Community Blog

That’s right; I just said you could enjoy the benefits of having a personal shopper for free! Shop it to Me is a unique website which get’s your information and sends you regular e-mails with personalized suggestions based on your preferences.

I signed up with Shop it to Me a few weeks ago. I must admit that their e-mails have been spot on, for the most part. Now, I’m not saying that everything they send me is right up my alley. However, I can tell you that about 75% of the items are things I would probably wear.

So, if you love clothes, or could use a little advice when it comes to shopping then head over to Shop it to Me. They have a section for men, women and children. Plus, they’ll let you know about sales in your area if you put in your zip code!

Do you use any shopping sites? Would you suggest any of them to your neighbors here at Indiana Village?

We are easing ever closer to football season! I couldn’t be more excited about the return of the Raiders to Jones Stadium. Honestly, I’m pretty excited about the cooler temperature of fall as well. So the impending arrival of fall and football has me seriously happy (yes, I realize it’s still July).

The first game is just a little over a month away. Texas Tech will be taking on SMU on home turf on Sunday, September 5th. Don’t worry; it will be broadcast on ESPN if you can’t make it to campus that day!

Now is a great time to start getting ready for football season. End of summer sales are a great time to stock up on any tailgating supplies you might need.

Ladies, Red Raider Outfitters is halving a 50% off sale on their Chicka-D brand apparel, which includes a few great dresses!

Indiana Village, are you ready for football season?

Friday, July 23rd, is the opening night of Willy Wonka. The Lubbock Moonlight Musicals brings us yet another wonderful production. Let them carry you away to a land of chocolate, candy and sweets! Enjoy a vibrant and colorful set, as well as a brilliant cast.

Lubbock Avalanche spoke to John Davis about his role as Willy Wonka, The article talks about his take on the role and has me itching to go see the show. This is one of my favorite childhood movies and I’m excited to see the stage version.

Willy Wonka will be showing at the Wells Fargo Amphitheater in Mackenzie Park on:

Friday, July 23

Saturday, July 24

Saturday, July 31

Friday, August 6

Saturday, Auguat 14

Friday, August 27

Satudray, August 28

Admission is $17 for adults, $10 for students with id (College or high school) and $5 for children 12 years old and younger. The gates open at 7:00pm and shows begin at 8:00pm every night.

With the Wells Fargo Amphitheater just a ten minute drive from Indiana Village why not go see a show? Have you been to any of the productions this summer?

What’s in the stars for you this weekend? If you don’t have plans yet for Friday night and you enjoy star gazing then you might want to head over to Tech Terrace Park. The Star Party is this Friday, July 16th. It is co-hosted by the Museum of Texas Tech and the South Plains Astronomy Club. It is a free event and open to the public.

Currently the weather is looking great for Friday evening, clear with a pleasantly cool evening. It should be a prefect evening to go out and enjoy the stars.

Bring a blanket and a snack and enjoy watching the stars. There will be astronomy buffs there to answer questions and help you locate the constellations.

This would be a unique and inexpensive idea for a date. Bring something to nibble on and a blanket for you and your honey to lay on for prime star viewing.

The Tech Terrace Park is just about 3 miles from the Indiana Village Apartments, just on the other side of the Texas Tech campus.

Getting myself to the Indiana fitness center on a regular basis may be one of the most difficult parts of my fitness routine. I am simply not one of those people who want to hit the gym. The treadmill tends to feel like a chore. However, there are some great ways you can motivate yourself every day.

Motivation is different for everyone. No two people are motivated by exactly the same things. However, we can take hints from other’s motivation techniques and see if they work for us. Here are a few ideas to get motivated:

Make it worth it – set a goal and agree to donate to a cause you dislike if you fail to meet that goal. Sites like Stickk will help you keep to this pledge. By pledging to give to a cause you dislike you are more likely to stick with it.

Buy more workout gear – not having enough workout clothes is a great excuse not to visit the fitness center. Take that excuse away from yourself by investing in more gear.

Keep your workout gear in plain sight – if you’re a runner, leave your running shoes where you will see them. Keep dumbbells in the living room so you can workout while you watch TV.

Check out the Fitness article for more motivation tips and tricks. How do you motivate yourself to hit the gym?

Whether you are stocking your first kitchen or have simply decided to start using yours, there are a few things every budding chef needs. Having a well stocked kitchen makes cooking so much easier. Heaven knows having a good set of knives makes a world of difference when doing prep. However, most of us don’t have a ton of money to get our kitchens up and running. The question is can you get everything you need cheaply?

Yes! Here are the things you’ll need for a smoothly function kitchen, all for about $150:

• A decent cutlery set with a chefs knife, a bread knife and a paring knife will really help speed along any chopping you have to do. You can find a decent set for around $30.
• Two cutting boards; one for fruits and veggies and one exclusively for raw meat. You can find basic cutting boards for about $10 a piece.
• A colander for rinsing things and draining pasta, they really do just make life easier. A basic colander is around $10.
• A simple set of mixing bowls, you will be amazed how often you use them. You can get a set of 3 for around $10.
• A saute pan for everything from scrambled eggs to cherries jubilee. You can get these alone or as part of a set of pans. Alone they’re about $16.
• A medium sauce pan for simmering, pasta, mashed potatoes, or poaching anything. This is something every kitchen must have. They run about $20.
• A baking sheet for everything from cookies to oven fries. You can get on for about $8, I would suggest getting 2 if you like to bake.
• A good can opener will make life in the kitchen much simpler. I like the safe open versions. You can get one for $10.
• A set of measuring cups and spoons so you don’t have to guess on measurements. You can get a basic set for about $10.
• Basic kitchen utensils like spoons for stirring, rubber spatulas for mixing and scraping the sides of bowls, and metal spatulas for scraping are all helpful. I have found all of these in the $1 bins at Target… just saying.

How often do you use your kitchen here at Indiana Village?

I am so excited about the long weekend ahead! Not only does Independence Day get us an extra day off, but it brings us fireworks as well! We do have rain predicted for most of the weekend. However, I am going to use powers of positive thinking and assume there won’t be a cloud in the sky when it comes time for Fireworks!

If you are looking for a great way to celebrate the 4th of July, then check out one of these events:

Saturday, July 3rd, Buffalo Springs Lake will host live music starting at 6:00 pm and fireworks starting about 9:30 pm. A parade starts at 2:00 pm at the marina as well. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children.

Saturday, July 3rd, is the Slaton Independence Day Festival from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. This is a free event, and will have live music, food and games.

Saturday, July 3rd, and Sunday, July 4th, will bring the 4th on Broadway Celebration to downtown Lubbock. There will be live music both nights, the Lubbock’s Street Dance will take place on Saturday night and fireworks will be on Sunday night around nightfall.

Weather permitting this should be a great weekend full of fun celebrations and fireworks! Have a safe and happy 4th of July weekend!

Looking for a job, whether it is your first job or a career change, can be stressful. I specifically remember being terrified before my first big interview my senior year of college. I’m sure I made some notable mistakes during that first big job search. We’re all human, so mistakes happen, and HR people realize that.

However, some mistakes can be a red flag for hiring managers, so watch out for these pitfalls:

• Sending out your resume without having someone else proof read it. You may not see the spelling error or incorrect word that a fresh eye will catch.
• Lying on your resume. Most companies call references and verify past employment, so just don’t go there.
• Show up in overly casual or revealing clothing to an interview. A suit may not be necessary, but keep your attire professional and classy.
• Leave your phone on or take a call during an interview.
• Go into an interview unprepared. You should know about both the company and the job you are interviewing for and how your experience would help you in both.

For Texas Tech students, Career Services is a great place to go for advice and help in the job search process. Check out this article on resume writing. The Wall Street Journal has a great article about job hunting blunders.

There are only 6 cultural districts in the state of Texas that have been recognized by the Texas Commission on the Arts and Lubbock is one of those. This cultural gem is regularly offering wonderful events and performances for our enjoyment. When was the last time you made it to the Lubbock Cultural District?

If you haven’t been in a while this is a great weekend to head over there. There are a number of great events over there this weekend:

The 2010 Judson Maynard Summer Carillon Series presents Jim Quashnock, of Wichita Falls this Sunday, June 27th, at 8:00 pm. Come listen in the Memorial Circle.

Lubbock Moonlight Musicals brings us “Hello Dolly!” It will be running June 24 – July 2.

The Summer Showcase at the Buddy Holly Center introduces us to a variety of uniqe and original Texas music.

This Saturday, June 26th, the Lubbock Community Theatre is hosting an Arts Festival in union with their annual production. Their production of Alice in Wonderland will follow the festival on Saturday, beginning at 7:30 pm.

The festival will be a free event including a variety of crafts, artists, coffee, sweets and a masseuse. Everything starts at 1:00 pm and continues until 7:30pm at the Lubbock Community Theatre.

Ticket for the show will be available at the door. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for students.

This should be a fun event and a great way to support the local artists.

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