B&BW

      Even though Bath & Body Works is very over priced, I walk out of there with no less than 5 new products each time I walk in. My favorite products from BB&W are their candles. They are each $20 but all have a really genuine, nice smell. Each with a different popping color and detailed pretty packaging. They have smells from Vanilla Cupcake to Moroccan Market. Other than candles B&BW also sells mini hand sanitizers. My favorite sanitizer is definitely Island Margarita. It really does smell like a sweet margarita, and is the best smell out there. As far as body care goes, my favorite collection is Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea has lotion, body cream, hand sanitizer body soap, perfume and even body mist. Though Sweet Pea includes a lotion the best lotion from B&BW is Malibu Heat. Malibu Heat is a summery sweet smell, like coconut and sunscreen, and is definitely smooth and sweet!

March Favorites

Food/Drink: Sprite Zero was my favorite drink of March! It is very light and bubbly. And has no sugar, which means no guilt!  

App: The March Madness app was definitely the coolest app of March.It allowed me to keep up with my brackets and even watch live when I needed to. It gave you the scheduling times, and who was going up against who. And also showed you the past history of who won, the scoring and all the details! Even a recap option.

Clothes: My favorite shirt of March was my mint green peplum top with studs along the collar. I bought it from Papaya, and this is the same shirt just not the right color:

 Event: Despite my sunburn, the Austin Rodeo was by far the highlight of March! I rode every ride and went to a lot of events indoors. I didn't have the chance to see in concerts though. But I did buy some really cute boots!

Product: The bath and body works candle "Poolside". It smells like a mixture of chlorine, sunscreen/tan lotion. It is by far one of my favorites from Bath & Body Works. Also the popping yellow and even the scent takes me back to summer which spring makes you long for!

WHAT MOVIES/SHOWS TAUGHT US ABOUT: HIGH SCHOOL

WHAT MOVIES/SHOWS TAUGHT US ABOUT: HIGH SCHOOL

If you were like the rest of us you probably went into 9th grade with one of these  expectations:!

1. The "HSM" expectation:

The whole “Diversity works it self out in the end” kinda thoughts.
Where high school is nothing but NONSTOP fun, and drama. And anyone can be in a school musical. (lol.)

2. The “Mean Girls” expectation:

Maybe you thought high school was gonna be like this, constant hook ups, and break ups. Or even just your flat out general girl bitchiness. Generally speaking, this movie targets bullying, and glam. A dog-eat-dog place, always fighting to be on top, and being the most powerful. Now we can agree high school may consist of this a bit, but not so much the glam, then again my old school is known as the “artsy freak school”…awkward.





3.  The “Superbad” expectation:
       
The thought of high school is nothing but drugs, sex, alcohol and of course… PARTIES. Yes, high school does obtain some sense of this, BUT that’s not all high school is. This movie will teach you one thing, high school is all about who throws the biggest blow out of party, and getting the most girls (also, if you are into that..try watching Project X)






4.  The “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” expectation:

In this movie, “high school” is all about what girls LOVE,

• Thongs
• Boys 
• KISSING! 

At one point or another, girls, you have wanted your high school experience to be all about BOYS and KISSING! I mean come one! Who wouldn’t (;


5.  The “Degrassi” expectation:

The whole “some how we are all connected” kinda thoughts.
The nonstop drugs, sex, screw ups, romance, crazy and scandals. And some how they all link back together.
Maybe I don’t give this show enough credit. I see the diversity in the show, how we see high school. The whole cliquey, bullying, and, I mean they have one of every “stereo type” character in the show. Maybe that is the problem. There is just too much going on.
But out of the 5, this show is probably most valid.
I don’t know about ya’ll but school for me is,
SHOW UP, “LEARN”, EAT, TALK WITH FRIENDS, GO HOME. 
I don’t feel like I’m getting the full high school experience you know? Degrassi does highlight some important things about high school that I wish I could have. But seeing that I find it hard to even pass all my PreAP classes, I don’t know how easy it would be for me to be like the girl I admire MOST from Degrassi,
 Claire.
She’s so gorgeous right? She wasn’t always like this. She started out as dorky, weird, socially awkward freshman. But soon bloomed into everything I want to be. She’s a journalist for the school print, has a cute, sweet, caring boyfriend, and even though she has rough patches, she can fight her way through. Also, she knows of everyone, and everything that goes on at school.
Lets be honest, most shows, movies, or even books forget to talk about the most important aspect of school…
THE WORK! My current HOPE & PRAYER in school is, GOOD GRADES!
But other than that, I want to take all this hype about high school and channel it to make my high school years the best years of my life!
I want to try everything.

I bet when you heard that sentence what came into your head was,

• Sex
• Drugs
• Alcohol

When I really meant GETTING INVOLVED

• Trying new things
• Join Clubs
• Be active in school funded things
• Hang posters
• Stay after school
• Make new friends
• Talk to people who you usually wouldn't
• STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! 
• Try new styles
• Try new hair
• DATE

But everything you need to remember,
“Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through”
we can make it through high school together!!!

Why It's Lame

      It's funny how they think that executing the use of plastic bags in cities will actually end up being only a positive out come. Plastic bags cant be recycled, and are much more sanitary than these cloth reusable bags we have to get in the gist of using. The idea is to limit the amount of plastic that enters the land fills. I don't think we should have to boss people around and tell them what they can and cannot do to achieve this. People, especially here in Austin where already getting into the habit of the three R's. Reducing, Reusing and Recycling. This can even happen with out you knowing you are doing it. Here are some ways that plastic bags have been used efficiently given the full three R treatment.

 Reducing:
 People have been reducing the amount of bags they need by carrying their DRY food/goods home in reusable bags. Its easier and cleaner to carry the moist foods (deli meats, packaged raw meats, milk, etc) home in plastic bags. (Which you can rinse and dry at home).

Reuse:
Even around my house we have found many uses for plastic bags.

• Carrying home wet clothing from the pool (they might mold cloth bags!)
• Picking up dog-doings.
• Carrying your lunch to school.
• Mini trashcan liners (cuts out buying mini liners, and keeps those our of the land fill!)
• You can even take them BACK to the store and use them for the next grocery batch.
• To dispose of dirty diapers.
• Packing shipping items. (cuts out those pesky little peanuts!)
• Keeping items dry when it’s raining.
• Use them to separate shoes in your suit case
• Litter box liners (cuts out buying these as well)
• Car/ Locker trash bags  

Recycling: 
Take them to a food bank, hospital or even a library. You can usually find bins at grocery stores where you can throw them in and they will do the rest for you! 

Forgive and Forget

My first semester of High School was not spent at Austin high, but at McCallum. The biggest question I've gotten "What did you not like about McCallum?"  Now, to keep this a nice post, I'll create a sort-of-equal pros and cons list. *Warning: This document will be VERY opinionated.*

McCallum High School: 

Pro:

• It's a rather small school, you won't get lost!
• You'll pretty much see everyone in one day. 
• They've got the "Fine Arts Academy" Label.
• They've got a pretty sweet band that wins competition!
• Great Visual Art teachers, who are very dedicated.
• Being your self is okay, and fashion isn't a big deal.
• It's easy to feel at home, and comfortable.
• Long passing periods, and many short cuts to class!
• Live music from the students during passing periods.
• Also, guitar practices in the halls sometimes. So more music!
• Bake shop opened between classes! (Best fresh Brownies and Rice Crispies!) 
• Right up the street is McDonald's, KFC, Dan's, even a gas station.
• Brand new, gorgeous theater.
• The put on some great performances, especially Choral music.

Con:

• There is one main hallway that is ALWAYS clogged.
• The classrooms tend to be over stuffed with students.
• Majority are extreme democrats. (Again, bad for me.)
• If you dress nice, you'll probably be singled out. (Name brand, nice clothes)
• The music directors tend to favor better performers, I'll be honest.
• Sometimes it feels like its only "WIN, WIN, WIN!" not, "Do your best, enjoy it."
• It only has one floor (Maybe for you that would be a Pro, not for me!)
• Lunch is super early for A lunch. (Like 10:36)
• The sinks work. Sometimes. (Solar-powered)
• Their journalism department owns like one camera...
• Some teachers didn't really seem to enjoy their job. (this of course can occur anywhere)
• You can't really use most of the lockers. Like the new ones are off limits...
•  Every teacher I had used those annoying paper-passes, the ones that if you don't use them you get extra credit. (which I could go on about how they are completely unfair, but will save that for another time)

So to sum it up, I did kinda have to milk out those pros and it seems to over power my cons. But those are just things that could be seen from any student. I personally, didn't have the best experiences there with my peers. I didn't get "bullied" per say. It just was such a small school that if one person didn't like you, most people didn't. Obviously McCallum has very nice attributes, but I believe Austin High suits me better!