Starbucks!

This afternoon, I needed a pick-me-up. My friend Brooke and I stopped by Starbucks and got frappuccinos. We spent the rest of our afternoon sucking them down while studying!

What do you do for your afternoon pick-me-up?

I'm back!

My sorority just finished our big/little week and I found out who my amazing big is! She has truly spoiled me rotten this week!

She made all of the canvases for me and has given me tons of other presents. These are just some of the highlights. The last picture is from reveal day. It's true what they say- the only thing better than getting a bid, is getting a big! 👭☔️

Weekend Trip!

This weekend, my classmates and I went on a biology trip to none other than the Grand Tetons! Even though I visited them last weekend, it was still fun to see the Grand Tetons again this weekend. They are so beautiful and I really can't get enough of those mountains! 

On our way to the tetons we stopped at gas station for some snacks and it had a huge coffee station. 

I have never seen so many coffee pots in one spot! 

Brooke and I took a picture at the site where our project was. You can see the mountains in the background! It was such a beautiful day, but it was definitely cold! 

Late Night Walks!

Tonight, Brooke and I decided to go on a walk after dinner at Einstein Bagels. We hiked alongside the Red Hill and walked through Mountain View cemetery. It's a quick walk, but a nice way to spend the evening after dinner.

On our walk we saw a bunny! 

 How do you like to spend your evenings? I think walking is a nice way to relax and let the day loose. Back at home, I used to go on two or three miles every night after dinner with my mom. I definitely miss those walks now that I am away at school!

Peanut Butter and Banana Oatmeal

Now that the days are getting cooler, I prefer something warm to eat in the morning. I have returned to my old favorite breakfast food: oatmeal! Even though I have traded in my cold yogurt for some warm oatmeal, I still haven't gotten rid of my other breakfast staple: bananas!

For this recipe you will need:

• a banana
• 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1/3 cup of oats
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
• 1 cup of water or milk

Instructions-

Mash half of the banana with a fork, then add oats, water, and chia seeds to a microwavable bowl. Mix together and microwave for 3-4 minutes. Mix in peanut butter and top oatmeal with slices from the other half of the banana. I added some mini chocolate chips to my oatmeal, but this step is optional. Personally, I believe anything tastes better with chocolate! :)

Enjoy!

Weekend Vlog

           As promised, Brooke and I vlogged about our weekend! Due to her amazing editing skills, we have a fun way to report our time spent in Driggs, Idaho! We visited Jackson Hole, Wyoming which means we went over the steepest pass in all of America. If you're interested in seeing some BEAUTIFUL mountains and scenery, you should definitely check the video out. Hope you enjoy video!

 Click on the link below to watch!

Our Weekend in Driggs!

Birthday!

"Do not regret growing older, for it is a privilege denied to many." ~Unknown. 

Today is my 18th birthday! I am finally old enough to buy cement, super glue and spray paint. Wahoo! 😄

My friend and I drove up to visit my grandparents this weekend. So far we've gone on a 3 mile walk, and a 20 mile bike ride! We also celebrated with pumpkin spice milkshakes and by making cookies! 

Tonight, , my grandparents, Brooke, and I are going out for Korean food. I am super excited! I would have to say that this has been a birthday to remember 😊

Exploring New Coffee Shops

       In my hometown, there are plenty of cafes I would escape to on the weekends. In them, I would work on homework, study, or catch up with a girlfriend. Since I started living on campus, it has been my mission to find a new cafe. Luckily, being the avid coffee drinker that I am, I quickly found a new coffee shop. Today, I ventured out with a friend to a little place known as The College Market. It is a small cafe located in Pocatello. 

      I have been to The College Market a few times. Their coffee is amazing. My personal favorite blend of coffee is called "Jamaican Me Crazy". They offer an assortment of flavored drinks, pastries and foods. Today, I tried their Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte. I couldn't taste the Cheesecake, however I could definitely taste the Pumpkin. The drink was the perfect  balance of flavor because the Pumpkin was not too overwhelming.

    The baristas are extremely crafty, and made a beautiful flower in my drink. Here is a picture:

All in all, this was a wonderful way to celebrate the first day of October! Happy Fall!

Homecoming Week!

This week has been crazy! Each day the Alpha Xi Deltas have taken part in some sort of competition. Wednesday we played powderpuff against the Halo club. Unforutnately we lost, however both teams played extremely well. :)      

   Here is a pic of our team      

Friday our sister competed in the homecoming pagent and she was crowned homecoming princess! I'm so proud of our sisters for stepping up, and putting on an awesome show for her! We really did a great job. :) 

Today, the during the last day of homecoming, we had the parade and the football game! We decorated our float with a bengal! 

It's been an amazing experience to show my Bengal Pride with my sisters this week! I finally feel like a part of this school, and a part of my beautiful sorority. This week has been amazing, and I can't wait for next year's homecoming. Go Bengals! 

Are You Socially Present?

When was the last time you checked your cell phone? 

5 hours ago?

5 minutes ago?

5 seconds ago?

Right this very second?

        Last night, I was at dinner with a few friends. We were all laughing and having a good time. I looked over at one of my friends and realized that this person was on their phone. They weren't laughing, and maybe they were having a good time, but I will never know. They were totally missing out on our conversation, our laughter, and our company because they were so absorbed in their phone.

     Now don't get me wrong, I'm not pointing fingers. I've been guilty of this too. I can't count how many times I have been texting/tweeting/messaging while someone else was talking to me. This is something I think most people struggle with; a constant need to be connected to the outside world. In fact, John Fetto reports a study by Experian Marketing Services who report the average American spends about 58 minutes on their phone a day. That means we donate an entire HOUR of our day to our cell phones. What are we missing here?  What are we truly giving up when we miss out on this hour? What kind of message are we sending to the people we are with? Are they really that uninteresting? Are we really sitting at the table eating dinner with people, or is it just our body there? Our mind is obviously not there, it is wherever our phone is. I bet if I asked my friend what we talked about last night, she would have no idea.

      Here's the challenge. Spend a day, or maybe just one meal without your phone. If you can't part with your phone, then just leave it in your pocket, perhaps on silent and don't look at it. Really focus on connecting with those around you and be socially present. Realize what is happening around you and spend some time thinking about what you would have missed if you were simply looking at your phone instead. Would you have missed out on that joke someone just told? Would you have made a connection with someone that you perhaps used to dislike? Would you have gazed into your true love's eyes and instantly fallen madly and deeply in love?

      Okay, I know, I'm getting carried away. But the point here is this: If you are constantly attached to your phone, you may be present, but are you socially present? And if you're not, what are you REALLY missing out on? 

 Source

Fetto, John. "Americans Spend 58 Minutes a Day on Their Smartphones | Marketing Forward." Marketing Forward RSS. Experian Marketing Services, 28 May 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

To Read the Article Click Here: Cell Phone Use Statistics

Homecoming Week

This week is homecoming week! I am super busy with all of the homecoming festivities going on. Last night, we had a bonfire and tonight we have a chip dip competition! Tomorrow we have a big powderpuff competition, which I will be competing in, so tonight I am headed off for practice!

How to Stay Active in College

In college, it can be a bit challenging to stay active. It is SO tempting to watch Netflix and television all day long. The good thing about college is that there are many FREE activities offered to students. Today I going to share a few tips and activities I have found that help me stay active.

1. Yoga- If you're like me, you might not always enjoy high-intensity work outs. Sometimes its nice to just take things slow. At my school, there are free yoga classes offered every Monday night. Grab a friend and go!
   
   
   
2. Gym- One of the benefits of paying tuition is the school gym! Usually school gyms are free, and if not they are a nominal price. Try hitting the gym once or twice a week. Bring note cards and study to make the time pass faster... maybe work out next to a cute guy to keep you motivated. Whatever works for you, try it!
3. Boot Camps/Fitness Classes- My school offers students who are seeking to become personal trainers a chance to run their own class. Take advantage of this and attend their classes! Not only will you be doing yourself a favor, your friend or classmate will appreciate the extra support!
4. Dance Clubs- Not that kind of dance club! Although, that might be a good option for you too! Some universities offer are dance clubs! I joined a swing-dancing club. It's a good way to meet people and sneak in some fun exercise at the same time
5. Racquetball, tennis courts, swimming pools, rock-climbing wall- If your school offers any of the following, try them out! You may just find your passion. Bring a friend along and get started!
6. Intramural Sports- These are a good way to get to know a lot of people and have a good time. Luckily intramural are not usually super competitive, so if you have never played before, people are pretty relaxed about your skill and ability. I've tried softball and kickball which have both allowed me to make friends and have a good time. Check out your student activities office or gym to find out what kind of intramural are offered at your school.
7. Explore New Paths- If you're on a new campus or living in a new area, chances are there are some cool paths that you haven't hit up. Go on a run, a hike or maybe just a nice long walk. Chances are you will find a beautiful sight, or strike up a nice conversation with a friend if you ask someone to tag along. 
   

My First Week as an AlphaXiDelta

        My first week as an Alpha Xi Delta has been a ton of fun! I've attended a sisterhood where all my sisters and I watched movies and painted nails. I also went to Xi in the City where I learned about the high standards my sisters and I are held to from now on. Homecoming starts this week and us girls are in competition mode because we want our sorority to win! We are decorating floats, and windows! Wish us luck. XOXO

Greek Life

This week has been intense. I've attended a bunch of parties to get to know many beautiful, intelligent, amazing ladies. Fortunately, the hard work has paid off! Tonight, at the end of rush week, I have recieved a bid and accepted an invitation to join Alpha Xi Delta. I'm super excited to spend my college years with these ladies. I feel extremely blessed to be apart of this group.

Weekend Recap

This week has been crazy! I decided to Rush. Even though I never exactly pictured myself as a "sorority girl" I went along with it. I discovered both of the sororities at my school are full of amazing girls who seem very true, real and kind. I can definitely see myself joining one of them, and later today I will find out if I got a bid! Fingers crossed! Besides recruitment, I went to a football game with one of my best friends at the school. We won! Wahoo!

The top and bottom picture are from preference night, and the picture in the middle is us at the game. (:

How to Cope with Being From Out of State

The university that I attend is pretty small. Most kids who go here are either from the city, or from a town close-by. That being said, it has been pretty hard to make friends. I am going to give you guys a few quick tips on how to make friends as an out-of-state student.

1.  Hang out with your roommates. If your roommates aren't horrible like mine, go to dinner, movies, events, etc with them! Chances are they know a few people from their hometown who they can introduce you to. 
2. Go to events! Believe it or not, actually going to events is a great way to meet people! Everyone is new and wants to make friends. Sitting in your room and watching Netflix is fun until your stuck doing it every single Friday night while everyone else is partying.
3. Be open minded. If you're from out of state, chances are people are a little different than what you are used to. Be open minded and accept that people are going to have different opinions than you.
4. Be nice. This is pretty self-explanatory, but if you are rude to everyone, no one will want to be your friend. 
5. Befriend another out-of-stater. Chances are they are feeling the same way as you. They probably feel lonely and are missing home. Make friends with them so you have something to relate to, and as a bonus, you might find a really cool place vacation free of room and board.
6. Keep pictures of friends and family. One of the hardest things about being from out of state is not seeing friends and family everyday. Keep pictures in your room in places you will see everyday and you'll never feel like your missing home.
7. Wear your favorite articles of clothing, jewelry, etc. This one is strange. but true. If you miss home, just wear that t-shirt your mom gave you for Christmas or the earrings your best friend gave you for your birthday. Wearing these articles is like carrying friends and family around with you. Personally, I wear my charm bracelet almost everyday because then I feel like my best-friend, mom, neighbors, brother and cousins are right here with me.

I hope these tips have helped! How have you coped with being an out-of-stater? Let me know in the comments below. XOXO

Dorm Room

This is my bed! Dorm beds aren't too comfy, but I have a mattress topper for mine. I would definitely recommend this investment. I have a few pictures on my wardrobe of my best friend and I for some inspiration. Seeing her everyday here makes it easier to forget that there is 1900 miles between us. Other than that I just have an Audrey Hepburn poster, and a bible quote that I really love.

Welcome to My Blog

Hello, World!

My name is Laila and I'm a freshman in college. In this blog, I am hoping to share ideas, offer advice, and share my journey with my readers throughout my first year of college! I am an out-of-state student so hopefully I can share some ideas about how to get involved in a new community and learn how to live in a totally new area.

Hope you enjoy,
Laila