Tea Time

Lately I have been really enjoying my tea. Today my dad brought home a new tea for me to try. And I loved it! The tea is Lady Grey Tea and it is amazing. I put some orange slices in my tea and it was delicious. I would highly recommend this tea.

Lazy Day

It's a cold windy day in Minnesota. Today's outfit is going to be a lazy one. No makeup and natural hair with beanie.

Hair Cut

Yesterday I did a spontaneous thing and decided to cut 6 inches of my hair. It was the best decision ever. I am loving my hair so much right now! It is so much lighter on my head. My longer hair was almost a pain and so cutting it made it more bearable to do my hair on a daily basis. Here's a little before and after pictures of my hair.

Retro Look

Sometimes you need to change up your look. And lately I have been really into these old pair of jeans my mom had. So I thought it was only fulfilling if I tied the whole outfit together with the "retro" look. This outfit was so comfy! I was able to wear an old pair of comfy jeans, a turtle neck long pink and gray socks, and finally with converse.

Caribou

If anyone of you guys are like me, you are a Carbiou Coffee addict just like me. Today's Caribou Coffee drink is a Chai Tea Latte. Thank God for all the Caribou Coffee gift cards that I got for Christmas.

Appreciation Post

Sometimes you just need to make an appreciation post for you cat. My cat, Spook, is my best friend and I just wanted to share some pictures with you guys!

College Textbooks

During winter break I am transitioning from fall semester into spring semester. And I am currently working on selling my used textbooks. I have listed below my top three favorite websites for selling back my books. I was able to sell all of my textbooks and use that money to pay for my next semester books and still have some money left over!

1. College Focus
2. Chegg Books
3. Textbooks

Leftover Christmas Food

My favorite thing about after Christmas is the leftover food. What can get any better than leftover food, especially being a poor college student? Today's lunch has been brought to you by left over food from Christmas Eve. Some yummy olives and roast beef sandwich. I am one happy college student right now!

New Makeup

Recently I purchased some new makeup and have been able to try out a couple new looks lately. This makeup look seems to be my favorite at the moment. It gives just the enough amount of a smokey eye and a natural look to make it perfect. The new makeup items are listed below.

1. Wet n Wild Ultimatebrow Mascara
2. Wet n Wild Brow Highlighter
3. Wet n Wild Color Icon Kohl Liner Pencil

Christmas

I got to spend a lot of time with family for Christmas, my brother who is in the military was able to come home. He hasn't been home in a year, and before that he was deployed overseas for two years. So spending some time with the entire family. Along with spending time with family, I was able to enjoy my time playing the dice game and cards against humanity. Christmas was a great time with family and I was also able to open up some pretty great presents too! The chocolates that I got here are Sea Salt Almond Alligators by Abdallah Chocolates.

Work Out Plan

During my first semester of college I have definitely gained the freshman 15. Now, with the holidays coming up I needed to create a plan on working out. Below is the schedule that I will be following to help lose my weight.

Sunday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
45 jumping jacks
15 squats
5 jump squats
50 Russian twists
30 second plank
10 standing calf raises
5 kneeling push-ups
30 second superman
10 lunges (each leg)
40 crunches

Monday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
50 crunches
20 tricep dips
15 squats
20 lunges (each leg)
70 Russian twists
20 standing calf raises
5 push-ups
30 second plank
10 lunge split jumps

Tuesday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
80 jumping jacks
50 vertical leg crunches
20 sit-ups
10 side lunges (each leg)
15 leg lifts (each leg)
50 bicycles
15 wall push-ups
40 Russian twists

Wednesday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
90 jumping jacks
20 tricep dips
10 sit-ups
30 bird-dogs
30 second plank
30 squats
15 incline push-ups
40 crunches
10 oblique crunches (each side)
20 standing calf raises

Thursday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
100 jumping jacks
25 vertical leg crunches
30 crunches
20 squats
20 wall push-ups
50 Russian twists
15 second side plank (each side)
10 lunge split jumps
5 jump squats
40 high knees

Friday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
60 jumping jacks
10 sit-ups
10 tricep dips
20 side lunges (each side)
15 incline push-ups
10 oblique crunches (each side)
30 butt kickers
5 jump squats
15 jack knife sit-ups

Saturday:
stretch
1 mile warm up run
50 jumping jacks
20 squats
100 Russian twists
5 kneeling push-ups
1 minute downward dog
15 jack knife sit-ups
10 lunges (each leg)
10 side lunges (each side)
20 bird-dogs
20 inner thigh lifts (each leg)

Charlie Brown Christmas

As I was typing up my last blogpost, my sister turned on Charlie Brown Christmas! It's really starting to get me in the mood, along with sitting next to my great Christmas tree.

Products

Here are the pictures of the products that I used in my blog post below.

Having a Little Fun

Yesterday I was able to come home for break. I finished up one paper last night and another paper this morning. After that I went shopping with my sister to get our brother's Christmas gift (yes I know we are pretty late on getting it). While shopping I got myself some new makeup and I was pretty excited to try it out. So I had a little fun and relaxing time doing my make up and hair. Below are the products that I used and links to buy them.

Make-Up:

1. Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Palette Nudes
2. Wet n Wild Color Icon Kohl Liner Pencil
3. e.l.f Contour Palette
4. e.l.f Studio Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
5. Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush
6. Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Mascara
7. Wet n Wild Brow Highlighter Highlight of My Life
8. Wet n Wild Silk Finish Lipstick Dark Wine
9. Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Colossal Washable Mascara

Brushes Used:

1. e.l.f professional Eye Shadow Brush
2. e.l.f Studio Small Angled Brush
3. e.l.f Studio Compexion Brush

Hair Products and Tools:

1. Instant Heat 1-inch Curling Iron
2. L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray Extra Strong Hold Unscented

Pura Vida Bracelets

So recently while Cyber Monday Shopping I was able to use my Swagbucks money. My recent purchase were Pura Vida Bracelets. Now I purchased six different bracelets that donate money to different organizations. The bracelets that I purchased were: Autism Awareness Original, Autism Speaks, Down Syndrome Awareness, Epilepsy Awareness, Migraine Research, and Save the Sea Turtles. With my purchase Pura Vida also sent me an extra bracelet, it made my day! Now purchasing the Autism Awareness Original bracelet, donates $1 to Autism Society of America. $1 also went to each of these other Autism Speaks, Migraine Research Foundation, Conserve the Sea Turtles, National Down Syndrome Society, and Epilepsy Foundation. The bracelets are so cute and they are also water proofed, which is even better! I would definitely recommend them for anyone to buy. If you click on the link above that says "Pura Vida Bracelets" it will bring you straight to the website!

Christmas Spirit

I am officially starting to get into the Christmas spirit drinking my peppermint coffee with a candy cane in it! So delicious! The coffee I was drinking was Donut Shop Peppermint Bark. I used a little bit of Coffee Mate French Vanilla Powder Creamer. For the last step just add a small candy cane, which can be found in packs at Target, to by them click on the link here.

Bentleyville Tour of Lights

Last night as part of being a collegiate athlete, we volunteer as a team to go do various things. Yesterday, we worked the Bentleyville Lights. Now, if you are not familiar with this, the Bentleyville Lights occur in Duluth, MN. The lights originally started in 2001 on Nathan Bentley's property in Esko, MN. He would decorate his property. In 2004, his family moved to Cloquet, MN. Here to entice the people to drive out to his house to see the lights he created an entrance castle made of 45,000 lights and over 500 illuminated snowflakes that were hung from his trees. Later he added a fire pit, cookie house, popcorn building and yearly visits from Santa. Just after five years of doing this, Nathan was transporting 72,000 people by school buses to his property. In 2008, Nathan received a phone call from the Mayor of Duluth asking him if he wanted to use the Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth to set up his lights, becoming a non profit organization. In 2012, the attendance surpassed 206,000 people. Bentleyville currently offers FREE hot chocolate, coffee, popcorn, cookies, and marshmallows to roast. The cost of attendance is 100% free, however, donations are greatly appreciated. There is a $5 fee for parking though. Yesterday I had a blast volunteering for this organization. I was in the Cookie House the whole night handing out hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies to people. There was  a huge crowd of people and the hot chocolate and cookies were going like crazy yesterday! I also received this very cool pin showing that I was a volunteer and now I get to have this very memorable time of when I volunteered at Bentleyville Tour of Lights. If you want to learn more about Bentleyville or how to volunteer you can click on the link here. While volunteering here it made me appreciate how much I can do to help other people and organizations. Watching little children's faces light up when they would see Santa Claus or their first sip of hot chocolate on a cold night brings a smile to my face.

Drake

Now, since being in college, I have learned a ton of things, anywhere from making ramen with my Keurig to intellectually understanding more things in life. However, one that that really threw me off his how amused people will be about a whiteboard drawing in college. I decided to draw a picture of Drake on my whiteboard to hang outside the door. And if there is one thing I have learned from this, its that if you want to become popular, draw Drake on your whiteboard. He has been the biggest hit. People take pictures and have been leaving my roommate and I messages about how cool the drawing is. Little do they know that the drawing only took about 10 minutes to do. #college

Today's Daily Coffee

Today's daily coffee that I am having is so delicious. It's Café Escapes Chai Latte. The find and buy the coffee click here. The chai latte is so warm and inviting and such a cozy drink to be having later in the evening during this cold weather. It's also great to drink while studying biology, just like I am. Hope you all enjoy your day!

Christmas Gifts

If you're struggling on what to get people for Christmas this year I have your solution. If they are anything like me, they need that morning cup of coffee to get them going in the day. And on the up rise of Keurig's being used, I thought it would only be fair to share my favorite k-cup at the moment. Caribou's Daybreak Morning Blend is my favorite. It's a lighter roast of coffee but it is always good with a little International Delight Coffee Creamer Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll. It is so delicious in the morning that it is even making my mouth water right now. So for those coffee drinkers out there that you are trying to get Christmas presents for, this is the coffee and creamer that they need.

Click here for the Caribou Daybreak Morning K-Cups
Click here for the International Delight Coffee Creamer Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll

I hope they enjoy it as much as I do!

Top 10 Christmas Movies

1. A Christmas Story
   
2. National Lampoon Christmas Vacation
3. White Christmas
4. It's a Wonderful Life
5. Polar Express
6. Charlie Brown Christmas
7. Home Alone
8. Frosty the Snowman
9. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Theses are my top 10 Christmas movies! What are yours?

Christmas Music

Hey everyone! So I just thought I would give you a link to my Spotify playlist of Christmas music. So here's the link Spotify Christmas Music Playlist. I hope you all enjoy! I will also be adding more music to it throughout the Christmas time.

Men's Hair Style

Yesterday I was having a little fun with my friend's hair and decided to try out a new one. I blow dried and combed his hair and used the Paul Mitchell, Mitch brand gel texturizer. Below are some pictures of how the hair style turned out and the gel I used.

The gel that I used can be found at by clicking here. 

Black Friday

Today has been a very exhausting day and I could use a foot massage from how bad my feet hurt from walking around all day shopping. However, I was able to get all of my Christmas shopping done today! Black Friday shopping may be one of my favorite things, however, it is one of my most stressful days trying to get everyone gifts for the holidays. I hope everyone was able to get all the shopping done today that they wanted to get!!

Happy Holiday

Hey everyone! I hope you guys all had a Happy Thanksgiving and had full bellies yesterday, I know I did. The turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie really filled me up. I know yesterday I had a joyful time spending time with family. We ended up watching home videos of when my cousins, siblings, and I were younger. I come from a pretty large family and we had videos from Christmas and it made me laugh so much. The video showed me at the party where I tripped over my feet and almost ate it, I guess you could say some things never change. But I hope everyone had a great Turkey day!!

Three Good Things

Now I promised that I would post at the end of the day three good things that happened to me today, so here they are.

Natural Makeup

Well today I did a video of my daily makeup. Here is a link to the video Make Up Tutorial the products that I used are listed down below. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this.

1. Lotion - Suave Advanced Therapy
2. Blush - Wet N Wild, Pearlescent Pink
3. Eyeshadow - Profusion Eyeshadow
4. Eyeliner - NYC high definition, liquid
5. Mascara - Maybelline New York Pumped Up, Colossal Black

Nail Polish

So I officially painted my nails for Thanksgiving and to stop me from biting my nails. Here is a picture for everyone to see. I used OPI and the color is Over the Taupe. You can find the color here.

Gratitude Journal

This morning I have already filled out my daily thing that I am grateful for and would like to show all of you today.

I will be making another post later before I go to bed adding more on to this app. As I will be reflecting on how my day went and hopefully this will bring a more positive mindset to me. I can already feel the good vibes.

Healthy Breakfast

To keep you guys all updated I have logged in my food that I ate this morning. And I am feeling really good about how this is going to work out. Time to go get a workout in later in the day.

Social Media

Hey everyone! Now some of you may be wondering where you can find me at. I have listed below my social media accounts you can follow.

1. Twitter - Username @collegeblogging
2. Instagram - Username damara_theis
3. Pinterest - I am under my name Damara Theis

Good Morning

Good Morning everyone! My morning has been a little stressful. My engine light in my car has been on for a couple days now and I finally brought it in. However, they were able to fix it! Yay! Now I think it's time for some relaxing and tea.

Snow Part 2

I promised a better picture in the morning of the snow and my view of the snow out my kitchen window is amazing. The snow has got me in such the Christmas spirit, but don't worry I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving first! Bring on the turkey and mashed potatoes.

Making Money

Now being a poor college student with tons of debt. I began to get creative in ways on how I can earn money during my free time when I'm sitting on the couch watching TV. Now, one of my most productive ways I have continuously been earning money is through Swagbucks. On Swagbucks I don't have to pay any money yet they pay me money for taking surveys. It is one of the easiest ways I have ever been able to earn free money essentially. The surveys don't take very long and you earn. I am a huge advocate for anyone with spare time that wants to earn a little extra cash, then you definitely need to check out this website. If you click on the link above labeled Swagbucks it will bring you straight to a page to sign up.

Snow

I would just like to share this wonderful photo I just took outside my window as the beautiful snowfall for winter has begun. I love Minnesota. I will be posting a better picture in the morning of the snow, then you can see it hanging on the trees.

Thanksgiving Break

I officially made it home for the holidays after my four hour drive, through all the snow and rain, it was awful weather. However, I am glad to be back home with my family and to be able to eat all this delicious food on Thanksgiving. Now college has begun to stress me out as it does for most college students and I have made a list of things that are going to be beneficial for myself. They will be my goals. So here goes nothing.

Top Five Goals:

1. Lose weight. Now, since entering college not only have I gained the freshman 15, but I've gained another 5 more with it. Not being able to fit into my favorite pants is quite upsetting. I want to achieve being able to fit back into my pants by working out and eating correctly. I am a collegiate athlete however, I am not the best about eat proper foods.

2. Stop biting my nails. I am the ultimate chewer when it comes to biting my nails. I had a good period of not biting my nails, however, it is my nervous habit I would like to break.

3. Keep myself more organized. I am the messiest, unorganized person ever. I am constantly losing things (my student ID) and it is becoming super stressful.

4. Stop procrastinating. I procrastinate at procrastinating. This goal is to stop those unbearable nights where I am up at two or three in the morning finishing typing my paper.

5. As a Psych major, I want to work on achieving a better mindset. I am generally a very energetic and happy person however, I want to be able to achieve wholeness in my mind.


Now, here comes the real question how am I going to achieve these goals. I have made some guidelines and downloaded some apps to help me in the process.

Achieving my Goals:

1. I have downloaded a few apps to help me out with this goal. My first app is called Calorie Counter-MyFitness Pal. This app will allow me to log in my food daily and keep track of how many calories I am taking in. Another app that I downloaded is Google Fit. This app tracks the number of steps that I am taking on my phone and I can log in my workouts that I do along with it. Lastly, I will be using Pinterest to make healthy food for myself. I created a board called "Healthy Eating". You can find my board at Healthy Eating.

2. To stop my nail biting I will be painting nail polish onto my nails. The taste of nail polish is unpleasing and will hopefully stop me from biting when I am not noticing. I will be using the color Over the Taupe by OPI. It can be found at OPI Nail Polish.

3. I need to keep myself organized and to do that I need to clean my messy dorm room. I will start by using a daily schedule to clean certain areas at a time.

• Monday - Clean closet and put clothes away.
• Tuesday - Clean desk off.
• Wednesday - Clean off book shelf.
• Thursday -  Pick up the area around the couch and fridge.
• Friday - Pick up the area around the TV and containers.

4. To stop procrastinating I will need to use my planner. I have a hard copy planner to write down all my assignments and exams. I will also be putting up my exam dates on my whiteboard calendar that is in my room.

5. Lastly, to achieve a better mindset as whole I downloaded the app Gratitude Journal. This app allows me to stay positive about my life and journal everyday. Another app that I downloaded is Happify, currently the track that I am taking is to "Cope Better with Stress".

I will continue to occasionally update you all on the progress that is being made. I will also continue to give updates on my life and how thing are working out for me. I encourage you to set five goals for yourself too that you want to achieve. If you have any questions feel free to comment below. I would also love to hear your feedback along with if you have any apps that you downloaded and would love to share with others. Peace and Love! 

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

One day, while sitting on my couch in my dorm eating chips, I got this great idea I was going to start blogging. Now, writing has never been my greatest friend. However, life is short and I feel like this is something I should at least try. I will be blogging my crazy life throughout college and all my "amazing" ideas that I will get. So stick with me while I attempt to do this.