Blog Ahead #22 Originally written on October 29, 2018
One of the best things about this time of this year, both the holidays and the colder weeks of the late-fall, is the seasonal foods! I thought I should share some links out to my absolute favorite foods that I only seem to eat around this time of year. As I was gathering photos and links to these three foods that I'll be sharing with you, my mouth was watering and my stomach was growling SO MUCH! I'm definitely ready for these seasonal foods to be back in my life! Highly recommend you get your hands on these treats this year as well. ;)
Hey y'all! It's been quite an eventful week/weekend thus far. I've officially moved out of my apartment and in with Brett which is super exciting! We spend most of this past weekend packing, moving, and settling into *our* new space. We're adjusting back into sharing space with one another full-time but it is so nice to only be a couple of steps away at any given moment and planning dinner every night. There are still some boxes to be unpacked and furniture to be moved but our place will feel like our home very very soon!
We will be celebrating Fourth of July weekend with a Weezer concert tomorrow (thanks for the tickets, Lindz!) and a trip to New Hampshire to spend the actual holiday on the lake with my whole fam which includes a visit from my South Carolinian sister! It will be good to all be together again. That hasn't happened since Thanksgiving! I hope you all are planning fun, eventful holiday weekends as well!
I'm really happy with this month's selection of favorite links! It's a good combination of things that I love and things that I'm looking forward to this season. I hope that you can find something to enjoy in this handful of internet gems and be sure to share your favorite links of the moment in the comments!
Talk about two of my geekiest obsessions colliding to make something awesome! This is a series of illustrations created by Kaleb Raleigh that reimagines the house sigils of Game of Thrones as Pokémon evolutions! (The series is titled A Song of Blue & Red... awesome.) All of these are pretty awesome and accurate to what I would have imagined them to be. Of course, I had to share with you my favorite house here (#TeamTargaryen fo' lyfe) but I strongly encourage you to click the link and check out the other houses as well!
The Little Prince Official US Release Trailer
The Little Prince is one of my all time favorite stories and I am OVER THE MOON that it is being released as an animated feature on Netflix in July. I guess this film was dropped by its original studio at some point in the process so I am extremely happy that Netflix did the smart thing and picked it back up! If you haven't read The Little Prince, I strongly - STRONGLY - encourage you to do so and be just as excited as me that this is happening!
Simone Biles Floor Routine at the P&G Gymnastics Championship
Raise your hand if you're excited for the Olympics!
ME: *flails arms both arms around in the air like an idiot*
So I've been watching some of the Olympic trials and championships for Olympic sports in preparation for the summer games and getting SO PUMPED for the Olympics! It's just over a month away and I can't wait to sit on the couch all month and be amazed at how talented these athletes are while I shove handfuls of chips and Oreos into my face. This gymnast, Simone Biles, is incredible and a force to be reckoned with. Just look at this floor routine - especially that last pass. WOW. She won this championship and will be going to the Olympic trials for the Women's team, but I don't have a doubt (barring disaster) that she will be representing the USA in Rio. She is amazing!
This recipe looks incredible. It looks complex to make, but sooooo delicious to eat. And a perfect dish for summer, too! The blogger that wrote about this recipe said that it took them a few attempts to make it the way it appears in the image above (I'm pretty sure that making pasta is ALWAYS a pain in the ass) but that the pay off is super worth it. I would love to attempt this recipe some time this summer because it looks so yummy!
It's been a whirlwind y'all, as it usually is. If you've been following this blog for a while now you can totally tell when things are crazy for me at work because that's when posts get a bit more infrequent (usually September and April every single year). I guess that's just the trend in my life! Anywho, we had our final *major* event of the year - Pangy Day - on Friday and it was super successful! We were gambling hard with the weather. All week called for rain and even thunderstorms but kept going back and forth on when the rain would actually begin. We had outdoor activities planned from 10:30AM to 3PM, and according to all of the weather sites rain wouldn't start coming down until right around the time we would be packing it in for the day, so on Friday morning we made the official call to stay outside and we. hit. the jackpot.
While it was quite humid (we were expecting thunderstorms, after all), the sun was shining for most of the day, everyone was in their summer clothes and summer spirits, and everyone was having a blast. It was truly such a perfect day (I keep joking that Mary Lyon was looking out for us) and the weather held right until we got the last person and last piece of equipment inside after breaking down at 4PM when it immediately started pouring, thundering, and lightning-ing. Perfect timing, to say the least! With a smattering of other weekend events, we closed out our year of student programming Sunday afternoon and I can officially say I made it through my first academic year as a professional! We only have Senior Week and Commencement to worry about before we can officially call it summer time! :)
I have a few really awesome links for you today which (per usual) involve 3 of my
most favorite things in the world - food, dogs, and Game of Thrones. I hope you enjoy!
If you've been following my weekly vlogs or if you were around for this blog post, you'll know that I've been making a bit of an effort to be a bit more conscious when it comes to eating meet and dairy products. I by no means have cut them completely out of my life, but lately I have been pausing to consider possible alternatives, often making the decision to take a vegan or vegetarian option when it's available, and have recently made the choice to completely stop eating pig meat all together (yes, including bacon) which was a pretty easy choice as I never was too crazy about it in the first place. It's a journey and while I don't think I'll ever go completely vegan or vegetarian (then again, who knows?), making these decisions little by little will help in the transition.
Enter, this recipe. I just stumbled upon it yesterday and it is completely vegan! It looks freakin' delicious and honestly not that much different than a regular taco recipe. Just really replacing the meat with sweet potatoes which sounds pretty amazing in my opinion. I definitely want to try these out the next time I'm in the mood for homemade tacos!
As I've come to find out, I'm all about customized pet products that create a fun memory of your beloved furry friend. Incandescent Designs offers up these fun pet portraits for a modest (sarcasm) $200. With a finely detailed drawing, a pop of color, and a little twist to show off your pet's personality, I think this would be a fun addition to any room in your home!
I'm not sure when I came across this chart but I do know that I came across it when I was borderline hangry and of course fell heart-eyes-emoji in love! There are some items on this list that I wouldn't really want to try, but the vast majority of these pizzas - sign a lady UP. I think the top three pizzas I would need to try at some point in my lifetime are the Scottish Pizza Crunch, the Pizza Cone, and I really want to try Cauliflower Crust Pizza as well! What one would you want to try?
In honor of Game of Thrones finally returning, I obviously had to include a GoT related link of some sort! This one showed up on my Facebook feed, as most BuzzFeed articles do, and I had to click on it because I love when fictional stories are put into historical context. It's crazy just how messed up the world was back in the day and it was just considered to be normal. I mean, could you imagine hearing about a party reminiscent of the Red Wedding happening in real life?! Yikes.
Hello everyone! I took a little (unintentional) week's break off from the blog last week. I was feeling very exhausted throughout the week as a lot was weighing on my mind, and when that happens blogging is typically the last thing I'd like to do, but through journaling and creativity and of course the incredible support from B, I've been able to process through it and I'm feeling much better. Sometimes you just need to take a mental health break!
Activities and events are back in full swing at MHC and it feels like I'm finally settling into my routine. My colleagues and I have come up with a solid plan so no single one of us is always caught at work late on Fridays or Saturdays. It seems like things are progressing forward in a very positive way which is always a glorious feeling to have while you're at work. I'm very lucky to be a part of such a cohesive staff! #blessed #sockgameonpoint
I'm creeping up toward a butt load of travel in these last weeks of winter and I'm super excited about them! First off I will taking a vacation down to Fort Lauderdale next week (!!!) with my friend Rob while Brett is recruiting for work. We found some really cheap round trip flights (Under $200 to get there and back! Uhm, yes please.) and I'm staying at this cute little Air BnB that's not far from the house the coaches are renting, and about a 10 minute bike ride from the beach! I'm definitely planning on renting a bike for my time down there so I can travel around in the warm Florida air easily. I'm looking forward to spending time far away from stress. I'm (of course) planning on hitting the beach, but in my down time journaling, drawing, reading, filming videos, and blogging. It's going to be so niccceeeee. Cannot wait.
Shortly after I return I will be travelling to the exact opposite climate - Canada. My friend and colleague Erin and I are going up to Montréal for the ACPA International Convention which will be so much fun! I'm excited to attend some educational sessions, network, and eat lots and lots of poutine. We're planning on doing some touristy things in our down time as well as Erin's never been to Montréal and the last time I went I was about 14 years old and was there for my sister's softball tournament so I don't remember too much of the city. I'm definitely looking forward to it!
Now that we're all caught up on my life, I'm going to hop right into my favorite links as of late. First of which is very exciting... I'm published, y'all!
My two BSU counterparts (my former supervisor, Matt, and former co-advisor, Casey) and I wrote this article that was finally published in the first 2016 issue of Programming magazine - the publication for the field of Campus Activities! We've been working on this initiative to make our Homecoming pageants more inclusive since I arrived as a graduate student in 2013, and thought that sharing our experience - both the challenges and the successes - would be a great thing to contribute to our field. I'm really proud of this article and proud of OSIL for being courageous in the face of changing a beloved campus tradition!
This.... this is ridiculous. I can't decide if I hate this because it's so ridiculous or love it because it's so ridiculous. I mean, the donut is $100 and made of gold, but it sounds pretty disgusting if you ask me. "It's a donut filled with ube mousse, champagne jelly, and covered with a glaze made from Cristal champagne and 24k gold flakes." Probably not something I want to be eating. What do you think? Either way this was too out of control to not share, so it's making this edition Favorite Links.
Cocktail Chemistry - Ice Ball Cocktail
This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while! While this is definitely not a super simple process to recreate, you can't beat the presentation! I mean, how cool would it be to be served your drink in an ice ball?! I have a feeling if I attempted this I would fail miserably, but the idea of this is so awesome.
I loved this little article! This is the story of a guy who went on a cruise on his own and tried to make as many friends as he could. Being very socially anxious and introverted, stories of people who have the guts to take on a challenge like this is so fascinating and inspiring to me! If you need a little pick me up or a cheerful story, give this article a read!
I basically fell out of my chair when I found out that this was a thing. HOW CUTE ARE THESE?! This company will create custom plush replicas of your pet and I'm IN LOVE. Granted, they are quite pricey, but if you're far away from your pet or want something to remember a furry friend that you might have lost in the past, I think this would be so incredible. Whoever thought of this is a genius.
In girl power news, LEGO has released their new Ghostbusters set featuring the new cast of lady characters! I love when toy companies great "girl toys" that are more than just pink, purple, princessey, and stereotypically "girly". Love. It. I bet I would love to have some female LEGO characters to play with when I was growing up. My sister and I had a huge box of LEGOs that we always played with as kids and I can't really think of ever having a girl LEGO person. This set features exclusively female LEGO people and it's awesome and deserves to be praised.
My brain basically exploded when I found out about this earlier this week. I knew this play was being released but I had no idea that the story was also being released in book form! I'm still not entirely sure if this is a novel or the script to the play, but either way I'm excited AF and am obviously going to pre-order it. How could you not?!
Hey everyone! I hope you all are having a great week so far. I'm surprised it's already Thursday. I thought I'd start each "favorite links" post with a bit of a brief life update so you're note totally out of the loop. These posts go up usually once a month, so I think that's a good amount of updates for you all (my life doesn't change all that much month to month, so why not?) For weekly life updates, make sure you're subscribed to my channel. I'll be posting weekly vlogs every Monday! Also make sure you're following both of my Instagrams for daily personal and planner updates! /endshamelessplugging
Orientation has started at MHC and all students will be back next week - where did winter break go?! But I've been having fun this week so far - I was able to see my friend Brittany at her place in Boston and we decorated our planners (because we're huge nerds), I'm still on board the Winter Warrior challenge (even when I have to walk outside in the rain after dark), and spending time with the colleagues in my office always makes going into the office in the morning so much easier. My goal of being more positive in 2016 has been going very well so far, but my goal of getting my butt out of bed in the morning is still a bit of a struggle. Oh well, we're only two weeks into the year so we can't judge too much!
Anywho, I hope you all enjoy the links I'm sharing with you all today. It's a real hodge-podge of things so you can definitely see where my brain is at latetly.... f-ing everywhere. I thought you were supposed to start New Years with a clear mind?! It's definitely been opposite for me. Oh well. Enjoy!
This Buzzfeed post pulls together some of the coolest posts from Katherine Sabbath's Instagram account. Sabbath is a baker and cake decorated who owns an Australian cake shop called OMG Cakes and it's so colorful and adorable and you really just want to eat everything that she posts. I don't know how anyone can resist giving her account a follow once they see these images! If you like fun, colorful baked goods, I highly recommend checking this awesome link out!
As I was perusing the internet for some fun New Year desktops to adorn my work computer with, I found that each image preview I was drawn to linked me back to this awesome blog, DesignLoveFest. This blog is a cool collection of awesome fashion, quirky design, and downloadable freebies, and the author (Bri Emery) posts multiple times a day for some serious inspiration. I love seeing her posts pop up on my Feedly to see what she's into on that particular day, and to see what downloadables she's created for her readership. There's Another Steven Avery Special on the Way
If you been anywhere on the internet over the last several weeks, you've probably heard of Making a Murderer. Brett and I watched it within 2 days and I'm pretty sure I looked like the eyes emoji the entire time. (Actually this video is a pretty accurate representation of all of our reactions throughout the series.) Now that the series has skyrocketed in popularity, there's been a ton of speculation about what evidence had been omitted from the series and if the series concentrated too much on the defense and Avery's innocence. Now there will be a new special released that will hopefully give the audience an idea of what might have been missing from the series. I'm excited for this becuase I've been Googling NON-STOP about this series ever since I finished it! Philips Wake-Up Light
My friend Jeff showed this to me - it's an alarm clock that simulates a sunrise! He said it helps him wake up easier in the morning (he's a teacher so he has to get up early AF) and you all know that this year, I'm all about trying to wake up easier! This is such a cool product because it not only beeps at you but makes your room lighter when it's time to wake up, making it harder to sleep. I'm all about it. These are a little pricey, but I'm definitely considering investing in one of these if it means it will be easier for me to wake up in the morning.
Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, and Conan Help a Student Driver
Lastly but certainly not least is this video. Brett shared this with me on my wall and it. is. hilarious. I love when Conan does these web-clip type bits on his show, and this one is so great. Kevin Hart and Ice Cube get in on the fun as well which is always a wonderfully hilarious addition to his web-clips. I was laughing through this entire video and I'm sure you will too. Give it a shot if you need a pick me up!
I am coming across some internet gold lately. I feel like I say that every time I write a favorite links post but this week is particularly true. Looking at all of these links and videos makes me so happy (and hungry), so if you're looking for a good laugh and maybe an idea or two for a snack definitely check out my favorite links of the moment! :) And don't forget to let me know in the comments what some of your favorite links are lately! Drunk Workout Routine
Rachel Ballinger is the hilarious younger sister of Colleen Ballinger, aka Miranda Sings, and all of her videos make me cry-laugh. This one that was just uploaded this week was no different. This is a perfect representation of how I feel doing any kind of lifting or non-endurance form of exercise. I knew I had to share it with my fitness guru boyfriend for a good laugh as soon as I watched it! My favorite part is definitely when she keeps speaking to her boyfriend off-camera - SO GOOD.
Is there a truer love than the love that you share with a burrito? I mean for me it's right up there with Brett & my family so..... This photoshoot is absolutely perfect and I know it describes to a T how most of us feel about burritos. This man is a genius.
DO NOT CLICK ON THIS LINK IF YOU ARE HUNGRY. It will quickly make you ravenous. All of the creations that this blogger puts on his site are incredible, and he updates every single day. I want to try all of them. Maybe one rainy day I actually will... #vlogideas. The snack showed above is called "Grilled Cheese Dunkers". Like, what. GENIUS. But seriously - everything on this site looks amazing and so simple to make, which could be extremely dangerous. I'm into it.
Hip Hop Goes Broadway
You guys. I can't stop watching this video. These broadway versions of popular hip hop and R&B songs are so damn catchy and I constantly find them stuck in my head (fair warning - these will likely get stuck in your head too). Not to mention these guys are extremely talented and the bloopers at the end are hilarious! I know that they've done a Pop Goes Broadway video in the past and I really hope they make more videos like these in the future!
Because apparently the theme of today's favorite links post is "Riley is starving", I had to include these amazing -- AH-MAY-ZING -- looking milkshakes. Like where do you even-- How do you even-- Where can I find these things???? Unfortunately the answer to that question is Australia, which for me is the literal opposite side of the Earth. *heartbreak* These milkshakes are called "The Freakshow" (appropriately named, IMO) and I want one TWENTY. Honestly, if one of these could be waiting for me at the finish line of the Maine Marathon that would be wonderful.
Rise of the Puppy Swarms
This video is literally all I want in life. My life won't be complete until I get love-attacked by a giant swarm of adorable puppies. (I mean, whose life would be?) Make sure you watch this video if you need an extra dose of cuteness in your life.
Puppies swarming their owners. Cute AND funny.
Posted by HuffPost UK Lifestyle on Wednesday, July 15, 2015
It's been a while since I've done a favorite links post! I kind of forgot that these have been a staple on my blog for quite some time, but now that I've pretty much caught everyone up on all of my life's happenings on this space, I finally have some time to chat about the things that I've been loving online lately! Hope you guys enjoy these as much as I do! :)
How. Freaking. Adorable. WALL-E is one of the most underrated Pixar movies to date and the fact that LEGO, one of my favorite toy companies, decided to create a WALL-E set makes me so, so excited! How cute would this look on a bookshelf? This was instantly put this on my wishlist! 12 Tricks to Appear Smart in Emails
This post (originally found on thecooperreview.com) is a hilarious infographic on how to wow your colleagues on your email game. Email is a huge, cumbersome part of all of our lives, so poking fun at the etiquette of passing notes electronically is always fun. Check out this post to pick up some new tricks to really impress your coworkers the next time you're in the office! ;)
Blues Cover of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme
I love when artists take well-known songs and interpret them into different genres, so when I saw this pop up on my Feedly, I knew I was going to be heart-eyes Emoji over this! This is a blues interpretation of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme (coincidentally, one of my favorite TV shows of all time) and it is excellent. I highly encourage you to take a listen, whether you're a fan of the show or a fan of blues music in general!
I read this post while I was in bed one lazy Saturday morning and I was cry-laughing the entire time. It also helped that I was reading these stories out loud who was also cry-laughing, but I never wanted this post to end. It's based on a sub-Reddit (I'm not a Reddit-er so I hope I'm using the lingo correctly) called "Today I F*cked Up" and it pulls some of the best stories that the author could find at the time of posting. If you need a quick pick me up for the rest of your week, take a look at this post, and maybe even click onto Reddit itself and read through a few. Amazing.
(Clearly, I love LEGOs.) This is an incredible wedding cake that depicts mini-figs constructing the cake out of LEGO blocks and rolling out the white icing. Not saying that this will 100% be my future wedding cake, but this might 100% be my future wedding cake...
This article is a quick reminder that yes, running is hard, but it's supposed to be. I sometimes let myself slack on my running when the going gets tough. I compare myself to other people, get discouraged by my bad runs, and probably over-exaggerate when I'm feeling just a little bit uncomfortable during my runs. It's important to remember to embrace the suck and realize that when you hit a rough patch, it only means you're about to improve! (Only runners will get that, hah!)
College is not a commodity. Stop treating it like one.
I read this while I was on duty a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me. There are many people who attend college now because it's the norm in our society, and many of those attendees enter their collegiate career with the attitude of "I'm paying thousands of dollars for this, so I deserve (fill in the blank)". I see this attitude every day I am at work, I remember hearing it come out of my friends' mouths when I was an undergrad myself, and I'm sure I even uttered it a few times myself. Those that are in college need to realize that college isn't there to make you feel comfortable. It's supposed to challenge you and frustrate you, because that's when you're going to grow. The Washington Post does a great job of putting this idea into words, so give it a read!
This weekend marks the first day of summer! HOORAYYY! Summer is my favorite season - sunshine, ice cream stands, fireworks, flip flops, and all the BBQ food you could ever dream of. Love. It. Brett and I have a lot of fun things planned for this summer, including moving into my new apartment, taking a trip down the Cape with some friends, and spending as much time together before football takes over his life once again in August. I'm SO EXCITED!
I 100% skipped out on doing my favorites for the winter, but I really wanted to get back on the favorites ~trend~ for the spring! Let's hop right into it. Activity | Playing Pokémon Alpha Saphire
Brett bought me Alpha Sapphire as a graduation gift and of course the day after I graduated I needed to hop right into it! I was super duper into the game for a long while but sessions with Orientation has since interrupted my streak of playing for hours upon hours. I'm 6 badges in right now (All you PokéFans will know what that means) and I can't wait to have a bit more time to finally beat the game. It's so much fun (as Pokémon always is) and I love that I have a reason to spend some time on my 3DS again! :)
App | Dreamdays 365
This app is one of the millions of countdown apps out there, but I love the way this one looks and operates. There is a very minimalist feel to this app, which I love, and I looked at it almost every day as graduation drew nearer and nearer. If you're counting down to something exciting and are looking for a nice looking and functional countdown app, I would recommend this one!
Apparel | Bridgewater State University Alumni Tee
I mean, of course! Not only do I love this shirt because I get to brag about the fact that I actually graduated from grad school, but my organization, PC, gave it to me as a parting gift. I'll always think of them whenever I wear this shirt. Double special! :)
Book | Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This was the only book I read in the spring, but this book was great. Memoirs are my favorite genre of literature, especially if it involves travel and adventure! This book made me want to go hiking so badly every time I picked it up to continue reading. I have always thought long-distance hiking would be such a cool adventure, and this book made me fall even more in love with the idea. This book would be perfect for anyone who feels like they are in a bit of a crossroads in their life, or anyone who is craving a bit of adventure.
Food & Drink | Espresso Bacon @ The Fix in Worcester, MA
Tim and Joanne took me out to this restaurant on my last day of my internship at Clark, and as soon as I saw "Espresso Bacon" on the menu I KNEW I had to order it. Oh my goodness. So delicious. I'm pretty sure I blogged about this in one of my life updates in May. But still. Oh my goodness. *drool* I can't wait to go back there to get some more (with an ADULT milkshake, because they have those there #heaven)!
Home & Office | Filofax A5 Saffiano in Pear
Obviously. I love this thing. I knew I would love the A5 size! I felt so cramped in the Personal size, but now I feel like I can really plan comfortably and utilize my Filofax to its full capability. Right now my schedule has been extremely repetitive (Orientation is basically 3 weeks of déjà vu), but once I move and start my new job I'll be relying on it a bit more. I can't wait to show you all the inside soon! :)
Movie | Pitch Perfect 2
I was a bit nervous about how good this would actually be (I'm not typically a fan of sequels) but I was laughing so hard throughout this whole movie. It's a lot of the same thing as the first movie, and it's a very "cutesy" story line like the first movie, but it is entertaining as hell. (One recommendation: leave your politically correct hat at the door if you really want to enjoy this movie, because most of the jokes are SUPER inappropriate. They really do attack every identity in this film!)
Song | "Lean On" by Major Lazer & DJ Snake
When I first heard this song, I'm pretty sure I plaid it on repeat for 48 straight hours. The beat is so catchy and cool, I absolutely love it. GREAT jam to fall in love with right before summer kicks off!
TV Show | Game of Thrones Season 5
DUH. Holy crap. This season was INSANE. Game of Thrones never fails to impress me. The story line is incredible, the actors are amazing, the cinematography is stunning, and the plot twists KILL YOU ON THE INSIDE. I'm not going to put any spoilers in here, but THAT SEASON FINALE. JEEEEEEEEEEEEZ. The best part about this season is that it ends at the same place the latest book ends, so now NO ONE really knows what's going to happen next except for the creators. Brett and I are really considering starting to read the books together to tide us over until the next season releases, because who knows when that will be? If you haven't started watching this show, YOU NEED TO START WATCHING THIS SHOW. /endtiradeaboutGoT
Memory | Birthday/End of Classes/New Job/Graduation Week
Also another obvious one. This was one of the greatest weeks of my life and I feel so lucky to be fortunate enough to experience it. I turned 25 and ended my grad school classes on the same day, the next day I accepted my position with Mount Holyoke, and the day after that I graduated and spent the entire rest of the week celebrating with the people I love the most. What more can you really ask for as a twenty-something? Who knows if I'll be lucky enough to have a week like that again, but I will always look back on that week of one of the best of my life! :)
What were some of your favorite things this spring?
My life in a nutshell right now... WHY IS IT SO COLD WHERE I LIVE D: *cries in a corner*
Hey everyone! After many a school and work cancellation, I've finally fallen into a routine in my schedule... almost. This week we've had our first Monday in a month and it's definitely thrown me off a bit! Today I showed up to a meeting that I usually have on a Wednesday thinking it was totally normal, only to find out hours later that I definitely was not supposed to show up there. Woops!
Aside from that, the last few weeks have been a bit of a grind. Wake up, go to designated work location, come home, eat, yoga, sleep. It's been really easy to lose myself in my work lately and the spring semester is already FLYING. I've still been able to manage to take some time to visit loved ones regularly, though, which is definitely a blessing.
I spent Valentine's weekend with Brett before he jetted off to warm and sunny Florida. We celebrated with a trip to on of our favorite breakfast restaurants that we hadn't been to in FOREVER (Bill's Bread & Breakfast in Putnam, CT... check them out!), and for dinner we had our traditional Brett & Riley special, some steak tips, and watched the movie Chef, which I thought was a really cute, heartwarming movie! It was a wonderfully low-key holiday and a perfect way to hide from the blizzard outside. (HUGE SURPRISE. IT WAS SNOWING.)
(Did you guys notice how hilarious Timehop was on Valentine's Day?
I thought this was so cute I had to take a screenshot.)
Work has been a lot of fun lately and it's making me dread the end of the semester so much. Every day that goes by I feel like I'm becoming more and more connected to my students and knowing that I won't be at BSU next year is really bumming me out. These students crack me up so much and make it feel like my work isn't work... that's the dream! I can only hope that the students that I work with next are just as awesome as these bears. (I'm sure they will be, but I'm still going to miss BSU!) I should stop typing this before I start tearing up and just share this awesome item that was on the PC agenda last week...
I was dying laughing when I read this event title.... XD
This past weekend I went to visit my parents and pups in NH. It was a really relaxing weekend which is always nice and it's so fun to bond with Mom & Dad! Mom and I went to get pedicures (which is usually not the most pleasant experience for me because my feet are SO ticklish, but at least my toes look pretty for our vacation!) and the three of us went shopping. My parents were very nice to me and bought me some interview clothes for my #SAsearch (which is a bit slow at the moment but is officially underway!) as well as some vacation outfits!
Truck selfies with Kiwi!
#BusinessRiley in full effect
Since Brett has been away I've really been trying to get ahead in my school work. It's been challenging because I'm really putting way more on my plate than I actually need to and I still am working the same amount at all of my positions, but I keep reminding myself that it will all be worth it when I don't have to worry about assignments when I'm lounging in the sunshine on vacation (11 MORE DAYS). So excited!
My favorite study buddies. :)
The next week and a half is going to be hectic what with getting homework done, scheduling blog posts, pretending to know what I'm doing when it comes to looking for a job, and still packing for our trip and attempting to have some resemblance a social life (insert Liz Lemon moment here). Not to mention I'm headed off to a professional conference this weekend which is always a whirlwind! As stressful as it is, I'm sure I'll accomplish everything I need to before jetting off to the warmth. And hey, it's nothing a coffee and a brownie batter donut can't solve, right?
