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