No Place Like Home

On Friday night I flew back to South Carolina to spend my fall break at home! I was so excited to fly back and spend some quality time with family, friends, and fried chicken before heading back to midterms.  I am only here until a little later today then it is back to the Big Apple.  Being home has been so refreshing, it’s nice to have a change of scenery.  Other than being with the people I love, here are some of my favorite things about home (featuring my back yard and my adorable Chocolate Lab, Hershey!)

♥ Caro

Shrug Off The Stress

I will admit I am very easily stressed out.  I blame my “people pleasing personality” – I always take on more than I should, then I have moments of panic when I think things won’t get done in time (of course, they always do.) I compiled a list of some of the best ways I have found to decompress and shrug off the stress after a long, hard day.  With midterms approaching, or maybe already here for some of you, I couldn’t think of a better time to share!

{This week I am especially missing relaxing nights like these at the lake!}

WATCH

Whether it’s a short YouTube clip to give your brain a little break, or an hour long show that you work into your schedule, I always find that watching something can help take my mind off of the source of stress at hand. 

MOVE

Stop sitting in the same place! Go for a walk outside, hit the gym, do a little yoga, or dance it out! As we all well know, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy…” (You can finish the rest, thank you Elle Woods!) Moving around and letting your mind focus on your body for a while is a great way to shake off that excess stress and mentally prepare for continuing to do your best!

READ

I love to read - magazines, books, blogs - you name it! I try to have a book on hand to read when time permits, but it’s hard with the reading I have already for school.  A magazine is great because it’s shorter and easy to flip through.  This will help take your mind off of things for a bit – plus you can fantasize about those gorgeous new shoes that came out this season!

CHAT

Cliché, I know, but I always call my mom when I’m stressed. Mostly because I know I can freak out to her and she won’t be annoyed.  It’s also nice to hear a familiar voice when you’re drowning in work.  Taking the time to talk to family or friends you haven’t spoken to in a while will provide a nice distraction.

CLEAN

I’ll admit this one is weird but I always find that cleaning helps me de-stress. I can’t focus if my apartment is a wreck (and during a stressful week, it typically is!) Taking the time to clean up, fold clothes, put dishes away, etc. can help clear your mind. Plus you can see the results right away; this is encouraging – especially when you’re stuck writing a paper or trying to move on to the next math problem.

Think of any tips I missed? Let me know in the comments your favorite ways to de-stress!  

♥ Caro

Mug Madness

Lately I have been obsessing over mugs. Weird, right? Please tell me I'm not alone. This year especially I have been drinking hot tea more than usual - when I got sick earlier in the semester I lived off of it and now I am addicted.  And I have always loved hot chocolate, my favorite winter treat!  I don't drink coffee (I know if I start I will become addicted and I'm just not ready to go down that road haha) As I browse Pinterest or Tumblr lately, I find myself saving pictures of all of these cute mugs - and this year my birthday wish lists consists of several! I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you, they're just too cute to keep to myself! 

Two that I am in love with (bottom left and bottom right) are from Charm & Gumption - they're both on my wish list. The mugs they carry are so cute it was hard to narrow down my favorites! 

♥ Caro

*Also this is not a sponsored post, I just thought the site and mugs were super cute so I figured I would share! 

F.O.M.O.

Hi, my name is Caroline, and I am finally going to admit that I suffer from major FOMO – also known as fear of missing out. I hate saying no to things or canceling plans because I am always worried I might miss something exciting…

Lately I have been thinking a lot about time and prioritizing my commitments.  This semester especially the work I have outside of class has involved working with other people to schedule rehearsals and meetings – essentially planning what I am doing around what everyone else is. I always hated group projects growing up, someone never pulls their weight, schedules never add up, and it’s always more work than it’s worth.  Majoring in acting in college means a majority of my homework requires me to meet with scene partners, scheduling outside rehearsals so that we can present scenes in class and work with teachers on the choices we have made.  Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE what I do.  But sometimes it can be hard when you have to turn things down because your scene partner can only meet at a certain time.  There is a give and take that has to occur and you have to prioritize, something I occasionally have problems doing. 

Over the past few weeks I have been slowly trying to embed in my brain that just because I can’t go to something, doesn’t mean I am going to miss out on the best night of my life. Yes, staying at home to write a paper might not be as fun as going to a mixer with my sorority, or catching dinner and a movie with friends - but in college you have to remember why you are here.  My studies are important to me, and more importantly, I genuinely enjoy what I am doing.  Sometimes you just have to do what's best for you.  It is a lesson I am having a hard time learning, but one that I know is necessary.  It is easier as a sophomore, my second year in college, and I don’t feel as much pressure to go out and meet people because I do have a good, solid group of friends. Still, it’s hard to stay home. And it's hard to turn down plans. I know I am not the only one that has to do this, and I am certainly not the only person with FOMO! I am learning that there will be a million “best night of my life” moments to come. At this point I just have to remind myself to do what's best for me and try to avoid stressing about the what if's.

♥ Caro

Gilmore Girls

In case you haven’t heard, you might as well cancel your October plans now because *drumroll please…* GILMORE GIRLS IS ON NETFLIX! I have loved Gilmore Girls for years. I started watching it back in middle school (thank you ABC Family for playing it every weekend morning!) I fell in love with the story and characters, immediately identifying with "book worm" Rory.  It is one of those classic TV shows that you watch forever and still adore.  I feel like I have seen every episode though I am not sure if I have ever seen them in order. I am SO excited to start from the beginning and follow along! There are 7 seasons so it’s going to take me a while (let’s be honest – I barely have time for homework and blogging, much less Netflix binge watching!) But this is the show I go to when I am stressed, tired, and just need some time alone. Having it available at the click of a button makes me so happy! Not only is the show great because of the wit and charm but I have always admired the mother/daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory.  With great one-liners - Lorelai always says exactly what you're thinking - and adorable male love interests it is the perfect show to have on hand.  Netflix has just made girls everywhere love Fall even more!  

♥ Caro

The Curious Incident...

Last night I went to go see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on Broadway. 

It. Was. AMAZING.

I had to read the play for a class and after reading it I knew I wanted to see the performance, if nothing else, to see how they accomplished everything on stage.  We went after studio to try and get $27 student tickets but ended up having to get $35 partial view seats. Even though the view was partially obstructed I have to say it was totally worth it to pay more and see the show.  The play is adapted from the best selling book and tells the story of Christopher, a young boy living in England who is mentally disabled in a way (it is never named but many believe it to be Asperger’s or something on the Autism spectrum) He is very smart but lacks some social skills and everyday activities can be difficult for him, he also attends a special school.  The story is told through narration as well as scenes, mostly narrated by his teacher Siobhan or himself, there are only a few main characters – Mother, Father, Siobhan, Christopher.  The rest of the cast is made up of the ensemble.  The ensemble cast members remain on stage, changing their shoes or putting on a pair of glasses when you have your attention else where, so by the time they stand up again you are seeing a different character. 

{Partial view seating - still worth it}

As an actor, I was blown away by the performance – especially that of the actor playing Christopher.  His name is Alexander Sharp and he graduated from Juilliard in May.  That’s right, 5 months ago. In fact, he was cast while he was still in school.  In the program, an interview states that he only went to the audition after getting a text from a friend telling him that he would be perfect for the part.  He also picked Juilliard because it was the only acting school he knew of and he heard it was the best.  It was the only place he applied. And he was one of 18 in his class. So basically this guy was destined for success from the beginning – for a good reason.  Watching him reminded me why I do what I do and why I study this crazy art form.  His talent was remarkable and the character seemed to come with such ease.  Acting like his inspires me to continue to better my own.

{A publicity still from the website - the set was incredible}

Not only was the story great but the staging was remarkable.  The walls surrounding the stage are grids and they light up and display projections throughout the show.  The floor lights up too! The boxes around the sides provide seating for the ensemble members on stage and there are trap doors covering the walls and stage floor that the actors use to access different props as the story progresses. 

This show is a must see. An amazing story, great staging and even better acting, this play is not one to miss.  Go see it while you can!! When it opened in London it ended up winning 7 Olivier Awards and I have a feeling it will definitely be on a list for the Tony's.  Check it out here

♥ Caro