Tag: Holidays

Virtual Book Display

Published by Alyssa on November 13, 2018

Check out these books to gain knowledge on a variety of topics. The holidays are a perfect time to cozy up with a good book and learn!

Title: The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures

Author: Adrianna Adams

Year Published: 2015

Topic: Crafting

Where you can find it: PSU Library

Summary: Crafty holiday inspired projects with easy follow-along instructions. This book is organized by month and separated into live, do, and make categories.

Reason to read: To find crafty inspiration with easy and affordable cozy projects that will be fun!

Title: You Need A Budget

Author: Jesse Mecham

Year Published: 2017

Topic: Personal Finance: Budgeting

Where you can find it: PSU Library

Summary: Mecham’s “proven system for breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, getting out of debt, and living the life you want” will help you transform your money management. This book will help you determine your financial goals and show you how to stick to them.

Reason to read: It’s right there in the title, you need a budget, whether you realize it or not. This book is great for if you’re just beginning to budget or want tips on how to budget more effectively.

Title: Go Green, Live Rich

Author: David Bach

Year Published: 2008

Topic: Sustainable Living

Where you can find it: Schlow Library

Summary: This book offers 50 ways to transform your life to become more sustainable and wealthier. Bach shows us how living greener can save us a lot of money while also helping the Earth.

Reason to read: This is a great way to learn more about how to live green without breaking the bank. In fact these tips will help you save money. Even just following some of these tips can help you be more sustainable.

Title: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Author: Dan Ariely

Year Published: 2008

Topics: Awareness, decision making, consumerism

Where you can find it: PSU Library and Schlow Library

Summary: Are we really the smart, rational consumers that we believe we are? Ariely doesn’t think so. Consumers make quick decisions based off misguided judgments that are influenced by society, media, and corporations. This book delves into the reasons why consumers make the decisions they do and why we are often predictably irrational.

Reason to read: This book directly correlates to PSU Libraries’ The Informed Consumer Series. Read this book to learn about the irrational decisions we as consumers make daily without thinking twice. This book can help us understand why we make the decisions we make and how to curve those irrational thoughts. Be an informed consumer, not a predictably irrational one.

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Reflection: Being Thankful

Reflection: Being Thankful

Published by Alyssa on November 13, 2018

It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of the holiday season. However, it’s important to remember what the holidays are all about: family, friends, and being thankful. We are all very lucky to attend such an incredible university and have the opportunity to earn a higher education. We are also very lucky to have a home to go to during breaks where we get to spend time with our loved ones. Sometimes we get so busy that it’s easy to forget about being thankful. Try to reflect this holiday season so you can truly appreciate everything you have in your life. Enjoy your break from schoolwork and have some awesome experiences with the people you love. If you can, consider giving back during the holiday season to help those who aren’t as lucky. Whether its buying a gift for a child whose parents cannot afford any or volunteering to help at a food bank, giving back is a great way to get in the holiday spirit.

How to reflect:

If you’re having a hard time reflecting try finding a quiet place where you can clear your mind with no distractions. Maybe it’s the shower, or your car, or your favorite coffee shop. You can also try writing down your thoughts or meditate to better connect with yourself. Try to think about your past experiences and ask yourself some questions.

Here are some sample questions to consider

How did you become the person you are today?
What experiences have shaped you the most?
Are you content with your life, why or why not?
What goals are you working to achieve?
What goals have you already achieved?
What do you value most in your life?
Where do you want to be next year?
What are you most thankful for in your life?
How would your life change if you didn’t have the things/people that you’re thankful for?
What can you do to help people less fortunate?
What can you do to better take care of yourself?

Really reflecting is just taking time to think about who you are and who you want to be. Often times we neglect these questions because they can be scary and full of unknowns. However, reflecting consistently will help you to know yourself and your goals better. Note: Your reflection doesn’t have to follow these questions or even this theme, it should be personal to you.

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Staying Healthy Over the Holidays

Staying Healthy Over the Holidays

Published by Alyssa on November 13, 2018

What’s my favorite part of the holidays? Seeing friends and family of course! But what’s my second favorite part? The food. I find myself daydreaming about thanksgiving dinner, dessert, and all of the leftovers! It’s all fun and pies until you realize you suddenly don’t fit into your jeans anymore. Come on, how does 1 day of feasting, ok maybe 2 or 3 make that much of a difference? The problem is most of us eat more food on breaks and we aren’t getting the typical exercise that our bodies are used to. Even walking around campus to and from classes burns a lot of calories. Also, we’re getting delicious home-cooked meals in place of dining hall food/something we made ourselves for free. Plus everything just tastes so much better during the holidays. So how can you ensure you stay healthy during the holidays? Check out these tips to make sure you come back to campus feeling great.

Be mindful of what and when you eat. Are you really hungry, or just bored?

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There will be so many temptations, self-control and portion control are the keys to success.

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Choose healthier alternatives. This sounds especially difficult as it is the holidays, but there’s plenty of healthier options. Need some ideas? Check out these 12 healthy holiday recipes from an article from Fitness Magazine.

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Watch out for drinking your calories. Hot chocolate and other fun holiday drinks are delicious, but pack a lot of calories and sugar in a small cup.

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Thanksgiving is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t over-stuff yourself, grab small portions of your favorite foods, eat, then take a 20 minute break before deciding if you’re still hungry for more.

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Watch out for your old bad habits, when we go on break we can accidentally slip into routines that we left at home. For example eating an entire bag of chips in front of the TV.

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Find a way to stay active over the holidays. You probably won’t be doing your typical campus routes at home.
Just move, exercising doesn’t have to be a boring run on the treadmill that you dread. Even taking a long walk or playing outside with younger cousins can help you stay active.

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Make time to exercise, it becomes all too easy to become a couch potato at home. Find time to take care of your body, it will help you feel more energized.

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During holiday break we have 3 full weeks at home. Think about getting a gym membership (just for 1 month) if you can. This can be relatively inexpensive, $10-$20. Planet Fitness offers month to month memberships and you can cancel anytime without paying a huge fee. Once you sign up, try to make a schedule of what days and times you will go. Hint: exercising in the morning is recommended because the endorphins released in your body will help keep you energized for the rest of your day. If you’d rather skip the gym, you can easily work out at home. All you need is your own body, but if you want some props grab a yoga mat, free weights, or a resistance band to work with.

Make sure you do treat yourself a little, after all Thanksgiving only comes once a year!

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Gift Giving on a Budget

Gift Giving on a Budget

Published by Alyssa on November 12, 2018

The holiday season is fast approaching. As soon as November hits, the holiday fever hits. The holiday season brings many joys: food, family, breaks, and fun events. It also brings presents which can often break students’ banks. It is all too easy to get carried away gift-giving to all of the important people in our lives. How can you give people the gifts they deserve without completely draining your bank account? This holiday season The Informed Consumer is here to help. Here are a few ideas on how to gift on a budget.

Succulent Crafts:

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Why spend way too much on gifts when you can craft your own? Homemade gifts are unique and very thoughtful. There are so many great gifts you can make with succulents. Here are two of my favorite:

Mini Succulent Kokedama:

Image: Anne Behler

Kokedama craft: Sylvia Rushing, resident instructor of floral design and botanical crafts at The Makery in State College. The Makery has a wide variety of crafting classes and are currently offering holiday themed crafts. Sign up for a class to make an awesome gift this holiday season!

This Japanese style moss ball plant only requires 3 things: a succulent, peat moss, and yarn. With a total cost of only $8-$10 this gift is lean and green!

Steps to make one:

Soak a solid chunk of peat moss (you can get this at a home improvement store or from nature) in water for about 30 minutes then wring it to remove the excess water.
Grab your succulent, soil and all, and use your hands to shape the soil into a circular object, rather than its typical square shape.
Then place your succulent in the middle of the moss and wrap the moss around all of the soil, leaving just the plant exposed.
Now wrap and tie about 3 feet of yarn around your moss ball to keep it tight and in place.
Optional: you can use yarn to tie a hanger for your succulent as well.

Care: Soak the moss ball in a bowl of water once a month for up to 5 minutes. Leave in a location with bright light, but not in direct sunlight.

Succulent Terrarium:

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These are very easy to make and offer plenty of opportunities to get creative. All you need is a jar, some soil, a succulent, and decorations of your choice. You can decorate the terrarium with rocks, jewels, and plenty of other objects to customize your gift. These are easy, cheap, and make great decorations. Go green tip: Reuse a mason jar or any small container that you have to be more green! There’s no right way to make a terrarium, each one is unique. Check out this article to get terrarium inspiration.

Other Gift-making ideas

Not into crafting? No worries, there are plenty of other ways to save money on your holiday shopping!

Experiences over gifts methodology:

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This is the idea that people should substitute experiences for gifts during the holidays or for birthdays. While certain experiences like vacations and road trips can get pricey, there are plenty of ways to have budget-friendly experiences. Some ideas are to:

Drive around and look at Christmas lights
Get coffee/hot chocolate and catch up with friends
Check out local holiday events
Ice skating
Stay in and watch holiday movies and bake yummy treats

Even just getting dinner or seeing a movie with a group of friends will save you more money than if you bought each person a present. Plus the memory of your experiences will last longer than a gift.

Gift Exchanges:

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Another great way to save money within your family or group of friends is to do a gift exchange game such as Secret Santa or White Elephant. These games typically involve each person buying 1 gift and exchanging it with 1 person rather than buying individual gifts for an entire group. These games usually have a budget built in so no one overspends. This is great to do with friends who are also looking to save money during the holidays. These can be a lot of fun.

Create a gift budget:

Speaking of budgets, it’s also useful to come up with a gift budget between family or friends. This way you don’t worry about how much you should spend on someone and likewise how much you think they’ll spend on you.

If you follow a budget during the year, don’t forget to set aside some savings in November and December for gifts/holiday expenses. That way you will know how much you can spend without breaking your budget.

If you choose to go traditional gift shopping, make sure to look out for special deals and price compare to make sure you aren’t over-paying.

Gift giving and receiving is always fun, but don’t forget the holiday season is about spending time with loved ones and appreciating the people in your life.

Check out this document that outlines some other resources and provides a budgeting worksheet for the holidays.

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