Salted Caramel Mocha Brownies - total time 1 hour 15 minutes

People go crazy for Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte. But the seasonal drink I always look forward to is their salted caramel mochas... mmm... mochas...

Thankfully, we have several months of Spring and Summer to enjoy before those drinks are back on the menu board. So until then, we'll have to settle... hmmm, not the right word... devour some salted caramel mocha brownies instead!

They are the perfect texture, somewhere between a dense cake and fudge. And gooey... those caramel pockets are sooo good!

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More about → Salted Caramel Mocha Brownies - total time 1 hour 15 minutes

Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

This is the final post in a 3-post series on McGraw-Hill's SmartBook. If you (still) haven't heard about SmartBook, it is basically an interactive alternative to an ebook. In fact, it is the ONLY interactive alternative to an ebook!

SmartBook is uses 4 different techniques to enhance your learning while reading textbooks:

Preview, Read, Practice, and Recharge

Last week, I focused on the importance of previewing and (since I'm guessing that y'all can figure out the importance of reading), today's focus is all about practicing & recharging! 

These are so, so important because your brain kind of works with a "use it or lose it" type of system. We learn new things all day everyday, right? We hear new songs, read new articles, meet new people... our brains are constantly taking in new information. But do you know what our brains are also doing? They're also constantly clearing information out to make room for new things to come in. 

This is called pruning (or synaptic pruning, if you want to get scientific). And pruning is the reason you always forget that girl's name, even though you know you've met her a million times! It's why singers warn you that they might forget the words to a song they haven't sung in a long time. And it's why we hate cumulative finals. 

The practice and recharge elements of SmartBook are designed to keep the information that you recently read from getting pruned out! By practicing what you have learned, you are deepening your understanding of the material. You are applying it and your brain is actively using that information for something! 

By recharging, you are also keeping the material that you learned 4 chapters ago active! It is constantly coming back to your thoughts, being remembered, and creating a stronger foundation on which you can continue to build your knowledge! 

And that is what makes SmartBook so effective! :) 

How often do you actually read your textbook chapters now (don't lie!)? Do you think that using an interactive textbook would keep you focused? What tips do you have for remembering old information that you've learned? 

Sources:

How to Become a More Effective Learner

More about → Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

Weekly Menu

Hope your weekend has been fabulous so far!  Despite some mediocre weather, it has been a pretty great weekend.  Started it off with sushi for the first time since some time in February, yum!  Then met some fellow Columbus bloggers at Marmi's Easton location open house (some cute shoes in hard to find sizes).  Grabbed lunch with my aunt and cousin at the Pub.  Followed up with cheering on the Crew and constantly checking my phone for updates/running in the Upper 90 Club to watch the CBJ game (we were wearing our Jacket's jerseys and everyone kept asking us for score updates).  Now we're heading to Dawes Arboretum to see the last of the Japanese cherry blossoms (and celebrate a belated Arbor Day).

 

Although the morning started out rainy, after some breakfast while shoe shopping and accessory trying on with Amanda, Lauren, Kathy, Kellye, Nicole, Alicia, and Christina... the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds!

 

Watched the first (and only) CBJ goal from the Upper 90 before the Crew game started.  Caught the penalty kick goal scored by Arrieta.

Since the weekend is winding down, it's time to plan another menu.  Here is this week's plan...

coq au riesling and salad
roasted tomato penne
pesto chicken lasagna rollups
taco bread with fresh guacamole
lamb burgers and roast potatoes (trying something new from Green Bean this week with lamb from 7 Sons Farm)

What are you planning to make this week?

More about → Weekly Menu

April Vignettes

Can y�all believe that April is almost over?! I absolutely cannot. Seriously, where did it go? 

I hope y�all had a wonderful month and got a lot of organizing done! We were super busy with apartment hunting, moving, schoolwork, and traveling. However, I did manage to get a couple of projects finished! 

Here is what my April looked like:

On Organized Charm:

Organized Charm reached its 100th post! YAY! It also started on its first sponsored post campaign with McGraw-Hill�s SmartBook. In addition to those posts, here are some other ones that went up in April: 

Class Folder Organization is all about how to simplify and organize your folders for class. Check out Note Taking 101 for ways to stay focused in class and take notes you�ll remember better! For OC�s 100th post, I gathered up 100 of my favorite motivational posts and shared them with y�all to celebrate! 

And Closet Organization Solutions is like a little roundup of my favorite tips for organizing overflowing closets! And Top 10 Organizing Blogs is a roundup of my favorite organizing blogs!

In my �real� life:

We traveled to Austin. Twice. The first time, my husband convinced me to take a spontaneous road trip .

Ok, I never do anything spontaneous. I didn�t even have time to make a list! And even though there was no real plan, we still had an amazing time! 

Because the drive was so long (10 hours!) we planned a trip and flew back a couple of weeks later to spend more time in the city!

Other cool places online:

As always, I was all over the internet checking out a ton of apps and websites and� y�all... I found some super cool stuff! 

I�ve been hearing about Happify for a while now but I never actually tried it until this week. OMG, why had I not done this before?! It�s amazing! 

When you create your account, it gives you a quick little quiz and then assesses what is holding you back from being happier. Then it gives you a growth track of 3 activities a day to work on getting happier! Shockingly (that�s my sarcasm font), I am on the track for Handling Stress Better. 

This is a free website/app combination and I would recommend it to everyone!

The Muse is full of SO MUCH good advice that it makes me sad to know I�ll never be able to read it all! Here is a screen shot of the website�s homepage! I�ve been getting updates from The Daily Muse, which is their blog and it is absolutely full of some of the best career (and life) advice you�ll ever read! 

If you have kids, run (don�t walk) to download Keepy. First of all, it is free. Secondly, it allows you a digital way to save kids� creations without actually having to save their creations! 

I love my Kindergarteners and I love it when they give me sweet cards and pictures but I get overwhelmed with what to do with it all! You create a little profile for each child, and then upload their artwork/Lego creations/crazy outfits! 

Best of all?! They can RECORD A STORY over the picture and everything gets saved to Dropbox!

I Instagrammed a photo from our Austin trip and �americayall" liked it. Cool name, right? So I checked it out. 

o. m. g. Coolest blog ever. It is just this awesome adventurous couple doing all of these awesome adventurous things! 

Kind of like the Austinite version of Classy Girls Wear Pearls. If you like traveling, outdoorsy stuff, or awesome photography, check it out!

So, that�s how my month went! Not a TON of organizing (or blogging, obviously) but definitely a lot of fun things!

How was your April?! Have you already checked out any of these apps/websites? If so, which ones do you love the most? 

More about → April Vignettes

Vegetarian Crunchwraps - total time 30 minutes

I was just having a conversation about the last time we ate at McDonald's (it's been a while). I thought it was funny that I could recall the last time I ate at several fast food chains, all of which have been years ago, because they were all paired with awful belly aches or just bad luck. Last time at McDonald's was actually in San Fran and was the only thing open for breakfast by the rental car place so we could leave for Yosemite. They screwed up my breakfast sandwich order and I was too tired to realize it until it was too late and my stomach was already turning. The last time I went to Burger King was after a long day waiting in lines and shopping at a sample sale and a car ran into my car while I was waiting in the drive thru line. For KFC, it was after a canoe trip that was continuing into some backpacking in Zaleski. It was either KFC, McDonalds, or Clif bars (which meant we would have less to eat while hiking). We ate a quick lunch and off we went... it was 98 degrees, 100% humidity, and the trail started straight up some switch backs. We got to the top and both of us looked pale as ghosts... the friend chicken was not sitting well... And then lastly, I've never ate at White Castle, but my husband has once and told me the reason they call them sliders (TMI).

Ironically, with all of these fast food horror stories, surprisingly Taco Bell hasn't made our 'do not go there' list. They also have a decent selection of vegetarian options and the Catina Bell menu is better than the average fast food. Taco Bell just announced that they are testing some higher end fast-casual restaurants called U.S. Taco Co. in Florida, which will be interesting to see how they compete with Chipotle. Any way, I've always thought Taco Bell had something with their crunch wrap idea... a mix of soft and crunchy. There just had to be a healthier option than ladles of nacho cheese and sour cream with almost no veggies. So here's my version...

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More about → Vegetarian Crunchwraps - total time 30 minutes

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!  I love that we set aside a day/week to really concentrate on our environment.  But really every day is Earth Day.  You don't have to be an environmentalist or 'hippie' to know that the way we treat our Earth today will inevitably impact us in the future.

After this past winter of polar vortexes and record snow falls, it's hard to imagine that global warming exists.  Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't.  Maybe it's a naturally occurring global temperature change that we know has happened in the past with several ice ages under the Earth's belt.  

However, we can't dispute that our weather is getting more extreme, species are going extinct, air quality alerts are increasing, forests are shrinking, and fossil fuels will eventually run out.  In honor of Earth Day, here is a list of 16 easy things you can do and they don't require you to spend a dime (in fact, they will save you money) or join Greenpeace. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The first 'rule' you think about when 'going green'.  My favorite way to use all three is when I purchase a bottle of water, I reuse the bottle for weeks before recycling it.  

Eat less meat
Our demand for meat is not sustainable and livestock are one of the largest sources of methane.  That doesn't mean you need to give up meat altogether, just go vegetarian when you can.  Start with Meatless Mondays with some of these recipes.

Shop local
Besides supporting your community and small businesses, buying local means it didn't have to be shipped from anywhere.  Eat at your mom and pop restaurants, shop at boutiques, and get your groceries at the farmers market.  You'll create relationships with the people who make the food you eat, the merchants who buy the goods you want, and the farmers that grow the vegetables on your plate at home.

Reusable grocery bags
These things are sturdy and hold more than their plastic counterpart.  Keep a couple in your car so they will be there when you need them.

Open your windows
Curtains and blinds are great insulators during the winter, but open them up to let the sunshine pour in and you don't have to turn on the lights.  During the warmer months, open your windows to let the breeze cool your house without air conditioning.  There are often more pollutants in the air indoors than outdoors.  So take a deep breath of that fresh air.

Take the stairs
Save energy and burn some calories.  Skip the line at the elevator and take those stairs two at a time, you'll get there before everyone else. 

Buy in bulk
Eliminate extra packaging by buying in bulk and send less to the landfill.  You might also save a trip to the store.

Programmable thermostat
If you're not home, why would you be heating or cooling it like you were there?  Program your thermostat to adjust to your preferred temperature about 30 minutes before you usually get home.  Keep the temperature low at night will save energy and help you sleep better (during the summer, open those windows).

Donate
Done using something and don't have another use for it?  Well, you know the saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure", so donate it to make it easier for that person to find that new-to-them piece.  While you're at it, check out if anyone has left treasures for you to find at thrift stores.

Turn your computer off
You're not using it while you're sleeping, so why is it still on?  Turn the thing off and save some energy!  Same can be said for your cell phone.

Buy seasonal
If it is in season, it probably didn't travel too far to get to you.  Even though you didn't drive that mango from Mexico, if you buy it, that's a vote to keep sending it from Mexico.  Plus, seasonal produce is riper and tastes so much better.

Go to the library
Reading books on your Kindle is great, but borrowing books from your local library is even better.  You're not using any extra paper and you're not using any electricity either.  Added bonus, its free!  

Remove the junk from your car
Save gas by making your car lighter.  Get rid of all the excess junk you have been meaning to clean out for months.  

Cold water for washing
Use cold tap water to in your washer and dishwasher.  You save energy and money by not heating up more water.  Plus, cold water is easier on fabrics so your clothes last longer.  Extra point if you air dry you clothes and dishes!

Plant something
Whether its outside or indoors, all plants help clean and filter the air.  Make sure to pick drought tolerant, non-invasive plants for low maintenance.

Grow your own food
If you're planting something, have the plants work for you!  From planting a couple herbs in pots in your kitchen to growing a vegetable garden in your yard, it all makes a difference and you get dinner out of it.

More about → Happy Earth Day!

Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

This is the second post in a 3-post series on McGraw-Hill's Smartbook. 

If you aren't familiar with SmartBook, check out the video (made by students!) below:

Last week, I talked about the methods that SmartBook uses to engage the reader (aka you) to make textbook-reading more interactive. And seriously, who couldn't use some more of that?! One of the most important things that SmartBook does is give a preview of each chapter before you read it. 

This is super-imperitive because, when we are trying to learn new information, our brains are constantly trying to connect it to our existing knowledge. It�s kind of the same as when you see an actor/actress that looks familiar and you actively think (and think and think and and obsess, if you�re me) about it until you figure out what you�ve seen them in before! 

That's what your brain is doing every time you read new info! It is actively searching for a place to connect it to something else that's familiar to you. And if you�ve read an overview/preview of the material before you actually read the material itself, your brain has something to connect it to! Which helps you comprehend and retain the material better! The specific name for this is Schema and it�s one of the most important elements for learning!

I�ve been researching a TON of strategies lately for how to read textbooks more effective. And I will definitely be posting them within the next few weeks! :)

Do you do an overview of your textbook chapter before reading it? Or do you just jump in and start reading start-to-finish? What are some strategies/tricks that you�ve learned to make the material easier to remember? 

More about → Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

Weekly Menu

Happy Easter!  It's amazing that we started this last week with snow on the ground and now it is back in the mid 70s.  That's Ohio weather for you, I guess.  Those snow covered daffodils popped right back up once it warmed up again.  Tons of beautiful blooms that make me so happy every time I look out the window.  :)

Last frost date is still a couple weeks away for us, but I couldn't help myself, I had to plant a few flowers this weekend while doing some much needed yard work.  I think this year was the worst cabin fever yet... everyone was outside doing the same thing!

The last picture is of the bunny cake my mom makes for Easter (some times it is a lamb, this year she made the bunny).  Cute, right?

Well, now that Easter is here and Lent is over, my husband gets to pick out the menu for the week after being a *sorta* good sport about the whole meat-free for 40-some-odd days (he didn't give up meat, but everything I made for dinner was vegetarian, so he kind of did).  So here it is...

shrimp po boys

sour cream chicken enchiladas

chicken and broccoli alfredo pizza

mexican stuffed shells

Fugu Friday

Fugu is a little sushi place close to our house (actually, they just expanded, so it's not so little any more).  We seem to go at least one Friday a month and for smaller celebrations (job offers, holidays, etc).  My husband has been desperately wanting some Fugu since Lent began... he even went one night by himself.  So he's really excited for Fugu Friday... and for the enchiladas... and for the po boys... and for the stuffed shells... and... and... 

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How to Take Better Class Notes

My note taking has evolved SO MUCH over the years! In high school, I don�t think I ever took a single note (I was seriously the world's worst student). In college, my OCD really kicked in and I went a little crazy with trying to take perfect notes� which just ended in frustration. 

Today, I am kind of right in the middle and I must say that it�s working perfectly. I leave class with super thorough notes but I don�t obsess over how they look. Best of all? I am able to reference and retain the information from my notes (which was kind of the point of taking them to begin with)!

Here are the 4 strategies I use for taking notes in class:

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1: Write constantly

From the time the professor starts talking to the time he/she stops, I am writing. It doesn�t matter if I already know the information. Writing keeps my brain from wandering off into La-La-Land for a half hour (which is pretty common). 

Best case scenario: I stayed focused and left class with really thorough notes. 

Worst case scenario: I stayed focused and left class with really thorough notes. 

I can�t stress how important doing this is!

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2: Let go of perfectionism

When I just a baby freshman/sophomore, my goal was to leave class with perfectly color-coded, outlines, fabulous-looking notes. In real life? Not gonna happen. Professors get distracted, they go off topic, they skip slides. Save yourself a meltdown (or 12) and just use one writing utensil (preferably, a pencil) IN class. You can convert your sloppy notes into a colorful, organized, pretty outline after class!

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3: Rephrase information as you write

I just realized that I�m going to have to write an entirely separate post on this because it has just been THAT helpful in my college career. It all comes down to this: when you get information and you write it down word-for-word, your brain is not really engaged. However, if you read notes from a PowerPoint slide, rephrase them into your own words, and write down your words (instead of the teacher�s), you are evaluating the information and then creating something of your own! This way, you are more likely to understand your notes in the future!

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4: Attach an image to each concept

I really cannot stress how important this is! Definitions are boring. Words on a page are meaningless. And you will never remember what was covered in class if you leave with a notebook full of generic definitions. If your professor gives you an example/story, write it down, draw a picture, create a little graphic. Whatever you can do to attach that new concept with something that you already know/understand� this will help you remember the concept and see how it applies to real-life events.

And if your teacher doesn�t give you an example, they aren�t very good ASK for one!



Those are the things that have worked really well for me with regards to note-taking in class. Have you tried any of these strategies yourself? Or do you have any others that you have found particularly effective? If so, write them in the comments so we can all benefit :) 

More about → How to Take Better Class Notes

Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

You know how computers are slowly taking over the world and making our lives easier? Well, I am 100% excited about that. And even more excited when it means less time reading textbooks!

I am super proud to team up with McGraw-Hill as they spread the word about SmartBook! 

If you haven�t heard of it yet, check out this video from McGraw-Hill Students:

SmartBook is amazing because it optimizes study time through these 4 steps:

Preview

You do know that you should be scanning textbook chapters before you read them, right? This is because it�s a lot easier to comprehend information when you can see where it fits into the big picture. SmartBook delivers a quick overview of each chapter for this exact reason! 

Read

While technology still hasn�t developed a way to transfer the information directly into our brains in our sleep (hurry up, please!), it can make reading lengthy and boring texts a little more effective. SmartBook highlights important learning objectives so that you can always be sure you�ve read the most important information! And with interactive questions along the way, it also automatically highlights what you need to learn and bypasses what you already know. 

Practice

We learn by doing. This is why you can explain the information from that research project you did last semester better than the information from the test you had last Friday. SmartBook�s interactive technology allows you to quiz yourself on the material and automatically highlights the concepts that you need to review. 

Recharge

If you�re like me (and you are), you can read all day long, no problem. It�s the retaining of information that�s the problem! The more that information is repeated or used, the more likely it is to end up in your long-term memory� and that�s what�s going to help you make your next A! :) 

Next Tuesday, I�ll post a little more about the science of why it�s SO important to preview before reading! 

What are some of your strategies for reading information? Are you excited about technology and textbooks? What do you think would be some advantages/drawbacks to �smart� textbooks? 

More about → Sponsored Post: McGraw-Hill SmartBook

Easter Basket Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

I think Mother Nature is trying to teach us a lesson... enjoy the sunny and 80 degree days because the next day there could be an inch of snow on the ground! Oh my poor daffodils. :( What can you do...

Since it is cold outside again, might as well whip up some Easter treats from scratch! My grandma used to make the best yellow cake and chocolate frosting ever! She would make it when the whole family was coming over for a holiday dinner; Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas... and once in a while throughout the summer when my sister and I were over at her house during summer break. To this day, it is the only cake I would ever get seconds of (unless you count cookie cake as a cake... and then that throws the whole idea out the window). I can't quite remember what made her cake so special, I just remember really enjoying it.

My husband's favorite cake, as it turns out, is also yellow cake with chocolate frosting. So I thought I would give it a go making yellow cake from scratch. Turns out, it is egg yoke (not butter, like I originally thought) that makes yellow cake yellow (unless its a box mix, in which case there is probably some food coloring that makes it extra yellow). He said these are the best cupcakes yet... and I've made so pretty darn good cupcakes (according to other people, of course... case 1, 2, and 3)

I had the idea of these chocolate shavings Easter baskets last year (because I don't like coconut) and it just didn't work out. I used a vegetable peeler, which made the shavings too wide. Then I used a grater and the chocolate melted in my hands. This year I used my handy parmesan grater and it worked out nicely. Knowing most people don't have room in their kitchen for an extra gadget (and a parmesan grater is definitely not a necessity), you could use parchment paper around the chocolate and take breaks to toss the chocolate in the freezer to prevent a melty mess. Or you could use chocolate sprinkles and avoid the complication altogether!

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More about → Easter Basket Cupcakes - total time 1 hour

100th Post: 100 Inspirational Quotes

Welcome! Today is a pretty special day (for me, anyway) because�

this is Organized Charm�s 100th post!

I just wanted to take a quick minute to say THANK YOU to all of the people who read this blog regularly! When I first started writing it in August, I had NO idea that it would resonate with people the way that it has! So keep doing what you�re doing and know that I completely appreciate every comment/e-mail/follow/visit! 

Y�all make me feel so encouraged and I wanted to give that back in a way. So here are 100 of my favorite motivational quotes for y�all! Please feel free to add your favorites at the bottom!

Character:

�Be proud for what you are rather than for what you have.�

�Be truthful, gentle, and fearless.�

�Confidence is silent. Insecurities are loud.�

�Do all things with kindness.�

�Every man at some point is gonna lose a battle. He�s gonna fight and he�s gonna lose. But what makes him a man is that, in the midst of that battle, he does not lose himself.� -Friday Night Lights

"Fortune and love favor the brave." -Ovid

�Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.� -Minor Myers Jr.

�If you can be anything, be kind.�

�She who dares, wins.�

"Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln

Change:

�Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Life the life you have imagined.�

�If you�re still alive, you can still change.� -John Mayer

�In the end, we only regret the chances we didn�t take.�

�In time, all things will fall right in place.�

�Love where you are.�

�Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.� -Ralph Waldo Emerson

�The best way to forgive is to forget.� -Unknown

�What�s comin� will come and we�ll meet it when it does.� -Hagrid

�You�ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.� -John C. Maxwell

�Your largest fear carries your greatest growth.� 

Creativity:

�Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.� -Oprah Winfrey

�Creative people don�t follow the rules, they don�t necessarily break them either. They almost always make their own!�

�Do beautiful things with your beautiful life.�

�I just wanna go on more adventures. Be around good energy. Connect with people. Learn new things. Grow.�

�I realized this week that I just cannot do it all, so I will choose to do what I can. Fabulously.� -Clinton Kelly

�It never gets easier, you just get better.�

�I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares.� -Saul Bass

�May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.� Nelson Mandela

�The best way to predict the future is to create it.� -Peter Drucker

�You know you�re on the right track when you become uninterested in looking back.� 

Education:

�Always keep learning. The second you stop, you will be outdated.� -AJ Kumar

�Greatness does not come overnight; it is developed slowly, painfully, and with humility.�
�I am just striving to be more me than I have ever been.�

�I don�t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.� -Natalie Portman
�Keep yourself educated and never stop learning.�

�Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others.� -H. Jackson Brown Jr.

�Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.� -Earl Nightingale

�Small steps every day.�

�There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.� -Ernest Hemingway

�You can never be overdressed or overeducated.� -Oscar Wilde

Happiness:

�Collect moments, not things.�

�If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.� -Ronald Dahl

�Fear doesn�t shut you down, it wakes you up.� -Veronica Roth

�Keep going no matter what.�

�Once you learn how to be happy, you won�t tolerate being around people who make you feel anything less.�

�The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.�

�The world�s a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.� -Saint Augustine

�Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.� -F. Scott Fitzgerald

�What�s my guilty pleasure? The thing is, I never feel guilty about my pleasures.� -Tom Hiddleston

�You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.� -Oprah Winfrey

Life:

�A simple hello could lead to a million things.�

�Enjoy the little things.�

�Get up. Shower up. Show up. And never give up.� -Zig Ziglar

�Good things take time.�

�Had I not created my own world, I would certainly have died in other people�s� -Anais Nin

�Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.� -Rumi

�Stop holding yourself back. If you aren�t happy, make a change.�

�We are our choices.� -J.P. Sartre

�What�s for you will not pass you by.�

�You are exactly where you need to be.�

Love:

�Be selective in your battles for sometimes peace is better than being right.�

�I was fierce and wild in love when I was young� -Ben Nichols

�If it�s both terrifying and amazing, then you should definitely pursue it.� -Erada

�Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.� Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

�Let all that you do be done in love.�

�Love yourself first and everything else falls into place.� -Lucille Ball

�Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.� -Mother Theresa

�When someone else�s happiness is your happiness, that is love.� -Lana Del Rey

�Wherever you are, be all there.� -Jim Elliott

�You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, most beautiful person I have ever known.� -F. Scott Fitzgerald

Optimism:

�Be stronger than your excuses.�

�Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.� -Christian D. Larson

�Change your thoughts and you�ll change your world.�

�Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.�

�Complaining is pointless, either act of forget.�

�Don�t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else�s Chapter 20.�

�Give this world good energy.�

�Have some faith in yourself.�

�The mind is everything: What you think, you become.� -Buddha

�What you tell yourself everyday will either lift you up or tear you down.�

Today:

�Don�t worry about what comes next.�

�Enjoy it, because it�s happening.�

�Find beauty in the small things.�

�I think in terms of the day�s resolutions, not the year�s.� -Henry Moore

�If we wait until we�re ready, we�ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.�

�It�s never too late to be what you might have been.�

�Rise up and attack the day with enthusiasm.�

�The future is no place for your better days.� -Dave Matthews

�Wake up and live.�

�Whatever the present moment contains, embrace it as if you had chosen it.� -Eckhardt Tolle

Work:

�Being a winner is never an accident. Winning comes about by design, determination, and positive action.� -Bob Proctor

�Good things happen to those who hustle.�

�I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.� -Thomas Jefferson

"It always seems impossible until it is done." -Nelson Mandela

�It�s a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together.�

�Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.� -Kyle Chandler

�Success is not easy and is certainly not for the lazy.�

�Success isn�t a result of spontaneous combustion. You have to learn how to set yourself on fire.�

�The dream is free. The hustle is sold separately.�

�Work hard and do great things.�



I love you all! Go out into the world and have an amazingly awesome day!

:) 

More about → 100th Post: 100 Inspirational Quotes

Closet Organization Solutions

On my 4 Things to Organize in April checklist, my closet was right up there! I have a pretty good system in place for keeping up with what I�ve worn and purging it frequently. What I need is kind of a revamped closet organization system!

As I always do, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and it did not disappoint!

(click on photos to follow links)

Buy uniformed hangers.

If all of the hangers match, the closet looks 100% more organized and put together. Plus, designate a specific number of clothing items for your closet and buy that many hangers. It will be a good reminder that your closet it getting too full! 

Find a cute way to display your accessories.

From pegboards to hooks to repurposed picture frames, Pinterest is FULL of cute ideas for displaying all those little accessories we need! Rather than just messily cramming them into a drawer, why not put them on display like a cute little boutique? Maybe it will make you enjoy getting dressed as much as you enjoy shopping! 

Store your shoes. 

Shoes are another one of those things that are easy to accumulate. If you don�t quite have the closet space of Sarah Vickers, no problem! Try a hanging heels on a curtain rod on the wall, a shoe rack on the back of the door, and storing flats/sandals in a bin on the shelf in your closet!

Find an organized home for tiny clothing items. 

So, hanging up clothes is easy but what about all those little things like scarves and tank tops? Luckily, they�re super easy to roll up and fit into small spaces! How about in a tiny dresser drawer, a �shoe rack�, or grabbing a couple of small clear drawers from Target? 

Hang your bags.

These are one of my biggest challenges! I love the way that they fit onto closet shelves and I can line them up neatly but I hate the way they get all smooched. Try designate a hanger in your closet as a �bag hanger�, a tension rod with S-hooks, or hanging some pretty hooks where you can easily reach them!

Pre-made closet system.

Of course, if you�re really getting serious about closet organization, Home Depot and Lowe�s have a TON of pre-made closet organizational systems! Just choose one that fits and works well for you!

You don�t have to have it all out at once.

Finally, this is one of the biggest things that keeps my closet in check. It isn�t necessary to have every item out all season long! Having 3 extra bins to hold clothes for each season will free up a TON of closet space!

Now let�s get those closets put back together! Summer is right around the corner and you don�t want to waste all that beautiful weather by being inside reorganizing a closet, do you? Me either :)

What kinds of closet organization tips do you have to add? Do you organize it a little at a time or do a big seasonal overhaul? Have you invested in a professional closet system or just created one that works well for you? 

More about → Closet Organization Solutions

Weekly Menu

Wow!  What a gorgeous weekend!  The kind of weather you wish could be all year long.  Had no issues reaching my steps goal with my Up band because I just wanted to be outside walking around enjoying to weather.  Spring has officially sprung and I'm loving it!

Snoop is loving it too.  It's been 6 months since he could roll around in green grass.  It looks like he is smiling in the second picture.  :)

We're in the home stretch of meat-free Lent.  I just placed my Green BEAN order for this week and it felt kind of weird adding ground turkey to my bin after a month and a half.  Truthfully, the only thing I miss is being able to pick from anything on the menu.  Most restaurants offer a few vegetarian options, but sometimes you're just not in the mood for the one thing... and removing meat from another dish leaves you with... sides.  It will be nice to have more options again (but then again, sometimes I can be pretty indecisive, so having two options to choose from makes my decision easier).

Alrighty... here's this week's menu!

fajita taco night

spaghetti bake (minus the ground turkey)

veggie sushi

tortellini soup and grilled cheese

out for my mom's bday

More about → Weekly Menu

Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg - total time 20 minutes

Eggs are a great source of protein for vegetarians and omnivores alike. There have been many studies and reports that go back and forth on whether eggs are healthy for you or not. Some say that they are high in cholesterol and that people shouldn't eat more that one or two a week. Others says it's the ultimate health food and should even be consumed raw. I like to think reality is somewhere in between knowing that eggs are low fat, high protein, have dietary sulfur (great for you hair and nails), and the yolks have carotenoids (similar to carrots). I also love eggs... so at this point of being meat-free for around 40 days now... we have gone through quite a few eggs!

With Easter coming up, eggs are center stage. You may be hard boiling some right now to dye different colors. Or you could be filling a bunch of colorful plastic versions with candy in the next few days. Eggs are a symbolic message of rebirth, so the iconic Easter egg completely makes sense.

Celebrate Easter with this quick, delicious brunch. Perfect timing for asparagus which are at their peak right now and the buttery, runny yolk over top... just delicious! We actually had this dish for dinner, it is quite filling with a side dish of crispy roast potatoes. It's minimal ingredients and cooks quickly, the slowest part is that you can only poach one egg at a time, but they only take a minute or two. :)

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More about → Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg - total time 20 minutes

Class Folder Organization

I used to go really overboard with my school binders. I would go to Office Max/Target and spend tons of money on brand new cute binders, color-coded tabs, laminated dividers, and labels for every class. I made sure I had a place for EVERYTHING and I kept EVERYTHING in them. 

And, although it was helpful to have all of that information in one place, a lot of the sections actually just went unused. As time went on, I began to appreciate simplicity a little more. And now I am 100% certain that simplicity = efficiency!

The way that I organize my wedding folders now, I actually learned while I was wedding planning! When it comes to wedding planners, there are some that are huge, excessive, detailed, and expensive. But honestly, all you need is a list of things left to do and a list of things that are done. 

A list of things to do and a place to keep receipts of things that are complete? Sounds a little like coursework, doesn�t it? I thought so, too! 

Here is my newer, simpler, efficient-er way of organizing schoolwork!

Buy Folders

Buy a simple 2-pocket folder for each class. I like to assign a color to each class and buy them in those colors, but obviously you should buy whatever you think you will want to look at everyday! The main idea here is that these little folders are amazing for the following reasons:

They are easy to fit into your bag/backpack/purse

They are light to carry around campus

They are easy to keep organized

They make it easy to use

They are cheap!

Place Syllabus on the Right Side

Once I get my syllabi for my classes, I open it to the page with all of the due dates and place it into the right side of the folder. This makes it super easy to check what chapter I need to read this week, or when that next big project is due. As the semester goes on, I highlight the current week in yellow and re-highlight it in pink when the its complete.

Print Out All Assignment Instructions

At the beginning of the semester, I go to the campus computer lab and print out the directions for every project. Then I put these into the left side of the folder and order them according to their due dates. If I have a physical copy of my current work-in-progress (presentation outline, rough draft, study guide), I keep that on the left side along with its instructions.

OCD SIDE NOTE: I also like to use index cards to keep track of individual assignments because I can paperclip them into my class folder, into my planner, or hang them on the wall. It�s just a quick reference for the when, what, how much, and basic instructions of each assignment.

Keep Graded Papers Behind Syllabus

Once graded assignments are returned, I place them behind the syllabus on the right side of the folder. I only keep my graded assignments. And actually, thanks to the semester assignment spreadsheet, I could even do without keeping those papers (but I just like to).

Create a �Handout Folder� at Home

Create a folder at home for class handouts. Ending the semester with a ton of miscellaneous handouts that you may or may not use in the future is inevitable. Just create a little file folder at home for those types of papers so you don�t have to carry them around all the time! 

Of course, there are classes that require more thorough folders (like research projects) but this system works pretty well for basic, �lecture classes"! SUPER simple. SUPER efficient. 

Have you developed a system for organizing school binders/folders? Does it work well? What parts of organizing classwork are the hardest for you? 

More about → Class Folder Organization