Getting More for Less & My 5 Essentials | Katie

Cha-Ching! Are you ever in the situation where you feel like you are spending more than you are buying? This thought usually rises to my attention when i'm back to school shopping! Take it from a fellow shopaholic, getting home and seeing that you didn't buy as much as you had thought is a terrible, awful feeling. This post is going to give you a clue as to how to get more for less and to leave you looking fabulous. 

Scenario: You walk into a store and the first thing you see is the most gorgeous top ever. You walk over in awe to get a closer look. Unfortunately the only thing that captures your attention is the pricetag. Ugh. Something you want so badly to be able to afford but you know that you just can't. There is a reason as to why this is happening. Stores have many ways to trick you into spending more money! One of them is putting the most expensive things in the front so they are the first things you see. Something to try: Walk straight to the back to the store. Start shopping from the back and make your way up. You will find yourself getting much more than you had previously intended.

“So before you choose something, think of yourself wearing it, say to yourself, is this me?” 

-Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side. I think the key to any kind of shopping is buying what you feel confident in.When you are back to school shopping I think that it is important to focus on something that you love and not what is popular. Buy things that suit you and your style. If you just own it and be confident, it won't matter if it's not the latest trend. 

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Buying simple things is crucial when back to school shopping. You can mix and match, layer, accessorize, dress up, or dress down basic articles of clothing. For instance buying a plain white t-shirt would create so many outfit options. You could wear it with jeans for a casual outfit, with leggings for a comfortable outfit, or with a skirt for a dressy outfit. Here are a few essential things that might inspire you on your shopping spree:

•  Plain t-shirts~Whether they are white, black, red, or blue, get some that are comfortable and are a perfect fit!
• Some kind of denim~ It could be a chambray, a jean jacket, or even a pair of overalls! Trust me, anyway you decide to wear these, it will be super cute! They match with almost everything and can really amp up your outfit.
• A statement necklace~I don't know about you, but I am 110% a jewelry person! And statement necklaces have been the most helpful things to me when I'm pulling together an outfit. They can dress it up or down, add a pop of color, or step-up your style. 
• A GOOD pair of jeans~I can not stress enough how much you need a good pair of jeans. Making sure they fit you everywhere is vital. Bonus points: Get some that are super comfy! I usually buy mine at American Eagle because they have such great quality and they fit really well.
• Shoes that go with everything~ It's 6:30 A.M. and I have the cutest outfit picked out. I've eaten, brushed my teeth, and fixed my hair. All that's left is picking out a great pair of shoes. But I don't have anything to match my rockin' outfit. I think it's necessary to have a good pair of shoes that match everything. Some of my favorites are white Keds or Converse, a brown pair of boots, and some black heels or flats. 

Shopping at the back of the store and moving up, staying confident, and getting the essentials are just a few tips I have for you! I anticipate that you will have an awesome school year and make memories that will last forever! I hope our Back to School week long series helped you in some way and that you continue to follow 2 Blondes & a Redhead in the future. 
Be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin' and like our facebook page for updates on our blog! Our next post will be on Wednesday the 12th of August. 

XOXO

Katie
  Click here if you missed any of the back to school posts.

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Heart to Heart:Stress Reliever

During the school year things can become pretty hectic at my house. Everyone is going to their different activities and sitting down with the whole family for dinner becomes a rare case (unless my mom decides to not let any cars leave until we have all finished our dinner together). For the upcoming school year I decided to find a couple of verse to hang up on my wall that would be my stress reliever verses. I wanted to share them with you in case you were looking for some scripture that would remind you to take a deep breath and trust God. 

John 14:27 ESV- “PEACE I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Romans 16:20 ESV-“The God of PEACE will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Psalm 118:5-6 ESV-“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I WILL NOT FEAR. What can man do to me?”

Psalm 94:18-19 ESV- “When I thought, “my foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, HELD ME UP. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Have a blessed day!

with love,

Caroline 

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Recipies to Make for a Delicious Packed Lunch

Do you ever get tired of packing a lunch? Everyday a sandwich, a cup of fruit, and an Oreo. Want something different? Here are a few ideas for a delicious packed lunch.
                              

                                               Chicken,Cheese, and Spinach Pita Pocket

 I ate this for lunch yesterday, and it was marvelous! It was small but still filled me up. This Pita Pocket is full of protein from the chicken and the spinach is packed with vitamins. This is a healthy and easy dish for a packed lunch. Plus, it's better than a sandwich.
   

Ingredients:
1 cup Grilled Chicken
2 cups Spinach
3-4 oz. Any Cheese (I used Feta Cheese)
1/4 cup Ranch

What You Will Need:
Cutting Board
Knife
Mixing Bowl
Large Plastic Tongs
Small Tupperware

                          How to Make Your Chicken, Cheese, and Spinach Pita Pocket

1. Prepare your chicken anyway you want. I grilled mine but you can fix yours anyway you want. 

2. Once your chicken is done cut into small chunks on your cutting board. Make sure your chunks are very small so they will fit in the pita pocket.

3. Measure out your chicken and dump it in a mixing bowl. 

4. Measure out your spinach and add it to the chicken. Start mixing the two ingredients together with your tongs or a mixing utensil.

5. Add desired amount of cheese and Ranch to the chicken and spinach. Mix all four ingredients together.

6. Stuff your mixture into the pita pocket. If you have leftover mixture you can make another pita pocket or save it for the next day.

7. Place your pita pocket(s) in your small tupperware and your lunch is 1/3 of the way packed! 

        

                                                           



                                                                 Pencil Fruit Kabob

I first thought of this idea when the three of us girls were talking about a Back to School theme week. Food placed in a certain way to look like a pencil. Once we continued to brainstorm I thought of watermelon and pineapple. How about a fruit kabob!  This is something different and a variety of fruit lined up in a creative way. Have fun making this kabob, I know I did!

Ingredients:
Pineapple                                                              
Banana                                                                  
Kiwi
Watermelon
Blueberry

What You Will Need:
Chopstick or Skewer
Cutting Board
Knife
Ice Cream Scoop

                                                 

                                                  How to Make Your Pencil Fruit Kabob




1. Set your cutting board on a clean surface. Chop off the stem of your pineapple. Cut your pineapple in 1x1 small chunks. You will most likely need 5-7 chunks. Take your chopstick or skewer and stick it right through the center of the pineapple. You have made the middle of your pencil!





2. Peel the banana and slice it into pyramids. Slice the pyramid in half but make sure the banana is thick enough to stay on your stick. Poke the base of your banana triangle next to either side of your pineapple on your skewer.




3. Next peel the kiwi. Slice the peeled kiwi into slices and cut those slices in half. Push the center of the kiwi on the opposite side of the banana on the skewer.




4.  You might have been wondering why you would need an ice cream scoop for a fruit kabob. Well, it may be a little out-of-the-box but you are going to have a scoop of watermelon for your pencil eraser. Stick the scoop right next to the kiwi on your skewer.



5. You could say this is the easiest part of the whole kabob. Grab a smaller blueberry and push it in next to the banana triangle.

6. Can you see the shape of the pencil? Your lunch is more than halfway done! 

                                                

                      Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treat

My mom and I were talking about this post and I asked her if she had an idea for a little dessert for a packed lunch. We started thinking of small sweet snacks, rice krispie treat popped up in the conversation. Super easy to make and pack for a lunch sweet. I added chocolate chips just to add a little more sweetness.

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup Butter or Margarine 

1/2 cup Choc. Chips

1 Bag of Marshmallows (10 oz) or 4 cups of Mini Marshmallows

1 tsp Vanilla

6 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

What You Will Need:

Non-Stick Spray

13x9-inch Pan

Large Saucepan

Measuring Cup

Large Plastic Spoon 

Large Bowl

Small Spatula

Butter Knife

Ceramic Wrap

How to Make Your Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treat

1. Grease the 13x9-inch pan with the Non-Stick Spray. 

2. In the saucepan melt the butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips over LOW heat. Stir constantly so your chocolaty goodness doesn't burn your pan.

3. Once your marshmallows are melted completely remove saucepan the from heat. Don't forget to turn off the stove! Add Vanilla and continue to stir your goodness.

4. Measure the cereal and pour into the large bowl. 

5. Mix your chocolaty goodness and cereal together with your spoon. Make sure you scoop out all of the mixture from the saucepan with your spatula.

6. Dump your Rice Krispie mix into the 13x9-inch pan. Let  it cool.

7. Cut your Rice Krispie Treats into small squares and wrap in ceramic wrap. Place in your tupperware with the rest of your lunch. You are finished!

                                                                     
                                                                        

- Anna Banana

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Heart to Heart: Mountain Top Experience

Every summer I have the privilege of going to a week long camp with my youth group. I look forward to that time of fellowship with my closest friends but also focusing on God’s Word 24/7. At the end of summer camp the pastor always seems to have the same message- "don’t lose this mountain top experience. Don’t go home and fall back into the patterns that you had before camp. Start having a quiet time with God every day, don’t hang out with your friends who might not be the greatest influence on your life, and get involved with the youth group".  If you have been to a summer camp I am sure you have heard a message close to this one and have felt a tug on your heart to come home and focus more on God.  First off, that’s so exciting, I am glad that your passion for God is becoming stronger and I know that He is excited too! I want to encourage you not to slip into your old habits. Don’t lose hope when you tell your friends about your amazing experience and they don’t share the same enthusiasm as you or when you are exhausted and want to sleep in instead of waking up to do your quiet time.  Keep going steady because in the end, spending time with your Creator and worshiping him with your all is far better than anything else on this Earth!

 Some actions that I would suggest you take to help make this transition easier is to reserve a special time for your quiet time, find an accountability partner, and make sure you are plugged into your youth group.  I have always found that having my quiet time first thing in the morning is the best for me. There is no better way to start you day off than with reading the Bible. If you aren’t sure where to start reading in the Bible start in the New Testament; Mathew, Mark, Luke or John are all great books to begin with!  Another step to take is to find an accountability partner. Your accountability partner needs to be someone who you trust to always be 100% honest with you, someone who isn’t afraid to hurt your feelings by telling you when you are steering off the path.  The last thing I would recommend is to find opportunities to be plugged into your youth group. If that means that your goal is to actually start going to youth group that’s great! Being able to have mid-week encouragement from fellow Christians is always great for me.  When I have a bad start to the week I look forward to Wednesdays because I know that when I get to youth group I will be surrounded by people I love and who love the Lord! If you do not currently have a youth group I recommend going out and finding one.  Try asking some of your Christian friends what youth group they attend, I’m sure they would be happy to take you along!  

Having mountain top experiences is the easy part; it’s the coming down back to base camp that’s the hardest. Hopefully this advice will make the journey less rough and you will be able to keep God at the center of whatever stage of the mountain you are on!

2 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV- "As for you, brothers,do not grow weary in doing good." 

Galatians 6:9 ESV- "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up"

Romans 12:12 ESV-"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

Love,                                               

Caroline 

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Study Tips + Organization | Katie

Studying can be someone's worst nightmare-I know it's mine! I believe the key to studying is staying organized so that you have everything you need when it comes time for that test. Make sure you are taking notes and actually paying attention in class. Also it is always good to keep your previous assignments so if you need to look back for reference you can do so. Here are a few tips that will hopefully make studying a bit easier this upcoming school year. 

Tip #1-Make a List
Put things that are most important at the top so you aren't wasting your time. This tip is simple yet effective. 

Tip #2-Have a Calendar

Having a digital calendar is great but I find that having a visual calendar is more beneficial to me. Having a visual calendar is easier because I can hang it up in my room where it will be seen more often. This is helpful when I have upcoming due dates because I can plan out my studying time wisely on my calendar. Your visual calendar does not have to be fancy, I usually just print mine off of Google but, it can also be turned into a fun DIY project. Sometimes making the calendar cute and fun makes using it sound more appealing!

Photo by: http://www.bandittapegun.com/category-1/diy-dry-erase-calendar/

Tip #3- Actually Studying 
 My favorite way to study is making note-cards. I make a note-card for everything whether it is learning Spanish words or definitions for science class. After I have studied my note-cards I try to make a quiz to test myself on how well I actually know the information. A couple years ago I found Quizlet. It has the tools to help you make note-cards, learn the note-cards, play games with the information, and then it builds a test for you to take. I encourage you to download this app or check it out on the internet if you ever need any help studying.

I hope that at least one of these tips will help you in some way this upcoming school year to stay on task and try your best. I wish you the best school year yet and that you will make memories that will last forever. Make sure you check back every day this week for more back to school posts! 

XOXO

Katie :)

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