Tis the Season for Saving!

Holy Moley, it's December! I usually think of the holidays as "the hap-happiest season of alllll!" but my bank account never agrees. I love to go shopping for the perfect gifts for all of my loved ones and the perfect bags, bows, and wrapping paper to match, but unfortunately new toys and sparkly ornaments aren't the only thing that I have to buy around this time of year. This means I have to find ways to save on the "needs."

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One of my favorite ways to save money is to rent my textbooks for the spring semester from campusbookrentals.com! Campusbookrentals.com can 40-90% off book store prices on those text books that you have to buy, plus there are so many other great benefits! Campusbookrentals.com offers free shipping both ways, you can highlight in the books, and my personal favorite is that a portion of each rental fee goes to Operation Smile! Here's a video to explain all of the benefits:

And maybe you're looking to make money this holiday season? Why not rent last semester's books out to other savers through the rent back program?! Through Rent Back you can earn 2-4x more money than by selling it back to your campus book store, and you can rent your books over and over! A little extra cash sounds good, right?

If I haven't convinced you (but let's be real, I have) then check out campusbookrentals.com for yourself. It's the best- and most holiday budget friendly- place to get your textbooks!




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

Barracuda

I recently read Barracuda, which I received complimentary via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

This book is about a boy who is a really accomplished swimmer from Australia. He's started attending a prestigious school to work on his swimming, although his family is not as wealthy as the other kids there and this is a struggle for him. The books also jumps to a more present day when he's no longer swimming. He alludes that something bad happened and that's why he stopped.

This book was really interesting at first. I was absolutely loving it. The story was intriguing and I really wanted to know what happened; I could hardly put it down

And then I kept reading and I was finding out nothing. As the story went on I found myself wondering what I was even reading about. I started to get very lost about the direction the story was headed and what one event had to do with another. He seemed to become increasingly angry, but the book seemed very flat otherwise. It didn't seem to climax.

Normally I enjoy books that jump around between past and present day. It's interesting to see how the two link up. In this book, however, it was confusing how the different time periods had anything to do with one another. Aside from talking about swimming and how he used to swim, the present day main character seemed to have nothing in common with the younger version. He kept alluding to a tragic event that caused him to stop swimming, but I never felt like I was getting any closer to finding out what it was.

I did not find the main character very likeable by the time I was a quarter or so through the book. He seemed very aggressive, disrespectful, and insecure, but not in a way that made me feel sorry for him.

 In the end I put the book down all together without finishing. I'm an avid reader, but this book was not doing it for me. It started out good, but it wasn't enough to keep me interested and no matter how hard I tried I could not force myself to finish this book.

Smile!

Remember a while back when I posted about CampusBookRentals, an awesome company who rents out text books for up to 90% off of bookstore prices? Well I think you already know how much I love CampusBookRentals.com (and if not then be sure to click that link up there to find out!), but hands down what I love most is that they donate money to Operation Smile with each textbook rented.

Have you ever heard of Operation Smile? It's an international children's medical charity that performs cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries, as well as delivers postoperative and ongoing medical therapies to children in low and middle income countries. This service is so important- did you know that a child born with a cleft is 2x more likely to die before their first birthday? How sad is that! Children who do survive with a cleft are likely to struggle with many things in their life including eating, speaking, and even breathing.

Operation Smile has a long history. The charity was founded in 1982- that's older than me! Since that time they have performed surgeries in over 60 countries and healed the smiles of 220,000 children. They have received well over fifty awards and honors, including a letter of commendation from Mother Theresa. I think that is just way too cool!

This charity is also close to my hearty because my aunt, who was born in China, was born with a cleft lip. Until she was adopted by my grandmother at age 6 she couldn't talk due to her condition. After getting surgury to correct her cleft lip she learned to talk, caught up in school, and eventually graduated Magna Cum Laude from Penn State. Through free surgical procedures, Operation Smile gives the same opportunity to over 1,000 children every year whose families would never be able to afford it themselves.

CampusBookRentals.com has a ton of benefits, like their RentBack program through which you can rent out your own textbooks and earn a little extra cash, but what truly makes them a great company is their commitment to helping others through Operation Smile. Next time you need books for your classes I hope you'll consider renting through CampusBookRentals.com and helping a child in need.

All images via operationsmile.org

I'm Going to Grow Old Alone, OKAY?!

So, next week I'm headed to Charlotte to see my most favorite little kitty in the world and her handsome dad. I am super excited for this trip. I mean, duh, I have a hot boyfriend who wears a uniform every damn day and I finally get to see him after a month (I know, shut up. A month is literally nothing but I'm feeling dramatic). But I have to confess that there's one little thing I'm not excited for- all of the questions I know I'm going to come back to. Every time I return to regularly scheduled life after seeing Sam everyone's eyes go straight for my left hand; I don't even get a "welcome back" first.

I wish that I could say this phenomenon only occurs after visits, but I am constantly being asked when I'm going to get engaged. Like, why do you think I would have the answer to that? Because I don't. Maybe never. I don't fucking know. And did you maybe ever think that could be a touchy subject in a relationship? Because it totally kind of is in mine. In fact, I would LOVE to get engaged. But, there's thing I'm missing called someone who wants to marry me. And I'm actually totally cool with that, but not when you ask me about it all the fucking time.

When people ask when we're getting engaged I used to say things like "Oh, we haven't talked about it yet" or just flat out "I don't know" but no one can ever drop the subject with that kind of answer. Nope, this leads them into questions like "Do you want to?" and "Do you think you will someday?" I really don't know why people think it's any of their business to ask me that. I've taken to responding with "Never, I'm planning to get 15 cats and die alone." No one ever knows what to say after that, but for some reason it doesn't stop them from asking again a week later.

And you know what's even worse? When people who know me ask him. What in the world makes you think that's an acceptable thing to do? What are you thinking?! 

I really just wish people would realize that when I get engaged, they will know because of the overflow of sparkly diamond pictures on their instagram feed. Okaythanksbye.

So tell me, do you also have the single-girl-in-a-long-term-relationship problem? Does it drive you nuts when people ask you about marriage? Do you fantasize about punching them in the throat? Oh, just me?

And since I don't talk a wholeee lot about my relationship on my blog, I'll answer all these FAQ's really quick- just don't ask me about it! Yes, I want to get married someday. Yes, I think Sam and I will get married. Yes, we talk about marriage. No, I don't think it will be anytime soon. No, I don't want to know when. No, I don't think four and a half years is a long time to wait. No, I don't want to end things if he doesn't propose soon. Yes, people ask me that question.

DIY Desk Accessories

With back-to-school being just around the corner (or already here for some of you!) I thought I should probably share my latest craft with you guys. I'm out of school, but I recently got a new office at work and I lost a lot of my drawer space so I needed some desktop storage. Oh, and I'm also broke. I had to work around that, too. Without further ado, here is my pencil cup, sticky note holder, and divided box!

Supplies needed:

Scissors

-2 sheets of paper- find a pattern you like and print it out, I used Lilly Pulitzer's Pansy Dance print which I grabbed from their blog. You could also use scrapbooking paper!

-1 sheet cardstock- also printed on

-Glue- not pictured

-Mod Podge- any kind, but I used gloss

-Paint brush

-Ribbon or other decorations

-4x6 plastic photo frame

-Small Pringles Can- empty and rinsed out

Pencil Cup

For this item your gonna need your clean Pringles can and one of your sheets of regular printer paper, along with the mod podge and paintbrush. First, trim your paper to be the height of your Pringles can (sorry, I don't know the exact measurement!) and about 10" long. Next, coat your can with a layer of mod podge. 

Stick your paper to the can starting at one end and wrapping it around the can, flattening any bubbles as you go. Once you have it stuck down and bubble free finish it with another layer of mod podge and let dry. You're done! 

Feel free to add a bow or some decorations if you want. If you're extra fancy you could also touch up the top of the can with some silver acrylic paint. I am not that fancy.

Sticky Note Holder

This thing is seriously the simplest thing I've ever made, I don't even think it needs a tutorial. Don't worry, though, I'll give you one anyways. (This item was inspired by this post- thanks Pinterest!)

So for this item you're gonna need your plastic frame, a sheet of paper, scissors, and your ribbon. Trim your paper to be 4x6". You can also print it this size in your printer settings, which is what I did. Crop your pattern to 4x6 in PicMonkey, save it, then print the picture and choose the 4x6 option.

My messy computer screen!

Once you've got it printed and cut out just slide it into your frame. Add a bow around the top and any other decorations you want- I thought about adding my name above the bow! To keep my bow in place I taped it on the back. You're holder is done- time to add the post-its!

Grab your notes- I recommend using a coordinating color for your pattern, or you can do what I did and just use the ones your work gives you for free. Whatever. Take the back piece of paper off then stick the whole pad onto the front of your frame. Make sure to push down hard so that it's good and stuck!

And voila, a beautiful sticky-note display!

Divided Box

For this last item all you need is you printed cardstock, your scissors, and some glue. To make your box you first need a template. There are lots of box templates online, but I used this one. Print out the template, cut it out, and trace it onto the unprinted side of your cardstock. I didn't use the lid, but you could if you wanted to! Once you have it traced just cut it out, fold on the dotted lines, and glue down the flaps. 

To give mine a more finished look I coated the inside and outside of the box with mod podge. This part is optional, but if you want to do this you'll need to let it dry over night.

Next you have to make the dividers. Grab you left-over card stock and cut out two strips that are the same height as the sides of the box, and the same length as your box diagonally. 

Once you have two strips, measure to the center of each strip and cut a slit halfway down the short way.

Using the slits, put the strips together to form an X.

Insert your X into your (dried) box. Fill with paperclips, pushpins, and other small objects. Tada! A cute box for all of your smallest office supplies.

And there you have it- a whole set of desk accessories, custom and cheap! I absolutely love the way mine look sitting on my desk, and I love even more that the whole project only cost me $1.50! The frame was a dollar at Dollar General, the Pringles were .50 (and I had a snack while I crafted), and everything else was free or I already had it lying around. Enjoy!

I'm the Girl Who...

I'm the girl who runs this blog, but there's probably a few other things you'd like to know about me. It's been awhile since I just talked about me, plus I turned 24 this week so, hey, I could be an all new person by now!

-will always choose comfort over fashion. Always.

-loves Taylor Swift more than is socially acceptable, and won't apologize for it. Her new video has 13 million views, and I'd say at least a million of them are from me.

-cannot stick with anything. Seriously, I'm the worst.

-tries her hardest not to talk about her boyfriend, but loves being asked about him

-owns way too many scarves

-has expensive taste but a very tight wallet

-has a dinosaur comforter on her bed, which she stole from her brother when he decided it was too "baby-ish"

-loves to paint her nails, but has no patience when it comes to letting them dry

via

-doesn't see herself  the way that anyone else does

-sings constantly, even in public. (Have I ever mentioned I'm embarrassing?)

Who are you?

25 before 25: One Year to Go

Hey guys, it's my birthday! I just really wish that Taylor Swift had a song about being 24, though. And that I didn't have to go to work today but hey, what can ya do? In honor of my big 2-4, I decided to make myself a "25 before 25" list. Here are twenty-five things I want to accomplish in the next year of my life!

Take a sewing class

Find a new job

Learn the basics of photography

Adopt a kitten

Buy a car

Go wine tasting at a winery

Make taking off my makeup at night a habit

Try lobster

Travel someplace I've never been before

Try yoga

Learn how to change the oil in my car 

Use my passport at least once

Wear read lipstick out in public

Get a couples massage with Sam

Master a new recipe

Meet one of my blog friends IRL

Watch all of the Harry Potter Movies

Get professional pictures taken with my sisters

Ride on the back of a motorcycle

Host a giveaway on my blog

Visit a water park

Get a pedicure- it's been too long!

Do a "random act of kindness" for a stranger

Own a really nice pair of earrings

Sleep in my hammock

Another Year (almost) Gone

Well, it is officially my birthday week. AKA, I only have 2 more days of being 23 EVER. It's actually pretty crazy, I really feel like I just turned 23. The past year has gone by at the speed of light, and I'm not even really sure how I've spent it. A lot has changed in the last year, but a lot is still the same, too. It's funny how time passes without us even noticing sometimes. 

This time last year I was living in Pennsylvania and getting ready to move to South Carolina to live with my best friend. This year I'm back in Pennsylvania, though a different part of state. 

This time last year my favorite color was orange and I wanted everything I owned to be covered in glitter. Neither of those things have changed, not one bit. 

This time last year I had never lit a candle due to my irrational fear of fire. While I'm still terrified of fire, I did finally light my first candle last week! It turns out that those extra long lighters are significantly less scary that the regular ones (but still scary). 

This time last year I was driving my trusty green '98 Toyota Camry. I'm still driving that Camry, but I no longer refer to it as "trusty." Piece of shit is a bit more accurate. 

This time last year I was 22 and anxiously awaiting my birthday. This year I'm 23 and wondering where the hell the last year went. 

Sorry About the Cobwebs

Omg guys, how do I always manage to do this? Like, why haven't I blogged in a week? I swear it's not because I don't love you guys, I'm just really bad at blogging.

And guess what? I didn't even come here to write a really awe inspiring blog post to make up for my absence. Nope, I just came here to let you know that I wasn't going to blog. Again. In all honesty, I have a lot weighing on my heart and mind at the moment and blogging doesn't feel like what I want to do today (or yesterday or most of last week). None of it is anything major or anything that you would have any interest in reading about, but it's just enough to make me neglect my blog some more. I'll try my very best to make it over here tomorrow, though, promise.

Better Late than Never

Last week when Erin announced round 3 of the Blogmopolitan link-up, I was so in. I mean, I love that ish. But trying to balance my blog and my boyfriend proved to be impossible. I really wanted to post last week, but my sweet boyfriend was visiting and when given the choice between cuddling with him and posting on my blog, he wins all day err-y day. Or at least every day until he doesn't live 600 miles away. Fair enough, right? But since he's gone now (as of Sunday night- cue all of the tears on the planet), I decided to get my butt in gear and fill out the Blogmopolitan quiz. Better late than never, right?!

What I used as my Real Housewives tagline is how my friend Chelsae described me to her mom- bahaha! I love it so much.