Road Rules to Live By

I hate packing. And unpacking. But mostly packing. The organization. The fear of leaving something important. The preplanning of what to wear. Ewww.

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Last weekend, as I was relaxing and enjoying my Sunday evening before I started a little trip to Dallas, I started panicking around 11 p.m.

Oh no! I still hadn’t packed! I was going to be up all night putting stuff together. Why had I waited so long?!?!

But then I got busy and surprisingly, was done in about 20 minutes.

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I still dread packing, but I’d forgotten that my years of traveling for work and pleasure have made me quite the efficient packer. Here are some of my tips for getting in, getting out and getting on with the trip as quickly as possible.

One: Start with a good bag. Seriously. A suitcase with the right pockets, straps, wheels, size and weight for you will make your life SO MUCH EASIER. Trust me. Invest in a bag that meets your needs.

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Two: Have a ready-to-go toiletry case. Yes, this means you’ll have to buy 2 of your favorite products, but it’s absolutely worth it to have a case of (dry) get-ready items to just throw in the suitcase. No forgetting stuff because you needed it to get ready on the day-of. And be realistic about the products you really need. Am I really going to deep condition my hair or use a clay mask while I’m traveling for work? Probably not. Leave it at home.

Three: Make your clothes do double-duty. I plan to wear pants at least twice on a trip. This saves time, space and the post-trip laundry pile. Seriously, bring different tops to mix things up. And try to bring as few shoes as possible. For work, I stick with one pair of heels and my gym shoes. Done. (Probably TMI, but I do always bring more underwear than I need. I just feel better having plenty. But they don’t take up much room, so I don’t worry about it too much!)

Four: Don’t forget your chargers! If you charge your device during the night, then charge it next to your suitcase, so you’ll be sure the throw it in your bag before you leave. If you don’t have to charge it immediately before you leave home, go ahead and throw device and charger in. And once you’re at the hotel, charge all your electronics in the same area… it makes rounding things up when you’re repacking a lot easier.

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Five: Bring your most versatile accessories – and NEVER bring your prized jewels and heirloom pieces. It’s just way too risky. The goal is to balance your fashion needs with your practical needs… and if you’ve ever left a beloved pair of earrings or ring in the hotel, never to be “found” again by housekeeping, then you know what I’m talking about.

Packing is always a chore, but hopefully we can all become a little better – and lighter – when traveling. Besides, I never regret unused space in my suitcase; I just think of it as room for new things I may pick up out on the road!

xoxo

JAM

Twitterpated

This morning is dreary and cold and cloudy and yucky. NOT my idea of a Spring day.

On a day when I'm wearing a sweater and wishing I'd also brought a coat, I WISH I were wearing this:

Spring by jm0107 via Polyvore

Florals are feminine. And flirty. And fun. 

In the season of budding flowers and romance, who doesn't love that?

What are you dying to wear as soon as the weather "springs" up?

XOXO

jam

Growing my green thumb

Not to be redundant, but I'm in love with spring right now. The sun! The birds! The green things!

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Except, every time I adopt a green thing, it doesn't take long for it to turn into a brown, crispy, crunchy, dead thing. Wah.

I'm the house plant murderer. The flower killer. Even my cactus - the hardiest plant on the face of the Earth - died.

But I want green things in my life. Solution? I'm attending a Holistic Gardens Spring Plant Fair at Texas A&M this Saturday. They're teaching people all about plants, holistic gardening, selling plants... and basically answering the call of nature for people like me.

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If you're local, come join me! From 8-3 at the Horticulture Building on campus. If you're not around here -- I'll get answers to any questions you have.

For more information on the Fair, check out the Horticulture Club's website here.

Get outside and do something!

xoxo

JAM

Hello, Spring.

Oh my gosh... it's been a really long time since I blogged. Mostly because... well... I have been busy. And finishing up hibernating for the winter. But now it's SPRING!

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And I couldn't be happier.

My goals for this Spring:

* Channel my inner cook. There is so much lovely produce right now. And so many delicious things to be whipping up in the kitchen. I've been hesitant to really dive into cooking because I live alone... but I'm so over that excuse. Besides, I love a good leftover lunch :)

* Get new bedding. I love my flannel sheets, but after waking up two night in a row with the blankets on the floor from overheating, it's time to lighten up the linens.

* Make my new gym home. I changed memberships... for a few reasons. One of which is that my new gym is closer to home and open longer hours. And has fewer college students. Which means I'll spend less time waiting on machines and checking my hair in the mirrors and more time getting fit.

* Take more pictures. I got a new camera! I thought my old one was broken, so I bought a new one. Then my old one started working... but I'm keeping the new one anyway. I already fell in love. And I'm a sucker for love at first sight.

* Save money for my vacation. Wherever and whenever it may be. It's happening.

Isn't it wonderful how Spring can make you feel like you can make a fresh start? If I were inventing the calendar, I would make New Years happen in the Spring... it's when I'm finally ready to get out and get moving.

What about you? Spring cleaning plans? New goals for the new season?

Happy Spring lovelies!

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xoxo
JAM

Amen, sister.

Today someone asked me, point blank, "What do you want for your life?"

I'm a person with dreams and aspirations, but the question kind of caught me off-guard. I've been a little wrapped up in my day-to-day life... I haven't really thought about my next big life goal lately.

This adorable little girl has it figured out:

Ditto, girlfriend.

xoxo
jam

P.S. I do have a job that I think is special. <3

Finally... it's over.

I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll mention it again – I LOVE books. I actually list “reading” as a hobby. I even rationalize why I should like some books I don’t… and this is one of those times.

I just finished Reading Lolita in Tehran, and I can’t tell you how happy I am it’s over. For two reasons:

1. It was really hard to for me to relate to since I hadn’t read all the novels that the author uses to illustrate and compare her life in the Islamic Republic of Iran… and

2. I started reading this book before Christmas, and since I got a Nook from Santa, I was excited to start using it!

I don’t want to discourage you from reading this book if you were wanting to; I will say that I think it’s very eye-opening for Western women on some of the experiences of women in the Middle East, particularly in Muslim countries. For example, when I see women wearing veils, I automatically assume they are devout, traditional Muslims, while the author describes being forced to wear the veil by the regime and even losing her teaching job for refusing to cover herself properly. It was an “aha” moment to realize that many people – men and women alike – are not free to express themselves as they truly wish in some parts of the world. And for that reason, I am thankful I read the book.

I just didn’t like it very much.

It’s slow. It’s a memoir where the author doesn’t reveal too much about herself; she spends most of the book making political statements by drawing on literary themes like “hero vs. victim” or “captor vs. captive”… some may love it. I did not.

In fact, the moment I finished Reading Lolita, I downloaded my FIRST NOOKBOOK compliments of my lovely sister who got me a Barnes and Noble gift card for my birthday. (Thanks, sis!)

I am currently reading Water for Elephants, and totally loving it. A page-turner for sure, and I love reading a book before seeing the movie… because usually the movie ruins it.

Speaking of ruining a literary experience, I’ve heard a lot of people diss e-Readers because they think they will ruin the tactile feeling of books or that they will miss turning pages and smelling the ink and paper… I had the same fears.

I’m proud to say there is nothing to be afraid of. My Nook is awesome. I really like reading it; it’s super handy, and I don’t miss any of the old familiar book characteristics.

My sweet little Nook. Pink cover.  My love <3

Don’t get me wrong, I will still geek out over an old library full of hardback books and pages and pages of beautiful typeface. I want these:

Karl Lagerfeld  (Source)

Diane Keaton (Source)

Michael Jackson (Source)

Rod Stewart (Source)

But for the days I can’t curl up on a window seat and pore over old volumes, I’ll take my Nook. And a latte. Thankyouverymuch.

XOXO

jam

My trash... Into treasure!

A few months ago, my beloved MacBook Pro finally went kaput. No screen. Out of nowhere. The problem: about 2 years ago, I came home after an evening out and accidentally knocked a huge mirror off the wall... onto my Mac. The screen edge was dented and few keys were broken off. I cried. Then I bought a replacement keyboard and replaced it with the help of a friend. No harm done, right?

Right. For at least a while.

Apparently this long-ago injury finally did the screen in after the wires fully disconnected randomly. Fixing it would cost about $200 less than getting a WHOLE BRAND SPANKING NEW MacBook Pro. So screw it; I got a new one. That I adore. And love. And cherish. And will never drop a mirror on.

But what to do with the old Mac? I can't really sell it... because no one wants a busted Mac. Plus it's pretty old. So the way I saw it, I had two options: dump it in the trash or take it apart piece by piece for my own entertainment, then dump it in the trash. But someone told me I should recycle it... you know, live green.

I researched what recycling the Mac would entail and lo and behold, Apple would pay me money for my old Mac! After getting a quote on my machine based on its condition (basically, crap), they sent me the box and shipping label, I packed up my old friend, and a few days later, I received this:

For my trash, I got a treasure: $70.18 on an Apple Card!

I will never know how cool it is to throw a laptop from a moving vehicle or to smash it with a hammer... but I am comforted by the following:

$15 iTunes Gift Card. First purchase: Chelsea Lankes's EP "Let Love Be"

iCarPlay Cassette Adapter - because yes, I have an old vehicle. With a cassette player and no Aux Input. Boohoo.

Nike + iPod Sport Kit. Because I don't trust the counters on the treadmill nor do I trust my own judgement of my distance and speed. I like to overestimate. No more cheating ;)

I'm thankful for my new cool stuff; it's like my old Mac lives on in these new Apple toys. Long live the Green Apple. Me and Purple Apple miss you. Thanks for the good times. And the good tunes.

Lessons learned: one man's trash is another man's treasure. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And one rotten apple can make you a whole basket of apples!

xoxo

jam