Things I'm Looking Forward to This Fall 🍂 (BEDA Day 27)

Usually fall is a time where I'm a bit bummed out because summer is gone and winter is inevitable. I thought I'd write up a list of things that I'm looking forward to this fall so it doesn't seem so bad. 😊🍂

1. Brett isn't coaching football this fall for the first time since we started dating, so we can actually make plans and hang out throughout the season! This is new for us, and I wonder if he'll get a bit stir crazy, but we live right down the street from his former team so I'm sure we'll enjoy plenty of local college football, without the stress. I'm wondering if we can plan some fun fall activities that we haven't gotten to do together in the past!

2. The Newport Marathon! I'm excited to be doing a fall marathon that is more local to me! It's been a while since I've done a marathon that's near me, so I'm really looking forward to being close by and to enjoy 26.2 during a New England autumn. I've heard the course in Newport is absolutely beautiful so I can't wait to experience it for myself.

3. Cozy fall cooking! Now that we have a full blown kitchen again, I want to make ALL THE THINGS. I want to make all the pumpkin and apple treats, cook in the crock pot every weekend, and try some dope appetizers during football on Sunday. We're all going to gain some serious weight this fall 😂 #sorrynotsorry

4. Pumpkin beer with cinnamon & sugar rims. For some reason I feel like this is way less common than I acutally think it is? Either way, I'm excited to get my mits on this delightful beverage as often as humanly possible.

5. Volleyball league! I've been wanting to get involved in some sort of adult recreational sports league since I left grad school, and I finally feel grounded enough in where I'm living and working to take the leap into trying one out for myself. I've signed up for a rec volleyball league which will start mid-October. I'm not super confident in my volleyball skills, but I think I'll be okay. Luckily, it's a novice league, so I can work my way up!

The Most Picturesque Campus on Planet Earth

Wow - it's been over a month since I've sat down and told you all what's been going on in my world. How's it going, everyone?! Things have (per usual) been busy, busy, busy. I feel like I've been getting into a solid rhythm at work and really getting the hang of my job. There are still plenty of learning moments, of course, but not feeling quite so uncomfortable and that I have no idea what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis is pretty nice!

Since my last update I've been getting back into the swing of a fitness routine, which has been super nice. You know that I ran two major races on back-to-back weekends, but I've also been getting back into a routine at the gym. It's been super helpful that Brett has been writing me work outs so I don't feel so lost in the gym, and it's also been super helpful that a few of my friends from work have been joining me at the gym after work! (I like to call it work out club.) Having people to joke around with between sets makes everything way more fun. :) Now if I can only force myself to start stretching regularly (this has always been my fitness weakness) that would be ideal.

We've had a string of freaking GORGEOUS fall days the last couple of weeks, and I feel like I've really been taking advantage of it. Mount Holyoke has a tradition called Mountain Day where they cancel classes (which is a surprise for students!) and everyone hikes up Skinner Mountain to the Mount Holyoke Summit House, takes in the view, sings the alma mater, and (my favorite part) eats ice cream. Even though it was two days after the Maine Marathon, my director and I hiked all the way up the mountain and it was beautiful.

So beautiful that when my parents visited the campus on the following Saturday, I just had to take them up to the summit as well! (But we drove up because my legs were basically dead at that point and I had to preserve them for the B.A.A. Half the next day. Did I mention I'm a dummy?) I gave my parents a tour of the MHC campus as well (MHC's campus in the fall is basically the most picturesque thing on planet Earth), and after 3 hours of walking we got a delicious lunch at the Yarde House and Quakes (ice coffee + ice cream blended together - YUM) at Barstows before heading to the top. I'm happy that my parents got to see how beautiful MHC and the surrounding areas are!

Brett's still immersed in football, and his grad school will be starting up again very soon (last year - almost there!), but I've still been seeing him practically every weekend which has been so nice! Hanging out with him tends to pull me out of my own world of worksleepworksleepworksleep, so I'm happy we're still making sure we have a little bit of time together each weekend. This weekend we're planning on having some snacks and some drinks at my friends Erin & Cullen's house for the Patriots game. I'm heading into several crazy weeks of intense programming for student orgs so having relaxing days like this planned and on my schedule are super helpful to unwind with!

I have a feeling that these next few weeks are going to fly by. Brett has a birthday coming up (his GOLDEN birthday - 27 on the 27th!), Halloween is right after that, I'll blink and it will be Thanksgiving (and my sister will be visiting!), and before I know it the semester will be over (this is how it always works). Although I'm trying to deny that winter is coming (I guess I'm not a Stark), I do really enjoy the time I get with family and friends during this time of year, so I'm looking forward to the holidays. Especially my favorite day of the year - HALLOWEEN! I can't wait to share my costume with you all! :)

Fall 2015 Cook Book

(1 | 2 | 3 | 4)

Whenever the weather cools off I find myself itching to try out new recipes. I think with football Sundays being in full-swing and holiday get togethers on the horizon (too soon?), I get inspired to experiment in the kitchen and share the results with friends! I've search around the internet for some culinary inspiration and I've put together an autumn collection of recipes that I hope try out this season. Make sure you click the links to get the full recipes and to check out the awesome bloggers that shared them!

Beverage: Bourbon & Maple Apple Cider
Recipe found on Freutcake

How delicious does this drink sound? The perfect blend of sweet apple & maple and the spiciness of bourbon. This is actually a beverage I could see being suitable throughout the winter as well. I'm a huge fan of hot cider when the temperature starts to drop so this sweet cocktail twist is something I can totally get on board with (even though I could only probably drink one at any one time)!

Appetizer: Fried Mac n' Cheese Bites
Recipe found on Thrifty Jinxy

I've been wanting to make these for months! A video of this recipe popped up on my Facebook feed and my mouth immediately started watering. This would be so perfect for a lazy Sunday watching football (or, if you're me, perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of eternity). I'm definitely going to bring this with me for one of the afternoon we spend watching RedZone and the Patriots at our friends' house!

Meal: Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
Recipe found on Minimalist Baker

Sweet potatoes are my jam. I love that the fall brings these babies back after a long summer without them. This recipe is a really interesting way to prepare and serve sweet potatoes as part of a dish and I am super into it. This recipe also seems fairly easy to prepare and serve, so I definitely see this being a simple dinner to throw together after a long day at work!

Dessert: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe found on Foodie Crush

This is my favorite fall baked good! (I was going to say favorite fall dessert, but then I remembered that apple crisp à la mode is a thing. *droooool*) I had a colleague at BSU who always brought these into the office in the fall and I ate about a million every single time. I've never made them myself, but I would love to take a crack at this simple, 3-ingredient recipe! (And if it isn't as great as I remembered I'll look up one of the more extensive recipes you can find online.) Either way, I'm pumped!

Let me know if you have any fall recipes that you love in the comments - I'd love to try them out as well!

Year 2: Fall 2014 Goals Update

A few months ago I posted my personal goals for the Fall 2014 semester. Now that the semester is officially over, it's time to take a look back and see how I did!

1. Set a daily deadline for self-care | I think I did relatively well in this department. I almost always made sure I was at least in bed by midnight during the week, and although that didn't leave a whole lot of time for hobbies (when you're getting home at 10:30pm you basically just eat dinner and go to sleep), it prevented me from getting sick and feeling too burnt out. If anything, getting to bed early was definitely my one form of self-care that I consistently practiced throughout the semester.

2. Exercise at least 3x per week | Though I didn't consistently exercise three times a week, I did try to at least get out on the road and run twice a week. There was rarely a week that I didn't get at least two runs in, which I'm pretty happy about. It didn't really matter to me how far I went, as long I was getting out and burning some energy!

3. Stick to my blogging schedule | Toward the end of the semester this got a little more difficult to achieve, and I would often postpone a scheduled blog post by a day or two. However, I think the longest I went without posting at least something was about a week, and I feel like I really made an effort to make time for this hobby. It's nice to consistently chronicle what I'm going through and experiencing, and making sure I'm giving myself the chance to indulge in something I enjoy.

4. Read for pleasure at least once a day | This was a big giant FAIL. The first two weeks of the semester I would say I stuck to this goal, but after that I just became so fried and all I wanted to do when I got home was shut my brain off by watching reruns of my favorite shows on Netflix. This has consistently been a struggle for me throughout my time in grad school, and I'm predicting it's going to stay that way until I graduate, unfortunately.

5. Keep my GPA up | You can put a big check mark next to this goal! I received an A in Career Counseling, an A in Advanced Applied Counseling, and an A- in Foundations of Higher Education, keeping my 3.9 GPA right where it is. I was very nervous that this would be the semester that it dropped because of how much I had going on, but I managed to pull off some awesome grades despite it all. I'm very proud of myself!

6. Don't wish time away | Not going to lie, towards the end of the semester I could NOT wait to have a break. I was in desperate need for a chance to recharge. However, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the projects I was working on this semester at my 3 institutions, which made it a lot easier to stay in the moment and enjoy what I was doing. It's sad to think that I only have a semester left at Bridgewater and Clark (and possibly Dean, depending on how everything works out in the #SAsearch), so I'm definitely going to cherish what little time I have left as an #SAgrad!

7. Smile through the stress | As crazy as this semester was, it was an absolute blast. I think I smiled and laughed way more than I was stressed out, which only reaffirms my choice to get into Student Affairs. The staff and students at all 3 institutions are so fun to work with and make all the times I'm running around like a crazy person SO worth it!

I'm really proud of how well I stuck to the majority of these goals this semester. I can't believe only 16 more weeks stand between me and my Master's degree... it puts a knot in my stomach to even think of it! I'll definitely be setting goals for the Spring 2015 semester, so stay tuned for those in just a few weeks!

How did you do on your goals for the fall?

Fall Favorites 2014!

Can you believe it's already winter? If I'm being honest. winter is not my thing. I'm a summer fan through and through, and how I ended up living in New England my entire life I'm not quite sure, but with as many fun things that I have planned for this season I'm sure the cold weather won't be as terrible! Anywho, with the beginning of one season comes a list of my favorite things from the past season. Without further adieu, here are my favorite things from Fall 2014!

Activity | OSIL Question of the Day

At my old desk at BSU, I had a white board that I asked "Questions of the Day" for anyone who would pass by with the aim to start some fun non-work conversations to break up the day a bit. I started these in the spring, but they really took off this semester! We had students who would come to my desk specifically see what the new question was, we had "guest questions" that other OSIL staff members would ask on weeks that I couldn't come up with one myself, and we had a lot of fun conversations throughout the semester! Even with my loss of a white board when the office moved desks around a bit, I have continued this fun activity on large sticky note paper. It's become a really fun OSIL tradition and I hope someone takes it over when I graduate in the spring!

App | Trivia Crack

I literally downloaded this the day before the official start of winter, but I have been pretty addicted. I'm going to blame my BSU students for this one. They could not stop talking about it during finals week, and luckily I had the willpower to refrain from downloading it until I was done for the semester because I'm constantly on it now! If you love trivia, regardless of your skill level, I definitely recommend giving it a try!

Apparel | Bolder Bands

My mom came upon these awesome headbands and bought us a few. I wore them all season long and made me excited to show them off while I was out running! Bolder Bands offers dozens of designs, and you can wear them in a variety of ways. Very helpful for gals like me with a ton of hair! They're a bit pricey ($15 is pretty steep for a headband), but I definitely recommend investing in a couple if you want to add some hair-flair to your work out wardrobe!

Book | The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This is actually the only book that I've picked up for fun this season. I mentioned in my Dear Santa post a few days ago that reading for pleasure while in grad school has been a struggle for me. I started this book at the end of August and still have yet to complete it. It's definitely not because it's not a good book - I'm actually loving it! But it's hard to find the time and motivation to read when your brain i basically mush by the end of the day. I'm shooting to finish this over winter break!

Food & Drink | Hot Apple Cider

Hot apple cider has been my favorite fall beverage for quite a while, but this year I discovered that Elizabeth's, a local bagel shop, sells hot apple cider in the fall and it is DELICIOUS. For a while it even replaced my morning coffee on my commute into work, and that's saying a lot! I would drink hot apple cider year round if it was readily available to me, but there's just something so perfect about a mug of this deliciousness in the fall.

Home & Office | Yoobi Journal

I discovered this line of products while I was shopping at Target and fell in love with the concept. For every certain amount of products that are purchased, Yoobi will donate school supplies to a classroom in need. Being a sucker for stationary, I had to grab myself a journal to support the cause, and it doesn't hurt that this is a very well-made product in addition to helping kids and teachers in need!

Movie | Ivory Tower


One of my professors showed this documentary in a class this semester and I loved it. It shone a whole new light on the business of higher education, and echoed a lot of my thoughts on how American teenagers have an immense pressure to dig themselves into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt just to get a Bachelor's degree without fully understanding the meaning behind it (something I did myself). If you're interested in what goes on behind the scenes of some decision making in higher education, I strongly recommend this film!

Song | "Selfless" by New Found Glory


My favorite band, New Found Glory, came out with a new album this fall, so of course one of their songs is my favorite of the season! NFG has been around since 1997 (almost a solid 20 years) and they're still making quality music that reflects where they're at in they're own lives, and I really respect that. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to their show when they were touring for this album, but I'm hoping they come back to New England soon so I can see them play again - it's been far too long!

TV Show | Lockup Charleston, SC: Extended Stay

Obviously this was my favorite show of the season! Lockup on MSNBC has been airing episodes that feature my sister's place of work every Saturday for the past couple weeks, and it's so interesting to see where she works, because I doubt I'll ever see it in person. The season runs for 6 episodes (2 more to go!) and though I've only gotten one glimpse of the back of her head in the first episode, there's a good chance she'll be featured on the show a lot more before it wraps!

Memory | Midnight Anniversary Gift

Despite the fact that we were at a holiday party surrounded by a dozen people, at midnight on our two year anniversary, Brett sat me down and gave me this beautiful necklace. True to our relationship, people noticed this very personal moment and started making jokes, but that just added to how great this memory is. In our relationship,things have tended to happen with others around, so all we could do was laugh! This was such a sweet and hilarious moment, and one that I'll always smile upon. 

What were your favorite things about this fall?

Year 2: Goals for Fall 2014

It's here everyone. September is *officially* happening and I can *officially* say I'm a second year #SAgrad and a third year new #SApro. When did that happen?

Work's been in (relatively) full-swing since the beginning of August and all of the students at both Dean and BSU moved in yesterday (Clark, where I'm doing my graduate internship, already kicked things off last Monday!), so all that's missing is adding my classes, aka the most stressful part about this grad experience, back into the mix, which happens tomorrow! (Seriously, where did summer go?) So, in the spirit of my final College Survival Series post of the month of August that I shared on Sunday, I thought it would be fitting for me to share my own goals for this upcoming semester!

1. Set a daily deadline for self-care | I am taking on a LOT this semester. I still have all of my responsibilities that I had last year and I'm still taking on a full graduate course load (3 classes), but this year I'm adding in my graduate internship at Clark University as well as making time to visit Brett at his new institution (which is about an hour away from where I live, but conveniently close to my internship) while he's in season. It was hard for me to find time to prioritize myself last year, and I'm sure it's going to be even harder this semester.

One of my classmates (who is ahead of me in the program as far as progress goes and has had time to figure things like this out) had mentioned that she always shut everything down in terms of work and academics at a certain time of night so she could focus on taking care of herself (sleep/binge watching Netflix/spending quality time with her S/O). I was baffled at the thought (you mean you don't do marathon paper-writing sessions until your eyeballs feel like they're going to drop out of your skull like the rest of us?!) but the more that I've thought about her self-care technique, the more I fell in love with the idea. This may not work for every night of the semester (I do work some nights at my Dean job, and there will be times when I'll have to burn the midnight oil on an assignment) but if I can focus on wrapping everything up by a certain time each day (let's say 10:30/11) I can fit the things that I enjoy into my hectic schedule.

2. Exercise at least 3x per week | My fitness suffered last year and I was really unhappy about that. It's difficult to find the time and energy to exercise when it's still dark when you leave for work in the morning, it's dark long before you leave class at night, and the only gym you have access to is not open during the hours you're available (early morning/late night). I don't want that to stop me this year. I have exercise bands that Brett bought me, I have some weights I can use, and I know a lot of body weight exercises that don't require anything but myself. I'm sure there's time at least 3 times a week that I can dedicate to my fitness!

3. Stick to my blogging schedule | I'm really enjoying my blogging schedule. It prompts me to write and focus on a hobby that I really enjoy. I'm hoping that having topics in mind long before I click "New Post" will help me take care of my little space on the internet and motivate me to stay consistent with it, because I know my blog was definitely put on the back burner during the last school year.

4. Read for pleasure at least once a day | Even if it's just for 5 minutes before I pass out at night, or a chapter while I'm drinking my morning coffee. It's always been difficult to make time for reading I want to do when there's so much reading I have to do (with the exception of the years leading up to college, as I had about an hour-long bus ride twice a day for K-12!). I love books and I love reading and I want to make sure I'm doing a reading bit of what I want to read each day.

5. Keep my GPA up | My GPA has been the highest it's ever been over this past year (currently a cumulative 3.914) and it's something that I've worked my ass off to reach and maintain. It's something that I'm really proud of and I would hate to see it slip in any sort of significant way. I want to continue to work hard to keep it as high as it is. I'm a bit nervous this semester because I'm taking a class that everyone keeps saying is a real grade-killer, but I'm hoping to focus a lot of attention onto that course to make sure I do the best I can in it. I have a personal goal of graduating with a 3.7 or higher, but maintaining a 3.9 would be pretty sweet too!

6. Don't wish time away | I keep catching myself saying things like "I can't wait 'til I graduate!" or "Just one more year!" Even if this is true, I want to stop verbalizing it. This is an extremely stressful time in my life, but it's also a very exciting time of my life. I have the opportunity to work with 3 very different (and very awesome!) student populations all at once and am learning so much with every day that goes by. I'm starting to really come into my own and identify what's important to me in my Student Affairs education and career. I still have a lot to learn and will be learning my whole life, but this is a prime time in my life to do so. No need to rush it all away!

7. Smile through the stress! :) | This is something that I've been trying to practice this summer. Sometimes things can get so ridiculous that all I can do is laugh to get through it. I have a feeling I'll be laughing a lot this semester (it's gonna get crazy!) and I think that's much better than getting upset. Attitude is everything!

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As I suggested in my CSS post, I'm going to print out that little image of my goals and put it right at my desk at work, my home office, and in my Life Planner, right where I can see them. Writing out this post actually made me excited to tackle this semester! (Let's see if I'm saying the same thing at the end of October... >_>) I'll give y'all an update at the end of the semester to review how I did! :)

What are your goals for the fall?

The Definition of Fall

I was on duty Saturday night, so Brett & I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was trapped on campus and did some pumpkin carving! It was the perfect night to park on the couch and do a fun (and messy) fall activity because the Bruins AND the Red Sox were on TV that night. (Oh whattup 5-0 shut out & World Series bid respectively?!) Nothing more fall than carving pumpkins, cooking pumpkin seeds, and watching some playoff baseball right? Hit the jump for some more pictures! :)

Favorite Fall Things

Happy fall, everyone! It's getting chilly here in the northeast, and though I'll miss lazy days of lying in the sunshine and staying outside until the sun sets at 10pm (I'll always be a summer girl at heart), this time of year is always super exciting in college land. First year students figuring things out and finding their independence, students joining new organizations and taking chances, and the whole community coming together with pride for the school. Love it!

Fall also brings my favorite holiday evereverever - Halloween! :D I got so excited this morning when I realized that it's almost the end of September and soon it will be acceptable to start hanging up Halloween decorations around my apartment! Halloween's just one of those holidays that's pure fun, like New Year's or the 4th of July. There isn't an obligation to celebrate, participate, or buy anything. It's completely stress free, and that's what makes it so great! This year I'll be away at a conference on the 31st, so we'll be celebrating the weekend before with a combination Halloween/Brett's birthday party with all sorts of friends. Can't wait!

Though I hate the cold weather, I'm happy it's finally acceptable to wear comfy sweaters, cute tights, high boots, and cozy scarves (even though I wear them no matter the temperature :P), drink hot coffee, chocolate, and apple cider, and watch the Patriots and throw a tailgate party every weekend. Not to mention How I Met Your Mother is back, and the Bruins will be opening their season next week! I'll always pick summer as my favorite season, but I guess fall has grown on me in the past few years. I can't wait to share with you all this fall has in store for me!

What are your favorite things about fall?