Author Archives: Social Community Manager

July 23, 2012

Dream Big Photo Contest Week 4

Filed under: Contests and Promotions - Social Community Manager
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#selfportrait

dog

#selfportrait

Yes, we realize that the photo above here is a little off. Of course dogs cannot take their own self-portrait. They have better things to do with their day, like roll around in grass and gnaw on your shoes.

Lack of opposable thumbs aside, this week’s Instagram photo contest theme is to take a self portrait of yourself. Focus on you. Literally.

Capture…you – #selfportrait: What are the things in life that help you create new moments, and discover more about yourself? What about yourself are you proud to convey to the world?

Snap a photo of you or your friends and family out and in action, Instagram it with the hashtags #BookRenter, #DreamBig and #selfportrait and you could be one of four winners of a $25 Visa gift card every week. It’s that simple. 

Subject inspiration: Photo of yourself doing something awesome. Underwater snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, rope swinging, skydiving, surfing…or just being you.

As always, take a look at our terms and conditions on further details about the contest.

Take a peek at last week’s #skysthelimit photo contest winners, for their cool cityscapes: @catacarryon @jayymorid and @barananita

new york city

new york city bridge

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July 22, 2012

Summer Break Destinations That Don’t Break the Bank

Filed under: College Life, Travel & Abroad - Social Community Manager
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bio of blogger

 

 

 

 

Summer movies almost always include a scene with a group of friends driving down on a highway on a road trip with a cliché sunset in the background. Getting a driver’s license in the US is a rite of passage for teenagers and college students. Holding that license is like a ticket to freedom.

Summer road trips with my college friends are echoes of drives taken by previous generations. In 2009, I took a road trip with a friend, whose dad had driven the same route 30 years earlier. Road trips are also a great way to travel cheaply. A couple of mixed-CDs, a cooler of snacks, a roadmap, and a full tank of gas will make the world your oyster.

But summer break vacations can be expensive without travel included. Having to pay for meals and board can quickly add up. For college students, outdoor activities can be active or relaxing, and offer the biggest break on your wallet.

 

National Parks

giraffes

Photo © Krug6

State and city websites will list national/state parks or federally protected land located nearby. These parks can have picnic or camping areas and are beautiful scenic destinations. They may ask for a daily parking fee, but it’s a small price to pay to protect from forest fires and support upkeep of the land.

Beaches

If you’re lucky enough to live near one, beaches are a great summer destination. Even a couple-hours drive or weekend trip can be worth feeling the sand between your toes. Physically, visits to the ocean are good for your body and anytime out in the sun will up your D3 intake.

Concerts & Festivals

If you are able to throw a few extra dollars aside, then concerts and festivals are the way to go for music lovers. Sasquatch, EDC, and Coachella are all opening acts to the line-ups over summer on the West Coast. All across the US, major summer festivals include Bonnaroo, Identity, Warped Tour, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands.  A quick search online will give you the websites for all of the above concerts and many more.

Happy summer traveling! Don’t forget to keep those windows down!

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July 20, 2012

Cool Dinners for Hot Days

Filed under: Health & Fitness, Seasonal Celebrations - Social Community Manager
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blogger bio

 

 

 

 

“It’s too hot to cook.” How many times have you heard this from your friends or family when it’s time for dinner? It can be easy to use this as an excuse for not cooking a real meal when the weather is warm and cooking requires using the oven, but – surprise, surprise – there are actually meals out there that are perfect for warm weather, and don’t require the use of an oven!

fruit salad

Photo © Dinner Series

Fruit Salad

Besides being totally healthy and thirst-quenching, fruit salad is super easy to prepare and put together! You can either cut up a lot of fruit the days leading into hot weather, or put the salad together the day of for a fresher taste. For a twist on the traditional “just fruit” fruit salad, try adding some yogurt, walnuts, coconut shavings, or raisins. For an extra special twist, add marshmallows.

bread and cheese

Photo © Geoff Peters

 

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Rachael Ray’s recipe for black bean and corn salad doesn’t require too many ingredients and it takes less than half an hour to prepare. Add some tortilla chips on the side and you’ve got a meal!

Tapas Plate with Marinated Chickpeas

Sounds fancy for a college student, right? Take a look at Real Simple Magazine’s recipe and you’ll see that although it has a fancy name, it’s super easy to throw together.

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

Getting hungry yet? If you love seafood, this recipe is for you, and there’s no better time to have it than during the summer! You can add some chips or salad on the side, but from the photo, the shrimp roll might be pretty filling on its own.

Sandwiches

sandwich

Photo © flavorrelish

I’m not talking PB&J here, kids. Ham, tuna, and chicken are all healthier choices and they all taste great with fruit; this is the perfect time to get creative! Try Tasty Kitchen’s Fancy Chicken Salad or the super easy Hearty Apple Sandwich. If you don’t feel like taking the time to cook chicken, buy some already cooked from the store and chill it for a bit.

Feeling inspired? Cop a few recipes from your mom, ask your friends what their favorite hot day meals are, or do some experimenting in the kitchen on your own. Whatever you do, leave a comment letting us know what you recommend!

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July 18, 2012

The Benefits to Your Coffee Craze

Filed under: Digital Interns, Health & Fitness - Social Community Manager
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bio

 

 

 

 

Where would us college students be without coffee? It has been there for us through rough mornings, late nights, and our sweet cravings!

It is there for us in more ways than you may think – some of which are positive, among all the negative buzz. So sip down these facts with your next cup!

1. Health Advantages

  • Free Radicals – Free radicals are molecules in our body responsible for tissue damage, aging, and some diseases. They end up bonding with and damaging         other molecules in our body. Antioxidants end up preventing free radicals from harming healthy tissue. Coffee beans contain more than 1,000                   antioxidants called phytochemicals to help keep those free radicals tamed!
  • Prevents Muscle Pain – About two cups of coffee may actually cut post-gym muscle aches to those who are not casual drinkers.
  • Weight Balance- Drinking after a meal causes your body to slowly digest the meal you just ate, making you feel full for a longer period of time. It also    increases your overall metabolism to help you burn off calories.

2. Intellectual Improvement

  • Memory – Sustained attention and memory have been proven to increase with consumption of caffeinated coffee.
  • Grammar –  It can also help you proofread with increasing your odds at finding grammar errors.
coffee

Photo © Dedie Deryder-Pope

3. Sex Life Boost

  • Sex Drive – Coffee may enhance sex drive among those that do not drink coffee habitually.
  • Fertility – It has also been claimed to increase fertility in men by increasing sperm mobility.

4. Reduce Cancer Risk

  • Skin Cancer – Women who drink more than three cups of coffee a day have a 20% lower risk of skin cancer, while men have 9% lower risk.
  • Prostate Cancer – Drinking 1-3 cups a day could reduce the risk of prostate cancer for men by 30%.

5. Disease Decrease

  • Alzheimer’s - Coffee boosts the levels of GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) that fights off Alzheimer’s.

About 4-5 cups can remove the beta-amyloid plaques associated with the disease in the brain.

  • Parkinson’s – A few cups a day can also lower the risk of Parkinson’s Disease by 25%.
  • Diabetes – Also, the more coffee you drink (caffeinated or decaffeinated), the lower your risk is at developing Type 2 Diabetes.

6. Make You Happy!

  • Mood Boost- Regular coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of depression than non-coffee drinkers. Caffeine is known to affect the brain since it modulates mood transmitters.

    coffee

    © Health Mentor

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July 16, 2012

Dream Big Photo Contest Week 3

Filed under: Contests and Promotions - Social Community Manager
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#skysthelimit

new york city

#skysthelimit

Cityscapes. Gorgeous, urban, smoggy, foggy, What does a city represent to you? What are the most beautiful things in a city that get your mind wandering to other far off places?

Snap a photo of you or your friends and family out and in action, Instagram it with the hashtags #BookRenter, #DreamBig and #skysthelimit and you could be one of four winners of a $25 Visa gift card every week. It’s that simple. 

Subject inspiration: street murals, bridges, skyscrapers, sunrises/sunsets, city silhouettes, parks and shadows

Congrats to @mxvenida and @jordyann13, winners of last week’s #inmotion theme:

in motion

in motion

 

 

 

 

Every week, we’ll announce our winners here, so be sure to check in next Monday. To read more about how to enter our contest, see our previous blog post below, and don’t forget to read our Terms and Conditions for more information.

 

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