Mo' Money, Mo' Fun

As the semester comes to an end, my newsfeeds are overrun with talk about exams, and I gotta tell ya that this is definitely not a time of year in college that I miss. Well, except for the Ugly Christmas Sweater parties. Themed parties are my jam, and so is ugly clothing.

With crunch-time fast approaching, that also means that the new semester is right around the corner, and that’s another thing about college that I do not miss. New semesters meant getting new books, which meant standing in the outrageously long line at the bookstore during the first free minute you can get. What a headache! And then, even worse is the exorbitant amount of money they charge you for dry text books about politics and statistics. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather be saving that money for beer. #sorrynotsorry. That’s why I so wish I’d known about CampusBookRentals.com back when I was in college.

CampusBookRentals.com is a program that allows you to rent textbooks for 40-90% off of bookstore prices! So, if your book about mental health disorders costs you $150 at the bookstore, you could just rent it and get your textbook plus 10 cases of purple and gold bud light for the same price. And don’t worry about shipping, CampusBookRentals has free shipping both ways! I’ll take that deal.

I know what you’re thinking right now: why didn’t I know about this sooner?! While I can’t turn back time so that you can have a do-over with CampusBookRentals, I can tell you a way to get some of your money back. CampusBookRentals has a new program called RentBack, which allows you to rent the books you already own out to other students. So, instead of selling that $200 criminal law textbook back to the bookstore for $6, you can rent it to someone else and make 2-4x as much money! You get to make money while saving money for someone else. Can it get any better?

Actually, it can. All of this is great, but I haven’t even told you about my favorite part. With every textbook that CampusBookRentals.com rents out, they donate money to Operation Smile! This year alone, CampusBookRentals.com has donated over 1,000 life-saving cleft lip surgeries to children in need. How awesome is that?!  So basically, you can get your books, your beer, and do good for the world just by using CampusBookRentals.com.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m ever in need of textbooks again (Please, no one say grad school. My heart can’t handle it yet) I will definitely be getting my books though CampusBookRentals.com!

**This is a sponsored post, but all ideas and opinions are my own.

I'm Thankful

Thanksgiving. That's tomorrow, right? I always try to remember the things that I am thankful for, but this season just brings it out in us. Last year, Sam and I started on Nov. 1st and wrote down one thing a day that we were thankful for about each other, and then exchanged lists on Thanksgiving day. This year, I didn't manage to do anything that cute, but I did jot down a little list just for you guys :) 

For my job. Even though it’s a little boring right now, I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to do what I love!

That I get to spend Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in many years

For my wonderful boyfriend who can make me feel loved even from 800 miles away!

That I recently rediscovered shrinky dinks! They’ve provided a lot of entertainment to me lately.

That I get to have a kitty of my very own! I cannot wait until I find the perfect companion :)

For Michelina’s Lean Gormet microwavable meals. They’re like Lean Cuisine’s, but a third of the price. Yes please!

For my warm cozy bed at the end of a long day

For my mother, who comes to visit me practically every weekend

For all things sparkly; how can glitter not put you in a good mood?

For casual Friday at work, because it is way too hard to pull on a pair of dress pants after a whole week of work

What are you thankful for this season?

1. 

Marry Me

Marry Me

You’ve heard the song “Marry Me” by Jason Derulo, right? I love it. It’s basically like “Hey girl…” So responsible, right? Much unlike Train’s song by the same name that’s basically  like “Hey girl, I’m totally head-over-heels in love with you and I just want to spend  every second of the rest of my life with you so please marry me. Oh, and my name is Pat. Nice to meet you.” (But don’t get me wrong, I love that song, too.)

But back to Mr. Derulo, I love it because it’s something I can relate to. There are always posts around the blog world about getting married young, getting married early, and getting married to the person you love more than anything in the world. And that’s great, but I personally believe in dating for a long time, getting to know one another and what you both want out of life, still loving them more than anything in the world, and then making the commitment to get married.

Sam and I have been together for almost four years now, and it will be at least another two until we say “I do.” (More if he gets his way). But you know what? That’s okay with me. When you really get down to it, four years (or six years) is not that long, and every year that we spend together we learn more about one another, grow in our relationship, and fall further in love. I am in no rush to get married. I realized a long time ago that I wanted to wait until I was both personally and financially stable before I added a man to the mixture.

When Sam and I do finally tie the knot, I know I’ll feel confident about our life together. Since we started dating, Sam and I have developed the same ideas about parenting, where we want to buy a house, politics, etc. And on top of that, anything that we don’t agree on I know we can work out, because we’ve already had four years of practice. I truly can’t imagine meeting someone in college and then getting engaged just weeks or months later, because marriage is a huge commitment and I want to know without a doubt that they are someone I can spend forever with; it takes a while to know something like that! Plus, Sam and I are enjoying the independent and single(ish) life right now!

I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with getting married quickly, and I’m certainly not saying that I don’t believe it can work, but Jason Derulo’s version of “Marry Me” is just what works for me, no matter how romantic Train’s version sounds.

Now, with all of this said, I have a big girl job, and Sam has a big boy job, and I’m very confident we can successfully spend the rest of our lives together, so he can put a ring on it anytime. 

*Cough cough hint hint cough*

Monday Again?

Oh hey, Amanda here with my weekend update! In my last post I told you about my weekend to-do list, and I promised to let you know how it went on Monday; well I’m only a week late! Before I moved into my apartment I was told that there would be internet, however that’s not the case. And on top of that, there’s some kind of issue with the line outside so I can’t even get internet set up. Don’t even get me started on how irritated I am. BUT, at least I had lots of time to work on my to-do list.

1) Get my bookcase set up: Check! It looks so cute, now I just need to get the rest of my books out of storage so I can fill the book shelf portion.

Of course I forget to take a picture. Sorry :(

2) Take a trip to Walmart: Double check! I went on Saturday with my mom, and then again on Sunday to pick up everything I forgot the first time :)

3) Order gifts on Etsy: This was a big fat negative, due to the no internet thing. During the week I went over to my Aunt and Uncle’s to use their internet, though, and they are on their way!

How cute are these magnets?

4) Read: I didn’t do much of this over the weekend, but with my lack of internet I’ve had a bit of time to do it during the week. Slowly but surely I am working my way through my book :)

5) Write a letter to my uncle: Ummm… so I still haven’t done this. Seriously, worst niece ever. SIGH.

Did you complete your weekend to-do list?

Weekend Goals

This is a pretty big weekend for me, and there's a lot I need to get done. I'm the absolute worst at checking off my to-do list, though, so I'm gonna tell you all my weekend goals so you can keep me accountable! I'll update you how it went on Monday ;)

1) Get my bookcase set up. One of my absolute favorite things about my new apartment is the built in bookshelf in the living room. Even if the rest of my house is a freaking mess, I want to get my pictures/ decorations unpacked and the bookshelf all set up and looking cute!

Yes, there will be A LOT of pics of this little lady

2) Take a trip to Wal-Mart. I need to go SO bad. There's a bunch of stuff I need and I just keep blowing it off. Why is the nearest Wal-Mart a half hour away?! Don't even get me started on the nearest Target...

3) Order a few Christmas Gifts. I have some Christmas gifts picked out on Etsy, and I really need to get around to ordering them!

4) Read! I never have time to read during the week, and I really want to get a good chunk of my book read this weekend. I've been reading the memoirs by Jennifer Lauck and I'm really enjoying them :)

5) Write a letter. I promise my uncle all the time that I will write to him, and being the worst niece of all time I always forget. I really need to get a letter in the mail to him.

Ten Fascinating Things

It's been awhile since I told you about myself, so today seemed like a perfect day to make a little list about me.

1) I have a glitter obsession. I really just want everything I own to be covered in glitter. That's acceptable, right?

2) I tend to eat too much, even when I know I'm full. If there's food in front of me I'll probably eat it. Don't even ask me how I'm not enormously fat.

3) I love football, but you will never catch me wearing a jersey. I would much rather sport my Pittsburgh logo in the form of a sequin covered Victoria's Secret tee. #sorrynotsorry

4) I can't fall asleep without the tv on (Well, usually Netflix on my kindle). It is such a bad habit, but I tried for a whole week to stop before I started my new job, and I ended up laying awake until 1 or 2 in the morning! With Netflix I'm out in under 15 minutes.

5) Speaking of 1 or 2 in the morning, I'm sure that doesn't sound late to some of you night owls, but this old lady goes to bed at promptly 9 o' clock. If I'm feeling a little crazy I might stay up until 10.

6) I am an alumna of Phi Mu Fraternity, and I love meeting other sisters! I don't talk about it on here a whole lot, but I did write one post, and I'm so happy I've met a few Phi Mu's through my blog, like Alex and Erin :)

7) There's nothing I love more than being snuggled up in my warm bed. On the weekends I usually wake up 1-2 hours before actually getting up.

8) Otters are my favorite animal. Seriously, is there anything cuter?

9) I am painfully shy, and that's probably why I suck at making friends. I never know what to say to people I don't know very well, and usually just do a lot of awkward laughing.

10) This fall I've been obsessing over the color burgundy. I've never even liked it before, but now I can't get enough!

Remember Me?

What up, party people? It's me, Amanda. You may have forgotten who I am by now since I haven't showed up here in quite awhile. Whoops. But I am back, and I even have an excuse. See, remember that time I told you I had a job interview? Well, I got it. And then I took it. And then I moved to Pennsylvania, and I just really haven't had time to blog.

So, about the job. I am finally using my degree, which I could not be happier about. In fact, I'm not only using my degree, but I'm actually using it for it's intended purpose. The job itself is exactly what I wanted to do. So I am happy.

And about the move: I moved back to Pennsylvania into this teeny tiny town that doesn't even have a damn Starbucks. Like, I need a Chai Tea Latte STAT! And the closest Walmart is a half hour away, which is probably why I've needed to go for two weeks and still haven't. To be honest, I hated this place at first, but fortunately I am getting used to it. I am only 2 hours away from my parents, which is awesome, and I am truly enjoying my job.

Via my Instagram

For the last few weeks I have been staying with my aunt and uncle who live in the same town, but this Saturday I am moving into my new apartment. I found a cute little upstairs apartment for a very decent price. It's small, but that's fine for little ol' me. It includes cable tv, which I was not planning on getting, so I am super pumped about that. And the best part? They're gonna let me have a cat. Guess who's going kitten shopping?!

Of course, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. It was a very difficult decision for me, but after lots of thinking and lots of tears, I am pretty sure I made the right one. Sam and I are doing the long distance thing once again, which has been so far so good. I don't  love it, but I don't hate it either. Also, after I made the decision to move I started having problems with my house, my land lord, and my one roommate, so I was a little glad to have a reason to get out. Honestly, everything seems to be falling into place, and so I'm trying to keep my chin up. The only thing I haven't come to terms with yet is the snow. I had to brush my car off the last two mornings. No thank you!

From this morning. Ugh.

So, wish me luck as I adjust to my new life, and my fourth move in less than a year. Here's to hoping I stick around here for awhile! I promise to keep you updated :)

What I Love About Halloween + Giveaway!

Hello little blog readers :) Halloween is right around the corner and I am so sad it's almost over so excited it's almost here! (I get really glass-half-empty about holidays). I've never been one for costumes though; I haven't truly dressed up in probably 13 years. I usually just throw on some cat ears and call it a day.

Circa 2009

There are lots of things I do love about Halloween though...

Carving pumpkins. I live for pumpkin carving time, although Sam and I decided to forgo it this year. Wahhh :(

Circa 2011; no, I don't get too fancy.

Fall Festivals. I drag Sam to some sort of festival/corn maze/ pumpkin patch every year. He hates it, but I have a blast. This year I pretended like I was getting a pumpkin, it eased the pain a little.

Candy! I mean, duh. Who doesn't love candy? And Holiday candy is my weakness.

Nail Art. I might not do costumes, but my nails are always dressed for the occasion. Last year I did the most awesome spiderwebs, and if you follow me on Instagram you probably saw my Frankensteins yesterday.

The fact that everything is orange! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find this color the rest of the year? Well, I do, since it's my favorite color. I always stock up on all the orange home decorations and craft supplies that don't look too halloweeny!

And now for the good stuff- giveaway time! This month I took part in Baily Dailies' October Sponsor Giveaway! You can win some awesome gift cards to Starbucks, J. Crew, and Posh Lane, as well as some ad space! What are you waiting for? Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's My Blog and I'll Do What I Want To

...and what I want to do is post a weekend recap on Tuesday.

See, I had my Monday post planned out, but I just never made it over here to Cats, Cuddling, & Carrot Cake yesterday. Or Friday, but I actually have an excuse for that one. My boyfriend was sworn in Friday morning and is officially a police officer!

He's been in police academy for the last six months, but now he's a REAL cop with a gun and everything. I pretty much just spend all day peeing my pants and biting my nails, obviously. But I am extremely proud and excited for him, not to mention how good he looks in that uniform ;) His parents took lots of pictures, but I took none. Sorry :/

He looks good in civilian clothes, too

After the ceremony I had one teeny responsibility, and then we went to The Wine Loft to celebrate. I've mentioned this place before, and as usual it did not disappoint. If you live in Charlotte and haven't been yet, then why?! I had the italian moscato this time and omgsogood. Seriously the best wine I have ever had. Sam and I also shared a steak sandwich meal that was delicious, and it's not often that we like the same foods. I'm also dying to go back and try their pumpkin ravioli.

Saturday I spent all day hunting for a perfect pair of brown boots. Spoiler alert: I didn't find them. I want a cute, simple, kind of slouchy pair of brown (not cognac) boots that won't break the bank. I found a pair that I loved, but they didn't fit. For some dumb reason they came in SML sizes instead of numbers, and that just wasn't working for my seven and a halfs.

Isn't it beautiful?

And on Sunday, I fell in love. But not with boots. Let's back track to Jeff & Paige's wedding. All night I just kept thinking about how great their photographers were. They were so friendly and easy to work with, they remembered my name all night and I wasn't even in the wedding, and most importantly they were snapping lots and lots of pictures. My favorite thing about them, though, was that they were dancing and chatting- it felt like they were guests at the wedding, not people at work. Their presence was just phenomenal. I thought to myself at the wedding "if their photos are as good as their presence then they must be the best photographers on the planet." Well, Jeff & Paige got their pictures back this weekend and guess what? They're even better. I spent way too long on their website Sunday, and they do some of the best work I have ever seen. Don't believe me? Look for yourself. And, if you live near Charlotte and need a photographer, I would absolutely reccomend Love Shutter.

Via