Is it just me or has the "Back-to-School Fever" really made its way into Target, Wal-Mart, and even the local pharmacies like CVS?!?

I cannot believe that there are only about four weeks left of this summer.  Time surely went by fast, and it's that time of the year again to head the home/office aisles of your local grocery store unless you want to wait for the final madness and wiggle, push, and shove your way in between aggressive moms fighting for the last 10-cent portfolio folder and those bratty kids screaming for the Power Rangers lunch box!  I've been sorting through the stuff I brought back from Columbia and organized them into boxes to get an "inventory" of what I had left over from last school year.  I tried to get somewhat organized so that my mom wouldn't have to buy double up of things I already had.  Wal-Mart had started putting school items on sale about two weeks ago, so she and I made our way there and got my brother and I started off with rims of notebook paper and pens and such!  I think I'm pretty sorted out on things that I want to bring to Cola in the fall except for a few key things that my roommate and I will go shopping for some time in the next couple of weeks.  Trips to Garden Ridge, Old Pottery Barn, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are definitely needed!!!

Here are a few key things you guys might want to think about when y'all are planning to head out and do your back-to-school shopping:

1) Definitely stock up on school supplies.  Ten packs of notebook paper.  A couple packs of black, blue, and red pens.  Some highlighters.  A couple white-outs.  Maybe some erasers.  All the essentials!  It may be to your best interest to go ahead and purchase your school supplies while you are at home and while they are on sale.  You will definitely be using up things while you're in school--and possibly fast!  Even if there is the student store in the Russell House, things there will definitely be more pricey.  Besides, buying things at home means the parents will be footing the bill!  Hehe!

2) Stock up on some toiletries, too!  You never know when that tube of toothpaste will run out nor when your skin will dry out because you no longer have lotion!  For the same reason as above, stock up!

3) Coordinate with the roommate!  Definitely get in touch with your partner so as not to clutterize your lil cubby hole with too much of everything!

Happy shopping Gamecocks...it's totally part of the college fun.  Well, maybe for the girls at least!  Hehehe!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, GAMECOCKS!

Posted by Kriska at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Holy Cow!!!  I can't believe that a week of July has flown by already.  Where has the summer months gone by?!?  Pretty soon, I'll be moving back into Columbia in my Preston apartment with my roommate who I miss soooo much!  Summer has been definitely great, and just to catch y'all up, here is a quick drop of some of the highlights!

Highlight #1:  Summer love and 4th of July fireworks at the beach!

I got to spend the past week in Surfside beach with my siblings, my boyfriend, and his family.  It was an amazing vacation and definitely a much needed one as work in the pharmacy can get so busy!  It was nice to just lay around on the beach, go shopping, and eat like there's no tomorrow!!!  Hehe!  I also got to meet up with my Carolina Scholar Donor Family for lunch at one of Garden City's hang out spots, Sam's Corner.  The Duncans are just such amazing people, and it was really cool to just sit down at a casual setting and talk to them.  Some people aren't nearly as lucky as I am to have my schooling supported by such generous people, and to top it off, they're so down-to-earth and totally approachable.  Complete "southern hospitality" at heart!!!

Highlight #2:  Family gatherings!

Walls, windows, and ceilings make the house; but a family makes a home!  (I just made that up...brilliant and deep!  Hehe!!!)  We've been having lots of lunches and dinners lately with family and relatives what with Father's day, birthdays, and a house-warming celebration for my sister who just bought a new house.  It's been really good, and I know I'm going to miss a lot of such gatherings when I go back to Carolina.  I'm especially going to miss all the great homecooked dishes that are featured in our big family fiestas!

Highlight #3:  Discovery Channel, Food Network Channel, and Style!

TV.  TV.  TV!!!  Even if I do get to watch TV back in Columbia, I just never really get a chance to watch some of my favorite shows that are on my favorite three channels.  Firstly, Carolina TV does not have either one of the Food Network Channel or Style.  Secondly, not everyone likes to just sit around and watch Discovery Channel.  Lastly, I usually miss the marathons of Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, and Deadliest Catch that do come on on TV when I'm in Columbia.  But since I'm home, I've been able to catch up on my fave shows, and it's quite a relaxing way to spend my time when I'm not working!

Highlight #4:  Last but not least...talking to Future...errr..Carolina Freshies!

I've been keeping in touch with some incoming freshmen, and it's been a cool correspondence about Carolina living.  If y'all wanna join in on this, y'all just leave me a comment and let's see if we can't get something going!  No question will go unanswered...and well, maybe you just want to get to know an upperclassman before going into your first year of college.  I can definitely be that person!

Well, that's all for now...I hope the rest of the summer gets even better!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks and enjoy some fun in the sun!

Posted by Kriska at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)