Exploring: The Dallas Botanical Gardens

A Photo Collection of the Dallas Botanical Gardens 

Dorm Shopping on a Budget

The summer before you begin your first year of college revolves around "preparing for next year" and that includes shopping for your very first shared 12x12 room!!! Dorm shopping can get expensive really quickly, you are buying al new living essentials! So here are my favorite places to dorm shop on a budget.

My top 5 stores to buy college must-haves

1. Target

Okay well Target is the perfect place to buy anything and everything for your dorm. I constantly find myself going back to Target to buy more and more dorm room stuff. So far I have purchased bedding, an ironing board, a Britta water filter, and a hamper from Target and I'll probably buy more things from there next week lol.

2. Bed Bath and Beyond

In my opinion Bed Bath and Beyond is basically just like Target when it comes to dorm shopping. Bed Bath and Beyond also always has 20% coupons so that is a plus.

3. Tuesday Morning

Tuesday Morning is definitely a hit or miss, but when I went this past week I would categorize it as a hit. Tuesday Morning has an abundance of odd and random things you probably forgot you need to buy for college. I got all of my towels from here (they were just as nice and WAY cheaper compared to Bed Bath and Beyond and Target), as well as some thin felt hangers.

4. At Home

I'm not sure if this is a new store or what but let me tell you it is a GREAT time, if you're into the whole home decor/interior design scene. Just make sure you're not in a time crunch when you come here because it's huge and time consuming.

Exploring: Waco, Texas

I know where I live I have heard people complain about how Waco is gross and there is nothing to do there other than Baylor. But in the last few years I have found myself in this college town a few times and found that those people are wrong. Maybe Waco isn't a great place to live, but the small town has some great attractions that are unique.

This is the first post in a new series I am going to be doing throughout my blog where I talk about some of my favorite spots or activities in various cities etc. :)

Here is a list of some of my favorite spots in Waco, Texas

1. Spice Village

Spice is every college kids one stop shop. It may be a little overwhelming at first, but find a pattern to walk the whole store and you'll be set. Spice is so wonderful because it makes name brand's and trendy items available in a small town. Honestly one of my favorite places to tool around!

2. Magnolia Silos Market

Whether you watch HGTV's hottest show Fixer Upper or not, Chip and Joanna's Magnolia Silo's is a great place to spend an afternoon. The property is so scenic and has such a peaceful and friendliness vibe even though about 25,000 people visit a day. The courtyard surrounded by food trucks is adorable.

How To Make the Most of the Summer Before College

Senior year of high school was probably the busiest time of your life so far. Once June rolls around all anyone wants to do is relax, but once July sneaks up it's already time to start packing up the last eighteen years of your life and move on to the next stage of your life - college.

Here are thirteen tips on how to make the most of the summer before you head off to college!

1. don't sleep in until noon EVERYDAY

Sleeping is probably one of God's greatest gifts; however, sleeping until noon everyday wastes too much time when you're counting down the days. So try to start waking up a bit earlier everyday and do something productive!

2. go on a family vacation

This summer I had the chance to go to Cancun with my family for a week. Most likely you won't be at the beach at school and family time is important when you're finally moving out after eighteen years. Think of it as a last hoorah or something!

3. make a day trip to a local outdoor attraction with friends

Spontaneous trips with friends make for the best memories. Research some nearby area's that none of y'all have been to. My friends and I went to a state park where we float the river, had a picnic, and hiked trails. It's an inexpensive way to do something new and spend time together before you go your separate ways!

4. spend time with your pets

I don't know about you but I think I'll miss my dog more than my parents sometimes. Sadly they're no pets at college so make sure you tell yours how much you love them, take them on walks, and play with them as much as you can. My worst fear is my puppy forgetting about me! :(