Ease Into Move In Day

Image courtesy of Nazareth College - Flickr

Whether you’re moving back into the Clairmont Reserve apartments, moving in for the first time or you’re a freshman moving into your new dorm room, moving is hard! There are a lot of things that you’ll need that you might not think of if you’re used to living at home with your parents. We want to help make your move in as smooth as possible! So we found some tips to help ease your move in blues! For more information, head to Mostly Morgan.

Do you have any secret moving tricks that have helped you in the past? Let us know on the Facebook page!

Summer is here, and while I am looking forward to three months of relaxation (and blogging, and nannying) I know that that there is an entire new class of college freshman to be looking into move in day. I still remember the excitement and anticipation. I was worried about over-packing, and heartbroken about leaving my family, friends, and boyfriend, but I don’t think that I could possibly have been more excited to start my life at the University of Illinois.

I just finished my sophomore year, and it was my second (and last!) year living in the dorms – and I have learned a thing or two about move in day. This past year I was also an I-Guide which meant I spent countless grueling hours going back and forth moving freshman after freshman into their new home. I saw the over-packers, the kids who brought nearly nothing, and everyone in between. What I’m trying to say is that I’m an authority on college move in if there ever was one.

Pack Smart.

A successful college move in day all begins with packing wisely. I have an entire post that you can check out here, but I’ll give you some extra pointers, too.

Don’t pack more than you need – if you’re going home for Thanksgiving (or before!) it won’t be necessary to bring all of your winter gear. You will want a few pieces in case of an emergency, but chances are you won’t have room to store your entire wardrobe in your tiny dorm room.

Don’t over do it – this year (I kid you not) a kid brought a love seat to her dorm room. Not a futon or a small bench, but a love seat bigger than the one in my living room. It easily took up a quarter of her room and probably put her at odds with her roommate from day one. Unless you’re living in a luxury dorm, you aren’t going to want to bring any extra furniture.

Be clever – packing the car is truly an art. To up the odds of you fitting everything, stuff any hollow object you are packing with other things. Fill your fridge with shoes, stuff your undergarments in your shower caddy, just make use of every empty space you can!
Do your research.

At the University of Illinois move in day procedure involves a complicated maze of rerouted roads and restricted access to certain areas, and in a perfect world this would make everything go smoothly. Unfortunately, every year people ignore the hundreds of emails, letters, and alerts making us aware of how to work this system to get straight to your dorm and avoid any traffic.

Move in day comes with a ton of stress – don’t create extra stress by coming unprepared. If you go to a small school you might have nothing to worry about, but most larger schools will have a system like this.

So students and parents alike – look up your respective school to see if there is a move in day protocol that you should be aware of. You don’t want to be the ones screwing everything up!
Ship things to school.

Are you in charge of bringing the fridge? Consider shipping it to school rather than buying one and moving it in with you. You can also take a trip to your local Walmart on move in day, too. If you wait to buy larger items like fridges, microwaves, and carpets the car will be less packed.

If you do decide to ship the microwave to school – just make sure that it doesn’t beat you there or it might be sent back depending on your school’s policy!
Communicate with your roommate moving in.

Not just to establish who is bringing what, but to also coordinate when you will be arriving. It is going to be a lot to easier to move in if you aren’t trying to do so at the same time. If your roommate says she is arriving at 2:00 consider getting there at noon.
Be ready to clean.

Be prepared to inherit a layer of dust and grime – even if they are supposed to be clean when you move in, they often are going to be a bit gross. There are a few things you are going to want to bring:

Lysol Wipes – these are a college kids best friend! These are a quick fix for spills and dust, and they are great for sanitizing if your roommate is sick!

Tide to Go – if you have carpet, chances are you are going to spill take out on it at least once. In my experience a tide to go stick cleans that right up, and no one will ever be the wiser. Plus you want one for your purse or backpack in case you ever spill.

Hand Sanitizer – In the dorms, illness spreads like wildfire so you want to be equipped! During flu season hand sanitizer will be your best friend!
Be ready to forget things.

Chances are there will be something you forget. But you can have your parents mail it to you, shop online (considering checking out Student Rate for some great discounts!), or bus to the nearest Walmart. Everyone forgets something important on move in day and it’s not the end of the world – you can borrow until you get your item!
Meet the people on your floor!

Once mom and dad head out take a break from unpacking and organizing and go out and socialize! The first week or two are crucial in making connections – knock on doors and introduce yourself! Try to gather a group to go to dinner together – you want to start off on the right foot!
Breathe.

Moving in can be stressful and emotions will be running high. Whether you are thrilled or terrified or somewhere in between it’s all going to be alright. College is largely what you make it so go in with a good attitude and try to make move in a positive experience.

Did I forget anything? Let me know your best college move in trick in the comments below!

20 Things I Wish I Had Known Freshman Year

Image courtesy of Siena College - Flickr

New students will be moving in soon! Being away from home on your own for the first time can be scary and overwhelming. There is a lot of advice that we wish some people had told us before our first year of school! We found some advice from SR Trends. They’ll tell you what they wish they had been told freshman year so you don’t make the same mistakes.

Here is a list of 20 things I wish I knew freshman year:

1. Try a few different study spots and figure out what works best for you. It could be in your dorm, in the library, outside or in a coffee shop, as long as you get your work done, campus is your oyster!

2. Keep a healthy lifestyle. There’s nothing wrong with partying and bonding with new people but know your limits, exercise every other day and make sure you’re not tired or sick for classes and exams.

3. Build a relationship with a professor or an adviser. Think of any faculty member as a resource and don’t be afraid to ask for help, it can make a big difference in grades and it will make it a lot simpler to ask for letters of recommendation when you’re applying for jobs and internships.

4. Carry a phone charger with you. We all know the plight of smartphone batteries and you don’t want to turn your phone back on and see 23 missed calls from your mom, that can’t end well.

5. Take a random class. You have plenty of time to complete majors and minors, make sure you take advantage of the unique classes that every university offers and learn about something completely different. Tell me “The Game of Thrones” at Virginia or “Japanese Swordsmanship” at George Washington don’t sound fun, I dare you.

6. Don’t buy textbooks before the first week of class. You might not need it or there could be a free version online. Save your money for snacks, you might be able to study without a text book, but you’ll never be able to study without snacks. If it turns out that the textbook is required, consider renting it (Barnes & Noble has a great deal through Studentrate where you can get 6% cash back on rentals)

7. Get along with your roommate. No need to be best friends and get matching tattoos, but a year can seem like ages if you’re constantly arguing. Keep your stuff clean and say what’s on your mind, a five-minute argument is better than a dramatic fight later on.

8. Try to go to as many sporting events as possible. Grab a couple of friends and share in
the awesomeness and excitement that is college sports.

9. Keep a box of Emergen-C in your dorm. There is such thing as the freshmen plague and
it will take you out if you are not eating your fruits, vegetables and grains!

10. Listen to upperclassmen. If you’re reading this, then you’re taking this advice, good job! Students who have taken classes you’re interested in can be helpful for study tips, how to complete any given major or minor, or how to deal with problems that every college student faces at one point.

11. Always use student discounts when shopping online. Studentrate has hundreds of discounts at Forever21, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Lenovo, and many more so it would be silly to pay full price for anything.

12. If you’re going to skip your 8AM class because it is too early, pick a later class. Start off the year doing stuff right! I know what you’re thinking, “I took morning classes in high school and I was fine”. It’s not the same, try to avoid these classes.

13. Go home once in a while: sometimes, we need a change of scenery to regain our grounding and have some mental detox, and where else to do it, but in your house?

14. Keep in touch with your family. A simple text to your parents can make their day which makes life easier for you. And don’t let your annoying younger brother forget who’s boss. Also, love is the key to care packages.

15. Free food is everywhere if you look hard enough – enough said.

16. Make your dorm room yours. You have to share a small room all year, but there are ways to make it a nice and cozy spot. Decorate your side of the wall, invest in comfortable bedding, it’s a game-changer in the long run. And how are people going to know that you “Keep calm and carry on” unless you have a poster that says so?

17. Get an on-campus job. Working a few hours week during the academic year is a nice financial help and looks great on your resume. For a lot of positions like the library or the welcome desk at the gym, you’ll have a chance to do some homework or talk with your friends. Sounds like something you’d do for free, might as well get paid to refresh twitter faster than it has time to update.

18. Use the writing center!! Most colleges and universities these days have a writing center which is made up of either individuals solely working at the center or upperclassmen who have been trained to help you with your writing. Having trouble coming up with a thesis for your Religion & Science class? Drop by the Writing Center to throw ideas around with an expert!

19. Don’t underestimate your workload. There are so much opportunities for fun at college, procrastination becomes a sport. If you break your workload down in pieces, do a couple of hours a day, it will be more than manageable and you’ll have free time to go see your friends’ ridiculous acapella show or watch people play ultimate Frisbee like they’re in the SuperBowl.

20. Lastly, remember, college is only four years long: take risks, try new things, explore your passions, meet new people and smile! Remember, if it’s not going so well at first, you have three years to find something on campus you like and if you are enjoying yourself, be sure to spend your time wisely as four years go by quicker than you could ever expect!!

Pittsburgh's Budding Food Scene

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Pittsburgh has turned into a bustling hub for everything from the movie industry to sports teams. But the most exciting development has been the food scene. There are so many interesting restaurants, food trucks and bars that have popped up in the Pittsburgh area. To read more head to Eater.com.

On 1989 I came to Pittsburgh to attend a pre-college summer music program at Carnegie Mellon University. I was earnest about the voice lessons but, foreshadowing my adulthood, I spent any free time combing the city for new things to eat. In groups we’d head off-campus to Primanti Bros. for roast beef or kielbasa sandwiches famously piled with fries and slaw, or to the "O" for super dogs and onion rings. A summer romance stirred over slices of coconut cream pie at Gullifty’s, a gussied-up diner in nearby Squirrel Hill. (It closed in 2013 after 31 years in business.) With money I’d saved from my video-store job back home, we splurged on duck a l’orange and other Continental thrillers at fancy Le Mont, with its city views atop Mount Washington. I had never returned to Pittsburgh. Over the years I’d wondered, as dining became my work, how the city’s restaurant scene had changed since my time there.

These days every small- to mid-size American city can take pride in at least two or three local chefs who keep apace with coast-to-coast trends. But in the last few years, the national arbiters have labeled Pittsburgh "the next big food town." They’ve cited cocktail upstarts like Bar Marco, where the skilled bartenders converse with customers rather than handing out menus, and innovative restaurants like Root 174, where Keith Fuller playfully surrounds pork belly with strawberry-apple slaw, barbecue-flavored pop rocks, and a savory Rice Krispies treat.

Was there a defining shift that had made this Rust Belt survivor the next must-fly-to-eat destination? Were key restaurants evoking a singular sense of place, like in Charleston or Nashville? Had the eating public developed remarkably adventurous palates à la Portland, Oregon? Or was it simply that a critical mass of stellar restaurants had opened? And did it really deserve the accolades?

I thought about all this last month as I began my first meal in Pittsburgh in 26 years, with a starter I couldn’t even have imagined or understood in my teens: trout cured in Cynar amaro. The dish had swum off the page at Cure, the restaurant currently drawing the most national attention to Pittsburgh’s dining scene. Chef and co-owner Justin Severino previously ran a butcher shop in California, and his diverse charcuterie program (coppas, pâtés, rillettes, duck speck, delicate ham made from leg of lamb) at four-year-old Cure has earned him the reputation as the town’s meat virtuoso. Wary of pigeonholing, and cognizant of the challenges around having pristine seafood flown in daily to Pittsburgh, Severino began experimenting with curing fish. He’d had luck infusing salami with the bittersweet notes of a Negroni, one of his go-to cocktails, and thought a similar treatment might fly with local trout.

Popping Tags at Thriftsburgh

Image courtesy of Laura D'Alessandro on Flickr

This spring, the University of Pitt opened their very own thrift store. Student-run and University-owned, University of Thriftsburgh offers everything from ugly Christmas sweaters to Coach purses, if they’ve been donated of course. Have you been by yet? Stop and donate some old clothes and pick up some new/old clothes. To read the rest of the story head to Pitt News.


Pitt went hip — and opened its own thrift store on campus.

The thrift store, University of Thriftsburgh, is a University-owned, student-run thrift shop focused on sustainability that opened for business yesterday. Located on the first floor of the O’Hara Student Center, the store, is small but brags a wide variety of colorful purses and backpacks as well as racks of shirts, jackets and dresses. Items in the store range in price from $1 to $12, with specialty items being more expensive, according to Maura Kay, one of the store coordinators.

Handmade ugly Christmas sweaters and vintage sports pullovers, for example, will fall within the $3 to $12 range, but the Coach purses ($20) and pair of Jimmy Choo shoes ($90) demand higher prices. Students who donate clothes to the store will get store credit, Kay said. The store only takes Panther Funds and operates Wednesdays from 3 to 8 p.m. and Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 5 p.m.

By business close on day one, the store had made $538 from 60 purchases. In the biggest sale, a student purchased $64 worth of various clothing items.

All of Thriftsburgh’s initial inventory came from the Give a Thread campaign, a clothing drive meant to recycle unwanted clothes and break the world record for amount of clothes donated. Around five percent of the campaign donations went to the store, according to Thriftsburgh co-founder Anna Greenberg. The campaign collected 111,913 items from December 5 to March 5, falling short of the world record but surpassing its 100,000 articles goal.

Student-run thrift stores are not unique to Pitt. Other colleges across the country feature similar concepts, including the Trunk at Middlebury College in Vermont and the Ole Thrift Shop at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Otterbein University in Ohio also features the Otterbein Thrift Shop, while Clark University in Massachusetts has the Clark Community Thrift Store.

Greenberg said that, although the thrift store is a trendy place to buy cheap clothes, it also serves as a teaching tool about sustainability.

It's Kind of a Big Dill: Picklesburgh Comes to Pittsburgh

Image courtesy of Liz West - Flickr

What’s the big dill about Picklesburgh? This weekend, July 17 and 18, Pittsburgh will be transformed into Picklesburgh! The pickle celebration will take place on the Rachel Carson Bridge and will feature vendors to offer food and pickle themed things for purchase. The Rachel Carson Bridge is only a 10 minute drive away from the Camelot Apartments and it’s well worth the trip! For more information, check out CBS Pittsburgh.


Next week, there will be a gigantic pickle floating in the skies over Pittsburgh. It will point the way to the new food festival the city is hosting when Pittsburgh becomes Picklesburgh.

Picklesburgh will be a two-day celebration on July 17 and 18 on the Rachel Carson Bridge.

Organizers say the huge inflatable Heinz pickle balloon will hover over the festival, overseeing the tastiness!

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership says the balloon was created by Big Ideas Parade Giants, which is the company that makes many of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. It was built and airbrushed in Arizona.

It’s larger than 35 feet wide and was modeled after a Pittsburgh icon, the Heinz pickle pin.

And, let’s face it, this is gonna be a really big dill!

The festival will feature more than 40 vendors that will offer food and pickle-themed merchandise.

There will also be entertainment and how-to cooking demonstrations.

For more information on the Picklesburgh festival, check out their website here:http://www.picklesburgh.com/

Upcoming Food Events in the Burgh

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Pittsburgh is an amazing city for food and this upcoming month is no exception. There are so many food related events from festivals to charities to tours, your belly will be full but you will certainly not be disappointed. For more information on all the upcoming food related events in the Burge head to the Post Gazette.


Festivals

Whiskey Rebellion Festival: Historical re-enactments, period exhibitions, demos, frontier art, music and food will all pay tribute to the local significance of the Whiskey Rebellion. A farmers market will be open 3:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 9, and Washington Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m.; live music and food booths, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 10; festival activities 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11, with parade at 10 a.m.; car show and re-enactments 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Downtown Washington, Pa. whiskeyrebellionfestival.com.

Night Market: Food, cocktails, beer, music, jewelry, apparel, photography, art and more from local vendors. 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 10, at Penn Avenue and 8th Street, Downtown. downtownpittsburgh.com.

South Side Food, Art and Sidewalk Festival: Sidewalk sales, specials at restaurants and bars, sidewalk foods and treats, children’s corner, live music. Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, along E. Carson Street. southsidechamber.org.

Picklesburgh: Pickle-themed foods like dill ice cream and dill popcorn, artisan cocktails, demos, live music, pickle marketplace and pickle-themed competitions. 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, July 17, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 18, on the Ninth Street (Rachel Carson) Bridge. downtownpittsburgh.com.

Pittsburgh Summer Beerfest: Craft beer samples, food trucks and vendors, live music. Friday and Saturday, July 17-18, at Stage AE, North Shore. Proceeds benefit animal rescue agencies. pittsburghbeerfest.com.


Charitable events

Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh: Desserts, cocktails, games, sideshow acts and music. 9 p.m. to midnight Friday, July 10, at the African American Cultural Center, Downtown. $95 in advance; $125 at the door. Extra $50 advance VIP admission ($75 at door; $25 for ages 21-29) includes party from 7 to 9 p.m. with munchies catered by top Pittsburgh chefs, cocktails, live music and other entertainment. trustarts.org/cosmo.

HNK Croatia Pittsburgh picnic: Authentic Croatian food including spit-fired rotisserie lamb, live folk entertainment and music. Mass in Croatian at noon; picnic and festivities from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Croatian Center Picnic Grounds, Millvale. Information: Search “HNK Croatia Pittsburgh” on Facebook.

Sunday Dinner Pledge: Home Instead Senior Care Foundation will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels for every person who pledges to schedule regular dinners with senior family members. Sign up at SundayDinnerPledge.com through July 31. The site also offers meal-planning tips and recipes developed by TV chef Melissa d’Arabian.


Walks and tours


Mushroom walks: Join the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club for Saturday fun with mushroom foraging at Salamander Park in Fox Chapel (10 a.m. July 11), North Park (10 a.m. July 18, chanterelles), Riverside Park in Greenville (2:30 p.m. July 18) and Northmoreland Park in Westmoreland County (10 a.m. July 25). wpamushroomclub.org.

‘In Good Spirits’ Tour and Hotel Package: The Fairmont Pittsburgh is offering a two-night package that includes a private, three-hour guided tour with stops, samples and historical details at Wigle Whiskey, Arsenal Cider House and Franktuary. fairmont.com/pittsburgh/special-offers/hotel-offers (click on “F-Scape to Pittsburgh Package).

Food awards


Northside Sandwich Week: The king of the 2015 Northside Sandwich Week last month was Chris Biondo, owner of Scratch Food & Beverage, a soon-to-open Troy Hill shop for his Scratch Reuben, which involved smoked tongue and marrow butter. First runner-up was Legends of the North Shore owner Dan Bartow. His Deutschtown Double Down paired smoked turkey with pickled vegetables between rosemary focaccia.


2015 Sweets & Snacks Expo: At a recent conference in Chicago, the National Confectioners Association gave Edward Marc Chocolatier one of 45 awards for “most innovative new products.” The Pittsburgh company’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Snappers took top honors in the savory snacks category.

A 4th of July Healthy Snack

Independence Day is a big holiday for food. From burgers, hot dogs, to an assortment of others, there’s always a smorgasbord of options to choose from. But if you want to be healthier and still enjoy the snacks, you can try this healthier meal choice of holiday themed popcorn from Eating Richly. Delicious and still healthy for you!


Sweet Holiday Popcorn Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 5 minutesTotal time: 15 minutesYield: 8 cups

Calories per serving: 138Fat per serving: 7.48g

Ingredients:

8 cups
fresh popped popcorn
2 cubes
vanilla almond bark
3 TBS
nonpareil sprinkles

Cooking Directions:

1. Place popcorn in a large bowl.
2. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Stir melted almond bark into popcorn, coating evenly, then quickly spread popcorn on wax paper lined baking sheets.
3. Evenly distribute sprinkles over popcorn.
4. Let dry completely before serving.

Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 97.2mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.43g, Dietary Fiber 1.1g, Sugars 11.13g, Protein 1g, WW Points Plus 4, WW old points 3

Approximate cost/serving: This cost me just $1.50 to make the whole batch. At 1 cup per serving that’s just 19 cents a serving. Cheap snack!


Vegetarian/Gluten free: Almond bark does contain milk whey, but you can get vegan white chocolate. Although the ingredients in the almond bark appear to be gluten free, I can’t guarantee against cross contamination as the packaging doesn’t state gluten free. I have heard that Plymouth Pantry brand is gluten free, but I recommend contacting the company to be sure. I know you can get gluten free popcorn and sprinkles.