So I'm having bag envy. I hardly need to spend money on a bag right now, but what girl can't help but drool at designer bags. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Tory Burch Robinson Middy Satchel. Its just the most perfect bag to have ever graced this planet...ok maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration, but I mean look at it!
At $495 this bag is absurdly expensive. I don't think I could ever justify spending that much on a bag, especially not at this point in my life. Which brings me to the Fossil Marlow Satchel, which is a very similar bag. The shape is slightly different and there is no shoulder strap which is kind of a bummer, but its only $218 so who's complaining? Yes I said only $218... which is still insanely expensive, but slightly more reasonable.
Well needless to say both of these bags are wayyyy out of my price range. So I'm stuck internet window shopping for now.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm a bit of a news junkie. I have every news app under the sun and I'm constantly getting updates. I will also be the first to admit that when life gets busy, keeping up with current events is one of the first things to fall to the wayside. The whirlwind information age we live in can make it even harder to keep up, and separate the good information from the bad. I want to share some of my favorite news sources as well as how I keep informed.
Lets start with the big three: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. These are three classics that are sill completely relevant today. The advent of online content makes it much easier to keep up with multiple news sources. I much prefer reading actual newspapers but on a college student budget, that is not always in the cards. Trust me I still dream of the day when I can afford to have these three show up on my doorstep everyday...this dream also includes an extra three hours too read them all.
I'm also a politics junkie. I find the inner workings of Washington riveting, am I the only one? If your into politics like I am Politico is a must read! It gives a full account of everything thats going on in Washington. In my opinion, it is one of the best ways to learn about our government. Ok, so not everyone is as excited as I am about politics. Its still important to be informed about what is going on in politics. For those of you who what the most important stories Real Clear Politics and Real Clear Markets are for you. These sites choose the top stories on politics and the economy from around the news world and compile them into a list for your reading pleasure. Seriously, this is news for the extremely lazy.
I'm sure pretty much everyone is familiar with The Huffington Post, the incredibly relevant, online news source. It also has a notoriously liberal spin. Thats all well and good, but you should always try and get both sides of any story. Thats where The Daily Caller comes in, this source is a similar online approach but it was created to appeal to the conservative viewpoint. Despite not agreeing with their ideology, this is still a great source. They find really unique story angles and offer good information. Ok, fine, you win, another reason I love this site is that it was created by one of my all time favorite news personalities, Tucker Carlson. You may be thinking 'what nerd has a favorite newscaster?' Well my answer to that is, have you seen him!?
Swoon.
Its also important to get an international perspective, I have found thats the best way to get unbiased reporting on whats going on in America. I love BBC and Le Monde. You can get the English edition of Le Monde here, but I always try and muddle through in French because I keep telling myself that 10 years of French has to be good for something!
Finally NPR. My absolute favorite. I listen to the Morning Edition at some point every day (you can access the full show from their website or NPR app). I also love NPR while driving. Not only do you get good news, but they play fun music too. Its a great way to discover new music!
So how do I keep up with all of this? Confession. I don't. It would be impossible. The best you can do is make an effort. A great place to start is by downloading their apps if you have a smartphone, make sure you set it so you get notifications. Whenever you are sitting around on your phone, read a few articles instead of facebook. Another strategy is to follow them on twitter, they post short updates usually with a link to the full story. News in 140 characters or less. Really, just set aside some time every day to read up on whats happening in our world.
Still need some motivation to follow the news? Watch The Newsroom on HBO, it is literally one of the best shows I have ever seen.
How do you keep up with current events? I'm always looking for new ways to stay informed.
Recently the boyfriend and I spent the weekend at his cabin. I love taking pictures and I wanted to post a few photographs from the weekend, especially my puppy's first swim! She did great, we would throw the ball for her and she would jump right in! I was so proud...yes I'm one of those crazy dog moms.
Plus a bonus close up, too cute!
All of these photos were taken with my Lumix LX5. Its the perfect camera for amateurs and pros looking for something more portable. I hope to do a more in depth review in the near future, but in the mean time anyone in the market for a new camera should definitely look into it.
With all the stress of finals week, my skin is fighting back with a vengeance. Usually, I have pretty good skin as long as I remember to wash my face and moisturize. However, when I crank up the stress my skin goes haywire, it become uncontrollable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this problem.
My skincare routine is more of a work in progress than a routine. I'm always on the search for new, better products. I'm going to share what seems to be working right now.
1. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser | This product is the greatest face wash ever, in my opinion. I use it in the morning and most nights before bed. It cleans your face, period. There are no frills and its perfect. I can use it daily without dying out my skin at all. The smell might be a little off-putting to some, as its somewhat medicinal smelling, but it doesn't bother me. It just works.
2. Clearasil Acne+Marks Wash and Mask | This product should definitely not be used daily, unless you have serious acne problem. This face wash dries my face out a lot but it really works. Since it is so drying I usually use it as a mask once or twice a week, unless I notice a breakout coming on. I leave it on for about a minute. I originally bought this product because my face always had red marks for weeks after the pimple was gone and I think this wash really helps that problem.
3. St. Ives Apricot Scrub | Classic. I'm pretty sure this is everyone's go to scrub. I love it. Its natural, smells nice, and it works. 'Nough said!
4. Neutrogena Oil Free SPF 15 Moisturizer | This product is new to my routine. I was searching for an SPF moisturizer for the summer. To be honest, I'm still a little on the fence about it. It works great except when I wear makeup over it, my face gets more greasy than usual. This isn't a huge problem because in the summer I don't frequently wear makeup. If you do though, I might look for a different option.
It has been a long semester and I'm finally finished. After spending a semester abroad I feel like I had to work twice as hard to get back into the groove. This afternoon I turned in my last final and I'm so happy to be done. Of course I still have work all summer, but its nice to give my brain some time off and let my hair down a little.
Anyway, in all of my studiousness I kind of forgot about my little blog. Of course there were times I thought about it regretfully, but instead of sitting down and writing a post I decided to watch some TV or read a book for fun. Who wants to write more after you just finished a ten page paper, right?
So for my absence, I apologize. To anyone, other than me, that actually read this blog in its infancy, I apologize. However, the apology is mostly to myself, this blog's biggest fan. I started doing this for me and then I stopped. I feel like I don't leave enough time for creativity or expressing myself in my everyday life and this was supposed to be that outlet. I hope that as summer commences I can update more frequently and with some quality content.
