Wednesday, November 30, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Post-Thanksgiving Motivation


Now that you've had your fill in turkey, pie, and undoubtedly several sandwiches' worth of leftovers, you're back to school with only two more weeks of classes and one week of finals. The only problem is, you probably got way into the holiday spirit over the break before crawling back for the final haul.

That said, motivation is more crucial now than ever! Keep up morale with the following tips:

1.) Plan it out.



With only two weeks of classes left, chances are you have a good idea of what's coming up on your to-do list and your timespan to get it done. I've always found that the best way to avoid becoming overwhelmed is to plan out what needs to get done and when. This will minimize stress and ensure that you aren't letting work pile up.

2.) Keep taking care of yourself.


Remember all that luxurious sleep you got over break? You don't need to leave that at home. Keep getting a lot of rest and eating well (there may not be a cornucopia of leftovers in the fridge, but you can make do). Know when to take time for yourself and accept support from the people around you.

3.) Remember what's around the corner.


If the thought of Christmas trees, Elf marathons and a month off doesn't motivate you to push through, I don't know what will! You've got this!


Stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 4th (yes, that's December!!)!



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Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
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E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #13

Hello all! It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving break, but today we've made the trek back up to SMC for the last few weeks before Christmas Break.

This Thanksgiving break, I got to visit both sides of my family and got together with my best friend Maureen for the first time since she started school in North Carolina! So needless to say, it was a very productive, much needed break.

On Wednesday, I was able to squeeze in an interview for my senior seminar book at an interior design workroom in Boston!

One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is preparing some tasty Thanksgiving treats! The finished pumpkin pie...

...and some apple roses (apple slices rolled in puff pastry)! Both were delicious hits. 

Thanksgiving wouldn't have been complete without an awkward family photo with my Uncle Steve's moose!

One of the best things I did over break was visit my late Grammy and Grampy's house as my family admired my Grammy's jewelry collection and decided what they wanted to keep. I ended up with this gorgeous necklace, amongst other pieces that I will treasure forever.

See you in a few weeks!!!

I hope you all enjoyed your break and had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 30th!




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Instagram: @claire_cavanaugh
Twitter: @CavanaughClaire
E-mail: ccavanaugh2@mail.smcvt.edu

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I'm a day early- but I want to take this week's What-to-Know Wednesday to wish all my lovely readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving break, I am thankful for time with family, decorative pie crusts, the Gilmore Girls marathon and squeezing in an interview for my senior seminar book! There's nothing better than spending the day making some Thanksgiving treats, so I'm gonna get back to it. 

Wherever you are and whomever you're with, I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with food, fun, friends and family. To any and all SMC readers, I hope you're all enjoying your well deserved break! We've got just two weeks left in the semester before Christmas break.

Stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 27th!



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

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #12

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's.

This Saturday, the sun came out and brought us a beautiful 60+ degree day! It was the perfect day to go downtown for the first time in a while and see my favorite view in all its glory.



Taking in the lake after a delicious brunch at Our House Bistro and a stroll around Church Street. 

This week, we will only be having classes Monday and Tuesday before heading home for Thanksgiving! Things have been very busy lately, so some turkey, pie and family time will be well deserved.

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 23rd!



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

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Combatting the Rainy Day Blues



We've had quite a few rainy days here at SMC for the past couple of weeks. And while it's nice that we're not missing out many sunny days cooped up working inside, the rain can also make it tough to stay motivated and focused.

Keep up morale with these few tips!

1.) Light it up!


An extra lamp here and there or a string of Christmas lights can add a much needed brightness boost in your bedroom or common area!

2.) Stay busy.


While it may be tempting to hop back in bed with your favorite Netflix-binge-obsession after class, it's more important than ever on days like today to keep your momentum going.

3.) Switch things up.

After you've been working on one thing for a while, start switching over to another task. If you've taken a solid chunk out of your research paper, it might be time to take a break with some cleaning then get back to it. You'll stay busy but you'll also ensure you won't get burnt out on one particular thing.


Happy Wednesday, and be sure to stay tuned for the next Sum-It-Up Sunday on the 20th!




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

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #11

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's.

This Tuesday, we celebrated my boyfriend Jared's 22nd birthday! Can't wait for another season of fun up in the mountains with him.

On Saturday, St. Michael's Admissions hosted the semester's second "Sample St. Mike's" Open House! It was a gorgeous, sunny day for it, and it is always an amazing experience to chat with prospective students about St. Mike's. While helping to run the Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts table at the academic tabling part of the day, I was able to share my experiences in MJD over the last few years, the opportunities it has given me, the opportunities it will bring me in the future, and why it would be a great major to pursue for the prospective students who approached our table. While this was our last Open House of the fall semester, I'm very much looking forward to next semester's upcoming ones! 

Somehow, Marissa and I have lived together since sophomore year yet only took our first picture together last night. I've been very lucky to have such a wonderful roommate in my years at St. Mike's! 

I hope you all had a great week! Enjoy this beautiful Sunday for me- I'm off to a day of homework!

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 16th!




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

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : Thinking Positive at SMC


We all woke up this morning to the same news. Whether or not it was what you'd expected or hoped to hear, there is no better time than now to come together. That said, a place like St. Mike's has a lot to be thankful for, and it is certainly a community I am grateful to be part of on a day like today.

Here's why...

1.) We are accepting.

St. Mike's is unconditionally accepting of all races, genders, ethnicities, religions and sexualities. Here, everyone is part of one community.

2.) We provide a safe space.

At St. Mike's, all opinions, perspectives and world-views are heard, respected and valued.

3.) We encourage conversation, healthy debate and inclusion of varying perspectives. 

The St. Mike's atmosphere- from the social community to the academic environment- facilitates the acceptance, discussion and healthy debate of different issues and perspectives.


It is an important day to remind ourselves what we have to be thankful for. Thanks again, SMC. <3




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

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Sum-It-Up Sunday : Week #10

Hello all! It's been another wonderful week here at St. Mike's. It seems as if all of a sudden, we've jumped straight from the semester starting to planning for the semester's end!

This week, seniors registered for their last semester at St. Mike's (...joy!...fear!...panic!...). While I had to jump through a couple of hoops first, I was able to register for all the classes I'd planned on. So for my last semester at St. Mike's, I will be taking my Senior Seminar to write a book, Race, Gender & Ethnicity in Media, Introduction to Sociology, and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.

Seeing as it's been a very busy week, for the first time ever, I don't have any pictures from the week to include in my post! So, that being said, I'll include a throwback to represent what I'm looking forward to as the semester nears its final weeks...

Can't wait for these beautiful days on the mountain! Nothing beats a ride through a true winter wonderland on the Smugg's lift! 

Stay tuned for the next What-to-Know Wednesday on the 9th!




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

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

What-to-Know Wednesday : a Guide to Halloween on a Budget


With Halloweekend having just come and gone, I was so impressed by the creativity and cleverness I saw in costumes across St. Mike's- mostly because, if you ask me, Halloween can be kind of tricky on  a college budget with limited resources (unless anyone has a sewing machine tucked in their dorm room that I didn't know about??).

That said, I'm here to provide you with all the tips and tricks to rocking your next (or maybe your first!) college Halloween without breaking the bank!

1.) If you're shopping, shop early.



If you decide to buy a costume, get either online or to your local party store sooner rather than later. You'll have a wider selection, and you'll probably find some better deals!

2.) Get crafty!



To me, homemade costumes are always the best ones. They showcase not only your great idea for a costume, but also your creativity and inventiveness! Extra points galore. Many store-bought costumes don't end up matching exactly what you're looking for, and most of them are one size fits all. But with a homemade costume, you can customize it to your body and your exact vision, and you'll likely be able to do so for a lot cheaper!

3.) Use what you have.


Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love: a great costume on a budget using mostly things we already had!

A lot of costumes can be crafted from a carefully constructed combination of clothes and objects you already have! Think about the resources you and your friends can bring to the table first before rushing out to buy anything.


Happy Belated Halloween!




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