Picture Frame Collage


Along with getting stress relief products and a flower painting for my birthday, I got the picture frame collage shown above. This collage was made by my older sister, and I absolutely love it. It contains various pictures of my friends and me. As you can see, I hung it up in my room. It makes for a great decoration!

Papaya Facial Face Wash


One of my previous blog posts was the recipe for an easy cucumber mask face wash. I found that recipe through a magazine along with two other recipes. So, I thought I would share the second face wash recipe with you guys!

The papaya facial helps to brighten your skin. Give your skin a glow with this mask that's packed with natural hydrators, like banana, papaya, and coconut water.

1. Combine three tablespoons of mashed papaya with two tablespoons of mashed banana, two tablespoons of milk, one tablespoon of coconut water, and one tablespoon of yogurt.
2. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick consistency, then place it in the fridge for one hour.
3. Smooth the mask onto clean skin.
4. Wait five minutes, then rinse your skin with cool water.

Frozen Yogurt


Frozen yogurt is a snack/dessert that is starting to become more popular. Everywhere I go, I see a frozen yogurt place. It has become the substitution for iced cream. Not only is it healthy but delicious as well!

The first time I had frozen yogurt was last year at Pinkberry. Personally, I don't like Pinkberry too much because they don't have many flavors and toppings to choose from. There is a frozen yogurt place not too far from my house that is actually really good! You get to serve yourself, and it has many different flavors and toppings. I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago and for the second time today.

I get the same thing every time - tart yogurt with Reese's, chocolate chips, heath bar pieces, and chocolate chip cookie dough.

So do you like frozen yogurt? What do you usually get?

The Ingredients for Teeth Whitening


One thing I'm very self-conscious about is my teeth. I'm constantly brushing them, yet the food I eat keeps keeps staining my teeth, causing them to become discolored. I hate using whitening strips because they just feel gooey and plain gross in my mouth! So I searched for recipes for teeth whitening forever until I came across one on Pinterest.

This process is super easy. All you need to do is apply hydrogen peroxide on your teeth for thirty seconds before you brush them. I pour a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide into a bathroom cup, dip a q-tip in, and then rub the q-tip on my teeth. It's not time consuming like whitening strips can be, and it actually works!

Stress Relief Products


Part of my birthday present from my boyfriend contained three of Bath and Body Works's stress relief products. The products on the left and right are lotions. The one in the middle is a body wash. I've only been able to use these once, but I'm already in love with them. The body wash is heavenly! I was having a really stressful day one day, so I decided to take a nice, hot shower and use the body wash. It actually helped me to de-stress.

I don't know if there are actually ingredients in these that help get rid of stress, or if it's just the words on the bottles that make you think it will actually help you to become less stressed, therefore tricking yourself into becoming stress-free. Whatever it is, these products are perfect for helping someone to stop stressing!

Room Decoration


My bedroom walls used to be pretty empty. It wasn't until recently that I decided I needed decorations for them to spice up my room. That's when I added the corkboard collage. I got the flower painting above as a gift from my sister for my birthday. It's so cute and matches the color of my walls perfectly!

So what are your walls like? Do you care to decorate them or not even bother?

Midterm Results


For those of you who personally know me, I worry over any kind of test. However, when midterms or finals come around, I worry and stress even more than I usually do. I'm not sure why because they're set up just like normal tests. Maybe it's because I have to study half a year of material instead of just a certain part... who knows! Anyways, I ended up doing really well on my midterms, so I thought I would share my excitement and grades with you guys.

The only midterm I wish I did better on was history, but that class is extremely hard and college-leveled! So I'm actually not that upset over my history grade. My midterm studying techniques definitely helped me!

English - 99
Geometry - 99
Chem - 98
History - 86
Spanish - 95
Religion - 95

Impulse Buys


Have you ever seen something in a store and just knew you had to buy it, no matter what? Well, that's what happened with me and the dress above! I was in Charming Charlie with my friends, and all of a sudden, I came across this dress. I'm pretty sure I felt my jaw graze the floor with an Oh-my-gosh-I-need-this-dress-and-if-they-don't-have-my-size-I'll-cry expression. The store didn't have an extra small, my size, but they did have a small, so I tried it on. The small was good enough for me, so I just decided to buy it.

I'm patiently waiting for an event to happen or somewhere for me to go that I'll be able to wear this dress to. I was thinking of wearing it to my Confirmation in April because at that time, the weather won't be hot, but it won't be cold either. The one sleeve is perfect for that type of weather. And maybe, if I'm lucky, the weather will be just right in the summer for me to wear this dress...

So have you ever had an impulse buys? If so, what were they?

Coach Wristlet


I got this Coach wristlet from my boyfriend's grandparents for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. It's so cute! The colors are perfect for the spring and summer. I'm waiting for the spring to use it since pastel colors don't really go with winter.

This wristlet is perfect for when you're going somewhere and don't want to take a bag because all you need is your phone and money. It's small enough to not be annoying to carry around but big enough to fit a phone and money.

How to Study for A Learner's Permit


I freak out and stress over any type of test, so it wasn't a surprise to me when I got stressed about studying for my driving permit. I had no idea how to study for the test. However, I ended up passing, so I thought I would share my tips on how to study for it so you all can pass as well!

1. Study the chapters in the driver's manual about license suspensions/fines and road markings, signs, etc. A lot of questions on the test come from those two chapters! (Side note: If you live in Massachusetts, license suspensions/fines are in chapter 2 and road markings, signs, etc. are in chapter 4.)
2. Get the RMV test app. You can find more out about the app here! (Side note: That app is only for Massachusetts permit tests. If you live in a different state, check if they have one for your state!)
3. Do practice permit tests. There are different websites that have practice permit tests. This website is currently on a practice test for Massachusetts, but it can be changed to any different state!
4. Start driver's ed before getting a permit. I started driver's ed before I got my permit, and it helped me so much while taking the test. A lot of the test questions come from stuff that is learned in driver's ed.

My Three-Day Vacation

This past weekend, I spent three days in a remote New Hampshire town with three of my friends. It was such a great way to relax from the three days of midterms I had. I skied, snowboarded, read, ate, and just hung out! I've skied ever since I was really little, and I love to ski whenever I get the chance to. Yesterday happened to be my first time snowboarding! I took a three-hour lesson with two of my friends, and it was actually really fun. However, one can only fall so many times... so I didn't snowboard for the rest of the day! I just skied instead. We stayed at my friend Sarah's New Hampshire house. I was so happy to be there, and I definitely enjoyed all of the food, laughs, and snow.

Me and Angela on the car ride up. (This picture can be found on Instagram!)

Angela, me, and Sarah on the ski lift on the first day of skiing!

Shaelyn, Angela, and me during our snowboarding lesson! (Picture collage credits to Angela.)

Corkboard Collage


Yesterday was my last day of midterms, so I had the whole afternoon to do whatever I want. I had a corkboard hanging up in my room that I wanted to decorate, so I decided to tackle that project. The result is the picture above!

I'm absolutely in love with how it came out. It took me over two hours to make, but it was definitely worth it. I had to print out so many different pictures and had to make sure they were the right size so they would fit. The images include desktop wallpapers from Carly's blog, my own chevron monogram made in Paint, Lilly Pulitzer prints, a picture of Morgan Eastwood, and so much more.

Goodreads: The Perfect Website for People Who Love Books


I came across Goodreads almost two years ago, and I absolutely fell in love. Goodreads is a website that allows you to search for books to read and lets you keep track of any books that you want to read or are currently reading. You can even join "book discussions" and win free books! It's perfect for me since I absolutely love reading.

Not only can you look for books and keep track of them, but you can also talk to people who love books just as much as you do! How cool is that?! It's a great way to meet new people and make friends. This website is also really easy to figure out and pretty self-explanatory. If you love books, I suggest making a Goodreads account today!

Become my friend on Goodreads here.

Midterm Studying Tips

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I've had midterms for the past two days, so I thought I would share my techniques on how to study. These tips have turned out successful for me, so hopefully they turn out successful for others too!

1. Get all of the study guides ahead of time. Don't wait until the last minute to finish them because then you'll feel overwhelmed and stressed. If you get them done ahead of time, you won't have anything to worry about.
2. Start studying right away. Once you finish all of your study guides, start studying. The information will build up if you start studying ahead of time instead of trying to cram a lot of information into your head the night before.
3. Ask your teacher about any questions you have. If you have any questions, ask them! Their job is to help you when you need it. My teachers have been great with helping me with the answers to questions that I don't know on the study guides. You'll understand the concepts more.
4. Get a good night's sleep. Make sure to get eight hours of sleep. Going to bed at 2am because of studying or waking up at 4am to study will not help you! It will just make you exhausted.
5. Stay away from distractions. This is a huge one. With texting and a million different social networks in the world, it's hard to stay concentrated. Don't text, and turn your phone off so you're not tempted to go on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. The less you're distracted, the quicker you'll be done with studying.
6. Have a good breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having a good breakfast like cereal, toast, eggs, etc. will give you a lot of energy to help you stay focused during your exams.
7. Study with friends. Going to study groups can really help. You can help someone if they don't understand something that you do, and someone can help you if you don't understand something that they do. Also, you'll be more likely to remember information this way.

I hope I helped!

Review on the iPhone 5

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I happen to have the iPhone 5, and a lot of people have asked me if they think they should get it. There is a huge debate going on over this phone with people who love it and people who hate. So, I decided to do a review on my phone!

Strengths
1. It's bigger. There's no doubt about it that the iPhone 5 is bigger. Some people tend to look at this as a weakness, but I look at it as a strength because then the screen is larger. A larger screen is better for watching videos, TV shows, etc.
2. It has a better battery life. The iPhone 5 supposedly has a better battery life. I find that I really only need to charge my phone when I go to bed. The only times that I might need to charge it more than once a day is when I'm using a lot of apps that day.
3. It's lighter. One would think that since the iPhone 5 is bigger, it would be heavier. But that's not the case! It's actually lighter, which is a convenience to me because then it doesn't feel like I'm carrying around a brick.

Weaknesses
1. It freezes. This is a problem. When I'm using my phone a lot, it tends to freeze. I then have to wait a couple seconds for it to unfreeze. This can become annoying if you really need to use your phone.
2. It has a different charger. Apple made the charger for the iPhone 5 a "universal charger" to be used with other phones. This is actually an inconvenience for me because the majority of my friends have iPhones, and only one of my friends has the iPhone 5 as well. So if I'm at a sleepover and forget my charger at home, I won't be able to charge my phone because my friends have the 4 or 4s.
3. The headphone spot is different. With the 4 and 4s, the headphone spot is on the top of the phone. However, with the iPhone 5, the headphone spot is right next to the charger spot, causing the headphones to get in the way.

Recipe for a Cucumber Face Mask to Calm Redness

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About two years ago, I found this face mask recipe in a magazine, but I'm not sure which one. Feeling that I would need this recipe sometime in my life, I wrote it down. It's easy to make and involves very common ingredients, so I thought I would share it with you guys in hope that it will help you!

Cucumber Face Mask - Calm Redness
Soothe irritation from stress, swollen red pimples, or over-washing with cooling cucumbers and inflammation-reducing cranberries.

1. Grate one cucumber and combine with one tablespoon of plain yogurt and one tablespoon of fresh mashed cranberries.
2. Mix the ingredients together to make a paste.
3. Apply the mask to any red areas on your face, neck, or chest.
4. Wait for five to ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly and moisturize.

How To: Make a Chevron Monogram in Paint

Monograms can be used for anything such as cards, tags, backgrounds, etc., so I decided to do a tutorial on how to make them!

1. Make two lines that are slanted to the left.

2. Copy and paste those two slanted lines seven times.

3. On the seventh copy, go to "image," "flip/rotate," and then click on "flip vertically" to make it slant to the right.

4. Copy and paste five copies of the two lines that are slanted to the right.

5. Connect the slants so they go left, right, left, right, etc.

6. Copy and paste three copies of the one whole line and separate evenly.

7. Fill in the chevron lines and outside lines with the color of your choice.

8. Open up a new paint document and create the monogram and a shape to put the monogram in. (Note: Play around with fonts and sizes for the monogram - just remember that the order goes first initial, last initial, and middle initial. The middle initial has to be bigger than the rest. I chose Gigi for the font. The A is size 90, the M is size 120, and the J is size 48.)

9. Copy and paste the shape onto the chevron lines.

10. Fill the shape with white.

11. Copy and paste the monogram into the shape.

A Vera Bradley Wristlet That Holds iPhones


One thing I got for Christmas that I absolutely love is this Vera Bradley wristlet. It's designed so that iPhones can fit inside. This wristlet has definitely come in handy because none of my previous wristlets fit my phone; my phone was always too big. So, Vera Bradley came out with a certain wristlet. It's awesome!

The picture on the left shows the front of the wristlet. Under the flap, there's a pouch where the iPhone goes. And yes, it fits the iPhone 5! I have the iPhone 5, and I was worried that it wouldn't fit because it's bigger than every other iPhone, but it fits perfectly. The picture on the left shows the inside where money, change, gift cards, etc. go. My only problem with the inside is it's a little small for everything.

The print my wristlet is in is Ribbons. Want to buy your own Vera Bradley iPhone wristlet? Click here!

The Importance of Journaling

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I've had a journal since I was younger, but it wasn't until recently that I realized how important it is to journal. If a moment happens that you don't want to forget, don't you want to write about it somewhere so you really don't forget it? The mind can be reliable, but once you get older, the chances of its reliability grow slim. You never know when you might forget things.

Unfortunately, I find that I don't really have enough time to journal. Writing just takes me too long, and I already have too much stuff to do in a day. So, I look at this blog as my virtual journal. My advice to you is to find someway to journal - whether it's through a blog, a journal, Tumblr, etc. - and just write.

The Importance of Libraries

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With reading devices such as Kindles, Nooks, and even iPads, libraries are starting to get less and less visitors. Why go out and drive to the library when you can just buy a book on an electronic device? Well, my thinking is the complete opposite. One of my favorite things in the world is libraries. Every time I go to the library, I just get in complete awe that I can get whatever book I want, and however many books I want, for free.

I absolutely love reading and can read quite fast. Therefore, it would be a waste of money for me to buy every book that I want to read because a) there are a lot of books I want to read and b) I don't read the same book twice unless I want to or have to. Imagine how much money I would spend if I didn't go to the library! Also, I love the feeling and smell of a book. If you spill water on a book, does it break like an electronic would? No. Does the battery die on a book like it does on an electronic? No.

To me, my town library is my second home. It's so quiet and relaxing. Everyone there is so friendly. And lastly, everyone there shares the same interest as you - reading. There is no limit - you can make friends with people from the ages of 4 to 84!

My English teacher from last year, a woman who I very much look up to and admire, shared a similar post to this one, so I suggest you check it out! You can view it here.

An App That Helps You to Study for a Massachusetts Permit Test


Do you live in Massachusetts and need to study for your permit test but aren't sure how? If so, get the Massachusetts Driver Test app. This app is filled with over 200 questions that are extremely similar to the questions on a permit test. I know that this app is free if you have an Android phone. However, if you want to get it on an Apple product it costs $1.99. It's worth buying the app though because it really helped me to study! Answering questions on an app is much better than reading the book.

Hope this helps!

CheckPoints: A Free App That Allows You to Get Free Gift Cards


CheckPoints is probably my most favorite app ever. It's a free app that gives you points every time you "check in" to a store. The points then add up, and you can end up getting gift cards with those points. Below are step-by-step directions on how to use Checkpoints.

  1. Download the app.
  2. Click on the settings circle in the top right corner.
  3. Click on "My Account" and fill out everything you need to. (Side note: For the spot labeled "bonus code," use ashleymason so you and I both get extra points! Save your account.
  4. Go to "In-Store" on the bottom left corner.
  5. Click on "Nearby Points" and refresh by swiping down the screen.
  6. Select any store, scroll down, and click "Check In." Points will then be added! (Side note: Stores with a yellow star next to them are worth ten points, and stores with a silver star next to them are worth two points! I really only check into the stores with the yellow stars. You also don't need to be in these stores to get points!)
  7. Are you in a grocery store or drugstore? Go to "In-Store" and then click "Most Points." Click on the store that you are in. Swipe to the left to see all the products you need to find. Once you find that product in the store, select it, click "Check In & Scan Now!" and align your phone with the bar code to get points. (Tip: If you are near a Burlington Coat Factory, go to "Most Points" and just check into it for 50 points!)
  8. Have a number in a red circle on the "Instant Win" block? Those are called bonus coins. You get those when you first sign up and when you scan the bar codes of items. The bonus coins can be used to play games so you can try to win points. If you want to use your bonus coins, click on "Instant Win," select a game, and play.
  9. Want to earn more bonus coins? Click on "Anywhere" and then click on "Try BonusCoins.com". All you have to do is download those apps, play them each for a little bit, and then CheckPoints will let you know when you get your bonus coins! (Side note: I only download the free apps and then delete them after I get the coins.)
  10. Want to see what gift cards you can get with your points? Click on "Rewards" and then click on "Categories." Select the category that interests you and see what you like.
  11. Ready to get a gift card? Go to the gift card that you want to redeem. Select it. Click "Tap to redeem prize" and then follow everything from there!
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Have a question? Send me an email at ash.mas19@gmail.com.
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Note: This app is legit because I got a $25 gift card to Amazon about a week ago through this app! It really works!

Coupons

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Many people jump at whatever chance they get to save money, whether it's from 50 cents to $50. So, I thought I would share the coupon sites that I have to help you guys save money! The links are in bold.

1. Coupon Database. This database is actually off of a blog. If you're looking for a coupon for a specific item, just type in the item and search until you find a coupon that you like. Then you just download and print it.
2. A Full Cup. This database gives you coupons for grocery items. Just like the website above, you can search for the items that you need coupons for.
3. List of manufacturers. Out of the three websites I've listed, this one is my favorite! This website has a list of 173 manufacturers that you can send an email or letter to and ask them for coupons. Sometimes they'll send you coupons, and other times, they won't. It's worth a try!

Happy couponing!

Paper Hoarding


One thing I've developed over time is paper hoarding. Paper is hoarding is when you save every piece of paper that only has the front side used and there is nothing on the back side. I'm not even sure how I got into this habit... it just kind of happened. I save pretty much everything that I can use the back side of, from receipts to previous school years' tests. The paper I saved gets used to make flash cards, lists, notes in class, etc.

One might never think that there's a reason behind this madness of mine, but there is. Paper hoarding saves paper and money. This technique saves paper because I'm not constantly wasting paper when I need to write something down. Money is saved because I'm not going out to buy paper; I'm just using what I have.

I hope you all get inspired to do the same!

Alex and Anis

A popular accessory among teenage girls and women today is Alex and Anis. An Alex and Ani is a bracelet that has a little charm on it. The purpose of Alex and Anis are to remind the wearers of the bracelets to stay positive. Each bracelet has a different meaning consisting of three nouns. However, not every bracelet means something; I know that the wraparounds and the initials don't have any meanings. Also, Alex and Ani creates their bracelets from recycled materials - how cool is that?! Below is a picture of all of my Alex and Anis and their meanings.


1. "A." No meaning.
2. Seahorse. Patience | Protection | Contentment.
3. January birthstone. Creativity | Patience | Perseverance.
4. Horizontal quill feather. No meaning.
5. Smile - It's All Good. Happiness | Flexibility | Peace

These bracelets typically cost less than $30, unless the one you want is horizontal (like the feather I have) or has more than one charm (like the smile - it's all good one I have)! They're also a great gift to give.

Winter Birthday Ideas


My birthday is today, so I thought I would dedicate this post to ideas for winter birthdays! I've always had difficulty thinking of what to do for my birthday because there's basically nothing to do in the winter, which is why I haven't done anything for my birthday since kindergarten. The ideas are basically aimed towards girls.

1. Go out to dinner. You can obviously do this no matter what season your birthday is, but it's still fun to just go out and eat!
2. Go ice skating. This is fun when you have a big group of people. You can either go skating indoors or outdoors.
3. Have a party. This is another one that can happen no matter what the season is. However, I never really like to have parties because I have so many different friends that I would feel obligated to invite, and I obviously wouldn't be able to invite that many.
4. Go somewhere and spend the night. New Hampshire would be a great place to do this - you and your friends could go skiing or tubing for the day!
5. Get "beautified." Go and get your nails and toes done - this is costly, but very fun and refreshing!

Pinterest

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One thing that has become extremely popular over the past year is Pinterest. This website is extremely addicting and fun, as one can tell by my Pinterest. I think of Pinterest as an online journal where one can share all of their thoughts, hopes, dreams, and likes.

Because of this amazing thing, I currently have my dream wedding planned and have the image of the perfect dream house in my mind. Pinterest definitely raises one's expectations - but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

A Delicious and Easy Dessert


The reason why I love making the above dessert is because it's not only easy to make but delicious as well. Once I have one, I can't help myself from having another! This dessert is very popular around the holidays, but it can certainly be made any time of the year. I've made these so many times that I have the recipe memorized!

Ingredients
  1. Small pretzels (square or normal)
  2. ROLOs
  3. Anything that you want to put on top of the ROLOs (Reese's Pieces, M&M's, nuts, etc.)

Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place wax paper on the cookie tray.
  2. Place as many pretzels as you want on top of the wax paper.
  3. Put one ROLO on top of each pretzel.
  4. Cook the pretzels and ROLOs in the oven for 3-5 minutes or however long it takes for the ROLOs to
      melt.
  5. Place your desired topping on each ROLO right when they come out of the oven and let the treats cool.
  6. (Optional) Put the cookie tray in the fridge to help the treats harden.

These are great for a party, hanging out with friends, or just for yourself! Enjoy your treats :)

Adding a Little Organization into the New Year

One thing I absolutely love is a planner. Planners help me to become a little less stressed and worried because I can map out everything that I have to do and won't forget about any assignment. A planner that I dream of getting is a Lily Pulitzer planner.

(Side note: This isn't my planner - it's my sister's.)

Lily Pulitzer planners aren't only very pretty to look at, but they're really organized inside as well. They have different tabs for the different months, a tab for notes, and so much more. So for those of you who are a huge fan of anything Lily Pulitzer, like me, go out and buy one of these to start your 2013 with organization!