DIY 21st BDay

I'm 21!!!!!!

More on that at a later date.....

This blog post is really about a special DIY that two of my closest friends, Katrina and Emily, created to help celebrate my 21st birthday even though they were thousands of miles away!

For those of you who don't know, this semester I am studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain. I have to admit I was a little nervous to celebrate such a big milestone birthday since I am so far away from all my family and friends. As the date got closer I had a mixture of emotions being excited since I was going to celebrate in Italy during my school's Spring Break and also a little sad since I would bring in the year without my family and friends. I knew that celebrating my birthday in such a beautiful location surrounded by the vibrant Italian culture would make it even more special. However, I think that I could have been celebrating in the middle of LA w/ J Law herself (aka my idol) and I still would feel a little uneasy without the familiarity of home and the people I care about most.

Looking back, I had such a great birthday; one I will never forget. I went out with two of my new best friends in Florence, Italy, danced as long as our feet would allow it and even celebrated the American way with Tequila shots, not a minute before midnight.

What made my birthday even more special though, was this thoughtful package I came home too. I wanted to highlight this birthday DIY on my blog because it is such a cute idea and it really did make all the difference to me. The only thing that could have made my Italian birthday more perfect would be to celebrate it with my besties by my side and while that was down right near impossible, a thoughtful package filled with my favorite US treats and wrapped with a special Katrina & Emily touch was the next best thing.

I was SO excited to pick up the package that I woke up Monday morning at 7 AM, through on some sweat pants, and took my freshly made hot coffee to-go while it was still in a "to-stay" cup. Out the door and down the street I ran, through the rain and to the nearest post office. This isn't really how Spaniards do it, so I received some pretty funny looks in return. I do think I made one lady working at the post office's day because she had a great laugh and couldn't get over the fact that I brought my "desayuno" (spanish word for breakfast) with me. 

First look inside! Your everyday brown box doubles as a 21st birthday bonanza. So festive and yet from the outside, who would know? 

Packed with all my favorite things from the US!

Inside:

1. Veggie Straws (necessary after a 14 day Italy vacation)

2. Iced Coffee Starbucks packets

3. Classic chick flick - How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

4. Birthday crown 

5. Two Birthday Balloons (greatest mystery of all- how did the balloons not pop?)

6. Birthday Card

My Menorah

Okay, don't tell anybody. But, despite what my face says in the picture below, Hanukkah is undoubtedly my favorite holiday in the Jewish Calendar.

I know my love for the festival of lights started at an early age, but it's hard to pinpoint the reason. It might have been because Hanukkah meant Christmas lights decorated the streets, snowflakes covered the ground, and jolly singing filled the air. It also might have been because I grew up receiving eight, pretty bomb and spectacular (in every sense of the word) days of presents, while my friends only lived through one. (I recall opening up three American Girl Dolls one year; three.) 

Or maybe it was the food. Although I grew up well accustomed to sufganiyot, latkes & gelt, I was convinced until ninth grade that all Jewish families kicked off the first night with a festive Hanukkah dinner at McDonald's. Year after year, my mom told us about how the oil used in the french fries and chicken nuggets and reminds us of the story of Hanukkah. (Important article takeaway: My mother is fantastic.)  

There are plenty of reasons why Hanukkah started out as my favorite holiday, however it remains my favorite today for reasons more identified. Hanukkah is a special time for my family to be together and celebrate our love for one another and our Judaism. Lighting the Menorah is such a special time to me. It is a ritual that remains the same each year, but each Shamash you light feels as memorable as your first.

To this day, one of the greatest triumphs in the Donohue household is being selected by my mom to light the Hanukkah candles.  

I have always been proud to be Jewish. After coming to college, I have learned that if I am not and if I don't savor the holidays, nobody else will. Hanukkah is one of those times I can appreciate what it means to be me and share time with the ones I love the most. 

My mom still wraps eight presents for me. This year, one night was a page full of Hanukkah nail decals. By far the coolest nail accessory spotted all year! 

Although I have had my blog since May, I am still getting into the groove of posting on a consistent basis. I would never forgive myself if I did not make an effort to post a Happy Hanukkah (even if it is belated) to all my friends who celebrate! 

Chag Urim Sameach! 

How To Make Your Hands Holiday Ready

Check out my HerCampus Illinois article on the latest and greatest in winter nail art!

4 Step Guide To Working Through The Holidays

This holiday season I will spend most of my time at Macy's to earn some extra cash for next semester! Although I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, I know there is still a strong group of money-savvy ladies who could use advice for how to navigate the already stressful holiday season with a job.

Work During The Holidays by donohuehan featuring Kate Spade

And so, for those of you who start working in December, the following are four of my tips and tricks to smooth sailing.

1. One's Company, Two's A Crowd And Three's A Party

Or in our case, one can be a party. 

Best friend and sister mani/pedi date at Modern Nails Salon in Champaign, Illinois

In most seasonal jobs you are serving people 24/7. It can be extremely rewarding to add some holiday cheer to each customer, but doing so throughout the day is also draining. As much as you want to drive straight home without passing go, collecting $200, checking before you back out or acknowledging your neighbor down the street - resist all urges to spend time outside of work in solitude. For some of you that could be a walk in the park, but don't feel alone if it is more difficult. But here is why it is important: if you are working over the holidays, the time you can spend with the ones who matter is already limited so it is imperative that you get the most out of your extra time. Go to the nail salon with your best friend, stay up an extra hour to have a glass of wine while watching Elf and I don't care if you want your afternoon nap -  play Apples to Apples with your cousins. These are small tasks, but they make a huge difference when you return back to work. It reminds you that although it is your job to serve others, there are people waiting for you to come home who really care about you!

2. Break During Break.

Alpha Phi sister Claire Wallace does Black Friday the right way

On the other hand, when you are given a break during your work schedule. TAKE IT. I'm not kidding. This does NOT mean head on over to Forever 21 to buy this week's knick knack no matter how appealing the white rabbit dish might be. Nor does this mean spending next week's entire pay check on buy one get one half off sweaters from Gap (I say this lovingly and from experience.) This means go to the food court. And. Sit. On. Your. Butt. Who cares if it is 10 O'Clock and you are getting an orange chicken bowl from Panda Express? You've been helping on your feet since 5 AM and the wonderful world of retail it's lunchtime.

Another key break time pastime? Reading that book you bought way back in September and  haven't had time to crack open yet! Whether you prefer Jane Austen, E. L. James, or InStyle Mag this is your time to relax! So use it!

3. Make Like Kindergarten & Make Some Friends. 

One of the most unique and my favorite part about retail is the camaraderie between associates.  On an average weekend, there are few people in the world I can be with for 9 hours straight, let alone while suffering through foot pains, customer complaints and high-traffic tsunamis. Your associates are those few people. It's most likely because you suffer together and succeed together, so be open! Connect with coworkers and make some new friends, you will probably get to know people you never would otherwise. Besides, it doesn't hurt to have someone who will cover your department for ten minutes so you can use the bathroom!

4. Caffeinate. 

Need I say more?

Black Friday selfie? Necessary. 

For my fellow, fearless retail mavens feel free to add tips in your comments below!

The School Planner

For my sister and me, finding the perfect planner is as essential to starting fall semester as finding the most flattering Victoria's Secret bathing suit is to the start of pool season. As it should be. In a way, finding the right planner can either make or break your sanity for the next year. You might think it an overstatement, but after years of trial and error I have found that being able to visualize and plan out days, weeks and months is a key strategy for productivity.

This year, I am happy to report that I have found my perfect planner and I would love to share it with all of you incase it can help shorten your search.

Introducing my brand new 2013-2014 Erin Condren planner! (complete with bows & personalization)

Adorable packaging

Fresh out of the box!

That's me! I chose the bow design, but on Erin Condren's website there are a ton more to choose from. You can even personalize the cover with pictures of friends and family!

First page gives space for birthdays/anniversary's so you'll never forget the important ones.

Next page gives the full year layout

The start of each month includes a large monthly layout, with important holidays included. There's also an inspirational quote at the top for those days we need an extra lift and on the side of the month there is a column for notes.

I LOVE this layout! Every week is divided Monday through Sunday and every day is divided up into morning, day and night. This allows you to plan the day out so much easier then traditional planners, it also has the perfect amount of space so that you won't run out of room. On the left-hand side there is a column for your weekly goals so you can pick something to work on each week. There's even a healthy living column at the bottom of each week where you can jot down things like meal plans, exercise plans and other thoughts.

At the back there are three pages of stickers that you can use on birthday's, to remind your of hair/doctor appointments and more!

There's also a pouch, perfect for storing pens, that includes more personalized stickers.

Visit Erin Condren's website to see more at http://www.erincondren.com/store/index.php?cPath=1454

Do you have any planners you swear by? Fill me in!

Finally, Summertime & Awesome Giveaway!

Happy Summer everyone! 

I have to admit I was a little surprised Friday, to open Yahoo and find out that it was the first day of summer. Not that I'm not completely and totally enthused. I use almost any excuse to turn an ordinary day into a celebration, but my days have been plenty sunny, bright, AND HOT since school got out in May. 

But the announcement of summer's official start  served as a little restart in my brain. It's almost a signal to appreciate the fun things that happen in summer like barbeques, beach days, ice cream, Victoria's Secret swim suit sale  (best time of the year!) and tan lines. I am plenty busy this summer with two summer classes, grad school studying, a job and an internship that sometimes I forget to just slow down and enjoy the little things like the wonderful summer sun. So here's to summer! 

Some of my current, favorite summer items: 

Another amazing thing about summer is the freedom to cook whenever and try new recipes.

With that said, one of my favorite bloggers Whitney of Sometimes, Always, Never, is giving away a brand new Calphalon Convection Oven that retails at $199! These ovens are amazing because they preheat within minutes, are so easy to use and (most importantly) are big enough to cook a full cookie sheet!

From now until next Friday, June 28th, for every $5 you donate to her Africa campaign, you'll be entered in a raffle to win! The money also goes to an awesome cause because it helps send her to Africa!

There are a few more ways to enter like mentioning @wbiber when you tweet a link to the giveaway and posting a link on Facebook! 

It's super simple, so click on this link to enter and visit Whitney's blog :) 

The Intern Outfit

This is my first summer with an internship! 

Throughout the school year I have been taught how to interview, how to prioritize, how to give presentations to clients and a whole long list of things that lead to success at an internship. The just of all this information, is basically to work your absolute hardest and make great impressions in the company. 

However to me, the key to making a great impression, starts with a stand-out great outfit! 

With that, I have had so much fun putting together the perfect intern outfits this summer. It's been strange going into a store and staying away from impulse swim suits or crop top buys and sticking to office friendly attire instead. Lucky for me, my internship is pretty lenient on what is appropriate and it's allowed me to have had so much fun playing around with patterns, jewelry, skirts and flats

Let me know what you think of the first outfit I wore to the office (my beautiful sister and live-in dress up doll Sarah is modeling *thanks again sis*)