Life

Filofax Girl For Life

Well, it’s October. That means, for university students at least, that life seems bleak and crazy, confusing and stressful. You’ve become forgetful, wound up, psychotic even. It certainly doesn’t help that on top of the endless avalanche of assignments, midterms, lectures and readings there is another impending avalanche – of snow – that is descending at a rapid clip.

It’s enough to make any girl cry herself to sleep! Not that I have..or anything..

Now would be a really good time to look at that article on stress-busters and pick me ups. Or the one on how to survive exam season, parts 1 and 2.

But what I want to talk about today is the thing that’s saving my life throughout this hectic time: MY FILOFAX. I have the Mode organizer in pink/green. And I love it.

Here she is, in all her glory:

Wow.

Sometimes I just take it out and look at it. Because I think it’s beautiful.

Our relationship is perfect: I am physically attracted to it and feel very strongly about its personality. Sigh. True love.

Maybe you don’t get it. I don’t reaaally blame you, it’s hard to know what this type of love feels like. Which is why I want to tell you 3 reasons I love this thing.

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Three Reasons I Love My Filofax

1. It consolidates all my crazy.

Grocery lists, books-to-read lists (right up there with groceries, obviously), homework, important dates all the way until next Christmas, to-do lists, study plans, my Mom’s Kili itinerary, my blood donor reminder card, articles I loved and printed out, my wallet, sticky notes, a calculator, notes-to-self, affirmations, quotes, reminders..

There’s a lot of stuff in there. To be honest though, I wish I used it more! I’d love to have more lists in there, but right now I don’t have enough paper.. so I make my lists on other papers and slip them into the pockets. It works well enough, but the point is – I could exploit this thing even more! More paper! More crazy! More compact! I never have to remember anything except: “Bring your Filofax with you” and I’m good.

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2. It’s prettttyyyy.

One thing I love about Filofaxes in general is that they’re all so adorable! I can’t tell you how much time I spent on the Filofax website before buying mine, just looking at all the features and colour combinations available. If you wanted to, you could get one made of ostrich! (Although, why would you want to..?)

They’re not too bulky, they come in a variety of sizes, they’re cute and fun and in every colour of the rainbow. Mine is bright pink with bright green (bright bright bright I love bright colours!!), in the Personal size. Personal is the most common size, I’m told, probably because it’s very handy. Anything smaller and my huge writing would take up the whole page. Anything bigger and I wouldn’t be able to carry it absolutely everywhere! :)

The red Domino was featured in the movie 27 Dresses, if a movie sighting means anything to you. (I think it’s kinda cool!)

Besides, just look at this pretty thing! I can’t take my eyes off it sometimes.. :)

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3. It is amazingly customizable.

One of my favourite parts of shopping for my Filofax in the first place was reading the lists of all the goodies that come with each organizer. It seems endless: world maps, address book inserts, calculators, mirrors, plastic envelopes, sticky notes, to-do lists, notepaper.. so exciting. And if something doesn’t automatically come with the planner you choose, you can just add it into your order. They make it dangerously easy.

And all this pre-shipping customization is nothing compared to what you can do with it once you’ve gotten it into your hot little paws. I have sections for quotes, books I want to read, and affirmations. My front pocket is for important articles, notes-to-self and anything pretty I find lying around. Behind the front pocket is a long-term to do list..

Etc, etc! I have all my grocery lists tucked inside, receipts fit easily, I can even slip change into the pockets, I can fit a pen and a highlighter inside. It’s perfect for me.

:D = big smile demonstrating my love for this thing.

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However..

..obviously this particular system can’t work for everyone. As I mentioned in this post about getting organized for school, there are tons of different methods you can try: anything from wall calendars to scribbled to-do lists. I just wanted to give my personal account of the system that works for me!

Also, I’d like to add: I am in no way endorsed by Filofax to say this stuff. The idea of that is simply ridiculous to me: as if Filofax would know who I was!! But I’ve gotten weird comments asking stuff like that before, so I just wanted to clear it all up beforehand. No people, this post is simply (dorkily) because I have a relationship with my personal organizer.  Someone has to be this dorky in real life, and it’s me. You’re welcome.

Anyone else geek out about stationary/organizers/awesome stuff like that?? I’m looking at you Isabelle..back me up here! Let me know!

 

ALL MY LOVE & STUFF

XOXO

Veggie Pot Pie

Is it chilly where you are?

It’s on and off around here, but sometimes I don’t notice because around midterm season (yes, for me mid-September is in fact midterm season, I have one on Tuesday..) I tend not to leave my house for hours at a time. Especially on the weekends. Instead, I spend my days indoors, in sweats and a ponytail, studying (to me, this means lecturing aloud while pacing my room and probably annoying my roommate to no end) and occasionally making (what I assume to be) weather-appropriate food.

So, last weekend, when I saw that the weather outside appeared to be frightful, I decided to make a scrumptious favourite in my house: chicken pot pie. Sans chicken.

Before you say it, don’t. This is just as scrumptious and amazing as any artery-clogging meat-filled extravaganza pie and I promise, you’ll love it. It has all the goodness of puff pastry, rich (but not fatty) ‘cream’ sauce and enough mushrooms and peas to make you sing with joy. And, on top of all that, it’s easy as pie. HA!

I used this recipe, but not really. As usual, I observed that recipe, then did it the way I wanted to. :) I’ll tell you what I did!

Vegan Veggie Pot Pie

Serves 6

  • 1 package of frozen puff pastry shells (Tenderflake makes them in a pack of 6)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • Handful of mushrooms, chopped
  • Approximately 1/2 cup of olive oil
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Soy milk (or regular, if you don’t need it to be vegan)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (make from those cubes)
  • 1 cup frozen peas (approximately)
  1. Follow the directions on the pastry package to cook them (they should take about 20 minutes).
  2. Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in some olive oil in a pot until they are tender crisp. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until all the veggies are done.
  3. Put the veggies into another bowl, but don’t get rid of the pot just yet! Whisk together the olive oil and flour until it is nice and thick. Add the salt/pepper to taste, then slowly add the veggie broth and soy milk. Whisk it all together, making sure that the floury mixture doesn’t stick to the sides of the pot.
  4. Add all the veggies back in, and put in the peas. Keep cooking the mixture until the peas are cooked through. Season to taste.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the shells and sprinkle with dried basil (to impress your guests!), and put the little hats on top. :)
  6. Dig in!! YUM. Soul food.

Delish! The only thing I would say is that our version ended up a tiny bit too floury for my liking, but it’s probably because I didn’t add quite the right amount of olive oil. Next time I’ll be sure to be more precise, but if you make this recipe let me know how it turns out for you!

xoxo,

What I Learned in Chemistry

1. No, telephones and microwaves will not give us cancer! Yay! Here is why: well first of all, my chemistry professor said it so it must be true! And secondly, let us have a look at the electromagnetic spectrum. See how the harmful wavelengths like X-rays and Gamma rays are up in the very small wavelength section? See how microwaves are down low past visible light and close to radio waves? And nobody is freaking out about a lightbulb or a radio, now are they! So there you go. Cell phones and microwaves operate using..you guessed it..microwave radiation. So it’s right snuggled in between the non-harmful wavelengths like radio and visible. Not to worry!

2. If you want fruit to ripen, put it into a paper bag with another fruit that is already ripening. When fruits/veggies ripen, they release a chemical called ethylene, which in turn makes the ripening process faster. Cool!

3. Moisturizer does not provide moisture to your skin! No! I know! It’s insane and ridiculous! What it actually does is help your skin to retain the moisture it already has, by providing a protective layer to stop any moisture from escaping. Therefore, the best moisturizer you could use would be shortening. Ew!! I know. But it’s the thickest! Your skin would be silky smooth.

4. Cracking your knuckles is just pulling nitrogen gas into your joints. It has not been shown to cause arthritis.

Baby Skunks (and gunshots)b
Image by nebarnix via Flickr

5. If your dog is sprayed by a skunk, tomato juice is not the best option! My trusty chem prof says what you should really use is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (bleach), baking soda and dish soap. This actually neutralizes the smell. He showed us some complicated looking molecular formulas and explained why it neutralizes the smell, but I got bored and stopped paying attention. Here’s a good recipe for de-stinking your doggie!

6. For anyone who drinks tap water (anyone? Is it just me??) if you’ve ever noticed that it is cloudy sometimes – don’t worry! The cloudiness is not because of mineral impurities, it is caused by tiny air bubbles coming out of solution. Sometimes our pipes are a cooler temperature and cool water holds more air than warmer water – so when we bring the water to a slightly warmer environment, some of the air comes out of solution in bubbles. But if you just leave the glass for a minute or so, the extra air should be released and your water will be clear and sparkly!

7. Don’t be fooled by bad marketing claims: if olive oil makes a big bold claim that it has “No Cholesterol!” that’s because CHOLESTEROL DOESN’T COME FROM PLANTS. Only a handful of plants produce any type of cholesterol, and not even the harmful kind. Bad cholesterol comes from animal products. So think of that the next time you get seduced by advertisement: don’t go favouring a certain brand for their lofty claims, or else you’ll look like a dummy. :)

8. What else did I learn in chemistry? That besides interesting factoids and trivia about day-to-day life, I can’t stand the subject. So here, Chemistry, a tribute and a shout-out to your good side. Live long and prosper.

Much love,

Making, Sticking To, and Loving Your Budget

US budget 2007
Image via Wikipedia

[This post is the fourth in my Back to School Series]

Budget.

What a scary word! Whenever I hear the word ‘budget’ I immediately feel sort of overwhelmed. This is because I hate thinking about money. I can’t stand it! I’ve never liked money (not that I’ve ever had any debt or problems with it) and I probably never will enjoy it! It just makes me uncomfortable. Sure, I enjoy making it, and spending it, but my immediate reaction when I’m forced to actually think about it is a strange sense of discomfort. Don’t ask me why this happens to me, but I’m sure others can relate – maybe you feel tense when it comes to money? I think most people do, for any number of reasons.

One of the things that does help with my (unnecessary) anxiety is creating a solid budget. Why?

Reasons I Love Budgets

  1. I always feel like money is slipping through my fingers towards unknown sources, which is stressful! By using a budget and by tracking everything I buy, I’m able to get everything out into the open. I’m not constantly trying to remember what I’ve been buying lately, it’s suddenly dead simple to see that I’m bleeding money because of going out to eat. Suddenly, my finances aren’t so mysterious, they’re manageable.
  2. By looking clearly at my personal finances, I’m able to start controlling them. I can set myself limits, which end up saving me money!
  3. I end up having more money for the things I’d really enjoy having in my life, by cutting out the unnecessary expenses I always forget about. I don’t end up throwing away money on things I don’t love, by staring my finances straight in the face.
  4. I can start freeing up money for things I love: setting aside some money each month for travel, future plans, shopping trips.. :)
  5. I’ll be able to avoid going into any serious debt by way of tracking my purchases, and not just blindly swiping credit cards. Key word there: blindly. Budgets don’t let me hide from the truth!
  6. Budgets take the scary out!

Alright, I hope I sold you on budgets (no pun intended!) because I really feel they’re like the coolest thing going. Take control of your life! (Have I mentioned lately that I’m a huge nerd? K, good.)

But now you’re all: “But I don’t know how to make a budget or use Excel!”, “What if I get all crazy when I go to the mall and I throw my budget out the window??”, “I have no idea how to live frugally!”..etc.

Luckily for you, I have compiled a lovely list of resources for your perfect budget, how to actually stick to it, and maybe even love it!

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Budgeting Links

Image via roblee

The budget I have recently adopted is Jenny’s simple 4 Step Budget from Life After College. It’s so simple to use, especially if you have a Google account. If you don’t, you could easily reproduce her idea with an Excel or Word document, or even a very well organized paper system. If you’re looking for a simple, easy to use system, I recommend this one.

If you’re looking for more variety, or perhaps a more complex budget, check out this list of budget templates from Budgets are $exy. Actually, if you have the chance check out his whole website. It’s a fantastic resource for people with big long-term financial goals (he’s trying to become a millionaire!).

If neither of the above works for you, I suggest looking through the other, numerous budget template options listed in Google Docs or checking out the ones in your word processing/spreadsheet program already on your computer.

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Frugal Living Links

Image via electrofantastic

Gala’s Guide to Sane Spending is a down-to-earth view of some budgeting lessons we all tend to forget every once in a while..

Zen Habits has a Cheapskate Guide: 50 Tips for Frugal Living, as well as the Golden Money List, which is jam packed full of articles on how to get more out of your financial life!

From College Fashion: 3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Money In College; the 2nd way is one technique I have to do more of!

48 Things Frugality Has Taught Me from The Simple Dollar reminds me of the little things in life, and how they don’t always require money.

A list of amazing resources from Money Ning on frugal living offers advice for every occasion.

A couple practical tips from Foximus, simple and quick to incorporate into your routine.

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More to love..

With a little planning and dedication, I believe that you’ll find that “you’re richer than you think!”. Budgeting can be fast & straightforward, yet save you lots of money! To spend on things you really love! Who’s with me?

What are your strategies for keeping your finances in line? How do you save money? Let me know, I’m always learning!

Happy budgeting!

xoxo,

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