awfully simple yet always delicious

As I have already mentioned in some of my previous posts is how much of a lazy college cook I am. Even though I will defend my crock pot till the end, last night I stepped away from the plug and ventured to the stove! If you have not already heard of the new Kraft boxed meal starters go find them near you! I can't express how awesome these little boxes of joy are. What these boxes of sauces are is a recipe starter and on the back it gives you the rest of the ingredients (normally minimal) that you will need to complete the meal. Personally, my favorite part about these boxes are that they think "outside of the box" (hehe) on what is for dinner. Prime example: last night I made Chicken Bruschetta... tell me the last time you made a meal like that from a box. So ladies (and gentlemen) here is what you are looking for in your grocery store next time you venture out.

In this picture I have already used some 1/2 of simmering sauce already. 

When you look on the back of the box beneath the extra ingredients that you will need it takes you step by step in making the recipe.

Step 1: boil bow tie noodles (as instructed on the noodle box) and strain.

Step 2: cut 1 and 1/2 pounds of chicken breast into strips, pour in half of the garlic herb simmering sauce, and cook until done .

Step 3: add noodles to the chicken and the rest of the simmering sauce and mix lightly. 

Step 4: add the chucky bruschetta finishing sauce to the top and sprinkle parmesan cheese over all of it and cover and let cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. 

Step 5: ENJOY!

It is really that simple guys... Now if you have read some of my previous food posts you can probably tell that I am not in my own kitchen. I am currently home on break at my parents house and so this is my mother's beautiful kitchen! So since I am home I had to find a side that mom had in the kitchen and I decided to make my favorite kind of brussel sprounts (soy sauce and lemon brussels) 

 Simple: add olive oil to a hot pan, add in your cut (in half) brussel sprouts, wait till those are sizzling and then add in soy sauce and a bit of lemon juice, cook until you think they are soaked enough for your preference. YUM!

exams, projects, and papers. oh my!

Exam week is upon folks. The time that all college students dread and all college girls become major bums in how they dress and get ready in the morning. Believe you me, that has been my way of life for the past three years of exam weeks. This year I decided that if I try just a little bit to put a small amount of effort into my exam outfits it may end up benefiting me and my attitude towards the day. I thought I would share my first outfit with you. 

yes, those are my socks, I added my riding boots to the outfit.

Super simple, but better than sweats.

woah! can you tell that it is exam week from the looks of my room? SO SORRY!

What I'm Wearing:

high-low pull over-old navy

jeggings-forever 21

Riding boots-Breckelle's

Fall Flare

Wow! It sure has been awhile since I have posted, and since fall is pretty much almost over I thought it would be a good time to post some of my fall house decorations. Better late than never, right?

I know it's not too much, but it is enough for a college girl that loves to decorate for different holidays. 

I hope y'all had a wonderful fall!

Tips for Inspiration

We've arrived to that time of the semester where the levels of motivation AND inspiration are at an all time low. I thought this might be a good time for me to share my 12 Tips on Staying Inspired that I found on pinterest at some point and have found very helpful in my own life. 

Stay Healthy

1. drink a glass of water- you know what they say, 8 8oz. glasses of water a day does the trick... um, hello! Who really wants to pee 50 times a day. Here is my outlook on staying hydrated, find a cute water bottle that will make you want to carry it around all day. Keep it with you at all times, it will inspire you to take a giant swig every time you see it!

2. move and sweat- as you have seen me say before, exercise is awesome. what girl doesn't want to feel better about herself and have more energy during the day?

3. get some zzz's- we all know that 8 hours of sleep is the recommended amount, yeah, that just doesn't happen in college, but be conscious of possibly shutting those eyes a bit earlier than normal. 

Plan Your Day

4. top 3 tasks- every morning I try to either make a mental "top 3 task to-do list" or physically put it on my phone so I can check them off as I get them done. we all know nothing feels better than crossing a completed task off a list, no matter how long the list may be. 

5.the 50/10 rule- I have actually heard this from multiple places and I think everyone should live by this rule. work for 50 minutes and then take a brain break for 10. simple. 

6. reflect daily- you know all those fake scenarios you make up in your head when you lay down to sleep at night... replace those with a little bit of daily reflection. helps wrap up your day with a bow, and who doesn't love bows. 

Keep Learning

7. reading- yes, i know us college kids think we will never see the day again when we will have time to read a book for fun, but try your best to fit even a little bit of reading time into your day. this could be another great thing to replace that scary night thinking!

8. browsing- research something cool, even if it's an interesting link you followed on pinterest during your afternoon binge. 

9. brainstorm- I constantly have a notebook/post-it notes on hand just in case I have a burst of inspiration or the occasional light bulb moment. It is always fun to go back and look through your little "ah-ha" moments. 

Focus on What Makes You Happy

10. express gratitude- I know, it's november so everyone is becoming oddly thankful for the things around them. I think if we are constantly thinking of at least ten things we are thankful for we will be much happier about what we have and where we are in life. 

11. clean your desk- this is your space. make sure you keep it tidy and worth of inspirational moments. 

12. indulge in your favorite things- whether your favorite thing is hershey kisses or dancing around your room to your classic backstreet boys CD's... do it, let yourself have a moment and indulge. (mine is painting my nails)

what are your tips for inspiration?

xoxo

Fall Photos!

Boy oh boy! This week has been so busy that I haven't been able to blog... Super sad about it! I thought it was about time to introduce my fabulous roomie and amazing photographer Lindsey! Lindsey has been taking pictures for a very long time and is quite good at her craft, if you don't believe me here is the proof: Awesome! She even grabbed me for an impromptu fall photo shoot for her own blog. So here are some of the fantastic shots she got and I definitely think you should stop by and show her a little love! 

Recognize this one from anywhere? :)

 A spot on depiction of me... 

What I'm Wearing

Orange tank top from Gap

White boyfriend cardigan from Old Navy (SO COMFY!)

Jeggings from Forever21

Outlaw riding boots from ZooShoo.com

 

Outfit of my Dreams

I came across this simply amazing outfit on pinterest the other day and just knew I would have to share it with y'all! If I didn't have thunder thighs from so many years of dance and could pull this outfit off, I am pretty positive I would wear it every day of my life. 

Please please please let me know if you know of any budget items that could make an outfit similar to this!

#ootd

Due to being a future teacher some days my style seems to reflect my major more than others. Some of my main go-to outfits tend to look like I just walked out of the classroom. Here is what I wore yesterday!

What I'm Wearing

Pink polo oxford 

Navy Blue kakhi's from American Eagle

Nude ballet flats from Charlotte Russe