Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fun Facts: 

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes. Learn more here.

Halloween Pie

Pie or Cake? Many people are very dedicated to which dessert is their favorite. However, there are many delicious recipes for both. Here is a great Halloween themed pie that everyone can get behind. You can learn more at Martha Stewart.

Closet Inventory

Have you ever tried to work on a closet inventory? It will only take a few hours, and it will help organize and clean out your clothes. Read over this blog to learn how to start a closet inventory. You only need a few supplies and help from a friend. You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.





Do you know what's in your closet? Like, way in there? Do you ever find two or three of the (nearly or exactly) same clothing items because you didn't realize you had already bought one? Do you not buy items you really like because you know you already have something — even though you don't really love it? A closet inventory is more than just a cleverly disguised way to declutter your closet (though it is that, too). It's a way to get a handle on your wardrobe so that future shopping and dressing is easier.

It's also the best thing to do each time the seasons switch and the temperature begins to change. Here's how to do one in an afternoon this weekend:


What you'll need:


A few hours


A full-length mirror, a friend or a camera


Two boxes: one labeled "maybe" and another labeled "donate"


A list of clothing basics that resonates with you. (Here's a good example).


A list of items you want to have in your closet (dream items or need items!)

Step 1: Take out everything in your closet and pile it on the bed. (Or, depending on closet size or volume, tackle this step in chunks.)

Step 2: Begin trying clothes on in front of a mirror, taking a picture of it to look at or showing outfit items to a trusted friend. You're going to want to rate everything on a scale of 1 - 10 in your mind.

Step 3. Items that rate an "8" or above — say those articles that are in good shape, fit you well and make you feel good, get to stay. 5 to 8 ratings go in the maybe box. Anything lower (damaged items, items you haven't worn in years or things that just don't make you feel confident), goes directly into the donate box. Consider putting high rating clothes back by the "hanger trick."

Step 4: While you're trying things on, consider making a quick tally list of types of clothing you have. That way at the end you'll have a good idea of whether or not you have 20 pants and 1 skirt or your tank top to long sleeve shirt ratio is way off. With cooler temperatures on the way, make sure you have what you consider to be enough warm weather clothing items.

Step 5: Along with tallying what you own, as you find items that are on the clothing basics or dream items list, check them off. When you're finished, you'll have two lists: One of the amounts of types of items you have, and a list of things you'd like in your closet but don't have. You'll have a good idea of what you're lacking in your closet and, combined with the informal tally you took while trying everything on earlier, what you've got way too much of.

Step 6: After you go through all your clothes, reevaluate your maybe box with the help of a friend or based off of your new knowledge with the tally list or basics list. Donate, sell or put aside to reuse the stuff from your donate box.

Step 7: Keep your lists close at hand so the next time you're shopping you know what to look out for and what to not splurge on because you've already got too much of!

Step 8: Repeat every few months as necessary so you don't waste money on unneeded items!

How to Thrive During The Semester!

We are almost half way though the semester.  This means that people are starting to feel exhausted and need a break.  However, the middle of the semester is important for finishing strong in your classes.  Here are five tips on how to thrive during the middle of the semester!  You can learn more here.




1. Reward yourself.

One of the defining characteristics of the mid-semester blues is feeling overworked, with seemingly no end in sight. In order to alleviate this listlessness, try and set up little rewards for every goal that you accomplish, proportionate to the importance of the task itself. Finish reading those two chapters in your Intro to Macroeconomics textbook? Get thee to a bakery and indulge in that scone you were eying this morning. Finally complete that twenty page term paper on 19th century Chinese politics and government? Buy that dress onModcloth that has been sitting in your cart for who knows how long.

Of course, I certainly don’t advocate doing this for everything or doing it all the time. Setting up a reward system can backfire pretty quickly when it comes to intrinsic motivation. (Plus, whose wallet can really afford it?) However, for those tasks that you need an extra push to accomplish, rewarding yourself with some shopping, or just the latest episode of Glee won’t hurt.


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2. Practice time management.

Another common affliction that students suffer during this time of year is feeling completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that needs to get done. You have an Orgo midterm next Tuesday, a ten page paper onThe Sound and the Fury due next Thursday, and a presentation on the Civil Rights movement for next Friday — and you haven’t started or began preparing for any of them. Faced with this conundrum, many people will often work themselves up and exacerbate their already heightened stress (really bad idea) or mentally check out and procrastinate (even worse idea).

Instead of taking the fight or flight route, consider a third option: figure out how you can reallocate your time. You’re right in thinking there’s not enough time to do everything that needs to get done, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get the important things finished. Reorganize your schedule and cut out things that can wait the next day, or even next week. If this means skipping out on movie night with your friends this Saturday night or even skipping that Applied Statistics II lecture (shhh!), then by all means, do what needs to be done. Prioritize and do the most important things first. The rest will fall into place.
3. However, don’t sacrifice your health.

When reorganizing your schedule, don’t forget to keep yourself as a priority. Just because you’ve decided to skip that club meeting doesn’t mean you can do the same for your seven to eight hours of sleep. Mid-semester blues are only compounded with a lack of sleep, poor eating habits, and a “skip the gym today” workout routine. Sadly, one of the main reasons that most college students are able to juggle all their activities is because it’s at the expense of something that they shouldn’t be sacrificing: their health.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m also guilty of occasionally staying up until 3 am to finish the reading for a 9 am class. But then I wake up five hours later feeling completely drained, making the entire endeavor worthless. Next time you find yourself starting to pull a late-nighter for anything, honestly answer this question: is it really worth it?Ninety-five percent of the time, you’ll find yourself remembering that there are only a small handful of things more important than taking care of yourself.


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4. Take time to relax — and don’t feel guilty over it.

So right now, you’re overworked, overwhelmed, and practicing some not-so great health habits. You can’t slow down, there’s too much to do that’s due at the same exact time to let yourself watch some TV show, sleep, or even eat. Yet you’re still burnt out and unmotivated, even though you know there’s an increasing list of things to do.

This advice may sound weird, but if you’re really burnt out, don’t do those tasks right now. Take twenty minutes to go outside and catch some sunshine while it’s still out today. Go next door to catch up with a friend or phone a friend from home for an hour. Make your significant other give you a massage. Do whatever you need to do, just relax while doing so. Most importantly, don’t let your guilt get in the way of enjoying your break. Those twenty minutes will rejuvenate you – you’ll come back with renewed motivation, and will be more able to tackle your workload.
5. Take a step back and just breathe.

Personally, I think one of the reasons why college students get the mid-semester blues is due to a loss of perspective. It’s easy to get bogged down by juggling four different clubs, a part-time job, internships, a full course load, and trying to keep up a decent social life.

However, it’s important to take a moment to remember that while things are incredibly stressful and difficult right now, this too shall pass. We will not be college students forever, we’ll soon learn that there are no midterms in life (not multiple choice ones, at least), and soon, we’ll have bigger (and more important) things to worry about – and get excited over!

Goodbye Common Cold

Cold season is upon us, and we do not want to get sick. There are many things you can do to prevent colds. Apartment Therapy has put together five tips to keep the colds away. Check out the list below and see what tips you need to add to your routine.


1. Wash (and dry) those hands (a lot) — Go for both quality and quantity with your hand washing routine. Wash frequently (more than you think you need to) and scrub for at least 20 seconds a pop. Make sure to dry hands completely on a clean towel to prevent immediately picking up more germs with damp hands.

2. Sanitize your surfaces — Everything you touch is a potential germ catalyst so be extra diligent to keep your frequently used items clean, especially if other people are touching them as well. After all, germs can live on many surfaces for up to 48 hours so they have plenty of time to nab you. Your cell phone? It's probably filthy. Your keyboard? Germ factory. Take a few minutes each day to sanitize some key things and you could be saving yourself weeks of sick days.

3. Sleep is your best friend — Just do it. Treat your body right and it'll return the favor. Sleep is the most restorative thing you can do to keep your body functioning optimally so log plenty of sleeping time between the sheets and hopefully you'll wind up logging fewer miserable sick days in bed.

4. Boost your immune system — Keep your defenses in good shape so that the germs you do encounter can be deflected. Reduce stress through meditation (or any way that works for you), try acupuncture which has been shown to boost immunity and think about beginning a regular probiotic routine which can help strengthen your gut and ward off problems. Bonus: My best addictive cold weather habit? Regular use of my nettie pot helps me rinse my sinuses before colds can set in.

5. Stock up on medication (just in case) — Even though you're doing everything in your power to stay well, if you do succumb to a bug, the last thing you're going to feel like doing is making a drugstore run. Keep necessities (and maybe a few extra sick day treats) in the house and maybe, just maybe, Murphy's law will work in your favor for once.

A Delicious Breakfast Every Morning

What is your breakfast routine like? If you are getting sick of the same food and coffee everyday, we have found a new recipe for you to try. These baked apple donuts are perfect for fall and will taste delicious with your favorite coffee. You can find more great recipes at The Kitchn.



What could be better than sitting around a morning fire, listening to the pop and crackle, while dunking an apple cider donut into a mug of spiced tea? Not much in my book. It's the simple act of sharing a special treat with friends that makes this time of year just precious—especially when you're tucking into something so quintessentially "Fall" like an apple cider donut! Here's an easy recipe for a seasonal favorite. No fryer required.

These doughnuts are baked instead of fried. Some purists may argue that these aren't "donuts" at all, merely cupcakes dressed in a ring–shaped form and I wouldn't entirely disagree. However, they are so much fun to eat and very reminiscent of a traditional, fried apple cider donut, that I say bake on!

When considering the preparation of a big batch of fried foods at home, the task just seems too messy and inconvenient for an impromptu morning project. By layering the apple cider flavors into a quick bread and baking them in donut form, you really get a similar effect without the fuss of large quantities of oil. These donuts are also much lighter, yet still packed with spice and apple flavor. After eating them I don't feel heavy and stomach achey as I do after the real thing.

Have you ever worked with a donut pan? Usually found in non-stick, they come in two sizes - mini and regular, they are handy to have on hand for occasions such as this. I used the regular size this time, but I find the mini donut pan to be pretty darn cute. You can pour any type of cake or quick bread batter into one of these and bake according to your original instructions and voila, a round of donuts is born!

Whether you are tired of cupcakes or just want to add some humor and fun to your baking repertoire, I highly recommend experimenting with a donut pan. A tray of these apple cider donuts make for great conversation and delight!

Baked Apple Cider Doughnutsmakes about 8 donuts, depending on size of your donut pan



2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola oil (plus a little extra for greasing your donut pan)
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a donut pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (these are all your wet ingredients). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Don't over-mix! A few lumps are okay; they won't show in the final product.

Spoon the batter into each donut mold until about 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea, cider or black coffee.

Strip District World Festival

In just two weeks, the annual Strip District World Festival will begin. Have you attended the festival held in Pittsburgh every year. This event includes music, entertainment, and food from around the world. This event has something for all ages, and it is a must see for every resident of Pittsburgh. You can learn more here.

The Festival

Join us for food, fun and music from around the world as the Strip District World Festival celebrates the cultures of Pittsburgh’s melting pot. In 2013 the top-notch entertainment included everything from reggae, Irish and Italian music to a Chinese lion dance and Bruce Springsteen and Rolling Stones tribute acts. Ethnic food as well as festival favorites ensure that no one goes home hungry. Stay tuned for this year’s entertainment schedule.


Friday September 12 – 6pm-9pm
Saturday September 13 – 12pm-9pm
Sunday September 14 – 12pm-7pm



What to Expect
Great music & entertainment
Ethnic food booths
Games & activities for kids
Sponsor booths and giveaways
Sidewalk sales
Plus much more!