Monday, January 25, 2016

Surviving the snowpocalypse

If you're located anywhere near the East coast of the United States, you heard about Winter Storm Jonas... which finally brought winter to my area in Maryland after an unusually warm December and January.

Anyways, we were told all about the impending blizzard all throughout last week, so we had time to prep for being snowed in to our little apartment for a few days. It was my roommate and I's first winter snow storm on our own and off a college campus, so we made sure we did everything we could to be safe, comfortable, and prepared for anything that could come our way. 


My roommate and I had plenty of time to run the grocery store to grab everything we needed to keep us fed for the next few days and longer, if need be. We made sure to stock up on gallons of water, bread, fruits, vegetables and baking ingredients to keep us going during the weekend.


Being cooped up inside all weekend made it easy to just snack throughout each day, so I made sure I had healthy and delicious snacks on hand, like vegetables, pita chips and hummus. There was also a lot of cookie eating, since we baked peanut butter cookies, but life is all about balance. 

Snow started falling on Friday evening and we knew it was going to stick around so we hunkered down. 

I had absolutely no plans for the weekend, so I did not set an alarm and couldn't wait to sleep in. When we woke up on Saturday morning, my little car was completely covered in snow! It continued to snow all day, so I focused on my editing work for our local newspaper and chilled, though it was hard to not get a little stir crazy. 


That evening, my roommate and I made interesting smoothies, cooked an amazing dinner (seen below), and then drank gin and tonics while we watched Tristan and Isolde. It was a snow day well spent.


On Sunday, we woke to find that it had stopped snowing, but besides that, not much had changed at all. My car was still covered in snow and the plow had not touched the roads by our apartment. I'm really not used to how Maryland handles snow, being from upstate New York. Instead of having designated plowing machines, like in my hometown, our little Maryland town has trucks with plows attached to the front. They are also quite slow to dealing with plowing the roads. It's definitely a cultural difference between the two areas. 


We heard a lot more action outside our apartment, so we decided to take a walk through town. Though the sidewalks weren't really cleared, we hiked to Main street and checked out how it was coping with all the snow. It was a nice adventure and it felt great to get out of the apartment.


Here are some suggestions for surviving the next blizzard:
  1. Stay updated with a weather app
  2. Own a shovel
  3. Get to the grocery store and stock up on necessities including food, water and batteries
  4. Find a new hobby and dive right in
  5. Cancel all your plans just in case it snows for a while
  6. Get snowed in with a friend!
  7. Combat boredom with books, movies, homework, baking, games, whatever
  8. Make sure you have candles, flashlights and blankets in case the power goes out
  9. Charge all your electronics while you have power 
  10. Use your time to be productive
  11. Do an at-home workout if you're inside for a while
  12. Cook something really elaborate while you have the time
  13. Play outside!
  14. Make sure your car has enough gas in it for when you can finally drive
  15. Have warm gloves and snow gear for when you have to shovel out your car
My roommate and I had a great weekend in the apartment and we still have one more day off since the university we work at is closed for a snow day!

How did you survive Jonas?

Sunday, January 24, 2016

my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my (hectic) week:

1. this adorable, glass travel mug.



(because I love everything that KeepCup stands for and was happy to purchase such an adorable and necessary accessory to keep on me at all times.)

2. this practice partner.


(because what better way to be distracted from your yoga flow than a yoga cat? #namaste)

Friday, January 15, 2016

my week in objects (mostly).

here are five little things that made my week:

1. these parcels.


 (because receiving a textbook and a letter on the same day just made me so happy!)

2. this selfie.


(because we have all been best friends since our freshman year and it was great to reunite last weekend!)

Saturday, January 9, 2016

my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week:

1. this tiny baby succulent. 

Anglesbyangela-blog-my-week-in-objects-mostly-mason-jar

(because he now sits happily on my desk at work.)

2. this mason jar of oats. 


Anglesbyangela-blog-my-week-in-objects-mostly-overnight-oats
(because I'm trying to eat healthier after devouring everything in sight over the holidays, but still want to feel full.)

Thursday, January 7, 2016

50 things to do for yourself

It is no surprise that I have learned quite a lot as a young female professional and recent college graduate who has only been let loose in the "real world," for a few months. There is a lot of growing up to be done when transitioning from being an undergraduate student to being a young professional and graduate student. Working two different, professional jobs, starting my MBA and having my own apartment has taught me a lot about what it takes to keep it together in the real world. 

I've learned that success starts with yourself. YOU are the key to success (has DJ Khaled brought up that one yet?)

It is important to respect yourself, be independent, rely on yourself and plan for the future. Only you can ensure your own path to your best self, and I think that all female 20-somethings who are trying to lead a successful life should start with themselves.

AnglesbyAngela-blog-things-to-do-for-yourself-mirror-photo

So here are 50 things that you can do for yourself:

  1.  Have a budget 
  2.  Create things - write, doodle, craft, whatever makes you happy!
  3.  If you don't have a favorite book, find one 
  4.  Take yourself out on a date
  5.  Be quirky 
  6.  Don't let criticism discourage you
  7.  Find a routine that works for you 
  8.  If you haven't gotten your driver's license yet, get it 
  9.  Find a mantra 
  10.  Be comfortable with yourself

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Easy ways to start living greener

If you know me at all, you know I'm a recycling fiend. I will keep and wash out plastic cups, I will pick up discarded water bottles that I find, I will tear out my notebook pages at the end of the semester to save them from going into landfills... but the reality of the matter is that recycling is not enough. 

If you take a look at the four R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), you will find that recycling comes last... that's because it should be seen as a last resort. I was  taught a few years ago that there should actually be another R included, and that would be Refuse. 

Anglesbyangela easy ways to live greener eco friendly

By refusing everyday items that we have just gotten used to using and accepting, we can start changing the world. We can 100% live without plastic bags, we really don't need plastic straws most of the time, and who even has time for plastic cups?

If you start making a point to eliminate these wasteful, unnecessary objects from your life, there is a chance that your actions will catch on and start a movement.  

Here are just a few easy ways to start living greener:

Anglesbyangela easy ways to live greener eco friendly

Bring your own bags 

Sunday, January 3, 2016

my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week:

1. this set of loose teas. 

AnglesbyAngela loose teas my week in objects

(because someone who knows me very well gave me them for Christmas.)

2. these District blooms.

AnglesbyAngela DC Blooms my week in objects

(for welcoming us to the United States Botanic Garden in D.C.)