Product Review! Vaseline Total Moisture Lotion

I have dry skin. Winter is the most depressing time of year for me not because of the cold weather, lack of cute clothes, or absence of the sun. No, winter is the most depressing time of the year for my because it turns my skin into a scaly, itchy mess.

Vaseline Total Moisture
Photo Credit: www.drugstore.com

Normally, my skin won't return to its normal silky radiance until well into the warm spring months. At least, it didn't until I discovered Vaseline Total Moisture Aloe Fresh lotion.

I discovered this a few months ago when I was perusing Walmart's shelves searching for something, anything to make my skin feel better. I noticed the cute green bottle on the shelf, smelled it, and bought it solely based on the fact that it smells delicious and light, and the tiny bit I tried on my hand left me feeling smooth but not sticky.

Later that night, after showering, I decided to try it all over. The lotion is great. The smell is light enough that you can wear perfume over it and not feel like you're overpoweringly smelly. It sinks right in, leaving your skin feeling smooth and moisturized but not sticky.

Now we're well into spring and I still use this lotion every day to keep my skin moisturized. It's light enough to use in the warmer months, and the aloe is perfect for when you spend a little too much time out in the sun.

So, if you're looking for a new moisturizer, try this one next! I highly recommend it.

Thanks, seniors

I just finished my last final. That's it, I'm done with junior year.

The past couple weeks have been hard, because I've been coming to terms with the fact that I'm almost done with my tenure here at HPU. 

The other day, I was sitting at lunch with a bunch of my senior friends when I realized that next year, I'd be the only person sitting at the table. My senior friends will be graduated, off and living their fabulous real world lives on their own while my peers and I sit through papers and presentations and lectures and exams.

I'm selfish because I want all of them to stay with me for my final year, but I know that it's time for them to move on with their lives. So, I thank the seniors.

Me and my best friend Emily, who is a senior at HPU.
Photo Credit: Dillon Seng

Thank you for showing me what it means to be a well-rounded college student.

Thank you for encouraging me to join clubs and activities that I probably wouln't have joined otherwise.

Thank you for showing me how important it is to do well in my classes

Thank you for forcing me to take a break every once in a while.

Thank you for bringing me out of my shell.

Thank you for helping me through endless tests, projects, and papers.

Thank you for helping me through the rough nights of celebrating that followed said tests, projects, and papers.

Thank you for being my leaders, mentors, and best friends.

Most of all, thank you for helping make the past three years some of the best years of my life. I'm going to miss you. 

10 Fun (and Cheap!) Spring and Summer Date Ideas

Going out as a college student is hard. Between classes and clubs and the ever-allusive hookup culture, it's pretty rare that people of the ages 18-25 actually go on honest to goodness dates. If you find yourself lucky enough to go on a real date, here are some fun and cheap ideas that aren't dinner and a movie.


Go to the zoo

Zoos are relatively cheap, and walking around in the sunshine looking at animals is a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Go bowling

Especially if you go in the early afternoon, bowling lane and shoe rentals are dirt cheap. Challenge your date to a round or two and practice your form while having fun!

Go hiking (bonus points if you pack a picnic!)

Hiking is a great way to bond and get some exercise in the process! Go on a scenic hike and pack a picnic lunch to eat at the top. 

Host a good old fashioned game night

Invite your friends over for a night of charades, Candy Land, or Monopoly! Grab some snacks and put on some music to really liven up the night. 

Visit a local museum 

Museum entrance fees are usually very cheap, so spend a day looking at paintings or historical artifacts. You could even have some fun pretending to be art critics and critiquing every piece you see.  

Have a movie marathon

Snuggle up with some blankets, a big bowl of popcorn, and a series or two for a rainy afternoon full of cinematic magic. Harry Potter is my personal favorite series, but any movies will do!

Go to an amateur sports game

Tickets to amateur sports games are so cheap, you and your date will  be singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" all summer long. Get season tickets (like to the Greensboro Grasshoppers) or just grab tickets for one night. 

Go on a bike ride

Explore your neighborhood in a new way... Via bike! Pedaling is not only good exercise, but it's relaxing and easy enough for anyone to do. 

People watch downtown on a Friday or Saturday night (this is WAY more fun than it sounds, trust me)

When I first did this, I was suspicious, because I didn't think it would be fun at all. However, after an hour of just sitting on a bench outside in the warm weather watching drunk people stumble from bar to bar, I was holding my sides from laughing so hard. It's also a great conversation sparker!

If it's nice out, grab some ice cream and go for a walk

Just wandering around provides a casual, pressure-free outlet for easy conversation. Grab a cone and walk through the park, or even just window shop downtown for a stress-free and cheap date.

Happy dating :)

Me and my boyfriend after one of our dates... Dinner (part of our meal plan) at our school's on campus steakhouse!
Photo Credit: Rebecca Woodley-Oliver

The Semester in Review

So, in case you couldn't tell, this blog was part of my Feature Writing class this semester. We had to chose a blog theme, and write posts as we went along, in addition to our normal stories (which you can find in my separate pages up at the top of the page!)

For our final, we are presenting our blogs to the class, and my professor sent us some questions to keep in mind while we present. I thought, what better way to keep my answers in mind than to make a blog post including them?!

So, enjoy, and happy reading!

The most important or surprising or useful thing I learned this semester was... and why.

The most surprising thing I learned by far is how interesting my classmates are! I loved having the blogger-style setup with access to everyone else's blogs because I was able to see what my classmates are interested in. We have very talented writers in our class, and I enjoyed being able to read everyone else's work and learn and grow from them. 

The story I'm proudest of is ... and why.

I think that I am most proud of is my review of Southern Roots. I really love writing reviews, because I like sharing my own opinions in a not unbiased way, which is how you have to write most other journalistic pieces. 

The story form I liked best was ... and why.

The form that I liked best was either the review or the sights and sounds story. I liked the sights and sounds in particular because it really let me be creative with my writing, and work in a ton of detail about the event that I attended. It also made me realize just how important good observation skills are!

The story form I struggled most with ... and why.

I really, really struggled with writing the anniversary piece. I don't know if it was because I wasn't terribly interested in my subject, or if I just wasn't sure of what direction to take with it, but it was the only piece that I didn't particularly enjoy writing for this class. 

The way in which I think I grew most as a writer was ... and why.

I definitely grew as a writer by taking this class. I think that it really helped me to see exactly what feature writing is, and I learned valuable skills and story formats that I'm sure I'll use for the rest of my journalistic career. 

This experience definitely had me thinking about ... as a career path or something to strive for ... and why.

I came into this class knowing that I wanted to work as an editor at a magazine someday, and this class has only reinforced my decision. Magazines are more feature-style than newspapers are, and I definitely like this format a lot better than straight-style news. I am also an English- Writing minor, and I love that in this class I was able to be a little more flexible and creative with my writing. 

Achoo! Getting Rid of Those Allergies

Question: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

Answer: Allergies.

Though it's not quite May yet, my allergies have been KILLING me! I don't know if it's the fact that my Jersey genes aren't quite used to the North Carolina plants or what, but I have been absolutely miserable for the past week with a runny nose, watery eyes, and an itchy throat. Here's how I've been dealing with it though.

Finding a good allergy medicine

I used to use Claritin, until I realized two things: 1. I was a miserable cranky over-tired beast whenever I used it and 2. It wasn't working! So I switched to another medicine. And another. And another. Finally, I found Zyrtec-D. It didn't make me tired, and got rid of most of my symptoms, which made me a very happy camper. I also discovered this gem of an eye drop called Zaditor, which relieves itching on contact and stays working for up to 12 whole hours.

Tissues, tissues, and more tissues

I've been sneezing and sniffling up a storm, so I thought it would be a good idea to get some tissues. WRONG. I used the generic brand at first and it made my nose a sore, red mess. So I switched to these fancy cooling ones, and let me tell you, they are a godsend. They're like little cool pillows for your nose, and they soothe as you use them, making your nose feel both clean and refreshed!

Limiting time outside

This one was hard, because the weather is absolutely beautiful down here this time of the year. But I've come to realize that I can take all of the medicine, use all of the eyedrops, and blow my nose into all of the fancy tissues in the entire world, but if I spend all day outside, it will all be for naught because my body simply can't handle the pollen. Though I'd like to lay out at the pool or swing in the hammocks underneath the trees in between my finals, I can't. At least, until the pollen goes away :) 

Finals Study Tips

As the end of the year comes up, it brings with it the one thing that can inspire more dread in a college student than a pregnancy scare: finals. As you prepare for your end-of-semester exams, here are some study tips to help you out.

Go somewhere you won't be distracted
You won't be able to get any work done if you're somewhere that you aren't able to focus. As appealing as your living room, the cafeteria or the local coffee shop seem, if you're constantly being interrupted by your friends, or distracting sights and sounds. Go to the library, lock yourself in your room, or find that one special place that you can completely focus in and go there every time you need to study or get work done.

Turn off your phone
You won't be able to finish that 20 page paper if you're writing text messages instead! Put it on airplane mode, stick it in your bag, and only let yourself check it at set times or once you've accomplished certain goals, such as reading a set amount of pages or memorizing a certain number of flash cards.

Eat!
Though all you might need is caffeine to get your study grind on, make sure that you don't skip meals during crunch time! Being hungry can make you irritable, unable to focus, and can hurt your memory, so make sure you pack some study snacks for the library. Also be sure to drink lots of water, as caffeine can dehydrate you.

Plan ahead
You can save yourself a lot of stress if you plan ahead at the beginning of the semester. When you get your syllabus for each class, add the due dates to your calendar and set up a study plan, where you break the work into manageable chunks throughout the semester. Stick to the plan and you won't have to pull any dreaded all nighters!

3 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Roommates

As we approach the end of the year, housing assignments are beginning to take shape. Here are some tips to keep in mind when deciding where and with whom you want to room with next year.

Best friends aren't always the best roommates
When choosing a roommate, it's important to keep in mind not only who you want to live with, but how you want to live. Take it from me: just because you do not live with your best friend does not mean that you won't be friends anymore. I went from having my BFF right there, 24/7 to living across campus from me. I was devastated. I thought that it meant no more late night snack runs, cuddle/ gossip sessions, and that our friendship would be over before the end of the year. I was so, so wrong. Even though we don't live together anymore, we still hang out more than is probably healthy, and we have separate places to go when we want to kill each other (which isn't often, but, you know, it's always good to have some private time).

Look for compatible living styles
Are you an early bird neat-freak that likes to blast loud music while you study? Then you probably won't live well with a messy night owl that needs silence to do her work. It sounds  completely obvious, but it really is important to look at compatibility when choosing roommates. Some variety is good, but it's always good to have roommates that understand — and respect — you and your living needs.

Establish boundaries at the beginning
When you find someone you may want to room with, sit down over coffee or lunch with them and have an open and honest discussion about needs and expectations for the upcoming year. By setting rules and expectations at the beginning, you are ensuring that you'll have the best year and roommates yet!

Hope these rules help! Happy roommate shopping!