Sunday, February 28, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #6

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's (but you knew that already, right?)!

The Girl Scouts are back in town! Well, they were...long enough for me to buy two boxes.

It's been a weird week of rain, snow, slush, and additions of brand new ponds all over campus. People have been skating. No joke.

A freshly-frosted campus by night!

Friday night, we finally tried Tiny Thai in the Winooski Circle. It's a super small place, but we only ended up waiting about ten minutes, and our food came out in even less time than that. Tasty and spicy!

On Saturday, we finally enjoyed another pretty day at Smugg's, which have been few and far between this season.



All smiles on this sunny, snowy day (despite a few icy patches)!

 Have a happy Sunday, and be sure to stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 2nd!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : a Guide to Staying On Campus Over Long Weekends

Hello all!

With a long weekend just having come and gone here at SMC (and a shortened week as a result!), I can't think of a better time to discuss some tips for those of you who tend to stay at school over these short breaks.

1.) Find a buddy or fly solo

You'll find that most students opt to go home over long weekends, so sometimes it can be a tough decision to stay at school if you think you might be left by your lonesome. But, alas, some of us live too far for a short stint at home to be worth the drive. So if you end up deciding you're going to stay at SMC, whatever your reason, be sure to ask around the week before to get a sense of who's staying and who's going. Make plans with friends who are staying, and if there aren't any, this is as good a time as any to fly solo for a weekend! Get caught up on studying, cleaning, shopping, and time for yourself.

Yes, I know I've used this photo about a billion times before- sorry, guys. It works for lot of things!


2.) Be aware of changes on campus

Alliot hours usually change over long weekends. If they're going to change, chances are the long weekend hours will either be posted in Alliot or sent via email. Make note of these changes and be sure to keep your eye on the clock, because the windows are typically pretty small. If you decide to make it easier on yourself and go out instead, make some cheaper choices, especially if you plan on going out or ordering in more than once or twice over the weekend. Some reasonably priced spots to be aware of include Al's French Frys, Papa Frank's, Chipotle, and anywhere you might have gift cards or coupons!





3.) Take advantage of the extra time

A long weekend on campus is the perfect time to do everything you haven't had time to do over all the other weekends of the year, to try what you've been dying to try, etc. In other words, get out those Burlington-bucket-lists and start crossing things off!


Happy long weekend!!

 


Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #5

Hello all!

It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. Right now, we're in the middle of a long weekend, so there's no classes tomorrow! We've made sure to celebrate accordingly...

What could you possibly need this for?! (Christmas Tree Shop finds...)

Fridays are for double dates with the other cutest couple in town, my brother Colin, and Isabel!

The four of us enjoyed dinner at Papa Frank's in the Winooski Circle on Friday night. Always a tasty, reasonably priced trip!
Make sure to try a cannoli when you go!

Soggy selfies at Smugg's on Saturday! The day was plagued with a heavy, wet snowfall that cut our trip short. (Thank god for drying racks.) It was an adventure nonetheless! 

Lunch at Al's French Frys earlier today! 

We made use of our Chipotle coupons from their national meeting day on the 8th for dinner tonight. Having now experienced both, free Chipotle tastes even better than regular Chipotle!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some Walking Dead to prepare for! To all of you at SMC, have a great rest of your long weekend! To everyone else, I hope you all had a good week. Everyone be sure to stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 24th!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : a Guide to the Unpredictable Winter



This winter has had more ups and downs than a pair of middle school sweethearts- in Vermont, in Massachusetts, and all over New England it seems! One day it's below zero, and the next it's fifty degrees. Snow one day, rain the next. Clouds then sun. Etc., etc. Frankly, it's gotten to the point where anything seems to be possible when it comes to the weather.

That being said, take a look at a few tips and tricks below to ensure that you're always prepared for the unpredictable weather on campus this season!

ALWAYS Wear Boots

Throw on some rain boots, snow boots, or your favorite one-stop-shop pair, because now is not the time to be running out for breakfast in your sneakers or cute new shoes. This time of year, the ground will always be wet, whether from rain or snow. And of course we can't forget about all that salt. You'll need something that will keep you dry and provide plenty of traction!


Keep Extra Layers on Hand

You never know- it could be reasonably warm in the morning, and freezing when you get out of class. It could start raining or snowing at the drop of a hat. That being said, it's always a wise idea to keep gloves, a hat/headband, and maybe a scarf in your bag at all times, just to be safe. 


Pick Your Battles

As I mentioned in the previous Sum-It-Up Sunday, we had to opt out of skiing this Saturday due to the below zero temps without windchill, which is something we rarely do. Typically skiing is a rain or shine routine for us. However, with a winter as unpredictable as this one, it's important to plan ahead and really think about what's worth putting yourself at risk. You'll enjoy yourself much more, and you'll be much safer staying inside on these below zero, windy days!


Stay warm!
 



Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #4

Hello all!

It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's, and an even more wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! I hope you all had fun and shared the love, however you spent it this year.

In other news, hellooo winter. This weekend, temps dropped below zero, forcing us to cancel our weekly Smugg's trip (for the first time ever!!!). But, as always, we all still managed to stay warm and have a great time.


Surprise early Valentine's Day flowers!

Valentine's dinner Friday night at Junior's Italian right down the street in Colchester! Great food and very reasonable prices for what you're getting. This was my "Shrimp Pink Pesto". Soooo good!!!

A gift to my Valentine! Jared collects ski signs that he orders from different mountains, so this year I decided to surprise him with two homemade ones that I got crafty with over Christmas break.
As a lover of food, I had to try even this trend once. I feel like acai bowls have been all over the place in the past year or so, and they looked so tasty and pretty that I just had to give one a spin this Saturday on our day off from the slopes! Vermont Juice Company in downtown Burlington lets you "build your own", so I had mine topped with bananas, almond butter, granola, and goji berries. It was delicious and filling without being over the top. I'll likely be trying different combinations when it gets a little warmer out! In the meantime, I highly recommend that you all check this place out, whether you're getting a bowl or one of their juices or smoothies.

Stay warm everyone, and have a happy Valentine's Day!! Be sure to stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 17th!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Tips For Gifting in College



Hello all!

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I can't think of a better time to discuss some gifting tips that I've had on the back burner lately!

If you're away at college and in the process of getting a gift for a friend (or more than a friend!), chances are you'll run into a few issues without the plethora of resources you're probably used to having at home. At the very least, these are a few of the issues that I've run into (and learned to adapt to) in the past!

Let's get gifting!


Plan ahead over break!

Sometimes thinking of the perfect gift for your best friend or significant other is effort you can't afford to make in the throes of the semester. Maybe you're thinking of taking the homemade route, in which case, that's time you can't afford to spend in your breaks between classes.  And even if time weren't the issue, resources for a DIY project will probably be pretty slim in the confines of your dorm room.

Whatever the case may be, it's never a bad idea to start planning ahead during the break before a particular holiday/occasion (for example, Christmas break before Valentine's Day). Whether that means making a list of ideas or fleshing out the complete gift, you'll be glad you spent some time thinking at home!


Get creative with wrapping!

I don't know about you, but there's no room in my suite for my mom's arsenal of gift wrapping supplies (...as much as I wish there was. Like any great friend I'm making so much effort to wrap a gift for, that dresser drawer of paper and bows is always there when I need it).

That being said, now is the time to show off just how industrious you can be with limited resources! Whether you're using your leftover copy of the school newspaper for a makeshift wrap job or making cute cutouts of construction paper for tags or cards, making sure you've wrapped your gift in some way really takes things the extra mile. (Or, this could be another situation that thinking ahead at home would come in handy! Bring back just enough paper and/or ribbons for that gift you've got in mind, and you're on your way to gifting stardom. And possibly writing a book about how great you are.)

Be discrete!

Smuggling a special package back from the mailroom? Please don't walk that line on your way back from lunch with the soon-to-be gift recipient. Just got that very package back to your room safely and secretly? Now it's time to hide it. Depending on how often you get together with this person, this could be a very easy task or a nearly impossible one. Whatever you do, pick a spot you know they won't be nosing around in on any given day, or ever: the back of your closet, under your bed hidden in your suitcase, buried in your sock drawer, etc. Choose accordingly.


Happy gifting to all, and to all a great Valentine's Day!




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #3

Hello all!

It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. It looks like we're still waiting on winter, but as always, we're making the best of this interesting spring/winter that we're having! Speaking of winter, St. Mike's had its Winter Carnival this Saturday, the first event covered by St. Mike's' brand new Snapchat account! Be sure to follow smcknights for story updates on events, holidays, and more from the eyes of St. Mike's students!

Snowy views of some of our favorite hikes off in the distance!

Fried pickles (or frickles) at Our House Bistro on Friday night! If you're a regular reader at Stories of St. Mike's (which you should be!), you'll know this place comes highly recommended. So fun, cozy, and unbelievably tasty!

Also on Friday, it seems as if all of New England (except for VT!) was hit by this staggering snowstorm. School was cancelled and power was out. Newsfeeds across several social media networks were filled with snowy shots from Massachusetts to Maine, as us VT students stared out our windows at dry pavement. Come on, Mother Nature!!! (Photo courtesy of my dad back home in Newbury, MA!)

That being said, our weekly Smugg's trip this Saturday was slightly less than satisfactory. Between the warm temps all week and the lack of any new snowfall, conditions were pretty scratchy. (This shot was from the lift, overlooking a trail that was obviously closed, like most of the mountain. A few icy trails were left open, but it was certainly a treacherous day out there!)

So naturally, it was only appropriate to reward myself at the end of the day at the Waffle Cabin!

Well friends, have a happy Sunday and a happy Superbowl! Wherever and however you're spending it, I hope you all have fun and stay safe. Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 10th!




Let's Connect! 
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Everything You Need to Know About Sloane

BLT Salad w/Avocado from Sloane!


Feeling like a switch-up in your weekly dinner options? Want the closest experience you can get to dining out without any hits on your credit card? Well do I have good news for you!!

Where & When
 
Sloane is St. Mike's second, smaller dining hall located on North Campus, about a mile up the road from main campus. They're open for dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, and it's included on your meal plan!

How

Since Sloane is a smaller space with limited table availability, you'll have to call ahead and reserve a table beforehand. You're probably better off calling the day before, or maybe even earlier.

Don't forget your Knightcard! It'll be swiped at the door, just like at Alliot.

What You're Getting

Once you arrive, you'll be seated immediately by your waiter or waitress. From there, you'll get an appetizer, entree, and dessert all ordered off a rotating menu!


While dining at Sloane does require a little extra effort, it makes for a great break in the week from the hustle and bustle of Alliot, and also helps make the dining hall experience a little more fun and special every once in a while! 


Enjoy, and thank me later!!


More Sloane Info 


Interested in other posts like this one? Check out:

Everything You Need to Know About Alliot 




Let's Connect!
Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu