wonderful wednesday #3

happy humpday!

laughing is one of my all time favorite things to do. i mean, who doesn't like joy and laughter? i've come to the realization that if an idea or plan makes me laugh instantly, i'm going got it. a laugh will create a great memory and surely be something i won't regret. 

so if you're hesitant about something but the idea of it makes you laugh instantly, go for it. there's no reason not to, well unless its something illegal and it'll land you in jail and in that case don't. 

but this has become a new motto for me. to do things that will make me laugh. so go for it and laugh uncontrollably. 

hope the rest of the week is a wonderful on!

what's your motto for the week?

tunesday: mirrors by justin timberlake

"cause i don't wanna lose you now/ i'm lookin' right at the other half of me/ the vacancy that sat in my heart/ is a space that now you hold/ show me how to fight for now/ and I'll tell you baby, it was easy/ comin' back into you once I figured it out/ you were right here all along/ it's like you're my mirror/ my mirror staring back at me"

this song has been stuck in my head for days. the hook is brilliant and i can't seem to shake it off. one day i want someone to love me the way jt loves jessica biel in this song. lucky, lucky girl.  

what song has been stuck in your head lately?

recipe to do list!

i'm always on the look out for new recipes! for me there's a real sense of calm and relaxation when i'm making something. i turn on a little country music, mix everything together, and then something delicious comes out of it all. so whenever i have the chance to try something new i'm always excited. 

here are a list of recipes on my to do list that i just can't wait to try. they all just look sooo good (said in my best sophia grace impersonation). 

1. watermelon cake.
2. peanut butter lava cookies.
3. red velvet cheesecake cookies.
4. cheesecake stuffed strawberries. 
5. vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. 

what are some recipes on your to do list? 

share below, i'd love to try more recipes!

say friday #5

everyday is a new opportunity. you can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. that's the way life is, with a new game everyday, and that's the way baseball is. - bob feller

one of my favorite places in la, and essentially the world, is dodgers stadium. there's a sense of serenity when i enter the park and pure joy when the first pitch is thrown. a sense of nostalgia during the 7th inning stretch, followed by anxiety and stress in the 9th. i love my dodgers and cherish the game, so anytime i have the opportunity to catch a game i'm at my happiest. 

but seriously you guys the view. beautiful. my bad photography 'skills' don't do it justice but despite that the park still manages to look majestic. 

what is one of your favorite places? where are you happiest?  

no uterus, no opinion.

abortions have always been a controversial subject. and most recently the texas state legislative tried (and is still trying) to pass a bill that would make abortions after 20 weeks illegal and make is nearly impossible for clinics to remain open. on tuesday night the current khaleesi of women rights, wendy davis successfully filibustered the bill. the women is a bamf, plain and simple as that. even though she filibustered the bill successfully, the republican senators tried to illegally change the time of their vote that was made after the deadline which is a third degree felony. that didn't work, so now texas governor rick perry called in a special session to try and pass the bill. texas is a huge state with one of the largest populations in the country, so this is a pretty big deal. you can read more about it here. 

i understand why people are against abortions and respect their opinions, but they can't tell a woman what she can and can't do with her body. its her uterus that will carry the potential baby to term, she will be the one having to birth the child, she will have to care for it emotionally and financially; the people against abortions aren't going to be by her side through any of this, so they have no say and can't judge.

with that said, here are 3 main issues i have with people trying to prevent women from legally having the access to abortion

1. no uterus, no opinion: many lawmakers who are against abortion happen to be white males who probably never had and will never have to be in the position where an abortion is choice. they don't know what it means and the hard decisions that come with it. abortions are a medical procedure that people don't easily get over physically and emotionally; it isn't a light decision. some people think that women get abortions like if it where as easy as picking up coffee and its not. men shouldn't be making decisions for a woman about her body. her body, her choices. plain and simple as that. 
2. pro-life actually means pro-birth: many 'prolifers' aren't necessarily interested in the quality of life these babies will receive once they are born. if the women requires state assistance to raise the baby, she will be shamed for it. they aren't interested in following up on the babies future. this can best be summed up be sister joan chittister, "but i do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion that that makes you pro-life. in fact, i think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking. if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed, and why would I think that you don't? because you don't want any tax money to go there. that's not pro-life. that's pro-birth. we need a much broader conversation on what the morality of what pro-life is." (click here for more on this)
3. coat hangers: when abortions were illegal in the states many, many women took it upon themselves to perform their own abortions often using hangers (if you are unsure about what i'm referring to you can read about it here) or went to back-ally clinics. both of which are very unsafe for women and would often cause them to bleed to death if weren't done properly. women shouldn't have to resort to these dangerous options. i once watched an after school special about this issue, where a teen had to travel to another state to get an abortion in a back-ally, illegal abortion clinic. the young girl bled out and died. it was based on a true story and from that moment on i realized how important legal, safe, and accessible abortion clinics were for women. the end of sam mendes' revolutionary road is enough for anyone to realize the importance of safe and legal clinics. the safety and health of women is most important when lawmakers make decisions on this matter. 

i hope that today's politalk thursday makes you look at the matter differently and opens your mind to new ideas. 

lastly, if you find yourself having to make this tough decision please seek out your local planned parenthood. and remember your body, your choice. 

what are some of your reasons for or against legal and safe abortions?
all opinions welcomed.

wonderful wednesday #2

happy humpday! 

in honor of yesterday's successful filibuster in the texas state senate and scotus' ruling on prop8/doma, this weeks wonder wednesday is straightforward and simple. get it, go for it. don't let anything hold you back. 

hope the rest of the week is a wonderful one!

what's your inspiration for the week?

tunesday: baby girl by sugarland

"dear mom and dad/ please send money/ i'm so broke that it ain't funny/ don't need much just enough to get me through" 

"dear mom and dad/ i'll send money. i'm so rich that it ain't fumy  well it oughtta be more than enough to get you through"

this song perfectly describes my relationship with my parents. they've been so supportive during my unemployment phase of life and i'm incredible grateful for everything they do. but i hope to one day be able to take care of them as well as they've taken care of me. so today's tunesday is dedicated to my mama and papa. not to be confused by the 60s band the mamas and papas.

what song would you dedicate to your parents?

what's your tune of the week?

baking: blueberry muffin!

with berry season in full swing, the first thing that comes to mind is 'what can i make with them?' blueberry muffins of course!

i've looked at various recipes in the past and have settled on my take of this recipe i found online a couple months back. i tweaked it a bit, so here's my take on blueberry muffins!

ingredients:

• muffin
• 3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp of baking powder
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup blueberries
• crumble
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 tbsp butter (frozen, shredded)

how to:

• preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• mix wet ingredients together (honey, milk, applesauce, and eggs) in a large bowl. 
• in a separate bowl mix dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking powder).
• carefully add dry mixture into the wet mixture, 1/2 cup at a time and mix well. 
• once everything is mixed together, fold in blueberries. 
• in a small bowl, mix crumble ingredients together.
• for butter, place butter in freezer before use and once it is solid use a cheese grater to shred the butter. this will allow for the butter to mix well with the rest of the ingredients and evenly sprinkle over muffins. 
• pour muffin mixture into muffin tin nearly to the top. 
• sprinkle crumble evenly over the top of each muffin. 
• bake in oven for 20-25 minutes and enjoy! makes about 15 muffins. 

goes perfectly with your morning cuppa or coffee. 

how did the recipe turn out for you?
share below if you tweaked the recipe to make it better.

say friday! #4

American concrete....

i've always been a fan of 'street' art, not just of the big names like banksy or ron english, but of hidden gems like this on a side street off of sunset in hollywood. i guess its the social/political criticism/activism that's attached to a lot of the art that attracts me to it; i even took a class on visual activism in college and it had to be one of my favorites. it can be as simple as this or banksy's kissing coppers in brighton.

coming across pieces like this just makes my day a little brighter.

what are some of you favorite hidden gems? share a photo below!

wonderful wednesday #1

happy hump day! 

in honor of #23 from this post, here's the first wonderful wednesday. 

its pretty simple. don't be afraid to be wonderful. fear is the biggest thing that holds up back from being our best, so just be wonderful. 

hope the rest of the week is a wonderful one!

what's your inspiration this week?

tunesday: bubble toes by jack johnson.

"well i was eating lunch at the dlg..."

in honor of my one year anniversary of being a gaucho alumni, this week's tunesday is by one my favorite gauchos jack johnson. a lot of his early songs have snippets here and there of his time at ucsb and it always makes me smile when listening to his music. 

like this lyric from bubble toes, dlg happens to be a dinning hall at ucsb. and it just reminds me of freshmen year and making my way to dlg in between classes. as you biked to dlg you could see the ocean and feel its cool breeze. so its always nice to listen to jack johnson and fondly look back at my time at ucsb. 

what song reminds you fondly of moments from the past?

east los' highs: my review of hulu's original series

representation of minorities in the the media, whether it be on the small or big screen, are slim. for being one of the biggest demographics of 'minorities' in the states, there are few shows that focus on latin@ characters let alone their culture. on network television there are less than 10 latin@ characters, (if i'm wrong please correct me; i really hope i'm wrong.) 

the roles for a latin@ are slim to non, so when i saw ads for hulu's east los high featuring an all latin@ cast and focusing on a group of young latin@s high school students in east los angeles, a predominant hispanic neighborhood, i was all for watching the series. the full series is available on hulu+ so i binged watch the whole thing over two days. to my defense they were short 30 minute episodes and i have no self control when it comes to television. so after being immersed in the drama east los high for a couple of days here are three things i enjoyed most about the series:

1. the show is very candid when discussing birth control. at times it can be too campy, ala brenda hampton's the secret life of the american teenager. sex, birth control, and abortions are discussed in at least every episode. this all made sense when i looked more into the series and discovered it worked with the california family health council to produce the series. i often found myself saying 'we get it. wear a condom, take the pill. you have options.' but the reality is that these things are rarely discussed in the latino community. a reason it isn't discussed is because the latino community tends to be heavily religious, with a majority of the community being catholic. the reason these things aren't discussed with young latin@s is because they aren't supposed to be occurring therefore there's no need to discuss it which is ridiculous of course. when young latin@s have the opportunity to watch themselves on screen its amazing that the series was socially responsible enough to talk about these issues. the series' brash and candid approach to the subject of sex, birth control, and abortion allows for the audience to be comfortable with the subject matter and allows for young latin@s and young viewers of all ethnicities to see all sides of the situation.
2. an honest representation of the latino family. the series does a decent job at portraying the good and ugly that can occur in latino families. the ugly being how many families still to this day kick out young unwed teen mothers once they find out their daughter is pregnant; putting shame and responsibility on the girl when it takes two to make a baby. on the other hand the series also takes time to show the tremendous support and love latino parents have for their children. they don't want their children to worry or suffer, they want their children to focus on education and have fun; parents work hard and struggle so their kids don't have to. they also show how family sticks by each other most of the time and are there for support when needed the most. its refreshing to see a good balance of the latino family.
3. its strong emphasis on education. the character soli is the most education driven character, reiterating that she wants to go to college and become a journalist; she doesn't want to be like her tias and cousins who had children at a very young age and live paycheck to paycheck. jessie's mother, lupe, constantly tells her to not worry about fiances or her health, but to focus on her education so she can live a better life.  jacob has the potential to be the first in his family to go to college. his father too constantly tells him not to worry about the family business, that his only worry should be school; once again reiterating that he needs to focus on his education and better himself. even maya, who doesn't necessarily have the best attendance or grades, is encouraged to continue her education. the show doesn't necessarily preach attending a four year university,  but encourages all the characters to further their education whether its attending a university or learning a trade. showing characters explore these different options will hopefully encourage young latin@s to finish high school and continue their education to better themselves. 

overall, the show is worth a watch if you can get past some of its more campy moments and a boom appearing in the frame. it'll be interesting to see whether it impacts network television's future scheduling and what it means for the future of latin@ representation in the media.  

have you tuned in to watch east los high? if so what did you think of it?

recipe: honey iced tea.

now doesn't that look refreshing. 

with summer now in full swing there are few things better than an ice cold drink to help cool you down. so here's my recipe for a quite lovely iced tea.

ingredients:

• 6 tea bags of any white fruit flavored tea (a simple black tea works just as great!)
• 6 cups of boiling water
• 2 cups of cold water
• 1/8 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1/8 cup of sugar (or sugar to taste)
• lemon wedges for garnish

how to:

• bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a tea pot or kettle. its best to use one or the other so you know when the water is just right to brew the tea properly. 
• in a separate pot medium sized sauce pan (or any container that can hold the amount of boiling water) place your 6 teabags and baking soda in the pot. 
• once the water is ready (the teapot will let you know once it starts hissing) pour the water into the teas, cover and let brew for about 10 minutes. 
• once the tea is properly brewed take out teabags. don't squeeze them, it'll make the tea bitter; just simply take them out. 
• add your 2 cups of cold water and start mixing in the honey. 
• taste the tea, if it isn't sweet enough for your taste add sugar. (1/8 cup was just right for my taste, but it was a tad bit sweet for my father)
• let the tea cool and then refrigerate. 
• serve with a wedge of lemon and enjoy!

hope the drink turned out just as lovely for you as it did for me!

any tips you'd like to share from your experience making it? 

say friday! #3

and yes, i actually do use that pencil case and pez dispenser. 

i've been in love with superman since i can remember. so over the years i've unknowingly accumulated a ton of superman memorabilia. it's sort of unconscious, i see a a superman trinket and pick it up. its second nature and i often don't realize it until a moment like this when i take stuff out of my bag and realize a majority of the stuff in it is superman related. don't mind my dodgers lunch-bag, it was there to find the mess.

later that day home i got and took a nap with my superman blanket and pillow. and that's when i realized i should probably stop. 

you can read my post here to find out more about my love of superman and you can go here to see how i made the sleeve for my mug. 

what's something you unknowingly collect a lot of?

united states of immigrants

i'm a product of the american dream. both my parents came to the states at a very young age. my mother and her family were brought over by my grandfather who wanted a better life for his family. my father left home at 16 cause he wanted more than what his rancho had to offer. my mother came over legally and is now an american citizen. my father came over not so legally but was granted amnesty by the reagan administration. something my father is very grateful for. he's been a small business owner for more than 20 years and has done well for a scrawny kid from el rancho with no real education. my parents work hard, pay their taxes, and have raised 3 well educated kids. a son who's now a mechanical engineer and graduated from one of the best engineering schools in the nation. a daughter (me) who is still trying to find herself a proper job with that college degree. and their baby will officially become a college graduate next spring. i know i'm disclosing a lot, but i just wanted to start off today's politak thursday with this to show people that immigration and amnesty isn't bad, in fact in my family's experience its the exact opposite. and sadly this nation constantly needs to be reminded of this.

recently a young boy, sebastian de la cruz, from san antonio, texas had the great honor to sing the national anthem at a spurs game. something he took great pride in. he dressed to the nines, in a black and grey traje de charro representing the home teams colors and the cities history. he belted the national anthem beautifully and looked very sauve doing so; he did his city proud.

personally i loved that he wore a traje de charro. mariachi is a beautiful thing. and i took pride in someone with a similar cultural background as me singing the national anthem on television. it was a 'look mama' moment. something mexicans and latinos across the country will take pride in. as perfectly said by thinkmexican:

"sebastien was not only representing his city, he was putting a face to a huge demographic shift that has taken place in the united states over the last 20 years. at an official count of 33.7 million, mexicans now make up 11% of the total us population. a young community (median age 25) with a growing presence in regions outside of the southwest, mexican americans may surpass german americans as the largest ancestry group by 2040." 

this was a "hot topic" on the view and for once all the women agreed that the public's reaction to this was ridiculous and absurd. guest co-host luciana gimenez, argued that why aren't people this mad that the boston celtics have a leprachaun as their mascot which represents the areas large irish population. its the same with sebastian, he's representing the people of san antonio- hard working americans who happen to be mostly of mexican decent.

coach greg popovich of the spurs and the spurs organization didn't shy away from the controversy. in fact de la cruz was invited again tonight to sing the national anthem. the organization has always embraced the large population of mexican/latino fans often hosting los spurs nights which celebrates and honors their latino fan base. so it was no surprise that the organization invited de la cruz to not only stand behind the talented 11 year old but also stand behind its fans. popovish commented on the idioctic blacklash by saying

"i would like to say I would be shocked or surprised by the comments. but given the fact that there’s still a significant element of bigotry and racism in our nation, i’m not surprised. …it still plagues us, obviously. and what i was surprised by was how proud these idiots were of their ignorance by printing their names next to their comments. [de la cruz] is a class act. way more mature than most his age. and as much as those comments by the idiots saddens you about your country, he makes you feel that the future could be very bright." [x]

its good to see that among all this hate and racism that there are people who stand up against it because we are a nation of immigrants. unless one is native american, we can all trace our linage to somewhere else.

i think people tend to forget that this nation was found by immigrants seeking a better life. immigrants who wanted to escape persecutions from their own country and be free. and it is exactly what continues to drive this country; that spirit that anything is possible, that you can change your situation, that you can have it all. but why are people still so hostile to the very foundation of this country: immigration. this country doesn't have an official language or religion become it welcomes people from all different nations and ethnicity. immigrants, their children, their children's children are what make this country great. we need to start embracing the beauty of this country, that we are all american; that being american isn't determined by the way you look or the way you talk, its the way you live. its that hope inside, its the determination to never give up, its the pursuit of happiness. it isn't whether your last name is pham, jaurez, o'malley or patel, its that you can have any type of variation of those last names and still have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

my family like every other family in this country celebrates their heritage alongside their patriotism for the states. we cook a full on thanksgiving dinner with extra sides of rice and beans (word of advice don't place your beans next to your cranberry sauce, it is not a good combination). we celebrates the 4th of july, but we just add some carne asada and napal next to the hot dogs and burgers. its fusion of both cultures, just like this country is a fusion of so many cultures around the world.

if we put aside the bigotry and blatant racism, and started working on better immigration reform than this country could be even greater than what its is. its a beautiful vision that i hope to get to see during my lifetime. 

whats your take on this current hot topic? all opinions welcomed!

tunesday: we are who we are by little mix

"momma, momma, momma made me the way i am/ my face, my eyes, someone turn me up, I'm speaking my mind/ and i, and i, i've been wasting a lot of time looking in mirrors/ and hating on me, but now i like what i see"

cooking: individual turkeyloafs

i love meatloaf, so over the years i've bake my fair share of meatloaf and eventually came up with a recipe that my family really enjoys. its probably my brother's favorite dish that i make. so here's my take on a 'healthier' meatloaf.

mmm, delicioso.

ingredients:

• 20 oz of lean turkey
• 1/2 cup 2% milk (any type will do)
• 3 slices of whole wheat bread, chopped (white will work as well)
• 1 egg 
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (use a cheese grader to shred the vegetable)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 of chopped onions
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup mustard
• 1/8 cup brown sugar

how to:

• preheat oven 350.
• in a large bowl combine turkey, milk, chopped bread, egg white, zucchini, carrots, onions, salt, pepper, ground mustard, paprika, and garlic powder. mix well with hands' make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
• lightly grease muffin tin or you can use a bread pan as well; or oven form a loaf by hand and place on top of a baking sheet. i just prefer using a muffin tin because that way everyone gets their own individual loaf.
• with an ice cream scoop, or just a plain old spoon, evenly scoop mixture into muffin tins. (this makes about 12 individual turkeyloafs)
• place in oven and bake for an hour.
• meanwhile in a separate small bowl mix ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar together. 
• half way trough the baking time (30 minutes), take out muffin tins and evenly pour ketchup mixture over mini loafs. finish baking. and tada! now you have delicious individual turkeyloafs. 

how did this recipe turn out for you? any tips you'd like to add on how to improve it?

say friday! #2

on set of espn's sports nation. 

growing up outside the lovely city of angeles, i've had the opportunity to attend countless tv tapings over the years. you can say i'm a tv taping pro and my fake laugh and enthusiasm are impeccable. i used to attend them practically 3 times a month in high school. it was a form of fundraising so we'd try and go to as many as possible since it was relatively 'easy money'. i remember taking my study guides to tv tapings and study during set changes (don't worry, i passed high school with flying colors and got into a good college). at times it might have lost its magic and the long waiting wasn't worth it, but recently i got the chance to go to a taping of espn's sports nation.

having applied to jobs at espn (sadly all of which i never got) and watching countless hours of espn this was just all really cool. as geeky as it might seem walking through the halls, peaking into the control room, and being on the set was for lack of a better word magical. as i sat in the audience, i looked around and felt a sense of comfort and belonging in the studio. 

overall the experience was great. the audience was small, which is always nice since i'm not a fan of crowds. also since it was a smaller crowd, the wait wasn't long and we got out sooner than expected. all big pluses when it comes to tv tapings in my book. the producers, cameramen/women, and everyone else in the studio gave off great energy themselves, so it was easy to get into the spirit of the show. plus the host, charissa thompson and marcellus wiley, were personable and even took time to take pictures and chat with the audience after the show finished taping. the fact that i was even allowed to take my phone with me into the studio and let alone take pictures on set was something i have never experienced. usually shows don't allow phones into a taping and either make you walk your phone back to your car or the nicer ones hold it for you until the show is over. it was just an overall great experience. 

it has been one of my favorite experiences at a tv tapings and already have tickets to a taping later this month. hopefully by them i'm employed by espn. HAHA. 

 ever been to a tv taping? how was your experience?

twonesday: 23 by jimmy eat world and what's my age again by blink 182

"i won't always love these selfish things"

"amazing still it seems/ i'll be 23/ i won't always love what i'll never have/ i won't always live in my regrets"

"nobody likes you when you're 23/ and are still more amused by tv shows/ what the hell is add?/ my friends say i should act my age/ what's my age again?/ what's my age again?"

life lessons.

while cleaning out my room recently i across my high school ap us history teacher's life lessons. during the final days of class rosemead's infamous mr. zegers passed out a sheet of paper with the life lessons and at the time i didn't pay much attention to it, so i tucked it away. when i rediscover it among my high school papers, i was thrilled. the thing is that no matter how eccentric mr. zegers might have seemed to a 16 year old high school student, he knew what he was talking about. so internets, i share with you:

"zegers' life lessons"

1. no matter what happens- always take the high road.
2. never cut what can be untied. 
3. let some things remain mysterious.
4. life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.
5. don't be fooled. it something sounds too good to good to be true, it probably is. 
6. get over it. let it go. move on. 
7. no one can make you feel inferior, unless you let them. 
8. when all else fails, dance.
9. most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. 
10. your past does not determine your future.
11. the gift of happiness belongs to those who unwrap it.
12. always try a simple solution first.
13. we shall be remembered for... our kindness than for our accomplishments, our generosity than for our riches, our service than for our successes. 
14. find a job you truly love, and you'll never work another day in your life. 
15. the best way to respond to critics is to act like you never heard their criticism. 
16. there's no such thing as a free lunch.
17. never explain.
18. deaths ends a life, not a relationship. 
19. we must love each other or die
20. hate is a position you take expecting the other person to die.
21. remember that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift- that's why it's called the present.
22. there will be times in your life when you will need to embrace the uncertainty. 
23. don't be afraid to be wonderful.

i bolded my favorites. i especially love the last one. i think most people, including me, need a daily reminder of this. so be wonderful! oh and dance while doing so!

which ones are your favorites? share your thoughts below!

baking: loaded oatmeal cookies!

i genuinely really love oatmeal cookies. i often prefer a good chewy oatmeal cookie over pretty much anything. so here'rs my take on an overloaded oatmeal cookies filled with my favorite things: cinnamon,  chocolate, brown butter, and rum soaked raisins.
  

golden brown deliciousness. 

ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups of instant oats
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup of rum
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sugar

how to:

• when taking out the butter to soften, soak the raisins in rum as well. it'll give them enough time to soak up the rum and plump up.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• in a medium sauce pan brown butter. if you're not sure how to brown butter, here's a great how to. 
• once the butter is browned and cooled pour into a large bowl and mix brown sugar, vanilla extract, and an egg at a time with electric mixer. 
• in another medium sized bowl (or whatever size bowl you have handy) mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pinch of nutmeg.
• slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture in small batches. you don't want the four to end up all over you!
• lastly mix in oats, raisins, and chocolate chips. 
• scoop a tablespoon sized ball of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (if you don't have any handy just spray a baking sheet with non stick spray and lightly coat with flour)
• mix 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of sugar. dip a fork in the mixture and flatten down cookies.
• pop in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown
• let cool and enjoy!

how did the recipe turn out for you? any suggestions on how to make it better? leave your thoughts and comments below!

say friday! #1

with my birthday right around the corner, i'm fortunate enough to have parents that are willing to help me out with buying a new phone as a very generous birthday gift. they're the greatest. 

a new phone means a better quality camera at the palm of my hands and the start of my adventures on instagram! 

so here's to my first say friday! a day at the office at my new internship with a lovely skinny hazelnut frap (that i got for free! as a birthday gift) to go along with research and spreadsheets. i've gotten really good at making spreadsheets. now if i could only get a proper job and start becoming a functioning adult member of society, that would be dandy. but until then i continue building up my resume and gaining experience. as the popular internet meme goes #thestruggleisreal. 

how was your week mouths? anything exciting happened?! as always leave your thoughts and comments below! 

tunesday: video by india.arie

"when i look in the mirror and the only one there is me/ every freckle on my face is where it's suppose to be/ and i know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me/ my feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes, i'm loving what i see "

whenever i'm not feeling my best, this song always makes me feel at my best. i know it might sound silly, but this song just reminds me to say 'f%#$ it' and be happy being me. it instantly changes my mood for the better. i just want to put on a cute sun dress, put a flower in my hair, get on my bike, and just let the wind blow trough my curls. 

what song can makes you feel instantly at your best?

leave your thoughts and comments below.

diy: travel photo tumbler cover

while on one of my trips to michael's i saw a traveler photo tumbler on clearance and i thought why not, i'm a sucker the clearance aisle. earlier that day i also made a trip to target and obviously had to stop by the dollar section and found superman stickers. so of course i had to buy a few of the sticker packets. when i saw them i instantly thought of youtuber jim chapman's wall that he used in past videos. i thought the idea was so neat and wanted to do something similar, but superman. and when i got the tumbler at michael's a light bulb went on. so here is a my take on decorating a traveler tumbler inspired by this.

stickers, stickers, stickers everywhere.

what you'll need:

• traveler photo mug
• loads of stickers (one packet will be just fine)
• white sheet of paper (or you can use the paper insert that comes in the tumbler)
• scissors

how to:

• if you don't want to use the insert that comes with the tumbler, trace the shape of the insert to a white sheet of paper. you should also do this regardless, just in case you want to make more inserts (beware you will)!
• once you have your insert, start placing your stickers randomly. i randomly placed the bigger ones throughout the sheet of paper. then i filled in the blanks with the smaller ones. keep pilling on the stickers until you can no longer see the insert. 
• use the scissors to trim off any excess sticker that might have gone of the edge of the insert. 
• tip: if you have access to a laminater, you can laminate the insert. i go to lakeshore, which has locations across the country. (i highly suggest you laminate the inserts if you can cause it'll protect it if waters seeps through the seal.)
• once your insert is done, just insert it back into the tumbler, seal it, and tada! its ready for travel.

all the stickers on the insert!
it came out super! (yeah, i went there)

i might have gone a little crazy and made a few more inserts, cause if i learned anything from rachel zoe its options, options, options. i used old calendars and scrap-booking paper to more inserts. i just used the tracing of the original insert and used it to trace on the paper. so now i have multiple options to fit any mood. beware, you'll get a little addicted! 

how did your inserts turn out? did you end up making a ton too? leave your thoughts and comments below!

recent grads' reality: working for free

as graduation season is in full swing, commencement speeches are being delivered across the country. they are filled with wisdom and advice for those entering the real world. most recently stephen colbert gave the commencement speech at the university of virginia. as always his brilliant satire was charming and insightful. my favorite part of the speech was when he discussed time magazines article titled the "me, me, me generation" which i wrote a mouth monday about. 

your generation needs everything to be about you and that's upsetting to us baby boomers because self-absorption is kind of out thing. we're the original generation, we made the last 50 years about is. we took all the money, we soaked up all the government services and we've deep tried nearly everything in the ocean. it may seem that all that's left for you is unpaid internships, monday to tuesday mail delivery, and thanks to global warming, soon, semester at sea will mean sailing the coast of ohio."

the line i most related to was "it may seem that all that's left for you are unpaid internships," because at the moment it is my reality. i graduated from college with a b.a. in film and media studies and interned  all through out college from the school's athletic department to a local theater to a local news station. i was well rounded and thought i'd be the exception by landing a well paid job soon after college. boy was i wrong. i've been job hunting since i returned from europe after graduation. the road hasn't been easy and all i have been able to get are unpaid internships. because of all this i shock my head 'yes' during that part of colbert's speech. i felt that finally someone understood what i was going through; that this situation wasn't of my liking, that this wasn't what i wanted, and that this was partially due to the state of the economy. i'm not blaming the economy entirely, there are other factors too but it is a significant factor.
  
although some might say that my major is of the liberal arts and foolish, it was what i wanted to do. it was what i was most interested in and if i was going to spend that much money on an education i was going to spend it on something i enjoy not something society would want me to. why was i going to become an engineer if that wasn't what i wanted to do? why was i going to live a life that wouldn't make me happy? so i choose a major in the arts because although many doubt the importance of the arts it is a necessary part of life. and those that don't understand that live a 'blah' life without the joy the arts bring.   

the reason why things are shitty for college grads entering the job market is because of congress and state officials have put into action shitty policies. cuts to education were cut dramatically. for example, my first quarter at my public university cost $2695.97 where as my last quarter cost $4553.39. during my time in college my school saw the largest jump in tuition in their history, because funds were cut to education. my state in particular had a huge debt deficit, and now spends more money on the prison system than education because education wasn't deemed a priority. the economy has also been in recession which means very few companies have the luxury to pay interns or new hire staff. more and more state departments and countless other independent companies across the country are downsizing. things are looking grim. and i sadly don't see a light at the end of the tunnel until baby boomers start retiring. so i guess i'll start getting paid for the work i do in the next 10 to 15 years. 

but in reality what will help fix this shitty situation is when senators, representatives, and state officials reach their hand across the aisle, put aside party foolishness, and put the country's well being before their party and the special interest that funds them. so 'murica get on it because myself and countless recent college grads are tired of working for free. if senators and representatives 

are any of you in a similar situation? if so, share your story below!

tunesday: blow up by j. cole

“got a degree but what that cost you? you make a good salary just to pay salliemae. that’s real as ever ducking bill collectors like jehovah’s witness when they showed up at your door at christmas.” - j. cole, blow up                                                           

adulthood is not all its crack up to be. and at this moment this particular lyric defines my state. my student loans are due and i don't have a proper job. all i really want it is a good salary so i can pay off my loans and pay for gas. the struggle is real. but what i love about this particular song and j. cole in general is that i can relate it to. seeing that i grew up in the suburbs outside of la, i grew up loving rap but never really being able to relate to a lot of it. so when i can actually relate to a song it becomes a favorite. 

what tune are you currently feeling? leave your comments and thoughts below!