Mexican Wedding Cakes

When I was in second grade, my class had a “Recipes from Around the World” day. As baking was in my blood even back then, I wanted to make a delicious dessert recipe but I wasn’t sure what country or culture to choose from. So I took to scouring my mom’s cookbooks and stumbled upon what would soon become one of my favorite cookie recipes: Mexican Wedding Cakes.
What are they? These cookies are similar to a chocolate chip cookie, but much drier and rolled in powder sugar. It’s an eggless recipe, which is great when you haven’t had a chance to restock the fridge!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup – powdered sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) – butter
• 2 tsp – vanilla extract
• 2 cups – flour
• 1/2 – 1 cup – semi-sweet chocolate chips (can be substituted for nuts if you prefer!_
• 1/4 tsp – salt
• Extra powdered sugar for rolling

Steps:

1. Beat powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy
2. Slowly stir in flour, chocolate chips/nuts and salt
3. Roll into small 1 inch balls and place 2-3 inches apart on lined cookie sheet
4. Bake 15-20 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown and firm to the touch
5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Can repeat after fully cooled for sweeter taste.

Enjoy!

Wise Words Wednesday – Eighteen

Create Your Own Quote Wall

In case you couldn’t tell from my Wise Words Wednesday series, I have a bit of a fascination with quotes. Just a glimpse at an encouraging passage can give me the motivation I might need. So when it came time for me to move into my dorm room for my senior year, I decided to take on a fun crafting project! I like to call it my very own quote wall…

Want to make your own?

Supplies
–Several large frames. I chose three 11x14in white frames
–Neutral background paper. I used silver, but white, black, beige, etc. would work as well
–Lots of colored paper, in different sizes. I found a kit at my local Michael’s that had 5 different colors of paper, pre-cut to a variety of sizes – score!
–Sharpies. Different marker thicknesses add a little more interest to the final product.
–Stickers. To add a little pop of fun!
–A list of your favorite quotes. Need some ideas? Check out my Pinterest quote board!
–Glue or tape. To hold everything down.

Once you have all of your supplies, it’s pretty easy to put everything together.

1. Cut the background paper to the size of the frame
2. Write out your quotes. There are a few different options in terms of writing your quotes. You can do as I did and handwrite them on pre-cut paper. You could also print them on colored paper or in color on white paper and cut them to size. It depends on what you like best! I personally can’t cut to save my life but my handwriting isn’t too awful, so I decided to write them out.
3. Arrange them on your background page(s) to make sure everything fits well.
4. Glue/tape everything down as you want it.
5. Add stickers or other decorations as desired.
6. Place in the frame and voila!, you’ve got your own quote wall!

Here’s a few larger pictures of how mine came out. I loved them so much that after graduation, I hung them on the wall above the table I do my makeup at so I can get my daily dose of inspiration!

What do you think? Have you made your own quote-related craft project?

Monster Career Advice

When I first began looking for a full-time job during my senior year in college, I found myself at a complete loss as to where to start. There were so many things to consider, from cover letters to resumes, interviews to thank you letters, and more. I felt so overwhelmed and while my school’s career center was helpful to some degree, I needed more in-depth direction than they could offer in a 30 minute session.

Monster is an often-recognized job board site, where you can find postings for jobs in almost every field. What fewer people seem to realize is that Monster has more than just job postings on their site. They have a great career resources section, which has all kinds of articles for job seekers.

There are articles here with advice for everything job related, such as resume and cover letter writing, salary negotiations and networking. They’re simple articles that can guide you in the right direction and answer almost every career question you could possibly have. And in addition to everything job seekers need, there are also great tips for career development and improving once you’ve landed the job.

Some of my favorite articles?
– Resume Critique Checklist
– 5 Ways to Become Irreplaceable at Work
– 100 Potential Interview Questions

So whether you’re looking for your dream job, or just want to know how to stay on top of your career game, be sure to check out Monster for some great articles to help you along!

Wise Words Wednesday – Seventeen

Fresh Skin Favorites

In terms of skin, I have been pretty lucky. I had a smattering of acne as a teen, but my skin is usually pretty clear and even. Other than some fairly deep bags under my eyes (see my Eye Cream post for my solution), my only real skin issue is some dryness in the wintertime, which from what I’ve heard is fairly common. I do, however, have very sensitive skin, so when it comes to beauty products, I have to be especially careful in what I use.

This is why I’m so glad I came across a new (to me, at least) skin care line just a few months ago. Vichy Laboratoires is a French dermatological line designed for sensitive skin. Their products are soothing and remarkably effective. While they are on the expensive side, with daily skin cream costing between $32 and $55, they are absolutely investment worthy.

So far I have three Vichy products: the Thermale 3 in 1 Cleansing Micellar Solution makeup remover (left), the Densifying Re-Sculpting Care Skin Cream for nightly use (top right) and the Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream for daily use (bottom right) and I love every single one!

The makeup remover is great because it leaves my skin feeling smooth and refreshed, rather than oily like some removers. The skin creams both take a bit of time to set, so you might want to wait a bit between applying the cream and putting on your makeup. But they work wonders – my skin is so smooth and healthy looking since using these products daily.

I personally am not a huge user of beauty products, so it’s even more surprising how much I love and use these Vichy products. They’re so simple to use and I have seen a huge improvement in my skin already! I was hesitant to spend so much on these products since I’m usually the type to buy a beauty product and use it only twice, but I’m glad I made the investment because I’ve worked them into my daily routine. Not to sound cheesy, but my skin feels fresh and healthy – finally!

I purchased these at CVS, so you can find them at your own local pharmacy. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Reward Yourself

I am a born and raised bargain shopper. Since I was a child, it has been ingrained in me to never buy something at full price unless it’s absolutely necessary. Now that I’m on a budget, this thrifty habit has come in handy on many occasions. I’m always on the lookout for a good deal and make much smarter decisions about what to buy because my budget is so tight.

One thing I’ve become especially aware of over the past few months is all of the rewards programs that stores offer to their customers. Since so many large chains are struggling to bring in profits, it’s becoming more common for a store to do all kinds of promotions and programs to draw in customers. Not every store has a rewards program, but it is definitely worth looking into!

Rewards programs differ from store to store, but essentially are free benefits you can get for shopping at your favorite stores. Generally how it works is that you receive points for each dollar you spend, and once you reach a certain amount of points you get a reward. These rewards can vary from $10 in store credit, coupons for varying percents off and more! Rewards members also often receive exclusive emails about sales and discount codes to earn you even more savings.

Many stores have these kinds of programs, but to name a few of my favorites: Sephora, Best Buy, Bob’s and Dress Barn. You can earn rewards simply by doing your normal shopping!

But one important thing to remember: Don’t spend more than you usually would, since that defeats the purpose! Just because you have a coupon doesn’t mean you have to use it. But if you were planning to buy something from that store anyways, be sure to you use your rewards!

So, next time you’re out shopping, look into the store’s rewards program and…

Wise Words Wednesday – Sixteen

Simple Ways to Brighten Up Your Desk

One of the biggest adjustments in going from the life of a full-time student to a life with a full-time job has been how I spend my days. In school, I would constantly be on the go, between my dorm room, my sorority house, the dining hall, classrooms, the library, my internship, etc etc. I never worried too much about decorating (though I’ve always been a big fan of colored pens to spruce up all my notes), because I didn’t spend too much time in one place.

Now, I spend 8+ hours a day in a teeny tiny cube, surrounded by 3.5 fake walls. Like in most offices, my cubicle is plain, bland and sterile-looking. So on top of adjusting to spending almost all of my days in my small cubicle, I’m going stir crazy staring at plain (fake) walls all day long.

To keep myself from going completely crazy, I’ve added some small decorations to my desk to make it more colorful and a reflection of my own personality. As I said, I am not one for decorating, but I was amazed with how much of an impact just a few small pieces could make!

So, of course, I’ve taken to my favorite site – Polyvore – to demonstrate how a few items can go a long way:


Picture Frames work wonders in a small cubicle. Not only do they brighten things up with a fun shape, color or pattern, but they can also cheer you up! I love seeing pictures of my friends and family when I’m stressed out at work – it instantly calms me down.

Bulletin Boards with a fun fabric are another great option. You can either buy an already-assembled one, or make your own fairly simply. The versatility of these boards allows you to hang pictures or notes in your own creative way.

Magazine Racks are a unique storage method for your work papers and notes. They add a simple pop of color and are a practical way to keep everything organized. I love having these at my desk so I can de-clutter and find my papers easily!

Paperclip Holders come in all shapes, colors and styles. If you go through paperclips like I do, it is infinitely more fun to pull them from a pretty decoration than a cardboard box.

Colorful Post-Its, who couldn’t love these?! I have lots of little notes stuck around my desk and the bright colors instantly make my plain white surroundings a bit more interesting.

Each of these items can be bought inexpensively and some, such as picture frames and bulletin boards, can even be made on your own! Stores such as Marshall’s, Target and Staples carry these items and it’s usually possible to find a decent coupon to make your purchase even more valuable!

How have you brightened up your cubicle? What is your favorite piece of desk decor?

Home Gym Essentials: Kettlebells

Staying fit is something that every young woman should make a priority. However, the costs of fitness can add up very quickly. While a gym membership can be great if you like the social interaction and workout classes, for some people it might be a more effective idea to set up a small home gym.

Personally, a home gym is quickly becoming a more appealing option for me. I don’t have a lot of spare time and when I do, it’s at sporadic times. I also prefer to work out on my own, rather than in a group or surrounded by strangers. Having realized this more and more, I’ve been building up my own collection of small but multi-functional pieces of exercise equipment. This way I can do a variety of workouts, in my own time and in the privacy of my own home.

One of my newest additions to my mini-home gym is a 10lb kettlebell. I had seen and heard lots about kettlebells, but hadn’t really tried them out for myself. I didn’t quite understand what all of the hype was about, but now that I’ve done some research (thank you Pinterest and YouTube!), I can definitely see the benefits.

What are the perks of kettlebells? The exercises you can do with them combine both strength training and cardio. The handle allows for movements such as swinging and hand transitions. This makes for a full body workout, as you can engage your arms, abs and legs while getting your heart pumping. However, since you typically use a heavier kettlebell than you would choose for a free weight, you need to be sure to use the proper technique to avoid accidental injury. Once you get the hang of it, kettlebells can be a fast, fun and effective workout!

One thing to keep in mind is that kettlebells, like any workout equipment, can get a bit expensive. It’s important to shop around and find a kettlebell that’s both of a decent quality and not ridiculously overpriced. I looked around in several stores and online to make sure I understood what price range I was looking at. I ended up settling on one I found at Marshall’s for a great price of just $10. I’m glad I kept shopping around – otherwise I could’ve ended up spending twice as much!

Are you a fellow kettlebell fan? What are your favorite moves?