Favorite Five Friday: College Wardrobe

When I came to college I wanted my wardrobe to mature a little. I no longer wanted to wear tees that said Aeropostale or American Eagle every day. Here are some of my wardrobe essentials for everything from work to class to just hanging out.

1.Khaki Pants

These are a must for job interviews, internships, award banquets, etc. An easy way to make it look like you put some effort into your outfit choice. I love my khaki pants from Old Navy! They come in a "short" size and are the perfect fit.

2. Cardigans

Again, an easy way to make you seem put together while keeping you warm in cold lecture halls. I usually find cardigans to be pretty affordable on a college budget by shopping at Target or H&M. I would suggest at least having a black cardigan but I have them in several colors.

3. Colorful Rain Boots

You will still have class on rainy days and nothing is worse than walking across campus in wet socks. Everyone will be checking out your boots and comparing them to see whose are cuter so go for something fun and colorful!

4. One Set of Cute Sweats

You will want at least one set of sweats that you aren't embarresed for people to see you in. Of course they are perfect for movie nights, sleepovers, and just hanging out in the dorms. My favorite sets come from Aerie.

5. Spirit Wear!

Show some school spirit in class or at games! Spirit wear comes in all forms and is almost always acceptable on a college campus so stock up! NKU just got a new bookstore and I am loving all of our new apparel.



Dorm Decor: Clothesline for Photos

This year I am lucky to have an apartment style dorm and I have been working on getting settled in this week. I love displaying pictures in my dorm because it makes it feel even more like home. Today I added this clothes line style decor to my wall to display pictures and cards.

I attached small Command hooks in the corner of each side of the wall. I tied yarn that I got on sale for .88 to each hook. Because the clothespins are a little heavy for the yarn I also used sticky tabs to attach the string to the wall. The tabs are covered by the tissue paper flowers.

To make the flowers I cut out circles from tissue paper (2 circles per flower) and folded them in together. I then stapled the circles together in the back and stuck them over the sticky tabs.

I can't wait to add more pictures and cards as the school year progresses! Here is what it looks like on the whole wall:



Cheap and Easy Dinner

This is such an easy and affordable dinner for college students! In the produce department there are potatoes that come packaged in plastic.I got this one for just .99. You microwave them for ten minutes and they are ready to eat.

If you are new to buying your own groceries you probably haven't even noticed these potatoes. My local grocery store usually keeps them in a basket next to the regular potatoes. My mom gets them for us at home sometimes.

Add some salt, pepper, cheese, bacon bits, etc. and you have a loaded baked potato for less than five bucks. My potato was pretty big so I ate it by itself but you also warm up some vegetables or have a salad for a complete meal that is just right for a college student's budget.



Homemade Ice Cream

What could be better than homemade ice cream on a summer night? I just got home from vacation and had to share about this hole in the wall ice cream shop we discovered. After hearing about it from friends, we found it easily on Front Beach Road in Panama City, Florida.

All of the ice cream is homemade and comes in a wide variety of flavors. Everyone raved about how good the vanilla was while I was a fan of peanut butter. We ended up visiting this store three times during our trip! Just look at this ice cream cone:

Homemade Ice Cream Shoppe became one of my family's favorite places and was one of the best parts of the week. This is definitely a must stop place for your next family or spring break trip to Panama City!

For an address, hours, and more information visit their Facebook page! 



Favorite Five Friday: Dorm Essentials

Freshmen move-in day for NKU is a week away! I can’t wait for the campus to be busy with people again. This will be my third year living in the dorms so I wanted to share some dorm essentials that you might not think about.

1. Mattress Cover and Pad

Protect your bed from bed bugs with a cover that zippers around your entire mattress. Then add some comfort with an extra mattress pad. You never know how old that mattress is or who used it before you.

2. Clothes Drying Rack

A lot of my friends were amazed when they first say this is my room because they had never used one before. It folds up for easy storage and allows you to save money on laundry. If I’m afraid something will draw up I always put it on this drying rack versus a regular dryer.

3. Good Wall Adhesives

If your dorm is older it will be tough to get things to stick to the walls and most places forbid using nails. The worst thing is having your bulletin board fall on you in the middle of the night. I attached ribbon to things I wanted to hang and invested in some Command hooks. Adhesive tape is helpful as well.

4. Power Strip

Your room will not come with many outlets and you will have to share them with your roommate. Make sure you have a power strip to ensure you can plug in your mini-fridge, printer, alarm clock, etc.

5. Make-up Mirror

Your own mirror will be a lifesaver when you and your roommate are trying to get ready at the same time or you don’t want to go to the floor bathroom. Plus, dorm lighting usually isn’t the best for applying make-up.

These are just a few items that I have really found helpful in my years of living in a dorm. My advice is to come with the essentials and buy more as you discover that you need it. Freshmen usually end up overbuying and sending a lot of stuff back home after the first few months.

Also, for move in day I suggest suitcases or bags with handles or wheels versus the big tubs. The tubs get very heavy, the lids don’t stay on well, and they are hard to carry.

I hope this is helpful! Get excited for move-in day!



Beach Playlist

I spent a lot of time coming up with the perfect playlist for the beach this year. Here is what I'm listening to on the beach:

Felt Good On My Lips (Tim McGraw)

Knee Deep (Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffet)

Springsteen (Eric Church)

Drunk on You (Luke Bryan)

Somethin' 'Bout A Truck (Kip Moore)

Country Girl (Luke Bryan)

Pontoon (Little Big Town)

I Won't Give Up (Jason Mraz)

Angel Eyes (Love and Theft)

Truck Yeah (Tim McGraw)

Twenty One (Corey Smith)

Sorority Girl (Luke Bryan)

When the Sun Goes Down (Kenny Chesney)

Barefoot Blue Jean Night (Jake Owen)

Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)

You Make That Look Good (Scotty McCreery)

Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO)

Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5)

My First Love Song (Luke Bryan)

Watch the Wind Blow By (Tim McGraw)

Wagon Wheel (O.C.M.S.)

The Time (The Black Eyed Peas)

Sweet Thing (Keith Urban)

My Kind of Crazy (Brantley Gilbert)

All About Tonight (Brad Shelton)

Working on a Tan (Brad Paisley)

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (Alan Jackson)

Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett)

Water (Brad Paisley)

Suntan City (Luke Bryan)



Favorite Five Friday: The Beach

The beach is one of my family's favorite vacation destinations and we are headed to Panama City tomorrow morning! I wanted to share my favorite things that I always make sure to pack for a beach trip.

1. A New Book                                      

I am bringing American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. This is Goodwin's debut novel and a New York Times Bestseller. The plot centers on the Newport heiress Cora Cash who is sent away to England by her mother in search of a husband and title. I can't wait to sit beside the pool with this book!

2. A Nice Sundress (or 2 or 3)

I love this teal dress from H&M. The straps are lace and there is a belt around the waist. The fabric is light and perfect for the hot weather.

3. Triple Moisture Body Cream

Long days on the beach and in the pool always leave your skin dry. I use Bath and Body Works triple moisture body cream in Forever Sunshine. Not only does it replenish your skin, it is the perfect scent for the beach.

4. Sunscreen for body and face

I'm a big fan of sport performance sunscreens for the beach. Banana Boat also has facial sunscreen in stick form and spray sunscreen so it is easy to apply.

5. Games

Be prepared for rainy days with a few games and movies. Some of our favorites are Phase 10 and Apples to Apples.