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Social Media and Trivia Night
Good afternoon, friends! I began typing up this post on Wednesday, but I drew a blank and deleted everything. Then I started again this morning and here we are 6 hours later with little more than a sentence. Time to buckle down…
Yesterday in my digital marketing class, my professor made the entire class create a Twitter account. For some reason, this really annoyed me. I have avoided Twitter, kept my Facebook page private, censored my Instagram posts and limited the Snapchat selfies. ;) This blog is my main form of public media, and even then the content is filtered for what I will and will not share. I didn’t want my name attached to Twitter and I didn’t want one more dumb social media app on my phone!
Practicing social media modesty is important. It’s so easy to share every aspect of our lives with hundreds of “friends” down to a picture of the breakfast we just ate, detailed statuses about our love life (or lack thereof), and tweets of self-congratulations or self-pity. I think social media is a great and wonderful way to keep in daily contact with the people you care about, but there is definitely a point to where it becomes obsessive or intrusive. Privacy is a powerful thing. I’m not too sure about using Twitter, how many different websites do we need to use to talk about ourselves?
So what do you think, am I totally backwards? Should I be embracing the social media platforms? I may need serious convincing before that takes place. Actually I have been making a conscious effort to put the damn phone down more often. I always refuse to keep the phone in sight while I’m driving or sitting in class. Usually I try to limit it while I’m hanging out with friends too. The whole Be Present thing. But I think I can do a better job of finding an alternative activity when I’m bored than just scrolling through Pinterest. Speaking of which, last night was a fun, phone-free time….
Team “Berries and Beer” (formerly known as the “Sangria Sweethearts”) dominated Trivia Night at the country bar again. (And by dominated, I mean performed mediocre-ly and avoided last place.) One of the rules of trivia night: NO cell phones (their rule, not ours.) Three hours passed by after 8 rounds of trivia questions covering sports, 90s cartoons, classic movies, famous soundtracks and Mario Bros.
Before we were seated, our group sat outside around a fire. I felt a hot spot on my leg, looked down to see an ember had BURNED A HOLE through my skirt and tights. The little orange fleck was still sitting on my thigh when I looked down, so bummed that my brand new skirt had a peanut-size whole in the front. (My roommate Bri cleverly ordered me to cover my ash hole -_- )
Trivia night also revealed that we have no expertise in video games and only a slightly better-than-average recall of any pop culture before 2011. However our riddle skills were on point and we were, in my opinion, the best dressed. ;)
I was the designated driver for the evening to I kept it to one early glass of sangria before the games. We finished up around midnight, and I couldn’t wait to fall asleep. Such a fun way to kick off the LONG holiday weekend with my friends :)
Okay I think I’ll take my own advice, unplug for the rest of the afternoon and go for a walk.
What are your thoughts on Twitter? And how much phone time is too much?
Vegan Green Goodness Cupcakes
My warm-weather friend made my weekend infinitely brighter. I call Chelsea my “Sun Buddy.” She traded the mountains and snow for the desert to become an ASU Sun Devil. She is my beach lovin’ friend! Miss Chelsea and I can talk for 8 hours straight and always find fun in outdoor adventures or some sort of healthy cooking. Saturday we made the greenest cupcakes you ever did see with a modified recipe from the Oh She Glows cookbook.
Please make these cupcakes. Shred some zucchini. Bake it in a cake. Get a little fancy with pistachio crumbs. Impress your family. Don’t tell them it’s made with vegetables. Laugh about the lime green frosting. We call them Shrek Cakes!
Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake Recipe:
(Adpated from Oh She Glows) Makes 12 large cupcakes
- 1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
- 3 Tbs. Water
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2 tps. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbs. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (we used mini!)
- 1 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan.
2. Stir ground flaxseed and water and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir almond milk and vinegar and also set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
4. Pour flax mixture into almond milk mixture. Add in maple syrup, and vanilla.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips and shredded zucchini.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes; set aside to cool
Avocado Frosting:
- 1 large very ripe avocado
- 3 Tbs. confection sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Mash avocado. Using a mixer, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to frost cupcakes. Garnish with crushed pistachio pieces.
**We joked that avocado frosting would taste like sweet guacamole. It did not, though the avocado is still detectable and I think that is a very good thing. Californians have a special obsession with avocados. ;)
So Clean. So Green.
We loved the cupcakes (and so did our taste testers!) but I think everyone agreed they were best without frosting. The avocado topping is great for looks but the muffins are perfect just by themselves (or with fresh coffee, but that goes without saying.)
Baking aside, I had not properly celebrated Chelsea’s 21st birthday yet! We hit up downtown and stopped for a drink. At an espresso bar. Appropriate? I think so. :) I’m way too excited for our autumn plans, tailgate parties, football games, and all things pumpkin.
I am so grateful to have a friend with such a big heart. People who prioritize their friends and relationships, who can have a conversation without looking at their phones, who make an effort and make time to make silly memories are (sadly) rare. I’ve had too many experiences being someone’s friend when it’s “convenient.” This applies to relationships too. It is painfully obvious when someone values your friendship less than you value theirs. When you find a friend like Chelsea, count yourself lucky.
SUN BUDDIES FOR LIFE ;)
Now go get your green on and post it up on Insta!
Up in the Trees
Never underestimate the cathartic power of an open highway.
And no, I did not take any of these pictures while driving ;)
Whether it’s 15 miles or 150 miles away, getting out of the college campus for a while is a much-needed vacation. I spent the first four days of spring break with one of my best friends Chelsea & there is literally never a dull moment.
Some kids like to get day-wasted during spring break. We like to climb trees in the rain. :) We spent the better part of the day “hanging” out in the forest. At one point we hung 61 ft. off the ground. Our rain dance brought some hail along the way. Just made it that much more hard core. ;)
The course was a serious balance exercise. Some of the obstacles had us hanging upside down and pulling ourselves across a rope. Others had us hopping on a suspended skateboard and gliding through the air.
And all five courses ended with a zip line. For some reason roller coasters terrify me, but putting my weight on a metal clip suspended between two trees is perfectly acceptable.
Chelsea & I met in SHAC freshman year of college & immediately bonded over an interest in health/nutrition. After sophomore year she transferred to ASU. Lack of snow was a main appeal ;) I don’t blame her! We pointed out that all of our visits are full of activities like going rock climbing, jumping around the trampoline gym, swimming, bowling, hiking, and now zip lining. AND THAT’S THE WAY WE LIKE IT.
The next day was a Sedona Adventure (am I sick of that place yet? Never.) & I’ll save for another post.
