DIY Popsicles

Ingredients: 
- 1 cup (8 oz) water
- 2 1/2  oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/3 cup ( 2 1/2 oz) 2% milk
- 1 Tbsp half & half

Instructions: 
-In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk together the water, chocolate, sugar and salt until the chocolate has completely melted (do not boil) and chocolate granules have dissolves, about 5 minutes (test by dipping a clean spoon into the mixture: if you don't see many chocolate specks, it's ready to come off the heat). Let cool slightly (about 10 minutes). Whisk in the milk and half & half. Refrigerate until cool. 
-Once cool add to Popsicle maker. If you don't have a maker then add it into plastic cups and freeze until solid. Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this!

xoxo,

Maddie

Thursday Three

This week might be classified as my favorite week of the summer. Over the weekend I had my last, and best, trip to Door County. MY cousin and his girlfriend came and visited for the day and it was tons of fun to hang out with them. We spontaneously ran into the bay and swam which was my favorite part of the weekend, even though the rocks cut up our feet. I also got to go to Chicago for a trip with my mom. That is where all of my pictures are from so I'll explain more below!

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 We spent the first day shopping downtown which was a blast. My favorite part of all was lunch at the Peninsula Hotel. I actually got breakfast which as a banana french toast. It was sooo good. I also had a strawberry lemonade soda that was to die for. This was such a great lunch with people watching, good food, and patio sitting.

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 Shopping was so great. The first day was downtown and second we went to the Fashion Outlets of Chicago. I was so happy that I got to go to Vineyard Vines, both the normal store and the outlet, and the same with J.Crew. I also went to Zara, Kendra Scott, Patagonia and a whole bunch of other places. Comment below if you want to see a haul for it!

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Yup, this is another food picture. Well that is because I got Sprinkles Cupcakes which I have been wanting ever since I started watching Cupcake Wars in 7th grade and found out that one of the judges owns it. This is also the place with the Cupcake ATM. I posted a picture of it on Instagram. (follow me @classyandcleverblog) I got a S'mores cupcake which was amazing, even though I got a ton of marshmallow in my hair. 

What were you up to this week?

xoxo,

Maddie

Back To School Must Haves

Yup, that says back to school. I actually love school (the learning and the friends and the not working) so I am getting really excited to go back. I also love reading back to school blog post so I am so pumped to write a couple this year. With that, here is the first of the BTS posts!

None of these items are special things that you need but general ideas of things that I think make life easier at school.  

Backpack- For me a backpack is the most important part of school supplies. I've found that the Patagonia backpack is one of the biggest with a relatively reasonable price tag (the same as the North Face ones). Before I got that one I had one from Jansport but I found that it couldn't fit nearly enough in it. 

 Agenda- I adore agendas. I would have about 10 if I could. They keep me so organized that I haven't forgotten an event or piece of homework since I started using them. My school does give out agendas, but they are so small that I need to get a bigger size. The Lilly ones are just so cute that I always splurge and get one. 

 Charge Pack- I don't know how I would have survived without a charge pack. My school have horrid service so my battery drains without me even using my phone. I find a charge pack to be so handy and I bring mine everywhere, not just to school. 

 Jeans - This doesn't have to been a pair of jeans, but more a piece of clothing that makes you feel great and confident about yourself. I got the jeans pictures from American Eagle and they fit me like a glove. I feel so good wearing those jeans that I think everyone needs something like that. 

Water Bottle- I love drinking water in school for 2 reasons. One reason is because it helps me stay hydrated which makes me feel better throughout the day. Two it distracts me when I am bored. I really like the Camelbak ones because they have a straw and drinking is so much more fun with a straw!

 Converse - Getting a new pair of shoes before the school year has always been something I've done. This year I am getting converse. I wouldn't say everyone should get them, but to me it is a must to get a new pair of shoes before school. 

Lunch Bag- I think a cute lunch bag is needed to make that tradition from a homemade lunch at home in the summer to a cold lunch at school. I love the Vera Bradley ones because they are a great quality. Mine has lasted me for the last 5 years and doesn't show any sign of giving up. 

BB Cream- BB Cream is so easy to wear. It is pretty much a super light foundation which makes it so easy to put on. I throw this on everyday before school. It's not like you even need to put on anything else, just throw on a little BB cream and you could be set for the day.

Naked Basics Palette- I really like my Naked Palette because it's so small but with really good colors. I would almost recommend this one more than any of the others because in my mind less color options means less wasted time trying to decide on what to put on. I find this eye shadow stays on all day and almost always looks great.

Ear Buds- Please Please Please don't be that person who listens to music or watches videos without ear buds. It is just so annoying that I think everyone needs a pair in their backpack at all times. It also comes in handy when you finish a test and have to be quite, but you have ear buds so you can just pop those in and listen to what ever you want!

Do you have any must haves that I missed?

xoxo,

Maddie

Top 4 Favorite Bloggers

Way before I started my blog I was reading them. I have always loved different bloggers for their diversity in content and different personalities. I love finding new blogs to read, so these types of posts are some of my favorites. With that I will share my 4 favorite bloggers with you! 

Belle of the Ball 45

Abby is one of the cutest bloggers. She has such a sweet smile and an ever cutest sense of style. She doesn't post as much as the others, but you can always count of them to be of really great quality. Another great thing about this blog is that she collaborates with a bunch of different companies that you might not have heard of before. It is always fun to find something new and that is exactly what her blog might give you. 

The Blonde Prep

I read Fran's blog for the longest time, but it wasn't until recently that it became one of my favorites. I love how she and Caroline (see below) do so many things together. They are both such fun bloggers. One of my favorite posts that she does is her Week's Top 10. They are always a great mix of topics. I am so excited to see what she writes about in college because her post topics are so different than that I am always excited to see what she writes. 

Citrus and Style

This is by far my favorite of the blogs. I have been reading Caroline's blog for so long. Each post is entertaining and in a wide variety of topics. I love her mix of health and fashion. Another thing that I really like is that she is about my age so her blog is so much more relatable than others. What also makes her relatable is that we live in the same state. There are some things that make Wisconsin very different than others, like snow, so it is fun to see how it plays out in her blog. 

Prep in Your Step

Dorothy is honestly the cutest. I really like both her blog and her youtube channel. I don't always like her outfits, but they still are good looking. She was the first blogger that I ever read so I have been reading her blog for about 4 years now.  Of all the blogs she gives me the most inspiration. I will often see a post that she writes and see if there is anyway I can do a similar thing without copying her. Also, her blog is probably the funniest. She has a great sense of humor and I love that her pictures aren't always super serious. 

What are your favorite Bloggers?
xoxo,
Maddie

P.S. All of the pictures are taken off of the respective blogs which are linked in their titles. 

Thursday Three

This week went by so quickly but I think that was because there were so many things that I was looking forward to. I'll explain those events in a bit. Tennis tryouts also started this week and I can't wait to see what happens with them. Even if I don't make a team, I had a ton of fun practicing and playing with my family so it was totally worth it.

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This week I had the best brunch with my friends. They all came over on Sunday and we had pancakes, scones, fruit and more! It was so nice to get together with all of them and I can't wait for what the school year brings!

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I checked off another thing off my bucket list- make homemade popsicles! These are some of my favorites popsicles of them all, including all the store bought hones. The recipe will be on the blog in a couple of weeks so make sure to check it out! 

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THE OLYMPICS.. need I say more! I have been looking forward to these for so long. I love being able to watch different sports, mainly diving and rowing. I didn't really like the opening ceremonies because they weren't that exciting to me, but I did really like looking/judging other countries outfits!

How was your week?

xoxo,

Maddie

Outfit: Highly White

| Shirt (similar) | Jeans (similar) | Wedges | Belt | Earrings |

If you haven't been able to tell, stripes are one of my favorite things. I love how they are so nautical looking, but they look just as great in front of a building or near a garden. They are honestly one of the more versatile patterns.  Moving on, I adore the wedges. I've not been able to wear them more than once or twice but I absolutely  love how they look with this outfit. I am totally considering wearing this for my senior pictures!

Have any questions for me? Ask in the comments because I'm doing a Q & A next week!

xoxo,

Maddie

Blogger Bloopers

Taking blog pictures is normally a lengthy process for me. Sometimes for the 7 pictures I put on the blog I end up taking around 300. That means for every semi decent picture I put on the blog there are so many that look funny/bad. I figured I would find some of the funny or cute ones just to make sure that none of you are under the impression that i'm not perfect in any way. Most of my pictures are taken by my sister which means sometimes she takes ugly ones on purpose, mainly to annoy me or me just goofing off which is also a common occurrence. I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy laughing at them. I will also link the outfit post if you want to see the actual pictures.

Outfit: Winter Wonderland

Outfit: School Day

Outfit: Spring Stripes

Great Lakes Clothing Company

Cheers to One Year

Outfit: Fourth of July pt. 1

Outfit: Fourth of July pt. 2

Outfit: Romping Around

Weekend Uniform

Outfit: Ugly Christmas Sweater

One Piece 5 Ways

Favorite Outfit of the Summer

Red White and Stripes

Hope I gave you a few laughs or a little enjoyment for your day.

xoxo,

Maddie