Budgeting Made Easier

Money, it seems very simple when its viewed from the principle of spending or not spending. Having the room to spend or not is basically how I used to manage my finances. I don't think I ever had terrible spending habits, except for using my credit cards as an extension of my income. When the credit cards popped, the burst effect in my pocket didn't leave room for much. Regardless of how much I was making, I always had the same problem, I'd run out of funds before time. I knew I had to revise my money strategy.

Obtain Your Desired Beach...I Mean Winter Body

Image source: jonathanrick.com

If you are like me, the Summer Olympics brings a sense of pride for our country as well as a sense of overwhelming adrenaline of wanting to get your body in shape. I mean who doesn't sit in front of the television and think about how great it would be to look like that swimmer or that gymnastics competitor? Sure it would be great to be able to spend hours at the gym each day or to pay for a gym membership, however we all know that with our busy lives, this just isn't possible, until now.

Turn Your Kitchen into a Spa

If it were up to me, I would spend every weekend in a spa. Think about how you would look and feel with limitless facials, pedicures, body scrubs, massages… The possibilities for indulgence are endless. My bank account, however, is not – so I survive those terrible months between spa visits with DIY treatments. Here are three easy ones: you’d be surprised how simple and inexpensive it is – and how many ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

For the Non-Animal Lover

 This is not to say that I am an animal hater. I just never had pets growing up. Like an only-child who grew up without siblings and doesn’t know how to act around babies, I don’t know how to act around animals. Now, I am living with a cat (my roommate’s) and we have been co-existing as peacefully as humans and vampires since I moved in two months ago. In that time, I have established a few guidelines to maintain this civil relationship. While “contained” animals (birds, fish, turtles, etc.) are easier to avoid, the following steps can be applied for any non-animal-loving situation:

Free Apps That Save My Grades

It’s Thursday afternoon. I’m on the subway and I have a 50 minute commute ahead of me followed by a 4 hour class. I could easily zone out and enjoy the live theatrics of public transportation. In fact, two seats down from me, a woman has begun irately screaming into her cell. Just as I’m about to settle in for a good show, my iPhone pings. It’s my ScatterBrain app reminding me that I was supposed to have read a stack of articles for class. Of course I set the reminder, hoping that all I would have to do was review my notes, but until this moment, they’ve escaped my memory.

Please Stay Home

"Are you okay?" I asked my coworker as he filled up his water bottle in the kitchenette. His voice was raspy and his nose was all plugged up.

"Yeah, yeah. I thought it was allergies but it turned into some kind of freak cold that won't go away," he explained. "But don't worry; it's not contagious anymore."

I should have known better.

Getting Along at the Office

We all know the saying "Misery loves company," and it's easy to figure out why that statement rings true. When something bad happens, it makes us feel less bad about it if the people around us are going through the same thing. 

"My annual bonus wasn't nearly as high as I was hoping."

"Neither was mine."

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

Newport Folk Festival To Go

Photo by Ryan Mastro Photography

A few years ago, after a series of likes and dislikes on Pandora lead me to Justin Bieber and subsequently away from the cute guy looking my way from the neighboring treadmill, I decided to rework my musical algorithm. Cue Damien Rice, Lisa Hannigan, Ray LaMontagne, and Iron & Wine, to name a few. Yes, folk music! I don't always understand the lyrics, and definitely can't unfold those complicated melodies, but I always feel at ease when I listen. 

This weekend I'll be posted up at the annual Newport Folk Festival, pretending I own one of those gorgeous sailboats around Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.

Simple Aromatherapy at Home

Throughout the day we're surrounded by synthetic fragrances and toxic cleaning chemicals. The effects these fragrances and chemicals have on human health is up for debate. The debate, however, isn't: "Are they OK to use?" or "Are they bad to use?" But rather: "They may be harmful," or "They are DEFINITELY harmful."

OK, enough said about that. The point of this post isn't to be a downer or an alarmist. The point of this post is talk about aromatherapy, which you may need to start practicing to relax yourself after thinking about synthetic fragrances and harmful chemicals. 

DIY Yogurt Revisited

Inspired by a previous post, I decided I was going to attempt to make homemade yogurt. I was excited when I found out that people can easily make their own yogurt; I had never heard of that before. I also really love yogurt and wanted to try and save some money. There was only one problem, would I like it? I wasn't sure if after all of these years of living off of Yoplait yogurt and the occasional Greek yogurt (if it was on sale) had conditioned me to only liking store bought yogurt. I didn't want to invest in buying a yogurt maker if I was going to end up not using it. After some research, I was saved by the always amazing Crock Pot.

The (Twenty-Something) Idiot's Guide to Bitters

Gone are the days when it was acceptable for our generation to be spied sipping on a White Russian, Whiskey Sour (or its weaker and even more shameful cousin, the Midori Sour), or Long Island Ice Tea. I ordered a Long Island this St. Patty’s Day—mostly for old times’ sake, and because it’s in the best interest of a sober millennial at a bar full of undergraduate youngins to dispense with sobriety as quickly as possible—and was appalled by just how foul it was. Yet I downed those babies every weekend for almost four years of college. How could I have been so misguided?
 

Strategies for Keeping Communal Work Spaces Clean

As if I need further provocation to anger after my forty-five minute commute, today when I walked into work there was lettuce and Parmesan cheese scattered across the office kitchen floor. Who would leave a mess like that in a shared, communal space? Surely the person wouldn't do that in his or her own kitchen (I hope).

The inconsideration of the person who left that mess in my kitchen led me to wonder, does anyone (other than me) care about tidying up shared spaces? This particular kitchen is shared by over 100 students and about a dozen faculty and staff. What could I do I impress upon all of these people that the kitchen and refrigerator will only stay as clean as you keep it? (Contrary to popular belief, there are no magical cleaning fairies that come by at night and pick up after us.)

Your Spa Treatment at Home

In these days of long commutes, classes, work, family and social life, is hard to find enough time to pamper yourself. Going to a spa for nurturing might require extra time, and extra money. However, there is always a homemade version of everything, if you decide to do some skin care at home, you don't always need expensive beauty products or a huge space. All you need, are some basic ingredients in the shower for a happy healthy skin.

Fall 2012's Top 5 Menswear Essentials

esquire.com

As we slowly leave the heat of the summer behind and enter into fall, one thing that is always on my mind is what essentials I should add to my wardrobe to stay on trend and looking stylish this fall. After doing some research, I have decided that these are the top five items that every guy should add to his closet for fall 2012.

Wawa: Fueling the 20-Somethings

Morning is my favorite time of day. I rise with the sun and greet the day nearly every morning at 6 am, much to the bewilderment of my other 20-something roommates. There is nothing I enjoy more than waking up to a quiet house and sitting on my back porch with a good book and fresh cup of coffee. But not just any coffee.

Don't Be Afraid of the Wine Aisle

You’re standing there, wide-eyed, as a long row of bottles stretches in front of you. The labels don’t help. Hell, half of them are in other languages – though what’s on the ones in English isn’t all that much more illuminating, anyway. The questions run through your head: do I want a white? Is sparkling better? Should I get a Chardonnay? A Pinot Gris? Is California the best wine producer? Is French too expensive? Is this local one any good? The answer is yes. And no. Wine appreciation is all about what you like. You just need to know how to find it. Here’s how.

Take a Nap

photo by Eric McGregor

I find myself coveting preschool children and their nap time. Those tots don’t appreciate the precious value of a good revitalizing nap— all they want to do is play. Ha. One day they too will long for the days of the hour nap, the comfy cots, the time-out from a hectic day of coloring outside the lines. They don’t know how good they have it.

If your day is anything like mine, then you too are desperately in need of a nap. I’m out of the house from 6am-11pm between work and grad school. When I get home, I can’t just fall asleep because I’m still keyed up from a long day, which means I’m not falling asleep until 12:30. And just as soon as I’ve fallen asleep, it feels like ten minutes later the alarm is ringing at 5:00 am. I’m over worked and tired. I need a nap.

In the Wake of Tragedy

Just a over a day ago 12 people were shot and 58 people were wounded in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. This tragedy took place at the midnight screening of the latest installment of the Batman trilogy Dark Knight Rises when one James Holmes (24) walked in through the rear theater door in a gas mask and protective gear and opened fire on the audience. 


James, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience up until very recently fled the scene and was captured in the parking lot with four heavy artillery guns all of which were legally obtained. He'd stockpiled the guns and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition over two or so months and rigged his apartment with approximately 24 lethal booby traps which took a full day to partially disarm. James was described in all accounts as quirky, quiet, and benign. 


This is my post because in spite of all the hectic moments that make up my life this story brought me to a full stop. Many of the known victims were age 27 or younger and one was a six-year-old with the same name as me: Veronica. Their whole lives were ahead of them and in a single act of completely unexpected violence they're no longer with us. The stories told by survivors and witnesses are inspiring in their bravery and also chilling. 

Food (And Drink) For Thought

Until this past winter there were few things I looked forward to more than nice meals out and a few cocktails to wash them down. It was my reward for slaving behind a desk all week.

And then, come January, I found out I was pregnant.

Housesitting as a Travel Method?

My boyfriend and I have a pretty modern setup with our jobs: we both work remotely. One of the major advantages of this setup is that we can take our jobs with us wherever we go. Last winter, for example, we stayed with family in California for three weeks and only took three vacation days. Needless to say, winter on the west coast was way more enjoyable for us than our good ol' Boston winter.

Come September, what's been keeping us in Boston (my graduate studies) will no longer be relevant (I'll be graduated). In light of our imminent freedom, we've decided not to renew our lease and to spend the next year traveling around the country. Sounds pretty cool, right?

DIY Kitchen: Yogurt, Sprouts, and Popsicles

I used to work full-time from home, which I hardly miss, except for my flexibility, especially when it comes to cooking, food shopping, and eating. 

I was able to food shop in the middle of the day, sans traffic and after work crowds. Instead of buying lunch out or packing it the night before, I enjoyed taking a break and making it fresh. And because I worked more efficiently and wasn't commuting, I was able to take the time to cook almsot entirely from scratch.

Websites to Make Your Morning

There are mornings that start off badly. I'm talking about those mornings you wake up late because you slept through your alarm. The mornings you're late and you run later because the person in front of you tries to pay their train fare in Sacagawea coins. Or how, morning after morning, your Starbucks barista can't understand that you're happy about the prospect of coffee, not conversation, and that you'd rather not discuss whether your last name sounds more Portuguese or Scandinavian. On these mornings, I take to the internet for a quick laugh and the comfort of delighting in absurdities other than my own. 


Check out two of my favorite (and highest rated) humor websites:

An Ode to the Lunch Bag

For those of us with 40+ hour workweeks in the city, it’s always tempting to dine out for lunch rather than dine in. Who wants to plan tomorrow’s lunch in advance when there's an episode of True Blood to watch and a bottle of white wine that's giving you bedroom eyes?


Well, I’m here to tell you that the benefits of planning your lunch ahead of time outweigh the tiny annoyance. I’ve come to learn that packing my lunch the night before a workday not only saves me time and energy come noontime, but also saves me money and encourages me to make healthier choices.


How, you may ask, did I make the switch?

3 Ways to Make Extra Money Over the Summer

Since I have a little extra time this summer, I started to look up ways I could earn some extra money. I found three things that have earned me money and also lets me decide when, where, and how much time to spend on them.

Beating old habits, one trade-off at the time

From www.junkfoodforlife.com

Trying to find a nutritional and effective meal plan to have energy in a natural way is not easy. I used to have the worst eating and sleeping habits, and by making small trade-offs with my self, I have figured out what eating right means.

The Battle of the Frizz

Why can't it just come that way?

I understand the urge to tame the summertime frizz. In fact, I’m something of an expert when it comes to extreme frizz-busting measures—to such an extent that I once got bamboozled into getting a Brazilian blowout on top of my already Japanese-straightened hair. Granted, I was on a cruise—anything goes, right?—and the hairdresser who talked me into it assured me that it was no big deal. There were no harsh chemicals to worry about, he claimed; the blowout functioned solely by virtue of the magical properties of the acai berry.

Stylish, Affordable Eyewear

I don't know about you, but when it comes time for me to purchase new glasses, anxiety immediately sets in. The main reason for this is due to the fact that purchasing new eyewear is costly. I know that when I enter the eye doctor, I am leaving with a $300+ bill, and it is due to this that I rarely purchase new glasses. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was living with these predisposed thoughts until a close friend recommended an eyewear company that I was unfamiliar with, until now. 

3 Tips for Summertime Interviewing

Use these tips to create a professional look that’s cool, crisp, and cost-efficient.

When dressing for a summertime interview, you want to appear appropriately formal, without feeling hot and bothered. Nothing will shoot your confidence like sweaty, wilted clothing or blisters from too-tight shoes. Achieving a balance between fashion and function will boost your confidence and help you land that job, internship, or promotion. Consider the following:

1. Stick to basics to achieve a classic look. Select simple styles in breathable, cotton materials. Pair a simple dress with a light sweater, stretchy pants or a pencil skirt with a cool button-up blouse. Keep colors light with shades of white or beige, or add a subtle splash of color with pale pink, powder blue, or mint green.

Dress ($98) and sweater ($14) Urban Outfitters

Free Fun: Geocaching

So there we are, my boyfriend and I, attempting to be inconspicuous on the Boston side of the Charles river, but we are floundering. I'm laughing and failing as look-out, and Patrick is trying figure out where it’s hidden. Of course, everyone and their mother is out for a walk and they are watching us inspect this tree like a work of art. But finally, a gap opens in the traffic of people, and Patrick moves some debris around, shoves his hand in the tree, and pulls out a Nalgene bottle filled with stuff. We found our first geocache.

The Awkward Dinner Party: Part II

In part II of this two-part series I talk about ways to throw a dinner party that your guests might possibly enjoy. Check out my earlier post for tips on how to survive such a party from the guest perspective of things.

First things first: I've never actually thrown a dinner party, so if you'd like to stop reading now I completely understand. However, I have hosted enough Thanksgiving meals for non-family members that I feel justified in offering at least a few tips on keeping twenty-somethings entertained around a dinner table. Here they are:

Ahead of Time

Don't invite every friend you have from every walk of life. Stick to a core group of people who know and like each other, with maybe a twenty percent mix of friends from another circle. Most people find it exhausting telling their abbreviated life stories thirteen times to thirteen people in the course of an evening. This way you'll gradually mix your social circles without making your guests work for it.

Eat With Your Eyes

Just because you're busy doesn't mean you can't eat a beautiful breakfast. Whether it's the weekend or a weekday there are little things you can do to make your morning meal look delicious.


Even if it's just yogurt and granola, think about the dishes you use. For those in big cities, take a look at stores like Fishes Eddy where you can find everything from classic pie plates to unique cutlery for $1. If you put a little work into what you eat off of you'll enjoy the result over and over again.



If you're not near a quirky dish ware store there are other options. Weck jars, are gorgeous, heavy glass canning jars that make for great bowls, pitchers and condiment jars. These are particularly useful for those who will have move in the near future (they hold up well to travel) and you can buy a set of four to six for under 20 bucks. It certainly beats the $40 dish sets at Target.

Going Healthy for Breakfast with Oat Bran

Are you crazy about cream of wheat, but turned off by how unhealthy it is? If so, then you and I have something in common. When I was a kid, I cherished those special mornings when I'd wake up to a bowl of fresh cream of wheat waiting for me. But as I grew up, I became aware of how much butter and sugar there is in a single serving. Fortunately, there's an easy-to-make alternative that's actually good for you and tastes just as good: oat bran

Own Your Stuff, Don't Let It Own You

Last fall, I packed up my apartment in Chicago and moved east to start grad school in Boston. Moving is never a pleasant task, but this move was more stressful than others. For the first time in my life, I could no longer fit all my belongings into the back of my station wagon. I’m not just talking about the big stuff I had acquired like my bed and couch. I now had cupboards full of dishes, a Cuisinart, guest sheets, a Swifter, too many shoes, and certainly too many books. I was drowning in stuff and I’m not a hoarder. I simply required all this stuff to live a pretty basic existence as a functional adult.

Comedian George Carlin opens his famous 1986 standup comedy sketch on “Stuff” with a few lines explaining his tardiness: “I would have been out here sooner, but they gave me the wrong dressing room and I couldn’t find any place for my stuff… You know how important that is. That’s the whole meaning of life isn’t it? Trying to find a place for your stuff.” Comedic and oh, so wise. I have spent many an hour trying to find a place for my stuff. 

Alternative Friday Nights

Last Friday night I was invited to go dancing in downtown Boston. Multicolored drinks in large plastic buckets, loud music, and close proximity to curious smelling strangers- the whole delightful experience. It had been a long week of class and work and the gym (that one time), so I wasn't exactly feeling energized. In fact, I can't remember a Friday in the past month where I felt up to going out. So I've been using Fridays to explore Boston at my leisure. Here are a few Friday night alternatives for the weary, but social:

Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA

1. An old movie at an old theater- The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline are two of my favorite independent movie houses. Where else can you see Casablanca for half the price of a regular movie ticket?
2. Dinner- Possibilities are endless here, but I recommend anything Italian in the North End. I have yet to go wrong.
3. Trivia night- Hosted at Joshua Tree in Brighton, 21st Amendment in Beacon Hill, or The Tam downtown- to name a few.

The Esplanade docks, Boston, MA

4. The Esplanade- take a stroll by the Charles and relax on the Esplanade's public docks. They're perfect for relaxing with a good book or a good friend.

Have Your Favorite Restaurant Treats at Home

My boyfriend and I have a problem. We love food and we love going out for food. We love trying new places and revisiting old favorites. We have our favorite breakfast place, favorite wing place, favorite Chinese food place, favorite “fancy dinner” place; the list goes on and, unfortunately for our wallets, on. We are on a budget, so we have to be careful and limit ourselves to how often we go out. But sometimes those cravings for our ‘favorites’ can be very persuasive.

Hungry Mother is a southern food place near Kendall Square that makes a fantastically refreshing drink that’s highly addictive. The drink, with pineapple, lime, ginger, and mint, is simply called the “73,” and it tastes like everything you always wanted summer to be.  On a whim, we tried emailing Hungry Mother restaurant to see if they would share the recipe with us.

We didn’t think they would respond. After a week of no response, our spirits were low. But soon after that I was giddy with the appreciative and informative email waiting in my inbox. With gratitude of our support and compliments, they gladly shared their 73 recipe with us. We even bought some mint leaves at the local farmers market to further our at home 73 adventures.

So even if you’re on a budget, you don’t necessarily need to cut out all your restaurant favorites. Whether it’s drinks, dessert, or entrees, try contacting someone at the restaurant and they may be happy to share with you small recipes that you can try at home. Letting someone you appreciate their hard work and talent is always a good start!

The Awkward Dinner Party: Part I

In Part I of this two-part series I will talk about ways to minimize your own discomfort as a guest at an awkward dinner party. In Part II (check back later this week) I'll offer tips on throwing a dinner party your guests won't want to run from screaming.

The farther away in time I find myself from my college graduation date, the more dinner parties I find myself attending. Not the worst predicament to be in, but as a twenty-something, not the best either.

I have my theories as to why these gatherings have so much awkward potential for millennials:

Reduce Your Travel Stress: Pack Light and Carry-on

During a month-long visit to Israel this summer, I took a trip to Morocco with my company. Packing for Morocco was easy. I took pretty much everything I'd brought to Israel for the month. I packed all of my casual clothes for the daytime, the three dresses I had with me for the evenings, and some cute tops "just in case." Needless to say I had no clothing concerns in Morocco.

But I had some serious concerns when we landed back in Tel Aviv and my suitcase was missing. At first, these concerns were abated by a conversation I had with a fellow passenger whose bag also didn't show. She said this happens to her all the time, and that the bag would arrive at my doorstep within two days. I was also somewhat reassured by the fact that nearly half of my coworkers didn't get their suitcases, either.

Dining Well for Less

Blame it on the Food Network. Blame it on irresistibly delicious new magazines like Lucky Peach. Blame it on the existence of foie gras crème brulee.  Millennials have a refined palate (as in, an insatiable appetite for expensive, exotic, challenging foods) and no kind of budget to enjoy the spoils of modern food culture. New York recently published an article about the growing number of twentysomethings who spend a quarter of their paycheck on fine foods. But we shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and living well. Here are some suggestions for enjoying nicer restaurants for less.

Fitness at your fingertips: Free classes in your city

For busy, cash-strapped young people, a gym membership can feel like a luxury. Not only is your precious time consumed by work, school, relationships (and the list goes on), but also, who can afford spending upwards of $80 per month on a gym membership? Not I.

Luckily my status as a graduate student and full-time employee of Emerson College grants me free fitness center privileges on campus. Obviously, this is amazing; but sometimes I miss being able to take classes not available at my gym (like most college campuses, the gym is pretty much a ghost town during the summer when the majority of students are gone, and no classes are held).

Charles River Esplanade
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Esplanade Association (TEA) of Boston runs a program of free fitness classes over the summer called Healthy, Fit & Fun. Designed with working professionals in mind, most classes are scheduled after the workday, at 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. (with the exception of Fridays, on which the class takes place at 9:30 a.m.). They’ve got a running group, Zumba, yoga, and even a boot camp class. Did I mention this was free?

All the classes meet at locations on the Charles River Esplanade, and are sponsored by local gyms and athletic clubs. Don't live in Boston? Other cities offer similar programs; for example, there's also Shape Up NYC. Your city's parks and recreation department's website should list classes available near you.

Boot camp after work on Thursday evenings? Yes, please. Because nothing is more stress reducing than working out along the lovely Charles as a drill instructor barks orders at you.

It Takes a While to Heal

Sure we all have succumbed and used credit cards to get the latest gadgets, clothes, trips, gifts, or simply have relied on them to survive rough times.

A few years ago I started my first real job, I figured I'd be done with debt by the first months while I enjoyed my new well deserved income going out for food and drinks, 3-4 times a week and buying lunch everyday. As wrong as I was, it took me 2 years to finally end card debt, a few months to figure out how to do it, and several lifestyle adjustments.

Don't Go iCrazy

I admit it—I’m pathologically attached to my smartphone. I cradle and cherish it, much like I didn’t cradle and cherish the speckled egg I was given in ninth grade as an infant substitute (which my Serbian grandmother proceeded to cook that evening because I left it on the kitchen table and she, reasonably enough, figured I wanted a poached delicacy for dinner).

I mean, let’s be real. Unless someone took an Instagram or tweeted about that tree falling in the forest, that ish totally did not happen. 

Label Lovers, Eat Your Heart Out!

CAUTION: Before you start reading, you may want to sit down!

Released on Target's twitter today, the retailer announced that it would be joining forces with Neiman Marcus to release a holiday 2012 collection designed exclusively by 24 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) members. Designers ranging from Marc Jacobs to Rodarte to Oscar de la Renta will be designing pieces for the holiday collection. This collaboration will include over 50 pieces for the budget-conscious consumer and will cover everything from clothing for humans and dogs to home decor. The retailer reported that prices will range from $5 - $500, with a majority of the pieces being priced under $60.

Walking: Free, Easy, Accessible

At the risk of sounding like a 65-year-old grandmother, I’d like to come clean. I walk for exercise.


This wasn’t always the case. In high school I did a different sport each season. When I was in college, I ran outside. Then running began to hurt my knees and I transitioned to using the gym four times a week — working out on the Elliptical and swimming.


Last fall, I moved to Boston for graduate school. My budget was strictly curtailed and I thought a great way to save money was to use my school’s gym versus buying a membership for $70+ per month. While this plan seemed like a practical one, in reality I never seemed to make it down to my school’s gym. Seriously never. Not once. In other words, I am that girl from the Tufts Heath Plan that Keira alluded to in an earlier post. So, I had to find another way to work exercise into a hectic schedule.

From Work to Night Class: Helpful Tips for Employed Grad Students on the Go

As a full-time professional and full-time grad student, I'm always short on time and looking for smart ways to transition from work to class. On the nights I have class, I rarely have a break in between to change or grab the right notebook. While it’s important to separate work from school, to find that break, it’s equally important to combine the two in a way that keeps you organized and on task. Here are a few simple tips that have kept me a presentable, responsible, and happy working grad:

1. Dress for day to evening: dress professionally for work, but bring a change of clothes for your night class. I incorporate T-shirts and blazers into most of my office wear so I can put on more comfortable pants later without changing entirely. No one wants to sit in a pencil skirt or pantsuit for that long.

2. Get yourself a weekly planner that includes a time block grid: it's important to visualize your priorities. I find planners with time grids to be the most helpful; in one glance I can see the staff meeting I have at 1pm and the group project I’m managing at 6. For those interested, Target sells great daily planners.

3. Do your homework at home: don't do class assignments in the office. It's not only unprofessional, but also unproductive. The quality of your work will suffer from dividing your attention between paper writing and what you're really supposed to be working on between 9 and 5.

4. Take a break! Whether it's during your lunch break or after class, set aside time to do something you enjoy each day. Reading and exercise do it for me, though I do enjoy a Real Housewives episode now and again.

Break Away from the Grab-and-Go

As a twenty-something-year-old student juggling work, classes, internships, and friends, I need a space to simultaneously unwind and tackle my ever-growing workload, a refuge that combines the comforts of home with the structure of a classroom. Coffee shops provide the idyllic setting for me to write, relax, and recharge with delicious cups of freshly brewed coffee. Luckily, most major cities offer a plethora of such retreats for busy, young professionals to grab-and-go if they’re on the run, or to sit, sip, and collect their thoughts.

No Stress Pets

My parakeet Gulliver is a life saver. Really. If it weren’t for that little blue bird, my stress would be out of control. After an annoying day, I come home and there he his, this energetic ball of feathers that is always happy to see me.  Whether he is talking gibberish, or stealing food from my plate, or hanging out on my monitor, he’s good at helping me forget the worries of the day.

New Foods by Mail

It’s a simple fact: I love food. So I look at pictures of recipes, take pictures of my cooking triumphs and frequent local farmer’s markets. Somewhere along the line I stumbled across the Foodie Pen Pal Program. Hosted by the lovely Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean blog, it’s a “pen pal” program where food-loving folk can send care packages of local delights to one another.

Party on Wheels

So I found myself, not all that long ago and against my much better judgment, on a party bus.

Crafting for the Busy

Sometimes the best cure for a bad day is just to do something creative. I love to fill my apartment with fun and, at times, whimsical crafts. Still, in the lives of the busy crafts can be a chore. As my workload picked up and my time for leisure dropped off, fun, handmade decorating ideas took a little extra planning. Now I keep a solid list of resources for any project I undertake and a couple of contingency plans to get things done.

If I want a specific paper project, like my lovely spring daisies, I have an easy choice called Papersource. Papersource and other fun DIY nooks across the country have a store of fun decorations and projects where the heavy lifting (aka the cutting) is already completed. Of course there is some assembly required and it’s not as cheap as cutting out a stack of white daisies from printer paper but it leaves me to enjoy the assembly and de-stress.

If I’m feeling a little more hands-on and would like to craft my own fashion I take a look at DIY websites like Honestly WTF and Apartment Therapy. These crafts may take more time and planning but they can save you a mint in the shopping department. 

The big lesson in creativity for the busy is to give everything time. Start a project that you won't mind working on a little bit during the meager leisure time you have and then stopping until you're free again.  After all if you're too worked up about finishing it all at once, you won't get to enjoy being creative!