Thursday Three

School has started to fall into a rhythm and which has made this week fly by. By far and way the best part of my week was that my mom came to visit over the weekend. We went to brunch, the farmers market, and had lunch together. We also went grocery shopping at Whole Foods so now my pantry is looking great. Check out what I keep in my dorm here. Also, this is what happened this week: 

|1|

When my mom came this weekend, we went to a great breakfast place. Marigold Kitchen is right new the state capital so we had brunch there before going to the farmer's market. I had cherry cheesecake pancakes with the best pumpkin spice latte. My mom had pumpkin buckwheat pancakes; the perfect fall flavor combinations. 

 |2|

It is finally starting to feel like fall. Yesterday was the first day it wasn't over 80 degrees. I love wearing jeans and it made my day to wear them. Cool weather is my favorite. I love fall fashion that comes from cold weather with layers and warm colors. I never thought I would be happy to see 80 degree weather leave. 

 |3|

I have been waking up early almost everyday to go on a run. This week I got to see the prettiest sunrise. Running in the morning isn't my favorite thing but it is the only time I can fit anything in. This sunrise was so pretty that I watch the whole thing as I ran. Sometimes it is nice to be able to stop and see something beautiful. 

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie

Dorm Grocery List

     I hate dorm food. I couldn't even make it one month before finding that I can't stand the dorm food. It's not always warm, the food just isn't good, and the having the calorie count on everything really makes food seem less appealing. I know that sounds dumb, but seeing a calorie count on every muffin, sandwich and piece of fish. I just don't want to know the calorie count, especially if it is dessert or breakfast. 

     In order to keep myself away from the dining hall as much as possible. These days I always have breakfast in my dorm, dinner in the dining hall, and then lunch tends to vary. Certain days I make a sandwich so I can study and not leave the library, and other days I will pick up something from the dining hall. I keep a well stocked pantry in order to be able to make some good food. Here is what I keep in my dorm. 

All of these items allow for a variety of meals to be created. Here are some examples of what I will make. What to make is pretty self explanatory such as parfaits, sandwiches, oatmeal & bananas, and apples & peanut butter. Any combinations of these foods make food a good breakfast, at least one that is more filling and better tasting than anything I can find in the dining hall. 

What do you keep in your dorm?

xoxo,

Maddie

Mastering the Farmer's Market

As you know, I love any and every farmer's market. I adore getting fresh produce and baked goods for the week. Now that I am in college, going to the farmer's market means that I will actually have good food to eat over the week. Each Saturday morning I wake up, make a coffee to go, and then meander my way to the market. The market has been my favorite part of the summer for as long as I can remember so here are the lessons I have learned over the years. 

| Bring Cash |

This seems like an obvious thing to say, but you don't want to find yourself eyeing up a muffin when you only have a dollar. Bringing cash ahead of time means that you can avoid ATM fees and make the most of the time you set aside. 

| Bring Your Own Bags |

Not all vendors have bags, and bringing your own means that you don't have to walk around with a bunch of plastic bags. I like to bring a canvas bag, since they are sturdier and I like how the look. Finally, bringing your own bags is more environmentally friendly which is never a bad thing.

| Don't Buy Right Away |

Make sure to walk around the whole market (depending on size) before you buy anything. There are so many reasons for this. 1) It sucks to buy something then see the same thing for less money 2) It makes the time at the market longer 3) This allows you to scope out the best looking product of your choice.

| Ask For a Sample |

If there is something that you haven't tried, don't be afraid to ask to try something. If they say no, oh well, but most times they will gladly give you one. Just last weekend, I had to ask to try a plum and needless to say, I walked away with some amazing plums.  

| Get Heavy Things Last | 

The last thing you want to do is buy a melon and then have to lug it around. Just make sure to take note of the price for the heavier things so you don't run out of money. Also, keep one bag empty for later so you can keep the heavy things in one bag so they don't squash any lighter foods. 

| Treat Yourself |

It is unimaginable to me that one could go to a farmer's market and not get something for breakfast. At home, I loved getting an egg roll or hand pie, and in Madison, I've gotten an amazing sticky buns and scones. I make my treat breakfast for the day and then I may or may not get something for later as well. 

Whether you decide to go alone or with friends, the farmer's market is my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning. What is not love about fresh air, local produce, and baked goods? 

Tell me how your trip to the market is!

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

I am finally starting to get into a grove. I have figured out when I have time to workout, where I like to eat and what place is the best to study. All week I have had things to do with Tri Delta which has made for fun homework breaks.

|1|

The weather has been crazy warm this week. I am talking around 80 degrees everyday. I get dehydrated so easily, that with this heat, my S'well water bottle has become my favorite thing. It comes with me everywhere. It really does keep my water cold for so long. I had ice that lasted overnight!

|2|

I have been spending so much time studying right now that it is a little overwhelming. For example, I got 4 homework assignments for French and they were all due in 2 days. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I wasn't expecting to have to spend every free moment during the day studying.

|3|

Each week the thing that I look forward to the most is the Farmer's Market. I love leaving my dorm room and walking down State Street in the (relatively) cool morning air with my coffee. It is so peaceful for me. I always grab a treat for breakfast when I am there, and it has always been my favorite meal of the week. This apple fritter was a good $3.

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie

10 Things I Miss

It is crazy to think that I've been away from home now for three weeks as of tomorrow. These weeks have gone by so quickly, which I am thankful for because it hasn't always been great. That being said, being away from home for so long is weird since I am such a homebody. I am proud of how well I have adjusted, but let's be real I still miss home. It always hits me at random times, and as you'll see, some of the things I miss are just as random. 

1. My Family

I feel like this goes without saying. I thought I would miss my family right away, but I barely thought about them unless I was talking or texting one of them. Then, all of the sudden it hit me that they aren't just around the corner for me. 

2. Working Wifi

This sounds really random, I know. Wisconsin's wifi has been a mess for the past week and right now all I want is to be able to looking something up without having to worry about whether or not anything works. Super random, I know. 

3. Company at meals. 

It is so weird to eat alone for every meal. I eat breakfast in my dorm (the foods better), lunch while studying, and then I just have dinner whenever I am done studying. Conversations over meals make them so much nicer and longer. 

4. Privacy with Dorm Showers

 My dorm shower is the worst. There is no gap between the communal area and the shower so I have the choice of either getting my robe sopping wet or hoping that there is no one outside when I need to grab my robe. It adds excitement to my day that I didn't want. 

5. Air Conditioning  

It has been 80 degrees recently and I am not thrilled. There is only so much that having the windows open with a fan going can do. I have had to sleep without covers, which I dislike, and just being in the room is uncomfortable. Let's just say I am ready for the cold. 

6. Ability to Drive  

I have walked over 15,000 steps everyday I've been here and let me tell you, it is tiring. It is a 25 minute walk to the Tri Delta house, and a 15 minute walk to the Memorial Union, which is where I do all of my homework. I love to walk, but boy, would I love to be able to just get somewhere at a reasonable pace. 

7.  Ice 

I really only like to drink water with ice, but sadly I have had to learn how drink iceless water. My water pickiness has finally come to an end. The ice machine doesn't work with my Swell water bottle which means no ice for me. I really miss the ease of ice, it was luxury I didn't know I had. 

8. Cooking

I knew I would miss cooking. Being limited to a microwave and fridge is hard, especially when you can't use the microwave when the roommate is sleeping. The dorm room recipes online aren't helpful, like I don't want to buy a package of eggs for one egg. TBH, I just want to make warm muffins.

9. My Best Friends

Meeting new people is great, but you are in a weird place for a while where you can't get to deep about anything. There is nothing like the relationship you make by being friends with someone forever. I miss being able to just say anything and not worry about making the wrong impression. 

10. Mom's Cooking

This is the one I missed right away. The dining hall food is subpar, especially since I am used to high quality food. All I want is breaded chicken, steak or a real dessert. I would take even some of my least favorite meals, if it meant that it was homemade and not from the dining hall. 

Even though I miss a lot, I can't say I would go back to high school for it. I love the independence that I have. I like having less class, even if they are more work. There is so much happening that there is rarely time to miss more than one of these at a time. College hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies for me, but it has been an interesting and exciting change none the less. 

What do you miss from home?

xoxo,

Maddie

What I Wore for Sorority Recruitment

Sorority Recruitment was a long process but I am so happy that I did it. I started planning what to wear in May, only because I was so excited. I put a lot of effort into making sure what I wore represented who I am, and not what I thought the chapter might want to see. The girls at Wisconsin were wearing a wide variety of outfits so my best piece of advice would be to wear what you love and  to not base it off of what you find online. With that being said, here is what I wore for Sorority Recruitment!

Round One 

For round one we were told to wear a cute outfit with shorts or a skirt, something fun and casual. This round lasted two days, where you visited 6 houses on each day, which meant two outfits were needed. For this round, I wore chino shorts both days along with a cute top. 

Round Two

The clothes for round two were supposed to be something that you would go out to tea with your grandma. I chose to wear a fit and flare, geometric pattern dress I got a while back from Dillard's, but I managed to find a similar one to show you all. This round involved seeing 8 houses and was based on philanthropy.

Round Three

Round three was the same as round two, but I decided to look a little nicer because I just wanted to wear my Lilly Pulitzer Dress. For this round, we visited 5 houses, got a house tour (!) and the basis was sisterhood.

Preference Round

The dressiest night of all. I wore a super cute black dress from Lauren James. I love this dress so much because it has pockets, scallops and an open back. How could you not love it? We visited three houses, and had more intimate conversations as well as some really good food. 

Bid Day

Bid day, or night for my case, is super casual since you are given a t-shirt. I just wore white jean shorts and Birkenstocks. The shirt I got was so cute. It was a light blue tank that said "Dropping Jaws since 1888" which went along with the share theme! 

The whole process had a lot of ups and downs, and being told to "trust the system" but in the end I can safely say I ended where I belonged. I love the girls in TriDelt and I simply cannot wait to get to know them better. Delta Delta Delta was the place for me, and I can say that the next four years will be better because of them. 

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

Week two of college is complete, and honestly it a way better week. There were a bunch of highs and lows, but the highs were really good. My classes are now really getting started and, even though I have a ton of work to always do, I am really enjoying them.

|1|

My goal is the find the best coffee shop in Madison and I might have done it! I went to Indie Coffee one day I didn't have classes and it was probably the best decision I've made so far. I had a waffle and a chai latte. Both were amazing and I am already looking for a time to go back. 

|2|

I went to my first badger game this past weekend and it was a bunch of fun. The weather was amazing for it, and it was nice to be able to go with friends as well. After the game we went for the famous Ian's Pizza and just hung out for a while. 

|3|

Saving the best for last.... Tuesday was Bid Day! I have been going through recruitment for almost two weeks and I can finally say that I found my home with Delta Delta Delta! Bid night was a ton of fun involving cute t-shirts, ice cream and taking tons of pictures. (Catch me on the far right of the second row) I am so excited to start doing things with my sorority and to meet all of my new sisters! 

My posting schedule will probably be getting a little random in the upcoming month. With classes, friends, working out, and blogging I am having a hard time balancing everything so don't be too surprised if I miss a post or two... I am still here! 

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie 

Dorm Room Tour

I so wanted to make a really cute dorm room like all of the ones on Pinterest, but I really couldn't since I had no idea what my dorm was really like until I got there. My roommate is an international student, so we couldn't make any plans to match so it is a plainer set up. I still like how it looks, and to be honest, I don't spend too much time in my dorm so it doesn't matter to me.

     My bed would have to be my favorite part. I have always loved my bedding so I decided to bring it along with me since it was already a twin XL. I just added a couple new pillows to make it a more comfortable place to be. I am still planning on buying red based pillows, but no store seems to carry them right now.  

     Under my bed is where I store most of my clothes since the closet is really small, and we have to share it. That doesn't bother me too much because between my dresser and drawers, I almost have too much space (if that's a thing). 

    I really like my oar with my hats (Pinterest inspired) as well as my bulletin board. My issue is that I almost have too much room to decorate that I need a bunch more stuff to fill up the space. I am looking into getting some prints, so if anyone has recommendations, let me know. 

There is an entirely separate room for our desk, which is nice because it allows me to really spread out. I keep my desk pretty clear, and then I use the space over my dresser for storage. This is where I keep all of my class things as well as my makeup and toiletries. 

My bookshelf (i.e. coffee station) is my favorite spot. I love being able to display my mugs and coffee supplies. I keep one of my favorite pictures here for decoration along with jars of shells from my vacations to Florida. 

      I also have a pantry in my dorm room, filled with my favorite foods, but since it is share it didn't want to take a picture of it since its no as organized as I'd like it. Would you be interested in a "what's my dorm pantry" post?

Now you've seen my dorm. I still hope to make it more homey, but it works for now. 

xoxo,

Maddie  

My Fall Fashion Essentials

The school year in now in full swing which means that we have unofficially started fall. Even though the actual season may be summer, the changing leaves, apples at markets and falling temperatures are telling us otherwise. Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons for fashion because nothing is better than looking cute while feeling cozy.

| Vest | Jeans | Riding Boots | Flannel | Sweater | Bean Boots | Thick Socks | Hat |

For me, fall means cozy and cute outfits. Being warm starts to become a necessity this time of year, but thankfully the winter parkas aren't quite yet. Take advantage of being able to show off your cute outfit around campus and in the halls, but wearing cute outwear such as vests that can be a fashionable part of the outfit. One of my favorite combinations is leggings, flannel, a vest and boots for a comfortable outfit. Another one I love is jeans, a pullover sweater and either a button down or flannel peeking out.

What do you like to wear in the fall?

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

Week one at Wisconsin is done! I survived but I would be lying if I hadn't said that there weren't time where I questioned what I was doing here. This past week was filled with recruitment, the start of classes, trying new places to eat (found a great coffee spot) and overall trying to figure out the college life. 

| 1 |

I was able to make it to the Dane County Farmer's Market for the first time this Saturday and loved it! There are so many yummy looking food stands that I went around twice before I decided on what to eat. My sticky bun was amazingly good. I got a scone for breakfast the next morning since the dining halls open up really late on weekends, and that was one of the best scones I have ever had. 

| 2 |

I was getting a little bored at the beginning of school since my roommate moved in later than I did, and I hadn't meet anyone in the first couple of days. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself but I knew that would do me no good, so I decided to try a new coffee shop. This was one of the best choices I made because a) the place was so good b) I actually did something for myself and c) I proved to myself that there is no reason to be upset. 

| 3 | 

Classes started yesterday, and I would be lying if I said I was totally intimidated by the syllabus for each class. I can't help from being afraid that I will mess up a test so badly that I won't have a good grade, especially when I have classes where each test is 30% of the grade. The most important part of the day, was that I didn't get lost which is more impressive than it sounds with the size of the campus. 

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie 

UW Madison Bucket List

Madison, WI has not been someplace that I have explored too much before, and combined with being a college freshman means that there are so many things that I have yet to do. Right near campus, there are several restaurants of almost any cuisine, style, and price. There are different activities occurring on campus every week ranging from concerts to meetings to bonfires. Being bored on campus is hard to comprehend if I make an effort to finish off this bucket list.

Go to the Farmer's Market on the Square

Try all of the nearby, local coffee shops (who needs national chains?)

Jump Around at a badger game

Go to Short Stack Eatery in the middle of the night 

Get a Mac and Cheese pizza from Ian's 

Try as many food carts as possible

Find a core group of friends

Study Abroad

Have pitchers on the terrace (once I'm 21 of course)

Find my perfect study spot

Spend a summer in Madison

Learn the words to "Varsity"

Swim in Lake Mendota

Earn a 4.00 one semester

and finally.... sit on Abe's lap after graduation

Tomorrow is the start of classes!

xoxo,

Maddie 

College Application Tips

As I sit here in my dorm room trying to figure out college, It is hard to imagine the stress and worries I had about college applications this time last year. It was something that was always on my mind, sometimes to the point where I would dream about different responses to the prompts. With this weekend symbolizing the end of summer, I am sure that this years seniors have no choice but to face the prospect of college applications. It is a daunting task, so here are my tips to help make the process a little easier. 

| Ask For Help |

Please, Please, Please don't be afraid to ask people for help. Ask them for topic ideas, to read your essay or anything else. This is such a hard time that if you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask. I had both parents and three English teachers read each essay which made me more confident in my work. 

| Start Early |

You really don't want to push off writing these essays any more than you might have already. The prompts are out, so you might as well at least brain storm ideas. The last thing that you'd want is to have an application due at the end of the week, as well as several essay and hours of homework from school. Starting early means you can end earlier, and believe me, being done is the best feeling. 

| If it's Optional, Do it |

Obviously I can't say how much each optional portion matter for every school, but if they went through the effect to make it part of the application then it is probably something you should do. It wouldn't be on the application is there wasn't some purpose to it. 

| Get Letters of Recommendation |

Getting letters of recommendation is so important, and it is even more so to ask for them ASAP. You don't want that favorite teacher to write a sub par letter because she has 20 others to write and the deadline is in a week. Ask early, and make sure you pick teachers that you know will have positive things to say. 

| Apply to a Variety of Schools |

Safety school, reach school and those in between schools should all be apart of your applications. You wouldn't want to see yourself sort by only applying to easy schools, but at the same time, you don't want to not get into a school. Applying to a wide range of colleges will result in a wide range of responses and hopefully some (good) surprises. 

The most important part of this all, make sure you don't worry too much!

xoxo,

Maddie