Things I learned last Saturday

1. When you're running on three hours of sleep and working tables, it is perfectly acceptable to take a quick nap in the bathroom.
2. Five-year-olds can definitely be on "poop diets."

I should be...

...writing two bio papers, but instead I procrastinated and took a Disney princess quiz (it's funny to see how close or far off they are)
I got Alice in Wonderland (who isn't technically a princess)

I have to admit that's the closest a quiz has gotten so far. ;)

I should be...

...finishing up a graphic design project, but instead I'm listening to the Nutcracker and sipping Christmas Eve tea (but only because I have another sore throat - otherwise, I'm a chocolate milk person)
I'm so ready for it to be Christmas - finals out of the way, cardmaking back on track, the Advent liturgy, and my favorite, getting to goof off with all my siblings!  

What can I do to procrastinate?

Let me count the ways.

Whoever's idea it was to add raisins to trail mix

...you just wanted to watch the world burn, didn't you?

Popular Posts of Epic Proportions - Chocolate Milk

As a regular consumer of popular blog posts, I have come to realize that most of these popular posts consist of two main things;

1. They are either very informative about a particular product or they discuss a debatable issue/idea/product.
2. They have pictures!

With these two criteria in mind, I made up my mind to write a Popular Post of Epic Proportions (which I will refer to as PPEP from hence)
The subject of my first PPEP will be one that discusses a product that is near and dear to all - milk! Or more specifically, chocolate milk!
(Cue pictures)

source: http://livebreathenutrition.com/?p=204

Firstly, we must be very specific about our milk. I can't go into all the scientific details since I'm actually supposed to be studying right now, but I can give you a few facts from personal (and slightly prejudiced) experience.

1. Chocolate milk is yummy only if you get the right kind. 
2. Chocolate milk is good for you if you get the right kind
3. Chocolate milk will save the world only if you get the right kind.

Before we get into depth on the points, let's dismiss all the chocolate milk wannabee, YooHoo. Ugh. You don't even want me to go there.

Now, on point number one - it is essential that you get the right kind of chocolate milk. When I say the right kind, I mean these this...

source: http://dealseekingmom.com/b1g1-nesquik-milk-printable-coupon/

and this

source: http://www.bevnet.com/news/2011/trumoo-chocolate-milk-launches-nationwide

 are OUT.OUT.OUT.
Besides for their milk being terrible quality (and yes, I actually talked to real live dairy farmer about this), their flavoring is just nasty. Particularly if you get the little bottles of Nesquik from Wendys - I'm not sure why the "milk" from Wendy's is even worse than usual for Nesquik, but it is.
Actually, I think store brand (think Walmart, Giant Eagle, Krogers, etc) chocolate milk tends to be better than TruMoo and Nesquik.

I actually don't know of a safe nationwide chocolate milk brand, so I think your best bet is local.
Western Pennsylvania has two particularly lovely local dairies - the delightful Turners (Vitamin D folks - go big or go home), and, the-too-amazing-for-words, Bruntons Dairy. I'm not going to start raving over these two dairies now, because that would make this post incredibly long, which is something that is frowned upon by most PPEP authors.

Moving on to point two - chocolate milk is amazing for you!

source: http://www.wmmb.com/wdc/ChocolateMilkHasMuscle.aspx

Again, you have to get the right kind, because while milk in general is known to have nutritional benefits, I wonder about the Nesquik and TruMoo "milk". Then there's all the nasty additives they stick in there - you will find some in local milk, but more often than not, to a lesser extent and at least tastier versions. Either way, local milk is probably better for you, pluusssss, it helps the local community! So not only is it good for you, it's also good for your community! Bam!

Lastly, point three - it will save the world. This point actually mostly depends on the Brunton's dairy milk I mentioned before - nothing else will suffice. I actually can't really explain this - you have to taste the milk, and then you know. You just...know.

Also, I realllllyyyyyy need to study now, so I don't actually have time to elaborate any more anyways.

God bless! I'll be expecting this post to go viral anytime. ;)

Spaghetti and donuts

I think I failed my first test in college, my little brother is leaving on Sunday for boarding school, I have a bunch of projects due next week, I haven't gone to confession in forever, I'm stuck on campus all day tomorrow with my little sister and I just got back from a rather infuriating volleyball "game", BUT right now I have spaghetti and mini donuts, so all is well...for now. 

Huge, Ginormous Latin Test of Epic Proportions

...tomorrow (or rather, later today, I'm up so late studying)! Prayers, I BEG YOU! ;)

I should be...

...studying, and I actually am (aside from this wee post)! It makes me feel so, so...so studious! Who woulda thunk it? Studying making one feel studious! What is the world coming to?!

I look at my Latin book

...and the English explanations of the Latin could be Greek and I probably wouldn't even know it. 

I'm pretty sure

...that the filling they used to the sandwich cookies at the caf today was toothpaste...or at least the same main ingredient they use in toothpaste.

And no, I'm not exaggerating. 

Bio paper

...my outline for this reflection paper has devolved to the point where I'm writing that I'm not convinced enough to give up my green fuzzy blanket for the environment. 

Stressful week

School has been abnormally stressful this year.
I've heard from several people that sophomore year is the most stressful year, but I think that there are a lot of contributing factors in my case.

My sister (and best friend) leaving for a discalced Carmelite convent in July. A cloistered one. Which basically means that we can see her three times a year (behind bars, of course) and call her on her birthday.

Almost all my brothers are gone from home.

And then all my classes are time-consuming, with most of them also being extremely hard and frustrating.

This week in particular is going to be hard. I have two hard quizzes, an exam, two radio projects, a graphic design project, a massive load of reading, and this all before Friday. Ugh.

And to top the weekend off, the volleyball team is staying overnight Friday to play our first and two hardest conference games of the season in one day.
We've really been struggling lately, and I'm not sure why. Not enough consistency, no true team cohesiveness, lack of staying in the mindset that volleyball really is just a game and is supposed to be fun. I dunno. Either way, it's frustrating (and rather boring) to be on the bench and watch a tight team play when I would love to go out and just have fun playing.
I am all for the team, and if everyone out there is trying their hardest and having fun (excepting an occasional bad day), then I'll gladly sit on the bench. But as it is, I want to ask coach to just put me in. Maybe it sounds selfish and proud. Maybe it is. I'm not sure, but we need to get back to the way we played games earlier on in the season, or I'll go crazy sitting on the bench.

And then I got confused and thought an e-mail I got from Paper Crafts magazine was an acceptance e-mail, to find out Friday that it was just a informative e-mail. Drat.

It's nice that I get to still design though, and for school, but at the same time, I have a project due Thursday, and we have spent literally one class going over a couple basics in Photoshop. Not enough to know how to actually put my project together. Sure, the teacher signed us up for some Photoshop video class, but I thought we were supposed to learn this in class. And then there's the fact that the class teacher has a weird voice, the videos move slowly, and the entire class takes about twelve hours (of which I have no time for)

On top of all this school stress, I am terrible at studying. I don't like being stuck in one place. I can't focus. Obviously, because I'm on this blog right now instead of studying. Hey, I tried! I've memorized 14 out of 73 definitions for environmental science so far. :P

Normally, I wouldn't blog about my complaints. It seems kinda low, especially when there are other bloggers out there with way bigger issues than mine. But I've had troubles lately being able to communicate with friends. For one, I don't have a lot of time, and when I do, they're usually in class or something. When I am actually around them, I can't seem to get anything out or they're too stressed themselves to really hear it. I'm the kind of person that usually needs at least an hour or two with a friend to talk to them about my stress. I always just feel like I need to get in depth about my problems, and that takes more than fifteen minutes.

And then I feel like a big leech, asking an hour out of someone's time for my complaints, when I'm not being really caring about what their issues are. I've been way too sensitive and whiny (as you can obviously tell from reading all the above)
I know Rosie is frustrated with me and the fact that I don't listen to her very much or very well. I really don't have a good excuse for that.

I guess I'll just try to get this week over with as quickly as possible, and then focus more on being a better sister to Rosie and everyone else. And a better friend.

Meanwhile, here's a card I really like...

Also, any and all prayers would be VERY much appreciated - I need them so much! 

I Love

...unexpected surprises.
Today, I wore what I thought was a pretty hideously unfashionable green skirt, solely because the extreme greenness made me happy.
And then a couple people actually complimented me on it.

Awesomeness. :)

I don't always wear unfashionable things for my own pleasure though - sometimes I actually wear semi-fashionable things for my own pleasure!
Exhibit A.

Can't wait till this pretty arrives tomorrow. :)

Methinks not

I did an hour of studying...does that mean I get to reward myself with an episode of Sherlock?

Kind of a bummer

Creating Keepsakes and Paper Crafts magazines have announced that they're going to discontinue the monthly print issues (it looks like some special issues will still be printed, but I'm not positive about that) and will be moving to digital issues after the November/December.

Well, as a Comm. Arts major, I've heard a whole lot about how the print industry going downhill fast, and how print newspapers and magazines will soon be only available digitally, so this isn't a huge surprise for me. Not that you necessarily have to be a Communication Arts major to have been expecting this, but despite not being surprised, I am pretty bummed.
I can imagine some of the reasons why CK and PC chose to do this, and I figured I may as well write them down to help explain to some people who are angry about the decision, and also to try and get a little experience writing about the field I'm going to try (God willing) to make a career in.

1. It's less expensive; an obvious reason. Printing is just getting too expensive these days. 
2. More and more people are only reading digital. Sure, they may flip through a print magazine every now and then, at a doctors office or such, but really, it's just easier for a lot of people to read the magazine on their Kindle, PC, iPad, whatever. 
3. Now combine reasons one and two - if printing is more expensive than digital, and more people are going digital only, doesn't it make sense to just go digital? They'll definitely lose some customers after the switch, but in the long run, they'll probably the better off online only.

However, I realize people will miss the actual print issue in their hands - they like the physical touch. I get that. I do too. As a contributor to the magazine, it is just awesome to have and show off the real deal. Plus, I don't read magazines online - actually, Paper Crafts is the only magazine I do read regularly, and that's cuz it's mostly pictures. ;)

However, from the business standpoint, it just makes more sense to go online only.

The one thing I am concerned about is the combination of CK and PC - as a cardmaker, I don't reaaaally wanna see layouts in the magazine. However, I think it actually might be cool in the long run, since if I'm inspired enough, I'll scrapbook. And I do need to scrapbook. ;)

Lastly, I don't actually subscribe to the magazine (why pay for a subscription when I can get a free copy if I have a project published?), so the fact they're making the switchover so sudden doesn't affect me as much, and it's understandable actual subscribers would be angry. 

But just look at the three reasons, and try to remember, some of the staff might have/probably lost their jobs, so they're probably a lot worse off.

I've probably missed a lot more that could be said, but like I said, I'm just practicing here, k? ;) Plus, I'm super tired and I feel like my eyes might fall out soon, so peace out!

For my first picture

...on the blog, I proudly present...some random clay things I made several years ago, inspired by the amazing artist JooJoo!

This first guy has lost his tail and one of his ears since then, which may be due to the fact that I didn't use any fancy materials, just clay and my hands...oh, and a wee bit of paint for the eyes.

This little lady is bit snobbish, can't you tell?

To give you a bit of scale of how small these are...

And a penguin. I made a couple of these, but I'll spare you the terrible distortions of the other ones. ;)

So that's it...I'm in class right now, where the teacher is just reviewing some things, and I got a little bored. 

Did I just forget

...how stressful school is, or is this year just way harder?

I should be...

...reviewing my Latin (seriously, can I not retain any information during the summer?!), but instead, I'm typing this up and wondering what card I shall post here first. There are several nominees, but I don't have enough time to write anything fancy up before Intro to Catholicism class starts in twenty minutes. Hm...

Kinda creepy

I've had this blog for less than an hour, and already I've had some views from Serbia...

Testing

Fo reals.