Helpful Study Tips for Students of All Ages

Students from sixth grade all the way up to graduate school struggle can find studying to be a daunting task, despite how different their curriculum may be. Use these helpful study tips to improve your own studying or to help your struggling child.

  1. Review before bed. While it’s not the best idea to study when you’re overly tired, there’s some benefit to studying right before bed. Your brain strengthens new memories while sleeping, so you’re more likely to remember what you learned if you look at the information right before falling asleep.
  2. Create mnemonic devices. Whether you’re trying to remember complex chemistry concepts or the states and their capitals, it often helps to create a little story or other mnemonic device using people or objects that you’re already familiar with. For example, make a poem out of the first letters of each of the planets for a child who is struggling with an elementary science class.
  3. Create practice tests. One of the only ways to really test your knowledge is by putting yourself to the test. Download pre-made practice tests online or enlist a study partner to quiz you on the topic.
  4. Write instead of typing. Many studies show that the human brain is more likely to remember something that you write by hand than something that you type, so leave your laptop at home the next time you take notes.

22 Science-Backed Study Tips to Ace a Test [Greatist]
10 Tips to Study Smart and Save Time [Lifehack]
Adults in College: 10 Secrets to Success if You Haven’t Seen a Classroom in Years [Back to College Blog]
Top 10 Study Tips for Busy Adult Learners [Back to College]

Awesome Facts About the World’s Tallest Roller Coasters

Adrenaline junkies love seeking out the highest, fastest roller coasters at any amusement park, but some of these rides are crazier than others. Here are a few unbelievable facts about the tallest roller coasters in the world.

  • The Steel Dragon 2000 coaster in Japan’s Nagashima Spa Land measures in at a whopping 318 feet high and 8,133 feet long, which makes it the longest steel coaster in the world. Even more impressive is its insane price, however: The coaster required extra steel to make it earthquake-proof, totaling $50 million!
  • Since 2005, the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey has held the title of the tallest roller coaster in the world. It stands 456 feet tall and drops riders at a stomach-churning 128 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds.
  • If you prefer upside down roller coasters, the roller coaster with the most loops is The Smiler in England’s Alton Towers park. Although its name sounds sweet and innocent, this coaster boasts a whopping 14 loops.
  • If speed is more your thing, the world’s fastest roller coaster is, predictably, located at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. This bright red, Ferrari-themed coaster reaches speeds of 150 miles per hour in just five seconds.

World's Scariest Roller Coasters [Travel + Leisure]
Awesome Roller Coaster Facts: The Tallest One, Fastest One, Most Loops & More!
[Fun Times Guide]
8 Record-Breaking Roller Coasters from Around the World [Thrillist]

Give Your Lampshades a Makeover With These Easy Projects

If you love doing DIY projects to spruce up your home, you’ll light up over these unexpected ways to dress up your basic lampshades. From polka dotted designs to artistic tie dyed effects, these tutorials have something for every type of home decor—and you can complete them in just a matter of hours!

Fabric Covered Lampshade Makeover [domesticsuperhero.com]
Although this tutorial uses a colorful chevron fabric to dress up an old lampshade, you can choose any type of fabric that fits into your design scheme. After you choose the perfect print, all it takes is a bit of hot glue to completely make over your lamp.

Gold Dot Lampshade [blog.landofnod.com]
There are few patterns more classic than simple polka dots, and this DIY will show you how to add them to a lampshade using only some metallic craft paint. By mapping off different sections with painter’s tape, you can ensure that your dots are evenly spaced.

Modern Marble Patterned Lampshade [minted.com]
This is one of the easiest and most eye-catching ways to dress up a lampshade, as it doesn’t require any painting, gluing, or even much measuring. Simply choose a wallpaper or wrapping paper in a pattern that you love, measure it to fit the shade, and attach it with a bit of regular office tape. This is especially helpful for parties, as you can remove the pattern once you want a less decorated look.

Bite: Take a Taste of Artistic French Fare

Bite is a French wine bar and restaurant that specializes in generous portions of high quality foods for prices that the average consumer can afford. It’s a foodie spot without the usual foodie prices, and it has an impressive wine list to boot.

The menu consists of French-inspired dishes like steak tartare and goat cheese olive appetizers to start, braised duck leg and butter poached lobster for dinner, and a number of desserts that are just as delicious and elegant as any that you’ll find at a bakery in Paris. There are also daily chef’s specials so that you never have to have the same dish twice.

Bite’s ambiance is much more bright and modern than you would expect from an upscale eatery, and it features pop art displays covering just about every bit of free space. A bright red accent wall keeps things fresh and interesting, while the small dining area and tablecloth-covered tables make Bite intimate and inviting.

Bite
1012 S. Presa Street
San Antonio, TX 78210
(210) 532-2551
www.biterestaurantsa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/bite-san-antonio

The Station Cafe: Grab a Slice or a Sandwich

A trendy little pizza joint in Southtown in San Antonio, The Station Cafe serves a creative array of hot and cold sandwiches as well as whole pizzas and pizza by the slice. Other offerings include soup and salad, so you can enjoy a soup and salad, pizza and salad, or a pizza, soup and salad combo. Locals love The Station Cafe’s sandwiches and particularly recommend the pulled pork sandwich, the Turkey Chupacabara, the jalapeno turkey sandwich, the San Antonio cheese steak and the jalapeno roast beef.

The Station Cafe is a reasonably priced option for lunch or a quick dinner out with friends. Next door, you’ll find The Filling Station Tap Room, a pub owned by the same folks. The Station Cafe is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Station Cafe
701 S. St. Marys Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 444-2200
www.thestationsa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-station-cafe-san-antonio

Healthy Rice and Potato Dishes That Won’t Weigh You Down

Starches and whole grains are important for feeling energized, but if eaten in excess, they can make you feel heavy or weighed-down. These delicious and nutritious recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute incorporate rice and potatoes into your diet in a way that benefits your body and provides proper portion sizes.

Delicious Oven French Fries
Though fast food French fries are anything but healthy, this oven-baked alternative provides the same classic taste without the added fat and salt.

Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes
By stuffing a baked potato with low fat milk and cottage cheese instead of the usual sour cream, you can save calories and still get the same savory taste.

Candied Yams
The holiday favorite gets a healthy makeover in this fast and easy recipe, with sweet brown sugar and tangy orange juice for a boost of added flavor.

Scallion Rice
The addition of green onions and bullion gives this simple, low-calorie rice dish a little something extra, and makes it perfect for eating with a variety of meats, vegetables or stir-fries.

Sunshine Rice
Perfect for pairing with grilled chicken or for eating on its own, this rice recipe contains unique ingredients like hot sauce, almonds, and lemon juice for a distinctly flavorful taste.

For more healthy rice and potato dishes, visit the NIH website by clicking here.

Smart Barre: Tone and Strengthen Your Muscles

Local fitness fanssay Smart Barre’s ballet-inspired classes are a great way to firm and tone the muscles of the upper body, hips, thighs, and abdomen. The classes here are geared toward the specific needs of women, so Smart Barre is open to women only, though couples' classes are occasionally offered for those who would like to bring their male partners. The exercises focus on working key muscle groups with a combination of strength and resistance training. Though Smart Barre classes incorporate small hand weights, no heavy lifting is required.

Regulars at Smart Barre say this is a strenuous class that will really make you break a sweat, but it’s worth the effort. Most attendees say they begin to see noticeable results after about 10 classes. Class sizes are limited, so reserve your place in advance.

Smart Barre is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Smart Barre
6426 N. New Braunfels
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 822-0584
smartbarrebody.com
www.yelp.com/biz/smart-barre-san-antonio

Coupon Apps for Apple Devices

Everyone could use a bit of extra cash between paydays, and by taking advantage of coupons, you can increase the amount of extra money you have each month.

Here are two apps that can help you to get started:

GeoQpons
For avid shoppers on tight budgets, it can be a constant struggle between putting a bit in savings or splurging on that great new bag. With the GeoQpons app you’ll always be alerted about the best sales and deals going on at your favorite stores, so you can afford to go shopping even if you’re on a budget. GeoQpons also offers coupons for grocery stores like Costco and Walmart, so you can use it to help save on your weekly grocery trip.

Coupons.com
If you prefer to shop online, Coupons.com is a great app that offers online discount codes as well as the more traditional coupons. The app offers sections for in-store offers, online coupon codes and essential grocery coupons, and it even links to your credit card to help locate special cardholder savings.

Picnikins Patio Cafe: Tasty Food in a Laid-Back Atmosphere

Despite its trendy, modernist decor, locals say Picnikins Patio Cafe is a laid-back, down-to-earth place to grab a sandwich for lunch or a hearty dinner. Picnikins bakes its own bread, and patrons say it’s some of the best they’ve ever eaten. For lunch, try a classic sandwich like the roast beef and provolone, the ham and cheese, or the egg salad sandwich, or choose one of Picnikins’s unique specialty sandwiches, like the Ultimate, the Orchard, or the Mediterranean vegetarian pita. For dinner, order the chicken piccata, the glazed salmon, the braised lamb shank, the Southwestern chicken sandwich, or Andre’s pasta.

Regulars love the food here, but they say the friendly, welcoming staff and affordable prices are really what make Picnikins Patio Cafe one of the best restaurants in San Antonio.

Picnikins is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Picnikins Patio Cafe
6901 Blanco Road
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 616-0954
www.picnikinspatiocafe.com/home
www.yelp.com/biz/picnikins-patio-cafe-san-antonio

5 Reasons to Have Petroleum Jelly in Your Beauty Arsenal

Though it’s tempting to splurge on pricey makeup and skincare products, few things are more useful than good old-fashioned petroleum jelly. This miracle product is simple, very versatile, and, best of all, incredibly affordable. Here are just a few of the best beauty uses for petroleum jelly.

  1. Use it as an eye makeup remover. With its slick, gooey texture and petroleum-based composition, petroleum jelly makes a great eye makeup remover. Just smear some across your eyelids and wipe it off gently with a cotton ball or tissue.
  2. Highlight your cheekbones. Instead of contouring your face using an expensive, name brand highlighter, get the same effect for just a few dollars with petroleum jelly. Dot a tiny bit on the cheekbones, brow bones, and upper lip, then smooth it over with your fingers or a makeup sponge.
  3. Create a nail polish shield. If you always get nail polish on your cuticles while giving yourself an at-home manicure, smear some petroleum jelly around the nails to keep the polish from staining your fingers.
  4. Use it as a heavy-duty moisturizer. Apply petroleum jelly to elbows, knees, and heels to combat dry skin during cold winter months.
  5. Conceal split ends. If you’ve waited a bit too long between haircuts, dab a small amount of petroleum jelly to the ends of your hair to coat split ends and make them less noticeable.

16 Practical Uses for Petroleum Jelly [All You]
26 Extraordinary Uses for Petroleum Jelly [Reader's Digest]
57 Uses for Petroleum {Free} Jelly [One Good Thing]

Pin It on Pinterest