6 Things I learned for Next Year's Music Midtown

This past weekend, my roommates and I packed our bags and went to Music Midtown in Atlanta's Piedmont Park. We listened to some of our favorite bands from noon until 11 pm both Saturday and Sunday, ate from food trucks, and experiences a cool festival that only happens once a year. Most of us had never gone to a music festival before so we didn't really know what to expect. Here are a few things I learned that I will know for next year:

1. Pack Lightly. If you don't absolutely need it, you should probably leave it at home. You are allowed to bring in bags of medium size, but you will not want to lug it around all day. You really only need your phone, debit/credit card, and maybe some sunglasses. The less you have to worry about keeping up with, the happier you will be. I brought a small purse, and even that got a little annoying to wear.
2. Eat before you go. If money is not an issue, I'd encourage you to eat at Music Midtown. They have amazing food options from food trucks and other tasty food stands. However, if you are on a budget like I am, the food can be a little pricey. Just about anything from a food stand will be about $10 (even a snack). In order to save money, it would be smart to eat lunch before arriving, and only having to buy one meal while in the festival. Both water, sodas, and alcoholic beverages are also pricey, but there are refillable eater stations that you can use for free to stay hydrated! Bringing in an empty water bottle could save you some major money.
3. Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk A LOT. I walked over 25,000 steps each day without even trying. Just getting from stage to stage to watch different artists will be trek so wear shoes that are comfortable, and will not give you blisters. It is a long day, and the last thing you want is to have to worry about your feet hurting. By all means, don't wear heels.
4. Be ready for any sort of weather. The weather we had at the two days of Music Midtown was like night and day. Saturday was a hot, sunny day without a chance of rain. The grass in the park was dry and people were sitting on the ground watching music. We had to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Sunday was a torrential downpour, and we were even evacuated from the park for 1 hour because of a tornado warning. With that being said, keeping a poncho in your pocket is essential. Having a cheap poncho or rain jacket will keep you warm and dry during any weather, and will keep you happy even after it stops raining. Its better safe than sorry. It would also be smart to have a meeting point for your group in case you are evacuated when you are separated from one another.
5. Be open to going to bands that you don't know!Going in to Music Midtown, I had a few bands that I knew I wanted to see. There were other bands that I had never heard of before. I ended up having just as much fun at the bands that I didn't know as the ones I did though! Being open minded and flexible will help the weekend go smoothly and keep you happy. You may even find your new favorite band.

6. Download the App! If you want to stay updated on the line up, show times, and show locations, you should download that Music Midtown App. It is very easy to use and will keep you organized. You can also locate your friends, food, and bathrooms on a park map, and even make your own schedule for the day. Its free so why not??

4 Biggest Changes on Chick-fil-A's Menu

One of the biggest perks of living in the South is being blessed by the presence of Chick-fil-A. It is very rare to find someone who doesn't like Chick-fil-A, and if you do, you'll probably discover that they are not actually from the South. We've enjoyed a pretty consistent menu from Chick-fil-A throughout the years without much changing. However, Chick-fil-A has made some borderline-major changes recently, and they need to be brought to your attention so your are not blindsided the next time you go to order.

1. THE SPICY CHICKEN BISCUIT IS GONE. Many Chick-fil-A lovers were very upset by the departure of the spicy chicken biscuit. It's unclear exactly why it was kicked off the menu, but Chick-fil-A likes to keep a simple, clean menu, so if one item is brought on, another must leave. So you can thank another breakfast item for the absence of our beloved biscuit.
2. GRILLED CHICKEN FOR BREAKFAST IS HERE. You've probably seen the commercials for this new item because Chick-fil-A is making a huge push in promoting this one menu item. The "Egg White Grill" is a breakfast sandwich that entails a grilled chicken patty, cheese, and egg whites sandwiched in a whole wheat English muffin. If Chick-fil-A makes it, it is probably good, but you'll have a hard time getting me to swap my chick biscuit for this healthy choice.
3. SUPER-FOOD SALADS ARE HERE. Chick-fil-A has recently launched this super-food side. They seemed to have manged to turn a super healthy option into something people actually want to eat. This salad contains kale and broccoli with nuts and dried cherries on top, all marinated in their special dressing. Some people are actually passing up the waffle fries for this healthy side, so good for you Chick-fil-A!
4. EASY ACCESS NUGGET TRAYS. Chick-fil-A has released a new, smaller nugget tray that doesn't require ordering ahead. You can get a 30 count nugget tray for around 10 bucks. They make it so you can even order one of these babies in the drive-through. Doesn't get any better than this.

Now that you're informed, head out to your nearest Chick-fil-A and order your usual or maybe even try one of the new things on the menu!

#StopPrematurePumpkinSpicing

If you live in America, you know about Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte, and the food industry's obsession with all things pumpkin when it gets anywhere remotely near fall. Most of us are used it by now because our consumer-driven world loves to push things on us before it's really appropriate (like putting out the Halloween stuff in August and the Christmas stuff in October). It's  thing like this that we've just become accustomed to.

Starbucks launched its Pumpkin Spice Latte on September 6th this year, and apparently that was just too darn early for people like Sean Bauer. Sean Bauer took matters into his own hands and has started a revolutionary movement against the Pumpkin Spice. He has protested in front of Starbucks and other coffee shops in Philadelphia for the past two years sporting a sign the read: "Stop Premature Pumpkin Spicing".

According to Bauer, the Pumpkin Spice movement is ruining peoples' sentiments of fall. Instead of thinking of warm fires, flannel shirts and hot cider, they think of bright orange artificially flavored drinks and sweets. On the flip side, many people enjoy these pumpkin flavored treats and would be heartbroken if they didn't return every year at the first sign of fall. I imagine there will always be a deep divide among those who love and hate pumpkin spice, but it will just have to be a hardship we live with.

You can love it or leave it but regardless its coming!! Happy fall!

4 Ways to Use Social Media on Game Days

The millennial generation is known for being attached to our phones, and there is no exception when it comes to football season.  As the Georgia Bulldogs's first home game approaches, we see numerous opportunities pop up to use social media during this exciting sports season, so we must be sure to take advantage of them.

1. Instagram your Game Day. Whether you have front row seats in the student section or miss this game all together because of your epic tailgate, you're sure to take plenty of great pictures to document the whole thing. Be sure to pick your best, and share it with your friends on Instagram so they can join in our your game day experience. If you're social savvy, you can now post an Instagram "story", that is much like Snapchat. I personally like to stick to Snapchat for that, though. Which brings us to....
2. Snapchat the highlights. There's bound to be plenty of awesome moments on game day that you'll want to capture. Whether its the cute puppy someone brought to the tailgate or watching the Dawgs run out on the field, you'll want to capture it and send it to your friends. Game days also make for great Snapchat stories and keep up with what your friends are up to on game days as well. 
3. Keep updated on other games on Twitter. Although most of us are most loyal to one team in particular, we still get curious  about the outcomes of other games going on that day, or sometimes even at the same time. Twitter allows us to have real-time updates of what is happening nation wide in the world of football. Twitter will alert us of the best plays, the worst plays, and who we need to watch out for in the rest of our season.
4. Play for yourself and join a Fantasy league. Nothing shows your love for football more than getting involved first hand. Fantasy football leagues allow friends to play against one another, and most of the time win a good amount of money if you are the lucky winner. This is one of the best ways to get excited and involved in football season.

No matter what kind of fan you are, you can use social media to enhance your game day experience and help share it with others! 

The Top 3 Most Delicious Instagram Accounts

Top 3 Most Delicious Instagram Accounts:

There is nothing people love more than than eating something delicious. And their second favorite thing is taking a picture of it. Taking pictures of delicious and extravagant food and posting it on social media has become such a popular fad that entire accounts have been made to honor some pretty amazing food. These accounts have mass followings, and keep their followers craving more.

1. Food In the Air

@Foodintheair is probably one of the most well know Foodstagram accounts with 238,000 followers, and is wildly popular. If you want to see fabulous food, ranging from sticky sweet doughnuts to savory tacos, held in front of even more noteworthy backdrops like the Eiffel Tower or a stunning mountainside in Italy, this Instagram account is for you. They also have a travel blog website highlighting some of the most amazing places to travel, some of which are features in their photos.

2.  Spoon University

This scrumptious account targets college students in the kitchen. With 42,800 followers, they have a solid following, many of which are college students. They re-gram content from over 100 college campuses and over 3,000 contributors. They also have a website that offers tips and tricks fro shopping for food and cooking on college as well as restaurant reviews. If you're a college student looking for some great food, this is an account to follow.

3.  EatingNYC

This account was started by Alexa Mehraban, a self proclaimed foodie who lives in New York. Her account has accrued over 96,500 followers, and it documents her many food escapades in New York City. She also has a website on which she rates restaurants around New York City. Look no further for a specialized Foodstagram that highlights a city with some of the craziest food creations out there.

Why Pinterest Is Your Travel Best Friend

As I begin my senior year, I've started thinking about what I want to do with my last Summer before I start my job in July. Over and over again, people have told me to go travel and see the world because I won't have another opportunity to do so for a while. They have said that this is a unique opportunity and that i need to take advantage of it while I have time.

This leaves me with a dilemma, though. I know that I want to go out and see the world like everyone has been telling me, but the world is a pretty big place with unlimited cool things to see and do. I am now tasked with the job of planning a trip. This entails deciding where I want to go in the first place. After I know where I want to go, I have to find fun things to do in those specific places. After I have planned my trip, I will have to know what to wear and things I will need. Lastly, I need to figure out how to bring all the necessities with me, while still packing light. Since I've started planning my post-grad trip, Pinterest has been my best friend.

And here is why....

First, Pinterest helps you decide where to go: There are way too many places in the world to be able to decide by yourself. Pinterest has a host of articles and list of great places to visit with highlights from each. This allows you to get a taste of what each trip might be like and what sort of activities it might entail.

Pinterest is very easy to search on, so if you know what area of the world you'd like to go to or what type of vacation you'd like to take, it is easy to narrow down your travel results. For example, you could search "Caribbean vacation" or "adventure travel vacation", and come up with hits tailored to the type of trip you are interested in. Essentially, Pinterest is a specialized Google search with pictures representing each hit, that give you an idea of what that article might share.

After you decide where to go, you have to decide what to do in those destinations: It is essential to have some activities lined up for your travel destinations or you could end up in a strange city with nothing to do (or worse, nowhere to stay). Pinterest is a great resource for finding the coolest activities to do for almost any city you could think of. Next time you are planning a trip, search fun things to do in your destination, and can you will be surprised by the amazing things you can find, Many times, you can also find articles about activities that are free if you are on a budget!

After you decide where you're going and what you're doing, you have to decide what to wear, and more importantly, how to pack it: It can be difficult to decide what to wear to somewhere you have never been before. For example, when I went to Alaska in July, temperatures were sometimes in the 80s, while other times they were in the 30s. It would have been nice to know that while packing. Luckily, Pinterst has an article to tell you how to dress for just about anywhere you can think of. Once you know what to wear, Pinterest can also help you jam it all into a tiny suitcase with all the packing tips and tricks they have to offer. Pinterst will teach you what to bring and what to leave to conserve space and how to roll your clothes so they can fit into smaller spaces than you could imagine. Pinterest is a great resource for all things travel, and is always a great place to look to for ideas, and tips for traveling better.

Is Social Media Really Making Better Personal Relationships?

 We live in a world where social media is so inter-woven in to our daily lives and relationships, that we wouldn't know how to function without it. Throughout a typical day, we will contact our friends, significant others, parents, and colleagues through various social media platforms. One day I might talk to one friend through a stream of Snap chats, while posting a funny video on another friend's Facebook wall, and then later that day post a picture on Instagram celebrating a friend's birthday. This goes without mention of the numerous texts that will no doubt be sent throughout the day. While it may seem like we are more connected to one another than ever before, have we lost the meaningfulness of connecting in person? And when we do spend face to face time with someone, is this time hindered by all the relationships we feel the need to keep up with on social media through our mobile devices? So the real question is: Is social media really making better personal relationships? Or is the constant need to be in contact, and to publicize our relationships hurting us in the end?

I once had a conversation with one of my friends, about someone we knew from high school. We were wondering if she was still dating the guy she had been dating in high school and we took to social media to find out. We stalked her pictures, and since she had not posted any pictures of them together in a few months, we came to the conclusion that they must have broken up. We later found out that they were still happily dating. This goes to show the stereotypes that have become such commonplace rules for relationship today. If you don't post on social media, people assume your relationships don't exist. There is so much pressure to post on social media, and show others how fabulous of a life we have, that it could be squelching the actual relationships we have. We can be so wrapped up in making it LOOK like we're having a great time that we miss the opportunity to live in the moment and ACTUALLY have a great time.

This pressure to keep up a good appearance on social media stretches into more than just everyday relationships, but into monumental life moments, like proposals. People (mainly women) are becoming more and more obsessed with catching these life moments of camera, and looking good whiled doing it. Pinterest has also added pressure because people can now compare their proposals to other peoples' proposals. Now everyone wants to have the most romantic proposal, and will not be satisfied if it is not perfect. It seems that some people are more worried about if their nails are done, and if the lighting is good that what their husband has to say when he is down on one knee.

Yes, social media is helping us communicate with more people, more frequently than ever before, but we have to remember to live in the moment and not give into the pressures that stems from keeping up an appearance on social media.