Healthy Dinner Idea!

Just yesterday my mom announced we would be having turkey tenderloin for dinner- a favorite in my house- and I knew there had to be some way to use the left overs! Well here it is! And so simple to make! Ugh I love food that loves your body back. 

Step One: Quinoa
       -Prepare one cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, covered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water

Step Two: Brussels Sprouts 
       -Measure out a cup or so of whole, frozen brussels sprouts and add them to a small pan with olive oil, a pinch of salt & pepper, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Toss in pan until fully thawed and cooked. Should be crisp around edges. Optional: Slice sprouts in half and let cook face down in pan for a crispier taste 

Step Three: Potatoes
       -I had these left in my fridge from the previous evening, but all I did was cut small yellow potatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet. They were drizzled with olive oil and a little bit of sea salt before they went into the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Once they are done cooking, sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese while the potatoes are still hot, it gets a little crispy and tastes delicious. 

Step Four: Dressing
       -This was so easy, and I made it up in the moment. All it is is, 2 tablespoons of fat free mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, and a splash of Franks Hot Sauce. I stirred it until I got the consistency I wanted. If you would like your dressing a little thinner add a bit more warm water and stir. 

Step 5: Turkey Tenderloin
       -I try to stick with white meat and this is one of my favorites. It is a Shadybrook Farms Turkey Breast Tenderloin. We've been able to find it at Stop & Shop and Target. I rinsed off some of the marinade they put it in, to cut down on salt, then wrap it in tinfoil and place it on a baking sheet. It cooks in the oven for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees which is perfect because you can cook the potatoes and turkey at the same time! Once done I sliced it and served. For this meal, I diced some of the left over slices and warmed them in the microwave before adding them

Step 6: Greens
       -Go ahead and throw in whatever greens you want. I only added romaine to the bowl because it's what we had in the house, but I bet it would be great with spinach, or a spring mix! 

Now that all your ingredients are prepped, go ahead and assemble your bowl! Be sure to get creative, change up ingredients and make it the best fit for you. Send me pictures on instagram if you try it out! 

First Week of Spring Semester Inspiration

Well hello pals.
The time is here. Spring semester is beginning! If you're like me, you're feeling excited, exhausted, stressed, and definitely behind on packing.
I'm here to tell you you're not alone! I'm sitting in my dorm right now, in my pajamas ready to head off to bed before starting my spring internship tomorrow. My winter break sailed by, I have so many things I didn't get to do, and my bank account is frighteningly low.
I am here to help you get through the first week struggle. Scroll down for some cute puppies, inspiring women, and quotes that will push you towards success.

 The first day sucks. Being away from family again takes its toll, but girl you got this! Keep your eye on the prize and look at this new semester as 4 months of opportunities. 

This cute little pup would be terribly upset if he knew you were feeling down in the dumps! Buck up and take on the day with a smile! (For the pups sake of course) 

So your first day wasn't so great? Don't stress! Tomorrow will come, full of new opportunities and new chances to do something incredible. 

This queen inspired little girls to be strong, and taught us all that being smart was something to be proud of! If Emma Watson could be a major movie star, an advocate for education and women's rights, AND graduate from Brown- you can get through today, I swear. 

Make today the day you start to fight for what you love, and do what brings you joy. 

Take time for yourself. Go for a drive, get yourself a delightful iced caramel latte with almond milk. Self care is so important. You don't have to be superwoman all the time! Take a nap, read a book,ease yourself back into the school routine. 

LEAVE F**K BOYS IN THE FALL SEMESTER. You have no time for them, this semester is the one where you find happiness in yourself.

Don't worry about other people. Seriously. Just do you. Make this semester about you and your own success! Don't compare yourself, don't stress about the competition, just be proud of yourself. Every day you do something remarkable, no matter how small. 

You got this. Breathe.
Happy Spring 2017. <3

Ways to Make Money this Summer

Hey Pals!

The key to a perfect summer job, is that it shouldn't feel like a job. It shouldn't be too much work, you shouldn't feel like you've missed out on everything fun, and most of all you should be able to make insane amounts of money. 

Does this job really exist? Probably not. 

So, here are some ideas to help you raise some funds while still enjoying your summer! 

1. Be a cleaning assistant for the people in your neighborhood. 

Now you may be thinking 'I don't even want to clean my own room so no...' But hear me out! Helping your elderly neighbor by doing a few chores once a week at their home= only a few hours of work per week being paid off the books. meaning no taxes! It's really easy, and old people like to feed their guests so who knows, maybe you'll get a free sandwich out of it too! 

2. Sell some unwanted clothes and accessories.

Poshmark is an amazing app that I am constantly using. It is kind of like ebay, but specifically for your clothes. You take a few pictures and list whatever it is you don't wear anymore, then you can set a price, and off it goes! Poshmark is awesome because they only take a 20% comission, so you're left with a nice chunk of cash! Once you've made a sale you can either direct deposit your earnings, or keep them in your account so that you can find something new and amazing right there on the app! I've been using the app for about a year and I am so so thrilled with how they run their business. 

3. Be a Camp Counselor

This is kind of only an option for people who really like working with kids, but if you can do it, I can't think of a better way to spend your summer. Most local schools, town rec programs, even churches host some kind of camp program throughout the summer. It's a great way to get outside and stay active, and most parents are really great about tipping the counselors who take care of their children. Another plus side: most camps don't run on weekends, or during the evenings, so you have a ton of time to still hang out with your friends or go to the beach! 

4. Be a Dog Walker

Who wouldn't want this job? Who wouldn't want to be covered in puppies for a few hours a week?.. I feel like this a job sent from above. And with apps like WAG coming out making it easier for you to find clients, the possibilities are endless! Who doesn't love new doggie friends?! 

So maybe these don't sound like the perfect job for you, but hopefully they have given you some inspiration! There are so many opportunities out there, you just have to make sure you don't give up on the search! 

DIY Finals Calendar

Hey Pals!
Here comes another finals week post (AGH)
I have found that the best way for me to be successful, is to write out everything clearly (sometimes with a fun creative flair) so that all my obligations are right in front of me and easy to read!

So I decided to come up with an easy to make calendar so you can outline your next few weeks easily!

Supplies:
-2/3 sheets of paper (depending on how many weeks you want to plan
       *consider printing fun patterns from the computer on a full page of paper, or scrapbook paper!
-scissors
-colorful pens, a pencil, and a black sharpie
-a ruler
-washi tape
-post-it notes

Step 1: 
Cut your 2/3 base pages to approx 8.5x11- the size of a normal piece of computer paper

Step 2:
Measure out your weeks and color them in.
           -Holding the page landscape form, draw a horizontal line down the middle of the page
           -For the top row of boxes with only 3 days, each box is 3.5 inches wide
           -The bottom row boxes are 2.6 inches wide
           -Add a line 1 inch from the top of the page, and 1 inch from the middle line to create the boxes             for the day titles
           -Write over all your pencil lines in sharpie

Step 3:
Write in your days of the week!

Step 4:
Use Washi Tape to attach the three calendars together either vertically or horizontally

Step 5:
Using your own color coding system, start to fill in exams, and try to plan out time to study.
     *I also used cute inspirational quotes and journaling cards to block out dates where I won't be               studying due to events on campus or at home

Step 6: 
Use Washi Tape to attach the calendar to your wall and start living the organized life!

           xoxo, CourtneyBridget

My College Study Tips

Well hello friends!

As finals are quick approaching (*vomits*) I felt it necessary to share with you my favorite studying hacks. Though I'm not a huge fan, I do find myself cramming more than I'd like. It's inevitable when you have to juggle so many different classes and papers and tests oh my!

I've always kept the saying 'Cs Get Degrees' in the back of my brain because sometimes I find myself stressing out so much over some of the littlest things. It's so important to get good grades, and I'm not trying to tell you to slack off in school, but you really need to take a step back and breathe when you're having a panic attack over a 70 on a quiz that counts for 3% of your grade. Unless something truly tragic happens, you are going to graduate. If you're putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect, you're going to miss out on some of the best moments in college that your parents wish they could go back to. It's all about balance. And hey if you have 4 tests in one day, and one comes back as a 75, don't throw a fit, and don't punish yourself. There's only so much you can do and so much your brain can tolerate! Take that 75 and use it to motivate you for the next test! 1 bad grade doesn't define you as a person, nor does it define your level of intelligence.

Okay now that I got that off my chest, I have a few actual tips and tricks for you when you're stuck cramming!

1. Write everything out. It's scientifically proven to help you retain information. When you write something in your own handwriting, a part of your brain is triggered that helps you remember the information during the test. When you prefer flashcards or full blown color coded study guides, it really helps to cement everything in your brain.

2. Speaking of color coding- it's a miracle. Seriously it is the best way to keep everything organized in your head, plus fun colors can actually motivate you to study! If the paper and the notes are fun, your brain will be tricked into thinking that the information is just as fun!

3. Social media is sometimes the leading cause of cramming. We begin to write a paper and then we quickly check facebook. Suddenly it's 2 hours later and you've found yourself looking at pins of cute baby otters on Pinterest. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?! Well I have your answer: www.selfcontrolapp.com It's only for Macs but it blocks sites like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter for a set amount of time while you work!

4. If you're like me, you hate silence. Sometimes I find that silence is more distracting than noise! However I also catch myself stepping away from my work because my favorite song comes on, or I have trouble concentrating when I'm reading and have lyrics blasting at me. My suggestion is to switch to classical music. Just like classical symphonies help toddlers brains develop, it can really help you focus! It takes the place of your latest Spotify playlist, so you still have noise, but aren't as tempted to hop up and dance

5. Check with your school, probably in the library, for the Writing Intensive Tutors. They're students just like you, who have been recommended by professors to serve as 'writing specialists'. They can help you with grammar, help you figure out that weird sentence you just cant get to sound right, and they can help you with formatting and all that fun stuff! WITs have saved my life so many times. Sometimes it just takes a second pair of eyes to take your paper from a B to an A+

So what are some of your favorite study tips? Please share them here to help us all survive April & May!

xoxo, CourtneyBridget