Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt!

I have a weakness for free stuff whether it’s food, a t-shirt, or some other item. I am one of those people that will drive across town if Chick-fil-A is advertising free fries. I am also that person that dresses up like a cow every summer for a free meal at Chick-fil-A as well. Free samples at the grocery store? I'm totally there! It doesn't take much to make my day!

Source: Chick-Fil-A

Wesleyan enabled my free t-shirt addiction. For almost every event or club we had t-shirts made. I have class shirts from almost every year, shirts proclaiming membership in the 500 million clubs I was in, shirts from different athletic teams, shirts from STUNT…the list goes on and on. Yes, I did pay for a few, but that’s beside the point.

My senior year of college, I joined the NCAA basketball team. I wanted to get in better shape for equestrian that year, and it didn’t hurt that we got free tennis shoes. What can I say? I have a problem! After graduation, I spent a week in Tennessee with a good friend volunteering for the IHSA National Horse Show. The biggest draw- free meals, hotel, and a free t-shirt for every day of the week we worked. We worked over 80 hours...

And my collection continues to grow! Alumnae weekend was last weekend and guess what?! I came home with TWO t-shirts! One day I will make that t-shirt quilt, but until then, they shall be safely preserved in a Tupperware box only to be pulled out in desperate laundry times.

Source: Personal Photo
Look at this gorgeous shirt designed by the lovely and talented Jaime McQuilkin

And it's not just clothing! This past week, I headed to school for an exam in one of my graduate classes. It was a very informal final where we basically shared what we had learned while completing the project. I was a little angry that I had driven two hours for a two-minute presentation, when the magic word was stated... "FREE!"

Apparently, my professor was moving out of state having taken a new position with another university and she had to clean out her office. She came in with stacks of textbooks, and most of them had never been opened. Needless to say, I loaded up my book bag with as many as I could carry based on titles that interested me. When I got home, I realized that most of them were very recent, and would actually be quite useful! I was ecstatic! I probably ended up with over $500 of free textbooks!

I know. I'm strange. They're just textbooks, you're thinking- but I love books, and this is not the first time I've gotten a good load of free books! My dream is to one day have built-in bookshelves and be able to fill them, and I am well on my way!

Does anyone else get excited about random free things?

The Start of an Obsession...

There was a time when I rarely watched TV. We've never had cable, and I always spend the majority of my free time reading, doing homework, or I was at the barn. There were a few shows I would watch with my mom, and I remember my first TV crush was Dr. Jessie Travis (Charlie Schlatter) on Diagnosis Murder. He was gorgeous, had awesome hair and a killer smile, and I was determined to marry him. And yes... I was the type of child who watched Dick Van Dyke shows growing up. Don't judge.

Dr. Jessie Taylor
Source: Freewebs

Anyways, that all changed once I moved into my dorm at Wesleyan. Cable was equipped in every room and I discovered the allure of channels such as HGTV, Bravo, Food Network, and best of all... SCIFI! Of course, I had caught shows like Xena, Mutant X, and Star Trek when they reran on the basic cable channels, but the scifi channel was a whole new level. Finally, all was right with the world and my obsession began...

Do you remember your first TV crush?

The Oldest & Best

Source: Personal Photo

"Hail Wesleyan, thou emblem of all that is grand" -Alma Mater

Georgia Female College was founded in 1836, and is the world’s oldest college to grant degrees to women. 90 women were enrolled, and Catherine Brewer Benson was the first graduate in 1840. A liberal arts school from the beginning, an early course of study included natural philosophy, mental and moral philosophy, astronomy, botany, chemistry, physiology, geology, history, and ancient and modern languages. In 1970 the name Wesleyan College was adopted, and the school continues to be affiliated with the Methodist Church.

Source: Georgia Archives

In July 1860, during commencement week, the first annual reunion was held for former students creating the world's oldest alumnae association. This weekend, Wesleyan celebrated 175 years of educating women! The oldest reunion class represented was the class of 1946, and one of the highlights of the weekend was hearing internationally renowned opera singer Caroline Thomas, class of 1981, sing several amazing selections. The weekend was full of class parties, luncheons, entertainment, and many other fun events!

Source: Personal Photo

'First for Women' isn't just an empty tag line! Wesleyan boasts many firsts including the first sororities Phi Mu and Alpha Delta Pi, the first woman to argue a case before the Georgia Supreme Court, the first woman in Georgia to be issued a commercial pilot's license in Georgia, the first Chinese women educated in America, the first woman chair of the Press Institute of the Georgia Press Association, Georgia's first and only Miss America, the first woman to be appointed poet laureate of the state of North Carolina, the first woman to be ordained Bishop in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Conference, and the first woman President of the Florida Senate.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting...

I've never enjoyed exercising unless I was on a horse. I can tolerate running, but it's just not my idea of fun. I've tried to enjoy it, but I just get bored, and my boredom leads to a lack of motivation. Every year I add my name to the list of people who are determined to lose weight for summer, and this year, I'm actually serious about it.

What? You don't believe me?

What if I told you that I've been a member of LA Fitness for almost two months, and my workouts increased from walking around the mall to an hour and thirty minutes of cardio and strength training five days a week?

KAPOW!

Source: EW

My normal workout includes 45 minutes of cardio (usually the eliptical or cross trainer), ab work, and alternating between upper body and lower body strength training using the weight machines. I know that using free weights is better, but I'm still needing a little bit of extra help that the machines give me.

I can tell a difference and I've lost a little weight, but I'm still not where I want to be with summer closing in fast! (And yes- my diet has changed as well! No more diet drinks, less dessert, smaller portions, and more vegetables.) That's where my most recent purchase comes in...

Source: Amazon

I've heard pretty good reviews from friends and different blogs, and at a used price of under $10 including shipping, I couldn't resist giving it a try! I plan to give the DVD a better review once I've used it more, but my first response is....

OUCH!

I can definitely feel it, even though it was only 20 minutes of pretty low intensity work. The best thing about it is you only need a pair of hand weights- no gym required! I think this is going to be a great tool for days I can't get to the gym or on days where I want to do a little more!

Has anyone else had success with any of Jillian Michaels' programs? Is there any other home programs worth looking into?

Wacky Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Woman!

There is something so exciting about starting a new blog. It makes me want to dance around and wave my arms in an unattractive flail-something I do quite often. I think I resemble those 'Wacky Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubemen' (yes, thank you Family Guy).

Source: Gifs

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with party planning blogs. My Google Reader account is overflowing with posts on dessert tables, inspiration boards, and DIY decorations. It's a recent development- hit me upside the head about 3 months ago. Before then, I didn't even know what a tablescape or an inspiration board was. Then it all changed, and suddenly I can't get enough. In my perfect world, I would be a part of that and people would contact me to design their daughter's birthday party or their best friend's baby shower. The best part about these blogs are the photographs. The majority of them are absolutely drool-worthy, and I find myself saving page after page of inspirational ideas. It's dangerous.

I have greedily taken over the organization of my future cousin-in-law's bridal shower that my mom was slowly putting together. Before she knew it we had a color scheme, a table design, and coordinating invitations. Finally! My first chance in almost a year to throw a party. I realize I don't have to have a reason to organize a get-together, but when you're an unemployed graduate student you wait till your parents want to plan a party and then you take over!

The fun part about this shower is designing it on a dime. I'm challenging myself to try and get the look of a professionally planned event as cheap as possible which is sending a massive amount of DIY projects my way. Is it sad that I'm ridiculously excited about this? At the moment, I'm more excited about walking into Hobby Lobby than walking into the mall. The sight of scrapbook paper on sale sends me into a fit of glee, and yes, more flailing commences!