Gift Guide: Thoughtful Subscriptions for the Holidays

Happy first full week of December! Now that most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have passed, I thought I would share some of my favorite, quick gifts that are really thoughtful for your friends and family.

I love giving gifts. I hate making a list of things that I want, mostly because I never really know what I want someone to get me. This list contains mostly subscriptions that are quick to get, but actually really thoughtful for someone to enjoy the whole year long.

1. Blue Apron

Blue Apron is an online subscription that you can have recipes and the groceries for those recipes shipped right to your door.  They value quality products and produce and cooking fantastic meals from scratch. Blue Apron has a 2-person package and a family package to personalize the menu and frequency of your box.  The plans are a bit pricey, but you can skip your menu anytime you want. I got my family a subscription for one month at Christmas time set to deliver in January after the holidays when they didn’t want to eat out. I ended up canceling the subscription, because I couldn’t afford it as a college student, but it was a nice way to cook with my family.  Right now your first box is only $30 if you sign up.

2. Winc

Winc is an online wine subscription. You can choose how many bottles of wine you want a month and what price range you are looking for. I got this subscription for my boyfriend and I near his birthday and our anniversary to try.  We choose four bottles of wine and they arrived in a box.  All of the wines that we picked were really good.  They base you wine preferences off a quiz that you take when you sign up, or you can individually choose your bottles. If you use this link, you can get $20 of complimentary Winc wine and see their subscription options. I currently have this subscription, but have opted to skip for a long time.  You can continue your subscription at any time without fees.

3. Graze

Graze is an online subscription of healthy, natural, protein-packed snacks that are delivered to your door. The subscription comes every two weeks, with eight snacks picked just for you or customized by your preferences. My dad currently has this subscription and loves it! He loves to snack but recently has started a successful diet. These snacks keep him full and fueled.  Your first box is half-price, but the regular subscription is $13.99 per box. There are over 100 plus flavors and choices of snacks and they now sell individual snacks in stores. I might want this one in January.

4. Sprezza Box

I love this gift. This started out as a temporary subscription, but my boyfriend loved it so much that I get the Sprezza Box pretty regularly for him. For less than $25, I get mailed a box that has a theme for the month of accessories for menswear. The last box he got had a passport cover, socks, a pocket square, a tie, a travel nail care set and travel pillow valued at over $150. For a guy who constantly likes to look nice and dress up especially for work, this is a good investment for some fun accessories to go with lots of items.

5. Stitch Fix

It has been a while since I have used this subscription, but I really enjoyed Stitch Fix. For $20 a month, a stylist will pick out clothes based off of your answers on a style quiz and what you are personally looking for. The clothes the stylist picks out are sent to your home and you get to try on the pieces and decide what to keep. While you have to pay additionally for the pieces that are sent to you, the $20 you paid to get them sent to you is applied towards the clothes you decide to keep. There are different options on your budget and frequency, but I might revamp my subscription so that I can pick out different pieces of business or professional items as I get ready for my career.  They have stylists for men and women! Check it out!

Hopefully these ideas are helpful. Some probably are a bit out of budget for a college student, but even starting the subscription to try it is a great way to give someone something meaningful all year round.

If I was a freshman...

If I was a freshman...

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself to stop worrying so much about what other people think. Most of those people you are worrying about will look up to you if you just be you.

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself that no one has any clue what they are doing.

Fool everyone. Be confident and proud in what you do, but don’t be afraid to ask questions when you are totally lost.

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself to not eat out as much! Save that money and stay in shape. Eating out every now and then is great, but how many pizza’s could pay off a monthly loan payment?

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself to go say hi to the person that is alone. Most people don’t want to talk to anyone, because they are afraid of what they might think or be judged. People just want to talk. Start a conversation and listen to what they are saying. You might have just met a really good friend or partner!

If I  was a freshman, I would tell myself to take chances. Go to something you wouldn’t expect to enjoy. I picture myself shopping. Usually I don’t think I will like a piece of clothing, but I try it on and it turns out to be my next  favorite sweater.

If I was a freshman, I would have started a spreadsheet with my network. Having an updated network to connect with people that might be interested in what I am doing now, is something I wish I would have kept track of better. Keep a spreadsheet with contacts and emails of touch points you have with people that might be more important than you realize someday.

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself to call my Mom more often. I miss my mom and dad more often now. I wish I could catch up with them at dinner every day.

If I was a freshman, I would tell myself to listen more. ONU is surrounded by people who know what they are talking about and have so much to share. I wish I could take in more and learn everything. I don’t think I will ever stop learning.

Now I am not a freshman. I am almost not a senior, either. I feel like a freshman getting ready for what’s next, but maybe that is not such a bad thing.

Pixar: Telling Stories

Public relations and communications to me is all about telling a story. Stories are intriguing, they pull at your heart, they have trials, they have errors, but they all usually result in a good ending or hope to the future. As I look ahead at what is in store for me and what my story is, I thought I would revisit one of my favorite companies that is so great at telling stories.

My favorite Pixar movie is Up. People have mixed tastes about this movie, but in my eyes that’s only because it has a really good story. In nine minutes, Pixar tells a story that is so genuine and real that it leaves viewers stunned and heartbroken. A walk through life in that short of time puts into perspective how short it really all is.

I also love Up for it’s sidekicks. Russell, Kevin and Doug are some of the most interesting characters because they add to the story of Carl and Ellie. I have decided that if I ever own a golden retriever, I will name him Doug.

All through my time at ONU, if I couldn’t come up with a topic to do research or speak on Pixar became my go to. I have learned so much about the company, their employees and the culture that they have built in storytelling as an art. One of ONU’s own, Bob Peterson works at Pixar. He is the voice of Doug in addition to a creative storyteller. Pixar's continuous yearning to grow and learn is what attracts me to their company the most.

One of my favorite books of all time is called Creativity, Inc. where the author outlines the growth of Pixar as a company and the culture growth through their employees. I have read and reread this book so many times, because someday I hope to be a part of a culture that is so inclusive and integrated in the workplace.

Telling people’s stories whether that is through a motion picture film or through the management of their organization is essential to us just living. We live so we can tell a story and document our successes and failures. I think that’s why I go back to Pixar so often. I will let you know how my story starts to unfold, but thank goodness it was here at Ohio Northern.

What inspires your story?

Cold Weather Workouts

With the first fluffy snow last evening, we can officially say that the winter weather might be on the way. Fall basically happened overnight with a flashback to summer temperatures and tornadoes. Weird weather.

With the inconsistency of the weather, my workout schedule has taken a hit. I don’t like to run by myself in the morning when it’s dark, so I have gone to my winter workout rotations.

Disclaimer: Helen is super busy, so I am lucky to get three workouts in a week that might be small. In my mind it’s better than nothing.  

Yoga

When I marched with Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, we only had a certain amount of time to warm our bodies up with stretching before we hit the day running. I learned that yoga is awesome. I miss having a trainer to guide me through the flow, but to stretch and get some cardio in I use YouTube tutorials or just the routines I remember from marching. A good workout for me in yoga is about 150 calories for a 30 minute session. That session is always followed with my favorite yoga pose, savasana.

Treadmill Runs

Let me start by saying, I hate treadmills. I would rather run outside in the freezing cold than do a 5K on a treadmill. However, when I need to keep running I will run on a treadmill. My joints hurt so bad after a treadmill run, so I will go short distances on the treadmill and stretch before the next mile or alternate from elliptical to treadmill. If I really can’t run, I will put netflix on my iPad and prop it on the elliptical and go for an episode of MadMen.

Ping Pong

My brother and I would play tennis at least three times a week when it was still warm out. If other people were playing, we would take turns playing WallE. We made up that name for volleying the tennis ball against the wall. Because it’s cold and rainy, we go to WOW and play ping pong. Even for a short game, we can burn a ton of calories like we would when we play tennis. We have resulted in bringing our own ping pong balls, because the one’s they provide usually are smooshed.

Stairs

My Apple Watch will tell me if I was successful at hitting my move goal at the end of the day. Lately I haven’t hit my goal. I haven’t been making my goal because my priorities are assignments and projects. It’s sad to me, when my health isn’t a priority. When I am stuck at the library late and I only have a hundred calories left to meet my goal, I will be “that guy” and climb up and down the stairs to meet my goal. It sounds so silly, but even the five minutes it takes to do a stair workout is something that makes me feel a little bit better about taking care of myself.

These are only four things that I do to try to stay active when it gets cold. On the meal plan, it gets tough to try to eat healthy so I at least can be in control of staying active.

What do you do to stay fit once it gets cold?

It's Not Quite Christmas, A Playlist

It’s not socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music in public… Yet. At least that’s what the consensus of Twitter in the transition from October to November. People are either ready to put gifts under the Christmas tree or sit at the table together with some turkey. There isn’t much in between.

Besides my favorite Christmas songs from Straight No Chaser, I usually stick to the classics. Feel good songs by artists like Nat King Cole, Andy Williams and Judy Garland. Because I am not quite ready to share my Christmas playlist, I have a year-round feel good playlist.

This type of music is the type that makes you feel warm and cozy. You feel totally at home. I use this playlist when I need to get ready in the morning or get me pumped to get some work done. Don’t get me wrong, the chart hits and upbeat music are great to get work done, but this classic playlist just makes me feel like Christmas.

Here are some of the songs in my playlist. I will need this playlist to get things done this week.

Beyond the Sea, Bobby Darin

• Unforgettable, Nat King Cole & Natalie Cole
• Send in the Clowns, Frank Sinatra
• Dream a Little Dream of Me, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
• La Vie en Rose, Louis Armstrong
• Tea for Two, Ella Fitzgerald & Count Basie
• Moonlight Cocktail, Glenn Miller
• It Only Takes a Moment, Michael Crawford

What are your favorite classics in your favorite playlist?

The Ultimate Throwback Thursdsay

Happy November! Fall is a really reflective season for me. November is numerous people’s reflective month because they are feeling grateful. Whether you post something you are thankful for everyday or just look back on what you have November is the time to be grateful.

November is the month of nostalgia for me. My family member’s birthdays have passed and we are all looking forward to spending the holidays together. For this week’s blog, I decided to go through my Instagram and take a look at all of my #ThrowbackThursdays.  Looking at what I decided to post to throwback, they are some of my favorite memories with my favorite people. Being nostalgic for what is next and appreciating my past has me in a festive mood today. Take a look at my best throwback images below.

What are you thankful for?

Bullet Journal Organization

When I was younger I would write stories all the time. I would have countless notebooks filled with little ideas and thoughts of stories I was going to write someday. My best friend and I would sit and hangout with each other writing stories and editing each other’s work. It sounds like the most nerdy thing little kids could do, but for us it was so much fun.

Recently, we both have been trying to get together again and chat. We have tried scheduling a couple of long distance “dates” via FaceTime or the phone, but most of them haven’t gone through. We both are seniors who have just a little on their plates.

We joked today how if we were able to get together instead of writing stories together, we would bring our bullet journals and to-do lists to each other. We both have had quite the lists of things to do, which is part of why we haven’t gotten together. We would take turns organizing our lives.

This past year I started bullet journaling to track my goals for each day, the month and my year. It has been a good way to make sure that I am looking ahead and staying on track with my personal goals. As cheesy as it sounds, this has been so refreshing and mindful for me to do.

Bullet journals are a very personal way to organize. Everyone has their own style and way to organize their lists. You can choose to do it anyway you want! That’s why it’s so fun.

Here are some of the products I use to make my organizing easy!

• Moleskine Dotted Journal
• Micron Fine Line Markers
• PaperMate Flair Pens
• Small Ruler that fits in a pencil case
• Sticky Notes
• Washi Tape

Of course you don’t need any of these things, you can find paper and pen and make your plans the way you want them. In the chaos of midterms, my bullet journal helps me find the calm just up ahead.

What ways do you keep yourself organized?

October Encouragement

October is such a wonderful month. The weather is still warm enough to enjoy the sun and outdoors, but is cool enough to throw on your favorite sweater and snuggle inside. October is the month of birthday for my family, so there is always something to celebrate. October is one of the most reflective months for me and as I look ahead to what’s next it feels like October.

I have so much to look forward to, but also so much to complete yet. Graduating in December is so exciting yet very stressful. I am looking for jobs right now and it’s making me reflect a lot on what I want for myself and my career. I have been blessed with so many experiences and opportunities so far and I can only look ahead to what is next.

Rather than pour out a sappy blog post, I thought I would offer some quotes that have helped me reflect and have some perspective through my recent changes. Pinterest has gotten a lot of love lately.  All of the quotes in this post have to do with my career and looking ahead for what’s next to come. I am genuinely happy for what I have going for me. I am just struggling to be patient in between stages.

Have a great week, friends. Support and encourage each other!

Fall Break

Fall break was so refreshing. I am savoring the last couple of breaks before I graduate. I was so happy I got to spend this one at home. CJ took Harrison and I home on Saturday morning. Although the day was gloomy, we were cheery as soon as we arrived in Indiana.

October is the month of birthdays for my family, so we celebrated with a trip to an apple orchard and a taco bar dinner! My family is rather large, but we can be even larger when everyone brings their significant other! We had ten people along for the ride to the apple orchard.

We drove about an hour to Hobart, Indiana to the County Line Orchard. It cost a dollar per individual to go on “your pick” of the apple orchard, pumpkin patch and the sunflower patch. After you get into the orchard then you pay for what you pick. The group of ten of us picked 35 pounds of apples and one sunflower. They had all varieties of apples, but our popular picks were Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and Braeburn. We had to climb a couple trees, but it was an adventure. When we walked around there were bees everywhere.  The air either smelled delicious or like Red’s Apple Cider from all the squished, fermenting apples on the ground.  We walked around for about an hour or so and picked before stopping by the shop to pay for our apples and a gallon of cider for us to share.

When we arrived home we laid out all the apples and got caramel sauce to dip before going to ride bikes. My mom and dad recently got new bikes that are more comfortable for them to ride in. They sit low to the ground kind of like a wheelchair tricycle. When I tested them out, it felt like sitting in a recliner with pedals. We went on a twelve mile bike ride together while my little brother and sister were at tennis practice. Harrison, CJ and I rode normal bikes while my parents enjoyed their new wheels. The time we spent together was well spent, plus we got a good workout in.

To wrap up, my fall break was well spent with my family. I got to visit with my grandma and my family and do everything together. I watched some TV and of course got to play tons of games with my siblings. CJ got to be with them also, and it’s always so fun to see him interact with my family. Being with them is the greatest gift of all.

This wouldn’t be a real update on my break if I didn’t speak of my dog! Duchess is growing well and putting on weight. She is getting more curious with her surroundings and has taken to barking at all things that pass her yard. She loves to nap on the stairs and spend time with my mom and is still the cute, playful pup I remember.

I hope everyone had a great fall break. There are only 40 days left until Thanksgiving break. Keep pushing everyone!

ZFX

Wrapping up the summer was so much fun, but now I will begin talking about things happening currently!

This week I went on a field trip with the ONU Theatre Department to ZFX Flight Effects in Louisville, Kentucky! In their last production, Angels in America the department used flight equipment from ZFX. To save some money on the cost of shipping, ONU took a couple of vans and took it back themselves!

Although we spent more time traveling than actually at the flight center, the trip was well worth it.

ZFX is a flying effects company that manufactures, tests and ships out flight equipment for anything from theatrical shows to church events to concert tours. ZFX is known as the safest and most reliable company to fly from in the arts business. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the founder “merged science and art” to create a company that fulfill a need.

I am a part of the Theatre Department because I am an arts administration minor, but with my involvement with children’s theatre I have grown a curiosity for the ZFX company. In 2015, Fendig Summer Theatre hired ZFX to do our flights in our production of Mary Poppins. For a small group in an old theatre, it was structurally challenging as well as a new experience for them. We were nothing but happy to work with them and learn along the way. They got to learn how to apply flying with children manually and practice using counterweights with child actors and we got trained to fly the children and provide them an amazing experience!

Two years ago ONU hosted a flight workshop where actors and technicians got to be trained in how to fly and operate the equipment. We worked on basic moves in all of their harnesses as well as some in flight combat acting. ZFX is all about matching art to science and working together. Watch me fly!

They run out of one warehouse in Louisville where they manufacture all the parts, test harnesses and layouts, meet with clients to test different layouts and structurally check all the equipment all before they send their flight directors out to help set up and train the actors and technicians. They are on the road pretty much all year round, literally flying around.

Being able to see the equipment and people behind the magic was so rewarding. We are lucky to have such amazing professors who can figure out how to take us all down there or bring the magic to our school.