Budgeting time (school)

Time, something we never seem to have enough and always seems to slip away from us when we least expect it. For me especially I can attest to this, always feeling like their aren't enough hours in the day.

For a lot of us managing the small amount of daylight we have to crank out our list of places to be and things on our to do list can get very frustrating and difficult. I know personally I've never had a good track record for managing my time. Being highly ADD I always seem to mismanage my time when not properly planned out.

Over the years I've come up with a good system that has helped me better manage my time and in turn not be freaking out at the last minute all the time. Here are a few of the key tips to my time management that hopefully help you too.

Plan ahead
I can't tell you how many times I've gotten a project and been freaking out because it's due the next day and I had almost nothing done. The key is to plan ahead. Take out your planner or calender and immediately mark off the due date of the project or paper. This will help you in the long run because every time you flip through your calendar you'll see that you have something due.

Set goals 
Set goals for when you want to have certain things done that way the project won't seem so daunting. I like to separate my projects into three sections which means three due dates but that's just me. If your someone who procrastinates as much as me them you'll want to set a lot of due dates so it doesn't feel like your overloaded with work.

Execution
Always make sure you follow through with your goals and don't ever fall short. If you fall short of goals then you'll be behind and that's going to overload you. Again from my personal experience if you get lazy your going to fall behind and that could throw you way off course. You need to know when to reel in the fun and buckle down on work.

xoxo Rebecca

Spring to be or not to be?

Is Spring upon us or is Winter playing another one of its dirty tricks on us? Yesterday was the first day I could actually hear the snow melting and a few birds chirping.

Here on the seacoast we've had one of the worst winters in years with the seemingly never ending bombardment of blizzards dumping snow by the feet. It's been hard on us especially because the city I live in has nowhere to put the snow. In fact the entire seacoast seems not to know what to do with all this snow. Portsmouth has been using dump trucks to haul it away there's been so much of it piling up everywhere.

With another blizzard set to hit the end of the week I am sitting here wondering if Spring will ever come or if we're doomed to have another month of snow.

How's the Winter been affecting you where you live?

xoxo Rebecca

Spring color report

With all this snow it seems as though Spring is nowhere in sight. Despite loving the snow I have been desperate for some warmer weather and sunnier days. Spring is in fact not to far away though and I want to be prepared. I've already done some early Spring shopping and can't wait until this weather gets better. Seriously the weather has been like snow, snow, blizzard, snow, snow, blizzard, snow.

A few months back Pantone released its spring colors and I couldn't be happier to see the colors they picked. I love a good pop of color and these color will do just the trick!

I think my favorite is the Classic Blue and it's not just because I love navy blue. I'm also loving Toasted Almond, so glad to see a camel color on the list. Lastly and most important Marsala which is the color of the year. Marsala isn't my favorite color but since it's the color of the year it was worth mentioning.

xoxo Rebecca

Break up playlist

Yet another Valentine's Day spent alone with my BFF just like last year. I don't know about all ya'll but I'm getting sick of spending Valentine's Day with a tub of ice cream and a list of movies to watch. It's not like I don't want a relationship I'm just...picky, really really picky. I mean I've turned down guys just because they preferred Pepsi over Coke. Alas dwelling on the past will distract from the now. SO for all of you who have recently been dumped this one's for you!

xoxo Rebecca

New Years resolutions

I had a lot of setbacks and fails throughout 2014 which I don't intend to repeat. It's a new year and that means new resolutions and new goals. This year I have set my resolutions to the 4 core things that I want to focus on in 2015.

One
Shop less: This year I have put the challenge to myself to see if I really can try and curb my spending habits. It seems like every time I get money it's gone just as fast as I got it. I am terrible, always shopping and spending and never saving.

Two
Workout: Maybe just a more convenient way to say "lose weight" but this year I really need to hit the gym. I never went to the gym once in the entirety of 2014 and my body really suffered from it both mentally and physically. This time around that won't happen! Summer is only 5 months away and I refuse to not be beach ready.

Three
Enjoy life: I feel like I don't get out enough anymore. I don't spend enough time with friends and experiencing what life has to offer. I want to get out more, maybe explore more of my own state or better yet road trip around my state which brings me to my next resolution.

Four
Travel: When I was younger I used to travel a lot granted it was with my family it was still travel. As the years passed we started to travel less and less as a family and I began to travel more and more on my own. In recent years my traveling has completely stopped due to school, work and lack of funds. Now that I'm in a better place and my schedule allows for more travel I plan to get out more even if it's just a road trip to Boston for a day.

Five things I am crushing on right now

1). Tory Burch recently released her line of watches and I am crushing so bad. These watches are a little bit expensive but so worth it. I love watches, it's like sunglasses I never feel like I have enough and I always want more. The watch pictured here is the gold tone and orange Tory watch, this is one of my favorites that I hope to pick up soon.

2). This trench coat from Akris Punto is just darling. As a record collector and lover of all things vintage this trench coat is just perfect for me. The print is the perfect amount of pop mixed with the perfect vintage print, It's way out of my price range right now but something i definitely want to save for.

3). I love good makeup just as much as the next girl which is why this lipstick from Face in "cream darkest port" is on my list. It's just the right shade of deep red for Fall and I'm so happy that it's sweater weather so I can wear it.

4). I'm addicted to coffee we all know that, I drink anywhere from three to five cups of coffee a day and would drink more if days weren't so short. Last week I discovered this gem in the cooking section at Barns & Noble. It's published by DK out of the UK and is filled with so much amazing information that I can't stop reading. There's everything from recipes to what seems like every kind of bean in existence. If your a coffee addict like me you should look into picking up this book.

5). Every girl out there dreams of Tiffany's at night (or maybe just me) so when I heard Tiffany's released a new line called Tiffany T I had to go over and check it out. Of course I fell in love right away! I just had to have something from this collection (not that I have yet) but I really want to get this bracelet. It's perfectly simple enough to wear during the day yet elegant enough to wear out at night. This is something I really need to invest in.

xoxo Rebecca

Fall wishlist #1

I have realized I have almost no Fall dresses so I have decided to dedicate my first Fall wishlist to all the dresses I am lusting over right now. Some may be very simple and some more complex but all on this list are dresses that for one reason or another I am dying to have.

1. Topshop, 2. Paul & Joe Sister, 3. Black Halo, 4. Tahari, 5. BB Dakota, 6. 3.1 Phillip Lim, 7. Alexander McQueen, 8. Eliza J

xoxo Rebecca

Feel good playist

As of late I have been feeling really down and depressed. With everything going on in my life I feel like I just needed some "happy" in my life. I haven't put out a playlist in some time so I thought I would do just that. So here is what I have made up to be my feel good playlist full of music to empower you as well as to make you feel good about yourself.

xoxo Rebecca

Ebola crisis

If you have ever played the online game called "Pandemic" which also happens to be a board game than you will understand what is going on with the Ebola outbreak and what happens. In the game Pandemic which has two sequels Pandemic 2 and Pandemic 3 you are given a country at random which is to be ground zero for your virus. The goal of the game is to infect the entire planet with a virus which you can create and enhance as you advance and infect more countries. Once the entire world is infected and there are no survivors or a cure you win the game.

This time however the outbreak isn't a made up virus and it's not a game. In January of 2014 unknown to the worlds population the Ebola virus which was first discovered in 1976 infects it's first victim supposedly in Guinea Africa which is where the outbreak began. February 2014 the first case surfaces in Guinea Africa but it's not until March that the government officially reports it after officially deeming it an outbreak. The virus then quickly spreads to Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. 

Over the months that followed the virus racked up an estimated infection count of over 2,100 people. Of that number as of this week the estimated death toll is at just over 1,140 victims and that's just the reported cases.

All flights to and from Africa to the US and a host of other countries have been stopped effectively shutting down all physical contact with the virus outbreak. To this date there have only been two reported cases in America related to the outbreak. The infected contracted the virus while in Africa helping patients in Liberia and are now in isolation in an Atlanta, GA hospital where they seem to be recovering.

Ebola is a virus that rarely comes around but when it does it usually has a high death toll and infection rate especially when the outbreak begins in a third world country like Africa. Ebola often takes close to a month to develop and start to show symptoms. Early symptoms can range from sudden fever, headaches all the way to a sore throat and muscle pain. Later stage symptoms include vomiting and impaired kidney and liver functionality.

As of this past week the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially deemed this a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This designation has only been used twice in recorded history. Once for the 2007 outbreak of H1N1 or Swine Flu and a second time for outbreak of Polio earlier this year. The WHO has also publicly stated that it believes the number of infected people could reach over 20,000 before containment efforts finally catch up and stop the outbreak.

As for me I'm perfectly happy here safe in NH although I fear the WHO's numbers are possibly underestimated and that this might not be as safe a place as I'd like to think. That being because This is the East Coast which is the closest part of America to Africa but I won't jump to conclusions just yet. There's still a lot of time between now and the WHO's projected numbers being reached and I have the utmost confidence that with the UN's new Ebola relief effort everything will be just dandy (can you feel the sarcasm?).

You see I just can't see an outbreak this large that materialized from a virus with no known cure that also originated in a third world country where might I add sanitation is lacking. At least if your going by sanitation guidelines set in place by first world countries like the US and Canada. Now I'm not saying Africa isn't a clean place but a very good portion of the continent is not. This makes for a larger breeding ground for the virus as well as easier spreadability.

Previous outbreaks show us that nothing of this scale and magnitude have hit in a long time. The last outbreak was in 2013 with the number of infected reaching only six and of that six only three of them 50% died. The CDC actually has a great timeline detailing the worlds Ebola outbreaks from the date of discovery to present date which can be found here. The timeline details the origin of the outbreak as well as the number of infected and the percent of the infected that died as a result of the virus.

I would love to hear your opinion on and sadly your predictions for the future spread of the virus as well as the UN, CDC and WHO's efforts at containment and a possible cure which as I mentioned does not exist to date.

You can tweet me @prepidemic using the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca

Coffee talk

On August nineteenth American reporter James Foley who worked for Global Post was beheaded by ISIS an Islamic group that stretches from Syria to Iraq.. Foley was kidnapped back in 2012 while reporting in Syria where he reportedly went missing. Video of the beheading can be found online but I find it too gruesome to show here.

The timeline of events is simple, James Foley was kidnapped in in 2012 and never heard from again. Obama decided as of late to start taking military action against Iraq due to the uprising of ISIS which caused the resurfacing of Foley. ISIS decided to behead Foley live in front of his family on camera for Obama to watch so he can understand how serious they are.

If you remember back to the Bush administration there were many beheadings of American journalists over seas. It was so bad I feel like most journalists didn't even want to report overseas for fear of getting kidnapped and possibly beheaded.

If you also remember a few years ago Obama made an attempt at bringing back kidnapped journalists. When the operation went sour he seemingly gave up. Now that Foley has been beheaded we already have boots on the ground. This comes after we were supposedly supposed to have all troops pulled out of Iraq. Seriously though, we all know that was never true. some of us might even know a troop or two who is still deployed in Iraq. I fear that our military presence will never end over there.

With a newly reestablished military presence in Iraq we will surly see a rise in the death toll of American soldiers and a new wave of jingoism here in America. For me personally I am not happy to hear any of this especially with Obama publicly stating that we officially have "boots on the ground" again.

What's really at play here is Obama not doing enough prior to save Foley and the other journalists overseas that have been kidnapped. Foley is just the tip of the ice berg in a war that most of the US at this point doesn't want to get involved in. Now I'm all for patriotism (although I'd rather live in Canada) but this is insane. We were supposed to be out of Iraq but Obama can't help but stick his fingers where they don't belong. I'm not saying here that we shouldn't do something about this but I don't think another war is the right answer.

With all of this going down this is just one more thing that our generation is going to have to clean up from our parents (not blaming our parents) generation. They seem to gravitate toward violence while we flock to social media and tell the real story.

Speaking of social media I want you all to tell me your thoughts by tweeting me @prepidemic with the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca

Confessions of a news junkie

If your anything like me your news stand on your iPad is chalk full of magazine subscriptions and your front door littered with newspapers every morning. You probably percolate a pot of black coffee on the stove or go and get a tall blonde roast from Starbucks and sit down and start processing all the new information you have just been handed. You might even be inclined to write a tweet or take an Instagram photo or two.

Every morning I wake up and make myself either a pot of coffee or a pot of tea it depends on my mood. I take out my iPad and start from top to bottom flipping through every News app from CNN to the Guardian to The BBC. It usually takes me a little over an hour to go through my news apps alone not to mention all the related content linked within over half of the articles. Don't even get me started on days when a new issue of Time or News Week comes out.

Sometimes though when I'm especially desperate to read a newspaper I can be found driving around to just about every local place that has free papers bumming a copy of everything I can find. Most of the time I don't even order anything I just sit down and read the paper or even worse just grab one and go. I even have a list of places and what papers they carry like for instance a popular Italian sandwich shop down the street carries a small time paper called "The Coffee Times".

Even when I'm at work I'm scrolling my Twitter feed searching for new articles posted by the New York Times magazine or CNN. It's crazy how much I absorb myself in popular culture and the amount of news I read. I feel as though I don't have anyone that I can sit down with a nice cup of tea and talk current events.

I confess that a lot of my friends are getting really tired of me saying "hey, wanna hear something interesting?" or "You should check out this article I just read" or even worse "I wanted to get your opinion on (long story)." I've always made the joke that I would make a good news anchor because I could ramble on for hours about crap no one seems to care about and get paid for it.

In the end when it comes to hard news I feel like every story no matter how personal has a price. These days It seems like everything is for sale in America and everyone wants to get a slice of the delicious pie called capitalism. I feel like I'm just another player in the game hungry to read it all and that's exactly what I do.

What's your opinion towards news and the media?

xoxo Rebecca

What your probably missing from your college packing list

As many of us gear up to go back to school we can't help but think to ourselves "did I forget something?". We go over our list again and again making sure we have it all and give ourselves a pat on the back for not forgetting anything this time around (or the first time). It's not until we arrive on campus only to get the dreaded call from mom saying you left your clothes in the dryer or I have your phone charger.

I remember my freshman year, I was so eager to get to college and move in. I had so many ideas for decorating my dorm room. I even requested to move in early so I could get the better side of the room. After all your going to be living there for the next two semesters right? Alas as the first week came to a close I already had a pretty big list of things I either forgot or needed to go out and get. In hopes that you won't befall the same fate as me here are my top ten items that you don't want to forget when packing for college.

Power strip- Dorm rooms are notorious for not having enough outlets. It's a good bet that the room your moving into doesn't either so you should pack a long power strip. Your going to want to be able to plug in your laptop, cell phone, alarm clock and just about everything else in your bag not to mention curling iron for when your going out so the longer the strip the better.

 Ethernet cable- Not all dorms come with wifi and almost all campuses don't allow students to have their own especially if it's not offered. If you don't have a long enough Ethernet cable to reach that plug that just so happens to be on your roommates side of the room your going to have a hard time doing work let alone arranging your dorm room to accommodate your short cord.

Advil- I can't tell you how many times I woke up on a Sunday morning with a headache so bad all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. What's worse is that most of those times I didn't even have Advil to stop the pain. It's a good idea to bring the largest bottle of asprin you can find. I prefer the Advil liquid gels because of hoe fast acting they are.

Box fan- Most colleges don't offer air conditioning to their students in their rooms so It's a really good idea to bring one of these. The smaller fans are alright but a box fan can go in your window and trust me it makes all the difference when it's 98 degrees outside and you're stuck in your dorm room writing a paper.

Command strips- These seem to be the standard wall hanger in all college dorms. They go on easy and come off even easier (sometimes). I love using these because I can literally stick them anywhere and hang just about anything even my collection of bags. If your looking for a cheap way to hang things on the wall without having to worry about it falling off every 5 minutes because your tape isn't strong enough then invest in a bunch of these.

External hard drive- You never know when technology is going to fail on you, it's a smart idea to keep your files backed up. Your going to be thankful that you did when you spill that mixer all over your laptop and seemingly lose the term paper you've been working so hard on the past few weeks. I can't tell you how many of my friends broke their computers or had a hard drive crash and didn't back up their files before hand.

Umbrella- Rain can strike at any time even when it feels like the most beautiful day of the year the weather can change in an instant. My freshman year it rained so hard my dorm actually flooded once and I was so unprepared. Your going to regret it when you just finish doing your hair and you look out your window to see a big storm cloud pouring down rain so hard you wished class was canceled. 

Febreze- I may not have a great sense of smell but let me tell you when you wake up on a Sunday morning and your sheets smell like you threw up a whole handle of tequila you'll be happy to know you can at least make your dorm room smell like Spring flowers even when you don't. Or when your roommate decides to go all natural and not shower for a week your going to rest easy knowing you can febreze the crap out of their side of the room when their gone.

Shower sandals- College dorm bathrooms are disgusting (yes even the girls bathrooms are gross). After the girl living in the room next to you tries to make it to the toilet to boot but barely makes it through the door it'll be nice to have something to wear that isn't one of your nice pairs of shoes. It's a good idea to buy cheap sandals like the Old Navy rubber sandals. Their great for the shower because they don't retain any water and are easy to slip on and off.

Band-Aids- I'm a bit accident prone, I go through almost a box of band aids every couple of weeks. When I was in college it seemed as if I didn't have a band-Aid on something was wrong. Bring a few boxes in varying sizes and styles. Like clear ones for when your going out or water proof ones for when your getting in the shower. Try to avoid the tough strips though because they leave a sticky residue that's near impossible to get off without feeling like your scrubbing your skin away trying to do so.

What's on you essential packing list?

xoxo Rebecca

Coffee talk

If you haven't been watching the news in the past week then you might want to drop by your favorite social media outlet and look up Michael Brown.

Here's a quick recap/timeline of events.

On Sunday August 9th at about a hair past noon a call came into the Ferguson Missouri police department dispatch from another officer saying a young black male had been shot. The officer claimed it was a self defense shooting ie. he reached for the officers gun and the officer shot him.

What had happened is that a call was made about a robbery. The store clerk gave the dispatcher directions as to where the suspect was heading. Police later found eighteen year old Michael Brown walking in an area near where the supposed suspect was to be located. The officer stopped Brown and that's where the whole thing gets fuzzy.

The story quickly escalates as word spreads from eye witnesses that the officer blatantly shot Brown who was unarmed and cooperating with the officer because he was black.

Later that night a candlelight vigil was held in honor of Brown which soon turned violent as officers try to break it up. As a result over a dozen businesses are looted in protest.

Monday August 11th school is canceled as a safety precaution to walking students. Later that day hundreds of people gather in front of the Ferguson PD to protest Browns death. Police arrest at least seven of the protesters. Later that day the NCAAP holds a meeting to pray for Brown and an end to the violence. That night protesters in Ferguson are tear gassed for not protesting peacefully.

Tuesday August 12th the Ferguson police announce they have arrested fifteen people in connection to the protests.

Wednesday August 13th Ferguson police lock down the city blocking all media from entering and covering the story. They also detain two reporters from the Huffington Post and Washington post.

Saturday August 16th Governor Nixon issues a state of emergency and imposes a curfew in the Ferguson area.


What I think....

The reason this escalated so quickly and is picking up international concern so quickly is because this isn't just about a police officer shooting a man. This is about the police being bias toward blacks, it's about freedom and justice.

Michael Brown was an unarmed black civilian and the police shot and killed him in cold blood. That right there ladies and gentlemen is what this is all about. Peaceful protesters getting shot at with tear gas and rubber/wooden bullets because their protesting the shooting of an innocent black man.

Throughout the history of the US the justice department has favored white people to some degree. There are countless cases to use as a precedent to back that statement up and this shooting just creates another one. As a believer of libertarianism myself I am all about justice and freedom of speech. I believe that as Americans we all have equal rights as is stated in the constitution plain and simple. The fact that every time a black person is shot by a police officer just adds to the stigma that the police don't care about the rights of African Americans in this country which makes this is just as relevant now as it was back in 1963.

What also bugs me about all this is that so many people are still so ignorant towards what's going on. Creating hash tags like "iftheygunnedmedown". So many people are using that now to post pictures of themselves in a good situation and then a bad situation and making a joke of which picture the police would use if they got shot. The problem here is they are inadvertently making fun of blacks by posting these pictures because this is an actual issue with black people. The media always finds a way to use the worst possible photo of a black person when portraying them. Every time someone black ends up in the news there's always a photo of them drinking, smoking, looking thuggish etc to accompany it and it bothers me that people still don't get it.

Media is always out to create a commotion and to stir the pot. They always find a way to negatively portray a situation. As Abraham Lincoln once said “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.” All you need to do is look at someones Facebook or read some of their tweets and that's all you'll need. Social media makes it so easy now-a-days to twist a story from "Boy scout saves cat in the street" to drunken teen gets hit by car while walking in the middle of the road". Remember, media is NOT always your friend. Don't always trust what you hear on tv or read in the paper.

As the whole situation has yet to resolve itself I would love to hear what you have to say. Tell me your thoughts and opinions by tweeting me @prepidemic with the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca

Tips for stress free living

Everyone gets stressed out sometimes. Whether it be from work, school, a recent break up or just about anything. I like to think of stress as my everyday mid life crisis. As I am plagued with constant stress I am always searching for new ways to live a stress free life. These tips although simple are great ways to help distress and calm your mind, body and soul.

Over thinking it
I know this is something that's been way over stressed to a lot of us but don't over think it. One of the biggest things you can do to help you relieve stress is to not over think anything. As soon as you start it's like a chain reaction and you can't stop. There's no reason to over think anything. Life isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If you just take a minute to breathe you'll realize that there's no reason to get so worked up over it.

Yoga
When I'm alone and have the time I like to do some yoga. Unlike other members of my family who do yoga all the time I do not. I only know some basic things but i'm telling you it works. Yoga is all about relaxation, breathing, flexibility and inner peace. If I need to distress my mind, body and soul yoga does the trick. It allows me to relax and feel at peace with my inner self.

Going for a drive
I drive a low mileage SUV which makes this hard but when I have stress on my mind I love to take a drive. For me getting in my car, putting some relaxing music on and taking a long drive calms me down and distresses my mind. I especially like to take a drive down the coast, it's one of the most beautiful and tranquil drives. I often pull over and just gaze out at the ocean sometimes for hours on end.

Walking the beach
Walking the beach in the early AM when there isn't really anyone there is so relaxing. The smell of the salt water and sound of the waves lapping against the shoreline is so calming. If you live near a body of water and can wake up early enough to catch the sunrise it's one of the most beautiful things.

Drinking tea
I don't know what it is about tea but for me it's a really soothing experience. Now I'm not talking about going to Starbucks and ordering an iced chai although very refreshing. No, I'm talking about brewing a nice cup of hot tea. I prefer loose leaf tea like mate but the bag teas are just as nice sometimes. Even in the heat of summer there's just something about coming home and having a cup of tea. There are a lot of different kinds of tea out there and it's hard to find the right one. Most tea enthusiasts like myself have a large collection of various blends but if you were to ask me what I like the most I would have to say either peppermint or Yerba Mate. If you don't know what mate is it's an Argentinian loose leaf tea. It's meant to be made in a large quantity and steeped for a long time to really bring out the flavor. It's the perfect tea for someone who enjoys strong scents or black coffee.

Razors

So here's the back story behind this post. I was in the shower today and I was using this new Venus I just bought the other day. I nicked myself twice in the same stride which is crazy because this marks the fifth nick since I bought the razor last week. So I thought I would do a post reviewing all the "razors" I have used and why I liked or didn't like them.

Venus SPA Breeze

Let me start off by saying this is the worst razor I have ever used aside from a disposable and I have had some crappy disposables that have left less marks than this one has. What I don't like about it is the "spa" tips on top and bottom of the razors. These tips are supposed to be built in shave gel, pretty cool right?\ Wrong! These things are horrible and don't effectively serve their purpose. When I bought this razor it came with two heads as do most Venus razors. After just a few days one of the tips came off in the shower. Since it's shave gel in a more solid form it was already deformed too much to fit back in properly. What also bothers me about these tips is that their raised above the actual blades so you have to push harder to make the razor truly effective. 

All in all I wouldn't buy this razor again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

Gillette Fushion

I used to use this razor a lot and I loved it. It was a great razor because it has a really flexible head and the five blades get the job done right. My major issue with it is that It's not good for sensitive skin. I tend to have really sensitive skin and this razor would leave a lot of razor burn. This razor is also not very good if you have bonier legs like me. I'm quite skinny so I'm more bony and because this razor's head can pivot so well it's hard to get those tight spots.

All in all I would recommend this to someone who has less sensitive skin and a more curvaceous body.

Gillette Mach 3

This razor is nice, the head pivots well and it feels good in your hand. This razor didn't leave much razor burn wither which is a plus for me because of my sensitive skin. My major issue is that there just aren't enough blades. The fushion has five blades while this only has three. My other issue which can also be a plus is that the razor heads for this razor are smaller than the fushion. This does allow you to get the tight spaces better but in turn takes longer to get the job done.

All in all I would recommend this to someone with a smaller figure.

Venus Embrace

I love this razor! I can't say enough good things about this razor. The handle feels great in your hand and is very well shaped, the head pivots nicely and it's a very smooth shave. The head has these soothing strips on both the top and bottom of the blade but unlike the spa these are built into the head instead of attached to the outside. Also the strips are built inset so they match the height of the blades perfectly as well. The pivoting head is perfect because unlike the Fushion this one is just a touch stiffer so it's easier to get all the hair.

All in all I would reccomend this razor to anyone looking for a smooth shave without all the ouch.

Run, me? YES!

Let me start by telling you that I am one of the least athletic people ever. Yes, I played sports as a kid but I was never very motivated to do any of the work. Sport after sport I tried and then quit as soon as my parents let me. The only sports I kept up with were tennis, sailing and skiing which I am proud to say I still continue to participate in to this day.

Aside from tennis I was never a runner I just never had the motivation to push myself. I would always say I was going to pick it up but every time I tried the pain would get to me and I would quit.

Since making this move I've been running almost every morning. This city although not huge is a great place to run. It's nice to be able to walk out my front door and practically be right down town. There is a very active morning crowd of runners and bikers here which makes for great motivation.

Since I'm not a runner by nature I started out my mornings with a half mile walk which turned into a mile run/jog over the course of a week. I hope to increase the distance as I get more comfortable running longer distances without tiring myself out too quickly.

Now me being me (A shopaholic and fashionista) I usually can't resist spending a lot of money on clothes. This time however I just can't justify doing so because simply put, I'm trying to control my spending habits. That said there are two stores Marshalls and Runners Alley that have become my favorites for stylish athletic wear for running, climbing and going to the gym.

Since the move I'm always wearing running shorts in the morning when I walk to get coffee at one of my favorite cafes a few blocks away. I have a somewhat small collection of running shorts in various colors and fits which I intend to grow but of what I have I like my Head running shorts the most because their more comfortable and have a more feminine fit.

Today I happened to be in the Portsmouth area which means I was close to Runners Alley. I couldn't help myself to going in and perusing what they had. I ended up walking out with two pairs of running shorts and an athletic top.

Do any of you run?

Moving day!

Today ladies and gentlemen I move, yes yes thank you very much. It took over two months of house hunting, applications and careful planning. Not to mention our fair share of let downs and lost money oh the application fees we never got back. Well no more! We signed last night and were moving in today. Well at least were moving what we can today.

I just can't wait to move in to this new apartment! I will have photos soon but for now I need to go pack my car.

Soon to move

So we move in three days and I couldn't be more excited! I know I haven't been posting on a regular schedule like I had promised you all but things have been crazy hectic. For starters we lost four people from my job who quit which is really tough because I'm working overtime to compensate. I swear with these hours I have no spare time but that's ok because it just means more money and I 'm going to need it to make this move go smoothly. On top of that packing is eating up my most of my free time. I still have a lot of packing to do and we move in three days. As i had mentioned before were getting a U-haul for everything were bringing in so when I say I still have a lot to do I really mean it. I'm also coming up on finals with my classes which is hard to find time for because I'm just so ready to move I'm forgetting what's important. Not that my grades are slipping but it's important not to get too carried away as I have a tendency to do so often.

I really do plan to get better at posting consistently once we move in though. There's just so much going on in my life right now that I'll have loads to talk about really soon. On another note It doesn't look like I'm going to be having much to spend for a while as my car just came out of the shop getting body work so it would pass inspection which it did in the end thank god.

Hope you all had an amazing 4th of July!

Talk to you all soon,

Rebecca Green

Playlist No. 3

We all know how much I enjoy making lists especially to do and play lists. I couldn't resist making a new playlist for the blog....

What I am listening to is constantly changing. Every time I hear a song I like I tend to gravitate toward that style of music. Although I do have my preferred music tastes this playlist came from "Let my love open the door."

Summer goals

Summer is a time for BBQ's and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Drinking beers on the beach and mixing margaritas by the pool. Summer is a time to let loose and relax. For me at least the last thing I want to do in Summer is try to set goals for myself but it's well worth it.

Just like the tradition of creating new years goals that we all try to do I have Summer goals that I try to follow. Every Summer I create a set of goals for myself that become the things I strive for over the short Summer season.

This Summer I have a tall order to fill and it's not going to be easy to do a lot of these but I'm going to put in my best efforts. I can feel it guys! This is the year I do it all, the year I reach all my goals.

One// lose weight

Now I'm already pretty skinny so this isn't going to be an easy one. Summer is a time for fun and relaxing. For me it's a time to let loose and eat what I want and drink whatever suits my fancy. It's a no holds barred time of the year and I'm supposed to loose weight? Yes! I will not reveal my current weight but it's sufficient to say that it's pretty low. I have set myself a goal of losing 12 lbs this summer. That may not seem like a lot but when your eating and drinking everything you want it's hard to have self control.

Two// getting a new car

I currently drive a 2004 Toyota Sequoia in black. If you haven't ever seen a Sequoia it's a big SUV with third row seating. It's HUGE! At least I feel that way when I'm on the road and especially when I'm parking. I love SUV's and I can tell you that as of right now that's all I want to be driving. The problem though is because my car is so large it's a monster gas hog. I only get 13 miles to the gallon which is pretty crappy. My car also has numerous dents and part of my right front side is kinda in disrepair. This Summer I hope to save enough money to fix up my car and get it on the market. If I can get it fixed and sold for the right price I already have a list of cars I really want to look at. Some of these are a bit harder to find but it would be killer if I did.

The first car on my list is a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia in either orange or turquoise (this is my dream car). Next on my list is a Chevrolet Caprice Classic. This car is a fun wagon style car that drives nice and has plenty of space. The older models came with wooden sides (this is the model I want). The third is a 4 door Jeep Rubicon is bright red. Ever since I was a kid I wanted a jeep wrangler but as I got older and I discovered the Rubicon I fell in love. The Rubicon is still built like and just as open as the Wrangler but has more space. It's perfect for someone like me who loves having plenty of open space.

Three// Pull all A's in my classes. I know what your thinking, CLASSES? In Summer?!!!! Yes as I have mentioned before I am taking Summer classes. By doing this I will hopefully graduate the end of next year if everything goes well. Now these classes aren't particularly hard but they do take up a fair amount of time to do the work right. That said I really need to pull good grades in order to have a good base to work from. You see when I left Susquehanna University I had a low GPA due to my "mistakes". When I started here my GPA went to zero, which is awesome! This means I start over and get the opportunity to do it all over again the right way this time. The other major plus here is that I had over 27 credits transfer from SU which is what is really helping me graduate on time.

Four// Becoming more flexible. My body although very skinny is not flexible at all. I can't even stand up and touch my toes. What I want out of this summer is to really get into yoga and become really flexible. My goal is that by the end of the summer I can do a full split...I know it's not easy.

Do any of you have Summer goals?