Adam Block Design {Greek apparel}

One of the best things about Greek life? The awesome apparel and paraphernalia. And Adam Block Design has so many of the greatest Greek items I've seen. Browsing their site makes me miss college so so much. 

They believe in originality, happiness, and awesomeness.

Well, I'm sold.

I love how Adam Block Design gives the option for customization for Greek apparel. They're also really kind and care about customer satisfaction, also a bonus. And, their designs are fun and creative.

My favorites from the Adam Block Design gallery (that seems endless)

Kappa Delta Set Sail - Half Zip

Alpha Gamma Delta - Acorn V-neck

Alpha Delta Pi - Diamond Fanny Pack

Kappa Alpha Theta Dad Crewneck

Alpha Epsilon Phi Shorts

If you're in a Greek organization or have friends who are, be sure to share Adam Block Design with them. I'm so obsessed with their items and their style!

Which item do you love most?

The perfect salad

Perfection in salad form. With my clean eating posts, I get lots of great emails with questions, comments, suggestions - thank you! I've been getting questions about salads. Haha, seriously. Like what's my favorite salad. Here it is.

This was my dinner last night and it was as great as ever.

I think great salads can have a variety of delicious and nutritious toppings, but these are the standard salad mixings that I prefer: romaine lettuce or spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, red onions, grilled chicken.

I like pretty much any type of dressing or juice (lemon, lime, etc.) on top.

What's your favorite salad? I'm always looking for new mixings to try!

Tortoise glasses by Firmoo

Thank you so much, Firmoo, for my new glasses! I've been wearing my first pair of Firmoo glasses since I got them, and now I have a new pair of tortoise glasses from Firmoo. 

My old glasses on top
New glasses on the bottom

The frames on my new glasses are rounder, smaller, and a darker tortoise and I really like them. Most people haven't noticed the change, but I have and I like the subtle mix up!

I'm still getting used to them, but I like the change in frames! 

What do you think?

What's your favorite glasses style?

Arden's Garden 2 day detox review

With my boss, Sasha, who also joined our detox party!

So...I didn't tell you this on the blog (I only tweeted it), but I've been doing a detox for the past two days. My co-worker, Devon, thought we should try the Arden's Garden 2 Day Detox - she'd heard good things about it from a friend and we both wanted a good cleanse. Plus, the detox helps you drop a few pounds very quickly! You can only drink the juice and distilled water. The cleanse is supposed to help with weight loss, anxiety, energy, and cleansing.

Devon and I went shopping for our 2 gallon jugs at Whole Foods (it's $10 cheaper there than ordering it online or from Arden's Garden directly) on Tuesday after work. Then we detoxed on Wednesday and Thursday.

It helped having a friend doing the detox too and sharing our experience. While we paid for our juices in line, a woman in front of us shared how she'd done the detox before and appreciated the results, but "was constantly using the restroom."

My results: I'll start with the good. I did lose weight, about 7 pounds total, 4 pounds after the first day of detoxing. Not sure how long that weight loss will last since it happened so quickly, but it was great to feel clean and not bloated since the detox flushed everything out. 

Things I didn't like: The taste got old after a few hours, and I already wasn't a fan of grapefruits. The acid from the juice (grapefruits, oranges, lemon, and distilled water) irritated my mouth and teeth some because I didn't drink enough water to counterbalance it. It's a LOT of liquid to drink in two days, I had to force myself to drink it all. The juice doesn't have much substance, unlike the fruit smoothies I make every morning, so I got hungry by the end of each work day. I tried to have a healthy snack on day 2, but my teeth were too sensitive to eat...no fun. But they're feeling better this morning.

Tips if you do this detox: Drink water, do it with a friend, do it on a weekend or when you don't have work, be prepared to potty lots, avoid food temptations.

Sasha and Devon's thoughts

Sasha says
she slept well after day 1, she got hungry throughout the work day, there was a strange after taste, she got a headache on day 2 but felt better after eating a few crackers. 

Devon says

she also slept well after day 1, she enjoyed the cleanse, she felt a little loopy, she felt comfortable doing light exercise, she didn't enjoy the taste after hours of drinking it.

Have you ever done a detox or cleanse before?

What challenges did you face or what outcomes did you have?

Charity Miles {iPhone app}

One of my friends told me about this app and I thought it was too cool not to share. It's been out for a while, but lots of people (runners) still don't know about it. Charity Miles is an iPhone/iPad application  that allows you to earn money and raise awareness for charities by walking, running or biking -- all courtesy of their corporate partners.

You just select a charity from the application and start your fitness. As you walk, run or bike, the app measures your distance and you earn money for your charity: 10 cents per mile for bikers; 25 cents per mile for walkers and runners.

Do you walk/run and does this app sound interesting? 

Bags for fall by ASOS

On yesterday's post on money saving tips - I mentioned online browsing. I'm obsessed with ASOS bags for fall and these are my five favorites. A great mix of work, fun, weekend, and travel bags. Part of my spending money for my next paycheck is going to buy bag #2, love it and it's a great price!

I've been carrying my Michael Kors tote to work every day and on the weekends I use a gold Kate Spade cross body. But I'm definitely in need of an in-between bag for other occasions.

1. Fiorelli  Jasmine Triple Compartment Bag

2. Wendy Panelled Wing Shoulder Bag

3. ASOS Leather Fringe Tote in Colorblock 
4. ASOS Front Pocket Tote

5. River Island Black Quilted Weekend Bag

Which fall bag do you love most?

And don't forget to use the 10% student discount!

How to save money in college & after

I didn't appreciate the concept of saving money until recently. Life after graduation is different because suddenly bills become really real, payment requests come out of nowhere, and your paycheck just seems smaller than you expected.

  

While I did earn money and save it in college, I've taken that mindset to a whole new level since graduating. I'm definitely saving up for several reasons: grad school expenses, upcoming business ventures (eek!), investments, and an emergency fund. Hey, with the government shutdown, an emergency fund actually sounds pretty brilliant.

The point is, I'm currently on a spending diet. Spending clean is similar to eating clean, haha. And easier than you think. There are lots of little things that I do that save hundreds every month - hundreds! So I'm sharing the small steps I've taken to save money and some tips on saving money for college students and for anyone!

How I saved money in college

  

Using my student discount

Attended meetings and events with free meals

Set up a savings account for money earned from working during school

Limited myself to 3 meals a day

Doing laundry at my parents' house

Split room decor costs with my roommates

Borrowed/rented textbooks when possible; always sold back textbooks to the bookstore

Used my laptop/iPad for note taking instead of restocking on pen/paper supplies

Participated in surveys and tests with free meals or compensation

Carpooled with friends to events to save gas

Went to my school's recreation center instead of paying for fitness classes

Wrote for the yearbook & had on campus jobs (saving money from those payments)

Sold clothes at Plato's Closet/other consignment stores

Pumped gas outside of the city (it's 30-50 cents cheaper)

How I save money now/post grad life

Decide on the items I truly need to buy each month and only set aside spending money for those

Limit the number of days I eat out during the week (1 or 2)

Check my bank account on a regular basis to monitor spending and saving

Cook at the beginning of the week and pack lunches and dinners for the week

[Take my lunch to work at least 3 days a week]

Using coupons or deals when grocery shopping

Mark dates in my planner for when to put X amount of $ into savings

Explore the city for free events and attractions

Invite friends over for dinner and they bring dessert or drinks

Limit online shopping and real life shopping; instead I do lots of online browsing

Participate in customer awards programs at grocery stores/stores I need to go to

Be more creative with gifts instead of buying pricey gifts or gift cards from the store

Use Scoutmob when I do eat out

Research internet/tv/power providers to get the best pricing possible and ask for promotional deals

Set small and large goals for saving and keep up with them; ultimately create a monthly budget

Use iPhone apps like Mint

Celebrate when I reach a savings goal and remind myself why I'm saving

How do you save money when you're on a spending diet?

And what are you saving up for?

Pushing yourself

When's the last time you did something for the first time?

Pushing yourself can be one of the most uncomfortable tasks and one of the most frightening ways to grow, but it's so necessary. I think that breaking free from your comfort zone can be equally as terrifying as it is liberating.

I used to refuse to push myself...I mean really push myself to do things outside of my comfort zone. The comfort zone is happy, and obviously, comfortable. I knew what to expect when I stayed in my comfort zone. I could predict what would happen next and that made me feel safe. I was ambitious in high school and college, but still in a safe sort of way.

Since starting my job, I've slowly but surely started pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Because news flash - you have to make that decision and do the pushing for yourself. Working for such a high power office and being around high power people has motivated me to set my personal and professional goals even higher. And, I've learned that if you want to survive, scratch that, thrive in this world...you've got to talk yourself into doing things that aren't comfortable. I think we're all afraid of how incredible the results of pushing ourselves can be...we're intimidated by our potential.

I didn't realize that I'd crossed the line of comfort until I went to New York earlier this month. My first day there, I explored the city for about 5 hours by myself. I didn't have a plan, I didn't know where I was or where I was going, and I had no idea what to expect. But I got on the subway, got off, and started walking. As I walked around the streets of that intimidating city, I realized that I had pushed myself, and I was happy with the results. I loved that day in NYC because of the emotional rush of liberation, pride, and self-esteem that followed my gusty 5 hour adventure. I wouldn't have imagined doing this last year. But I've grown and I've learned how to push myself in even the most uncomfortable situations.

Another example: I used to be so afraid of introducing myself to new people, especially people in authority. Of course, I respected those people and wanted to be like them, but I wouldn't dare walk up and just start talking. Now? It's become almost second nature. If I'm lucky enough to attend an event with a person whom I really respect and want to meet, I push myself - pushing myself to overcome the nerves, the anxiety, the doubts - and I walk up to him or her and start talking. I remind myself that one day I plan to be successful and someone that a young professional is eager to meet (future role reversal), and it calms my nerves.

After meeting my ultimate boss (the governor) and realizing that people in power are people too; meeting other notable people recently has become easier and easier. Just this month I've met television correspondents, GA's attorney general, famous attorneys, and other really accomplished people in the political and communications fields.

And just yesterday, I sent a cold email to a woman who I'd like to serve as my professional email. Even if she doesn't respond, I'm proud that I pushed myself to write an honest email and press "send."

It doesn't have to be one giant push. It's taken me lots of time and lots of personal pep talks to get to where I am today. And I still have a ways to go.

I don't think you have to make a set plan or list of things to push yourself on (but if that's what works for you, do it). But I do believe when the opportunity presents itself -  at work, in your social life, in your family life, or elsewhere - push yourself. It's gotten me so far and created so many opportunities that would have never existed had I stayed in place.

Is there something you have trouble pushing yourself to do? 
What advice do you have?