Healthy Eating on the Road

Are you ready for that summer road trip? You probably worked very hard to get a perfect figure so you would be able to wear that brand new swimsuit. That new body took lots of hard work and sacrifice. But now you are starting to wonder, will taking a road trip ruin my new body? Thinking about food on the road might bring up images of greasy cheeseburgers, French fries and banana splits. All good stuff but not good for your waistline. What is a person to do? Well, read on to learn about eating healthy on the road!

IHOP
Let’s start with breakfast. Now the International House of Pancakes might remind you of strawberry cheesecake pancakes dripping with whipped cream and lots of syrup. But IHOP has plenty of healthy options on the Ihop for Me Menu. One of my favorites is the Eggbeater omelet loaded with veggies like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms. Add a side of fruit and a large glass of juice and you have completed your fruit requirement for the day! Other options include blueberry pancakes with bananas and whole wheat French toast!


Macaroni Grill
Another great place to get some healthy food is the macaroni grill. They have lots of great stuff to eat like grilled chicken and salads. I went to the one in Kissimmee and ended up with a great meal complete with salmon, broccoli and some asparagus. They even give you crayons to write on the table! Check it out!

Applebee’s
Another great stop for travelers is Applebee’s. They have a new under 550 calorie menu with lots of terrific items. I prefer to mix and match the whole wheat penne pasta with some grilled chicken, marinara sauce and a side of veggies. But you can also get shrimp or a nice steak with vegetables for the same amount of calories! Dig in!

Sweet Tomatoes
Last but certainly not least is Sweet Tomatoes. This is one of my favorite stops in Tampa. They have a wonderful salad bar with all types of salad ranging from plain spinach to casear. You can also get some chicken strips, raisins and croutons. There is a wonderful hot bar with lots of pastas, pizza bread and fresh soups. Don’t forget to check out the dessert area before you leave. They have all types of frozen yogurt, sugar free mousse and a variety of different fruits! You get all of that for one price!

We have only scratched the surface. There are so many other great food options out there for healthy eating on the road. Be sure to do a little research beforehand and then go ahead and dig in! Happy Eating!

Top Vacation Spots for College Students

Summer is officially here! It’s time to put away those books, get your friends together and go on a vacation. But you might feel overwhelmed since Florida is a top tourist destination. Where should you start? What if you are on a budget? Can you still have fun? The answer is yes. I will give you some advice on some affordable destinations for college students. So read on.

Destination 1 - Walt Disney World - This is one of my favorite places and also known as the happiest place on earth. Walt Disney World offers some great deals for multi day passes. Don’t forget to take advantage of having an AAA membership or Florida residency. They can also save you some money. A Magic Your Way Pass (7 day ticket) is only $34 a day! There are four great theme parks to enjoy and the fun is only two hours from Gainesville!

Destination 2 - Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay - Busch Gardens is great day trip. They have some really cool rides and attractions with animals. There are a lot of great deals going on right now as well. For example, you can buy a Busch Gardens ticket and visit Adventure Island or Sea World for free. Check out the details on their web site!

Destination 3 - Lowry Park Zoo - If you are an animal lover, then you might just want to check out Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. Its only 2 hours from Gainesville and Parents magazine rated it one of the best zoos in the U.S. There are lots of great summer specials for ticket prices and it might be worth checking it out.
Destination 4- Florida Keys - If you are game for a beautiful, scenic drive down south you can head to the Keys. Check out the Key West Aquarium. There are some amazing shark and turtle feedings. There is also the opportunity to swim with the dolphins! Way cool! The party life is great, too.

Destination 5- Silver Springs, Ocala - If you want some excitement a little closer to home, check out Silver Springs in Ocala. They are home of the world famous glass bottom boats. In addition, they are some great deals on ticket prices such as buy one get one free admission! Its worth checking out! One of the best water parks in this area is right next door.
Destination 6 - Panama City Beach - Another scenic drive and well worth the trip is Panama City Beach. The “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches” offers gorgeous white sand and turquoise clear water. While you are there, you can check out Shipwreck Island Water Park which features a 17th century sailing ship in a lagoon pool! There is also St.Andrews State Park which is one of the most popular ones in Florida! Don’t forget the night life! Club La Vela is one of the largest in America!

Destination 7 - St.Augustine - This the oldest city in Florida, St.Augustine and offers a wide variety of culture, historic churches and lots of great beaches. Its worth the drive to check it out! Take the haunted tour. You might even find the fountain of youth! Yeah right!

Destination 8 - Cedar Key - Cedar Key is a quiet island that is located about an hour from Gainesville. It offers some beautiful sites and places to catch or eat the local seafood. You can also catch of glimpse of some beautiful sunrises and sunsets which are all free!

Destination 9 - The Landing in Jacksonville - Where can you find great shopping and events only an hour an half from Gainesville? The Landing in Jacksonville is the place. Its located on the St.Johns River and features a shopping area and great restaurants. You may want to take a water taxi across the river! A great day trip or weekend gateway!

Destination 10 - A Day Trip Around Gainesville
Last but not least, you can enjoy a vacation in your home town. We can start the day catching some rays on the lawn near Reitz Union without any textbooks in site! Enjoy some laps around the pool in the Florida Gym or one at your apartment complex! There is also the opportunity to go see the historic Devil’s Millhopper, take in a movie or hit the Oaks Mall. The sky is the limit when you go on a staycation in your own community!

Funk Resurrection at Oxford Manor

Oxford Manor was the place to be last Friday night. There was a funk resurrection which
featured two great bands Forem and Milq. As a member of the paradigm team, I was able to get
an insider’s view of all the action as it was taking place.

I wanted to take the time to share with you the story of this
event and some behind the scenes info. I arrived at 5:45 p.m. and took my station as door greeter. Oxford Manor was pretty quiet at this time of day but it was about to explode into a happening night scene. The band members arrived first. They rushed around to bring in their equipment. Then some of our
other team members arrived as well as Pam.
Pam brought some beautiful artistic fruit
carvings that you have to see to believe! She turned a watermelon into a bouquet of flowers. I spent the hours between 6 and 7:0 continuing to greet concert goers and watching as the place transformed into a hot night spot. Ball lights were set up and lots o tables outside were filled with free food.
Between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., I had the pleasure of experiencing some great jazz music from outside. It was a humid night but lots of people came out. I helped to set up peanut M&Ms and mixed nuts. We also had a variety of chips and chocolate frosted cupcakes.

Last but not least, students and concert goers alike waited
patiently in line for kabobs with beef or chicken. After that, it was back inside to hear some more great music. I went out front to check out the poker tournament. There was a lot of friendly competition going on and even a raffle for prizes.

Things began to wind down around 9 and I sat realizing how amazing it was that an apartment clubhouse could be transformed into a musical jazz scene in a matter of hours and then back to normal just as quickly. But then that's life at Paradigm Properties!

Cheap Dates for College Students

Picture this scenario. You have a crush on a girl or a guy and want to make a good first impression but you don’t have a lot of disposable income. What can you do? No need to worry. I will be coming to your rescue with 10 tips for cheap dates!
Tip 1- Enjoy nature together-
When my husband and I first started going out, he took me to a lot of cool natural places. A simple sunset is a great place to start. Check out Paynes Praire state park. Its free to look around and admire the sunset but it will cost you $2 per person to get in and look around at their exhibits.
Tip 2- Visit a Garden-
Kanapaha Botanical Gardens is a great place to see all types of flowers and even some lillypads. You and your date can enjoy all of this for only $6 a person! Don’t forget to visit the gift shop before you leave. They have lots of handmade items. I found two cute handmade hair clips with sparkly stones.
Tip 3- Take a Bike Ride
If you want a completely free date, both of you can take a scenic bike ride through Gainesville. There are a lot of beautiful areas to ride through such as the Hawthorne trail. You can see some nice foliage in the fall and beautiful flowers in the spring.
Tip 4- Go Bowling
Alley Katz is a great place to try your hand at bowling. Its under ten dollars a person and they always have some great ongoing promotions. One of their current specials is pizza and bowling on Saturday and Sunday nights. Its only $14.99 a person for two hours of bowling, shoe rental and all you can eat pizza! Pretty cool!
Tip 5- Have a picnic
You can pack a nice lunch for two complete with fruit, sandwiches, chips and drinks for under $10. Then find a nice spot, put down a blanket and have a picnic. There are lots of great parks in Gainesville. If you can’t get to a park, try the UF lawn near Reitz Union or Turlington hall. Be careful, others might want to join you!
Tip 6- Take in a free concert-
Silver Springs in Ocala is a great place to enjoy a free concert together. This is a great way to bond with your crush or significant other. Bring a blanket or chair. If you want to see the park, admission is only $24.99 a person but they have a buy one get one coupon that you can print from their web site.
Tip 7- Take in a show
Both the Hippodrome and UF performing arts center put on a variety of shows through out the year. Most of these cost less than $10 per person for admission. So if you like musicals, theatre or comedies spend a night at one of these places.
Tip 8- Visit Devil’s Millhopper-
For only $4 per vehicle, you can take your sweetie to Devil’s Millhopper. This a national landmark that has been around since the 1880’s. Look down into a beautiful 120 feet bowl shaped cavity that leads down to a rainforest. Its hard to top that!
Tip 9- Visit Poe Springs-
Would you like to experience nature in a canoe? Check out Poe Springs. You can get in for $5 a person and rent a canoe for about $3. It’s a great place to experience nature, go for a swim or have an afternoon picnic. Its only 45 minutes north from Gainesville. In fact, we got married in the lodge up there. This provided us with some great views and made for some wonderful photographs!
Tip 10- Walk around downtown or on campus
If you are out of ideas and cash, then just take your date for a walk around the campus or downtown. The importance of dating is spending time together getting to know each other. So don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of money, just enjoy being together. It might result in the beginning of true love or even marriage! Happy dating!

Walmart: The College Student's Solution to Living in Style on a Budget

Are you tired of living in a plain apartment? Do you wish that you could turn your boring living space into an expensive looking place? You can with Walmart to the rescue!
Walmart usually makes you think of inexpensive clothing and other items. At Walmart, you can find a lot of expensive looking brands at almost half the price. This will help you to turn that dull student apartment into a luxurious living space. Read on to find out more.
Before we begin on our redecorating journey, lets familiarize ourselves with two of Walmart’s most popular brands: Mainstay homes and Better Homes. These brands offer a wide selection of different colors, shapes and patterns of day to day necessities for all of the rooms in your home.
We will start our journey in the kitchen. Pick your favorite color and then get everything to match. If you like red, then go for red dishes, appliances and even dish towels. Bright, bold colors help to enhance any room. Better Homes offers dishes in red striped, floral patterns and square shaped to satisfy any unique taste. Here is another tip. Get a bright colored table cloth. Feel free to go wild choosing stripes or even plaid. Black dishes can also work. If you shop at the Super Walmart store, don’t forget to make a pitstop at the grocery department. They offer a wide selection of groceries, dairy and even produce at cheap prices! So stock up!
Lets move onto the bedroom. The same brands offer coordinating sheets, comforters and rugs. Stick with bright colors and patterns. You can even give the room a fancy look by adding pillow shams to complete the bedroom style.
Don’t forget about the bathroom! Do something creative like all towels the same color. Follow the color scheme throughout the other bathroom accessories. The most common apartment can be made special by unique accessorizing even if it’s a Star Wars towel set!
Follow the same advice for the living room and any other bedrooms and you will be living in style on a budget! You can thank Walmart for their expensive looking style on a college student’s budget!

Healthy Fast Food Options for College Students

When you think of fast food, what comes to mind? At breakfast time, most college students probably think about grabbing an egg Mc muffin or hash browns. If you have a sweet tooth, then you might go for a donut or iced latte with whipped cream. Need a quick lunch, then you will probably end up grabbing a burger with fries and washing it down with a large coke. Dinner is usually pizza with extra cheese, meat or other high fat toppings. In the mood for dessert, then you might just end up at Ben and Jerry’s. But did you know that fast food does not have to be unhealthy? You can eat healthy and still have fast food at every meal. Keep reading for the best healthy fast food options.
If you wake up starving and have a craving for McDonalds try a plain English muffin with a yogurt parfait. Top it off with a small orange juice and you are good to go for the day! You can have all of this for under 400 calories and 5 grams of fat! In the mood for restaurant food, stop into Ihop. They have a just for me menu with lots of great options which are all under 600 calories. You can have blueberry pancakes with topped with bananas and a side of Eggbeaters and turkey bacon all for 560 calories! Sugar free syrup is available as well. They also have whole wheat French toast and buttermilk pancakes. My personal favorite is the veggie omelet with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and swiss cheese. It comes with a side of fruit and you can get OJ, apple or tomato juice to go with it. Breakfast is served all day at Ihop so don’t worry if you like to sleep in!
Lunch and dinner time offer another whole array of possibilities. Across the street from campus, you can get a less than 500 calorie pita stuffed with vegetables, chicken, steak or cold cuts at the Pita Pit. They also feature under 300 calorie smoothies with 3 servings of fruit in each one! Shands Medical Plaza recently opened up a Subway restaurant. There is also one on campus in Reitz Union. You can any sub made into a salad or sub or even under 200 calorie soups in flavors such as chicken noodle and cheesy broccoli! Taco bell has a special Drive through diet menu that features great frosty drinks and low calorie tacos.
Last but not least, don’t forget about dessert. Across from campus is Mochi. They have low fat frozen yogurt with a large selection of healthy and traditional toppings. Don’t forget Dlites for the best soft serve icecream in Gainesville! Its only 50 calories per 4 oz serving ounce and a short drive from campus! As you can see, healthy fast food eating is cheap and not hard to find! Stay tuned for next time when I share more recipes from my husband’s kitchen.

Quick Meal Tips for College Students

Are you a busy college student without much time to cook or prepare meals at home? Do you feel tired of eating fast food and high fat vending machine snacks? Your days of quick takeout meals are numbered because I am going to teach you how to prepare quick, nutritious meals in less than an hour with 10 simple tips.
Tip1- Choose healthy packaged meals. There are lots of options. You want to look for meals with less than 500 calories and 10 grams of fat. Don’t forget to read labels carefully and look for words like whole grain.
Tip 2- Add onto simple packaged meals. The best example is Zatarians red beans and rice mix. My husband turns this package into a great dinner by just adding chili beans and lean ground turkey meat. The whole meal is ready in less than an hour
Tip 3- Pack a protein punch. Great meals don’t need to be complicated. Pop open a can of chicken breast or tuna. Mix with fat free mayo and you have a nice healthy lunch. You can also purchase a bag of spinach or romaine lettuce and add the protein for a nice healthy salad.
Tip 4- Don’t be afraid of produce. Fruits and vegetables make excellent additions to your meals. You can make a boring salad colorful by adding some orange slices or a crunchy apple. This will also give some extra vitamins and nutrients. Vegetables make great side dishes and are popular with our red beans and rice dish.
Tip 5- Go nuts- Nuts are another good source of vitamins. Not only do they make a good snack but you can add them to salads as well. Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E but don’t forget to experiment. Walnuts, tree nuts and pine nuts are other great choices.
Tip 6- Think frozen- It might seem too time consuming to prepare fresh beets and carrots. That’s why they invented frozen vegetables. Just heat up some water and boil them. 10 minutes later you have a healthy addition to any meal without even using a knife or peeler!
Tip 7- Have Breakfast for Dinner- Who said breakfast only has to be eaten in the am. There are many options that make great dinners as well. My favorite example is eggs. One night a week, we have an omelet night. If you are watching your weight, egg whites make a great substitution.
Tip 8- Add cheese- Low fat sliced or shredded cheese makes a great addition to any meal. Sliced cheese is good on a sandwich and you can sprinkle shredded cheese on any salad. Parmasean cheese is perfect for spaghetti with tomato sauce so go wild with cheese!
Tip 9- Try dairy- The dairy department is another great source of meal ideas. You add yogurt to just about anything. Add some fruit, nuts and cereal and it makes a great meal. Try a yogurt smoothie with fruit and even some protein powder. Smoothies are not only for breakfast.
Tip 10- Cook a feast for your friends and family- Now that you have learned some new unconventional meal ideas, you can have an untraditional dinner for friends and family. Buy some cool new plates and cook away. You will not only have fun but this will encourage others to think outside the box as well! Happy eating!

Life After Graduation: A College Student’s Guide to Kick Starting Your Job Search

Graduation time is here again and many of you may be ready to kiss those books good bye and begin your job search. You have spent four years or more working hard writing papers and studying for those tedious exams. A degree is going to be mailed to you shortly but you can’t help but think now what? How do I begin my job search? Well, here are ten tips that you might find useful to help you get started.
Tip 1 Create or Polished resume You may already have a resume but it’s probably not up to date. Make sure you add every internship or job no matter how small. Any work experience will look good to your potential employers. Be sure to proofread your resume for errors.
Tip 2 Make a generic cover letter Many employers will want you to write a cover letter. Make sure yours can be used for multiple job openings. Always geer your cover letter toward the job listing.
Tip 3 Begin your search online The internet is a great tool for finding jobs. Once you have a cover letter and resume, you can check out Snagajob and Monster.com. The UF web site also has some great resources. Don’t forget about Craigslist. I have gotten many jobs from there.
Tip 4 Attend local career fairs UF always has local career fairs. They are free to recent graduates. It’s a good idea to check them out. Don’t forget to bring plenty of copies of your resume and cover letter and dress to impress.
Tip 5 Network Dig out those old business cards. Ask all your friends if they know anyone looking for a good employee. Sometimes word of mouth is a good tool for landing a new job.
Tip 6 Visit Different Places of Employment Drive over to your local mall. Ask for an application at your local grocery store. Experience is experience so be flexible.
Tip 7 Be Prepared to Wait for Your Dream Job Very few students land their dream job right after graduation. It might take a couple of years before you have an executive position. So be prepared to accept another job that might not be your first choice.
Tip 8 Volunteer If you can’t get a job, don’t just sit at home. Volunteer at your local hospital or pet shelter. Sometimes working for free can lead to a lucrative career opportunity that you were not expecting.
Tip 9- Be Patient It could take a long time to get a job. So be prepared to wait and don’t get too stressed out if you don’t hear from employers right away.
Tip 10- Don’t Give Up- Job hunting can be a long tedious process. You didn’t complete a four year degree overnight so don’t expect to get a job overnight. Just remain positive and don’t get stressed out over not getting a job right away.
Your time will come so keep a smile on your face and enjoy being a new graduate. Soon you will have that new job or dream job and be saying so how many more years until I can collect social security and retire!