I decided to do a “Five Fav Fridays” series, just listing a few great things about my life, things I’ve enjoyed, or whatever else I’d like, on Fridays.
1. Pure Leaf Iced Sweet Tea
Pure Leaf Iced Sweet Tea is my favorite brand of iced sweet tea. I’m a sucker for sweet tea, given my insane sweet tooth and love for tea, but Pure Leaf has managed to create a tea that isn’t too sweet, but not too bitter either. Plus, it’s only a few bucks at the grocery store! Perfect.
2. Spoken Word Poetry
Spoken Word Poetry has a very special place in my heart. I’ve spent numerous hours on YouTube, Vimeo, and Ted Talks, watching in amazement how these strangers can pull so many emotions out of me with their own. Spoken word is amazing, and if you haven’t checked any of it out, I’ll post some of my favorites below.
My home town is known for having an intense virus of school spirit. Homecoming is nothing short of crazy, intense, and wild, all in good fun. Tonight is the homecoming football game, and, being a recent graduate, I’m really excited to watch the game and see the Homecoming Court be presented during half time. My little brother is a running back for the team and I’m really looking forward to watching him play and run the ball! Friday nights were meant for football.
4. Cute School Supplies
Cute school supplies are a must! Especially now that I’m in college, I want to be excited to do my school work and be successful. Cute pens and organization helps! (Though my desk drawer isn’t that cute).
I bought this chevron binder for .49 cents and already had this coral monogram sticker, so I combined the two and woolah! I have a cute binder to put my text book! Annoyingly, two of my text books came as a stack of loose papers, so this was a trendy solution.
Cute pens and personalized stationary is also essential. I bought these pens at Target in the $1 section! They come in a pack of two and are super cute, but don’t last very long. But, they’re trendy and only .50 cents! My monogrammed paper I made, easily by printing it out from Microsoft Word onto blank white paper! So easy and cute!
5. New Riding Boots
Unfortunately, my Steve Madden boots I bought last January have come to an end. It’s been a great 9 months, but they’re just too worn to wear now. Luckily for me, that meant it was time to buy new boots! I saw these in Target (online here) and thought, “I have to buy these.” I’m so glad I did! They were only $39.99 (a steal) and are so comfy and cute! My Target was running out of them, so I would recommend getting them soon or ordering them online if you’re looking for a reasonably priced riding boot!
Thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great Friday!
Since this is a college based blog, I thought this would be the perfect place to post what I have in my school bag! I decided I would carry a bag this year instead of a backpack. A bag is very sophisticated and mature to me, but I still brought my backpack to school with me, if I ever decided to switch.
The bag I’m currently using a Lilly Pulitzer Shine Tote. I find it bright the flamingos to be adorable. Unfortunately, I bought it during the sale towards the end of summer, so they aren’t sold anymore, however there is a somewhat similar one here. The bag is big, waterproof, and has a zipper pocket on the inside! It’s the perfect bag to use for school, besides the fact it can’t zip up. I’m planning on purchasing a Longchamp Le Pliage and swapping those two between each other.
What I carry in my bag is pretty much the same each day. I carry, of course, the basics: my Liz Claiborne wallet (similar here), a pair of sunnies I was given from a friend, a stick of Dove deodorant, Calgon hand cream (best hand cream I’ve ever used), two sticks of chapstick, a Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer in cucumber melon, and my Ralph Lauren 1 body mist. I carry my body products in a polka dot cosmetic bag that I bought from Forever21, along with the striped one, in a pack of three (which is unfortunately not sold online).
I also have a pack of Mentos gum, my dorm keys on a cute pink lanyard, and a coupon book I was given on campus!
As far as school supplies go, I carry eight pens, four highlighters, and a pad of post it notes. I carry all of those in the striped cosmetic bag, which is the perfect size - there’s no struggle looking for the right pen!
My classes are all pretty spaced out. I have enough time that I can come back to my dorm room between classes, so I switch out which notebook I need so I’m not carrying two around at the same time. I have three, which I bought at Target.
I may or may not end up changing what I carry with me. I have everything I need without carrying too many items, so I’m happy. Let me know what you carry in yours!
Hello! This is a masterpost of my favourite school supplies! This includes pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, paper and notebooks! The small star ( * ) represents my all time ride or die products :) There are no brush pens on this list because I currently don’t own any, got a Pentel Sign one coming though!
Black Pens:
Pilot G2 0.38
Pilot G2 0.5 *
Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.3 *
Muji Capped Gel Ink Pen 0.38
Coloured Pens:
Muji Capped Gel Ink Pens 0.38
Pilot Juice 0.5 *
Staedtler Tripus Fineliners
Pencils:
Papermate Clearpoint Mechanical pencils 0.5 *
Bic Mechanical Pencils 0.5
Markers:
Crayola Supertip markers *
Staedtler markers
Highlighters:
Zebra Mildiner highlighters *
Stabilo Boss highlighters
Muji clear view highlighters
Paper/Notebooks:
Typo A4 notebooks * (best paper quality ever, kind of expensive)
Muji Plantation lined notebooks * (really good quality, ivory paper)
Muji recycled grid notebooks
Fivestar reinforced paper (decently smooth but SUPER white)
Muji loose leaf paper (SUPER smooth, but not white)
First step to choosing a backpack that you expect will last you a long time is deciding what you need from it. How many notebooks and binders will you be carrying? Will you be commuting? How durable do you need it? Does it need to have some sort of water protection? Will you be carrying a laptop? How much does the look of it matter? Make a list of everything you need the backpack to have, and then start searching.
The prices I’ve listed are not exact, depending on the store you buy from, they could run more or less expensive. My brother found the Herschel Little America Mid Volume on sale at theBay (Canada) for $60, so keep an eye out and save some money! Also I’ve used the black version of all of these backpacks so pretty colours aren’t an extraneous variable.
This backpack has become everyone’s new favourite and I kid you not, I see at least two every single day. It’s is the smallest out of the ones I’ll be mentioning. This backpack is waterproof, so if you live in a more rainy climate then this may be a good idea! The thick material is very durable and can probably take some throwing around.
What Does It Fit:
It’s got two compartments, one main and one small one as well as two open side pockets. The smaller compartment is sort of on the tiny side, and if you want something thicker like a heavy duty portable charger to fit, it might be difficult. This is a good option for those individuals who may not have many textbooks, notebooks or binders. If most of your life is on your electronic device, this will be a good option for you.The original version we are talking about does not have a laptop sleeve (on their website, they do have a laptop version for 115USD/153CAD, that fits a 15inch laptop or smaller), but the back padding is quite thick, so your laptop should be okay in a good quality sleeve. It also comes in a very wide array of colours.
It’s very small, despite the fact that it’s a decent size. The zipper and magnetic clasp closure on the small pocket is very annoying, as is the drawstring closure on the main compartment. I find myself being extremely rough with it because the opening and closing isn’t very practical, especially if you don’t have a surface to set it on. I’ve only had it for a year and a half and it’s condition isn’t as good as my Jansport’s condition, after owning it for seven years. This bag is water resistant and waterproof.
What Does It Fit:
It has two compartments, the larger of which has a pocket for a 13 inch laptop. The smaller compartment is quite small, and can barely hold my phone and portable charger comfortably (for reference, I have the iPhone 8 Plus). The most that I’ve been able to fit inside this backpack is two notebooks and one textbook. This is probably better for those who don’t have much to carry. Or, this would again be a good choice for someone who does most of their schoolwork on their laptop/ipad.
This backpack is quite aesthetically pleasing, with a more minimalist look to it. My opinion on the drawstring is the same with this backpack too, I hate it, but slightly less because instead of having two clasps, it only has one. The material of this bag does mean it’s waterproof, which again, is advantageous to those living in a place where they get a lot of rain.
What Does It Fit:
It has a laptop compartment that fits a 13 inch laptop. It has two smaller compartments, both of which have a clasp enclosure, unlike in the other backpacks I’ve talked about, the small compartment of this bag isn’t horizontal, it is vertical. They’re quite deep pockets, and fit a good amount of stuff. It’s one of the bigger laptops in this category, and can fit around 3-4 notebooks and a binder or two. This is really good for people who have different weights to carry each day, because this is comfortable in both situations.
This is hands down the best quality of backpacks that I’ve encountered given the price. It ‘s neither waterproof nor water resistant though. It also comes in a wide variety of designs and colours and are probably the most easily available backpacks on this list. One reason I like this bag is because it’s got a very basic design, so if you get a solid coloured one, it’ll look very chic and the black colour will go with everything.
What Does It Fit:
It has two compartments, one main and one small one. This backpack doesn’t have a laptop compartment, but the backing on it is very thick and sturdy, so even if you put your laptop in a sleeve, it’ll be pretty secure. The large compartment is almost never ending (kind of like Hermione’s bag in The Deathly Hallows). It’s held six binders, four notebooks and two textbooks on one occasion for me. The small compartment is also quite spacious, and has a small built in organizer for pens and other smaller knicknacks. There are no water bottle holders on the sides.
This isn’t what I’d refer to as a cute backpack. It’s got this criss cross design on the front made with what they refer to as a bungee system, if needed, you could probably stuff a sweater in this area. Otherwise, it’s just kind of there. It comes in some nice colour combinations. There is also removable buckles, which are probably useful if you’re carrying a bunch of stuff. The straps look the thickest out of all the ones I’ve talked about, and that leads me to believe that they’re much more padded.
What Does It Fit:
This is a large backpack. It’s got three compartments, one very large one with a laptop sleeve that could fit a 15 inch laptop, and the middle one has a bunch of internal divisions for organization, it could fit a calculator, a bunch of pens, even a few notebooks. This divider also has a padded tablet/ipad sleeve. There are two extended mesh water bottle pockets, one of which has quick-draw cell-phone access. The main compartment is very large and could easily fit a large number of books and binders alongside your computer. This is ideal for people with a lot to carry, or commuters who don’t use their own cars.
This is again, not the most cute backpack on the list. It has the same bungee cord on the front, and on their site they state: “bungee cords crisscrossing the front of the pack are perfect for stuffing your jacket and bike helmet under for convenient, hands-free walks from class to class”. The bungee cords are more narrow than on the Borealis. There is also some light reflective particles on the backpack, especially the sleeves, which are probably there to make it safer to walk around at night.
What Does It Fit:
There are two compartments, both of which are pretty big. The front pocket has some internal organization the way the Borealis does. It also has a padded compartment for your ipad/tablet. There are two side mesh pockets for a water bottle or just smaller necessities. The larger compartment has a laptop sleeve again, and it fits a 13 inch laptop. The same compartment still has enough room to accommodate textbooks and binders. This is ideal for people with a lot to carry, and as stated in the other review, probably best for commuters who need to be on campus for a lot longer.
This is a BIG backpack. It’s got the most volume out of all of the ones we’ve spoken about today, but it’s also physically much wider than all of them. That’s a negative for me, because if you ever fill it up completely, you kind of resemble those middle schoolers in television shows that have backpacks on that are bigger than them. I find that I can fit almost everything from this backpack into one of The North Face ones, and they aren’t as wide. It’s much more minimal looking than The North Face ones.
What Does It Fit:
It has six compartments and two mesh side pockets, perfect for a water bottle. One of these compartments at the very back of the bag is made for a 15inch laptop (I have found this pocket on the American version but not the Canadian version). The other two large compartments can easily hold a multitude of notebooks and textbooks. In ninth grade, where I live, we had to bring seven notebooks and five textbooks every single day, and I found that everything fit in those two zippered compartments. And they were not thin textbooks. The next pocket coming towards the outside of the bag is kind of a reach and grab one in my opinion, it isn’t too deep, and ends at about five or six inches down. Perfect for a cellphone. The next one has a built in organizer for pens and smaller trinkets, as well as enough space for a pencil pouch or a bullet journal. The last compartment is quite roomy too, and would probably be best for gum, hair ties, lip balm, etc. This backpack would be ideal for anyone carrying a buttload of stuff.
This is pretty cute for being such a large backpack. It looks a lot like the Superbreak bag from Jansport. I definitely prefer this look to the Big Student. The colours I can find online are pretty limited in comparison to other Jansport bags. In this specific bag design there is a suede bottom, claiming to help with durability. Also, it’s thicker than the average bottom so your electronics would be more secure and safe from breakage.
What Does It Fit:
There are three compartments. The main compartment has a designated and separate space for both a 15inch laptop and an ipad/tablet, the former of which actually has a strap to lock it into place, as well as some additional room for textbooks and notebooks and such. There’s not really much to say about this pocket because it’s very basic and straightforward. The first smaller pocket has a built in organizer, perfect for putting pens, pencils and other small objects in. This is much better than the one in the Superbreak and looks more like the one in the Big Student. It’s got a zippered compartment inside the organizer as well. The final compartment is just a stash pocket for things like your phone or earphones, etc.
Aesthetics: 8/10
Practicality: 7/10
Availability: 7/10
Overall Rating: 22/30
Winners!
The winners are solely based on the grading system, which is quite subjective. I may not like largeness of the Jansport Big Student, but you might love it. I’d recommend giving your own scores and seeing which one is your winner!
Original Release Date: February 2021 Retail Prices: Various (See below)
Bellhouse has released a new Gochichara series of Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Hanji, and Erwin merchandise based on new chibi character designs. The goods thus far are:
They’re easy to use in a ring binder. You could easily get one for notes, reminders, more notes, and as flags for pages (and insert some lil notes heh)! Sticky notes are one of my favorite stationeries. ♡
