activism

Gift Guide for the Activist in Your Life

November 28, 2017

It's about that time of year again, where all the gift guides are coming out. There's gift guides for everything now, from the significant other in your life, to the sporty girl, to your dog groomer's cousin's cat. In this time of political turmoil in our country, hence the reason I started Half Full, I figured I'd write a useful gift guide. In a country that's being turned upside down, what's a better gift than a useful gift?

Maybe you have a friend or loved one that is trying to become more politically active. Maybe you have a friend who is already politically active or works in politics or nonprofits. Maybe you have a friend who isn't interested or educated in politics remotely, and you want to give them a little nudge. Either way, I've rounded up some tangible ways for people to get involved in the political sphere below, for my activist gift guide below.


1. A Donation to the ACLU in their Name

I made a donation to the ACLU recently, and now I get sent petitions weekly for other causes. I would save this for a very politically active friend, who always wants to help at least once a week.

2. An iPad Air

This is great for canvassing! Canvassers often use apps which tell them how a district votes and which houses to go to and which to avoid. Also, it's an easy way to collect donations from cards.

3. A Subscription to the New York Times

The NYT is the print CNN when it comes to keeping updated. They also have tailored newsletters and podcasts based on the consumer's interests. An informed activist is the best kind!

4. Merch from Crooked Media

Two ex Obama staffers crated Crooked media not too long ago. You may have heard of Podsave America? If your friend is politically active, chances are that they listen to the podcast. If so, get them a "friend of the pod" t shirt.

5. A Contributions to Amnesty International

Similar to the ACLU donation!


6. "What Happened" by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Maybe they can tell you when they read it...


7.  Pizza Rolls not Gender Rolls T Shirt

...Aand anything from feminist apparel for that matter. 

8. Sign them Up for Some Awesome Newsletters!


9. A Subscription to Ms Magazine





basic

OLD NAVY HAUL #NORMCORE

June 28, 2015

After work yesterday, my mom and I decided to go to Old Navy because apparently they were having another amazing sale where everything in the store was up to 60% off. Sometimes Old Navy does this really awesome thing were they do that. One of the many things I love about Old Navy.

Another thing I love about them is that they're a great place to stock up on basics. I got some basic shorts, a tank, and a skirt. However, I also got some non-basic sunglasses and dress. There's always great finds there.  It's helping me achieve my "normcore" look and fill my love for mom jeans, birkenstocks, and things of that nature. Here are my finds from my haul!




Tank $13.55


Shorts $8

My "normcore" shorts. They're a super light wash, and can you get more 90's relaxed than an ELASTIC WAIST?


Can't wait to rock this outfit. Something tells me it will be very soon.


Maxi Skirt - $20.96



Sunglasses - $13.56


 I was so torn between these and another pair. I went with these because of all the different details - the ombre, the chain, and the size. I think my face looks better with bigger sunglasses.


T shirt dress - $13.55


Loving this casual yet preppy dress. Something about it just makes me feel put-together yet beachy simultaneously.

All prices listed above are with the discount, not the original ones. Old Navy isn't always the cheapest, compares to places like Forever 21, so these were some GOOD deals. Everything I purchased was at least 20% off.

Did you get any good deals recently?




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chain

Lifestyle: My First Trip to Supermarket Heaven

December 01, 2014

When it comes to shopping organically, some people get defrayed because of the cost and location of stores. There's supermarkets around every corner, but not Whole Foods to Trader Joes. Some people have certain items that they always buy organically - produce, milk, cheese, whatever - and some items they just pick up at the supermarket. It's great to make an effort to buy some foods organically, however that means making two trips: one to an organic food store, and one to a basic supermarket.

What are some other reasons you (or maybe just me) love Whole Foods? The hot bar, say what? Yes! A pre-made buffet of delicious, wholesome food awaits in the pre-made food section, along with prepackaged sandwiches and salads not far from the bakery. What if all of the wonders (including toiletries) of a regular supermarket, the organic variety of a Whole Foods, the hot buffet bar, the baristas of a Starbucks, and the sandwich makers of a Subway? Well, just go to Wegmans!


Wegmans is a family-owned super-duper-market chain located in Chestnut Hill, Burlington, and Northborough, Massachusetts. I haven't been paid or compensated to do this post, after I took my first visit to the one in Burlington I felt inclined to write about its wonder.


I spent about two hours total there. Yes, most of it was me in awe just standing with my mouth gaping, but the rest of the time was spent checking off my to-do list: my Nutrition & Physical Performance "grocery store" analysis assignment for class, shopping for food for my dorm, and picking out dinner for that night. Being in Wegmans helped with my assignment because the new environment made it more fun, and having the assignment made me realize how much a variety the store had.

The assignment was to make graphs comparing how much fat, calories, sodium, types of fat, ingredients, etc of different types of milk (2%, skim, whole), cereals (high fiber, low fiber), peanut butter (natural, reduced fat), etc. Wegmans is a bit like Forever 21 in the sense that there's not one place for everything. In Forever 21, you can't just find a white cardigan, you can find a clean-cut one in the preppy section, a lace and fringy one in the boho section, and one with a varsity letter one in the sporty section. At Wegmans, you can't just find pepperoni pizza. You can find multigrain crust and vegan cheese pizza in the organic section, square or circle shapes of pepperoni pizza of the brands you love in the supermarket section, or you can find a fresh-baked artisan crust with pepperoni or whatever topping you want in the made-to-order buffet section.


What does this all have to do with healthy eating? One of the principles of heathy eating is variety. If you eat PB&J three meals a day, you'll get sick. I know none of my readers love PB&J THAT much, however variety keeps eating healthy interesting and rewarding. Just meandering the halls of a new grocery store will inspire you. I saw kale and turkey sausage soup that inspired me to make a kale and chicken sausage frittata. 

Some people are afraid of trying to buckle down and eat right because they're afraid that it'll be bland. If they took one trip to Wegmans, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or any place of the sort they'd be proven wrong. Yes, eating your fruits and veggies is important, however there's a new slough of superfoods out there just waiting to be experimented with. Kale, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, chia, flax hemp, spinach, cranberries, almond, acai, are just some. For example, look at these delectable kale and quinoa cakes I gobbled right up when I got home:


I took home salmon, the kale and quinoa cake, and an apple almond yam cake. No regrets. Not even one bite. (We're the Millers, anyone?)




Are there any awesome food stores around you? Also, what's your favorite superfood?

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bathing suit

HAUL: SUNDAY FUNDAY

March 10, 2014

Today is the day I started revamping my wardrobe for spring/summer. Actually, I lied. I already started online. But I had a strategy. I scoped the basics that I knew that I wanted online and bought the, after scouring multiple store website, Esty, and and Wanelo first. I bought a  pair of high waisted shorts from LoveCulutre, a flower crown and a pair of cat eye sunglasses from Forever21.com. That way, I'd have more money to spend on other things when I went shopping, and no time would be wasted looking for those basics!

So today, I picked up some more essentials in-store from PacSun and Forever 21. After going through the grueling five steps of dealing with F21 (overwhelmed, seeing the same shirt in 5 styles, "I have no clue what I want", "I don't want any of this!!'", and finally acceptance), I came out with a new pair of tennis shoes, a daisy dress, a skater skirt, and two crop tops. I picked up a bathing suit from Pacsun. Let's take a look!

Top - $24.95 Pacsun, Bottoms: $14.95.

I wanted to try something new for bathing suits this year. I love these bright colors (they make you look more tan). The frilly bottoms are adorable and contrast with the clean-cut top. I love the geometric pattern of the top and its resemblance to a bra, and the cut-outs.

Navy Blue tennis shoes - $12.80 Forever 21
My other tennis shoes are either broken or dirty, so I went for a clean pair in my favorite color!

Top - 8.80 Forever 21, Skirt - $5.80.

I love this simple crop top, it will go so well with patterned skirts or shirts. There's also an acid wash detail to it. I loved the simple skirt, and thought I could pair it with patterned shirts.

Shirt $12.80 Forever 21.

This cropped "Bored Of You"tank is floral and has a ton of attitude. I couldn't resist.

Dress, $21.80 Forever 21.

It's daisy season! I love the daisy pattern of this dress. It can be casual or fancy, depending on how yo style it. It can also be worn with or without the belt.



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christmas

STYLE: Christmas OOTD and Recipe Roundup

December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my lovely readers! I'm writing this post on Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve my family goes to Mass at 4, eats homemade lasagna, and then the rest of the night is filled with relaxing, opening one gift, and preparing the cookies for Santa and the turkey stuffing for tomorrow. It's our first christmas in our new home. I'm super excited to wake up to Christmas Day in a new home and to have all of the family over to celebrate!

Now, for my outfit.



Watch my video on this.
However my dress, socks, and tights are from Forever 21. My shoes are from TJ Maxx. My necklace is from a boutique in Hawaii. 
Now for my makeup. I used a Revlon bb cream, BH Cosmetics eyeliner, Benefit eyeshadow, Bare Essentuals lipstick, and Physicians Formula concealer. My eyeshadow and blush are from Studio Gear Cosmetics. If you're interested in buying their Holiday Palette or any other products from http://studiogearcosmetics.com/, use my discount code "DOLLAR13" for an extra 10% off!




Now for the yummiest part of the day, the fooood! First, I made white chocolate peppermint popcorn. The only "clean" part of this was that I used "Skinny Pop."
here's where I got the recipe.

The second sweet treat I successfully made was crinkle cookies. I always wondered how Panera got their red velvet ones to look just like that. Now I do! (Psst, the secret is powdered sugar.) They came out absolutely lovely. Check out the recipe here!

I also roasted up some green beans and sweet potatoes with goat cheese!

Lastly, I'll share a bit of what I got. I got a crosley record player, a wireless printer, an "up" activity tracker, a jacket, a cardigan, some trail mix, a pilates DVD and a pilates ball, and a Cape Cod alex and ani bracelet. I'm so incredibly happy and blessed!



Aaaannd one last note: post-christmas shopping! I scored some amazing deals. I've never been so content with my purchases and how I budgeted my money. I suggest going in with a plan, know what you want and how much you want to spend on it. That's just what I did at lush and I got the price I wanted. I'd like to highlight the amazing fringe and floral cardigan I scored at Forever 21. It was on sale for $20.99! It seems like velvet and fringe and going to be huge trends coming up. Here's a preview - however watch out for a huge haul of this on my youtube coming up!


However we all know that besides the gift of giving and getting, Christmas is about being renewed. Whether your are religious or not, take this time of year to renew yourself in your heart and your head. Reflect on the past year, take a deep breath, and think about how you can better yourself in 2014. A gift is not all about how much you spent on it, but whether it came from your heart to their heart. Have a great day, holiday season, and year everyone!

amazon

SHOPPING: PERSONALITY GIFT GUIDE

December 08, 2013

As far as blogging goes, I'm a gift guide virgin. I've never done a gift guide post because I feel like my advice wasn't good enough. However, I thought of an interesting angle to attack this post at. I used some inspiration from how I shop for myself and others.

When shopping, the two things I look for are a good price and it's functional. My philosophy on gift giving is to make sure the recipient will actually use it, otherwise it's useless. I always take things that I'm using that someone gave to me as a gift with special care. Hopefully your friends and family will do the same thing, with the help of this guide. To ensure this, I'm going to give suggestions based on personality types. If you want to give your bff who wear denim cut offs and listen to underground music something that's her cup of tea but you have no idea what, here's where I come in!

1. The Musical Type
This can mean anyone who either plays an instrument, sings, goes to countless shows and concerts (me), or has over 3000 iTunes songs (sadly, also me). These are general suggestions however you can customize it to their own favorite bands and artists!


1. Vinyls 2. Headphones 3. iHome  4. Band Tees

2. The Sporty Type
There's always your friends that are very athletic or like sports. They're always trying to blend athletic wear with street clothes. They're the ones that drag you to the gym. Show them you care about their interests!



3. The Techy Type
We all have those friends who know exactly what's new and next when it comes to tech. If they have the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5c just came out, they're trading it in right away. Here's some ideas for them!



4. The Adventurous Type
Some of our loved ones just want an experience, simple materials things just won't cut it. So if it's an experience they want, give it to them!



 5. The Fashionable Type
This is where I satisfy all you readers who wanted a typical "gifts for him/her" section. These are all under 100$ and 100 % stylish to satisfy your friends who are aways on trend!

1. Kendall and Kylie Clothes 2. Killer Shades 3. Neff Headgear 4. Button-Ups

6. The Funny/ Random Type
We all know that there are a lot of useless but hilarious gifts out there. They always amuse me as they line the que in a store or catch my attention at the check-out. When it comes to online shopping, websites like Urban Outfitters have a 5$ section dedicated to these types. I found some gems!





Wow, that was tiring to make. However I did it to hopefully make your holiday shopping a little bit easier. I hope this helped. Happy shopping!

charlotte russe

STYLE: TOP FIVE BEST STORES TO SCORE A DEAL ON FALL FASHIONS

September 09, 2013

The everyday struggle for every college student is wanting to look great but not wanting to dig too deep into their pockets. I mean, there’s books and meal plans to pay for, right? However if you split up your money right, you can have enough money to feed you educational and fashion needs. The trick is shopping at the right places. It’s no secret that you don’t have to drop top dollar to look like it. But where exactly can you go?
I surveyed a group of pretty stylish Freshmen girls on my floor in Bowditch Hall, and we all came to a general consensus. All of these stores have the same characteristics: new emerging styles, great deals and finds, and cheap good quality jeans. As Market Basket would say, you get “more for your dollar.” Here are the stores that it came down to:

  • H&M
For those with a more classy style, or for those special events, H&M will have exactly what you need. Because of it’s European base, H&M not only has what’s trending in America, but what’s trending in Europe. This store has by far the best deals, where else can you find a perfect blazer to dress any look up for $24.95?
  • Target
Target is one of the least expecting places to get everything you need to meet your fashion and back to school needs. At first I was surprised when I saw beauty bloggers and YouTubers rave about finds from target, I at first was shocked. Then with some research I was surprised with the amount of great pieces they offer. It’s a great place to stock up on staple pieces such as jeans, moccasins, scarves, tees, and tanks.


  • Forever 21
Forever 21 has become a staple in itself for young women’s fashion. It doesn’t matter if your a star-studded celeb or a high schooler with a part-time job, if someone asks you where you got your adorable high waisted shorts, they’re most likely from Forever 21. The best thing about F21 is that it doesn’t leave anyone out - there’s mens, kids, and plus size. I've always been captivated by Forever 21's accessories, like these Lennon glasses. They're so original.

  • Charlotte Russe
Charlotte Russe is a sister store to Forever 21 it seems. Charlotte Russe has the biggest selection of shoes I’ve seen in any store of its kind. Also, it’s a great place to score jeans of all walks of life: colored, ripped, high waisted, or plain in any wash. CR also offers a student discount for anyone who shows a student ID as well!
picture from CharlotteRusse.com

Check out those deals! That leaves enough money for a pack or two of easy mac for between classes. 

  • TJ Maxx

No, I’m not biased because I happen to work at TJs... well maybe a little. But in my opinion, everyone should be a Maxxinista! Not only can you always get more for less at TJs, but they also offer home decor, shoes, jewelry, accessories, purses and luggage, juniors, mens, kids, and plus sizes. I always say it’s the least intimidating department store I’ve ever been to. Every time I work, I’m more and more amazed by how many high end named brands are offered for a fraction of the price!

picture from tjmaxx.com


Happy Shopping and happy studying!