Something Fun: Sisters' Gourmet

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Let's face it: at the end of a long day, all we really want is something sweet to eat. After a week of traveling and such, I decided to pull out a jar of Sisters' Gourmet! 

If you don't know about this company, you're definitely missing out. It's a pre-portioned mixture of all dry ingredients necessary to make cookies! The only thing you need to add are things like butter, eggs, and vanilla.

Driving with Dogs: Holiday Edition

Hey y'all!

November was a lot of change, some expected but most was not. I've held off writing during this time as a way to kind of get back into a routine of my own. But I'm back now!

With the holidays coming up quickly and all the traveling that goes along with that, why not bring your dogs along for the fun?

CFDA x ShopStyle: Rock Pink for a Cause

Happy October, y'all!

This month, ShopStyle and the Council for Fashion Designers of America are teaming up to raise awareness of the foundation Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC). Being a member of ShopStyle, I was invited to participate in this great opportunity to both explain why this cause is near and dear to my heart and give 10% of my earnings from this week to the worthy organization.

To so many, October means breast cancer awareness month. It's a time where pink ribbons are sold, NFL players wear pink gloves or socks, and many women (and men!) encourage those around them to get screened and to continue with self-examination there after. 

However, to far too many people across the globe, breast cancer means a lot more. It means the struggle they witnessed a loved one go through and the pain they themselves felt during such a time. For me and my family, it represents the loss of a bright light in our lives, our Aunt Joanne.

Carolyn Takes On: POPSUGAR Must Have Box!

First off, let me say this: I have been a subscriber to basically every "box" subscription from the early Birchbox days to, more recently, some great dog subscription boxes I've been recommended. However, POPSUGAR, as usual, has taken the subscription service to a whole different level. 

Behind the scenes: Tucker gets in on the Swan floaty fun!

POPSUGAR sent me this #MustHaveBox to try and I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything from the contents to the packaging. Everything comes in a bright pink box and wrapped in tissue paper, something I've come to look for in subscriptions. 

Now for just some of the amazing products inside! 

July Favorites and Meet Tucker!

Hello there! This is my (maybe 6th?) and real attempt to make this blog great again.

Sorry y'all, I just couldn't help myself with the Trump joke...I feel like I've been saying and hearing his name more than I've been breathing lately.  But actually, between working and living life, I got a dog! His name is Tucker, he's a beagle mix, and he's totally turned me into a dog mom. There's something infectious about his excitement, especially when I get home from work!

Tucker exploring the dog park

Here are a few of my current favorites (excluding my sweet Tucker, of course):

Winter is HERE

How cute is he?!

Oh dear, y'all. Unlike this adorable panda, I am not a winter person AT ALL. So this crazy amount of snow that has taken over DC is most certainly not my favorite thing to happen this month. 

It's also always during a big snow storm that I realize my true shortage of winter gear. I wear Hunter boots as "snow boots" because I have a long established battle with snow boots that make my feet look crazy oversized for my tiny body. I have gloves but I hate to wear them because I can't text.

But, the worst of all, has been my coat. It's six years old and still functioning but the buttons are all holding on by {a few} threads and it's definitely a bit lint-y. When one of the buttons fell off the other day, I knew it was about time. 

RocksBox Loving

Hey y'all, happy fall!

This last month has been INSANE so blogging and social media in general have both been on the back burner. But I've (kind of) settled in to a routine and finally have time to sit down and write!

Now I'm sure you've heard plenty of bloggers talk about RocksBox and, to be honest, I was a bit skeptical to try it out. I was a Birchbox lover for a few years until I started to realize I was getting a lot of the same samples and I wasn't getting the same quality I used to get.

Anyway, I was sent my first box free and, let me tell you, it almost pained me to send back the gorgeous Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace in black. The only reason I decided to send it back was because of the color; I think I would have preferred one of the actual colored stones to the black.

I loved the idea so much that I subscribed myself and got my second box last Friday! I've definitely fallen in love with the square pave earrings I was sent. Perfect for a touch of shine when I need a little bit more than my simple diamond or pearl studs.

All in all, I definitely recommend it. The price was a little bit of a deterrent for me at first ($19 a month) but it honestly keeps me from spending way more than that on jewelry or other accessories, so it ends up being worth it in my eyes.

Additionally, if you click here and use the code "carolynbff100" when you make your account, you'll get your first month free! That way you can test it out for yourself and see if you love it as well!

5 Things I Learned in College

George Washington Campus
C/O: GW Media Relations

As my chapter of time in college comes to a close (this semester will be my last!) and I get a little overwhelmed with questions about what to pack for college/what to expect during recruitment, there's no better time to give y'all a quick run down of the top 5 things I learned in my three years.

So, here we go:

1. Bring half of what you think you absolutely need. You'll definitely end up buying new things that fit your college lifestyle a little better than your high school clothes would and your closet space is probably going to be very small.

2. Don't expect to be best friends with your roommate. Even if you are already best friends with them, keep hanging out with your other groups of friends so you don't get on each other's nerves!

3. Pick up after yourself as you see things that need to be cleaned but devote one set time a week to do a deeper cleaning (bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, etc.). Even better if you blast music while you do it :)

4. Go to class. If you are in class as often as possible and participate, your professor is more likely to understand when you have a family emergency and need an extension (yep, that happened to me) or a similar situation. 

4 (and a half). Take classes with less students in them when you can. It'll make you feel a bit more obligated to get out of bed when you know the professor will notice if you're not there :) 

5. Get in a little bit of trouble! This was something my dad always told me growing up (I have always been a rule follower) and it's stuck with me. Some of my favorite memories of my freshman and sophomore year were the ones where my best friends and I were a little wild and I'd hate for anyone to look back at this unique time with regret.

Leave a comment with something you learned (or want to learn) in college!

Tassels With Class

As someone who's not a huge fan of changes (fashion or otherwise), it takes me a little bit to get in to trends. And the tassel trend was no exception to that.

I'm pretty sure it's the over-doing it that makes me not a fan of it right away; everywhere you look someone put a tassel on the drawstrings or edges of a romper or made a tassel the zipper of an otherwise plain bag.

But...after a lot of window shopping (mostly online so I guess browsing?) I decided to buy two necklaces from Nordstrom that happened to be on sale for a price I could tolerate. I'm not a "trend" spender so this was exactly the push I needed. 

I LOVE them, especially with more plain t-shirts or dresses but unfortunately, they're not on the website anymore! Not sure I'd purchase any other tassel necklaces right now (except the one below, I love the wooden bead look with the tassel) but here's a few more items that will let you tie tassels in to your every day wardrobe!

Hope y'all are staying cool in this crazy July heat!