Mount Hood

Creative ways to give

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent a good amount of money that you had intended to save on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, if you’re anything like me, that means you probably don’t have a ton left to spend on gifts for people for the holidays.

If you’re in this bind, there’s no need to worry; DIY gifts lead to incredible alternatives. Not only are they cheaper, but with the extra effort and time put into it the recipient will be far more impressed and appreciative. So, get ready to get crafty and set aside some time to give these DIY presents your all.

 

Homemade Decorated Coasters

 

Instructions: Purchase cheap and plain colored coasters — white works best, but others would work as well. Print out your favorite pictures and cut them into the size of the coaster, or slightly smaller if you have square coasters to give off the polaroid inspired look. Mod Podge it onto the coaster, let dry and repeat three more times.

Inspired by countryliving.com

 

Decorated Mugs

Instructions: Purchase a plain white or light colored mug. Using oil-based pens (you can use Sharpies, but the cups will have to be carefully washed by hand), decorate the mug how you’d like. You can use tape or stencils to help guide you, or start by designing on it with pencil to make sure you have it how you’d like it.

Inspired by livewellspendingless.com

 

Candle Holder

Instructions: Purchase a small glass vase, or use one you already have. Put a strip of tape around the center to divide it in half, and use tape to create a solid design that you will put in the middle of the vase, such as a heart or a star. Paint around the tape using acrylic enamel paint or chalk paint for best results, leaving the top part exposed. Once that dries, take off the tape and put a candle inside your newly designed candle holder.

Inspired by housebeautiful.com

 

Snow Globe

Instructions: Get a mason jar and open it up, with the lid upside down. Cover whatever you’d like, such as holiday or winter-themed knick knacks (mini Santa’s, snowmen, trees, etc.) in Mod Podge to preserve the coloring and glue them onto the lid. Paint small snowflakes in the inside of the jar to give the illusion of falling snow once it’s turned upside down. Fill the jar almost to the top with water, and add glitter. Screw the lid onto the jar tightly. For a finishing touch, tie ribbon around where the jar and the lid meet.

Inspired by julieannart.com

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Staying lively with energy boosters

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Nine grueling weeks have gone by, and on the 10th week of the term Western brought to me: 10 hours of studying, nine hours of procrastinating, eight pots of coffee, seven sets of flashcards, six snacks at midnight, five different tests, four trips to the library, three all-nighters, two full breakdowns and my planner telling me it’s “dead week.”

The hardest time of the term has finally arrived, and with everything you have to get done, it can be exhausting both physically and mentally. And while it may seem like the best thing to do is just relax and kickback, sometimes that’s not an option.

Let’s be real, if we were all to stop everything and just forget about the approaching finals week, nothing would get done, our grades would drop and we would feel even worse than before. Rather than taking that route, it’s better to just face the fury of all that dead week is and face it head on. However, because this can be incredibly exhausting, you’ll need energy boosters to keep you going strong.

A natural way to give you more energy is to increase your intake of magnesium. This can be done by eating healthy nuts, such as walnuts or hazelnuts. You can also add more whole grains, green leafy vegetables or legumes to your diet. According to livestrong.com,those who have low levels of magnesium will use up their energy stores quickly, whereas those with high magnesium levels will use their energy stores slowly. So add these things to your diet to keep you going through dead week and finals week.

You can also take a quick walk. I realize that when there’s a lot you need to get done, the last thing you’ll want to do is physical activity, however, according to a study at California State University, a brisk, 10-minute walk will give you an energy boost that can last up to two hours. So, taking occasional study breaks to take a walk will do you a lot of good in the long run.

Whatever you do, do not skip a meal. Skipping meals will lead to fatigue at the end of the day, and you’ll need the fuel to keep you going all week. Not only that, but eating every meal will keep you in a better mood.

Eat a power snack. You’ll want to have a high intake of protein, carbs and fiber. An example would be energy balls. To make these, mix together one cup of oats, a half-cup of peanut butter or almond butter, a half-cup of ground flaxseed, a third of a cup of honey, a half-cup of dark chocolate chips and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix it all together, form into balls and let that chill in the fridge. Eat one or two of these when you need that extra boost of energy.

Don’t let dead week get you down. With these different ways to boost your energy levels, you’ll be able to show the week who’s boss. So take on the challenge, do so with vigor and study as hard as you can. Good luck with everything you take on, and don’t forget to make your mental health your number one priority.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

How to make the most of the holidays

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

With so much to get done this holiday season, you’ll have to prioritize what you should use your limited time on. While some traditions are impossible to rid yourself of, that doesn’t mean you can’t add new, fun and memorable experiences to your to-do list. To help you get that list started, I compiled a group of must-do’s to get you started on making the most of this winter.

 

  • Play in the snow. If you have the option to play in the fluffy, cold snow, engage in a snowball fight or build the world’s best snowman: take it. Your freezing cold fingers and toes will forgive you later.
  • Go ice skating. Maybe you aren’t the most coordinated, graceful or athletic person. That’s okay; ice skating provides a fun time for even the biggest klutz — on a personal note, I’m talking about myself.
  • Make holiday cookies. Who doesn’t enjoy a warm cookie during this time of year? Plus, getting the chance to make and ice them with people you love makes for an even more fun — and messy — time.
  • Watch your favorite holiday movie or special. The holidays often are associated with that nostalgic feeling you get when thinking of it. The best way to stir up that feeling, in my experience, is to watch old specials that bring you back. For ideas on what to watch, check out the entertainment section.
  • Visit those who are important to you. With emotions heightened, memories being resurfaced and warm and fuzzy feelings all around, this is the best time of year to remind the people you love why they’re so important to you. Take some time to deliver your undivided attention to them.
  • Treat yourself. Remember, this is your winter break. You just worked your butt off for the last term, give yourself a second to relax by doing something you love.
  • Drink way too much eggnog. Admittedly, this is a little biased because there are few things that get me more jazzed than seeing that eggnog is back in stores. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be consuming an entire carton this season.
  • Decorate. For whatever holiday you celebrate, or just for winter, make your living space reflect the aspects that you love most about it. For a better experience, deck the halls while listening to your favorite holiday tunes.
  • Give back. This holiday season, remember that there are people who aren’t fortunate enough to receive anything at all. Give what you can, even if it’s just your time. The smallest things will go a long way.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Staying fit outside of the gym

Pexels.com

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Last school year, for the first time in my life, I found myself in a workout routine that worked for me and was incredibly effective. Then, the school year ended, and I was left without the Health and Wellness Center, or access to any gym. I wanted to maintain my level of fitness that I had worked toward, so I began doing at-home workouts.

With the start of winter break, many students are heading home. For students who are staying in Monmouth, the HWC is closed for a good chunk of break, which can throw you off of your game. Coupling this with the fact that this break tends to be associated with endless holiday cookies, candy and gingerbread, you might feel like you’re struggling to find time to worry about fitness.

If you’re in this boat, don’t despair — at-home workouts can be incredibly beneficial, and can adhere to any level of fitness. Using just your bodyweight, any weights you may have or even just using jugs of water as weights, you can still perform challenging exercises that will help you maintain a good level of activity.

 

Cardio:

-Running: It’s simple, and you can alter how long or how fast you run to match your fitness levels and goals.

-Stairs: Running or walking on any stairs you have access to for whatever duration of time you find appropriate will provide good cardio, but also hits your quads, calves, and glutes.

-Zumba/Dancing: To break a sweat while having an incredible time, opt for some type of dance to get you moving.

-Ice Skating: Doing this activity with friends may not seem like a workout, but soon you’ll be sweating, while laughing so hard that it turns into an ab workout, as well.

 

Legs:

-Squats: Doing squats with added weight will provide a challenging workout. Add jump squats or box jumps into your workout and your legs will be on fire.

-Lunges: Walking lunges, side lunges or jump lunges all provide a hard exercise that you can do for whatever amount of time or reps that you desire.

-Kickbacks/Fire hydrants: Doing these will leave your glutes and quads on fire, basically guaranteeing that you will be sore the next morning.

-Calf raises: These can be done with or without weight, on flat ground or on stairs. Do them for high reps and you’ll definitely feel it.

-Pistols/Single Leg Squats: An incredibly challenging movement that will build muscle quickly are easily done at home. If need be, use a chair to help you balance.

 

Upper Body:

–Overhead Press: Using whatever weight you have, doing this will provide a challenging workout for your shoulders.

-Pull-ups: You can do this exercise assisted if you are unable on your own, but they are a foolproof way to hit your entire upper body, and can be done anywhere with a high bar, like a park.

-Crab Walk: This movement will hit your core, shoulders and back. While you might feel silly doing it, it’s a multi-functional workout. Plus, you’ll get to feel like a kid again.

-Curls: If you have some sort of weight, doing regular curls or hammer curls will isolate your bicep.

-Tricep Dips: This simple workout hits your triceps hard, and can be made easier or harder depending on your position.

-Pushups: Close grip will hit your triceps, while regular will work your chest. Altering your reps and sets can make it more or less difficult, matching any goal.

 

Abs:

Ab workouts are incredibly easy to do at home. Some examples that don’t require weight at all are: bicycle crunches, sit ups, crunches, overhead sit ups, sprinters abs, reverse crunches, supermans, etc. You can always look up more ab workouts for more inspiration, as the choices are endless.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

DIY bath bombs made simple

Photo by Caity Healy
Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

It’s seems as if I can’t go on any social media without seeing the new fad: bath bombs. With eco-friendly brands, such as Lush, being one of the largest sellers of this product, many people have given it a try. It seemed like an exciting and fascinating thing to use, so I wanted to give it a go as well. However, being a college student on a budget, I decided to turn it into a DIY project anyone could do. Using cheap ingredients, many of which are found in your pantry, it’s a straightforward activity that won’t break the bank.

I must admit, I was a little nervous that using red food dye in something that I would bathe in would turn my skin a semi-permanent shade of pink. Nonetheless, I gave my DIY bath bomb the benefit of the doubt, and I loved it. The project was easy to do overall, it worked very well and I had a lot of fun getting to try out the new trend for the first time. By following some simple instructions, you can try the exciting craze as well.

 

Directions:

-Mix 1 cup of baking soda with ½ cup of citric acid (I bought mine on Amazon), ½ cup of cornstarch, and ½ cup of epsom salts.

-In a separate bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of water, 1 teaspoon of essential oils if you have them, 3 teaspoons of oil (can be coconut, olive, vegetable or any that you’d like), and a couple drops of food coloring if you want to make it more fun.

-Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture, a spoonful at a time, mixing as you go. Make sure to mix quickly so that it doesn’t completely dry out.

-If you’d like to buy a bath bomb mold online to make them look more professional, you can. I just molded them into spheres myself, and that worked just fine.

-Allow to dry for about 24 hours

-Yields about four bath bombs

 

Based on instructions found on instructables.com

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Upgrade your Halloween look

Photo by Paul F. Davis
Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Can’t think of a costume for Halloween? No problem. What you can’t achieve with your ensemble, you can achieve with special effects makeup. For those who still want to celebrate the holiday without having to don a full look, using these techniques will let you portray a perfectly festive Halloween appearance or — even better — it can add to whatever costume you already have.

While special effects makeup can be on the spendier side, these four simple looks utilize items that you likely already have, or that can be found for very cheap either online or in most drugstores.

So, gather your supplies and get your camera ready. You’re going to want to show off these looks to all of your friends — and potentially terrify them.  

 

Look of the Living Dead

Photo by Caity Healy

Making yourself look dead is an easy way to add flair to any costume. It’s also the basis of many different special effects looks. Zombies, appearing sick or simply being dead, rely on these basic techniques. On top of that, it’s an incredibly simple look to achieve.

To get this look, I used a foundation significantly lighter than my skintone, a white eyeshadow and a deep purple eyeshadow.

I applied the foundation evenly across my whole face, including on my lips. I then took the purple eyeshadow and applied a copious amount in any areas that should appear sunken in. This included my eye sockets, by my temples, below my cheekbones and on each side of my nose. Then, I made sure to blend each one so that it appeared more natural-looking than sharp lines. Finally, I took the white eyeshadow and used it to make the bonier parts look harsher than they are: down the bridge of my nose and across my cheekbones.

 

‘Tis But a Scratch

Photo by Caity Healy

This look is an easily altered one, because it can be one of two things. Without blood, it will appear to look like rotting flesh, which is an ideal special effect for zombie looks. If you add blood, then it looks like a large, fresh wound. Either one will add up to a horrifying result.

To get this look, I used toilet paper, Elmer’s glue, foundation, black eyeshadow, deep purple eyeshadow, a maroon eyeshadow and fake blood. This can be substituted for red food dye and corn syrup.

I started by cutting the toilet paper into round shapes about the size I would need for the wound. I then applied a thin layer of glue to my face and pasted four layers of toilet paper on top of each other. While it was still slightly wet, I used tweezers to pull it open from the center. Once it dried, I applied foundation to make it look more natural. Then, I took the black eyeshadow and applied a thin line of it around the outer inside of the wound, to give it depth. Then, I mixed it with the purple color and filled the rest of the wound in with that shade. I took the maroon eyeshadow and shaded the outside of the wound to make it look inflamed. Then, I added fake blood and let it drip down outside of the wound.

 

DIY Nose Piercing With a Pencil

Photo by Caity Healy

This one always leaves people in shock. It’s a little bit harder to do, but the results are worth it.

For this one I used a pencil, fake blood, glue, toilet paper, red lipstick and vaseline.

Break the pencil in half. On the half with the eraser, take the blunt end and wrap it in toilet paper so that it won’t be so sharp and can be stuck in your nostril without causing harm. With the other end, help it stick to the bridge of your nose by applying glue, and also let the pencil rest against your forehead and stick it there with glue as well. Use the vaseline where it appears that the pencil is bursting through your nose, to make it look like torn flesh. Then, take the red lipstick and, using a light amount, apply to anywhere that should appear bloody or enflamed. Finally, fake blood is a must in this look. Apply it along the pencil, in the nostril and all around your nose.

 

Oh, Deer

Photo by Caity Healy

Special effects doesn’t always mean scary. Sometimes, you want to opt for something fun, or at least less gory. Doing a deer look is an incredibly simple way to get the cuteness of a Snapchat filter that you get to wear all night. For this look, I used brown eyeliner, black liquid eyeliner, white eyeliner, light brown eyeshadow and foundation.

I started by using the brown liner to create the nose of the deer. Then, draw a line all the way down to your top lip. Fill in the top lip with the brown liner. Also use that liner to add a slight amount under your eye, but not on the waterline. Take the black liquid liner and draw an extended wing that also goes inwards towards the bridge of your nose. Use the foundation to cover your bottom lip, making it appear nude. Take the brown eyeshadow and do a slight contour of your nose. Finally, take the white eyeliner and paint small, filled-in circles on your cheekbones and forehead.

To complete this look, I made simple deer ears by cutting out small triangles from a brown paper bag and pasting them to a headband.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Start your morning with vigor

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

While the amount of sleep you get in a night is incredibly important for your health and the quality of your day, the way you choose to get up in the morning is also a large determining factor. It may be easiest to roll over, check your phone and scroll through a newsfeed for 30 minutes, but doing so will cause you to start your day in a sluggish and dull way.

How you choose to start your day will set the precedent for the rest of it. Do yourself a favor; choose to be productive. Turn off that alarm on the first ring, sit up straight, stretch to give your body some energy and get yourself out of bed.

Right after waking up is the perfect time to determine what your goals will be for the day. Forcing yourself to think about this early in the morning will allow you to plan ahead and keep that thought in the back of your head when making decisions throughout the day. Additionally, it will motivate you to get a head start by beginning whatever needs to be done that morning.

If you’re an early bird, use this time to get your workout for the day done. It may be rough, but you’ll find yourself feeling accomplished and energized for the rest of the day, allowing you to be more productive overall.

If you’re not an early bird, that’s okay, too. Find a morning routine that works for you and stick to it. Perhaps it involves going over your notes and drinking a cup of coffee, or maybe it means using the time to clean your room. Whatever it may be, make sure it will be beneficial to your day.

Finding small ways to make your mornings useful to you, your health and your workload will ultimately change the outcome of your entire day. So take advantage of those early hours, and, of course, start your day with a healthy breakfast, giving you the endurance to get your morning started right.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

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