Resolute Resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve, ladies and gentlemen! 2014 is blank slate, an empty canvas waiting for you to splatter it with color. A new year brings a fresh start, and the possibilities for change are yours for the taking! I urge you all to take some time today to reflect on 2013, and think about how you can make 2014 the best year yet. Think about any resolutions you would like to make, any loose ends you want to tie up, or any relationships you want to mend, and start taking care of them so 2014 is truly a peaceful, fresh start.

Here are some of my resolutions for 2014: 

~Read more books

~Remove toxic individuals from my life. 

This past year, I've learned a lot about removing myself from people who do not make me feel good. Sometimes that means cleaning out your Facebook friends list, and sometimes that means moving out of your dorm room to where you can be happy and flourish. Is it easy? Definitely not! But, sometimes, people aren't worth the stress and the tears, and you have to learn to let them go. 

~Give out more compliments to friends and strangers alike

~ Stop worrying about grades so much

A test score does not define me, but personal character does.

~ Spend less, save more, give more

~ Learn a new skill

I've always wanted to learn how to embroider by hand, so why not?!

Have a wonderful New Year, everyone! Stay safe! 

"Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." -Brad Paisley

Kate xox 

Home for the Holidays

When Dorothy said, "There's no place like home," she wasn't lying! I have finally arrived home from college and I could not be happier! Things were really stressful the second half of the semester (exams, projects, roommate issues, and an infestation of scabies in my dorm building, just to name a few) so winter break could not have come soon enough.

I didn't realize how much I missed home until I was back. I had the house to myself for a few hours while my brother was at school, my dad was at work, and my mom was driving back from Florida, and it was wonderful. The first thing I did, of course, was get reacquainted with my dear dog, Maggie Moo. After copious amounts of doggie kisses (the best kind, if you ask me!) and belly rubs, I was able to walk around my house and take in the familiar sights, sounds, and scents that I missed so much while I was away.

The soft shag carpeting of my room, the smell of the detergent in the laundry room, the way the sun comes through the window just right and warms the floor and the buzz of the heater all welcomed me home. These things seem so small and inconspicuous, but these were the little things I missed so much. All these little details add up to make my house my home and I realized all the things I take for granted.

Being away at college gives you a new perspective on how nice your house is. In college, they shove you in a room the size of a shoebox with a stranger who may or may not be absolutely insane, they force you to share a bathroom with 20 other girls, some of which who have questionable hygiene standards (I'm looking at you, hall mate that threw up in the shower, the sink and the water fountain!), they feed you things like "beef fritters" and expect you to enjoy it, and if you get sick, you're on your own. That's quite the adjustment for an 18 year-old to make. I know the adjustment to eating beef fritters was particularly rough. No thanks! So, here's my advice for all my readers still in high school: enjoy and cherish every single shower you get to take without wearing shoes. Those showers are precious, and they are numbered. Trust me on this one.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” -Margaret Elizabeth Sangster
Kate xox

A Sweet Study Break

Exam week starts tomorrow and that means it's study session cramming time! My first exam is for Modern Western Civilization and I'm nervous because I'm really not a history person. Give me bacteria samples and a micropipette any day, but ask me to memorize dates, people, and locations? No thanks! 

I've been frantically flipping through flashcards all morning and figured it was about time for a study break! I've been living with my grandparents for a while now because my living arrangements at college were not working out, so I've really enjoyed having access to a full (and clean!) kitchen. My grandparents are gluten-free, so I decided to whip up a double batch of my grandma's 4 Ingredient Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies. They're really quite simple to make, and they taste great, which makes them the perfect cookie to bake for a last minute Christmas party, or if you just need to tear yourself away from your textbooks for a while. I've made them for my small group a few times when I was the unofficial official snack bringer and they get the grandpa seal of approval, so you know they're good! 

Grandma's Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

                                                                 Here's the recipe: 

                                                      2 cups of natural peanut butter 
                                                                     2 large eggs
                                                            2 cups granulated sugar
                                                             1 tablespoon of vanilla
                                     Optional: miniature chocolate chips for sprinkling! 

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Mix all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended. 

Use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon to make 1 tablespoon balls of dough on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. These cookies get sticky because of the peanut butter, so you'll want to make sure you don't skip the parchment paper! 

Flatten the cookies down with the back of a spoon or fork. If you want to top them with chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top of the flattened cookies now. Bake them for about 10 minutes. You know they're done when the edges are golden brown. The cookies come out of the oven a little gooey, but will firm up as they cool. Enjoy them straight out of the oven or at room temperature! 

Good luck to everyone who has exams coming up! 

Kate xox

Thoughts From My Happy Place

If you've been on a college campus lately, you may have noticed a sense of impending doom in the air. Final exams are upon us and if you're like me, it's the most dreaded time of the year. I've been studying for a while now, and I decided that I needed a break to unwind and relax before my marathon study session on Sunday. So, naturally, I packed up Napoleon (my beloved VW Beetle) and got on the road to the Walt Disney World Resort. 

Disney World is one of my favorite places in the entire world (second only to the French Riviera) and I have been very lucky to be an Annual Passholder during my stay at Stetson. I got the Annual Pass because I had expected that there would be more students who had one as well, but I haven't been very successful in finding a Disney buddy. I've found most people think that Disney is overpriced, childish, and overrated. I recognize their opinion and raise them my sequined mouse ears.

Our society has become so jaded. It seems like happily ever afters, dreams coming true, and imagination are things of the past. Which, I suppose, is valid considering 40 to 50 percent of American marriages end in divorce. However, I don't want to live in a world that doesn't believe in happily ever afters! Disney has taught me to strive for that happy ending. It's taught me to pursue my dreams through hard work and determination. It's taught me not to settle for anything less than success. 

When I walk through the gates into the parks, there's just a sense of wonder that fills the air. I love seeing families come together and make happy memories. I love seeing cast members welcome guests with a smile and a robust greeting. I love the amount of detail that goes into each and every corner of the parks. Even the bathrooms are themed beautifully! Not to mention the sense of camaraderie that comes from standing in line for Soarin' for 180 minutes! 

One of the biggest lessons I've learned from Disney is to sprinkle pixie dust everywhere I go. You'd be surprised what a few polite words or a gesture of kindness can do! Friendliness and respect are really big deals on Disney property. You can bet on being greeted by the cast members, you can bet on impeccable service, and you can bet on promptness, courtesy, and kindness.  My challenge for you is to remember to spread some Disney magic everywhere you go and together, maybe, we can bring back the happily ever after for all! 

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney 

Have a Magical Day! 

Kate xox

Transitions

From the time I was a bright-eyed middle schooler, I dreamed of the day I would go to college. I pictured myself flourishing at a prestigious university; a successful, powerhouse of a student. I dreamed that I would be soaking up knowledge, surrounded by friends, and generally loving campus life.

So, naturally, I was pretty excited to start college this fall. I was ready to move into my dorm and start my new life at my university. Throughout the summer, I had done copious amounts of research (I am a science girl through and through!) and I figured I was pretty prepared for what college had in store for me. I was excited to jump into my college experience with an open mind.

However, one thing that was never covered in those freshman advice books you get for graduation, is what happens if the college you're at just isn't the one for you? I quickly learned that colleges aren't one size fits all. They are all unique and what works for one person, may not work for another. So, while I was prepared for tackling exams and buying textbooks, I wasn't prepared for the disappointment I felt in my college experience. Was there something wrong with me? Why wasn't I enjoying my school as much as my friends enjoyed theirs?

Suddenly, I was smacked in the face with feelings of disappointment and despair. I was not happy with my college experience, and I knew I needed to make a change. After many, many long nights of thinking logically, I knew the best thing for me to do was transfer. Transferring is very scary for me. Since I was a child, I was taught that a lot rides on your college education, and not knowing where I'm going to end up is stressful. There were nights where I would lay in my bed and cry because I felt like I was failing my teachers, my parents, and most of all, myself.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. I learned a lot of important life lessons this semester. Most importantly, I realized that it's okay to not get it right the first time. This was a hard one for me to learn. I like accuracy and perfection the first time around, and that's an unrealistic expectation in the real world. Life is like a science experiment, after all. If it doesn't work the first time, change a variable until you get the result you're looking for!

I am excited for the future. It is bright, and shiny, and new. I know that there are wonderful, important plans for my future, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out!

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25

Kate xox