Christmas Morning

As I've said before... I love Christmas! This Christmas was no exception. I was so lucky to be able to split the day between my boyfriend's and my family. We started the day off at my boyfriend's house where we woke up to the whole family enjoying a very relaxing morning. 

Zairis, Zairalis, and me Christmas morning

My boyfriend's sister has a baby daughter named Zairalis, and she is the apple of the whole family's eye; she is the first grandchild in the family, so she is definitely doted on! We spent the morning giving presents and helping Zairalis play with her new presents (because she is only 9 months old). She is definitely a cutie and it was so much fun to be surrounded by family on Christmas morning.

After the morning festivities, Zairis and I packed up our bags and made the 30-minute drive to my mom's house to spend the rest of Christmas Day with her, her boyfriend of 12 years, and my grandparents. Because none of my older sisters were able to make the trip home, it was an unusually small get-together at my mom's house of only 6 people. We had some very traditional German dishes for our Christmas dinner including Potato Pancakes (which I made!) and Chicken Paprikash. We also started the meal off with some bacon-wrapped scallops and kale salad (I made that, too!). We ended the meal with a delicious gluten-free apple pie, because my mother's boyfriend is gluten-intolerant. 

After the meal, we exchanged presents; this was perhaps my favorite part of the day! I got some clay bowls for my apartment and a yummy vegetarian cook book from my mom (so I'll be able to make her some food when she visits!), a lotion set from my grandmother, and a hot-shot tea maker from my mom's boyfriend.

It was such a fantastic Christmas and I am so very thankful that I had not one, but TWO families to celebrate with! How was your Christmas? Did you spend it with friends and/or family? Did your family drive you nuts, or did the day go off without a hitch? Did you have Christmas meal, if so... what? Did you even celebrate Christmas, if not... what holiday did you celebrate?

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and are gearing up for a FANTASTIC 2013!

lia sophia

As I have mentioned in a few of my previous blogs, in addition to working at the Financial Aid Office and Whitney Management, I am also a lia sophia Advisor. Lia sophia is a direct sales company that specialized in jewelry - think of Mary Kay, only it's jewelry instead of makeup. As an Advisor, I have had so many fun experiences and met a bunch of really cool people - and I only started a few months ago!

A cool perk of being an Advisor is that I get to attend monthly chapter meetings. At these meetings I get to meet other Advisors and share tips about what works and may not work with our business. These meetings are also where Advisors get recognized for any accomplishments or milestones they may have achieved. This last meeting, I was recognized for becoming a qualified Advisor, which means that in my first month of business I made at least $1,500 in sales and have at least 3 parties. I was so excited to receive the award and it made me even more motivated to take my business to the next level!

I am really glad that I decided to become a lia sophia Advisor and find it to be a really cool, fun way to earn extra cash. If you have any questions about lia sophia or other ways to earn extra cash while in school (such as jobs on campus, or local businesses) let me know! I am more then happy to answer all of your questions!

If you'd like to learn more about my lia sophia business, you can like my page on Facebook!

Family Visit

As you may have gathered from reading my previous blogs, I absolutely LOVE when people come to visit me in New Haven! This time, it was my future sister-in-law Zaimaris, and her 9-month-old daughter, Zairalis.

Zairalis was very taken with the ornaments on the tree!

Zaimaris and Zairalis came to visit for the entire weekend, which was a ton of fun. We had a great, relaxing time and it was such a treat to be able to spend a whole weekend with the baby! 

Because Zairis (my boyfriend) and I live in New Haven, we don't get to drive the 45 minutes home to Zairalis very often, which means our visits have been very few and far between. It has been such an experience to watch Zairalis grow up so fast between our visits, and it is amazing to see how big and smart she is for only 9 months old! 

Though the visit was so much fun, it was also a very good reminder to wait until I/we are absolutely ready to have children. Having a baby in the house for only a short two days was enough to make me realize that when a baby enters a family, everything changes. While this is how it should be, and I hope to one day to have children of my own; right now, as a 22-year-old college student, I am nowhere near prepared to have a child! 

How about you, do you want kids? Do you already have kids? Do you have any nieces or nephews that you absolutely LOVE to spoil?

Dentists, Dentists Are No Fun :(

One requirement when coming to Albertus is that you are covered under a health insurance plan. Albertus offers the option for you to stay on your parents' health insurance or join the school's plan (which is simply added into your tuition; this year it was about $1,000... give or take a few hundred). Because I was not on my mom's health insurance plan I gladly accepted the school's insurance plan. So far, I have found it to be a quite a help when I get my annual Winter Cold (which always seems to last the ENTIRE winter.. uhg!) and in treating the allergies I seemed to have developed since moving back from Texas.

My Dental X-Rays

One thing to keep in mind when making the decision of which health insurance plan to use is that the school's insurance plan does not include vision or dental. Because dental is not included, I pounced on a deal I saw at a local dentist office: $57 for a cleaning, x-rays, and dental-work plan (no insurance required. 

It wasn't too bad, actually. I had made an appointment on Saturday and the cleaning was very quick. It was kind've funky to see my x-rays (so I took a picture, naturally!)... and I was very happy to find out that I still don't have any cavities (woo-hoo!!)

The actual cleaning was a little painful. I absolutely hate having a dentist poke around my mouth with a drill and suction wand. Not only is it incredibly awkward, but sometimes it really is painful and felt a little bit like they were drilling right through my gums & teeth! 

The end product was good though - my mouth felt completely refreshed. I would recommend them to a friend... so I suppose I will recommend them to you! I went to Dr. Dental which is located on Amity Rd, heading from New Haven to Woodbridge.

Winter Wonder!

This past Friday, the Student Government Association (SGA) held an awesome Winter Wonder dance! This is an annual, semi-formal dance that Albertus puts on every year towards the end of the Fall semester. This year, SGA really outdid themselves! The decorations were beautiful, food delicious, music was"hopping" and it was a great turn out.

I attended the dance with my boyfriend, and we had a really great time. Probably my favorite part of the dance was the Photo Booth that SGA had set up. The photo booth printed your pictures out automatically, and there were tons of fun props to wear while taking the pictures! 

They also had a backdrop with city-related props... I had a lot of fun posing for pictures!

All in all, it was a great night full of fun, music, and dancing. I really enjoyed my time and am looking forward to next year's :)

Getting in the Holiday Spirit!

My desk at Whitney Management!

I love Christmas! 

I am so excited that Thanksgiving is over so I can finally get in the Christmas spirit without people judging me! 

As you know if you've read my previous blog post... I just started back at my old summer internship job... which means I have another office I get to sprinkle with Holiday Cheer! 

I love being surrounded by Christmas decorations because Christmas represents a really fun, warm, family-oriented holiday for me. 

Christmas was not always a fun time for me and my family... in fact, we still always get in fights and are very stressed when we get together for the holidays (I cannot remember the last time we decorated the tree without at least one fight).

Having just said that, you may wonder why I love this holiday so much and certainly why I associate warm-fuzzy family memories with this holiday... and the reason is because even though in the days leading up to Christmas my family may get in TONS of crazy fights, Christmas morning is magical!

There is no more satisfying feeling then when you know you have made or purchased the PERFECT gift for someone. To me, gift-giving is a way of showing that you truly care and have taken the time to get to know that person, and know exactly what they would love. 
The measurement for how awesome a gift is is not measured by how expensive, or how popular a certain item may be; but rather, how perfectly it reminds the recipient of a good memory between the two of you, or how useful it will be for the recipient's strange/weird/boring/old-lady hobby that they may love. For this reason, nothing makes gift-giving more boring to me then when someone wants a) money b) gift card or c) tells you exactly what they want. It takes the mystery and enchantment out of Christmas morning, and ends up feeling more like a chore then an exciting holiday tradition.

I am so happy that the holiday season is finally here. Are you? Do you love Christmas as much as I do? Do you have any wonky family traditions that make you either love or hate Christmas? Let me know!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thanksgiving Plate

Today was such a fun day, filled with family and giving thanks!! 

My Thanksgiving festivities started yesterday when my sisters and I all met up at my Grandmother's house to sleep over in order to be able to start the meal preparations nice and early on Thanksgiving morning! The four of us worked what felt like all day to make a ham, turkey, collard greens, mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, bread, salad, some egg concoction, stuffing, and cranberry sauce! Everything turned out fantastic and just in time for when my mom, her boyfriend, and a family friend arrived.

My favorite part about Thanksgiving dinner...yum!!!

After our incredibly large feast, we indulged a little more on the ginormous pies and that my grandmother had bought. I think that pumpkin pie and coffee may be my favorite part of Thanksgiving. My mom also brought a pumpkin cheesecake from Sweet William's which was a huge hit, as you can see by the picture I snapped.

My Grandmother enjoying not cooking for once!

Though the food and desserts are always delicious, my favorite part of this holiday is the time spent with my family. As I have explained in earlier posts, it is not often that my immediate family is all in the same area, so when this happens it is truly time to treasure. I was able to snap a picture of my grandmother sitting back and enjoying not having to cook the meal (this is the first year that my sisters and I tackled the chore), and I also was able to teach my mom how to use Instagram! She is totally into it and just as much in love with posting pictures as I am!

The night ended well with my sisters and my mother driving back to my mom's house in the Northwest part of Connecticut. Two of my sisters (Nina and Rebecca) passed out into a Turkey Coma soon after we arrived home; but Andrea, my mom, and I stayed up and watched the 7th Harry Potter, part 1 & 2.

The next day Nina and Rebecca left back for Washington, D.C with a ton of Thanksgiving leftovers. 

My Mom learning how to use Instagram!

Where did you spend your Thanksgiving? What is your favorite Holiday? Did you help cook the meal or did you get to sit back and watch a football game?

Internship Opportunities

An awesome thing about the curriculum at AMC is that most majors require you do an internship in order to graduate. Though at first glance this may seem like an inconvenience, it is really a blessing!

I completed my internship this past summer at a local property management company, Whitney Management. I was the Marketing Coordinator Intern and I got to learn a ton about making sales-pitch power points, e-newsletters, website design, social networking, and a ton more. I ended my internship just before school began and felt completely satisfied on what I had taken away from my experience.

Though what you learn during your internship is vital, what is more important (at least in my eyes) are the connections that you can make and the future opportunities that may result from doing a good job and putting forth your best effort.

I can attest to this, because just last week I got a call from Whitney Management asking me to come back to work part-time for them. I happened to be looking for a job anyway, so I am really excited to be able to go back to Whitney and continue helping out. Because I also work in the Financial Aid Office, Whitney Management is willing to work with me on my scheduling and give me very flexible hours. I am really grateful for the opportunity they are giving me and recognize that this opportunity would never have presented itself if I had not needed to have an internship and had not given my best effort.

My first day is Monday, November 26th - stay tuned!

Getting Excited for Thanksgiving Break!

My sister Andrea (who lives in Texas) came to visit this weekend! In an earlier post, I asked you guys for some input on where to take her during her visit... unfortunately for me, no one responded so I was left to fend for myself!

I ended up taking her to Claire's Cornercopia (a place I have blogged about before) because she is a vegetarian. We then decided to walk around downtown New Haven, which was tremendously fun because it was a beautiful night and the downtown New Haven area is such a classy place filled with glamorous buildings and small hole-in-the-wall gems!

We had a great time and it was such a pleasure to be able to catch up on the various happenings of our lives - I love visiting with my family and that is why I am SO excited for Thanksgiving!!

3/4 of the Palmer Girls outside of Bruegger's Bagels

This morning, Andrea's visit came to an end as my mom and other sister, Rebecca (visiting from Washington DC), came to scoop Andrea up and take her back to my mom's house. I have classes Monday morning, so we had a quick bite to eat at Bruegger's Bagels on Amity Road before I went to my Accounting class. It was a ton of fun and their bagels are sooooo delish!

I will be joining my family for Thanksgiving Break on Wednesday, because AMC closes at 3 pm Wednesday afternoon. My professors have individually cancelled the classes for the rest of the week, but I am staying in New Haven so I can still get my hours in for my Work Study position in the Financial Aid Office.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving Break to start so I can go to my mom's house and just relax with my sisters and my mom. I cannot wait to be surrounded by my family for the holiday! 

Are you excited to visit with your family, or can it get somewhat stressful? When does your school get out for Thanksgiving Break? Do you think we should get more or less time for Thanksgiving?

Date Night: C.O.Jones

Tonight I had a date night with my boyfriend at a local Mexican joint, C.O.Jones. We decided to go here because of the fancy livingsocial deal I bought a few months ago. 

Zairis viewing the menu while we waited for a table, very crowded!

For those of you who live in a cave (just kidding!), livingsocial is a coupon website that emails you local deals everyday. These deals are usually 50% - 90% discounts for awesome restaurants, spa's, activities, etc. If you subscribe to the New Haven County email list, it is a great way to discover new places and activities to do with your friends while staying in budget!

I liked C.O.Jones and will definitely add it to my places to recommend in New Haven. The food was delicious, the prices decent, and the happy hour specials are unheard of (1/2 price margaritas, free price burritos... and more!)

Though it was delicious, there are some things to be careful of should you decide to go:

1. Very small restaurant so it gets crowded and loud very quickly.
2. They have off-street parking, so be aware that you need to put change in parking meters until 9:00 pm in New Haven.
3. They charge for soda re-fills. 

Do you like Mexican food? Have you ever been to C.O.Jones? Do you notice anything goofy about the name?!

The Giving Tree

Giving Tree: located in Bree Commons
in Aquinas Hall

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you know that my Business Policy Seminar class is conducting two fundraisers for the local organization, Life Haven. We are doing this to promote the community spirit on our campus and to spread our good fortune to those less fortunate then us this holiday season. (To read about the first fundraiser we did, the Life Haven Raffle, feel free to read my previous blog post.)

Today we started the next phase of our donation: the Giving Tree. For this community outreach project we have a tree in the Bree Commons which is decorated with a bunch of paper ornaments. On the back of each ornament is a description of a donation needed; for example, one may say "Girl 15 Outerwear" which means we need some outdoor clothing suitable for a 15 year old girl such as mittens, a scarf, hat, etc.

We hope that people will take an ornament, purchase the desired items and return the item and the ornament to Professor Munson. We have left instructions under the tree (shown below) so that people can join in and help donate if they want to. 

Does your school do any charity work during the holiday season? If so, do you get involved and which charities do you partner with?

1, 2, 3, 4... I Declare A Prank War!

If you have read my 'About Me' section, you know I am a Work Study in the Financial Aid Office here at Albertus. Honestly, it's a pretty awesome job: the work is interesting and the women in the office are fantastic - I enjoying going in to work every day.

It is because I love my job and the women in my office so much that I have declared a Prank War with my co-worker/supervisor, Christina!

So far the score is 3-1, me. I have done some pretty fancy pranks (if I do say so myself). Here are the following pranks I have done:


Peter, Paul & Perry, Christina's stressball people that
I kidnapped... and taped upside down!

• Placed a mini-sticky note under her mouse (covering the lazer) so that when she tried to use the mouse it would not work!
• Turned everything in her office upside down! (pictures, calendar, mouse... etc).
• Kidnapped her stress-ball people (Peter, Paul & Perry) and left ransom notes so she had to go on a scavenger hunt to find them around the office!

It is so much fun. Christina is a good sport and pranks me back, it is all in good-humor and sometimes everyone in the office joins in!

The only problem is... I am running out of prank ideas! Do you have any prank suggestions I could use on Christina?

Where Should We Go?!

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means my family is starting to trickle in to town! 

This year my 3 sisters, my mom, and I are gathering at my grandmother's house to celebrate Thanksgiving. I am so excited because we are all spread out across the country that it is hard to get all of my sisters into one room at the same time. My sister, Andrea, is flying in from Texas, and my other two sisters, Nina & Rebecca who live in Washington DC, will be hopping on the train to get here.

Where should we go?!

Andrea decided to fly in a little earlier than the others to capitalize on her vacation time and her time home. She will be staying at my mom's house which is in a small po'dunk town in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut. Because it's fairly boring there (and because she loves me!), she is going to come visit me here in New Haven! If you've read my previous blogs you know I LOVE when family and friends come to visit, so I could not be more stoked!

The only thing is... I'm not sure what to do! There are so many cool places and restaurants to show that I'm at a loss of which ones to take her to! I know that I am going to take her to East Rock, but other then that her visit is an open book! She will arrive this Sunday afternoon and stay only until Monday afternoon.

What do you think we should do? Do you have any hot spots that you think we should hit up? Let me know your ideas and stay tuned to hear about what we actually did!!

Life Haven Raffle

My lia sophia section at Life Haven raffle!

One of the cool things about Albertus is that the professors and curriculum really encourage you to get involved and give back to the community. In my Business Policy Seminar, a senior-level class, we are doing two different community outreach projects. 

The first community outreach project we are doing happened last night in the Bree Commons, where we did a raffle in which all proceeds went directly to Life Haven. Life Haven is a non-profit organization here in New Haven that helps women who have been dealt a tough hand in life, get back on their feet and help support their families. Life Haven offers these women and their families a safe place to stay and nutritious food to eat while they get back on their feet financially and emotionally. If you'd like to learn more about this organization, feel free to visit their website.

Our raffle was a huge success! We had some really great donated items... one student even donated a bran-spankin' new set of Beats by Dre (retail value between $200-$300!!). I donated two pieces of lia sophia jewelry because I am a lia sophia Advisor.

We ended up raising $454.11, which is much more then we expected! We are so excited to donate the money to Life Haven and get started on our second fund raiser (which begins TODAY) which is the Giving Tree located again in the Bree Commons. 

AMC Open House: A Tour Guide's Perspective

Yesterday was Open House here at Albertus Magnus College and let me just tell you... it was a blast! As a Tour Guide, I was working at Open House to help people find where they're supposed to be, answer questions, and of course... give tours!



Albertus Magnus College Campus Map

The morning started out early with us Tour Guides having to arrive by 8:15 am. We got the debrief of what was happening and then they sent us on our way. I was assigned to the station that helped prospective students and their families find their seats for the buffet-styled breakfast. I loved doing this because I could tell people were so excited to be there and it reminded me of how excited I had been when I attended two years ago as a transfer student. BTW: the food looked delish!

I also enjoyed this station because I saw a student and his family that I had given a tour to! They recognized me and even remembered my name! That made me feel pretty fantastic to know that I had made an impression on this family and they had decided to come back to learn more about Albertus.

After the breakfast, there were two huge rooms (Bree Commons and the Tag Center) filled with booths. The Tag featured booths manned by Professors so that students could meet their potential instructors and see some of the cool things they would be learning, and in Bree Commons the booths were dedicated to the Student Activities. I was so shocked by how many activities we have on campus... I knew we had a lot but seeing them all in one room was very helpful because I got to learn about a few I didn't even know about, but will definitly check out!

After exploring the booths for a bit, I was asked to give a private tour to a family... I love giving tours so that made my day! The family I got to give a tour to was very friendly and already in love with Albertus, so it was a pleasure to show them around and tell them even more amazing things about Albertus.

After my tour I stopped back in the Bree Commons to sip on some hot apple cider and munch on a cinnemon donut.

All in all, it was a really great day. I had such a great time and hope that the students I met will come to Albertus.

Have you gone to any Open Houses yet? Have you ever attended an Albertus Open House? If so, let me know how you liked it!

Also, if you didn't get a chance to come to the Open House, but still want the grand tour of Albertus, call the Admissions Office to set up a private tour: 203-773-8501

Post-Election Reflections

Zairis (my boyfriend) submitting his vote into the machine

Last night the results for the Presidential Elections for 2012 were released! There was a lot of build up and, because it was such a close race, a lot of anxiety on both sides! As everyone (should) know by now, Obama will continue his presidency into a second term.

My boyfriend and I were so excited to go vote, the place we voted was just down the road from our apartment in a local fire house. This was both of our second time voting, though my first time voting in Connecticut (I voted in the 2008 election in Austin, Texas). I was so proud to wear my "I Voted" sticker all day... I even got free popcorn last night at Rave Movie Theater (in North Haven) because of my sitcker!

I loved seeing everyone get involved in this national event on campus. A few weeks earlier I had participated in the National Voters Registration Day. I was able to help Albertus Students register to vote, which really made me feel like I was a part of the process and helping others become part of the process as well.

A lot of my classmates were really excited about this election because it was their first time able to vote. The amount of "I Voted" stickers around campus yesterday was amazing and inspiring.



Because I was so nervous about the results, my boyfriend and our two friends went on a double date to go see Wreck It Ralph (where I got my free popcorn for voting!) to take off some of the anxiety caused by waiting for the results. We made it home well in time to see the results, and I could not have been happier!

I know some people are very upset about the results of this elections, but I think what is important now is to unite as a country so we can move towards a better, brighter America!

Pup or No Pup? That is the Question!

Patch

Living off campus is very different from living on campus. There are a few disadvantages to being a commuter, but at this point in my life the advantages outweigh them. My favorite 'perk' of living off campus is that we get to live with my boyfriend's dog, Patch. Patch is SUCH a cuddle bug and I quickly fell in love with him. He literally brightens up my day and is such a goofball!

While I am totally satisfied with having our little family consist of just me, my boyfriend, and Patch, my boyfriend has found another pup at the local animal shelter that he wants to bring into the house: Socks. Though I love dogs, this is a very hard decision for me... maybe you could help me with my decision?

Socks

My reasons to not adopt Socks: 

• It's a huge commitment, are we ready to take on another dog?!
• Not sure we have enough time to give Socks the time she would need to learn how to potty train, socialize, etc.
• Dogs are expensive!

Zairis' reasons to adopt Socks: 

• Has visited with her and he loves her already (and he doesn't typically like pitbulls)
• Socks would be company for Patch when we're at work
• Thinks we're ready for another dog / would complete our little family
• More protection for our apartment (we life in a very rough neighborhood)
• Will make walks and trips to to the park more fun
• Wants the pup to learn from Patch because Patch is older (almost 5 years old)
• May help Patch become more social with dogs, currently Patch is not very friendly with other dogs.

So now that you've got all the facts, what do you think... should we adopt Socks? Let me know your thoughts!

Soccer Mania!!

Final Score of the Men's Soccer GNAC Championship Game.

This afternoon, the AMC Men's Soccer team hosted the GNAC Championship Game against Norwich. After around an hour and a half of scoreless play, Albertus and Norwich went into a 5 minute overtime... and then another one after that because neither team was able to score! Even after both overtimes, the two teams were still locked at 0-0, forcing the teams to face in penalty shots. Finally after some very close shots and amazing saves from both teams, Albertus pulled ahead and took the game with a final score of 6-5. 

The game was such a blast to watch, and if you missed it you certainly missed a very good time. Albertus came so close to scoring so many times throughout the game that it definitely kept the crowd on their toes - there was not one boring moment throughout the whole game! 

In addition to the game, there was a Spirit tent set up which was offering prizes for those students who were adorned in the most Falcon Blue, and raffling off other prizes; the Women's Basketball team was manning a refreshment and snack table to fundraiser for their season; and Frankie the Falcon was out making his rounds - I was lucky enough to snap a picture with him!

I had such a great time, and as a commuter the game offered me a great opportunity to visit with my on-campus friends. Living off campus can sometimes get in the way of visiting with the friends who I used to live down the hallway from, so I cherish the opportunity to spend a few solid hours with them on campus!

Do your school sports team's ever make it to tournaments? Do you ever go to the games? What is your favorite part? Let me know :) !!

Getting Ready for Spring 2013

I am so excited because I have just registered for my final semester as an undergrad student! This moment has been five years in the making, and I could not be more stoked!

Registration for all students at Albertus happens this week, and I could not be more excited and proud that I have made it this far! As a transfer student who attended a community college in Texas prior to attending Albertus, it is safe to say that my college experience has differed from that of the normal 4-year experience. Though I would not trade a thing about my path to where I am now, it is certainly exciting to finally be in this position, registering for my final classes as an undergrad! (I specify as an "undergrad" because I most definitely plan on pursuing an MBA, though the where and when of that equation have yet to be filled in.)

At Albertus, the registration process is fairly simple. First you meet with your advisor; in this meeting you discuss the possible classes that work with your major and your schedule and they input the classes you select together into your account. Once the school gives the OK to register, all you have to do is pull up your "Planned Courses" and click the "Register" button. It is so simple, which I love because if there is one thing you do not want to mess up, its registering for classes - mistakes in this arena could cost you another semester before graduating! 

My Spring semester looks like it should be an easy course-load. One of the classes that I have registered for (Professional Selling) is a week-long, intensive course that happens prior to the start of the semester. It is Monday - Friday 8:30-4:30 for one week and then it is over; this was ideal for me because once I knock that class out, I will have a more flexible schedule for work!

I'm really excited about my schedule for the upcoming semester. I took a screen shot of my schedule below so you can check it out and see the format we have at Albertus! What does your schedule look like? Does your school offer you online registration? Is your registration process more or less simple then the one we have here at Albertus?

Pizza Time!!

In preparation for Hurricane Sandy, my boyfriend and I decided to batch cook so we'd have plenty of cooked meals in the (likely) event that we loose electricity. We decided to start of our night off  by cooking a pretty fun recipe - pizza! 

I love making pizza because you can make it exactly how you like it and it gives you the opportunity to be creative! You can also put pretty much anything you want on the pizza, so it's a great opportunity to clean out your refrigerator with any left over ingredients you may have.  

Because pizza making is so interactive you can make this into a cool date night idea. Also, when I was a nanny, I used to make pizzas with my kids all the time - they loved it, babysitters take note!!

Here is how we made our pizzas:

1. Purchase the ingredients. You can go fairly crazy with this and get whatever you like. For our pizzas we used tomato basil sauce, fresh and ground mozzarella, turkey peperoni, fresh baby spinach, broccoli, and pizza dough for the crust. Note: If you decide to use pizza dough (versus the pre-made crusts) don't forget that you will need flour in order to mold the dough!
2. Preheat the oven to the degree specified on the pizza dough wrapper. We preheated ours to 450 degrees
3. Take as much dough as you like (depending on how large and thick you want your pizza), add some flour and stretch it out into whatever shape you like - just because PizzaHut has perfectly round pizzas don't mean you have to! Tip: If trying this is a date night activity... try making a heart :) !
4. Once you've made it as thick and large as you'd like, add a layer of sauce. Again, it is completely up to you on how much sauce you want!
5. Now add your toppings! Get creative!
6. Plop your pizzas into the oven and wait referencing the directions on your dough packaging. Just to give you an idea, ours were in there for about 20 minutes.






















7. Take the pizzas out when they look done, let cool, enjoy!

Step 3: Spread out pizza dough

Step 5: Add your toppings!

Step 7: Let cool and eat!

Study Tips 101

My assignment notebook for the past week.

These past few weeks have been so stressful! We have just passed the mid-point of the semester, meaning many of my classes had mid-term assessments and projects. I think I did well, but it was definitely an added on stress!

Sometimes when I look at my assignment notebook I get completely overwhelmed, but I've developed a few tricks to keep me motivated and keep me going:

• When I start to feel really overwhelmed I remind myself why I'm doing everything and why I'm at school. When you just go day-by-day so overwhelmed and stressed, it can be easy to loose sight of the bigger picture and why you're actually doing what seems to be endless, pointless homework! When you loose sight of why you're doing things you do not enjoy, you're much more likely to not do it... which will inhibit you from achieving your grand goal. My Goal: get my degree and move back to Austin, TX. What's yours?
• Make myself some tea. It may sound corny or old-lady like, but whenever I'm working on a homework assignment and I notice my mind drifting (like when I'm reading a 20 page "short" story that is NOT short and NOT an *interesting*story), I allow myself a break to make some tea. The break re-focuses my brain and gets me back on track, plus then I get to have some tea (which I love)! Making tea may not be your ideal break, so think of something that would be a short, productive interruption for you. While you're brainstorming what may work for you, keep in mind that Facebook, TV show, or any of the like is probably not a good alternative because if you're anything like me, you're very likely to spend HOURS doing that, versus 10 minutes.
• Speaking of Facebook, TV, and other distractions - DON'T DO IT! Do not open up your Facebook, or have your phone on Twitter while you're trying to do a paper, it is the most distracting and time consuming thing you could ever do! One thing I do on my Mac (not sure if other computers can do this) is put the No Distraction setting on. This feature makes the rest of your screen black except for the paper you're typing... this is SUCH a help because it doesn't allow me to be distracted by all the Internet tabs I may have open.
• Call a motivational person. I know (hope) everyone has at least one person in their life that really builds you up and makes you feel like you could leap buildings in a single bound. For me that is my oldest sister, Andrea. Whenever I feel completely frustrated, overwhelmed, or just plain ready to give up, I call my sister and she reminds me of how incredible I am (hehe!) and how she knows I can do anything I set my mind to.. etc. She is able to remind me why I'm doing everything and reassure me that I am totally and completely capable. Who is your person? Make sure to have them on speed dial during really tough weeks!
• Block out you time, set realistic goals, and be specific! It's so easy to be like "and on Thursday I'm going to finish my project!" ... but we all know that when Thursday comes around you're almost at the end of the week, you're tired... etc. Be realistic and specific in your goals. Instead of vaguely saying you're going to finish, outline exactly what you will finish, for example: "On Thursday I will finish my outline for my midterm paper and find all of the quotes I am going to use." That way, on Thursday you know exactly what you need to do. It's also important that when Thursday comes around you are actually setting aside an hour, maybe two (whatever the goal needs) to do it - don't put it off because then it will never get done!
• My last point is a quote from previous boss (I don't think he made it up, but he is who introduced me to the quote) that I always remember when the going gets tough: 

"If you have to eat crow (and we all do), at least eat it while it is still warm."

What this quote means to me in the school setting is that if you have to do the homework, you may as well do it on time! You know you're going to end up doing it at some point in time, so you may as well do it on time when you will get full credit for it, rather then doing the same homework later but getting point deductions because it was late. Of course, sometimes a homework assignment may slip past you - no one is perfect - but you should try your very hardest to get it in on time!

Those are some pointers I have for staying focused and productive even though the semester is almost over and ALL you want to do is relax and wait for Winter Break to come! Do you have an pointers, I am always looking for more study tricks!

Art... With a Twist!

My boyfriend and I just passed our 1 year anniversary a few weeks ago and I completely lucked out by stumbling upon the best anniversary present... ever!

One of the ways I explore New Haven is through livingsocial, which emails me a half-off deal every single day. About a week prior to our anniversary I received a deal for a small business here in New Haven called Art With a Twist.

Every evening, Art With a Twist selects a famous painting and guides the class to recreating it (you can check out the calendar of paintings here). They allow you to bring your own snacks and beverages (alcoholic or not) so it becomes a relaxing, fun, positive environment.

The owner, Bella Zadore, is a very cool women who only allows positive energy in her classroom (she will literally douse you in glitter if you show any signs of negativity!). Bella has mastered the ability to not only beautifully recreate paintings, but help others to do the same (a task MUCH harder then it sounds). She helped me break the self-prescribed label of "not artistic... at all" and encouraged me to create the beautiful painting I am holding in the picture here.

This was the perfect anniversary gift for my boyfriend because he is an Art Therapy major at Albertus and he adores doing anything artistic, especially painting.

We had a fantastic time and met some pretty awesome people. We will definitely be going back soon! Are you artistic at all? Which painting would you want to recreate?!

Halloween Hoopla

Come One, Come All!!

On Monday, October 1st, I went to the first meeting for Women’s Lacrosse Club! Currently the Lacrosse program is in club-status, which means that it will not be a varsity level Division III sport team until next year. This will give our players a year to learn the game, bond, and practice before we go to the big-league!

I am so excited for lacrosse (lax) to start. I played lax in high school for two seasons and I loved it. The program at my high school was also in the development phase, so I was able to get a really great foundation in my lax skills, though not much more than that!

Unfortunately because I am a Senior this year I will not be here when the team goes official in the Spring 2014 season. I am pretty bummed about that, but I am so thankful that I get to at least be part of the process.

We are having our first Fall Ball practice this Thursday, October 11th from 4-5:30 pm. It is going to be such a great time – and you still have time to join if you’re interested!! We are looking for people to join the club and learn the game of lacrosse with us, so even if you have never picked up a stick before, we want YOU! We are all beginners at this point, so do not feel intimidated at all.

If you are interested in learning more about joining the women’s lacrosse team either as a current student this semester, or a prospective student for next year, we want to hear from you! Simply email Coach Jewett: sjewett@albertus.edu or tweet us at #amcwlax!!

Vegetarian & Vegan Delights!

On one of my recent posts, there was a request to hear more about the vegetarian and vegan hotspots that New Haven has to offer. Because most of my family is leaning towards vegan diets (though currently more accurately classified as vegetarian), and I try to eat as healthy and clean as possible, I am actually very familiar with a few great restaurants in the area!

Of course, if you live on campus and have already purchased the meal plan all you have to do is communicate with the chefs in the Dining Hall. They are so great about accommodating to everyone’s individual meal preferences, so as long as you let them know you are a vegan or vegetarian, they will always make an option for you at every meal.

However, if you feel like having a night out with your friends and want to dine somewhere strictly vegetarian I have a few great places to recommend! Two spots that I have gone and enjoyed immensely are Claire’s Corner Copia in the downtown area near the Green, and Fuel Coffee Shop on Chapel Street near Wooster Square.

Both of these places offer a wide variety of meals and are strictly vegetarian (read: no meat offered at all in any dish). In addition, they can substitute ingredients so your meal is completely vegan. I love both of these places and always feel satisfyingly full after. Do note: if you’re driving to Clarie’s Corner Copia, it is in the heart of downtown so you may need to bring change for parking depending on when you plan on dining.

Though the above two restaurants are strictly vegetarian and mostly American-esque foods, if you’re interested in meat- and dairy-free options you may want to try some other, more ethnic foods. The cultures that are best known for amazing vegetarian options are Indian, Vietnamese, and Thai. 

Though I have not explored the Vietnamese and Thai options in New Haven (yet!) I have Yelp‘ed a few restaurants that have very good reviews. Here are a few places I came up with (all of which are in the greater New Haven area): Lean’s Vietnamese Food Cart, Jeera Thai, and Thai Awesome.

I am, however, very familiar with the Indian cuisine available here in New Haven and have to say that Kamal is hands-down the best Indian food you will find in this city. The best part about Kamal, aside from their delicious menu and incredibly friendly staff, is that they have free delivery to Albertus. They have an entire vegetarian section of their menu, so do make sure to check it out!

Thank you, Erica, for that great feedback and question! This is by far my favorite blog that I have written so far – I am such a foodie! Those are the vegetarian and vegan options that I would suggest; it’s a good start – but I’m sure there are many, many more!

Question for all of you: Which vegetarian/vegan restaurants in New Haven (or surrounding areas) are your favorite? Do tell, I’m always looking for new places to try

Tour Guide Training: Completed!

Yesterday I finally became an official Tour Guide for Albertus! I am so excited for this new opportunity to show prospective students everything that I love about being a student at Albertus.

The final part of my training was to conduct a practice tour for our Admissions Office Intern, Alicia. Alicia was really nice and it was actually pretty fun showing her around campus. Even though she had been through a few of these practice tours before with other Tour Guides, I liked giving her my spin on the campus and I had a ton of fun doing it.

In addition to becoming an official Tour Guide, I got my first tour guide appointments! My first shift as a Tour Guide will be this Saturday from 11 am – 1 pm.

I suppose the real reason I’m so excited about this position as an Albertus Tour Guide is because of how much my tour on campus really impacted my own college decision. The day I came to visit Albertus, I had also scheduled a whole day of tours with different colleges in New Haven. I had scheduled my private tour with Albertus in the morning and planned to go to group tours both at Southern Connecticut State University and University of New Haven. That was the plan, however, after my private tour with Kristy-Lee at Albertus I was so impressed that I decided to skip both of the other tours I had scheduled for the day! I knew Albertus was the place for me due to the small size, friendly people, and beautiful campus, so going to the other tours would have just be a waste of time. I credit my decision to come to Albertus to my tour guide; she was such a friendly person, answered all of my questions, and really showed me how wonderful Albertus truly is.

I am so glad that I decided to come to Albertus and have the opportunity to share my love for Albertus with others! Have you ever been on a campus tour at Albertus or another college? If so, what was your experience like?