Currently Loving Vol. 05

Currently Loving

Dress (Umgee, similar) | Shoes | Purse 

I went to our local winery with my mom for wine slushies last night before dinner and I wore this dress. I am obsessed. T-shirt dresses are a staple in my wardrobe, so when I saw this one I knew that I had to pick it up. See it on Instagram, here.

Currently Reading:

So I'm still reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, but I plan on finishing it today so I can read the two library books that I checked out before they are due.

Next:

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
Argo by Antonio J. Mendez

Books finished this summer: 19

I honestly can't believe that I've read 19 books this summer. My goal is to read 26, but I don't think that is going to happen by the time senior year starts.


Currently Listening to:

Some of my favorite artists released new music yesterday and while listening to those releases, a few more songs caught my eye. Check out my new music picks below.

ICYMI This week:

• I shared my favorite stationary on Monday 
• I shared five things college students can do now to get ready for school. 

Is there something that you want to see on in blog post or in a 'Currently Loving'? Comment below! 

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Five Things To Do Before School Starts

First, it's Miracle Treat Day! Make sure to stop by your local Dairy Queen today, July 27th, in support of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals! Your purchase of a blizzard goes to providing children at CMNH hospitals the care and treatment that they deserve. CMNH is very important to me as many of my friends have had siblings who are Riley kids.  I've been involved with Riley Hospital for Children (Indiana's CMNH) through dance marathons (high school and college) and through my sorority, Phi Mu.

Now to the point of the post:

I know what you're thinking, "A back to school post when it's not even August?". YES!

These are five things that you can do now that won't have you dreading class and will help you start out the year organized.


1. Purge your closet

Clean out your closet, including shoes and jewelry, and then divide things that you don't want into trash, donation, and sell piles. I sell my clothes to Plato's Closet and Poshmark. Selling your clothes will also give you spending money for the upcoming school year.

Tip: If you sell to Plato's, look up your local store to see what pieces they're really wanting at the moment. They'll be more likely to take those pieces. 

2. Purge your room 

This can be good for two things. One, you can find things that you want to take to your dorm or apartment. Secondly, you can figure out what you really don't need anymore. I always clean out my nightstands before I go back to school (somehow an abundance of chocolate and cough drop wrappers end up in a drawer) to find chargers that I need to take and to just organize everything that is in there.

3. Set up your planner

Setting up your planner before you move in can save you from forgetting about events and can save you from the hassle of rescheduling.

Tip: Color code classes, clubs, work, social, fitness, etc. 

4. Order your textbooks

I know a lot of people wait until classes start to get their textbooks, but I recommend ordering them before hand because you can always return them within a week of picking them up. If you order them before school starts, you'll have your books that you need just in case they go out of stock. You never know when your professor is going to assign an important reading.

Also, ask friends who may have had the same professor before if the textbook is that important. If it isn't, then maybe wait until class starts to determine whether you want to purchase or rent the book instead.When ordering your textbooks, make sure to compare prices. I usually order mine from Amazon or my campus TIS because of how easy it is. I'm not a huge fan of Chegg, but if you like it, use it.

Tip: Save money by ordering used books (or by renting). 

5. Make a playlist for walking to class 

I always make a playlist for walking to class. I think that's important to have just the right kind of music on right before you walk into a boring hour long lecture. I'll be posting my back to school playlist in August before I move into my apartment.

Grab a blizzard and get some work done before school starts!

Shop this post: 

         

     

Snail Mail Stationary

I love sending cards to my friends. I have two friends that I regularly send post cards and cards, sometimes just to say what I did that day. I think our generation has gotten too caught up in our social media or how easy it is to send a text instead of sitting down and writing a message. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite pieces of stationary, take a look.

A lot of my stationary is Rifle Paper Co. because I'm obsessed with the cute patterns. I usually get these from a local boutique called Elysian Co. I found two cute packs of cards from the brand Papyrus at my local Meijer and I just had to have them! These two packs are the cards with bikes on them and the cards with quotes!

Snail mail can be fun, if you use the right stationary!

My two favorite. This Isaiah verse is one of my favorite verses. 

My favorite Rifle Paper Co. Cards

Robot Set | Global Greetings | Set of Happy cards | Parisian Card Set | Muchas Gracias 

Currently Loving Vol. 04

This post contains affiliate links. Hoosier State of Prep may receive compensation if you click on certain items. 

Currently Loving 

I picked up Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend while I was in Kansas City and I have been using it on avocados and yesterday I used in in the egg in the hole that I made. 

I purchased the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette and I am so excited to try out some looks with it. It's been too hot (and humid) this week so I haven't been wearing much makeup. 

Currently Reading 

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Currently Up Next on My Shelf 

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
Argo by Antonio J. Mendez

Currently looking for apartment decor

I've purchased my new desk, nightstand, and bathroom accessories, but I still need to buy some little decorations for my apartment. Here are some decorations that I'm looking at. 

         

        

Currently thinking of renaming 'Hoosier State of Prep'

So big news, I'm thinking about renaming Hoosier State of Prep, but I can't think of a new name. All I know is that I don't the new name to include 'Prep', but I do want it to include my name. If you have any ideas, email me at hoosiersstateofprep@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram. 

ICYMI

I shared a dupe for the 'it' summer bag by Cult Gaia 

and 

I shared my weekly fitness routine plus my favorite nutrition bars

Is there something that you want to see on in blog post or in a 'Currently Loving'? Comment below! 

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Fitness Routine + Go-To Snacks

This summer I'm focusing my fitness routine back to a schedule while supplementing it with more plant based meals along with quick, easy snacks.

My summer fitness routine is somewhat similar to my routine at school, but I've added in workout classes from my favorite local gym. At school I try to workout 5-6 days a week depending on school work load. I switch between arms, legs, full body, and cardio while supplementing with HIIT, body barre, rowing, and Zumba. 

Here's a basic run down of my weekly fitness routine:

Monday: 3 mile walk + Dance Fuzion + Barre

Tuesday: 3 mile walk with sprint intervals + Arms

Wednesday: 3 mile walk + Dance Fuzion

Thursday: 3 mile walk +  Legs

Friday: 3 mile walk + HIIT or Fully Body Workouts 

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest 

It works better for me to rest on the weekend because my parents and I are always on-the-go on the weekends.  I use 8 pounds for my heavy weights and 4 pounds for my light weights. 

During my workouts, I track my steps and activity with my FitBit and use the app CharityMiles so that my miles can go to donating money to a charity of my choice. I personally have my app set to donate to charity:water. 

Go-To Snacks 

During high school my go-to pre(and post)-tennis match snacks were Luna and Clif bars, but I started looking for more options once I got to college. Since I've been in college, I've added three more healthy snack bars to my snack bin. More often than not, I grab a nutrition bar for a quick breakfast on the go.

1. The RXBAR 

What I love about the RXBAR is that the bars don't have any filler. What you see on the wrapper is what you get, and the bars are delicious. With no added sugars, preservatives, dairy, soy, or gluten, it's basically what every one is wanting right now. I'm not dairy or gluten free, but I appreciate the care that goes into these bars to make sure that only healthy products go into the bar. I've been trying to limit the amount of dairy I'm intaking so these bars are right up my alley. My favorite bars are the Chocolate Sea Salt and the Peanut Butter Chocolate.

2. GoMacro

A new addition to my bin. Some of the friends that I've made in CHAARG recommended GoMacro to me after having them at the national leadership retreat. So, I decided I had to try them out. GoMacro is a sustainable living company that makes nutrition bars that are vegan, organic, R.A.W, C.L.E.A.N, kosher, and non-GMO. I was sold on the non-GMO and organic, but I also love that there are no refined sugar either! I know a lot of vegans have talked about having issues finding nutrition bars, but I recommend checking these out. Check out these nutrition bars, here. 

 My local store only had the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, but I visited Fresh Market this weekend and hit the mother load so I stocked up! I'm so excited to try the rest of these flavors.

3. LARABAR

What I like: gluten free and only have 9 ingredients (or less). Honestly I just really love the flavors available. 

Comment what kind of workouts you do and what kind of snacks you eat before or after your workout. 

Look for Less: Cult Gaia Bag

As of late, I feel like almost every blog post I see is about either the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (please stop saying a pair boots for $400 is a steal, it's not), straw bags, or the Cult Gaia Gaia Ark Bag. So, I decided to see what all of the hype was about, but I refused to pay the $170 for the bag  so I found this dupe by Miuco on Amazon for $69.99 with Prime.

Both bags are made of bamboo, and look exactly the same. Some may say Miuco bag is a fake, but, I ordered the bag to see why others were obsessed with it. The Miuco bag came with a mini scarf to tie on the handles and a bookmark. For styling purposes, I used a purse scarf that I already had.

I ordered the large tote bag, which is actually larger than the large Gaia bag. Dimensions of both are: 12.5" x 10.5" x 6" vs 12.5" x 10.5" x 4".

Dress (J.Crew, similar) | Shoes (Franco Sarto, similar) | Purse scarf (Coach, similar)

Designer vs Dupe 

It's a beautiful bag, but is it practical?

In my opinion, no. I personally don't get the hype over a bag that is basically see through. While it may be a beautiful looking bag, I feel like it makes a better table decoration than a bag. If I'm going to purchase a bag, it needs to be able to keep my wallet, phone, keys, etc. away from the wondering eye.

I personally decided to return the bag. It wasn't comfortable to hold and it just didn't seem practical for my life. What do you guys think?

Currently Loving Vol.03

So I completely forgot to post the third volume of Currently Loving last week while I was visiting family in Kansas, so I'm posting it now!

Currently Reading

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

I would normally post the Goodreads excerpt, but it's super long and I don't even want to read that whole thing, so why post it?

Just Finished

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Goodreads Excerpt

"A warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives." 

Follow along with what I'm reading by following me on Goodreads!

Up Next:

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
Argo by Antonio J. Mendez

Current Podcast

'Actually Adultish' hosted by Christina Rice

I didn't enjoy season 2 of Serial as much so I just skipped the rest of the season and started 'Actually Adultish'.

Currently Listening 

I've revamped my Summer 2017 playlist. Check it out, here:

Currently in my Shopping Cart

I just got the iPhone 7 and AT&T didn't have a great selection of phone cases, so here are some phone cases that I'm looking at.

         

     
I also got a new iPad so I've also included some iPad cases that I've liked.

         

Catch Up:

Have you read yesterday's blog post? I shared a mini Kansas City Travel Guide .

Kansas City Travel Guide

I just got back from visiting family in the Kansas City area and I thought that I would share some of my favorite places in the area to visit. I only visit my family every now and then, so don't take these suggestions as 'OMG I go here all of the time and you need to check these out', but take them as, I went here while I was in KC and maybe you should check these places out.

Note: I forgot my camera for the trip so all photos are from my phone. Also, I lost a few photos after getting a new phone earlier this week.

coffee

The Roasterie

Located in Kansas City, MO, The Roasterie is a coffee shop that air roasts their coffee beans in house.  The outside of the building is a joyful yellow and has an airplane on top of it. You can even take a tour of the facility. I think the times for tours are 10:00 AM and 12:30 PM. When we got there, we arrived just after 10 AM so we didn't get to join the tour, but that's okay. 

The Roasterie has a coffee bar where you can order all of the normal coffee drinks as well as purchase local baked goods. I honestly had the best latte of my life there. If you ever visit, try a double soy sugar free vanilla latte, I hope that you won't be disappointed. They also have shirts, cups, french presses, drips, and BBQ sauce (is that Kansas City or what??) for purchase as well. 

Also a little outfit post even though I said I wasn't going to post one. I love this top from ASOS and these shorts from J. Crew! 

Food

Dean and DeLuca

Located in Leawood, KS, Dean and DeLuca is an upscale grocery store that has a great sandwich and salad selection as well as a coffee bar. One of my sorority sisters that lives in the area suggested it to my family so we decided to stop in for a quick lunch. 

I got a turkey and brie sandwich that had apricot marmalade on it, and it was honestly to die for. Dean and DeLuca has locations in New York, Kansas, North Carolina, Honolulu, and International. If you ever see one, stop in and grab a bite! 

(Note: I lost my picture for Dean and DeLuca while switching over everything on my phones)

Pig and Finch

Located in Leawood, KS, Pig and Finch has a great happy hour as well as a Sunday brunch and a wide menu. 

I visited Pig and Finch with my family for a quick happy hour stop and had a red sangria. They also offered Pimms, a Manhattan, as well as other delicious drinks. 

Pig and Finch is surrounded by cute boutiques, unique restaurants, and Town Center shopping mall.  

Tours

Steamboat Arabia

If you like history, I would suggest visiting the Steamboat Arabia in downtown Kansas City, MO. The museum depicts what happened surrounding the sinking of the Arabia and thousands of artifacts recovered from the boat in the 80s. 

Boulevard Brewery 

View from the viewing deck. To the left is the smokestack of the original building. 

Even though this tour is of a brewery, you do not have to be 21 to go on it. You just have to be 21 to be able to drink the beer. This was my second time going on a tour of Boulevard, but my first time being 21. The tour takes you through the original building as well as the current building that stores all things related to the brewing of the beers. The tour ends in the tasting room where you, if you're 21,  can choose two beers to taste. I personally recommend the Radler! 

Tasting Room 

Some of the beers available to taste. 

Following the tour, you can visit the beer hall above the tasting room where you can buy beer flights, 5 oz, 11 oz, or 14 oz glasses as well as food. My family purchased a meat and cheese board as well as a veggie plate to go along with our beers. I would definitely recommend grabbing a beer and a bite at Boulevard. 

If you want to go on a tour of Boulevard, make sure to get to there at 10 AM, when the tourism center opens so you can grab your tickets for the daily tours. There are tours all afternoon long. We purchased our tickets and then went to The Roasterie, which was about a block as away, and the Steamboat Arabia, which was about a 10 minute drive before returning for our 1 PM tour. 

Some cute prints on the wall of the beer hall. Can you spot the Evelyn Hensen print?

If you're from Kansas City or have ever visited, please leave some other suggestions below!