Much like Nick Jonas, I am also good at wasting time and believe that lyrics should rhyme. Unlike him however, I am not famous and instead need to earn a college degree.
For my Social Media Marketing class this semester, I’ve been tasked with creating and maintaining a blog on a topic of my choice. If you’re a veteran subscriber, you know that I was keeping this blog during my semester abroad in Denmark. I was disappointed about my semester being cut short for various reasons, but one of them was having to cut my blog short earlier than I planned to so I’m really excited to start it up again!
My life looks a little different now than it did in Denmark, but I’ll be using this blog as a space to share similar posts about me and my every day life as a college senior: routines, podcast reviews, and my journey to finding a career to name a few.
So who am I?
I’m a 21 year old senior at Bradley University, studying Social Media Marketing and Business Analytics. I go to school in Illinois, but was born and raised in Central Indiana and am always singing my praises for the Midwest! In my free time, you can find me visiting local coffee shops, playing the piano, or singing show tunes in my beloved Ford Escape. I’m an Enneagram 3 through and through (aka workaholic) but I love taking time for relaxation: cheese plates, ice cream, and Parks and Rec being my self-care of choice.
Hope you enjoy my oversharing! I’m so glad to have you here 😊
Check me out! Can’t wait to share more about everything I’m up to
I had a lot of fun making last week’s post about my favorite places in Peoria, so today I wanted to do the same for my other home! I have some issues with Indiana, but my hometown in particular was the absolute best place to grow up and I’m actually hoping to be back in the Indy area when I begin my career next summer. Here are some of my absolute favorite places in the Hamilton/Marion County area.
Things To Do
Broad Ripple
More specific Broad Ripple locations are coming up in this post- but wanted to include the area in this section because just wandering around is honestly the best way to spend the afternoon! This picture was taken in more of the So Bro area- a location I find to be super underrated.
Carmel Arts and Design District
As much as I can’t stand Carmel- it’s a great city filled with all kinds of things to do. The picture on the left is of my boyfriend and i ice skating near the Palladium in the City Center area. In the summer, this area has the absolute best farmers market and year round, there are amazing shows at the Palladium & Booth Tarkington, and delicious restaurants and fun shops in the City Center. The photo on the right is in the heart of the Arts and Design District, off of Main Street. This area has great restaurants and shopping, is directly off of the Monon Trail, and lots of scary but intriguing statues.
The Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is one of my absolute favorite places in the world. I grew up coming here literally almost every single day and still enjoy it so much! I doubt anyone reading this has kids, but if you do it is a must visit. Even if you don’t have kids, a lot of the exhibits are super interesting for adults and entry is only $10 for college students! These pictures are from my dad’s job’s Christmas party in 2018- where I got to go to the museum after hours and live out all of my elementary school dreams.
Clowes Hall
Indy may not be the biggest city, but it’s big enough to still have lots of exciting things going on- including touring Broadway shows at Clowes Hall! Obviously Broadway isn’t happening at the moment, but hopefully it comes back soon so I can pay a visit to Clowes to watch.
District Co.
If you’re into HGTV, then you know Indianapolis is the home of ‘Good Bones’. Two Chicks and a Hammer, the company behind the show and one of my most recent employers, opened the absolute CUTEST store this summer in Bates Hendricks! District Co. has furniture and home decor, all kinds of gifts, and the cutest bistro with delicious local foods and drinks.
Downtown Noblesville
Ugh. Truly my favorite place in the world. Like I mentioned, Noblesville was the absolute best place to grow up for many reasons, but the charming square and beautiful courthouse is definitely one of them! The square is surrounded by so many amazing shops, restaurants, and more and I’m literally soooo excited to be back here soon.
Indianapolis Art Center
This is a must visit on your next trip to Broad Ripple- Indy has such a cool art scene and this is a great center of it all.
Mass Ave
The absolute best shopping and dining destination! Would love more than anything to live in this area in a few years.
Monument Circle
So in case you didn’t know, Indianapolis is called the Circle City for a reason! The city is built around Monument Circle- an area that isn’t ~too~ exciting during the rest of the year, but is a great destination during Christmas time.
Newfields
The Indianapolis Art Museum’s free, outdoor sister filled with all kinds of interesting art installations and a great hiking path! If you were also a fan of The Fault in our Stars in high school- you know this place.
Ruoff Music Center
The name of this place… if you know you know. One of the things I miss the most in 2020 is CONCERTS and some of my favorites have been here. How cool is it that I have a massive concert venue literally a 10 minute drive from my house!?
Parks
The Midland Trace
Discovering the Midland was a highlight of quarantine for me- it’s a great pedestrian trail through much of Westfield and Noblesville, perfect for bike rides or long walks!
The Monon Trail
Another amazing pedestrian trail! The Monon is MASSIVE, so you can take a completely different route every time! I personally like to stay in the Westfield/Carmel area and always like to make a stop in the Arts and Design District area to check out the art, restaurants, and other exciting things going on.
Potters Bridge
Truly one of my favorite places in the world- a bike ride through Potters Bridge IMMEDIATELY clears my mind and calms me down on a stressful day. Kayaking or tubing down the river is always a blast as well! I live super close to Potters Bridge, and have found the perfect bike route through the trail and back, through Forest Park (another fave), then down the new Noblesville Riverwalk area and back home.
Ice Cream
Alexanders
Alexanders has 2 locations: on the square and on the water. No walk downtown is complete without Alexanders, and neither is a boat ride! Everyone in Noblesville knows Alexanders- it’s the absolute best.
Graeters
A trip to Graeters was always the highlight of a day at Kings Island (iconic amusement park in Ohio- the central Indiana go to since we don’t have roller coasters here), so I was THRILLED to learn that a location was opening up in Central Indiana! They have a couple locations now and each one is delicious- their black raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream is life changing.
Handels
Discovering Handels 4-scoop sampler CHANGED MY LIFE! Only $5 for 4 scoops of absolutely delicious ice cream?? Yes please. Handels has all kinds of really unique flavors and my faves are pictured above: key lime pie, graham central station, coconut cream pie, and mocha fudge.
Nicey Treat
Nicey isn’t exactly ice cream, but it is a delicious frozen treat! They serve popsicles- I know that sounds strange but they are literally the best popsicles in the world.
Coffee
Noble Coffee and Tea
Another one of my favorite places in the world! Noble Coffee is truly a second home to me- every drink is delicious, they have the sweetest staff, and they redid the interior a few years ago and it is so cute! The ideal spot for studying, meetings, dates, literally everything. Love this place so much.
Quills
Quills is my go-to in Downtown Indy because it’s right down the street from the jobs I’ve had there in the past. Their drinks are delicious and it has a great ambience for studying and getting work done!
More Coffee Shops I Love (but don’t have pictures of for some reason)
The Well
Indie Coffee Roasters
Hubbard & Cravens
Monon Coffee Co
Restaurants
Cake Bake
Okay kind of embarrassed by the amount of photos I have here but also not at all because it is an Instagram dream! I talked about Cake Bake a bit in my ‘best thing I ever ate’ post but again, their lunch menu is seriously sooo good. Cake wise, caramel is definitely my favorite and their pies are to die for.
Condado Tacos
My sister went to this restaurant once like 2 years ago and has talked about it constantly ever since so we finally made a trip here over the summer and it absolutely lived up to expectations! The photo on the left is the buffalo chicken queso– you’re literally kidding. On the right is quite literally the best margarita I have ever had- I’m a huge margarita snob and this one was phenomenal. I also had some really delicious vegan tacos here which we absolutely love to see! The vibes here are also literally everything, such a fun place.
Kobayashi Sushi
The best sushi in the world! The Kobayashi employees know my family by name because we are here so often- every single thing on the menu is delicious and the staff are the most wonderful people!
Mimi Blue Meatballs
This is one of my all time favorite restaurants, so I’m not sure why I don’t have any photos of the food! Enjoy this picture of my dad and I though, he also really likes this place. Essentially, this restaurant serves exclusively meatballs. It’s an interesting and delicious concept! The fried chicken ball with sriracha aioli and the buffalo turkey ball with honey sriracha sauce are my favorites, as well as the fried brussels sprouts and the mac and queso: chefs kiss.
Rail Epicurean
Rail is the literal cutest place! It’s in an old barn that’s been refurbished into a quaint little dining space, plus the food is delicious. They switch the menu around quite a bit from season to season and I’ve loved everything I’ve tried. Rail is on a street with other very c ute restaurants in old buildings, all of which I’m a big fan of.
Spencer Farm Winery
I will say you probably shouldn’t go here for a full meal- but it’s great for an appetizer/snack moment. They do a $5 wine tasting- literally FIVE DOLLARS for five one-ish ounce pours. Combine that with a delicious charcuterie board pictured above and you are good to go! I’m always looking to try different wines- I took a wine tasting class while abroad and I think the culture surrounding wine is so interesting so the chance to try 5 different kinds in one sitting is ideal for me- plus I’m a bit of a lightweight to say the least sooooo 5 small pours is more than enough for me.
Sun King Brewery
Sun King has quite a few locations and I’ve only had the chance to make it to the Fishers one, but it is an absolutely premium experience! They have the cutest balcony area looking over the brand new development in Fishers and are attached to the Fishers Test Kitchen- an experimental food court sort of vibe with some really delicious and unique street food options. They also have literally the only beer I like- pictured with me in the photo on the left. I still can’t consider myself a beer girl, but I’m definitely a fan of the Wee Mac, if you know you know.
I’m finishing this post off with my favorite place in all of Central Indiana, maybe even in the whole world, my house! Growing up in an 100 year old house has its pros and cons, but I love that this house has become such a part of my personality.
This post is going up after I’ve already been home for a while, but I’m writing it a few days before I leave for break. The current state of the world is pretty scary to say the least, but reflecting on these places I love so much makes me feel a lot better- and I’m hoping to visit as many of these places as I safely can over winter break!
When I chose a college 4 years ago, it was important to me that it was in a town I liked. Honestly, I never expected Peoria to be my ~first choice~ but I loved Bradley enough that I was willing to adopt Peoria and it’s been the best place to spend my college career! Even in my short 3.5 years here, I’ve watched Peoria develop so much as a city and have loved getting familiar with so many interesting small businesses in the area. This post will be a quick overview of some of my favorite places in the 309, and maybe it’ll give you some inspiration!
Things to Do
I don’t often have time to get out and explore Peoria, other than the food/coffee scene and especially this semester, so this category is a bit smaller than the the others but I still had to include some faves!
Forest Park
I do a lot of ~walking in nature~ while at home, because it’s one of my mom’s favorite things to do. She actually discovered this park with my sister a while ago and they introduced me to it- and it is such a lovely little place! It’s rarely crowded and is a really nice escape into nature.
Gone Axe Throwing
This is something I never thought I’d enjoy, but it’s so much fun! The first time I went was to just check it out with my boyfriend and his family, and we ended up staying for a long time just watching our friends throw axes- it’s super entertaining! I had to take my dad here when he came to visit last year, and he loved it to. The staff turns it into a fun game, and makes 2+ hours absolutely fly by.
J. Draper Glass
I actually worked for J. Draper for a semester, so it has a special place in my heart. Glass blowing is absolutely fascinating and so much fun- plus the staff is so wonderful and I really miss working with them. I highly highly recommend stopping by for a girl’s day out, family outing, date night, or even to bring kiddos! The J. Draper ladies are the absolute best and, even if you don’t decide to take a class, their gallery is filled with the most beautiful artwork. Here’s a picture of me and the glass pumpkin I made!
Tanner’s Orchard
You had to have known this was coming! I actually haven’t been to Tanner’s in 2 years, it’s not the ~most~ exciting place in the world and it’s a pretty long drive from campus. It’s definitely fun though and great for soaking up the fall vibes! Personally my favorite part is definitely all of the food samples which I assume can’t happen during covid sooo I might not make it back here for a while.
Other Things to Do That I Didn’t Have Pictures Of
Shopping in Peoria Heights
The Riverfront Museum
Picnic or Walk on Grandview Drive
Pottery Painting at Fired Up
Restaurants
I am so glad I went to college in a town with great food! I absolutely love finding new restaurants in the area, here are some of my favorites.
Blue Duck BBQ Tavern
This place is SLEPT ON! I rarely hear students talk about it and it is absolutely delicious. Now that I’m meatless, I unfortunately don’t think there is anything for me on the menu BUT you absolutely must put this restaurant on your list if you’re a meat person.
Childers
The best brunch in Peoria, maybe all of Illinois, hands down. I honestly think about Childers Biscuits and Gravy every single day- so so delicious. My parents always get so excited to go to Childers when they’re in town!
Cyd’s in the Park
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This place DOES NOT MISS! Every experience I’ve had at Cyd’s has been phenomenal. Their take out market has LITERALLY SO MUCH food! They pack it up in a cute little to-go container and you can eat at a picnic table in the park- my sister works here so she’ll bring me snacks like the protein cup pictured above from time to time and truly everything is delicious. Their dinner menu is also phenomenal and I just had to share this photo of my grandma aka the cutest person in the world with her mini reuben sandwiches from the Cyd’s appetizer menu.
Hokkaido
This place quite literally has everything! Sushi, hibachi, Thai, dim sum, and more. If you love asian cuisine as much as I do you will love this place but also be very overwhelmed (in a good way) by the extensive menu.
Sugar
A part of the ‘spice’ family of restaurants, Sugar has unmatched wood-fire pizza. I absolutely love every single one of this restaurant family but for some reason only have this picture of Sugar, so enjoy that! They have more than just pizza, but that’s definitely my favorite. Their dessert pizza with Nutella and marshmallows??? Everything.
Other Restaurants I Love but Didn’t Have Pictures Of
Cayenne
Thyme
Obed and Isaacs
One World
Brienzos
Coffee
Maybe my favorite part of Peoria (any city, really) has been exploring the coffee scene! I’m pretty sure I’ve tried all of the coffee shops in the area so please let me know if I’m missing one, and I’ll be sure to add it to the list.
3030
I CANT FIND ANY PICS!!! I have no idea how I don’t have photos from 3030 but apparently I don’t. Pictures aside, I absolutely love this place and their vanilla latte on a chilly day is an unmatched experience.
Elis
The absolute cutest little place! Since I grew up in an old house, I love businesses that make old houses their homes. Eli’s has so many creative drinks, and pretty extensive (and delicious) breakfast and lunch menus. I even have their app, so I’m a true Elis insider.
Faire
The newest addition to the Peoria coffee scene! I discovered this place on a trip to Grand Prairie last week and it is SO cute. Since it was pretty late in the day I went for a tea rather than a coffee, but it was delicious and the employees were super sweet. Will definitely be returning!
Leaves and Beans
This is another place that is definitely slept on! An afternoon in Peoria Heights is an ideal outing in my book, and it’s not complete without a stop at Leaves and Beans. I haven’t ordered from their food menu before, but it’s pretty extensive. I’ve loved every drink I’ve had here and am making a mental note to stop in again soon! Jeanne likes it too, so you know it’s good.
The Spot
Again, I DONT KNOW HOW I DONT HAVE A PICTURE! Putting it here because it deserves to be in the main list- The Spot is so cute and has really great drinks and pastries. I wish it wasn’t such a long drive!
Zion
Of course I had to save the best for last. I absolutely love Zion, not just because their drinks are amazing (which they are) but because they have a really incredible mission, do some amazing fair trade work, and are just so authentic and passionate about what they do. I am already sad thinking about a Zion trip not being a part of my weekly routine post grad…
Where are your favorite places in Peoria!? Let me know and I’ll be sure to add them to my list of places to visit before graduation!
On today’s episode of something literally no one asked for… I started listening to more podcasts! If you haven’t had a chance to check out my 3 part podcast roundup, definitely skim over those. Once you’re done with that, let’s talk about the new podcasts I’ve added to my list!
I won’t be dividing these into categories, since there aren’t too many, I’ll just list them in alphabetical order to make things easy.
Absolutely Not
I discovered Heather McMahan through Girls Gotta Eat and found her to be super funny and entertaining- she also has some of the best long distance relationship advice I’ve ever heard. Her podcast is a really fun and entertaining addition to my day- because of GGE I’ve discovered Heather and many other awesome comedians and podcasters that run in the same circle and I always love hearing from them.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Anything Goes
I was very into Emma Chamberlain’s videos for a while, but fell off a couple years ago. I started listening to her podcast just for fun and I really enjoy it! She has matured so much in the past few years and she gives genuinely really great advice.
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
The Bald and The Beautiful
Rupaul’s Drag Race is such a guilty pleasure of mine and Trixie and Katya are some of my favorite queens to follow on social media- their podcast is probably a very specific brand of humor, but it is genuinely so so funny.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Berning in Hell
Hannah Berner is another person that I discovered through Girls Gotta Eat and I absolutely adore her. She brings a unique, younger perspective to that New York comedy scene I mentioned earlier but is also so mature for her younger age. Not to mention she is a ~Bravolebrity~ and has the best takes on all things Bravo. I really enjoy her podcast because it balances humor and serious topics so well, I would absolutely love to be friends with Hannah!
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Best Friends
If you read my previous podcast review, you know that I adore Nicole Byer. I think she is so incredibly funny while also being a great model and being willing to take on tough topics in a really candid way. Her best friend Sasheer Zamata is another favorite of mine, I actually met her when I stage doored at SNL in high school! She stopped to talk to my family and I for a long time and was so wonderful, and she’s a fellow Indianapolis girl. For all of these reasons, I obviously had to listen to their podcast and have really been enjoying it!
They do a fun segment, linked below, where they interview another set of best friends and it is just so wholesome and fun to listen to!
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Dare to Lead
I cannot even begin to explain my adoration for Brene Brown: she is truly the most incredible role model. She is so intelligent and a great person to look up to professionally, but is also so articulate, passionate, and genuinely fun to listen to! She reminds me so much of my mom and I can’t even imagine how fascinating life would be with Brene as a parent.
Anyway, I love her Unlocking Us podcast so much that I obviously had to begin listening to her new Dare to Lead podcast the second it premiered! It’s a really great professional resource while still maintaining a really genuine and positive tone.
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Dear Hank & John
Hank Green has become super popular on Tik Tok recently which I of course love to see, but I’ve been a fan of the vlog brothers for a LONG time. I’ve been watching vlogbrothers & crash course since like 7th grade and was a religious reader of John’s novels throughout high school, so I have no idea why I just now discovered their podcast! It’s exactly what it sounds like- listeners write in and Hank & John answer their questions. They cover just about everything and it’s super entertaining while also providing some really great advice!
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Dear Therapists
I think therapy is a really important and valuable tool- if it’s something you’re even a little bit interested in this podcast is a really great place to start! Since I began listening, Guy & Lori haven’t covered any topics that I relate to particularly, but I still genuinely enjoy and gain something from every single episode.
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Getting Curious
This podcast covers literally everything! Jonathan van Ness interviews all kinds of interesting individuals about things they are curious about and it’s a great resource to learn about some super interesting and often very specific topics.
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Rating: 3 out of 5.
Las Culturistas
I am such an SNL stan and Bowen Yang has been an awesome addition to the cast- so I obviously had to listen to his podcast! It is super entertaining and funny, and covers some important topics too. Bowen and Matt’s dynamic is the best and I always love hearing their hot takes.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
Maintenance Phase
One of my favorite podcasts is ‘You’re Wrong About’ so when it’s cohost, Michael, announced his brand new podcast focused on the health/diet industry I obviously had to listen. I like the premise of You’re Wrong About, because it debunks and explains a lot of myths and events from history, and Maintenance Phase does the same but focuses on the ‘health’ industry. I am really fascinated by health, wellness, food, diet, etc. but I recognize how incredibly toxic much of it is! Michael and Aubrey debunk and explain all of the health myths you’ve been saturated with in the past, and do so in a really entertaining and informative way.
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Mile Higher Podcast
I mentioned in my last post that I love true crime YouTube, but have never gotten into true crime podcasts. I since have become super obsessed with Crime Junkie and have continued my obsession with Kendall Rae’s YouTube channel, so I obviously had to start listening to her podcast! Kendall and her husband Josh discuss all things true crime, as well as just general interesting current events. She always does such a great job of explaining things in a concise way, while also discussing the impact of situations that may be difficult to understand. The episode I’ve linked below was super interesting, but it is extremely dark; I encourage you to listen with discretion.
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Pindrop
This actually isn’t a new one, but it took a break since it was going on over the summer so I didn’t include it in my original review. It’s back though, and I really enjoy it! Basically, the host dives into a unique place in the world: talks with the people who live there, discusses unique events and traditions, and overall really makes you feel like you are there. As someone who is really missing travel right now, this is a great escape.
As I’m posting this, I realized that they changed their name??? It’s called TED Travel now apparently, still super interesting!
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Rating: 3 out of 5.
POOG
This is a similar vibe to Maintenance Phase, in that it discusses unique health and wellness trends, but this one has more of a comedy take on things. I am super similar to the hosts in that I am also obsessed with all things ~wellness~, but I know that most of it is probably completely fake/a money grab/completely and utterly unnecessary. That’s alright though, because it’s still fun in my book!
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Rating: 3 out of 5.
Puddles
Another person I discovered through Girls Gotta Eat, Andrew Collin is genuinely so so funny. I really resonate with his brand of humor and adding this podcast to my subscription list, as well as Andrew’s personal account to my Instagram follow list, has been such a great decision for me.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
So due to the fact that I listen to a completely and utterly insane number of podcasts, I probably don’t need to add more to my list. BUT! I still want to so, definitely let me know if you have any suggestions! With that being said, I hope this post (and my 3 others lol) inspired you to get into the podcast world. I again literally never thought podcasts would be my thing but here we are! So, even if you’re skeptical, check a couple out. Maybe you’ll end up loving them!
I just had an EPIPHANY and decided that this blog post needed to go up asap! One of my favorite shows on Food Network is ‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate’ where Food Network personalities share stories of amazing foods they’ve ate. Over the past month or so, I’ve been featuring some of my favorite meals I’ve had on my food account (@alices.eatsss in case you forgot). I know not everyone follows that, so I thought it would be fun to share all of the features on here and maybe chat a little more in depth about the love I have for these dishes.
I did a What I Eat in a Day post where I discussed my relationship with food a little further, but basically I genuinely really love all things food and it’s a huge part of my life. I’m incredibly thankful that I have such a positive relationship with food and hopefully this post inspires all of you to maybe try some fun new dishes!
High Tea at Fortnum and Mason’s in London
WHEN I TELL YOU THIS MEAL CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!!! I wish more than anything that I lived in England and this incredible meal only confirmed that. My absolutely incredible study abroad program paid for this meal with my class (thank god because I could not afford this lol) and it was MUCH needed after a LONG and TURBULENT flight .
We started with tea, of course, which was great. Then we were each given our own tower of food. You see that picture in the middle of 3 tiers of beautiful food?? WE ALL GOT ONE FOR OURSELVES! Each tower had 5 sandwiches: I’m thinking there was egg salad, smoked salmon, cucumber, ham, and a chicken curry. On the middle layer are some absolutely GORGEOUS scones that came with lemon curd, raspberry jam, and clotted cream on the side. The top layer was filled with some unique mini cakes (puddings if you will, we’re in London after all). I honestly cannot remember what any of them tasted like but come on they are so CUTE!
After we absolutely stuffed ourselves with this delicious British feast we were surprised by the photo on the left- AN ENTIRE CAKE SPREAD! I was so painfully full that I barely ate more than a bite of each but I made a point to try them all: the top left one was a sort of apple/coffee cake vibe, then a flourless chocolate cake, then I’m not sure what the little geometric one was but it was encased in marzipan which I adore, and the finally one was raspberry and almond aka my favorite cake flavor of all time.
Honestly I could end the post here. This meal was so so incredible and I think we should all consider stuffing ourselves with desserts and tea every afternoon- the Brits really know what’s up.
Smørrebrød
Smørrebrød literally translates to “bread with butter” but it is MUCH much more! It’s pretty much the dish of Denmark so I had to try quite a few varieties. I’ll discuss each starting with the top left
Rye bread with smoked potatoes, mayo, pickled onion, & herb
This dish wasn’t made by me personally, but it was made by some of my peers at our Culinary LLC retreat back in February- scroll wayyyy back on this blog for a post about that day. Rye bread is absolutely everywhere in Denmark and all of the toppings on this meshed with it so well. On this particular day, we had been cooking for quite a few hours but hadn’t eaten in even more hours so this snack was MUCH needed and sooo delicious.
Shrimp Salad from The Glass Market
Ugh. How I miss The Glass Market. Literally one of my favorite places in the world- aisles and aisles of AMAZING food! This smorrebrod was the first one I ever tried and, although it wasn’t too exciting, it was quite good. I love seafood, shrimp in particular, and it’s so fresh and delicious in Denmark so this was amazing!
Smorrebrod 4 Ways
I made these 4 types of smorrebrod with my wonderful roommates (ugh im sad I know you guys aren’t reading this but I miss you). I can’t remember exactly what was on these but I know they started with rye bread and butter- the farthest left had fried fish and capers. Next was a vegan paté and beets (one of the few foods I don’t like) so that one wasn’t my fave. Third was more fried fish, bacon, and honestly I can’t remember what else. Finally was a curried fish with apples. Cooking with my roommates in Denmark will forever be some of my all time favorite memories, and the night we made these was a really fun one.
Flower Sprouts with Poached Egg, Hollandaise, & Grated Truffle on Sourdough
The following 3 are from Aamanns- A MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANT that I literally went to in leggings because I wasn’t expecting to be there. My Anthropology of Food class went on a field study where we tried different smorrebrod restaurants an I lucked out with 400 kroner to spend as I please at one of the nicest restaurants I’ve ever been to. Out of the 3 my partner and I tried, this was our favorite.
Beef Tartare with Mustard Mayo, Horseradish, & Fermented Gooseberries.
I no longer eat meat, because it never tastes good to me when it’s cooked poorly. This however was such a high quality and I really enjoyed it! I was shocked to find out that Beef Tartare does not taste like rare meat like I expected- it honestly did not have much flavor at all. It was still pretty good though! I mostly just got the horseradish flavor from this one, which I know isn’t for everyone, but I’m a big fan of.
My partner didn’t love this one but I was a huge fan! Herring definitely isn’t for everyone but, as a huge seafood lover, I really enjoy it. This one had a lot of very strong flavors so I can see where my partner was coming from but, honestly, I’m kind of glad she left her serving for me to eat.
Belgian Food
Before ~the world shut down~ I was able to squeeze in a weekend trip to Brussels, Belgium- a place that is famous for MANY foods that I HAD to try!
Pommes Frites with Curry Mayo
Now I wouldn’t say these were life changing, I’m not a huge fry person in the first place, but they were definitely delicious and the vibes they provided? Immaculate.
Belgian Waffle
Now THIS was amazing! Absolutely lived up to the hype. By far the best waffle I have ever had. They had 2 waffle types available, I don’t remember the second king but I went for a ‘Liege’ waffle which is less fluffy and has uneven edges. It was so delicious and would’ve been life-changing without toppings, but I added a cinnamon topping to it that made it even better. I often don’t like things that are super super sweet, but this was so delicious that I didn’t even mind.
Belgian Chocolate
O.M.G. This chocolate was completely and utterly life changing. I typically gravitate toward sour candy rather than chocolate, and I honestly wasn’t expecting much from this. HOWEVER!!! Each and every piece was literally so unbelievably delicious and unlike any other chocolate I’ve had before.
Breakfast
I’m a huge fan of breakfast foods, and these 3 are some of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
Cherry Stuffed French Toast from The White Gull Inn: Fish Creek, WI
I’m not kidding you when I say I spend all year looking forward to this breakfast. I’m sure everything else at The White Gull Inn is delicious but I will never order anything else- this is literally the perfect breakfast I can’t say it enough.
Onsdag Snegle from Skt. Peders Bedgari: Copenhagen, Denmark
Wednesday snails are one of the things I miss most about Denmark- these massive cinnamon rolls are only available on Wednesdays and are so popular that they have their own word in the Danish language! They are the perfect snack, breakfast, or dessert, and I can only hope to return and have one again soon.
Waffle from The Union Kitchen: Copenhagen, Denmark
When I tell you this waffle changed my life…… The Union Kitchen is definitely boujee and, on the particular morning I visited, my friend and I decided to BALL OUT! We got lattes, truffle fries, and the most incredible breakfast entrees. This waffle had yogurt, Nutella, and berries and, although I like all of those things a lot, I wasn’t expecting that much from this. Boy was I wrong! Everything on this dish just worked SO well together and I wish I could recreate it in my own kitchen.
My Favorite Foods in Noblesville
To finish off, let’s talk about 3 of my all-time favorite foods at home. Honestly I have so many more (blog post about fave restaurants at home coming soon) but I had pictures of these 3 so that is what I’m sharing!
Kobayashi Sushi
My sister and I have already decided that we will be ordering from Kobayashi our very first night back in Noblesville. The 3 rolls featured here are some of our favorites!
Volcano Roll: we literally order this every single time we go to Kobayashi which is literally once a week. It is so good. An incredible sushi roll in the first place AND it has the most delicious seafood salad on top- such a great combination of flavors that I cannot recommend enough.
Caribbean Roll: this one is super fresh and not too rich, something I’m not a huge fan of in sushi.
Salmon Cigar Roll: this one is a little heavier, but still soooooo delicious.
Honorable Mentions: Mango Tango, Rainbow, Atomic Shrimp, Baked Salmon. Also, don’t sleep on their Hot and Sour Soup.
Caramel Cake from the Cake Bake Shop
To a point, I find Cake Bake to be a bit overrated. HOWEVER! Their caramel cake is everything and, since it’s so massive, is well worth the price. I don’t love Cake Bake’s buttercream- too buttery for me, but this cake has a delicious caramel frosting that I really love. Their pies are also soooo delicious and all of their lunch foods are the real deal. Cake Bake’s arugula salad???? I think about it every day.
Open Ravioli with Shrimp from The Hamilton Restaurant
I saved the best for last! And sadly, this dish will never be available anywhere ever again because The Hamilton Restaurant (aka my first employer and favorite place in the world) is no longer open. I tried just about everything on the menu during my 3 years at The Hamilton, but this was always my favorite. I adore seafood and this ravioli was just the perfect combination of different flavors and UGH my mouth is watering thinking about it now I wish more than anything that I could still eat it.
So like I talked about earlier, food is one of my favorite things in the whole entire world and I never forget a good meal. I have plenty more but these pictures were easily accessible so I hope you enjoyed hearing about them! I am STARVING after writing this so I’m off to make some lunch. Let me know what your favorite meal is and don’t forget to follow @alices.eatsss on instagram!
So this is going to be an extremely niche post, but it’s something that I have always wanted to see from the (many) content creators I follow and I think it might be interesting.
Basically, I consume a massive amount of digital content: podcasts, music, YouTube, social media, live tv, and non-live tv. As someone with a very strict routine (more info in my ‘how I stay organized’ post), I’ve had to find a way to work this content into my daily routine in order to stay on top of it all. I got really good at this while I was doing literally nothing from March-June, but it became more difficult when I started working part time and MUCH more difficult when I got back to full time school in August. Let’s talk about how I’ve been able to stay up to date with my many means of content these past few months.
Podcasts
If you read my 3 part podcast review, you know that they are a big part of my life. As of today (11/9/20) I am following 57 podcasts- some are still being vetted for an upcoming updated podcast review but I think it’s obvious that I listen to a LOT.
In order to stay on top of them all, podcasts are how I begin my day. I go into my ‘shows’ tab on Spotify each morning, download each episode I plan on listening to that day, and queue them up. I always start with Aries Today, follow it with Encyclopedia Wommanica, then whatever short episodes are out for the day (Life Kit, Savvy Psychologist, TED Talks Daily for example). From there I’ll usually just queue them up in the order I downloaded them, but I switch the queue around depending on what I’m up to that day and how much listening effort I want to put in. If I don’t care too much about the content then I’ll listen while doing work, but if I really want to pay attention I’ll listen during my walk to/from class or when I’m making dinner.
Some days are busier podcast days than others, so sometimes an episode will have to be listened to the next day but I prefer to listen to them the day they are posted.
Music
Once I’m done with podcasts for the day, I move on to music. I get my Discover Weekly on Mondays and my Release Radar on Fridays so I like to listen to those day of or day after. If I’ve listened through those, and ‘liked’ the songs I want to keep in my library, I’ll typically queue up a Daily Mix or maybe a ‘This Is:’ playlist for an artist I’m really vibing with on a particular day.
Like I said, music comes after podcasts so I’ll typically queue up my playlist for the day in the morning when I do the same for podcasts. If I’m not able to get through all of my podcasts, I always switch to music once it’s time for my night routine- the time I begin listening to music (rather than podcasts) varies daily but I always do so right before bed.
I go through phases with playlists, meaning some days I add every single song into one of my playlists and then I go a month without adding any. Even if I’m adding a lot, I typically prefer Daily Mixes to playlists soooo if you have any tips for getting into playlists please let me know.
Social Media
It’s no secret that I love social media, and it’s something I check throughout the day. I don’t have a specific routine for most platforms, but I thought it would be good to talk about them.
Instagram: I probably check this one the most, and do so many times throughout the day. During the day, I don’t focus too much on being ‘caught up’ on my timeline, but I always make sure to be caught up before I go to bed, with both stories and posts.
Facebook: I honestly check Facebook a lot, which I know might be an unpopular opinion. I’m part of a lot of different groups on Facebook so I enjoy checking in with those. Recently, Facebook introduced a ‘caught up’ feature like Instagram’s so I may or may not be paying attention to that in the future. Usually, I get off Facebook when I feel like I’ve seen enough for that time.
Snapchat: I rarely use Snapchat, my only streak is with my boyfriend and we snapchat literally once a day, sometimes less, just to keep it going (867 days strong though!). I do check stories, but not as often as I check Instagram/Facebook. I also respond to specific snapchats as I get them but honestly I get maybe 2 a day.
Tik Tok: It’s really easy for me to get super distracted by Tik Tok, so I usually reserve time for it while I eat meals. Doing this keeps me from getting too innundated by its content, and Tik Tok is much easier to scroll through than other social medias while my hands are busy feeding me.
Twitter: This is one I actually do have a routine for! I typically check Twitter only in the morning and before I go to bed, sometimes mid-day if I am particularly bored and sometimes multiple times a day if something really important is going on. Twitter’s algorithm makes it so I receive a lot of not so exciting content if I’m checking it all the time so, by spacing out the time I use it, I get the best content that I am actually interested in at the top of my timeline.
LinkedIn: I honestly use LinkedIn all the time and I’m not sure if that is fun or embarrassing! I don’t have a particular routine for it, but it is part of my morning/night social media scrolls and I always check it if I’m bored or get a notification during the day.
Other: TimeHop, VSCO, and CoStar are also a part of my morning routine, but are not ~too~ important to me.
YouTube
I’ve kept this separate from social media because I consider them to be pretty different forms of content. I check Youtube a couple times throughout the day to add videos to my Watch Later- anything that stands out to me on the Trending page or in my Subscription Box goes into my Watch Later and is watched by me once I have time, typically in the evenings a couple times a week and pretty much all day on Saturdays. I currently have 35 videos in Watch Later, but recently was up to 70+ since this isn’t number 1 on my content list. I do enjoy making time for it when I have a chance!
Live TV
Currently, I am only watching 2 Live TV shows: Real Housewives of Potomac and The Bachelorette. (About to be 3 with the premiere of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and I cannot tell you how excited I am). Anyway, I do my best to watch these while they are live and put them in my Google Calendar to make sure I remember. If I’m not able to watch live, I try to as soon as I possibly can in the following days.
I’ve honestly never really followed a TV show in real time before and I enjoy it! Binge watching is fun, but I pay a lot more attention to what is going on when I’m watching on a weekly basis.
Non-Live TV
This is something I have not had much time for this semester, and am hoping to get back to over winter break. Once I am completely caught up on all other forms of content, it’s time to watch Netflix, Hulu, etc. Currently, I am watching Season 5 of Drag Race and have been since literally August. Whoops! Anyway, this form of content just isn’t my number 1 priority, but I do enjoy binge watching/rewatching shows when I have the time. I’m planning on rewatching Glee over winter break so please talk me out of that lol.
So that is my completely insane explanation of how I stay consume so much content! I realize this sort of routine will probably not work for the general public, but again I really need a strict routine and it’s important to me to work digital content into that. Whether this inspired you to get more involved in digital content or to literally never interact with it again, I hope this was an interesting insight into my brain!
It’s November 1st and, to me at least, that means it’s CHRISTMAS SEASON! I hate cold weather but I manage to enjoy winter because I loooooove Christmas. Call me basic, I honestly don’t even mind because it’s true. Christmas food, Christmas decorations, Christmas gifts, all of it! I really do love giving gifts but, let’s be honest here, getting gifts is pretty great too.
Back in middle school I’d put together EXTENSIVE powerpoints with everything I wanted that year. It was super dramatic and wishful thinking to say the least (I really thought I was going to get Coach shoes and Uggs in 7th grade lol rip) but I still do enjoy brainstorming a wish list so I thought this post would be a lot of fun to put together
I figured this post could potentially inspire my family if they’re needing gift ideas for me, but honestly more for me to prepare for what I plan to buy once I receive Christmas money (come on guys let’s be real, money is all we really want). And if you have a college gal in your life, maybe she’d be interested in these things too!
Books
Books are something I used to love soooo much but have definitely fallen off of recently. I really would love to read but, with the amount of homework & work and the insane amount of content I consume, I simply do not have time. I think I’d be more motivated to read if I had books ready for me, so here’s a few on my reading list:
How I Built This by Guy Raz
If you read my podcast roundup, you know how much I enjoy the How I Built This podcast. Obviously, the new book is at the top of my list!
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I actually already have access to this book, my mom owns a copy, so I definitely have no excuse not to read it! Even though I haven’t gotten around to it yet, I know this book is worth me investing in my own copy.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
One of the few books I’ve read in recent years is The Handmaid’s Tale, this book’s prequel. The TV show is far too sad for me to watch, but I loved the book so I know I’ll love this sequel too.
Maybe you Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Mental health has become a huge passion of mine through my college career, and I’m a massive fan of Lori Gottlieb’s podcast (stay tuned for a podcast update coming soon) so I know this book will be a really interesting read for me.
Girl with No Job by Claudia Oshry
Another podcast adjacent book, this one is actually a pre order. I recognize Claudia’s scandals, but that doesn’t stop me from finding her extremely entertaining and I’m really looking forward to her debut book!
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
If you haven’t heard of this one, where have you been!? I’ve read parts of this one while dogsitting over the summer, but have yet to finish the whole thing. Through the few chapters I’ve read, I can tell that this is a really incredible story and I must have my own copy.
Book of the Month Subscription
Again, reading hasn’t been my number 1 priority recently. I think having a new book come to me each month would be a great motivator!
My number one wish list item was AirPods for the longest time and I finally invested in them a few weeks ago. I literally cannot recommend them enough and now that I have them, I can move on to the other techy items on my wish list.
Wireless Charger
Since my phone and AirPods have the ability to charge sans wires, I honestly just feel kind of obligated to invest in this! I love the look of it and think it would be really handy.
I’ve had my clear iPhone case for about a year now which means that it’s much more yellow than clear. gross. Casetify has some really stylish cases, and I love this fun black on black one I designed! I also have cracked my screen protector pretty extensively so, once I get that replaced, I need a pretty intense case that will prevent that from happening again.
So I already know I will not be receiving this as a gift considering it is $300, but it’s something I’m pretty seriously considering purchasing for myself. I have a lot of trouble controlling my temperature and this seems to be a great fix for it but that price is not super appealing soooo if you have any reviews definitely let me know!
Honestly, I just really love mugs. Here’s some ones I like a lot (a couple of which are podcast merchandise lol) if you’re looking to buy me something.
Gift Cards
Like I mentioned earlier, we all know money is honestly the ideal gift. As someone who loves giving gifts, I realize how un-personal money feels to give, so maybe a gift card is a better choice. As a busy college student, I’d love to receive gift cards for the places I shop the most often, specifically:
Hello Fresh
Aldi
Starbucks
Dunkin
Amazon
Target
Fitness
Fitness is still not my strongest suit, but is something I’ve begun to enjoy more over time. I’m looking forward to taking lots of fitness classes during my winter break so I’m thinking these products will make it easier for me to do so.
Yoga Mat
I got one of these 3 or 4 years ago for Christmas and loved it, but it’s time for a new one. This one was a bestseller on Amazon and has a lot of neutral colors like the ones I’m looking for.
Socks
I will never understand why socks get a bad rap as a gift. They are the best gift ever! My feet are cold literally all the time (shoutout to my Raynaud’s disease) so I’m always wearing socks. Here’s a link to some Bombas socks that seem ideal for workout purposes, but I always love a silly design too!
Like I said, I am soooo excited to take fitness classes over winter break. Cycle Bar and Pure Barre being my fitness studios of choice, the memberships are quite pricey but definitely seem worthwhile to me.
I love flowers and would literally be so excited to receive them on a monthly basis (even if it’s just for a few months). I included this one specifically for my boyfriend to see and will be sending it to him the second this post goes live so hi dom hint hint. Anyway! I think this is such a perfect gift, who doesn’t like flowers!? Here are a few subscriptions I found that seem great:
As an American citizen above the age of 18 I feel that it is not only my privilege, but my inherent duty to participate in our democracy. Today, I’d like to talk about how I will be using my vote this November to do exactly that.
If you are an undecided voter, I hope this post will allow you to learn more about one of the candidates that will be on your ballot.
If you are not registered to vote, I hope this post will motivate you to register and support a candidate you support. In Illinois, you can register to vote on Election Day!
If you are supporting a candidate other than Joe Biden, I hope you will take the time to read this post and understand why many individuals like myself are choosing to vote Biden this year.
I will be using the following graphic as a point of reference for this post. It comes from the Instagram account, @soyouwanttotalkabout, a page dedicated to “dissecting progressive politics and social issues in graphic slideshow form!”
This page is biased toward progressive politics, but is filled with extremely factual information with transparent sources. Their post, 120 Reasons to Elect Joe Biden, will be the basis of much of the information in this post. I will be linking some of their most informative graphics at the end of this post!
Additionally, I will not be discussing Joe Biden’s opponents. Rather I will focus on facts and policy. I cannot guarantee my lack of bias because, obviously, I am a strong supporter of the Biden Harris ticket but again, I hope you can gain some valuable information from this post no matter your political stance.
With that, let’s talk about why I am voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
For BIPOC
I am not a person of color, so it is not my place to speak to the experiences of any BIPOC. However, I can recognize the systemic disparities against individuals of color throughout our country and it is extremely important to me that my president can recognize this as well. I hope, in the future, addressing racial injustices is at the height of all political candidate’s agendas, no matter their party affiliation.
Biden recognizes that COVID-19 has “shone a bright light on racial disparities in health and health care”.
Biden has stated that America is “seeing a national reckoning on racial justice and systemic racism in the murder of George Floyd and so many other black men, women, and children”.
Biden is committed to “a major mobilization of effort and resources to advance racial equity across the American economy”.
The Future
Our country is in a place of extreme divide at this time. I admire Joe Biden’s dedication to bridging this gap among American citizens in order to achieve the future we want to see in our country. This morning, I listened to an episode of Unlocking Us with Brene Brown, one of my favorite podcasts, where she hosted Joe Biden as her guest. They discussed Empathy, Unity, and Courage in a very candid way and inspired me to be further dedicated toward striving for unity in our country. Whether or not you support Biden, I recommend taking 50 minutes out of your day to listen to Vice President Biden’s remarks on these topics.
With that, this episode only further confirmed to me that Biden is the best choice for our country’s future. Other than general unity, climate change and the economy are massive aspects of the future that must be addressed. I am genuinely scared of the country my future children will grow up in, or if I will even be able to have children if our country continues on the same path. I’ll discuss climate change in depth later, but here are some important points regarding Biden’s economic plan.
Biden will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000.
Biden will impose a tax penalty on corporations that ship jobs overseas in order to sell products back to America.
Biden will ensure that no family. Spends more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance.
Civil Rights
Much of these points involve criminal justice reform, a topic that, if addressed effectively, will contribute to a significant reform of civil justice as a whole in our country.
Biden will expand and use the power of the U.S. Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors’ offices.
Biden will eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing.
Biden will end the federal crack and powder cocaine disparity.
Biden will decriminalize the use of cannabis and automatically expunge all prior cannabis use convictions.
Biden will end all incarceration for drug use alone and instead divert individuals to drug courts and treatment.
Biden will end the death penalty nationwide.
Biden will end cash bail and crack down on private prisons overcharging for phone calls.
In an effort to reduce the population of incarcerated youth, Biden will create a new grant program to encourage states to (1) place non-violent youth in community-based alternatives to prison, and (2) repurpose empty prisons for the community’s benefit so they cannot be used in the future for detention.
Biden will expand funding for after-school programs, community centers, and summer jobs.
Biden wants to stop the school-to-prison pipeline and will commit to doubling the amount of mental healthcare professionals in schools.
Biden will expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment, as well as educational opportunities and job training for individuals during and after incarceration.
Biden will eliminate barriers keeping formerly incarcerated individuals from accessing public assistance such as SNAP, Pell grants, and housing support.
The LGBTQ+ Community
I am connected to the LGBTQ+ Community in many ways but, even if I wasn’t, I would still take it upon myself to support a candidate that recognizes all individuals deserve human rights, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Biden will ensure that leaders across the federal agencies are committed to fully enforcing our civil rights laws for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Biden will ensure enforcement of Title VII and work to pass the Equality Act to affirm that employment discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation is prohibited.
Biden will ensure that workforce and entrepreneurial training programs and resources funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration focus on and benefit transgender and non-binary Americans.
The Biden Administration will also work with civil rights leaders to develop and institute implicit bias training programs for federal workers and contractors to address discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability.
Biden will direct the U.S. Department of Defense to allow transgender service members to serve openly, receive needed medical treatment, and be free from discrimination.
Biden’s plan for veterans calls for addressing the unique needs of LGBTQ+ veterans.
In regards to adoption, Biden will work to ensure that qualified families are not discriminated against based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex, marital status, disability, or religion and that child welfare agencies put the interests of children first, including those who are LGBTQ+.
Biden will secure the passage of the Equality Act , ensuring that no President can ever again single-handedly roll back civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, including in housing and homeless shelters.
Biden will champion passage of the Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act to ensure non-discriminatory treatment of LGBTQ+ older Americans.
Biden will ensure all transgender individuals have access to identification documents that accurately reflect their gender identity.
On his first day in office, Biden will reinstate the Obama-Biden guidance revoked by the Trump-Pence Administration, which will restore transgender students’ access to sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms in accordance with their gender identity.
Biden will invest in research to develop more effective teen suicide prevention programs.
Biden will increase funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to ensure LGBTQ+ individuals have access to transitional living programs that provide essential services like job counseling and mental and physical health care.
Biden has committed to banning conversion therapy nationwide
Gun Control
This is an extremely important issue to me, after being affected personally by unsafe gun use. In my opinion, any lawmaker who is not willing to recognize the dangers of guns, a weapon literally designed to kill, is irresponsible and a threat to people throughout the country.
Biden will also institute a program to buy back weapons of war currently on our streets.
Biden supports legislation restricting the number of firearms an individual may purchase per month to one.
Biden supports the proposal in the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, which extends the firearms background check timeline from three to 10 business days.
Biden will enact legislation to prohibit all online sales of firearms, ammunition, kits, and gun parts.
Biden will incentivize states to implement “red flag” laws.
Biden supports legislation that holds adults accountable for giving minors access to firearms.
The Biden Administration will put an end to “ghost guns” by implementing legislation requiring that purchasers of gun kits or 3D printing code pass a federal background check.
Biden supports barring states from using federal dollars to arm or train educators to discharge firearms.
Biden will require that healthcare and other service providers be trained in trauma-centered care
Biden will require hold gun manufacturers accountable by repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Equality
Biden will ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require background checks for all gun sales, close the “boyfriend loophole” and “hate crime loophole,” and tackle urban gun violence by investing in evidence-based community interventions
Healthcare
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of universal health care for a long time because I have access to great medical care through my parent’s insurance. I realize that this is an extremely privileged view to have, and have done a lot of thinking about the importance of healthcare for every citizen of our country.
After spending 2 months in Denmark and witnessing their incredibly well-done system of free healthcare for all, I genuinely struggle to comprehend why this is cannot an option for our country too.
Biden will build on the Affordable Care Act by giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making our health care system less complex to navigate.
“Every American has a right to the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have access to affordable, quality health care”.
Regarding the issue of abortion Biden has stated “I am personally opposed to abortion, but I don’t think I have a right to impose my view on society”
Biden voted YES on spending $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives
Women & Girls and Equal Pay
As a women myself, it is extremely important to me that my president is a feminist and supporter of equal rights for all woman in the USA.
Biden has committed to structuring his administration so that women’s issues remain at the forefront of policy efforts.
Biden’s lengthy “Agenda for Women” focuses on specific policies that will help LGBTQ+ women, women with disabilities, incarcerated women, women veterans, Native women, and women of color.
Biden has committed to closing the wage gap and ending discrimination on the basis of sex.
Biden backs the BE HEARD Act – which prevents discrimination and harassment at work.
Biden will create a White House Council on Gender Equality, chaired by a senior member of the Executive Office of the President tasked solely with guiding and coordinating government policy that impacts women and girls, such as economic policy, health care, racial justice, gender-based violence, and foreign policy.
Biden will focus on uplifting the rights of women and girls at home and abroad, by ratifying the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), promoting girls’ education in other countries, and confronting gender-based violence globally.
Biden has committed to protecting Roe v. Wade and says he will make it “the law of the land”
Biden has promised that his federal court nominees would have to “support the right of privacy, on which the entire notion of a woman’s right to choose is based.”
Biden has pledged to repeal the Trump administration’s Title X gag rule, which would ensure that all people have access to birth control options.
Biden is committed to ending the rape kit backlog.
Biden wants to confront online bullying, harassment, abuse, and stalking.
Biden has made enacting the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act one of his first 100 day priorities.
Biden will allocate $5 billion to community organizations to provide cash grants to sexual and domestic violence survivors in need.
Biden will work with Congress to reform the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide paid leave for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking who need time to seek physical or mental care, seek counsel, find new housing, or take other action related to the violence they experienced.
Biden will pursue legislation that will require schools to offer and fund peer-facilitated and student-led prevention education (in addition to comprehensive, data-informed, and ongoing prevention education), and mandate schools conduct campus climate surveys on sexual violence and dating violence and then develop a plan to address survey findings.
The Biden Administration will push for legislation that will require schools to improve reporting practices in cases of sexual assault.
Biden will require all college administrators and staff to be trained on how to support victims of sexual assault or other gender-based violence.
Biden will push for legislation, regulatory action, and appropriations so that K-12 public schools provide annual, age-appropriate education on healthy relationships and affirmative consent beginning in elementary school through graduation.
Biden co-sponsored the ERA nine times. As president, he will continue to support ratification for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Biden will establish a new Task Force on Online Harassment and Abuse to focus on the connection between mass shootings, online harassment, extremism, and violence against women.
Biden will expand the Elder Justice AmeriCorps program to include a dedicated focus on legal advocacy for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, including the sexual abuse of older adults in nursing homes.
Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice will reinstate explicit asylum protections – rescinded by the Trump Administration – for domestic violence and sexual violence survivors whose home governments cannot or will not protect them.
By enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act, Biden will ban the use of salary history to set wages and make hiring decisions, so employers have one less false justification for under-paying women and people of color.
Biden will follow the lead of more than two dozen states and support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, ensuring that employers offer women employees with reasonable workplace accommodations when their abilities are limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.
Biden will improve and expand the Small Business Administration programs that most effectively support women-owned businesses, especially those owned by women of color.
Biden has proposed national pre-K for all children ages 3 and 4, and pointed to research that has shown that such programs help women work and shrink racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps.
Biden supports repealing the Hyde Amendment.
Biden is committed to restoring federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
Biden will condition receipt of federal criminal justice grants on adequate provision of primary care and gynecological care for women, including care for pregnant women.
Biden will offer low-income and middle-class families an up to $8,000 tax credit to help pay for child care.
Biden will create a national paid family and medical leave program to give all workers up to 12 weeks of paid leave, based on the FAMILY Act
The Climate
It is difficult for me to wrap my head around those that do not believe in climate change. Maybe you don’t believe that it is happening on a large scale, or not right now, shouldn’t you still considering pursuing the betterment of our planet for the future?
On day one, Biden will sign a series of new executive orders to tackle climate change.
Biden will recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Biden Administration will take action against fossil fuel companies and other polluters who put profit over people.
Biden will require aggressive methane pollution limits for new and existing oil and gas operations.
Biden will ensure that all U.S. government installations, buildings, and facilities are more efficient and climate-ready, harnessing the purchasing power and supply chains to drive innovation.
The Biden Administration will require public companies to disclose climate risks and the greenhouse gas emissions in their operations and supply chains.
The Biden Administration will transform the way we fund local transportation, giving state and local governments, with input from community stakeholders, more flexibility to use any new transportation funds to build safer, cleaner, and more accessible transportation ecosystem.
Biden will enact a national strategy to develop a low-carbon manufacturing sector in every state.
Biden has proposed advancing research in carbon capture and storage technology, which prevents carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere
Education
Education is the backbone of our society and is pretty much essential to success in the American society today. If we can all recognize its importance, why is education not prioritized?
Biden plans on providing two years of tuition-free community college for all families with incomes below $125,000.
Biden will make a $50 billion investment in workforce training, including community-college business partnerships and apprenticeships.
Biden will create a new, simple program which offers $10,000 of undergraduate or graduate student debt relief for every year of national or community service, up to five years.
The Biden Administration will put an end to discriminatory for-profit college programs.
Biden will crack down on private lenders profiteering off of students and allow individuals holding private loans to discharge them in bankruptcy.
Biden will support and protect post-9/11 GI benefits for veterans and qualified family members.
Biden will invest $18 billion in grants to HBCUs, TCUs, and under-resourced MSIs to make them more affordable for their students
The Disabled Community
Rights of the disabled are often overlooked when it comes to human rights and social justice issue, yet 1 in 4 American adults are disabled in some way. I want a president who will recognize and address disparities against disabled individuals.
Biden wants to ensure full inclusion of people with disabilities in policy development and aggressively enforce the civil rights of people with disabilities
Biden has committed to expanding competitive and integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities
Biden will work to expand access to accessible, integrated, and affordable housing, transportation, & assistive technologies to protect those with disabilities in emergencies
Biden will guarantee access to high-quality, affordable health care, including mental healthcare, and expand access to home and community based services and long term services
Biden wants to revisit efforts to support successful school to work transitions for youth with disabilities
Deceny
Most of all, I am voting for Joe Biden because I feel that he is a genuine, decent man. Some of the following bullet points will involve topics like Veterans, Caregiving, and Housing. These are all extremely important topics, but I’ve included them in this section because I feel they are further contribution toward Joe Biden’s status as a decent, genuine, and dedicated candidate for the people of the United States.
Biden plans to fill the vacancies at the Department of Veterans Affairs and increase wages for employees to be competitive with the private sector.
Biden has committed to ensuring that the VA provides exemplary mental health services to all veterans.
Biden will reverse Department of Defense policies that perpetuate stigmatization of and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Biden will provide funding to ensure there is safe, reliable child care at all VA Medical Centers.
Biden will increase funding for and expand access to telehealth through the VA, particularly in rural areas not able to access timely care.
Within his first 200 days in office, Biden will release a comprehensive public health and cross-sector approach to addressing suicide in veterans, service members, and their families.
Biden will work with Congress to continue to drive down veteran homelessness by permanently authorizing the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program.
Biden will not target the men and women who served in uniform, or their families, for deportation
Biden will address the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders by training 35,000 workers to provide critical support.
Biden will fully and rapidly implement the CARES Act which allocated nearly $1 billion over four years to address nursing burnout, faculty recruitment and retention, and increase nursing workforce diversity.
Biden will ensure caregivers and early childhood educators receive a raise, and get the pay they deserve.
Biden will work to ensure all workers have an effective, meaningful way to unionize.
Biden will protect homeowners and renters from abusive lenders and landlords through a new Homeowner and Renter Bill of Rights
Biden will protect tenants from eviction
Biden will eliminate local and state housing regulations that perpetuate discrimination
Biden will restore the Voting Rights Act.
Biden will end the practice of anonymous shell companies.
Biden will immediately return to daily press briefings at the White House, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Defense.
Biden will immediately end the practice of separating families at the border, as well as holding immigrant children in for-profit prisons.
Biden will terminate the travel ban against people from Muslim-majority countries.
The Biden Administration will reaffirm the ban on torture and restore greater transparency in our military operations, including policies instituted during the Obama-Biden administration.
Biden is committed to ending the forever wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East and bringing our troops home.
Biden will introduce a constitutional amendment to entirely eliminate private dollars from our federal elections.
Biden will enact legislation to provide voluntary matching public funds for federal candidates receiving small dollar donations.
Biden will ensure that lobbyists and corporate PACs do not play a role in our elections.
Biden will work to block any future president or anyone else in the White House from improperly interfering with decisions about who or what to investigate and prosecute.
Biden will empower agency watchdogs to combat unethical behavior.
As president, Biden will enact legislation requiring that every candidate for federal office disclose returns dating back 10 years prior to the date they declared their candidacy for their first federal office
I hope this post provided you with some valuable information regarding Joe Biden and his candidacy for President of the United States.
The Following are Resources I’ve found helpful regarding Joe Biden, Voting, and the Election as a whole:
If the link does not open when you click on it, just copy and paste it into your browser!
Again, I hope this post gave you some valuable information and allowed you to think about the incredibly important election that is quickly approaching.
Today we’re talking sleep: something I used to be pretty bad at. In the past few years of being in college however, my sleep schedule has done a complete 180 and I am proud to announce that I am now a morning person! Those who knew me in high school just had their jaws DROP, but it’s completely true.
This is something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time, and was never able to find any good advice. I want to promise you that I will not be giving unhelpful advice like “walk across the room to turn off your alarm”, “go on a run instead of getting on your phone”, etc. Absolutely not, this is real talk. I’ll be discussing the following topics and how addressing them allowed me to get a healthy amount of sleep and become a morning person:
Pressing Snooze
Morning Routines
Caffeine
Naps
Night Routines
Let’s set the scene for this post with a photo of my bed aka my happy place- the vibe of my bedroom is pretty different than the interior decorating I’ve gone for in the past but I am SO happy with how it turned out.
Anyway, sleep schedules. Let’s discuss.
The Snooze Button
Although I’ll be discussing quite a few tips, this is the biggest one of them all.
DON’T PRESS SNOOZE! JUST GET UP!
Believe me, I know this sounds insane. 18 year old Alice was the absolute queen of pressing snooze (from quite literally 5:45-7am every single week day) but making this change in my life has been the biggest game changer of all time.
I know the struggle of a comfy bed at 7 am just as much as everyone else, truly not much else is more difficult! However, sucking it up and just getting up will make your life 1000000 times easier. In my experience, waking up isn’t the hard part, getting up is. As soon as you change your mindset and make yourself stand up right when you turn off the alarm, your day will start out on a better note.
Morning Routines
I have a couple points to highlight here. First, do NOT get on your phone in bed and next, find something to look forward to in the morning.
Like I said earlier, it is so so important to just get up and get out of bed when your alarm goes off. For me, I’ll get up and go to the restroom and do my skin care, and then I will return to my bed for my daily social media scroll. This may sound strange considering I just said to not get on your phone in bed, but it’s different when you have already woken up and walked around. What I mean is to not scroll on your phone while still laying in bed post alarm, because that is something I used to do quite often and it simply did not start my day on a good note. Depending on how I’m feeling, I sometimes go to the couch instead. Overall I am looking for a comfy place for me to begin my morning and my bed or couch is the best option for me. If you’re someone who can’t be in bed without falling asleep, I wouldn’t recommend this to you.
Next, it’s so great to find something to look forward to in the morning. Even something as simple as a good breakfast or cute outfit, if you have it in your mind that small thing might just be the motivation you need to get up and get your day started! For me, I genuinely get so excited to queue up my podcast feed every morning.
Caffeine
I’ll be the first one to proclaim my addiction to caffeine. However, getting it under control has been one of the best things for my sleep schedule (and mental health as a whole). During my freshman year of college I literally drank 5 cups of coffee a day and looking back I don’t understand how I functioned! Once I convinced my body to not need caffeine to stay awake (and went through literal drug withdrawal in the process), I was able to function so much better during the day, fall asleep and stay asleep much more easily, and not crash and lose focus in the middle of doing something important.
Now, I opt for one serving of caffeine a day and sometimes none! I’ve been gravitating more toward tea recently, which is interesting because you all know my love for coffee, but always choose a caffeinated option in the AM. I do of course treat myself to Dunkin or Starbucks pretty often, but if I’ve already had my caffeine for the day I’ll now opt for a decaf option.
Naps
I already know this is going to be a hot take but in my opinion naps = bad.
I have actually never been a nap person, not even as a small child (sorry mom and dad). If I take a nap, it means I am extremely sick. I have tried to nap plenty of times throughout my life and not only does my body physically not allow me to fall asleep, they just do not appeal to me in any way! In my opinion, naps seem super unproductive and unnecessary so yeah, not for me.
A lot of my fellow college students treat naps as a personality trait (I’m trying not to judge but come on guys, rewarding yourself for 30 minutes of homework with 2 hours of sleeping? we’re better than that!) so cutting them out might not be possible and I totally get that. However, if it’s an option for you I firmly believe that not napping can make your sleeping schedule so much better! Since I don’t take naps, my body knows that when I get into my bed at night it is time to sleep, so I’m able to do exactly that.
Night Routines
My nightly routine also helps me to convince my brain that it’s time to sleep. First of all, no matter how much time I’m spending in bed during the day, I NEVER get under the covers until it is time to sleep. Instead, I sit atop my made bed with a blanket (even better, I sit at my desk but that happens less often than I’d like to admit). This keeps me warm and comfy without actually being in bed, and helps my brain separate my sleeping space from my work/lounge space.
I begin my night routine with skin care, brushing my teeth, putting on PJs, etc. Upon returning to my room after this, I make sure that my overhead light is off and my two table lamps are on instead. I’d like to think that this change in lighting signals a change in my brain, letting it know that it’s time for bed. From there, I’ll do my nightly social media scroll, maybe read a bit (this never happens I don’t know why I’m including it), and listen to music. At this point, I’ll just listen to a regular playlist like my daily mix or discover weekly. It isn’t until the latter part of my night routine that I move on to sleepy time music.
A switch has flipped in my head this semester that does not allow me to go to bed until I’ve used the restroom, even if I don’t actually have to. Is this TMI? Sorry guys, I’ve gotta share my whole routine! Prior to venturing out to the restroom, I queue up a sleep playlist, set my Spotify sleep timer for 30 minutes, turn on do not disturb, plug in my phone, and un-make my bed. When I return to my room, I’m greeted by relaxing music and a welcoming comfy bed that make it easy to drift off quickly. Once in a while, I’ll begin overthinking and can’t sleep, so this is when I turn to the Headspace app which immediately gets my brain to turn off.
About 8 hours after this, I wake up and start the list of tips all over again! Although I think all of things I’ve discussed have been beneficial in my journey toward becoming a morning person, just getting up and starting my day (sans snooze button) has been the absolute biggest game changer.
It really is amazing how much healthier (mental and physical wise) I feel when I get adequate sleep. Plus waking up early is probably the most satisfying and productive feeling in the world! Even if you don’t get anything done, there is something so great about knowing you were the first one up.
Anyway, I hope these tips might help you if you’re looking to make some updates to your sleep schedule and I wish you the best of luck in avoiding the snooze button tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading!
This week, we’re talking organization. Being a college student means my days are long and extremely varied and staying on top of it all is something I feel like I’ve really perfected during my time on campus. I love sharing the systems that work for me and maybe they can inspire you as well! Here are the topics we’ll be discussing:
Color Coding
Google Calendar
Time Blocking
Physical Planner
Google Drive
Color Coding
Something I’ve been doing forever and literally do not know how I would function without. I began my color coding journey early in life when my mom coded our family calendar with a different color for each family number (I was purple). In middle school and high school I was religious about color coding each of my classes (math is blue, English is red, science is green, social studies is purple) and once I got to college I began color coding my activities as well.
On my Google Calendar, which we’ll talk about soon, each color is associated with a certain type of activity.
Red = Important! Deadlines, exams, presentations, etc.
Pink = Fun. TV, girls nights, birthdays, events, parties (yes, I put exchanges in my calendar. how else would I know they’re happening?)
Orange = Work. Anything that I’m getting paid for goes in orange.
Yellow = Workouts. The amount of yellow on my calendar varies quite a bit haha, but this is another thing that needs to be on my schedule if it’s going to happen.
Light Green = Clubs. I’m involved in a good amount of organizations on campus, so all of them fall under this color.
Dark Green = Kappa Delta. My sorority, although an on campus organization, keeps me much more occupied than other clubs so it gets it’s own color. I don’t know what I’m going to replace it with post grad!
Light Blue = Classes. This is the default Google Calendar color and, since class was the first thing I ever used it for, I’ve stuck with using this color for them.
Dark Blue = Appointments/Meetings. Doctor, dentist, meetings, and volunteering goes here too. Things that are important but aren’t a deadline or work related.
Periwinkle = Studying/To Do. I’ll talk about time blocking later, but this is the color I put in when I’m blocking out a given amount of time to get a certain task(s) done.
Purple = Meals. If they’re not in my calendar they won’t happen!
Gray = Travel. A lot less of this happening now, but my drives from Indy to Peoria still go in this color.
All of my classes are light blue, and their deadlines are red. However, each individual class has its own color in my planner and on Google Drive. I mentioned my 4 go-to colors from high school earlier, and it’s a lot more difficult to stick to this system in college when I’m taking 3 Marketing classes at a time. Here’s my color breakdown for my 5 classes this semester:
Google Calendar
Now, let’s really breakdown my Google Calendar usage. I use Google Calendar religiously. If something is not on my Google Calendar it will not happen. I explained my color coding above and love Google makes it so easy, but here are some more reasons why I love it:
I can physically see my free time on a given day
I can view multiple time zones, helpful when my parents are on a different time zone than myself at school and SUPER helpful when I was 6 hours ahead in Europe.
I can add notes to an event. I go through all of my syllabi at the beginning of the semester and add what I’ll be doing in class on a given day, this also makes it easy for me to add a to-do list when time blocking or to add a zoom link for virtual classes and meetings.
I can view other calendars, and others can view mine. This makes it easy to make appointments with friends and it’s just a lot of fun to see what their up to!
I can easily view the exact same calendar on any computer and any of my devices.
THE TASKS RIBBON!!!!
I discovered this during my sophomore year and it has literally changed my life. Under this ribbon I create a task for each of my classes, with subtasks for all assignments that need to be done. I can easily move tasks around based on priority at a certain time and it’s so satisfying to be able to check them off of my list.
In case you were wondering, here’s what my calendar looks like this week. I’d say this is a pretty typical week for me!
And here’s my task ribbon for the (rest of) the week. Monday-Thursday are the busiest parts of my week since that’s when I have class, so it’s really satisfying to see my to-do list shrink through those first few days. I’ll typically begin my new tasks on Sundays.
Time Blocking
Clearly, being in a routine is super essential for me. Time Blocking has been a great addition to that routine; I know it probably won’t work for everyone, but it helps me stay focused and avoid burn out. Here are a few examples of what a time block looks like for me.
You’ll notice that the second block repeats every 2 weeks, that’s because I do laundry, grocery shop, and clean my apartment every other Saturday from 10:30-2 on Saturdays. The idea is that I will dedicate those 3.5 hours to these tasks so I can complete them in that time, eat lunch, and then have free time the rest of the day.
The same goes for the first block. On this particular day I noticed that I had a few hours of free time, so I compiled a list of things that needed to be done that day (starting with essentials like a shower and cleaning my room, followed by some important job search things, finished with assignments for my various classes this semester). During the block of time, I’ll sit down and tackle that list of tasks, then check them off of my task ribbon as they are completed. Then, once the time block is up I have completed a ton of work and get some time to relax!
Physical Planner
Although Google Calendar is my absolute everything, I do still utilize a physical planner. Personally, I prefer a weekly layout with space to write all of my assignments. I used to write assignments and events in my planner, but found that this made my color coding a bit confusing, so I know only use my planner for assignments. For this reason, I don’t spend a ton of money on my planners since I literally only use them for assignments. I’ve found some really awesome affordable ones, though! This year I’m using one from Target I like a lot, but I’ve used ones from TJ Maxx and Target-brand Day Designers in the past that I also really love.
You’ll notice that there is a color for each class, and all kinds of words written in those colors. I write out everything that needs to be done up until their due date, and cross them out as I go. Like I said earlier, I only classes Monday-Thursday so Thursday is when my week resets, but I usually wait until Sunday to actually start the work since weekends are my time to relax.
Google Drive
Lastly, we’ll talk about how I use Google Drive to stay organized. Like Google Calendar, Drive is easily accessible from any computer or device which I really appreciate. I have literally so many folders in my Drive, but without them I would lose all of my work!
This is the menu you’ll see upon opening my google drive.
The work folder has a sub folder for some of the various jobs I’ve held that I’ve needed to use my personal computer for. It also has a folder for all things full time job search and one with copies of my resume, cover letters, headshots, etc.
The next folder is Notability, which is just backups of notes I take on my iPad. Not too exciting. But after that, is Other aka all things that are not school or work. That folder is divided by year and each year is filled with things like budgeting spreadsheets, travel itineraries (rip), and other important documents like my apartment lease. I’ve also got a folder in there of photos that I used to use for my laptop screensaver and should probably delete now that I’m seeing it because all of those are in Google Photos!
After Other is my Kappa Delta folder since, like I said, my sorority takes up a lot of my time. I planned a lot of events while I was on our executive board so all of my resources for that are housed in that folder. Lastly we’ve got school, where I have a folder for each semester of college that is sub divided (and color coded) into each class I’m taking that semester. This makes it super easy to access any assignments I’ve done in the past should someone need them, and I also have a spot for four year plans/scheduling info, to ensure I’m on top of all of my degree requirements.
Some other random things I do to stay organized
Back up all computer files and notability notes to google drive
Delete unnecessary photos from my camera roll on at least a weekly basis
Delete emails from my inbox and soon as they are not needed
Keep a comprehensive google sheet with each and every due date for my semester, color coded by class of course
Keep all of the files on my computer in just 2 folders, Work and School, that are divided into many different sub folders
So now that I’m reading through all of this, I’m realizing that my organization system might be even more insane than I thought. However! It really does work for me and is something I definitely pride myself on. Hopefully this inspired you to get a little more organized or revamp your google calendar/google drive processes. Thanks for reading!
I’ve always loved food. Cooking for myself (for the first time really) has been one of the best parts of my semester so far! I thought it would be fun to share an overview of what I eat in a typical day, I love hearing about what others eat and maybe I can give you some inspiration.
Some disclaimers before we start:
I am not a dietician, nutritionist, or anything of the sort. I do my best to eat in a “healthy” way but I think that word can be really subjective and toxic and want to put it out there I am not in any way qualified to give nutrition advice, I just like to talk about food.
I eat pretty small portions and I recognize that this wouldn’t be a great eating pattern for a lot of people. I have always been a very small person and just don’t need to eat a lot of food to feel full.
With that, I have a quick metabolism and tend to feel hungry soon after eating. I typically have big snacks and small meals all throughout the day, rather than just 3 meals a day because that is what works best for me.
I do not count calories, macros, or anything along those lines. I just eat what sounds good!
I don’t eat meat, at least not right now.
What I’ve found works best for me is to eat about every 2 hours, so I might mention that pattern throughout the post. I make a point to eat when I feel hungry, but have found that this tends to be every 2 or so hours. I really thrive on a routine so having this guideline helps me to feel in control and reminds me to eat if I get busy!
Breakfast
Breakfast is typically my biggest meal of the day because I am literally breaking my overnight fast. Again, I eat about every 2 hours so I’m usually pretty hungry when I wake up after 8 hours of not eating. My breakfast is usually pretty carb heavy because that is what sounds good to me in the AM, and I suppose it’s good to get that energy in early in the day! Here are some of my go-to breakfasts:
Everything Bagel Thins with Cream Cheese and Fruit
Granola with Milk and Berries
Toast with Peanut Butter & Honey, and Toast with Fried Egg & Sriracha
Overnight Oats with Honey and Berries
Buttered Toast and Fruit
Yogurt with Granola and Berries
Things I Always Have on Hand for Breakfast
Bread
Oats
Overnight Oats
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt (I prefer Vanilla)
Honey
Splash of Vanilla
Vanilla Yogurt
Frozen Mixed Berries
Granola
Honey
Butter
Bagel Thins
Peanut Butter
Eggs
Fruit
I pretty much exclusively eat some combination of these foods every single morning! It all depends on what sounds good and how hungry I am. I also of course always have a big cup of coffee or tea with my breakfast!
Morning Snack
I tend to gravitate toward sweeter snacks in the morning and savory snacks later in the day. Depending on how early I had breakfast (and if I have class or not) I sometimes I have 2 snacks in the morning. Usually this will be something sweet like fruit or a granola bar, or something not particularly sweet or savory like almonds or cashews.
My go to Morning Snacks
Apples with Peanut Butter
Frozen Green Grapes
Almonds (I usually go for unsalted, but make sure they are roasted, not raw)
Cashews
Lara Bar (My favorite bars by far. I like the fruity flavors the best!)
Baby Carrots
Lunch
So my lunch is more often than not leftovers. If I don’t have any on hand then I’ll do some combination of rice/quinoa/pasta with veggies, protein, and some kind of sauce. I prefer dishes that don’t require much cooking and can be stored for a long time. Here are a few of my go-to lunches:
Quinoa with black beans, corn, avocado, feta, salt & pepper, and balsamic
Quinoa with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta, lemon juice, and olive oil
Ingredients I Always Have on Hand to Throw a Lunch Together
Quinoa
Brown Rice
Black Beans
Corn
Chickpeas
Veggies: Tomato, Onion, Cucumber, Carrots, Spinach or Spring Mix, and Avocado are pretty much always in my fridge
Feta Cheese
Shredded Cheese
Olive Oil & Balsamic
Afternoon Snack
At this point in the day I’m usually craving something salty. Again, this is not exclusive and some days I might want fruit in the afternoon! But for the most part, I’m eating something from the following list.
My go to Afternoon Snacks
Pretzels or Pita Chips & Hummus
Carrots & Hummus
Plain Pretzels or Plain Pita Chips
Goldfish (my absolute guilty pleasure. I have to get the tiny prepackaged bags otherwise I will eat the entire massive package I don’t know what it is about them)
Pistachios
Roasted Chickpeas
Kale Chips
Dinner
If you follow my food account (shameless plug, @alices.eatsss) you know that I’ve been doing Hello Fresh this semester! I know it doesn’t fit into everyone’s budget, but I think it is so worth the price. It’s given me a chance to try fun new recipes without having to splurge on ingredients, have lots of leftovers, improve my cooking skills, and overall it’s just so awesome to have exciting new food to look forward to every week! Here are some of my favorite meals I’ve made:
Italian Vegetable Soup
Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Broccoli Carrot Donburi
Chickpea Bowl with Kale, Pickled Cabbage, Golden Raisins, & More!
Sesame Noodle Stir Fry
Cheesy Brussels Flat Bread with Hot Honey
BBQ Pineapple Flat Bread
Gnocchi with Spinach & Tomato
Salsa Verde Enchiladas
If I don’t have a Hello Fresh meal (or Hello Fresh leftovers) that means I’ll dress up a typical lunch, roast up some veg, or (if we’re being completely honest) go out to eat. Hello Fresh sends me 2 servings worth of every meal but I find that a lot of the meals are 3 servings for me so I have lots of leftovers to indulge in!
Dessert
Literally the best part of my day. I have SUCH a sweet tooth and am honestly not capable of eating dinner without eating ice cream afterwards. I have at least one pint of Ben and Jerrys in my freezer at all times. Ice cream is my go to, but sometimes I’ll bake some cookies or something fun like that. I can’t lie though, it’s pretty much always ice cream.
3 of my favorite flavors
Beverages
I figured this would be good to include since it is part of what I consume in a day.
I always start my day with a cup of coffee or tea. I got myself addicted to caffeine in high school and there’s just no looking back now! Typically I’ll just make it at home, but sometimes I’ll treat myself.
Pomegranate Espresso Tonic from Zion
My Dunkin Order: Black Caramel Iced Coffee
Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
I always have a sparkling water or Kombucha with my afternoon snack. I genuinely look forward to this all day haha. I do love Kombucha but it’s quite pricey so I’ve been having a lot more sparkling water recently. I like to keep a couple flavors in the fridge so I have multiple options!
As for regular water, I drink at least 64 oz a day. I used to be terrible at drinking water and the app Plant Nanny literally changed my life. Now I drink all the way through my 32 oz water bottle at least twice a day- I really do notice a difference when I don’t drink enough water. It’s been such a game changer for my skin, my energy, and my health in general. Highly recommend water to you all!
Some of my favorite sparkling water flavors
Me and my trusty water bottle!
Hope this provided some food inspiration to you all! In the mean time, have a great week and be sure to follow @alices.eatsss.
Alice's Adventures In... 