Happy Monday, everyone. This weekend was spent tuned in to NBC and contemplating what all I actually accomplished as a child, while all of these athletes were training on the mountain. I think I was spending my time hanging out in the outfield at t-ball (because the majority of six-year-olds can't hit the ball that far.) And that was the beginning and ending of my athletic career. But I digress.

So last week I wanted to carry my camera around with me more. And that didn't really happen. But going to the office and hanging around the house aren't necessarily photo-worthy moments. I also wanted to apply to five jobs, which I did. And I also had an interview Wednesday. Fingers crossed!

Goals for this week: 

1. Get ahead in blogging. Every Sunday afternoon I say that I am going to write the posts for this week, but then I decide that a nap is more important. And I would be right in that. But this week, I want to knock out the rest of this week's posts and get a head start on next week. Any tips for organizing and feeling inspired to think ahead in your editorial calendar? 

2. Try out a few new recipes. And if they turn out amazing, of course I'll share them with you.

3. Get back into spinning. I went to spinning class every Monday night this summer, but haven't gotten back into it since I've been back home. But now there is one on Tuesday/Thursday mornings that I can go to. And I'm hoping that the morning class doesn't have a line out the door like the 5:30 class did. It was like children cutting in line and telling teacher in there. (There was even a number/sign in system.)

PHOTO CREDIT

Did you all enjoy the little geography and history lesson at the Opening Ceremony last night? No matter how many times I watch Opening Ceremonies, I always come across countries that I have never heard of. Always. 

1. Have you kept up with the criticism Coke has been receiving for their "America the Beautiful" ad? Thoughts? I personally loved it, especially after hearing the stories and meeting the seven girls who sing throughout it. 

2. If I was handy with power tools (I have a baby hammer and screw driver, and that is the extend of my toolbox), then I would build a similar standing desk to Elsie and Emma. I love having the option to sit or stand when working. Whenever I sit for too long I can feel myself slumping over. Having a standing desk would force me to work on my posture.

3. Isn't the West Village beautiful in the middle of a snow day? I say this from the comfort of my warm room, and not out in the elements. Because, let's face it, this girl doesn't handle cold well (or at all.)

4. The Everygirl just happened to review one of the few restaurants I've eaten at in Chicago. When I visited with a school group, we dined at Quartino one of the nights, although since we did not have a reservation, we didn't sit down until about 9:30. So of course, as an appetizer, we made our way to McDonald's. My favorite part of Quartino is the family dining style, which also extends to dessert. We ordered one of every dessert and just passed them around. Perfect way to end the trip.

5. Don't forget to enter Elizabeth's Crush of the Month giveaway! This month's prize is two Present over Perfect mugs from Lindsey Letters, one for you and one to pass on. 

6. Do you need a little help polishing your resume? Here are 10 tips to help you stand out in the pile of resumes sent in. One that caught my eye was to always submit a .doc format as opposed to a PDF or .docx. I was always encouraged to have a slightly more designed resume since PR is a more creative field as opposed to accounting, but when applying to large corporations that scan 1,000s of resumes per day, .doc files are more easily read than PDFs, which can get jumbled up.

What you missed this week:
-Oscars ballot download
-Book Review: Devil in the White City
-Tour guide to San Francisco and Sundsvall, Sweden
-Goals for this past week

I've always loved awards shows. And the Oscars is like the Olympics of awards shows, except it happens every year. They are the best of the best and there are usually the same number of movies I've never heard of as Olympic sports (and countries) I have never heard of.

I'm so glad that Academy Awards nominations are released over a month before the show, because that gives me time to watch all of the movies I have yet to see. 

Leave it to the Oscars to make me realize that I must make poor choices when I go to the movie theater. Thankfully, this year there is only one best picture nominee that I have not heard of (Nebraska). And before March 2, I need to try to watch Dallas Buyers Club, Philomena, 12 Years a Slave, Nebraska, and The Wolf of Wall Street. How can I make an educated prediction before I've seen all the choices? Are there any of the nominees that you don't recommend watching? P.S. do not waste your time or money on "Her."

Is it just me or do I have polar opposite taste in film than the industry insiders? It seems like my vote is the kiss of death for movies because the ones I pick to win in categories rarely do. Which got me thinking...who would be the winners if "real people" were allowed to choose? 

As you are preparing for Oscars night, rolling out your red carpet and practicing your acceptance speech, here is a basic Oscars ballot for you to print and fill out. For space reasons, I included the main categories plus my favorites of the secondary categories. I just don't feel like I can really judge documentaries, cinematography, or film editing. For a complete list of nominees, visit the official Oscar website. 

The Academy Awards will air live March 2 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC. E! will have red carpet coverage starting that afternoon.

Download your ballot here

I had high hopes for Larson's tale of Chicago leading up to the World's Fair, and it did not disappoint. And as I flipped through the last thirty or so pages and realized just how many footnotes and references are included, my appreciation and love for the book grew even more. It would have been a terrifying and awe-inspiring tale even if he had embellished the story here and there. But to know that all of the minute details were thoroughly researched and woven into a narrative seamlessly was nothing short of perfection.

To give a little background, Devil in the White City follows the architects and their lofty ambitions to design and organize the Columbian Exhibition, and to make sure that it surpassed the previous world's fair in Paris (when the Eiffel Tower was built.) Despite egos, lack of a solid foundation and the creation of unions, and union strikes, you wouldn't believe that they would be able to pull the grand scheme off, especially in the two years they had to complete the plan. Chicago had much to prove to the east coast cities, especially New York. Chicago wasn't refined, it's main industry was the Union stock yard, to the east coast there was no culture in Chicago. They didn't believe that the most innovative architectural minds could possibly come from Chicago. And by some miracle, Daniel Burnham and John Root achieved the seemingly impossible.

And through all of this, one man almost got away with one of the largest serial killings in our nation's history.

Larson could have done a better job at piecing the narrative together in the beginning. I had a hard time keeping up with all of the different architects and felt like the storyline went back and forth too much. However, once all of the story lines converge at the start of the fair, you won't want to put the book down.

I did love the contrast that was discussed between the "white city" of the fair and the "black city" of Chicago. The fair was seen to be perfect and showcased all that was beautiful and modern in the country, while Chicago was dirty, crowded and home to all the necessary evils of the world.

If you enjoy history or historical fiction, then you have either already read Devil in the White City, or should pick up a copy immediately. However, think before you read it before bed because it won't lead to pleasant dreams.

And now to counterbalance the seriousness, I am off to read "Where'd You Go, Bernadette," which also happens to be about an architect who went off the deep end.

Today I'm going to introduce you Jess & Bailee!

Both lived in Southern California. 

Jess still enjoys exploring San Fran, 

while Bailee traded in the coast and warm sun,

for snow and beautiful walks through the Swedish countryside.

If you ever find yourself in the Bay Area or Sundsvall, Sweeden, 
they have you covered!

Hey there! I'm (also) Jess, the girl behind the blog Foreign Room. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and am passionate about iced coffee, puppies, and adventuring. You hardly ever find me without my camera or my dog by my side.

I am so happy that Jess asked me to participate in this series because appreciating your surroundings is a concept I really believe in as a broke college student with more dreams than dollars available to make them all happen. Aside from road trips and a couple big excursions I have splurged on, most of my adventuring is local and is what I often blog about.

For your enjoyment, I have planned what I believe to be a pretty epic day here in the Bay Area.

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Start off with breakfast at: 900 Grayson, Berkeley

I went here for the first time recently and will definitely be making the trek out to Berkeley again sometime soon for another visit! I'd say you would probably be happy with anything on their menu, but I recommend not wasting any time and going straight for the chicken & waffles, The Demon Lover. Be sure to spring for syrup AND gravy. You're welcome. Get here early though, as it fills up very quickly.

Go for a hike at: Lands End, San Francisco

To walk off your chicken & waffles, why not take a hike with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge? Enjoy the ride from Berkeley over the recently rebuilt Bay Bridge to SF for this hike along the coast. This is one of my favorite places for a long walk, and they are off-leash dog friendly. (I posted about this place here)

Have a picnic at: Dolores Park, San Francisco

Since by now I am sure you have worked your appetite back up again, head over to Dolores Park in the Mission District for a picnic. For all you foodies out there, take your pick, as there are tons of places to grab something to-go and enjoy your meal in the park with a view of downtown. This is also a great place to sit and people watch among the San Franciscans (hipsters) reading, napping, and (most likely) smoking pot in the park.

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Go thrifting at: Mission District, San Francisco

See some more of this culturally rich area of the city by hitting up the local thrift stores along Mission and Valencia streets. There is a nice variety of Good Will type stores and more refined secondhand stores. If thrifting isn't your thing, this area is also loaded with unique coffee shops.

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Take a drive: Over the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Hop in the car and take a drive over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Though this landmark may seem cliché, even after living here for nearly eight years, I am always in awe of it. Hopefully it will be a clear day so that you can see the ocean to the west and the vast bay to the east, but even on a foggy day, it is still a sight to be seen!

Have dinner at: Pizzeria Picco, Larkspur

Since you are now in the North Bay, in Marin County, enjoy a scenic drive a couple cities up to Larkspur for dinner at Pizzeria Picco. Order anything because it is all wonderful, but I highly recommend The Marin and a classic Margherita with a made-to-order Cesar salad on top. Also, sit inside if you can to get a look at the behind the scenes action, AND (this may be the most important part) be sure to finish your meal off with their Strauss vanilla soft serve with caramel and sea salt on top. Your stomach will never be happier. (I posted about this place here)

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See the view at: Twin Peaks, San Francisco

And to finish off this perfect day, drive back over the Golden Gate Bridge and into the city to catch the view from the top of Twin Peaks. This popular look out point will give you the most amazing view of the entire city and most of the Bay Area. Do bundle up, as it tends to be very windy here on a clear night!

What I love most about living in the Bay Area is the the variety of places, cultures, and people to be seen. This day I have outlined is easily one I would enjoy at any time, or would take a visitor on for a not-so-touristy look of San Francisco and the surrounding cities. I hope you enjoyed it and are adding these places to your list for your next trip to SF!

Please do come over to my blog to say hi!

xoxo Jess

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Hello! I am Bailie from The Hemborg Wife where I blog about life in Sweden as an American. Today I wanted to share a few things from the town I currently live in because looking at sunny pictures of my hometown in California would be torture right now with all the snow that is outside my window!

Sundsvall is a town in Northern Sweden that is home to around 50,000 people of which quite a few are students like my husband. These are the top things to do in our city in my opinion:

1. Paddle Races or Medelpaddeln in Spring - Each year groups of students form teams, dress up, and then paddle a stretch of river in races. All the onlookers have big picnics and drink tons while they watch the competitors struggle to stay in their canoes and win.

2. Barista - These is my favorite place to get a coffee and pastry in town. They have special booths that are almost like beds with a table in the middle so you can relax with your drink after a boring school lecture. Or if you want they have hanging seats that are a bit like cocoons if you want to read a book and sip a fair trade latte.

3. Side Lake or Sidsjön - This lake is an easy walk from our apartment and is great for a rest after studying for finals. In winter there is a ski slope right by it so you can have amazing views while skiing.

4. Enjoy the snow - There is no way to survive here with the 5 or 6 months of winter if you do not just go ahead and embrace all the snow!

You can find Bailee at: Blog | Bloglovin | Twitter

Happy Monday! And if you are one of the 6% of Americans who called in sick today after throwing the perfect Super Bowl (or puppy bowl) party, then I hope you are enjoying your long weekend. I tuned out at 9 to watch Downton Abbey because someone has to try and keep PBS's ratings up.

Last week I wanted to complete all my readings for the first section of my social media class. Success! It was all interesting except both authors come from a Fortune 500 corporate background, which isn't something I am necessarily interested in. 

I also wanted to find some new lunch ideas. You all had great advice, and the going consensus was to cook extra at dinner to have leftovers the next day. Well, I can do that. I'm also going to make sure I bring snacks as well. Hummus and pita bread, anyone? 

And for this week: 

1. I got a DSLR Saturday as a graduation gift! I can't wait to start capturing all of life's moments. And of course Dixie was my first (semi-willing) subject. Along with a Macbook and Photoshop, I feel like I've now entered into the blogging big leagues. 

2. Apply for five jobs. I've already book-marked the ones I'm interested in. Now I just have to sit down and write the cover letters and go through the process of submitting my application. As a long shot, Edleman PR agency is looking for someone to work on their Starbucks account, so you better believe that position made my list.

What are your goals for the week?

1. Don't tell me you can watch the trailer for "The Fault in Your Stars" without tearing up a little. I said that Kleenex should partner with John Greene to give a box of tissues with each book or movie ticket.

2. I felt so bad for all my friends and everyone in Atlanta during the "Blizzard of Blame," as CNN started referring to it. Meanwhile in Valdosta, we shut down for cold-almost-freezing rain. 

3. It's no secret that I love getting snail mail. So it's no surprise that whenever I visit DC, I'll make a beeline for the National Postal Museum, featured on Oh So Beautiful Paper this week.

4. I'm going to keep these tips from Mackenzie bookmarked on how to decorate on a budget in a small space. Plus we're both over-the-moon excited for the new Threshold collection at Target.

5. If you love doxies as much as I do, then you must follow the adventures of Kate and Trudy.  You can also find them on Instagram at @katheandtrudy)