How To Be a Post-Grad.

Post-grad life consists of day-long marathons of The Hills, copious amounts of Burger King chicken fries and a lack of showers. But despite what you may think, it's not easy. It's often a lack of good food, lack of money and a lot of self-loathing.

Though the job searching process is a rough one remember that some time off is good for the soul, even if it isn't for the wallet. This time off means you have no schedule and no commitments- if you're going to do that inexplicable lifelong-goal trip to the Kentucky derby, now is probably the time to do it. If you ever gonna learn Japanese just for fun, this would be the opportunity. You have all day long to work on that Miranda Kerr body, so you're out of excuses.

To keep yourself sane during this "in-between" period of life (and keep some dollars in your pocket) here are a few things I find that help:

1. LUSH shampoo bars - I recently discovered these and I swear I will never go back. I have oily hair, and often buy multiple brands of shampoos hoping that some combination will work.  Upon using the Jumping Juniper bar (which smells like lilacs!) I knew that I had found my miracle. These bars ($10 a piece, but completely worth it) don't take much to lather up and are said to last for over 80 washes. Plus, it leaves my hair silkier and shiner than ever before and wards off oil for days.

2. Great jeans - In the few months of post grad, your weight will fluctuate. College jeans may not fit anymore. Anything but leggings feel like torture. American Eagle doesn't really cut it anymore. My solution came in an accidental sale where I needed a good deal:  buy one get one free jeans at New York and Company… where I had a coupon. The jeans (which are actually great quality denim leggings) fit like a glove, adhere to the right places on my body (extra room in the hips and bum), and are super comfortable. Plus, one pair was free. The stretchy material also allows me to gain or lose pounds without having the "jeans" become completely useless. Good deal.

3. A good book - There are only so many episodes of Dating Naked that you can watch without thinking the world has completely and totally lost it. A good book will keep your brain from completely turning to slime after 8 hours of Spongebob. A good book will keep you company on a Friday night when you're out of bar money. A good book is your best friend. I swear by this.

BONUS: Great book recommendations: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn, Dare Me - Meg Abbott, The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Crank - Ellen Hopkins, Piece of Cake - Cupcake Brown, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac - Gabrielle Zevin, 13 Reasons Why - , White Girl Problems - Babe Walker

4. Duolingo app - This free app makes learning languages easy and fun. In a game-like format, the app offers basics in a wide variety of languages including Spanish and French. The app won't make you fluent, but it will definitely get you through a dream vacation (or a possible future business trip!)

5. A shoe for all seasons - Shoes aren't cheap. (Sadly.) So buying 18 pairs of sandals and flip-flops right now is probably not your best bet. While shoe shopping, opt for a pair that will transition smoothly into fall and winter. I personally love Vans slip-ons. They come in a lot of patterns and colors so chose one that suits your style best! Also, these are chic.

6. Blankets. - You can never have enough blankets at this stage in your life. They're great for when you have visitors. They're great to keep you warm without cranking up the heat (aka save you money). They are awesome to cuddle with during those Netflix binges. A big, soft one will be a little pricier, but I promise you it is worth a few extra bucks. The softer the better- you'll know when you feel it. You can get the on sale at TJ Maxx if you're looking for a really good deal.

7. RAMEN. - Okay, okay this is a personal comfort food. (I love it.) But in all honestly, it's awesome. On days when I didn't really want to cook, it was the perfect solution. On days when I just wanted something warm, it worked. On days when I forgot to go grocery shopping, it was my best friend. But the best part about ramen is, you don't just have to eat it as soup. Lately I've been using the noodles in stir fry dishes with chicken and vegetables, and it tastes awesome. Some people even add the noodles in salad for a nice crunch, or add peanut butter in the noodles to make a pad-thai type dish. All in all, ramen is pretty much all you need. Ramen is life.


xo hope you survive.
also, don't stop job searching even if you cry.

bye.