Honey-Vanilla Frozen Coffee Cubes in Milk

Have I mentioned my penchant for honey and vanilla flavored goodies? I have? Okay good, so this is no surprise to anyone. Honey is good for everything from soothing a sore throat to helping to remove bad bacteria from your system to forming antibacterial seals that help cuts and burns heal faster. It's the only food in the world that never spoils (so basically, it's magic).

I used to do black coffee with a ton of sugar during late nights in high school, but I don't like to play that game anymore. I like having cute, fancy coffee drinks much better!

Honey-Vanilla Frozen Coffee Cubes in Milk

Brew some coffee / Mix in honey to taste and a couple drops of vanilla extract / Pour into ice cube tray / Let freeze over night / Pop cubes into glass / Pour milk over it / Serve!

Refreshing and perfect for summer! Plus, you can prepare cubes ahead of time and have the coffee boost instantly throughout the week since frozen coffee keeps better than tepid left-on-the-burner-for days coffee does. I put a lot of honey in my coffee so it makes the milk nice and sweet as it melts. You can also use these in blended drinks for home made blended ice coffees, and save yourself the $5 you'd blow at Starbucks

Interview with Vizcaya Swimwear Designer and Miss Virgin Islands, Lisa Opie

Last spring, I got to meet swimsuit designer and this year's Miss Virgin Islands, Lisa Opie, while putting together the Her Campus Mid-Atlantic InterCollegiette Conference. Lisa is absolutely amazing-- smart, talented, and ambitious. She's currently raising money to go to the Miss America pageant while preparing to launch her swimsuit line's store. I decided that I wanted to interview her for my blog! I get to meet so many wonderful people through business, friends, and pure chance, and it feels silly to keep them all to myself. Read on to learn more about Lisa Opie and her many inspiring ventures, and to learn about how you can help this recent grad and new business owner make it to the Miss America Pageant!

Packing for My Summer Internship (with a deal from Residence Hall Linens!)

I'm moving again in a couple of weeks, not back home, not to school, but to the glamorous and grimy New York City.

Since packing up everything at school, and unpacking it all again, I've realized that I need to pare down what I take with me to just the essentials. Why pack an alarm clock when I've since switched to my iPhone? How many jeans do I actually need? Will I ever get to all those books? Why do I have 30 notebooks?

In general, I think I've struggled with prioritizing. What are things that I actually need, versus what don't I need, versus what might I need potentially on occasion? The apartment I've found is a shared space and is fully furnished and even has a kitchen!

So here are things that I think I absolutely need to pack.

1 - Computer, phone, and associated chargers. Obviously. I have to stay in touch, know where I'm going, and be able to do so all summer.

2 - Wallet & Purses. I have a big businessy purse (by Kate Spade, of course) that I can take to the office and can hold tons of stuff I'll need at my internship, like a notebook, planner, and a laptop-- as well as a water bottle, snacks, and whatever else I need for the day. I also have a shoulder bag that's more appropriate for everyday outings, since it isn't as bulky and goes with just about everything. Then I have a little wristlet in case I decide to go out one night.

3 - Bedding. Most of my time spent in the apartment will be time spent sleeping. It's really important for me to get decent sleep in order to be able to function at my internship-- especially if I want to be able to do so without relying on those pricey coffee drinks I so adore.
4 - Towels. Gotta shower, gotta get dry.

5 - Rolling 3 Drawer organizer. It serves as a nightstand while keeping my stuff put away. It's great for keeping my makeup and stuff off the bathroom counter and in my space instead. I also like to put my journals in the top drawer so I can write before bed.

6 - Toiletries and Medical equipment. Basically one category. Your soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, razors, brush, prescriptions, bandaids, neosporin, perfumes, the usual.

7 - Business & Everyday clothes. I need to get more clothes. I blame my constantly fluctuating weight. I'll be shopping this week to get some button down shirts, a couple more skirts, and some shorts. Also a pair or two of shoes. I'm using Lauren Berger's Packing List for a NYC Internship as my guide on what to buy for businesswear.

8 - A few books. I'm putting together a summer reading list for myself so I should have a productive summer. Lauren Berger wrote All Work, No Pay, the book above. She is, afterall, the Intern Queen!

9 - Planner and notebooks. My planner, journal, sketchbook, and a notebook for work.

10 - Laundry stuff. Detergent and dryer sheets to keep my clothes clean!

11 - Accessories. Watch, necklaces, hair ties etc. Gotta dress up my outfits. Switching accessories can make my wardrobe's outfit options expand.

12 - Coat, Rainboots, and umbrella. It rains everywhere sometime.

+ Coupon!

While I'm preparing to move out in a couple weeks and my sister prepares to leave for college in the fall, I'm pretty happy to announce that Residence Hall Linens is offering my readers $25 off on their Value Packs, which include bedding, towels, and more! You can choose your value pack to determine what you get and they come in a variety of colors and patterns. Shipping is already free! Just use code "MAYSAVE25RHL" to get the discount!

How to Trade-In Your Textbooks etc. with Amazon

Somehow, I was under the impression that everyone knew that this was a thing, but apparently a lot of people don't. So, here's a way for you all to make some money off of your stuff, probably textbooks, and get back more than you would at the campus bookstore.

Amazon buys books from people in exchange for amazon credit. It's super convenient and easy, especially since you're definitely going to be using amazon again.

1 - You can search the trade-in store to see if your book/DVD/game/electronic/music is eligible, and then add it to a sort of reverse shopping cart. They give you an estimate on the amount they'll give you for each title, which may not be the same as the amount you get, depending on the condition of the book.

2 - Verify the ISBNs by typing in the ISBNs on the back covers or inside covers of your books. After you're done adding all the books available for trade-in, you can hit continue.

3 - When you're done adding titles and ready to "check out" you'll be given a prepaid mailing label and an invoice/estimate sheet. They'll ask you to select whether you'd rather have the item shipped back to you, or have them just credit you the lower amount for the item.

4 - You can use any size box so long as it fits everything, and they recommend that you try to fill any negative space to prevent shifting and damage during the shipping process.

5 - Put the estimate sheet on top, close the box, seal it, and tape the prepaid label on top. Send it off to amazon within 7 days and await either the credit to be added directly to your amazon account, or for an amazon gift card to be attributed to your account.

It's super easy, so I'd definitely recommend it if you're still trying to get rid of your books, or are just hoping to pull in some extra money. If you have any other questions, Amazon's got a whole section of help guides dedicated to Trade-Ins.

Summer Reading: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

You may have heard of Stephen R Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which was a huge bestseller in the last decade (it's weird that I'm old enough to say things like that from experience). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is written by his son, Sean Covey, and is based on his father's work, written and formatted to be more relatable to teens. Both books are designed to help you become a better you, by teaching you how to engage in habits that strengthen your character and help you lead a more productive, fulfilling, and happy life.

Overall, I liked the book. It's a fairly quick read. It definitely is geared more towards teens-- myself having just left that pack by turning 20 in April, I found it a little less relatable than I would have had I read it in middle or high school. The language is very conversational which I thought was fitting given that it was written for kids in high school. Overall though, the book has a really good message and is organized in a way that makes sense. The 7 habits are definitely going to become a part of my lifestyle, and I think doing so will make me healthier, happier, and more productive!

Advertise on HarperHoney!

As I become more and more serious about this blog, I also find myself approaching it as a way to help support myself. I spend a lot of time on this blog and in the past few years, it's really grown and I hope to continue to grow my blog. I get around 5,000 hits per month right now and I'm hoping to grow my blog continuously.

I'm now taking advertisers for my blog! I've had some ads by GLAM on my blog before but that was through them. I'm now taking my own ads. This will help me supplement my income as a college student (yes, the rumors are true, we ARE mostly poor). I'm hoping to save up for a nice camera, since all the photos on this blog right now are taken by iPhone, and while I think I do a pretty good job of it, I would like to work my way up to a nice Nikon SLR.

And, you know, it's nice to be able to pay for food and gas and the like.

I'm hoping to get ads that would interest my readers who are mostly younger women and college students. I'm up for other blogs, etsy shops, online retailers, whatever. I can make your ad for you if you don't already have one. For details check out my advertise page.

As per usual, I'm still open to working with brands on creating giveaways, doing reviews, etc. You can contact me if you have any questions or ideas.

Window Shopping: Summer in New York

I could not be more excited to be spending my summer in New York City at an internship in the Financial District! As I picture my summer in the city, I can't help but fantasize about what I'll wear as I pound the sweltering pavements and work in the office. I'm a visually-oriented girl, what can I say? Not to mention that New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world. I'm always inspired by the city-- the architecture, the colors, the people. I think my summer will be hard but thrilling!

[ a ] - State of Lines Dress $38 || [ b ] - Meltaway We Go Heel $30 || [ c ] - Take a Stride With Me Wedge in Coral $40 || [ d ] - Keep Up The Good Work Wedge in Tan $35 || [ e ] - Honey Outlook Dress $31 || [ f ] - Try This Angle Dress $25 || [ g ] - Whatever you Wishbone Necklace $12 || [ h ] - Full Course Load Bag - 14" $85 || [ i ] - Daiquiri Darling Sandal $45 || [ j ] - Glacial Relationships Dress $37 || [ k ] - PR Panel Dress $37 || [ l ] - Biz Is It Dress $30 || [ m ] - Just Like Honey Heel $65 || [ n ] - Juice Run Bag $190 || [ o ] - The Great Gatsby Book Clutch $265 || [ p ] Marquee Statement Necklace $198 || [ q ] - Conference to Cocktails Wedge $35 || [ r ] - Saturday Night Thrive Dress $78 || [ s ] - A Little Reflect Dress $28 || [ t ] - Like You a Lattice Dress in Black $40