So if you care to find me ...

... look to the western sky The Everygirl and the San Jose Public Library blog! :)

photo via Instagram

Hello, readers! I just wanted to pop in and update you on my long absence from Semi-Charmed Kind of Life. I don't have plans to return to regular blogging in this space anytime soon, but I am keeping the blog open to continue my seasonal reading challenges (the summer list will be posted on May 15, with the challenge running June 1 - August 31!) and to make a transition back to blogging easier if and when and I decide to pick it up again.

In the meantime, you can find my posts about travel (and possibly other subjects quite soon) over at The Everygirl, and you can read my bookish posts on the San Jose Public Library blog. As always, feel free to keep up and interact with me on Instagram and Twitter!

P.S. — If you understood my title/intro of this post, I hope we're best friends. ;)

6 Ways to Make Your Mornings More Productive

Morning is an important time. It sets the tone for your entire day, and it's home to the best meal ever (see #5 below). Since I went back to school and changed jobs last year, I've been spending a lot of time at home, so a morning routine has become more important than ever to start my day off right. Today, I'm sharing five six easy tips to help make your mornings more productive as well!



1. Don't use the snooze button. Pretty self explanatory, right? Does anyone really feel better after getting 15 extra minutes of half-sleep in the morning? I know I don't.

Best of Summer: Two Months in Review

Technically, I know August is still summer (and most of September), but I'm trying not to let three months go by again without a little life update from yours truly.

Most Popular on Instagram & Notable Events

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This summer has been pretty slow thus far; I'm only taking one summer class and back to working one part-time job, but somehow having all that free time means I'm not motivated to do anything. I'm constantly thinking, "Oh, I don't work tomorrow, I can do that then...." Does anyone else get this way? Do you have any tips to get me motivated?? :) We have taken a few trips, however, in true #travelbug fashion. We attended a wedding in Hollister, I spent a weekend in Pasadena with my mom, I visited my grandparents in Pennsylvania for the Fourth of July (hence the airplane sunrise photo above), we visited some cousins at the beach in mid-July, and we just got back from a long weekend in Vail (more photos to come soon!). Hmm, now that I write it out I guess we've been busier than it seemed.... ;)

How do you measure success?

Deep thoughts on this Monday morning....


photo via Instagram
I had just walked into the break room at work a few weeks ago when a co-worker caught me off-guard with a very deep question:

What does being successful mean to you?

Wow.

I was definitely not expecting that. I answered with the first thing I thought of: "Being happy with what you have while always striving for more." (And then, of course, I immediately wrote it down so I could share it with all of you and start a conversation here on the blog.)

My co-worker then clarified his question: At the end of my life, how would I measure my success? Would it be money? Children? Something else? I answered that I would consider my life to have been successful if I had changed something (or someone) in the world, for the better. Some people enact positive change through raising families, others through having influential careers, and others through volunteer or charity work. Everyone works their own magic in their own ways, but I think the most important thing is that the choices you make in your life help make someone else's life better.

For others, I think success could be measured by having children and raising a happy, healthy family. Others could measure success monetarily, if only to say, "I want to send my kids to college" or "I want to be a homeowner." Others might measure their life success by their success in their career(s). Some of you probably measure success in a way I've never considered!

So now I have to ask: How do you measure success?

Currently: making "wedding guest" my part-time job.

photo via Instagram

playing | Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! on my Podcasts app. I haven't been listening to my favorite podcasts as often as I would have liked over the past few months, but I've been trying to catch up on old episodes! Plus, it's good motivation to go running or cycling because I can listen while I exercise. :)

going | to all the weddings! As you may know, I married my high school sweetheart last fall, and since then I have attended the weddings of four high school classmates and will be celebrating yet another Class of 2008 wedding next weekend. How crazy is that?? Even crazier: Three of these newlywed couples are also high school sweethearts. I swear, there is something wrong abnormally romantic about my high school class.... :)

wearing | these pants from Anthropologie as often as more often than is acceptable. They were a splurge (actually, not for me—thanks, Mom!) but sooooo comfortable. I need to get a few more colors when they go on sale. They are perfect for all the squatting, crawling and general shenanigans I do at the library each day.

sipping | water, mostly! Trying to stay hydrated as the weather heats up in California.

reading | the fabulous young adult novel I'll Give You the Sun. Noah's voice is five stars on its own. I'm not loving Jude's storyline as much though, so we'll see how the novel ends up for me.

What are you up to currently?

Linking up with Anne and Jenna for Currently, and Becky for her Currently link-up.

Best of Spring: Three Months in Review

Hi! Remember me? :) I know I've blogged before about how "I'm too busy" is really not an excuse, and I still agree with that. That being said, between a full-time job, a part-time job and a full load of graduate classes (a.k.a. four) for the past few months ... let's just say blogging has not been a priority for me. :) But, my full-time job ended last week and spring quarter ends next week, so I look forward to being more present on the blog over the summer! For now, here's a quick update on what's been going on with me this spring.

Most Popular on Instagram & Notable Events

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Of course my most popular photo of the last three months has Jonathan in it ... and three of the four are about books. Should I just change my Instagram to a bookstagram already? ;) In all seriousness, we did get to take some pretty fun weekend trips this spring. From seeing Newsies in Hollywood (bottom right) to celebrating my little brother's college graduation to attending a wedding in Malibu to hiking in Aptos to wine tasting in Sonoma, there was only one weekend in all of April and May that we were home! (And that was this most recent weekend, when I wrote and scheduled this post. Woot!)

Why I Don't Wear Make-Up

Here's the short history of my relationship with cosmetics: In middle school, when all my friends started wearing make-up, I'd occasionally experiment with eye shadow. Like, once every two months. In high school, my mom had to practically lock me in her bathroom to do my face for formal events like Homecoming and prom. I always assumed I would start wearing make-up when I got to college, but even then I only found myself applying make-up for special events like sorority recruitment or interviews. When I got my first office job after graduation, the make-up still didn't make an appearance after the job interview.

Now that I'm in my mid-20s, I still don't wear make-up on a daily (or even regular) basis. Want to know why?

photo via Jorg Weingrill on Flickr

Currently: Sunshine, margaritas and Westeros

photo via Instagram

reading | This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, by Marilyn Johnson. This is my "book from a genre I don't usually read" for my winter book challenge. Although I enjoy narrative nonfiction, I almost never read straight nonfiction, so this will be different for me. I also don't read as much narrative nonfiction as I would like; that's one of my goals for this year!

writing | a Prezi presentation, a library web page review and an essay on hate speech, all due before the end of the day tomorrow. (Yet I'm still writing this blog post ... because priorities. And procrastination.)

listening | to Birdy, Ed Sheeran and Mat Kearney nonstop on iTunes Radio.

I believe ...

Welcome! I hope you are all ready to share what you believe today for this exciting one-time link-up. :) Thanks to the wonderful, hilarious Amanda of The Lady Okie for co-hosting with me today; we can't wait to read all your posts. Remember: Your post can be silly, serious or anywhere in between. The limit does not exist! Without further ado ...



I believe there should always be an answer to the question, "What are you reading?"

Never have I ever ...

When I saw one of my favorite bloggers, Amanda from The Lady Okie, was co-hosting a link-up today called "Never Have I Ever," I just knew I had to play along. How fun is that??

Sunset at Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand

>> been to South America. Or Australia. Or Antarctica.

Change is here!

Well, now seems as good a time as any to post my big news, considering I just got home from my last day at my current job. Woohoo!! As of next week, I will be working part-time as a library aide, and (hopefully) part-time as a lifestyle blogger. ;) Y'all are some smart people; most of you guessed that a new job was one of my big announcements!

As for the other announcement, it goes hand in hand with the new job....

Change on the horizon ...

This picture doesn't have anything to do with this post; I just like it. :)

I have big news! But, like any good blogger, I can't just come out and say it. I have to keep you coming back for more. :) Plus, I thought it would be fun to hear what you think my big news is.

I've got the whole world ...

... in my bag!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you might remember when I posted about how I fit my entire life into 96 pounds worth of luggage at the beginning of this journey. Somehow, a lot of those items have migrated to a permanent place in my purse. You never know what you might need! On any given day, my purse serves as ...

... an actual purse. Of course I have the necessities: Wallet, passport, business cards (in multiple holders; I have quite a collection now), receipt pouch, assorted ticket stubs that haven't been thrown away and my Alpha Delta Pi badge.

... a drugstore. Some chapter members have called my purse the "Mary Poppins bag" because I can seem to find everything in there. A chapter member smeared her eye make-up during a meeting? Good thing I have some Neutrogena cleansing wipes! Someone has a headache? I'm handing out the pain relievers! Got a stain? I have TWO Tide-to-Go pens for that. Other items in this category include gum, mints, Tums, cough drops, assorted pieces of candy, a water bottle, Kleenex, a nail file, a compact mirror, various lip balms, sunglasses, hair ties, bobby pins, hand sanitizer and—of course—a small flashlight.

(#beprepared)

... Best Buy. Of course I need my basic technology: My iPad, various cords, a USB drive, my phone (and my work phone, which I used to take these pictures) and my iPod.

... a (post) office. I have this thing for stationery, so I always have a few cards on hand. I also carry a small photo album I've been using to collect postcards from each school, a pencil pouch with assorted pens and highlighters to color-code my planner, said planner, return address labels, an unfinished crossword, post-its and two notebooks (one big and one small; you never know what the occasion will call for!).

Other items that can often be found in my purse depending on the day include a TSA-approved bag of liquid toiletries, a bag of almonds (or other snacks), my padfolio, my Kindle and/or chargers for my various electronics.

So tell me: What's in your bag?

P.S. — I did a similar post back in May, but my life was significantly less interesting then.

Please don't steal my identity.

A few weeks ago, I photographed and shared the contents of my purse in this post. In the comments, one lovely blogger mentioned she had also seen people share the contents of their wallets. Well, that sounded fun to me, so here goes! (I think I censored all my personal information; hopefully my bank doesn't call me to approve possibly fraudulent charges in the next few days!)

First: The wallet. It was a gift from my sister and is my favorite wallet I've ever owned!

How I lost 20+ pounds (almost) without trying.

Note: I wouldn't normally talk about my weight, especially on such a public forum, but I figured one of my blog's main focuses is post-grad life, and I attribute the great majority of my weight loss to simply graduating college. I think if you're going to make the lifestyle changes like the ones I describe below, the transition between college and "grown-up" life is the perfect time, so hopefully any recent grads out there will find my experience helpful.

Well, it finally happened. I looked at the scale yesterday morning and it started with “12” for the first time since I was a senior in high school. Toward the end of my college days, that number was more apt to start with a “15.” As I said in the title of this post, I lost this weight (almost) without trying. Let me explain the “almost” part....

I think there were three main things that contributed to my weight loss, but of these three, only one was a deliberate choice with the intent of losing weight. Here are the first two:

Photo via ADPi Mizzou

1. Moving out of the sorority house: I didn't really have a choice with this one. You graduate; you have to move out. Obviously, living on my own came with some necessary lifestyle changes. Instead of having a delicious buffet of unlimited food offered to me three times a day in the sorority house, I had to buy and cook my own food. I am fortunate to have a paid internship, but my monthly stipend isn't even enough to cover my rent. Therefore, I'm on a very strict budget, which means I am very careful about what type of food I buy, and I typically don't waste money on junk food. Also, when I make a meal and realize I am full before I finish, I just put the leftovers back in the fridge. In college, I felt bad about wasting food and didn't have anywhere to store leftovers, so I would eat everything on my plate, even if I was full. My budget also limits the number of times I can go out to eat. When I do, I only eat half the dish and save half for later. This isn't even a way to cut calories; I do it because it makes my money go further.

Three-day weekend minutia.

My three-day weekend, according to my Instagram pictures:

Saturday highlights: I made my first trip to the Southside branch of the Santa Fe Public Library, which was the only one I hadn't yet visited. It is so nice: big, lots of windows, plenty of comfy seating, few visitors and a beautiful children's room. Unfortunately, it's also the farthest out of the way. Of course. I also visited a French cafe at the fashion outlets that a family friend had recommended. The food was too expensive for me ($12 for quiche? I don't think so), but I could afford a pastry and an iced vanilla latte. Yum! I also hit up a couple stores at the outlets to take advantage of the Memorial Day sales. My favorite purchase? A BCBG dress I thought was on sale for $29 but rang up as only $15. Score! Overall, I biked 18 miles to visit all these places. I thought I would be super-sore the next day, but I'm pleasantly still unaffected! Maybe I'm getting my cycling legs.

Sunday highlights: I spent the morning watching Law & Order and working on graduation presents (sorry I'm so late, Mizzou friends!), then I headed down to Albuquerque for a minor-league baseball game in the evening. The Isotopes won, 11-9, and there were fireworks after. I also got a pretty sweet picture with Homer Simpson:

I actually wasn't allowed to watch The Simpsons growing up, but now I've met Homer! :)

Monday highlights: Today was reserved for more Law & Order (I'm on season two of the original show) and more graduation-present progress. I also biked down to the Plaza in the afternoon to take some pictures. I really haven't taken many real pictures with my camera in Santa Fe, and I figured a holiday was the perfect opportunity to blend in with all the camera-toting tourists. Check back Wednesday for those pictures; I don't want to make this post too long. :)

How was your Memorial Day weekend? Did you get to celebrate our soldiers with a day off from work today? And, of course, thank you to all the men and women who have served our country, whether in the military or otherwise!

Just throw it in the bag.

Jessica over at Lovely Undergrad did a lovely post the other day on what's in her purse, and I thought that would be a fun and quick post to share with y'all. In fact, this is the picture I took the other day when I couldn't find my camera cord and so posted about my new image policy instead. This is what I took out of my purse after a regular weekday at the office:

Book of the moment: The Catcher in the Rye. I usually have two books in my purse just in case, but I had finished We Need to Talk About Kevin that day at lunch and already returned it to the library.

Bike commute essentials: Gloves for windy days (my hands sometimes get chilly in the morning) and sunglasses to protect my eyes from pesky bugs.

The necessities: My wallet, which my sister got me a few years ago for Christmas and I absolutely adore. In addition to the cute colors, it says "I love you" in several different languages. My keys and garage-door opener to get in and out of my apartment, a pack of gum and, of course, the ubiquitous chapstick.

My planner, Moleskin notebook and a nice pen.

For emergencies: Two Band-Aids in case I get blisters and a hair elastic for days I think I can wear my hair down and then realize: Who am I kidding? I hate having hair in my face.

And finally, I still have some Rwandan francs that I took out of my wallet but haven't exchanged yet. The bills are just hanging out in my purse's inside pocket.

What's in your bag? If you've ever done a post like this (or plan to do one), please leave your link in the comments so I can check it out!


Edited to add: I found a "what's in your bag" link-up on May 25 and decided to join in on the fun. Check out Glitter and Gloss to see the other entries!

Weekend minutia.

I attempted to take more of my own photos today, but unfortunately my life isn't very exciting. So I mostly photographed books and food. Here's a quick recap of my Saturday:

Breakfast: A homemade breakfast burrito and Texas Turtle coffee on the deck finishing The Catcher in the Rye. I even wore a strapless top in an attempt to get some color, but my skin only knows two colors: white and red. 
 

Lunch: A venti Java chip frappuccino at Starbucks and Beasts, which I started and finished while I was there. The purse was a gift from my boyfriend after he went to Ghana last summer.

Working off all that food: This bike path runs along the riverbed and gives me a very convenient route to pretty much all my regular places: libraries, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc.

Dinner: Whole Foods had beef patties on sale for $1 yesterday, so I picked up two for guacamole burgers! I don't really measure when I cook, but here's a basic approximation of my recipe:

Guacamole
1 avocado, mashed
1 jalapeno
1/2 small tomato
1/8 onion
Cilantro
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Lime juice

I lightly toasted a piece of bread, spread 1/4 of the guacamole on it (the recipe above makes one small Tupperware worth—sorry, I told you I don't measure!), then added a cooked burger and 1/8 cup of shredded mozzarella. I put the whole thing in the toaster oven to melt the cheese, and voila! Easy guacamole burger. And if I can make it, you know it's easy. :)

What did you do this weekend? If you did any reading this week, be sure to check back in tomorrow (Sunday) at 2 p.m. EST for the third Semi-Charmed Book Challenge check-in!