent and head back to the dorm, whereupon your folks call and ask, "Was it worth the wait?" To which you reply, "What wait?"
2. Order room service with Utah basketball coach Rick Majerus, who calls Salt Lake City's University Park Marriott home.
3. Tailgate in the Grove at Ole Miss, the 10-acre, debutante-stacked meadow on campus.
4. Drop off a race bib or medal at Pre's Rock in Eugene, Ore., the near-holy shrine where distance runner Steve Prefontaine was killed in a 1975 car accident.
5. Make like Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School and do a triple Lindy off your school's highest diving board.
6. Scratch the belly of Georgia mascot Uga VI.
7. Pull a Rudy and walk on to a varsity team. Just promise us you won't make a damn movie about it 20 years from now.
8. Eavesdrop on the pregame speech of South Carolina coach Lou Holtz, college football's most rousing speaker.
9. Get a jump on March Madness with Midnight Madness (a.k.a. Late Night with Bill Self) at Kansas, the nation's best hoops launch party.
10. Visit Boathouse Row, a cluster of 19th-century buildings in Philadelphia that marks the epicenter of U.S. rowing.
11. Throw back a few aboard a boat in Tennessee's Volunteer Navy.
12. Go to a Saint Joseph's basketball game and shout "The Hawk will never die!" -- the most defiant cheer in college sports.
13. Streak through a large lecture hall during class (as U.S. mile-record holder Steve Scott once did at UC Irvine).
14. Shake it all about with Virginia Tech faithful as they do the "Hokie" Pokey between the third and fourth quarters of home football games.
15. Catch a baseball game at Mississippi State from the Left Field Lounge -- temporary stands set up on run-down pickup trucks.
16. D-u-u-ude! Surf to class at UC Santa Barbara.
17. Watch runners in the Boston Marathon pass by from your perch at Boston College.
18. Roll out of bed late and catch a Wildcats football game at Arizona Stadium; two residence halls are built into the facility.
19. Have a cold one at the Esso Club, a converted gas station on the edge of the Clemson campus.
MUST-VISIT SPORTS SHRINES
20. The Palestra. Host to the first NCAA basketball championship game, in 1939, and countless classic Philadelphia Big Five matchups.
21. Notre Dame Stadium. The Gipper never played here (he died three years before it was built), but seven Heisman winners did.
22. Pauley Pavilion (UCLA). Wooden, Alcindor, Walton, 11 NCAA titles.
23. Fetzer Field (UNC). Home to the greatest dynasty in sports, the Tar Heels' women's soccer team (17 national championships in 20 years).
24. Hayward Field (Oregon). U.S. track and field's spiritual center.
25. IUPUI Natatorium. The favorite pool of (and fastest for) U.S. swimmers.
26. The Rose Bowl (UCLA). Home to the Granddaddy of Them All.
27. Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas). Rock! Chalk! Jayhawk! Dr. James Naismith, Phog Allen and Wilt Chamberlain.
28. Yost Ice Arena (Michigan). The rowdiest crowds in college hockey.
29. The Pit (New Mexico). Site of the greatest NCAA upset: the 1983 men's basketball final (N.C. State 54, Houston 52).
30. Michie Stadium (Army). It's been decades since the Cadets were a pigskin power, but this stadium on the Hudson hasn't lost its charm.
31. Franklin Field (Penn). The oldest football stadium still in operation.
32. Michigan Stadium. The Big House is the largest stadium in the nation.
33. Get dirrty at Oozeball, Connecticut's annual mud volleyball tournament. (We promise no Christina Aguilera.)
34. Have lunch at Miami's student union while you watch the diving team practice in the adjacent pool.
35. Pile eight guys into a van and road trip to the Final Four.
36. Wave your index finger toward the opposing goal and yell "Sieve! Sieve! Sieve!" at Boston's Beanpot Hockey Tournament.
37. Make like a high schooler, and roll the giant oak tree at Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after an Auburn win.
38. Check out the annual Bayou Classic, a double whammy of Southern vs. Grambling State: a football game and, more important, a Drumline-style battle of the bands.
39. Try to do the backstroke across the blue "Smurf turf" at Boise State's Bronco Stadium.
More than 500 teams made up of students, faculty, and staff take part in Notre Dame's annual hoopsfest.
Bob Rosato
40. Come up with a cool name for your team in Notre Dame's Bookstore Basketball tournament, the world's largest outdoor five-on-five event.
41. Enter the Little 500 intramural bicycle race at Indiana.
42. Try to tear down the goalposts at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium, which were reinforced with a steel-and-concrete base in 1998.
43. Scream your lungs out at Texas A&M's midnight Yell Practice.
44. Chill out at Dartmouth's Winter Carnival by taking part in the human dog-sled race or the polar bear swim.
45. Put on your best drag, join the masses of raging Wisconsin students and spend Halloween on Madison's State Street.
46. Fly ye to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.
47. Jump into the alcove between any of the exterior columns at Syracuse's Carrier Dome. The echo sounds eerily like a laser gun being fired in Star Wars. (The film's sound designer, Ben Burtt, was raised in Syracuse.)
MUST-EAT SPOTS
48. Cap off an Alabama win (Roll Tide!) with ribs and white bread at Dreamland Bar-B-Que. The small chain has expanded, but the the original location is in Tuscaloosa. (Look for the neon NO FARTING sign.)
49. Sneak into Vanderbilt's McGugin Center for a training table meal. Chef Majid Noori deserves his own Food Network show.
50. Order a pint of Peachy Paterno from the Penn State Creamery.
51. A wiener isn't a wiener unless you buy it off the cart of James Carter, better known as The Hot Dog Man, at Ball State.
52. Stop by The Rathskellar -- a.k.a. The Rat -- after a North Carolina game for its famous lasagna, billed as a "Bowl Of Cheese."
53. At Qualcomm Stadium for a San Diego State football game? Head to Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, founded by an SDSU grad. Fish tacos are the signature dish, but if you're a high roller, go for the lobster burrito.
54. Have an artery-clogging sandwich at the Grease Trucks, a group of independently operated trailers on College Avenue in New Brunswick, N.J., home of Rutgers. Many of the delicacies have Fat in the name.
55. Dine at the Air Force Academy, which has the nation's largest on-campus cafeteria. Don't worry about finding your buddies: All seats are assigned by squadron.
56. Sign your name alongside countless Colorado alums on the wall or the ceiling at The Sink, where Robert Redford once worked as a janitor.
57. Bite -- if you can -- into The Hammer, a 1 1/2-pound monstrosity at Burger Boy, one block from the Texas A&M campus.
58. Play 18 at Stanford Golf Course, where Tiger Woods ruled before leaving for fame, fortune and Swedish nannies.
59. Embark on a quest to discover whether anyone really plays coed naked lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, etc.
60. Scale the Lindseth Climbing Wall at Cornell, the largest indoor natural-rock wall in the country, then tackle Maryland's seven-sided, 60-foot-tall tower known as the Beast.
61. Play pickup basketball at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, site of the climactic game in Hoosiers.
62. Paint the A on "A" Mountain in both Tempe and Tucson, Ariz.
63. Attend the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, prelude to the Florida-Georgia football game.
64. Pay homage to the man who gave us basketball by visiting the grave of Dr. James Naismith in Lawrence, Kans.
65. Listen to a Washington football game while boating on Lake Washington, from which the stadium p.a. system is audible.
66. Travel to Collegeville, Minn., to see Saint John's legend John Gagliardi try to become college football's winningest coach.
67. Pick a friendly fight with a mascot; you won't do much damage through that furry suit.
The Big Ten title is often on the line when league heavyweights Michigan and Ohio State square off.
John Biever
68. Gather at 6 a.m. before a home football game for Kegs and Eggs -- washing down runny eggs with beers -- at Notre Dame.
69. Dot the i in the Ohio State marching band's script Ohio (and then be pummeled by security).
70. Hang out in Cambridge, Mass., on the banks of the river and watch the Head of the Charles, the world's largest two-day rowing event.
71. Spend a college football Saturday watching games at ESPN in Bristol, Conn.
72. Shake ya tailfeather during Howard's homecoming week at Yardfest, a giant concert-party that has featured Jay-Z, Erykah Badu and LL Cool J.
73. Strap on a helmet and enter the Purdue Grand Prix, a 50-mile, 160-lap go-kart race.
MUST-SEE RIVALRIES
74. So you washed out of ROTC after just one week? You can still attend the Army-Navy game. Then drop and gimme 20, you worthless maggot!
75. See a Connecticut-Tennessee women's basketball game. When the teams played in Hartford in a blizzard three years ago, more than 15,000 fans showed. This is now the fiercest rivalry in college sports.
76. Go jump in a lake, as they do in Columbus on the Thursday before the Michigan-Ohio State football game. Then towel off and enjoy the town for 36 hours before heading to Saturday's showdown.
77. Attend the only matchup that can claim the moniker The Big Game: Cal-Stanford football. (If you snag a seat on Tight Wad Hill when Berkeley hosts, you can watch sans admission.)
78. Channel your inner Ivy Leaguer and take in the Harvard-Yale regatta -- the oldest intercollegiate athletic event on these shores. The first race was contested on Aug. 3, 1852.
79. Find your way to Minneapolis, in a state where hockey is king, for the drop of the puck at a North Dakota-Minnesota game.
80. Pick your side in the Bluegrass State's Kentucky-Louisville war, whose intensity went up when Rick Pitino returned to the college ranks.
81. Watch a lacrosse game between Johns Hopkins and Maryland. The two powerhouses face off for the 100th time in April.
82. Travel to eastern Pennsylvania for the nation's oldest football rivalry, Lafayette vs. Lehigh. The schools have butted heads since 1884.
83. Perfect your drawl at the Iron Bowl, the Alabama-Auburn football game. Yell "War Eagle!" in the first half and "Roll Tide!" in the second. And you can't go wrong with Freebird during intermission.
84 Head to the Texas State Fair in Dallas for the Red River Shootout, the Oklahoma-Texas pigskin clash played at the Cotton Bowl.
85 Catch a performance of the Florida A&M Marching 100 -- the self-proclaimed "marchingest, baddest, most electrifying band in the world."
86. Ask out the starting quarterback or head cheerleader.
87. Climb to the top row of Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium, the highest
football stadium (7,220-foot elevation) in the country.
88. Arrive at a game with a letter painted on your chest so you and your friends can spell out your school's name. (Guys can do this, too.)
89. Go bowling at the Hippodrome on George Washington's campus, home to the only public lanes in downtown D.C.
90. Compete in such inebriated events as the Happy Meal 800 meters and the Naked 400 meters in the Beer Olympics at Oregon.
91. Attend the College World Series in Omaha, an 11-day baseball fest that gives you the chance to see future major leaguers pinging the ball out of Rosenblatt Stadium.
92. Visit the original Pizza Hut, a modest 1,077-square-foot building on the Wichita State campus.
93. Take a lap around the track at the Penn Relays.
94. Tailgate in South Carolina's Cockaboose Railroad, a string of 22 cabooses on unused tracks outside Williams-Brice Stadium.
95. Call it Inuit-ion, but we think you'll love Anchorage, site of the Great Alaska Shootout.
96. Pretend you're a Clemson football player and run down the Hill at Death Valley. Be sure to touch Howard's Rock before you begin your descent.
97. Complete a brewery tour near the Colorado State campus. Start with the Anheuser Busch facility, find your way to O'Dells Brewing Company then stagger to New Belgium Brewing Co.
98. Sit in the front row of the student section for a Kansas State football game. Crowd surf up to the top when the Wildcats score.
99. Pop an Altoid and head out to Full Moon on the Quad at Stanford. At midnight seniors and freshmen meet to lock lips.
100. If you really plan to graduate after doing all this, um, maybe you should go to a few classes?
Vera Bradley Giveaway
Gossip Girl Style
Beauty Babbles: Natural Beauty Solutions
Apple cider vinegar toner
Mix one part ACV with two parts green or white tea and add a few drops of tea tree oil. Applied to the face at least once a day (it's usually at night for me), this toner will even out the skin tone and leave your skin glowing. The only downside is the funky smell, so you might want to add an essential oil of your choice.
Baking soda exfoliator
Mix some baking soda with your cleanser and carefully massage into skin, then rinse with warm water. This is much more gentle than most regular exfoliators and incredibly cheap.
Castor oil
This is amazing for promoting hair growth! Applied to your lashes at night (using either an old mascara brush or a cotton bud), it will make your lashes grow longer and thicker as well.
Salt & olive oil hand exfoliator
Mix some salt and olive oil and massage into your hands for a few minutes (be careful not to rub too much as the salt might scratch your skin), then rinse with warm water and moisturise.
Aspirin mask
Crush a few aspirin pills (I recommend using a mortar) and dissolve them in a few (!) drops of water, then mix with either honey or aloe vera gel. Apply to face, let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then wet your fingers to lightly exfoliate your face. Afterwards, rinse with warm water.
The salicylic acid in aspirin recudes the appearance of pimples and minimizes the pores while honey is antibacterial and has soothing abilities.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Beach Body Like Jessica Biel
After watching the 30 best bikini bodies on E! last night, my new life goal is to get a bikini body like Jessica Biel's. Although she's number 5, I think she deserves number one. In 2008, she was voted most fit female celeb, and with good reason, she has a fantastic body.
So, today I looked up her diet and excercise plan online and am going to attempt to complete it. I just wanted to post it here in case some of you feel inclined to join me, or if I ever get the great honor of someone asking for my personal diet/exercise plan. : )
Diet:
Eat unprocessed, "clean foods" starting with complex carbs in the morning and tapering them off by the end of the day.
Eiminating processed foods from your diet is more than half the battle. It will provide you with drastic improvements to your health and your ability to perform functionally.
Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal with handful of berries or oatmeal with diced apple and cinnamon, and a side of protein (typically one egg scrambled with three egg whites)
Snack: 1 slice whole wheat toast with almond butter and sliced bananas on top.
Lunch: Vitamin-rich salad (spinach, asparagus, broccoli) dressed with lemon and a teaspoon of olive oil or vinaigrette plus with 5-6 oz of chicken
Snack: A banana or apple or strawberries or soy-based protein drinks made with nonfat milk or protein bars or a dozen unsalted almonds.
Dinner: 6oz. of fish, plate full of veggies, 1/2 cup of low-glycemic basmati rice. A couple of pieces of dark chocolate.
Pay attention to the glycemic index of foods and the resulting repercussions of eating too many foods with a high GI rating. Eat leafy greens in there with spinach and broccoli, some eggs, berries, chicken, etc.
Exercise:
Stretch: One of her favorite warm-ups is the walking lunge.
Cardio: After a ½-mile jog, they hit the track for two 200-meter, 150-meter and 100-meter sprints.
Core: “Hanging leg raises don’t build a six-pack, but they flatten,” says Walsh [Biel's trainer]. “Jessica hates them, but she powers through!” How-to: Hanging from a high bar or rings, pull knees up slightly above waist. Do three sets of 15 repetitions.
Plyometrics: How-to: Jump from the bottom step of a flight of at least 20 stairs to the third. Keep going, skipping a stair each jump.
Weight Training: “We tend to use lighter weights and do more reps,” he says. “We keep moving, so it becomes a cardio workout too.”
For the waist: They do the Russian Twist. Sit down and lean back slightly. Hold a 5-lb. medicine ball and twist from side to side, 15 twists per side, three reps.
For shoulders/biceps: Stand with knees slightly bent. Hold 10-lb. weights in each hand. Curl to chest. Rotate hands, palms face outward. Press overhead together. Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Here are some of the components of her workout that I personally agree with. She does High Intensity Interval Training with track sprints, plyometrics, and weight training. Now you may say here “What!? Lighter weights and more reps? What gives here?” Well, let me explain. By “lighter weights”, Jason Walsh is prescribing a challenging weight with reps in the vicinity of 8-12… but the exercises are to be done back to back. He’s not saying that women should pick up 2 lb weights here!
From what I gathered, Jessica works out very intensely for hours at a time. When she was preparing for her role in BLADE 3, she was working out 4 hours a day, seven days a week, whether it was martial arts training, strength training or cardio.
Anyway, I am starting on this routine tomorrow and hope to see results by the end of next month . . . maybe even a before and after photo? We'll just have to play that by ear. : )