Three Ingredient Laundry Detergent!

I've been into this whole, you're-engaged-so-learn-to-be-a-wife thing. Lately, I've been noticing areas in which money is being OVERspent. One of the areas I've seen is in the realm of laundry. I cannot stand how much laundry detergent costs! plus, if you want to buy something natural--Heaven forbid, it costs a small fortune! Upon researching, I found out a remedy to this problem!

3 ingredient laundry detergent:

What you need:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda)
1 bar of soap (Ivory or Fels Naptha), shredded (using a cheese shedder or zester)
Cheese grater or zester ^^
blender or food processor
large bowl
1 seal tight container

yields about 32 oz or about 60 loads.

Directions:

1. Shred the soap with cheese grater into large bowl
2. Add 1 cup Borax and 1 cup washing soda.
3. Mix liberally into mixing bowl
4. scoop about 1 cup at a time into blender (after 1 cup is done, add to the container, and so on)

Use about 1-2 tbsp per load depending on size. Voila! Money saver! All of the ingredients together cost as much as a premade detergent but cost about 1/5 of the cost per load. Hello!!

Let me know how it goes!

The Perfect Gluten Free Sandwich Bread

Alright everyone. I know it's been eons of time since I've made a blog post, what can I say? Nursing school is a time-suck. But I vow to make more of a conscious effort to share what I've been doing (more like Siri will tell me).

What's new? Well, as some of you know, my tummy has become quite the little nuisance, always cramping and sharp pains everywhere. This, coupled with my inability to stay awake no matter the amount of coffee I drink, has propelled me to go gluten-free. What is gluten? It is a wheat protein found in pretty much everything. Everything. As I threw away all the good I enjoyed in my life, I was seriously dumbfounded! Why is everything so full of this yuck? I'll make another post about my gluten research later, but for now, the PERFECT GF sandwich bread (because I've found that gluten-free premade bread is absolutely disgusting).

Original Recipe Found in The Gluten-Free Bible (Modified by me *)

Ingredients:
3 Cups Gluten-Free (I've been quite fond of Bob's Red Mill) Multipurpose flour (found in the natural food section) *
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp) of active dry yeast
2 tsp xanthan gum (also Bob's Red Mill and in the Natural Food aisle)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flax *
1 cup warm water, and additional as needed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature (to make mine room temp, I hold them in my apron pocket (also gets your kangaroo desires out of the way))
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cider vinegar

1. Line 9x5 -inch LIGHT COLORED loaf pan with foil, dull side out (do not use glass). Extend sides of foil 3 inches up from the top of pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with flour blend.
2. Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk 1 cup water, oil, eggs, honey and vinegar together in a medium bowl. Beat into dry ingredients with electric mixer (or use a fork if you're broke). Should look shiny, smooth, and thick.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until batter reaches top of pan (I put near the oven).




4. Preheat oven to 375degreesF. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped and internal temperature is 200 degrees F. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting.

Savannah Staff

This girl is nutz. Upon requesting new things to blog about, she has requested I blog about her. That's all fine and dandy, but let's just talk about this PRIDE...just kidding.

I'm super excited to be in Savannah's house (shared with Cherell and Denise), but again, this blog post is about Savannah. We're going to be roommates next year, and I can already tell it will be off to a killer start. Let me recount the reasons of which she will be such an asset to our home next year: she's hecka open, she's goofy, she'll be a GREAT gym buddy...especially when I don't want to go, we're doing homework, she's always open to doing it.

I've also had to deal with the fact that my new goal in life is to not wake her up from her deep slumber with my incessant potty breaks during the night. She's such a trooper even though I'm incontinent as heck this week. One her very many complimentary attributes. 

She's wearing pink pants today. 

Campus swap has been fun down here in Champaign, so far I've been able to sit down and study out nursing and how it relates to God with a girl down here, as well as study at parkland. More to come starting Wednesday, not to say nothing's getting done, but lots is getting done. Like watching The Walking Dead and wearing a sweatshirt from a school I don't attend, to which...

...happens. 

I love Champaign. I love being here. 

A Pseudo Domesticated Queen: 2 Homemade Cleaners YOU Can Do

I was thinking about how it's hard to reconcile the need to be frugal and the effectiveness of the chemistry products that are so enticing (especially after my lovely experience with ammonia in chemistry freshman year of college). That AND there's no way I can clean anything with bleach and NOT get it all over my clothes. So, through the interest of keeping my sanity, I decided to try mixing a few concoctions that will fight the tough dirt and ick of the world!

The first one is a homemade antifreeze spray:

That sounds sketch, but let me explain why this was so important to make this. On Sunday it was around 10 degrees outside and the night before it was 33 degrees. JUST the temperature before water can be ice, meaning it rained liquid for a solid hour. THEN it froze. A half centimeter of ice. SO much ice, I didn't have a scraper, NOTHING. But when it came down to it, a recipe I picked up worked magic and dissolved the ice (after pouring a whole tub of salt over my car to no avail). This is a helpful recipe to dissolve ice and scrape it away. Move on with your life.

What you'll need:
1 small spray bottle
3 cups of window washing liquid (I bought a refill for windex, generic, and instead of a spray bottle full)
2 full bottles (12 fl oz each) of Isopropyl Alcohol
4 T Iodized salt
1 Gallon jug (leftover milk perhaps?)
Water

What you'll do is start by filling up the jug 2/3 of the way with HOT spout water. That will help everything dissolve faster. Pour in the 3 cups of window washing cleaner, the two bottles of alcohol, and the salt until full. It should look like this: 

In the gallon                                                                                  Pour in the bottle

Save the gallon and refill the bottle when you're done! 

THE SECOND!

It's the moment you've been waiting for, deeper cleaning power than bleach, with the toxins of a mere cooking ingredient, stronger than a moving train. It's VINEGAR!!

What you'll need:

1 spray bottle

1 bottle of vinegar (32 oz)

Water.

Directions: pour the vinegar in the gallon, fill the rest up with hot water, pour into the spray bottle.

 DONE

The effect of this is so safe, that you can even have it around your kids. Plus because of its acidity, you can bet it will kill those pesky germs and fight grease! Check out these before and after pictures:

This stove has been ratchet since the day we moved in, not even fixed by bleach!

Before:

AFTER!:

A total change! Vinegar is also able to cut through stains, grime on dishes, leather stains, glass, toilets, surfaces, marble and SO MUCH MORE. Plus, it's cheap, so holler for a dollar honey boo boo!

This has been another episode of my random domesticated spree, hope you gleaned valuable information from it! Until next time! Hugs, Kauffee

Tips For A Successful First Day

Hi all! I know it's been a bit of time since I've logged on here, but I'm happy to report back to my small internet following with one of my favorite topics: preparation to succeed! I know...cheesy slogan, but I feel that it carries a lot of merit. One doesn't merely succeed by it happening upon them (usually), but out of the fruit of successful preparation. Proverbs 15:22 says "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed," which basically encompasses the sheer volumes of success that can be gleaned from preparing for the new task whatever it may be. Here are (hopefully) some helpful tips to get back into a swing of things, or start the swing of things.

1. Buy a planner: I know, I have said this a million times, but actually being able to visualize what you have this week is a very effective method of staying organized. Using one of your five senses, you are able to have a tangible grasp on your time. Paper and pen don't usually scream STRESS STRESS because, let's be honest, what's written is written. Your thoughts/anxieties, when regurgitated, are not actually that rational, which is a fun thing about the human brain. Plan your week, note how you REALLY do have free time. Plan that free time to be a productive time. Going in with an idea is great.
2. Planning in advance: Look at your schedule, do you see an exam, a meeting, a trip coming up? Prepare in advance. Do you know in two weeks whether or not you'll be sick? I certainly don't! If you prepare in advance, when things you can't schedule in (i.e. "Stomach flu 1/19-1/21") come up, you will not be completely behind. Stress put on our bodies related to extra worries actually lower our immune system by taking up energy needed to fight off infection. That's one of the reasons why when we're stressed, it seems the cold NEVER goes away! Plus, if you plan in advance, and your boss/professor tells you to do something you weren't aware of, you can do it!
3. Set up a nice bedtime routine! According to Mayo Clinic, adults need about 7-9 hours of quality sleep. What?! That's a whole lot of sleep at one time. If we have prolonged sleep deprivation, our body's immune response is slower, our chemical processes are decreased, and we're not having as many firing synapses which accounts for grogginess and forgetting things. In your schedule, set a bedtime! A good time to sleep is about 30 minutes before you actually slip into your deeper unconscious mind. For example, I want to get 8 hours of sleep and I must wake up at 6, 9:30 is a good bedtime. The thirty minutes are there to give you a bit of cushion to actually fall asleep. When going back to school, it may be hard to get into this pattern right away. An over-the-counter sleeping supplement, Melatonin, is an amazing product to help you knock out, PLUS it's a key factor in sleep (actually is what causes you to have eye crust in the morning)
4. CLEAN YOUR ENVIRONMENT!: I cannot stress this enough. Something that is just amazing is falling asleep to Law and Order, however, it can lead to more chronic headaches, and less deep sleep. That and falling asleep in an environment that is crowded, messy, and dirty can affect sleep effectiveness and stress patterns. There is a lot to be said about working with your chi, because when your thoughts are floating to the heap of clothes on the floor, you may be a little distracted. If things are in your room that are out of place, do a complete overhaul, like yesterday, and focus on maintenance. Have you ever been studying and just wanted to clean your house instead? Your unconscious mind may be telling you what is REALLY necessary for you to have an ideal work environment. Same with sleep environment. If you're falling asleep with books on your bed, you are not giving yourself a much needed solace. A helpful tip is to take your books and neatly stack them or reshelve them with a marker of some sort to return to later. Turn your laptop off. Put your phone across the room and on SILENT (not vibrate). An alarm clock away from your bed is helpful too. If you train yourself enough, your bed can be a place your body will associate with rest and not stress, and your sleep with thank you!
5. Turn off electronics at night before you go to sleep: It is imperative to note that electronics with their backlit screens can actually stimulate the mind into thinking it is outside, causing a small increase in energy. If you want to fall asleep in a more full and complete manner, use that 30 minutes I talked about in point number three to have all ipods, computers, ipads, phones, whatever OFF. Staring at the screen checking facebook is not only time consuming, but it is detrimental to your mind's perception of the bed as a solace (point #4). Turn it off, you can text them back in the morning.
6. Know when is most productive for you and when is not: For me, I pretty much am brain dead past 10 PM. If I've had a long day, forget me retaining anything I try to cram in. What's helpful for me, then, is to schedule work at earlier times so that I can actually retain what I need. Some people, the morning is not a thing they like, which is fine. Schedule your work for when you can feasibly retain it. Studies show that retention rate is 60% higher within 24 hours of learning, and whenever you can more effectively study the better. Studying right before bed is usually ineffective as well. Set aside times, when it gets around bed time, resolve that one more hour will probably not do much, close the book, and get ready. Again, more sleep and reinforcement helps you retain. Cramming does not.
7. Resolve your issues: Take care of the fights you've had, drama you've been apart of, and stress you have. If that means merely texting someone, "Hey, if it's alright with you, I'd like to talk tomorrow." your mind is more apt to feeling like the door is closed on that issue so that you can resolve it later. If you're stressed, say a quick prayer, write down your stressors and resolve to deal with them tomorrow. Getting them out of your head will help you recover and not have fitful sleep. I feel that as a person this is super helpful, not to mention getting to sleep in peace!

I hope these tips were helpful!

Pizza Pasta Crock Pot Magic!

One of my new year's resolutions was to master the kitchen. Ambitious I know. I love to cook, but I moreso love to EAT! I feel that the crock pot is the most amazing invention ever in that I can throw things in there and set it to go...and there will be food for weeks! I just completed my first shopping trip with a purpose and completed my first recipe: Pizza Pasta in the crock pot. Let me just say that it smells DELICIOUS and tastes amazing! Here's the recipe!

Inside the crock pot. :)

Crock Pot Pizza Soup – prep/no cooking, freeze in zip lock bag (split recipe in half between two bags)

–1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce

–3 empty jars full of water

–1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

–1/2 red onion, chopped

–1 cup sliced mushrooms

–1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)

–2 cooked Italian sausage (I used chicken Italian sausage)

–1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters (Hormel turkey pepperoni is labeled gluten free)

–8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried)

–1 T dried oregano

–1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (if your pasta is tiny, use 1/3 cup. if it’s big, do 1/2. I used 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s brown rice penne) (I didn’t add any pasta to this one, it might actually be great with garlic bread… mmmm!)

–shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4 hungry adults, or 2 hungry adults and 2 kids with enough leftovers to feed them all again.

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut up the sausage into small pieces–I sliced, then cut the pieces in fourths. Add to crockpot. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too. Add basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.

Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high. My pasta only took 20 minutes to soften quite nicely.

Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese

4 Things to Make a Monday Rock

So, there is a trend that I've noticed, and that is a horrible disdain for Mondays. It's true, this is a start of a LONG week and a start of school, work, or whatever. Long times are ahead, filled with projects, exams, papers, and just plain adjustment from that wild and crazy weekend (though mine are usually me staying up until 11 and waking up at 7...like a rebel). My Mondays aren't that bad this semester due to the fact that I have no class on Mondays or Fridays, and I love every second of it. It's the bomb diggity, but Mondays can still be terrible. Poor Monday, it never had a chance.

Or does it?

I have resolved this semester to love Mondays. You heard that right, love them. They're still going to be there, and the multitude of things to do that week will be there too. But I have a few tips for you to make your Monday rock, following anecdotal evidences of why they actually suck.

Mondays = Stress. Yes, this may be true, but WHY are they stressful? Let's break it down: I have an exam this week, I have a project due soon, I have so many appointments, I'm tired. All of those things are completely in your control. Yes, I said it. You're the reason why you're stressed.
1. What did you do this weekend? Did anything this week strike you as important to note? Probably not. Weekends are turning into a time to completely check out. Studies have shown that once distracted from a task it takes 5 minutes to completely refocus. 5 minutes x 10 texts about that crazy hangout later = a whole 50 minutes of distraction, and that's IF you were focused in the first place. Weekends are definitely there for recharging, but do yourself a favor, and devote an hour and a half to uninterrupted (meaning put your phone in a drawer) productivity. This way, it will never feel like you took a break from work, and thus won't be such a shock when you start up again.
2. That sleep schedule. You know it's true. Studies show that when you alter your sleep schedule from what is typical, you are more likely to feel groggy and discombobulated when you readjust. Changing your sleep schedule and having your body adjust to it may take months! You're losing precious work hours by vegging out 12 hours at night on weekends. You wake up feeling "refreshed" but in actuality you are more tired the rest of the day. Make it a goal to sleep 8 hours a night, even on weekends. If the getting up hurts, set a coffee pot timer. Something that helps me wake up is setting an alarm for 20 minutes before I'm supposed to get up so that I am already pretty much awake. It's also important to sleep around the same time (give or take a few hours) each night and wake up around the same time. For example, during the school week, I sleep from about 10:30-6, and the weekends it's more like 11:30-7:30. My body has gotten so used to it that sleeping 10 hours just makes me sick!
3. Schedule your week ahead of time! Set a time during your weekend when you will take out your planner (and if you don't have one, get one), and well...plan! My planner is organized by hour and I put everything in it, too. Put in your classes, your appointments, your times with clubs/church, and note what you have to do! Look at Thursday and see how it's jammed up...well, then do your work early for that day. See how Tuesday is chill? Do more extra work or get coffee with your friend that day. The point is, you really HAVE a lot of time, I'm almost guaranteeing it, you may just need to visualize it. If you see there is a lot of time here or there, you will be more apt to being productive and less apt to hating everything that has to do with starting this week. I will even schedule when and how long I will study and stick to it like I would a doctor's appointment so I can sleep at 10:30. Don't procrastinate. You'll hate Mondays even more because you're going to dwell on how long you've put everything off!
4. Change your attitude. A lot of the things we hate about Mondays are hyper-inflated by everyone around us. We need to look at them from a different perspective, like, "Hey, I was actually ready for this terrible week, I am going to make the most of it," because think about it, why do most people hate summer by July? We aren't doing ANYTHING. You need to enjoy the work. Cherish it. Why? Because being inactive makes you feel sluggish. Synapses aren't firing as often. You're not being stimulated. Make your work fun. Look at your study guides as a game. Listen to music. Anything. There are no rules as to how you put the information in your brain. Something I like to do not related to studying is cleaning my room on Mondays. The weekend can pile up lots of things and I can oftentimes look at my environment as a reason to hate my life. Stop that right now! Pick up those papers, put them in folders, take the sheets and fold them, make your bed, pick up your clothes, organize your desk, put your planner on your desk and just feel the chi flow. Remember, it only takes one deep cleaning to set you up for maintenance, and believe me, your brain will thank you.

So let's change our views on Mondays, and learn to LOVE what renewal they have to offer!

Pinterest Is the Devil (Part 2): The Sock Bun

Hello, I have returned. After about a month off of blogging due to a sabbatical from social networks, I am excited to report that I have thought of many fun new thoughts to share with you lovely people since I've been gone. Of course, I want to start off with another post about the bane of my existence: pinterest. I love that website, but now it's getting to be a widespread campus epidemic! Specifically I want to comment on the "Sock Bun". By the end of this blog you will be so informed that you will be calling it out left and right, even if you're hair inept (like me).

In essence, one of the basic principles of this website is that there is an emphasis on creating a wish list for various aspects of life, and hey, as an organized person, why would this be bad? Well, when you start realizing this "wish list" outweighs your means, you start a discouraged downward spiral. With this completely irrational insecurity as the worldview, women are noticeably projecting their anger at Pinterest and subsequently anyone who can do what they want. The sock bun is no exception.

The sock bun is the pinnacle girl hairstyle that says, "Who cares? It's only hair," and is thus placed in high esteem amongst college women. In short you make your hair into a ponytail at the crown of your head, wrap a sock around that, and then turn your hair into a donut. It's so easy and looks so put together you A. don't have to try and B. Don't have to look like you didn't have to try. Should be pretty attainable for everyone, right? WRONG! Unlike the rest of the female population on campus, many of my fellow female classmates and my hair is not even remotely close to this "simple" feat. I'm pretty sure that the chick in Tangled still has to grow her hair a bit longer to attain this style:

We then resort to biotin supplements and putting eggs in our hair (which first off smells ratchet and second of IS ratchet and third off of course was found on pinterest!) to make our hair grow THAT long with no avail. Look around you, the chick that can do the sock bun, she's the best woman ever. So much talent. So much glam.

So for my fellow hair inept females, here is what I've resolved to do regarding this trend:

1. Recognize that desiring hair growth to put an old sock in there and make a bun is absolutely absurd

2. Be content with my medium length hair

3. Get rid of unattainable wishlist boards

4. Own that ponytail

5. Work that up do

6. GET OFF PINTEREST WHILST STUDYING. 

There you go ladies, you're not alone. 

A Win for Historic Healing: The Neti Pot Story

As you all might have been seeing, my blogs have had a common "sick person" theme, with the sick person being me. This respiratory infection has taken me through hills and valleys of fun times, and its turbulence is still here today! On Monday, I got an appointment at the doctor's office. It was pretty routine, but they didn't prescribe any antibiotics, just some Mucinex and cough suppressant pills. Palliative care basically. The Mucinex helped loosen everything up, but then...yeah, it just wasn't the best. On Tuesday, I woke up feeling like someone gave me a crude tonsillectomy with a rusty knife AND I was stuffed up like mad! Today is Wednesday, and I had to miss clinical because of this thing, and it is too far. Something was just not right. Why am I still sick even though I'm on 15 million meds?

So after getting frustrated that my mouth was dry because I couldn't breathe out of my nose, my friend Emily texted me about something, and then we started to get on the subject of Neti Pots. Now, a Neti Pot is a device I saw used by my mom, but it looked completely ridiculous when she did it (she preferred the freak out method of expelling the solution, somewhat like seizing, but even more gross). It is an ancient remedy for nasal congestion in ancient India, and was widely used for cleansing rituals. It was designed to irrigate the sinuses and remedy the spirit. In modern times it is a small pot that you fill with warm water and saline solution, like this: 

And you take it and pour this solution into one nostril and it then comes around your nasal cavity and out the other while you breathe through your mouth and exhale through your nose. The pressure takes the solution up and clears and loosens everything up and makes it all come out. Yes, it is messy at first. Yes, it's weird. But, I was up for anything.

I went to Wal-Mart and bought the Naso-Flo "irrigation pot" (about 17.50 with tax) and brought it home.

The directions are really helpful complete with diagrams and specific written instructions on how to operate this device. I put in the 240 mL of warm water into the pot with a premixed package of saline solution and stirred with a shake, capped the pot, and gave it a whirl. Now, I won't gross you out by explaining how the process went, but I can tell you that my nose feels completely clear, with no pain involved. Funny, considering I've been taking medication all week for this infection! 

Why won't more Americans try this? Well, it's possible that we have taken a little too much pride in our medicinal accomplishments. Now, don't get me wrong, I AM in nursing school after all, but I think that we defer to pharmacological treatments more often. Plus, I mean, it's gross, right? Well, honestly when I have a cold and can't do anything for 5 days, I think that I am willing to deal with a little saline solution in my nose.

From now on, this is definitely my new preferred method! 

Why SVU is the Best Show Ever

Let me just start out this story by explaining the context. I am super duper sick. I got some kind of upper respiratory infection complete with body aches and fever. I had plans this weekend to do my homework, go on a date, spend time with my friends, and go to church. However, hurricane Ursula (ugliest name I could come up with on the fly) came on Friday and all of those were put on hold. It's funny how being sick can just halt everything. I literally got sick every time I opened up my textbooks, meaning NOTHING was going to happen.

What is my default activity? Watching SVU on Netflix. This show has been my favorite since I was in 6th grade. It is legitimately the most messed up/beautiful show on television if you take a step back and look at it. I mean, the whole premise is a psycho and twisted plot to say the least, as well as detectives who get WAY too emotionally involved in the cases. You watch the show at first and are appalled by why it's even allowed on TV, then you figure out the fact that you love following this show until the end. No one wants to turn the channel off when the verdict is about to be read. It's completely normal to almost feel completely emotionally invested in these episodes, and it's like YOU'RE the detective. Plus who could forget the fact that there is always a twist. I've seen ever episode multiple times and I don't know if I could be that creative for 12 seasons (I don't consider the last 2 seasons SVU anymore, considering it's a tacky and tasteless copy of CSI). The characters are so wonderful and they are truly awesome. I mean look at this:

Elliot Stabler: He prefers to kick open doors instead of knocking, and who can argue with that? His Irish Catholic background comes through with how strict he is about his detective skills. He cares too much about his cases, and it gets him into trouble a lot of times, especially about kids. He's not afraid of letting someone know that they are in deep by him saying something along the lines of, "I'm watching you," or "I smell you." He's also really good with victims. Pretty much the best combo.

Olivia Benson: She's a hot mess. She has hard-lined convictions and cares for victims and almost always takes everything personal. She likes to relate everything back to how she doesn't have a father and likes to let everyone know it. Elliot and Liv run the show.

John Munch: Conspiracy theories galore. He has a lot of loopy insight that gets a lot of heat, but I think it's awesome. Plus, he has a lot of sass while working with his counterpart Finn Tutuola.

Finn Tutuola: How can you NOT love this guy? He adds a ghetto flair to every line he's given. Like, "Dass messed up," or "Ain't chall sposed to be at skoo?" He is one of those guys that is legitimately the best. His character has been in Brooklyn Narcotics for a very long time, so don't get it twisted, he is totally down. The best episodes are when he's working alongside with the drug police, it's like he's transformed.

Dr. Huang: Love this guy. He comes in and states the obvious all the time. Like, "She probably has issues with her father," and you're automatically on the road to the case being solved. He can evaluate and pinpoint people's issues by talking with them. Plus, he says it in a cool tone of voice you can't resist. Note: he IS the voice of Shang in Mulan. 

Captain Cragen: Eh, his character is pretty stagnate, and definitely runs the show and continues to deal with the risky moves everyone takes.

I basically love this show, it's not a huge deal, but it's so wonderful.

Nursing School: The Program in Which You Have the Best of Friends

It's not a big deal or anything, but in nursing school they tell you that you have to spend at least 10 hours a day with the material, and boy do they mean it. It's not a simple, "I can take a sick day," kind of situation, but one in which you are completely immersed and form an unhealthy relationship with everything. Let me explain in the most relatable way possible, though no way I can spin it sounds appealing.

My textbooks all have authors that wrote them (obv), but it's no longer a matter of what the title is, but the books becoming a person you spend huge amounts of time with. I mean, to be quite honest I spend more time with these made up entities than I do my own boyfriend or any of my friends (which I'm not exactly excited about having to do). They're starting to become people, and just like a real group of friends, they have their own distinct personalities. Here are some notable examples:

Abrams is the kind of guy that knows he's smart, but loves to help people get on his level. He coaches you along so you feel like you aren't being judged by everything he says. He doesn't just say, "Simply put," and follow it with a slew of Arabic that no one can understand. He says "Simply put," and follows it with things that are...well...simple. You always want Abrams in your study group.

Porth however, is that kid that grew up being a genius in everything and never let anyone forget it. If you thought something wrong, he will let you know right away, and you feel like a complete idiot, like, oh yeah, that's right, how could I forget atrial fibrillation it's common sense...no one likes to talk to him for anything.

Potter and Perry are the guys that hang out together and you almost never want to ask them any question. They're those guys that when you ask them a simple question like, "Why would you cover up a patient when examining their stomach?" will respond in five thousand different ways or scenarios, when you basically got the gist with the first sentence when it said that they need their modesty protected. I mean, we get that. No one is going to question that. They always will talk your ear off, so plan on spending a lot of time with them, or tune them out.

Brunner and Suddarth are kind of like Potter and Perry in that they really like to drive the point home. They are also those guys that watch the news a lot and soak up all the statistics. If you want any information on what anyone says about anyone, they will let you know. I can tell that they've been itching for the chance to test their knowledge base on everyone, and definitely jump at the opportunity to have a geek fest with you. You love it, but you also hate it, but you also love it. 

Jarvis is my girl though! She is so stinking cute. I imagine she'd be the one always posting on Facebook with pictures of her everywhere. She loves showing you what to do instead of telling you. When you first meet her you have to understand that she likes to whip out a med term every other word, but you get used to it and love her for it. She is a pretty laid back chick and can always give you a thought or two, and I feel like I spend the most time with her. We kick it.

Hence why nursing is the best school choice of insane people. I love it.

A Journey to Never Never Land: The Run of a Lifetime

Yesterday was the first day in all 8 years of running that I actually remembered enjoying. When I was twelve years old, my mom forced me to run track, and I've been basically running on and off ever since (whether or not I'm good is still up for debate). I remember hating every second of trying on shoes and practicing and collapsing and being dehydrated. But then recently, I was told by the doctor that I would probably never run again due to the fact that my lower back is comparable with some old folks, which was a huge blow to my psyche. I remember bawling my eyes out in the doctor when I heard the news. I mean, I love running, in that "your relationship does your more harm than good," or "your love is my drug" kind of way. I never was that guy who got the runner's high, but it was a great way to detach from my thoughts and just gallop into the sunset...figuratively speaking.

After finishing up a 2 hour torture session of pathophysiology (a class I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy), I decided to lace up my new shoes and run for a bit. Normally what I've been doing is walking 5 minutes, running 10 and walking 5. Yesterday for some reason my body was seemingly saying, "You should probably run 25 minutes without stopping, and I won't even warn you." So I did, I ran to the other college the town over and around their campus, I waved to people, I got some weird looks, I busted a move. But you know what the great part of it was? God didn't let me feel any pain in my back, NONE. I don't know if it was my endorphins or if my spine just decided to have its discs work again, but I was truly liberated! I was in this Never Never Land of pain free movement, and it was liberating. I circled back and ran to my town and felt invincible.

I am so grateful that I was able to do that again, and now I can say that I have truly experienced this thing called "rest" (yes, even while running). Let me just tell you, beating the odds is great! 

How Television Has Managed To Bring Back Neighborly Communication, No Matter How Awkward

I said it. Television is HELPING something. Look at your common sitcoms, Big Bang Theory, New Girl or whichever others, and you see that people are encouraging face-to-face communication. It seems as though the norm is to pick up the phone and call someone rather than text them, go to their house instead of creeping on their facebook. I am now seeing a retroactive shift in this real communication. Perhaps it's due to the fact that no one really feels that close through just a text or call anymore. We can thank our know-it-all parents and grandparents for that, what with their, "In my day..." and "Why don't you just go over there?"'s. I have personally seen an increase in people deciding to make real effort in their time with people, which is encouraging, however, I believe that there are some traits that we may have forgotten as a society that makes this neighborly communication hilarious albeit invasive. I'll give you a few examples from my life and living in my new apartment in a college town:

1. My mailman: Now he deserves a whole webpage, for he is a true gem. No we don't text or call, but he always makes sure to keep the conversations super weird and lovely when dropping off my cable bills. For instance, one time I was sitting in the courtyard in a chair, reading my Hemingway, when this gentlemen...let's call him Dave, decides to come up and ask with feigned-tentative mannerisms, "Apartment 9?" to which I replied, "Yes, that's me." He proceeded to hold the stack of papers out at arms length, as if touching an alligator (and believe me, I did not smell bad, so that was weird), saying, "It's a bill, don't hurt me!" and running away. I was significantly confused. Or how about the other time in which he stopped by to deliver a package and got so excited that I was really there that he high-fived me, ran away, then forgot he needed a signature. There are many more notable examples, however for the sake of the argument, let's just conclude that coming into this newfound communication is causing a bit of craziness with the adjustment.

2. Friends: We actually hang out now! It's crazy to think of how many times I was told to put away my cell phone in high school, and got offended by it! OFFENDED! I would freak out for the mere fact that someone told me to stop talking to my friends. Whole conversations happened over text. Miscommunication was crazy. We hung out maybe once a week at most, and when we did hang out, we were texting other people. Somehow this wasn't satisfying though (maybe it's an accessibility thing, who knows?), and now people are pushing towards actually hanging out. I can find myself wondering, now of course that I'm used to human interaction again, what was the appeal of hanging out with 2000 people at once? I can hardly focus when I have two people asking me for homework help! And let's not forget about the boundary issues. For crying out loud, a simple knock is out the window, considering that texting requires no warning, so why should your showing-up be any different? I however, am the biggest perpetrator in this aspect. My church is very tight-knit, and it's to the point that I almost get offended if someone's door is locked, which I suppose might be linked to the texting.

3. Professors: I think that this will be the area that will be the hardest to overcome. In no aspect do I find a teacher NOT intimidating. Nonetheless, I've learned that visiting their office is a quicker and more fulfilling response than an email. They are more apt to help you with that case and are willing to give you better grades. We of course think their office hours are somewhat obligatory, but in actuality, professors love them. They find joy in getting to know the nerdy kids in their class. We think they might breathe fire on us. It's a divide we'll conquer one day, but for now, anonymity is key.

Long story short, thank you television, for inadvertently teaching us the true colors of friendship (hope you get the reference).

The Brown Leather Boots

Pinterest is the devil. He used to use the magazines predominantly to put out the burning desires for things I'll never need. Now he has decided that it's much more accessible to have people pin these supposed "must-have" outfits on their Pinterest accounts. I can't even lie when I say that I have become a bit attached to my account (though I haven't checked it for a few days), what with designing my dream wedding (with would in actuality clash if put together), picking out jewelry I'll never be able to afford, pinning crafts I only wish I had the time to do, and a slew of other random goodies. Literally, slew of goodies. However, this aside, I think that girl-world is turning into one big pinterest reference. If you are not "up to pinterest" you are "uncool" or "out of touch", I'm realizing. It makes one stay up to speed on what is hip based on what's being pinned and how one adheres to it.

This brings me to my next point. The brown boots. Pinterest says that it is essential that one incorporates these boots into every outfit for fall. As you know from my previous post, I'm not a fan of fall. However, pinterest makes it seem as though fall is a great time of year, so I, being a girl, must agree. Pinterest convinced me not only that my outfits will be slammin' with these new beauties, but that fall will be bearable. Not just any boots, but genuine leather, knee highs, with socks poking up from under. Probably about 100+ dollars in price. At first, I thought it was just a mere trend on the website, but then I started noticing nursing students...NURSING STUDENTS (we're not the most fashion forward, nor do we elect style over comfort) slowly starting to own and don these essential items.

It all traces back to the theory that when crowds are gathered, one is more inclined to give into pressure. This is no different. With all the beautiful outfits, accessories, and crafts to be done with these boots, it only makes sense to own them, right? WRONG. Or at least it should be. Long story short, I caved. I now own a pair of knee high faux leather beautiful boots. Pinterest made me do it. Let's see if they really are the "all things to all men" item how they're advertised.

Wanted: Relief From Drastic Climate Change

As some may have guessed, I am from the tundra of the Midwest--Illinois. This state has prepared me to take what half percent or so that I might possess of viking and placed a keen survival instinct deep in my brain. However, sometimes this drop of fortuitous ancestry has left me ill-prepared for the horrendous nature that is the first feel of fall. Illinois boasts four very distinct seasons, what with its scorching summers and freezing winters, and the in betweens--fall and spring? well they do their own unpredictable patterns. That's probably a win-win for evolution (if you buy into that, I certainly do not), considering not a single organisms knows its happening...the climate change that is.

I have lived all 20 years of my life in this state and have just drawn a conclusion that there is no conclusive, nailed down, or prepared time in which the weather decides to change or how it will change. In 2011 (last year), it seemed to be warm forever. In fact, I remember going to a final in just a tshirt and yoga pants! However, this year is proving to be an especially freezing one.  I've had to don mittens indoors far too many times than I'd like to imagine, and I'm not ashamed to note that I also have Amazon open in another tab looking for heated blankets online.

Main point of the story, friends, is to always prepare for the apocalypse that is the yearly climate change. Here are some of my very favorite fall warmth tips:

Keep a tea cupboard stocked with your favorite flavors, just in case!
Have a good pair of mittens
microfleece socks so your toes don't freeze
heated blankets to snuggle and read with
Turn on space heaters while waiting for central heat to work.
grandpa sweaters...because they're awesome

Oh no, I'm turning into that lady talking about the weather. Maybe I should try to clean my house.

Until next time!

An Ode to the Denny's Gentleman

I have come to realize upon leaving my humble bubble of a hometown almost 2.5 years ago that people in fairytales exist in most unexpected places. Journeying to the lost kingdom of Denny's, one would not expect a most excellent knight to be working at the Denny's right off campus. Our first encounter was back in 2011, on a fateful Friday night. I knew the instant he retorted, "No sir, please do not fuss, it is our pleasure to serve you," to our friend's apology. That moment on, it would seem that everything would align that we would always have him as our waiter if it was our choice to enter past 10. He chooses to don an overly polite vernacular, and uses it in such a manner that one is transformed to the times of old.

This is for you Bartholomew**
Of all the waiters in this town
You, gentleman, surpass them all
Not a request too grand,
nor a deed too small.

You kneel down to serve
not a request strikes your nerves
Upon asking for chocolate chips,
you, like a servant, offer your hands with gratitude,
asking "Doth thou carest for any syrup dip?"

Your deeds don't go unnoticed,
your head can be held high,
for like a valiant knight,
your shift is nigh

Your love overflows like the water you insist on pouring in our cups.
How can we thank you enough?

 **name changed because this is very much a real person.