What's in My Bag?
I have been obsessed with the Madewell Transport Tote for quite some time, but as a new professional who just moved I cannot currently justify the high price tag that comes along with it. So I went searching around the internet and found this reversible bag in black and cognac (now sold out of that color combination) that would serve as a great tote for traveling. It feels sturdy, but light, and I don't feel like I have to worry about the straps fraying and breaking if I over stuff my bag.
Along with my phone, wallet, and headphones I have a lot of little pouches I carry. I prefer to keep all the things in my purse in little pouches to make it easy to find things as easy to switch the bag from black to brown. I also have a chronic case of "just-in-case," so I end up carrying a lot more than I actually need. Here is a quick glimpse into what I carry in my pouches on the daily:
Pouch One: Toiletries
You never know when you are going to want a quick refresh, so I carry a small vinyl pencil pouch filled with a few essentials to get me through those days where I feel particularly hot, humid, and gross. The vinyl helps ensure there are no spills in my purse and it being clear helps me see what I need a little better.
Pouch Two: Makeup
This is great to have if you end up unexpectedly staying at a friends house or if you try to pick up Panera for a work event and end up stuck in a torrential downpour which washes off all your makeup and makes you feel like a drowned, harassed rat (speaking from personal experience).
Pouch Three: Miscellaneous
The bag I bought actually came with two smaller pouches (one black and one brown). In one pouch I keep random items I couldn't find a space for, like Pamprin, chapstick, Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs Rollerball, more Altoids, and my phone charger. In the other pouch (not pictured), I keep receipts for my expense reports, business cards, and spare change. I really like that these totes have a strap that can be attached to the straps of the bag to make them easier to find.
Depending on where I am going, I will also throw my Macbook or my iPad in my bag and a quick snack like a granola bar or a bag of Goldfish crackers. I am hoping that this bag will serve as a great carry-on tote on my trip to Cleaveland next week. What are some of your favorite things to keep in your bag?
Friday Roundup 8.18.17
higher ed happenings //
- If you’re not staying up-to-date on the events unfolding in the aftermath
of the hateful
“alt-right” rallies last weekend at UVA in Charlottesville, you really
should be. It’s is absolutely despicable that there are people spouting such
hateful, racist rhetoric and committing such heinous
acts of violence. Bustle has written two articles about how to support the anti-racism
groups in Charlottesville and how to support the
victims of the violence.
- The Chronicle posted
an interesting article that discussed the differing
responses between professors and head administrators in the wake of Charlottesville.
- Inside Higher Ed took a
look at college’s responses to the rising
requests of speakers, such as Richard Spencer, who look to further spread the
white power movement. Universities such as Texas A&M have refused to
block the visits of these speakers, stating that they have obligations to
uphold First
Amendment rights on campus.
wishlist //
- I’m ready for fall
weather, but I live in Georgia, so I probably won’t actually see fall weather
until January. This open-cardigan
with faux-suede elbow patches is just making me crave cooler weather even
more.
- I have an empty corner in my apartment and I think a bar
cart would be the perfect way to fill up that space.
- Mornings are not my favorite and more days than not I find myself
having a lot of trouble waking up. I really want to get this alarm clock to try
and make my morning wake ups a little more pleasant
hallthatjas updates //
- It's been a long week, y'all
Office Essentials
Wireless Headphones: My office is really lenient about using headphones while we are working, which is great because it helps me get through the day. I love to use them to listen to podcasts or music while I’m working.
- Podcasts: Podcasts are great when I am having a slow day at the office. Working on light tasks like editing social media posts or pulling data to create various reports allows me to focus on the host(s) and stories. I find that podcasts really pass the time if I feel like the day is dragging along. Some of my favorite podcasts include: Unhappy Hour with Matt Bellasai, S-town, The Read, and of course the podcast that started it all for me, Serial
- Background Music: The temptation to sing along while listening to familiar music when I am trying to work on projects is way too strong, so I like to listen to various lyric-less background music throughout the day. This Coffee House Jazz playlist on Spotify is my absolute favorite work playlist. Just like the name implies, it really makes you feel like you are just sitting and working in a cozy coffee shop and really ups my productivity.
Throw Blanket: I
get so incredibly cold in my office. It is outrageously hot outside, so
obviously I can’t wear heavy winter clothes indoors. I (along with most of my
office mates) keep a small throw blanket to cover my legs at my desk for the
days where I feel like I will die an icy death at work.
Tervis: I actually keep two different
Tervis cups at my desk: one 16oz
mug for my coffee and one 24oz
tumbler for my water. I like to make coffee as soon as I get to the office
so I prefer using a Tervis with a lid to keep it warm while I get busy and
situated in the morning.
Planner: I am a
diehard fan of my outlook calendar, so I don’t use my planner to plan my day.
Instead, I use each day’s page as a list of things I have done during that day.
For example, if I have an important email I have to send I will put it down in
my planner once I’ve completed it so if someone comes by and asks when/if I’ve
done something I can go back and reference that I have actually done it.
Snacks: I got to
Sam’s Club every so often to buy bulk, pre-portioned snacks that I can bring to
work to get me through the day. They are really helpful since I don’t typically
eat breakfast (which is bad, I know) so I tend to get a little peckish before
lunch time rolls around. Some of my favorite workday snacks are apples, granola
bars, and goldfish crackers.
Friday Roundup 8.11.17
It's been a week of poorly lit mirror SnapChat outfit selfies.
higher ed happenings //- I really enjoyed reading this
article about the support Ace Hillard, member of Sigma Lambda Gamma, received
from his sorority sisters throughout his transition.
- Are institutions finally taking charge and cracking
down on prestigious professors involved in sexual misconduct/sexual harassment?
Most notably, University of Washington professor Michael Katze was fired
following an investigation which showed that Katze
was paying a lab administrator a higher salary in return for sexual favors,
as well as sexual harassing two lab assistants.
- Did you know there are many different
scholarships available for undocumented students in pursuit of higher
education? Check out this
list for deadlines and information about these opportunities.
wishlist //
- I have spent the last two weeks scoping out
the Lo & Sons OMG Bag. I am
going to be doing a lot of traveling for work in the next few months and I feel
like this would be a great bag to own, but I just can’t justify spending SO
MUCH money on a bag at this point in my life.
- I finally ordered a new set of contact lenses
which means that I will finally be able to start wearing sunglasses again (I
don’t own any prescription sunglasses). I stumbled across these
purple aviators on Amazon one night and I just think they are so cute.
- I ended up finding this
skirt that I talked about in my last
wishlist post for $9 off Poshmark and I really like it! It is a nice
alternative from pencil skirts because I did not have the problem of it
twisting around all day. The elastic helped it stay fitted to my waist while
not being too tight on my thighs and butt.
hallthatjas updates //
- I’ve got so many flights booked at the moment
it is absolutely insane! I will heading to Cleveland, OH at the end of this
month and then to Indianapolis, IN and Chicago, IL at the end of next month! It’s
going to be a fun couple of weeks traveling around.
- Tomorrow I am heading out with a few of the
lovely ladies I work with to explore some more parts of Georgia. I hoping for
nice weather, because it has been really rainy and dreary these last few days.
- A friend tagged me in this
article and I thought it was a really realistic view at some of the
struggles moving somewhere on your own.
Friday Roundup 8.4.17
higher ed happenings //
- After terminating their relationship with campus fraternities following policy disagreements between students and administration, UC Boulder is bringing back fraternities to its campus. The disagreements stemmed from administration's proposal of policy changes that would put fraternities under increased watch following the death of Lynn Gordie Bailey, Jr. in an alcohol hazing activity. This is creating an interesting dynamic because essentially there will be two Greek systems on UC Boulders campus--the two new campus-affiliated fraternities and then the fraternities who cut their ties with the university in 2005 but continued to operate around campus. It'll be interesting to see if these chapters choose to reaffiliate with the campus fraternal community.
- Trump donates his second quarter salary to the Department of Education which some are praising as an act of good will. However, Trump's donation is $100,000 while calling for cuts of $9.2 billion to the Department of Education's budget.
- I love this piece about The Placement Exchange, also known as TPE. TPE is a huge conference where a lot of second year higher education graduate students have dozens of interviews all in the span of three days in the hopes of finding a position in the field. However, TPE is only held in one location each year and typically they are relatively expensive to attend. I have attended as an employer before, but I chose to forgo it when I was job searching this year because of how extremely cost prohibitive the conference and travel was for my graduate assistant salary--a decision which puts many graduate students at a disadvantage each and every year.
wishlist //
- My jewelry collection is seriously lacking in necklaces. I've been seeing Audrey from Putting Me Together rocking a large gold locket and I have been in love with how much it made her outfits look more cohesive. I am not a big fan of gold jewelry, but this silver locket from Etsy seems to be a perfect fit!
- I'm seeing more and more of these types of skirts pop up around Georgia and I love the way they look. I am not the biggest fan of the way that pencil skirts fit on me because I always feel like if I get them to fit right in the hips, they don't fit right on my waist which means they twist and turn all day. The elastic waistband on these skirts seems like it'll fix that problem!
- I'm not a fan of carrying a large purse around when I am going anywhere that is not the office, but I also love to carry around a bunch of things that I don't need while I am out and about. I am considering making the switch to a mini-backpack which seems to be becoming more and more popular. Target, Topshop, and Nordstrom Rack have some cute options to consider.
hallthatjas updates //
- It's been a busy week at the office as school's begin to start their Fall semesters. Right now, I am preparing materials for National Hazing Prevention Week September 18-22nd, and I could not be more excited to contribute to this important week and hopefully encourage some great discussions with collegians.
- I'm starting to plan my Fall conference schedule and I am so excited to get the opportunity to meet new people within the field and receive some professional development!
- I'm walking in my local Walk to End Alzheimer's in September. If you would like to make a contribution to the Alzheimer's Association, you can do so here!
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