It's Monday!

I love that every Monday +Lindsey Mart motivates me to get my weekly goals together. It's like starting off the week with a purpose. We evaluate last weeks goals, set new ones for this week. And throw in any helpful information, or ask for some! EVERYONE should do this, bloggers or non-bloggers!
Last week....
1. Dinner with Dad. No excuses. OHMYGOD no.
2. Pack lunches. not really...
3. Get transmission fluid changed. nope.
4. Write a good article for Sorority Stylista complete with photos YES
5. Pack up a fair amount of clothes to keep at Yorktown house so I don't keep driving back and forth for clothes and donate what I don't need at all YES
2/5 COME ON ASH, GET IT TOGETHER!

1. Begin outlining my thesis paper and draft questions for the interviews. {20 days to COSTA RICA!}
2. Spend 2 nights at home in Williamsburg to manage stress appropriately
3. Start a journal
4. Repeat goals 1 & 3 of last week....
5. Clean out room in Yorktown...it has become family storage AGAIN.

Budget Management

Hey y'all! I've been promising to post about how I have started keeping my budget in line, and it has really worked for me.

I am terrible with money. I swear every single month I say the same thing "Where did all my money go??" After a few really scary credit card bills, my mom says to me: "Just make a budget and stick to it."

So I did. I went to www.abowlfulloflemons.net and read what Toni had to say about budgeting. She is the organizing, budgeting, cleaning, and blogging queen, so I trust her advice implicitly. Follow her blog, follow her pinterest, like her on facebook, I promise you won't regret it.

I had an extra binder laying around the house because I found one at Big Lots for $3 with the zipper pouch already included!

Then I bought $.97 dividers from Walmart and labeled each section. The first is Monthly Budget, then Monthly Expenses, then Weekly Expenses. This way I am not only adding up how much I spend per month, but also per week easily.

So I planned out a budget. This is my FIRST one, so there's a lot of notes on it of what did work and didn't.

 Next I record every expense onto the Monthly Expenses sheet

And then Weekly Expenses. A $0 day is a GOOD day.

And last but not least, SAVE ALL RECEIPTS. Gas receipts for commuter students are tax write-offs, so are school supplies. Clothing receipts are always good to have in case something gets messed up or needs to be returned.

This whole binder cost about $5 to make and has been a lifesaver in organizing my life. Once I see all my silly expenses on paper, I realize how much I would have if I didn't buy stupid things. My Target trips are usually my weakness.

I got all of my printables from: http://www.meadonline.com/HomeManagers/Downloads.aspx

Next month I may take another tip from ABFOL (A bowl full of lemons) and color code with highlights or colored pens so it will be less writing. All green is gas, all blue is food, all pink is spending money, and all orange is bills or something like that.

How do you keep your budget?

*figures based off of an income of approximately $250 per week with the hopes of having savings*

5 for 5

Progress Report! Old goals.
1. Pack my lunch 3 out of 5 days this week. It's not realistic to think that I can actually do it all 5 days. um no.
2. Re-do 3, 4, 5 from last week.
         YES to one. I took hearing loss documentation to the office.
3. Order my face lotion and new coat (Mom's treat) new coat check. face lotion is coming.
4. Record every expense in my new handy-dandy budget binder! (new blog on that to come with FREE printables) YES!
5. Clean out fall/winter wardrobe and remnants of summer and take donations to Goodwill no.

Well. I managed one and 1/3 goal. That's SAD. Might be my worst week yet.
1. Dinner with Dad. No excuses.
2. Pack lunches.
3. Get transmission fluid changed.
4. Write a good article for Sorority Stylista complete with photos
5. Pack up a fair amount of clothes to keep at Yorktown house so I don't keep driving back and forth for clothes and donate what I don't need at all

Confessions
1. I am stupidly stressed, and I really do have enough time to get it all done...just keep wasting it.
2. I'm incredibly excited for the season premiere of NCIS, but insanely bummed that Cote de Pablo left the show
3. I'm spreading out the watching of Downton Abbey as much as possible so that I am not on a Downton Hangover for a month out of sadness for the loss of the two characters I know are going to die.
4. I still haven't read most of the books I'm using for senior sem paper.
5. I haven't written a good article YET for sorority stylista :(

Preppy 101: USG Style

All right ladies and gents, I grew up with the ORIGINAL prepsters. My grandfather was King Prep in his KA days. (That's the Kappa Alpha Order, also known as "The Order.") And my grandma was a Tri-Delt. These were the top houses on campus. Legendary for their parties and overall prepping.
My mom tended to have a bit more edge to her style, but everyone needs the fashion-forward mind.
One day, I discovered this little gem in my family's library.

When I was a teenager, I decided that this would be my life. And for years, I spent a great deal of time trying to perfect my prepster lifestyle. The first step was to master the preppy wardrobe. With my grandfather's careful guidance, I was able to learn the ways of the classic prep. He was careful to distinguish which is the "classic" prep style, and which is the "faking it" prep style. 

He went on to explain that at any informal gathering, Top Siders are the shoe of choice. Sandals could be worn by women depending on the occasion. That is how we discovered "Jacks" aka Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals. 

He also went on to explain the polo shirt or golf shirt. He had more golf shirts than the average Vineyard Vines store. His favorite were the "Crab" shirt aka Jimmy and Sook Pique Crab Polo Shirt. My favorites will always be Vineyard Vines or Ralph Lauren. Same for button downs.

Every man should own several pair of well-fitting chinos. Khaki and Navy. Depending on your specific style, Black is also useful.

NEVER wear a polo tucked in unless you're wearing a belt. Big preppy-no-no.

Ladies. A good baseball cap can hide many a bad hair day. My favorite happens to be the one I'm planning on sporting all fall/winter long. The Plaid Frat Hat. +Lindsey Mart and I are obsessed after seeing it on College Prepster. 

Boots. NECESSARY objects. My personal favorite are Frye or Ariat.

The book goes on to talk about preppy activities such as golf, tennis, tailgating, and also..how to drink like a classy prepster. G&T's without getting...what is it they call it now..."white girl wasted." That's gin and tonic by the way. 

If anyone has ever wondered why I march to my own drum, it's because no one seems to follow the rules set forth in this book by the letter anymore. My grandfather taught me at a young age what it means to be a classic prep.

So now I've ordered the sequel to this book, True Prep. But if you haven't read this one...READ it! The Official Preppy Handbook. My style guide at ALL time.

Balancing the work-flow/fun-flow during senior year

If I were to make a meme about my current life it would look something like... 

What I think senior year should look like: (show pictures of sisters hanging out having lunch, girls out living it up at our last few frat parties before graduating into the real world, and tons of photo ops) 

What senior year actually looks like: (show me hidden behind a stack of books, my hair up in a messy bun, and yoga pants for days)

That's about what this semester is shaping up to be like. And I this research assignment is no great shock to me. I have dreaded and anticipated it for 4 years, but for some reason once it's upon you it's a whole knew feeling. First, if you're anything like me, you feel compelled to not only do well but knock it out of the park. In fact, you want to knock it into the next county. I have this romanticized view in my mind of when I finish my thesis (or as CNU calls it, senior seminar) I will be recognized for my insight and dedication as well as invited to present at our annual research panel in the Spring. I've never been satisfied with "good enough" which is not as great of an attribute as it sounds.

My challenge is not missing out on those moments that I will remember for a lifetime, only for a few more sources that I may end up tossing out anyways. This coming weekend is Fall Fest presented by CNU's Campus Activities Board. There are typically inflatable amusement things (whatever they're called) and all of the Student Organizations set up a table and feature a game or give out information about their organization in some fun way.  These are moments to bond with your sisters or teammates or with whomever you share your fraternal bonds. This is a time for which you should prepare by completing your library hours or any work ahead of time and focusing on unforgettable memories.

The PR photo ops, the funzies photo ops, and the silly laughs playing with all of the new puppies that seem to be joining the Greek family at CNU, are almost just as important. I have learned the hard lesson of placing enough value in sisterhood time as well as academic time when budgeting my time. We will sleep when we are dead. (Just kidding...6-8 hours of sleep per night and plenty of Vitamin C, it is cold and flu season after all.)

I just encourage all students, seniors or freshmen, to place enough value in time with sisters as well as academic success. This balance is vital in order to lead a healthy and successful college life. Learn when it is OK to put down the books and go run around like a crazy person on an inflatable moon bounce at Fall Fest, or go to a festival in town,I personally REALLY want a sisterhood lazer tag outing. 

The only way this thesis thing will kill me, is if I let it take all of the fun out of my senior year. Sisterhood may be for life, but the 4 years you are together lays the foundation for those lifelong bonds.

5 for 5 plus confessions!

I call it "5 for 5" because of +Lindsey Mart and The Sticky Note Addict, but it always ends up that I do these every Saturday so...5 for 7...?

Progress Report: old goals!
1. Most important: develop a topic for my senior seminar paper. (Other schools may call that your senior "thesis") YES! It's on the hybrid culture of nicaraguan immigrants in costa rica and the changes in costa rican society as they have "welcomed" the nicas. :) so excited.
2. Pay credit card bill. I CAN I just haven't. YES! finally!
3. Watch 2 movies on the list for my Hispanic Visual Arts paper. NO... i haven't been home near my Roku... i need to bring the wii to my parent's house so we have netflix...
4. Take hearing loss documentation to disabilities office at school! NO... omg. Get. It. Together.
5. Make an effort to have lunch/dinner with my Dad who I haven't seen in weeks. Effort made, success, no.

New goals!
1. Pack my lunch 3 out of 5 days this week. It's not realistic to think that I can actually do it all 5 days.
2. Re-do 3, 4, 5 from last week.
3. Order my face lotion and new coat (Mom's treat)
4. Record every expense in my new handy-dandy budget binder! (new blog on that to come with FREE printables)
5. Clean out fall/winter wardrobe and remnants of summer and take donations to Goodwill

Confessions
1. I have no social skills thanks to homework. All I seem to have time to do is work.
2. I'm obsessed with +College Prepster
3. I've been seeing a school therapist to deal with stress at home and at school.
4. The crazier my life gets, the more organized I become.
5. Retail therapy seems to be the BEST medicine :)

Blogtember Day 6

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop.

My favorite online shops...hm...do I really want to share my secrets?? 

1. http://www.6pm.com/ is one of my absolute favorites. I find just about all of my favorite brands and labels at great prices. OR those moments where you say: I really need navy wedges for this dress! You can go on and select Women's>Shoes>Wedges>Navy>7.5 and have a nice selection of only shoes in your size that you like!!

2. Ruelala, Gilt, Hautelook are also definite faves but they are really hit and miss. Some days you go on and everything is BARELY discounted from retailer prices so it isn't worth it.

3. And last but never, ever least is my true standby: eBay. I can find almost anything that I want on eBay and with eBay Buyer Protection, if it isn't the real thing, then send it back!