Grab a Friend {Blog Hop}

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Welcome to the weekly blog hop , Grab A Friend 

Link up here , answer a question , grab a blogger and be friends!

Every week this hop is created with lots of love + fun . So be sure to share it to more and more people ca catch up and our lovely little hop can be large with more friends ;)

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Want to co-host? Shoot me en Email or check Sponsor .
                           

               Blog  | Twitter  | GFC | BlogLovin                                Blog | Twitter | GFC | Bloglovin

Now the co-host

Blog // BlogLovin // Twitter

Blog // Bloglovin // Twitter

When you go to follow your hosts , leave the answer to make their day + a bloggy present .  We all would love to share love back { will follow you back} .
 
This hop is for finding new friends & bloggy mates . So be sure to go and find yourself one .
I am so happy cheery to see you all linking up with us every Tuesday . Yip-yip , you're rah-king.
Twitter is a new addition in hop , so if you want some Twitter-holic bloggy mates so link up , hop around & grab some tweeeeeeeeter sweeties .

Q: What do you hate most about fall?

Noor :

I quite love fall . But I literally hate to clear the withered leaves that are piled up in our front yard (almost like a mount) . So it's the biggest thing I hate about fall .

Areeba : 

The rough weather is annoying . I ahve a sensitive skin and it gets badly irritated by the dry fall season . So it's my reason to hate this innocent bud .

Jen :
Nothing. Am I allowed to say nothing? I think I love everything about fall. The leaves changing color, the cool air dancing around, the fall fashion change up. It's just fun and refreshing after such hot days. Fall is also the baking season, and I adore baking. It's the perfect time to try out new dessert recipes. Preferably all containing pumpkin. So, I really can't say that I hate anything about fall. I love the season and embrace it wholeheartedly!

Courtney:
Well, I love pretty much everything related to my favorite season. If there was one thing that I hate about fall it would be....that it ends. Seriously, pumpkins, the weather, sweaters, apple cider, football, hay rides, etc., fall is the best season ever. I wish I could live somewhere where it is always fall.

Your turn to answer!

Weekly Wishes

Every week, I look forward to the positivity that comes with writing out my weekly wishes! When college can be stressful and just a pain in the butt, it is nice to kick back, blog, and think positively. The past week went well, but I am looking forward to this week: fall weather, volunteering, and the boyfriend's coming to visit!

Last week's wishes focused around the happiness fall brings me. First, I checked off buying boots the day I wrote my wishes. Payless had buy on, get one half off so obviously I bought two pairs of boots. Sorry, I wasn't able to get pictures! I also thought about my family a lot this week. I wrote several of my family members cards that I will be sending out this week. I can't wait until I can go home for a weekend and spend some time with them! My last wish was to call home, but I didn't have a chance to do that.



Plan a date. Saturday is my boyfriend's, Nathan, 20th birthday! He is not big celebrater, but I love celebrating birthdays and making people feel special. He is coming up to Cleveland on Saturday and I'm trying to figure out what we are going to do on a college-student budget.

Edit pictures. Over the weekend, some of my family came and visited to go out for lunch. While we were out and about, I took some senior pictures for my sister. I hope to edit them and get them to her this week. They turned out really nice! Well, it also helps that she is very beautiful!

Preview: no edits

Are you looking for a pick-me-up filled with encouragement and motivation? Then, link-up with Melyssa's Weekly Wishes at the Nectar Collective.

Happy Monday!

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#SlimSoft VoxBox

My blogging big, Rachael, convinced me that I should join Influenster. It is an online program to test and review different products and share them on social networks! I joined and received my first box, Colgate SlimSoft, two weeks ago.

I was super excited about this box because I am kind of a nerd when it comes to my teeth! Healthy teeth and a pretty smile are very important to me. At least twice a day, I brush and, yes, floss. I floss first, then brush my teeth, and, if I have mouthwash, rinse.

My toothbrushes that I normally is use are always from the dentist. I know and realize toothbrushes are not that expensive, but I am too cheap to buy one at the store when I get a free one from the dentist. Well, this box told me exactly why I should and could invest $1.50 in a toothbrush!

The #SlimSoft toothbrush was the softest toothbrush I have ever used. This is silly, but it felt like I was brushing my teeth with a feather. It is sooo soft. It also my teeth really clean. I didn't have the gross plaque stuff on my teeth after brushing. Instead, it left my teeth feeling smooth. I kept running my tongue across my teeth because I liked the way it felt.

I love this toothbrush and plan on using it for a while. Colgate and Influenster also provided toothpaste and mouthwash. They were minty and made my breath feel fresh. Also, I am not a fan of super hot mouthwash. The mouthwash provided was minty, but didn't burn my mouth so I really liked it.

Seriously, if you have a $1.50 and want healthy, fresh teeth, I would recommend the Colgate SlimSoft toothbrush.

*These products were compliments of Influenster. I was not paid for anything. These are all my honest opinions. *

 

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Midweek Motivation

via

"It's a good day to have a good day." 

I think so, too. Trying to make the most of this crazy life and the best of each day. I hope you have an incredibly awesome Wednesday and an enjoyable rest of the week! 

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Family Weekend in Cleveland {Travel Tuesday}

The West Side Market (aka. my favorite place in CLE)

I absolutely love Cleveland! I think it is an incredibly resourceful and growing city. There is so much to do, see, and enjoy. So when my family told me they were interested in visiting me in the city, I jumped on the opportunity. 

I would describe my family as Cleveland-haters; meaning they see Cleveland as the dirty, crime-ridden city that it once was. Where my family and I live in Ohio, we have a choice between two major cities, Cleveland and Columbus, because we sit right in between them. Usually, my family chooses to visit Columbus because they feel safer, more familiar, and there is not really a stigma associated with Columbus.  

Last weekend, I rallied up the chance to take them to some very awesome places in Cleveland. At first, it was a a challenge to make up an itinerary when I had to plan for my parents, little sisters, and teenage brother. But challenge accepted and accomplished. I took them to local hot spots like the West Side Market, Melt, and the Aquarium (here are a few of my other favorite hot spots). Below are a few pictures and info about what we did!

Our first stop was the West Side Market because it is so close to where I live and one of my favorite places. My sisters enjoyed the free popcorn samples at Campbell's Popcorn. Dad liked everything; seemed like he was stopping and drooling around every corner. The only problem we had was that it was super busy and the little girls and my mom were nervous with all the people and tight aisles.

Later that day, we headed downtown to our hotel and did some exploring in Public Square, the Arcade, Terminal Tower, and East 4th Street. It was gorgeous weather for us to walk around downtown.

Sam and Sophia being silly in the Arcade.

At terminal tower, we visited the observation deck for a wonderful 360 view of Cleveland! The view of the Lakefront is incredible from the tower.

Dinner time! If you haven't visited Melt, a Cleveland-based restaurant, and local favorite, please check it out! It is an eclectic place with a grilled-cheese based menu. So many tasty sandwiches, the button on your pants will burst.

Yep, that is my family.

Sophia liked the mozzarella sticks.

Saturday was fun exploring downtown and more of the East side so Sunday we went back to the West Side. Our intention was to take a Lolly the Trolley tour around Cleveland, but we just ended up visiting the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, instead. After, we had a fun lunch at the Happy Dog and dessert at Sweet Moses.

Hot dog + fried egg, baked beans, sloppy joe, and bbq sauce.

If you are looking for a weekend getaway for yourself, family, friends, etc, look no further than Cleveland. It's relatively cheap, great fun, and an interesting city. If you need help with anything related to CLE, please let me know. I would be so happy to help! 

Cleveland Rocks!

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Weekly Wishes

My Spanish dog, Goku.

Last semester, I studied abroad in Seville, Spain. It was the most incredible experience of my life! One of my favorite things about that experience was my host family. I stayed with two of the most loving, care-free 60-somethings in Spain. I miss their silly jokes and sassiness, almost every day. They also have a dog, Goku! I love that dog more than I can even explain. He is a 13 year-old sheep dog with a love for afternoon siestas, cookies, and milk. When I first got to Spain, he knew and understood more Spanish than me (just pathetic). I miss the three of them so much and can't wait for the next time I can visit them.

But, for now, I'm in Cleveland, taking it day by day. Last week was fantastically, awesome: beautiful weather, fun adventures, snugglely sweaters, and sweet people, all around a happy time. My cheeks and belly hurt from the laughs and good times last week.

I didn't have the chance to post last week so these wishes are two weeks delayed, but still count. I wish I could have Read for fun, but several hours worth of reading for class made my eyes want to roll out of my head. Hopefully this week I can start, How Remarkable Women Lead. Well, I Journaled for class that kind of counts. The last wish was a complete success, Plan a Weekend Trip. Stay tuned, tomorrow I am posting the details about the weekend I planned for my family in Cleveland!

Boots. I am purchasing a pair of boots this week. I have been looking and looking for boots and I think I finally found a pair, or two, that I am in love with. It may take me begging and bribing to get someone to drive me to the store, but I am buying boots this week.

Call home. I haven't really talked to my family very much since I have been back at school the past 5 weeks so I plan on making a few phone calls to catch up with my loved ones.

Write some letters. Letters are so sweet, sentimental, and thoughtful. I think some special people in my life deserve some love. (I also have cute stationary that I am dying to use.)

Need an extra boost for your Monday? Or interested in sharing your goals for this week? Check out Melyssa's link-up, Weekly Wishes on The Nectar Collective.

Happy Monday!

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What I learned: 1st week of my internship

Phew, fall semester is in full force. It has already been crazy balancing classes, an internship, and living in the city. I am in a special program through my university, called the Urban Semester program. I will live and learn in Cleveland, Ohio for the semester. (check it out here).

A requirement of my program is to have an internship in Cleveland. It just worked out perfectly for my junior year as internships are very important, especially as a junior and senior. My housemates and I work with 9 different non-profit organizations in the city. The organization I am working with is Esperanza, Inc. They work with the growing hispanic and latino middle-school and high-school population.

I started two weeks ago as their communications and Public relations intern working directly under the associate director. Being my first internship, it has been a learning curve. My director threw me the first day. It was quite the experience the first week so I thought I would share some things I learned.

It's all in the little details. It's really embarrassing when your supervisor asks you to check a list and when she goes through it you realize you completely missed about half of what you were supposed to do as she fixes your mistakes. Embarrassing. Double-check, triple-check, etc. everything. Making sure the little-details are accounted for make a big difference.

Names. The second day of my internship, I attended an event sponsored by Esperanza. I would try to tell my supervisor things about what guests needed or that someone had a question, but I could never remember the name of the person. I kept saying, "That person...umm..what's her name?" After a couple times of floundering for names, my supervisor stopped me and said, "If there is one thing you learn tonight, know that learning people's names is very important." Learning people's names is a skill. I am glad I learned this the first week so I can continue to practice and hone in on this skill throughout the semester.

Don't try to break your new shoes in. I do not own a pair of flats so I decided to wear my brand-new wedges. They needed broken in so why not break them in at my internship. Wrong...so wrong. The amount of band-aids and antibiotic cream I went through in one week was ridiculous. Please learn from this: no matter how cute the shoes are, break them in in moderation or your feet will be very angry with you.

Be early. For my urban program, I have to use public transportation to and from my internship. Yes, public transportation is not necessarily the most reliable, but that has only taught me the importance of being early.  I thought allotting 10-15 minutes to be early would be enough. Nope! Not when your bus is 10-20 minutes
late. So give yourself plenty of time for unexpected delays.

source

Now that I have these under my belt, I can continue to work on them as they will only help me progress throughout the semester. I know I will run into many other things, but I understand that mistakes happen and they will only help me grow as an aspiring young professional.

What things have you learned from your internship? Any tips on making the most of your internship?

Happy Monday!

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Wildcard Wednesday!

 Welcome to Wildcard Wednesday!

<a href=" http://www.simplyclarke.com/search/label/Wildcard%20Wednesday"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQUJrIFP41vZuKQDxo8Iriu2pC8om8nniejMXQ08U6ZB_3HfReMBQhRk1OJkj1i_cD9KLgpVnJmc6z71suD31dIUVl1lK3Jy9D_LZHljx6f4kGc5tf3kokgqENuBY4JcNdyMblmBcp6jk/s1600/wildcardwed.jpg"/></a> 

The name of the game is #wildcard 

Stakes: A special PRIZE will be up for grabs the last week of each month

 Your link ups each week are your entries

Example: If you link up your blog, bloglovin and twitter you will have 3 entries each week

Disclaimer: You MUST be following your hosts in order to win

Winner of the August #wildcard {Won A $20 Giftcard of Choice}:

Rules of the Game: 

1. Follow all your hosts

Simply Clarke: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

Mal Smiles: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

All That Glitters: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

and co-hosts

Bailey Dailies: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

Passionately Curious: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

Busy Sweet Life: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

2. Grab our button for your post so that others can join in the fun

3. Link up using your Blog URL, Bloglovin' URL & Twitter

4. Visit at least 3 other blogs

5.  TWEET about Wildcard Wednesday using #wildcard 

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Now make some new friends :) 

Weekly Wishes

Marvin says, "Hi!" We found him at a street sale.

Holy Moly, it is already the second week of September! I cannot even believe how fast this year has flown by. But I am glad it is moving into. Fall is my absolute favorite season. I am ready for some pumpkin carving, eating obnoxious amounts of candy, sweater weather, and pumpkin flavored anything.

With all of the craziness whirling around in life, it is always great to have a little motivation. Seriously, shout out to the people who stopped by last week to drop-off some much needed encouragement on balancing life. It meant a lot! If you are looking for a daily dose of awesome, head on over to Melyssa's blog The Nectar Collective and link-up with Weekly Wishes.

Be Positive + Take a Deep Breathe. After several stressful weeks, I had a hard time being positive and making the most of my first few weeks of my junior year of college. So last week's goals were to be positive and take a deep breathe. Thankfully the three-day weekend helped me chill and focus on the week ahead. I want to continue to keep my head up because it always good to be positive. 

Read for fun. Yes, for fun! I have two books I would really like to read, but kept putting it to the side due to the amount of homework I have. Fingers crossed, I can find even just a small amount of time to read a few chapters this week. Have you read any great books lately?

Journal. I have to write reflections for my classes, but I would like to do some personal reflection. I even bought a very cute journal to start.

Plan a weekend trip. And the most exciting wish this week! My family is visiting me in Cleveland this weekend. They are kind of 'Cleveland-haters' so I am pretty excited to show them how awesome Cleveland is. My parents gave me full reign over this weekend's itinerary.  Can't wait to plan it and see them on Saturday!

Happy Monday! 

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