Eating Local

Getting informed about the reality of US food production, and another reality of the power big corporations have on the market and unfortunately in politics. It is a bit depressing, in all honesty. Watching this doesn't quite make one ecstatic about the world we live in. But I suppose if we look at this from the standpoint that there are people trying to make a difference, it makes it difficult to simply quit on these people. So here's to a year of buying foods locally, and finding your way to a healthier way of life. Find local farmers in your area here: Local Harvest, and watch Farmageddon on Netflix.

That's What She Said

Talking about body image. Interesting video on how women perceive themselves, and since I definitely have several self-esteem problems growing up - middle school and high school - I can certainly relate. Perhaps the most important thing is to realize the importance of your own existence, and the moment you begin to strive for something and you get out of your head, I think you can really come to terms with who you are. There are parts of us we cannot change, and others that we can. If you are unhappy with your weight, exercise, eat healthy, eat more, whatever. But realize that all you can strive for is being healthy body and mind. Everything else will follow.

Essentials Kind of Girl

I'm trying to become one of those "essentials only" kind of girls, that has just a few products in her arsenal of getting ready/going out/who she is kind of thing. Maybe soon I will have a "makeup" routine that is as minimalist as possible, but I am trying to start first with my go-to living essentials. This, of course, is all an attempt on my part to balance my life out a bit and get some semblance of order. You can chuck that with drinking more water and exercising more (which, if I do say so myself, I have managed to accomplish both today).

Ray Ban Glasses / Radley London wallet / Moleskin journal / Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or / The Body Shop Lip Butter in Mango / Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau

Hydrating Your Face

I may not be a big makeup person, but I am definitely big on creams and moisturizers for my face. There hasn't been a large selection of creams that I have tried, but these four have been used extensively - in other words, they're either almost empty or already empty. I have what they industry likes to call "combination skin", which essentially means that I get oily in certain parts of my face, and dry in others. I have surprisingly oily eyelids and sometimes my forehead, but around my nose and between my eyebrows it's a complete desert!

Sunday Inspiration #2

It's getting warmer in Chicago, but it's still cold!

Paris Review - Interview with Haruki Murakami

I was browsing through the Paris Review website - some interesting articles, plus the fact that Simone de Beauvoir's birthday was yesterday - when I came across their "Interviews" page. After scrolling through the most recent interviews (I realized, in doing so, that I had no idea who any of those writers were, thus solidifying the fact that I have been living under a rock for far too long) I decided to make my way to the 'M' section, in hopes that perhaps I could find an interview with Haruki Murakami. And lo and behold, I found it!

Moving Art

I am a huge fan of nature documentaries. I can have marathons of them during the weekend. Unfortunately, it seems that actually finding good ones is rather difficult, and I'm fairly sure I have watched quite a bit of the selection provided by Netflix Instant Play - we don't get the DVD delivered. But every once in a while I'll scroll through the recently added and find something rather beautiful and meaningful.

Getting Inspired

I'm trying to start 2014 on the right track. I told myself I would be extremely positive, be healthier - both physically and mentally - and make some important decisions (like where am I going after I graduate). So far, most of the resolutions I set for myself were broken just a couple of days in! During my friend's wedding and preparations, I ate far too much junk, and I am still taking things way too personally. Yup, most people it takes them a month before they start straying; it took me less than a week.

Graduate School or Not?

Choosing between going to graduate school or not is a rather important decision for a lot of students. There is no one specific answer for everyone, but I suppose there are considerations we must all take into account.

I had intended on going to graduate school straight after completing my bachelor degree since I was in high school. I had always assumed that was the right choice for me. My parents both went, and I had grown up thinking that was the best way to go. However, toward the beginning of last semester, I began to think otherwise. I was done being a student, and was ready to go on with my life. The considerations that go into making such a decision were not taken lightly, and as an engineering student, I really had to think about whether I would be capable of getting a job with a B.S. And there was, in fact, even the question of whether engineering was what I wanted to go into. Though I have spent four years in college, I am admittedly still unsure of what I want to do with my degree, let alone my life. So here are some of the reasons - my own, personal ones - as to why I chose not to go to graduate school: