Product Review: BUFF Pack Run Cap 🧢

Disclaimer: I received a BUFF Pack Run Cap to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Today I'm going to be talking to you about the BUFF Pack Run Cap - a lightweight running hat that is easy to wear, train in, and take with you on the go! I was given the opportunity to test this product out over the last few weeks and I'm hear to tell you my thoughts.

WHAT I LOVED

So lightweight! When I say lightweight, I mean that when you have this cap on your head, it's likely you'll forget that it's there. I'm finding that I'm the kind of person that can be really fussy when it comes to hats, especially hats that I wear when I'm out running. If I can notice that it's on my head and it isn't fitting *just right* then I'm constantly moving it throughout my run to get a more comfortable fit. With this hat, you barely even know that it's there!

Easy to pack! *wonders if this is where it gets its name from* 🤔 But seriously, if you are unsure if you'll need a hat on your run or walk, you can easily fold this bad boy up and either put it in your pocket or put it in nearly any size bag without it taking up too much space. And, thanks to its lightweight material, you can be sure that it won't tip the scales for any of your checked bags at the airport.

UPF 50+ Fabric! One of my big concerns about running during the warmer months is getting protection from the sun. This hat provides that with fabric that will block 98% of UV radiation from the sun! I can be sure that I'm getting the sun protection I need when I wear this hat on my runs throughout the sunniest months of the year.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE

Shape/fit of the hat. The only thing I struggled with when testing this product is that shape/fit of the hat itself. I honestly think it's because of how much dang hair I have on my head, but for whatever reason unless I put my hair into French braids, this cap would not stay put on my head or would not sit just the way I wanted (see my finicky attitude when it comes to hats above), and sometimes it would even fall off! Ultimately I think this is more due to my head shape/mane of hair than the actual hat itself, and maybe I have to test out a few more 'dos with the cap to finally figure out what works for me.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Overall I really like the BUFF Pack Run Cap! I strongly feel that the many pros of the product outweigh the one "con" (which is really just me complaining about having too much hair tbh haha 😂) and I think this would be a fantastic product in any runner's arsenal. If you head over to buffusa.com/bibrave and sign up for their newsletter, you can get 15% off your order of a Pack Run Cap of your own! 🧡

Check out some other great reviews of the BUFF Pack Run Cap from my fellow BibRave Pros:

Go Kelly Eli

Run Strong Run

iRunonBeer

Kooky Runner

Harry Potter Re-Read and Re-Watch Reviews #3: Prisoner of Azkaban

After a busy few weeks, Brett and I were finally able to sit down and review our experiences re-reading and re-watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! This was the first time I've read Azkaban since I was a kid, and the first time watching the adaptation EVER, so this was really a new experience for me which I loved. Brett also had some interesting observations about the plot holes of this story in particular which was great to discuss with him. We have such a fantastic time doing these reviews and I'm really looking forward to reviewing Goblet of Fire, one of my favorite stories in the series, very soon!

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life REVIEW

It happened y'all.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life released on Netflix on Friday and it was so glorious. I thought it would be great to do a review and put my thoughts out into the universe in blog form and I have a LOT of thoughts. There will be many spoilers in this blogpost so if you haven't had the chance to watch it yet and don't want to know what happens before you have the time to sit down with your coffee, pizza, and Pop Tarts, stop reading now and come back at a time when you're done visiting Stars Hollow. Without further adieu, let's get on into it!

2016 Reading Challenges Update #2

Apparently, I was a reading MACHINE this spring! This is mainly due to my parents buying me several books that I had on my Amazon book wishlist, the quick nature of reading a comic or graphic novel, listening to audiobooks on my runs and long commute to work, and finding a novel I genuinely couldn't put down (isn't it the best when that happens?). I really put a big dent toward my GoodReads goal of reading 20 books in 2016 and managed to find some fun books to go along with the PopSugar reading prompts! Check out my quick reviews of each title below, and check out what I'm currently wrapped up with at the very end of this post!

GoodReads Yearly Reading Goal: 12/20

PopSugar Reading Challenge: 12/40

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell
PopSugar Category: A dystopian novel
Audiobook, 4/5 

This is the second George Orwell novel I have read in the last twelve months. I had heard of my friends reading this in their lit classes in high school but it was never assigned to me, so downloaded this to my phone to listen to on my commute. It is so freaky how many parallels you can draw from "Animal Farm" and apply to our present-day government and society, and as dystopian novels often make you feel, it is depressing! This book is another reflection of how important it is for everyone to stay informed and have the capacity to form their own opinions on the world around them.

"My Dog: The Paradox" by Matthew Inman
PopSugar Category: A book under 150 pages
Hard copy, 5/5

This is a cute little graphic story all about Matthew Inman's (creator of The Oatmeal) dog. Anyone who has owned a dog at some point of their life can 100% relate to it. Dogs are those lovable doofuses that make life so much better and this story perfectly illustrates what it means to have a four-legged pal that will love you unconditionally.

"Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants" by Matthew Inman
PopSugar Category: A book you can finish in a day
Hard copy, 5/5

A collection of comics from the Oatmeal that will make you literally laugh out loud an want to show all of your friends, it is so easy to devour this book in one sitting. This isn't a book that follows one plot line, but that seems to be the general norm whine comes to comics. This is definitely a book to pick up on a day you're feeling down. It will cheer you right back up with its truthful silliness.

"How to Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You" by Matthew Inman
PopSugar Category: A book written by a comedian
Hard copy, 5/5

This wraps up the three Oatmeal books my parents got me for my birthday! Another great and light hearted comic that had me laughing the whole time. This one is all about cats and how being a cat owner can be a real love/hate/fear relationship because you can never quite know what's going on in their tiny heads.

"Starsruck" by Yael Levy
PopSugar Category: A book with a blue cover
Kindle eBook, 2/5

This book was not great. It is about a woman in a loveless marriage who is trying to save that marriage but also trying to solve a mystery and at the same time taking care of a celebrity in her own home that she hit with her car on accident for some reason? The writing in this book is light enough that it's almost forgivable that the plot is so jumpy. It seems that this book was trying to be just too many things at once and if it just stuck with one story line it just might have been okay, but honestly it was hard to take this book seriously.

"Wonder" by R.J. Palacio
PopSugar Category: A New York Times bestseller
Audiobook, 3/5

"Wonder" is about a little boy named August that has a physical deformation and his first year of going to public school. He and his family faces many challenges based on his appearance, but the main character and the family perseveres. This book has a wonderful cast of characters that I would have loved to learn more about. I believe that the author has created several "spin off" stories featuring some of the supporting characters of this book which I would be interested in reading. It seems that the characters around August are really what gave this book depth, but I understand why those characters aren't explored more. Being a middle grade book made this particular title hard to connect with, but that's to be expected. It wasn't written for my age demographic! It's a perfect book, though, for middle schoolers and I can understand why it has done so well in the middle grade genre.

"Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy" by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen
PopSugar Category: A graphic novel
Hard copy, 4/5

"Lumberjanes" is a series of comic books that was introduced to me by one of my favorite booktubers and I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of the first four books! It's a very cute story about five female friends who are all Lumberjane Scouts and kick total ass in the wilderness. I would love to collect more of these comics and introduce them to little girls around the world because these characters are awesome! The art is beautiful as well, which is totally something that I can really appreciate.

"Greyhound" by Steffan Piper
PopSugar Category: A book about a road trip
Kindle eBook: 4.25/5


This was definitely my favorite novel that I read over the last few months. It's about a little boy who's flighty mother sends him away, alone on a Greyhound bus, to live with his grandparents across the country. He runs into trouble along the way but meets a trusty companion that sticks by his side and gets him out of several "jams" along the way. The only reason I didn't give this book a perfect rating is that there were a few loose ends that did not get tied up. I needed the satisfaction of knowing what happened! Otherwise, this is a wonderful book which I would definitely recommend.

Currently Reading:

"A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin - Brett and I have been reading this aloud off-and-on since last summer and have only just come to the end of the equivalent of the first episode! I'm sure we'll be trudging through this guy for a while but I hope to have it done by the end of the year to tick off the "A book that's over 600 pages" category. (Currently on page 107 of 835)

"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien  - This was actually my November 2015 book club selection that got put down and picked up in short periods throughout the winter. I'm determined to finally get through this story once and for all before the fall rolls back around! (Currently on page 87 of 366)

"Sick in the Head" by Judd Apatow - Another book club selection, this time December 2015, that got put down in the middle of the winter and never picked back up. It's a book of interviews so it's been hard for me to sit down an devour the whole thing, but it's a wonderful relax-outside-and-kill-a-couple-hours kind of book so I'm sure I'll be able to get through it by the end of the summer. (Currently on page 109 of 489)

"The Paper Magician" by Charlie N. Holmberg - This series was on sale in the Kindle book store and I thought it would be an interesting to read a fantasy series as part of the "A book and its prequel" prompt! I only just picked it up after finishing "Greyhound" but I'm enjoying it so far. (And you can't really beat cheap books, amirite?!) (Currently on page 14 of 224)

"We're All Damaged" by Matthew Norman - My current audiobook that I only *just* started listening to this week. I'm having a hard time deciding if I like the main character - a guy who is angry at the world after finding out his wife cheated on him - or if his attitude annoys me. The story telling is honest and humorus, though, and I really enjoy that so far. We'll see how it goes!  (Currently on Chapter 5 of 46, 7 hours and 46 minutes remaining)

If you have any book recommendations, please let me know in the comments! I especially always look for book stop listen to on my runs, so please let me know if you have any good audiobooks to share. Happy reading!

Race Review: B.A.A. Half Marathon

The logical thing to do a week after running a full marathon is to run a half marathon a week later, right? Well apparently I thought so, because on Sunday morning I ran the B.A.A. Half Marathon in Boston! I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking when I scheduled these two giant races a week apart from each other (#dummy) but once I register for a race I just gotta go for it. No bailing!

The B.A.A. Half (and basically every event sponsored by the B.A.A.) has a huge field of participants, so instead of having everyone attempt to find parking around Franklin Park where the race was taking place, they offered several different shuttles to the starting line. This meant I had to be up and out the door by 5:30AM so I could get to the shuttle by 6:30 and get to the starting line before the gun went off at 8AM. I arrived at the race site around 7:30, which was the perfect amount of time to pick up my race t-shirt, drop my bag off at the gear check, and meet up with Louie and Rachelle before heading to the starting line.

The participant field was roughly 7,000 people, so it took a solid 7-8 minutes between the starting horn going off and the time we were able to even start moving and cross the starting line. The first few miles were super congested and a stop for a bathroom break added 10 frustrating minutes to mile 3 due to how many people were in line - oof! I managed to semi-makeup for the loss of time, though, as miles 4, 5, and 6 were all sub-9 minutes (I usually try to hang around 10 minute splits)! The rest of the race was pretty par for me the course when it comes to running halves. My pace hung around 10:30/11 in the later miles, but as I got closer to the finish and the crowds increased a bit I got a little energy boost and tried to push myself a little harder! 

The last mile took us through Franklin Park Zoo which was so awesome! You could see the zebras, wildebeests, ostriches, cows, and a bunch of exotic birds which was a nice little motivator to push you across the finish line. This being the week after a marathon, though, my legs were really feeling it and the finish line could not come soon enough. As I rounded the corner of the Franklin Park track to the last straight away toward the finish I put everything I had left in me toward crossing the finish as quickly as I could and came across the finish line at 2:24:36. I know that if this race was scheduled for a different weekend I could have definitely done better, but I'm happy with my performance overall. It wasn't my best, but it wasn't my worst either, and at the end of the day I got to cross the finish line at catch one of those world famous B.A.A. unicorns!

One day I'll get to rock one of these beauties on the Boston Marathon medal, but I'm pretty pumped about this one! :)

I really enjoyed my time running this race and hopefully I'll be able to run in a few more of the B.A.A. races in the future. Louie, Rachelle, and I are hoping to participate in the B.A.A. 5K this upcoming April (I was informed to brace myself for an even bigger field of participants for that one!) so maybe I'll also attempt the 10K (and maybe even attempt the distance medley?) to just complete the collection! ;)

On a side note: Louie started a new blog called Whoosh! where he talks about his love of comic books and running! He recapped his experience from Sunday so make sure you stop over there and check it out!

Race Review: Maine Marathon

Sunday I finished my third marathon - the Maine Marathon in Portland, ME! I was pretty nervous for this race (more nervous than I can ever remember being for any race) because my training this summer really didn't go to plan. The heat was really killing me in the migraine department, I was super exhausted from my demanding work schedule, transition to a new job, and moving to a new place, and my motivation was completely shot. Not to mention I hadn't raced any significantly long distance in almost a year (my last race was the Dean Dash 5K in April, and before that was the Wolf Hollow Half in November 2014, so it had been a while!) so in my mind, this was going to be a tough one.

The morning of the race was nice and chilly (a balmy 40 degrees) and my parents and I had the unfortunate task of waking up at 4AM to make the trek up to Portland. I'm so happy they decided to come along with me and volunteer for the race - it's rough when you're up that early by yourself! We arrived at the University of Southern Maine campus (my dad's alma mater!) around 6:20AM and met up with my friend Cassie and her friend Lauren, who were both running the half. I even got to see an former lacrosse teammate of mine - Erika (whose wedding Brett & I attended a few years ago) - before the race which was great! Cassie was kind enough to pick up my bib and swag bag the night before the race so I didn't have to worry about it on race day! Once we all pinned our bibs onto our clothes we headed over to the start.

The race itself kicked off with a bagpipe troupe and the National Anthem and at 7:45 on the dot, the horn for the start blared and all 4,000 marathoners, half-marathoners, and marathon relayers were off! The course was gorgeous and took us through Portland, Falmouth, and Yarmouth, with beautiful views of the coast nearly the entire way. There were water stops every 1.5 miles (any long-distance runner will tell you this is amazing), bands and spectators nearly the entire way, and because it was an out-and-back route, I was around other runners the whole time! I guess the third time is a charm because after a not-so-awesome first marathon and a very small second marathon, this race impressed me to no end. All of the volunteers were great, everyone running the race was super friendly, and I had a great time the whole way through.

Surprisingly, I felt great for virtually the entire race. I was nervous about how my legs and feet would feel because my training had been fairly painful throughout the entire summer. Once I upped my mileage I realized that it was my sneakers that needed an upgrade, so I bought myself a pair of Brooks Launch 2s which have been so amazing! I largely attribute these sneakers for the fact I felt so great throughout this race. It wasn't until about mile 23 that my legs really started to feel it (mostly my right quad/IT band) and I started taking a few walking breaks - though I only had to take 3 breaks in comparison to the NH Marathon where I started to take walking breaks starting at mile 18.

Once I hit mile 25, I felt great. Not so great physically, but mentally. I could feel the finish line approaching and my parents - who volunteered to help out with medals & space blankets - were waiting to cheer me on as I approached the finish line. It was so great to receive my medal from my mom and my space blanket from my dad and to get giant hugs from both of them - now definitely one of my absolute favorite moments in my racing career. :)

I ended up DESTROYING my marathon PR by 26:22. How, I have no idea. When I was around mile 10 or so I noticed that I was on track to PR but I didn't want to jinx myself, but I continued to stay on track to PR and in the later miles this was a huge motivator to keep running. By how much I would PR I wasn't entirely sure, but I kept this in the back of my mind for more than half of the race, and once I saw the time as I crossed the finish line I knew I had smashed it. This is extremely motivating to keep running marathons. Knowing that I can come across the finish line closer to 5 hours than  6 hours gets me so pumped up. I hope that next time I can run a sub-5 hour marathon and keep improving on my time from then on out!

Overall, the Maine Marathon was awesome. I'm so happy that I chose this race as my third marathon. I feel so motivated to continue to pursue my marathon goals and train for the next 26.2 on my list. More details on that to follow! ;)

Book Review: The Help

This month I finally got my hands on The Help by Kathryn Stocket. You guys. This book is so good. I know I'm tardy to the party on this book, but I loved it so much. Per usual, I chose to wait until I read the book before I watched the movie, and of course, life started to get in the way and it took me forever to finally pick it up and read it. I'm kicking myself that it took me this long to finally read this story. For me, this book was one of those that I would be itching to get back to when I was working or doing other things. There were multiple times while driving that I was wishing I lived within the radius of public transportation so I could spend my commute reading!

Anywho, this book is set in the mid-1960's in Jackson, Mississippi and each chapter is told from the perspective of one of three women - Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, and Eugenia Phelan, also known as Miss Skeeter. Aibileen and Minny are both black maids that work for affluent white housewives, and Skeeter - though not a housewife herself is a part of the housewife inner circle - is a recent graduate of Ole Miss who has a dream of becoming a writer. Disgusted and frustrated with the way she sees her friends treat their maids, she approaches Aibileen with the idea to interview her and a handful of other maids to tell their stories of what it's like to work for the white women they spent their lives raising - something that could spell serious trouble for all involved.

Stocket does a fantastic job in giving all three narrators unique voices and stories, and the way that she was able to weave each of these characters as well as the supporting characters into each others' lives was remarkable. Each perspective had it's own unique draw to it that I found myself thirsting to know how each character was reacting to each situation. When I was wrapping up a Miss Skeeter chapter, I was dying to hear Minny's side of the story. When Minny's chapter ended, I so wanted to know what Aibileen was thinking. The way this book was written made you want more, and I loved each page of it.

If you haven't read this book, I HIGHLY encourage that you do. I watched the film with Brett immediately after finishing this story and I would say that the movie did a great job in sticking to the story line, but the book provides with so much rich detail that you miss out on in the film. This book quickly shot into being one of my favorites and I'm so happy that I finally took the time to read it for the book club!

What did you think of The Help (either the book or the film)?

Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Modern Romance

For the month of August, I chose to read Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari. I was PUMPED when I found out he had written a book. He's one of my favorite comedians so I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP. I definitely was not disappointed, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had snagged this book thinking it was a memoir of sorts, but it actually turns out that this is an extremely well-researched and extremely entertaining piece that examines dating in this day and age. Ansari does throw in a few personal anecdotes here and there, but for the most part the book outlines how dating in handled by millenials in the United States and how it compares to not only other generations in the US, but millenials* in other parts of the world as well.

Topics such as texting, Tinder, cheating, marriage, one night stands, and others are covered in this book. I found the study of how our generation compares to older generations particularly interesting. Ansari points out our generation's need to find the perfect match before even considering marriage at all, and how with the advancement of technology and the endless options that online dating have provided us, we're always wondering if our next partner will be even more perfect than our current partner, making settling down extremely intimidating. In older generations, the criteria for a spouse came down to "they lived near me, they had a job, and they were nice". Like... what?! It seems like that's unheard of to us. However, with the limited options that older generations had, that was the typical route to go.

This book was great - funny, informative, a bit thought provoking, and all around entertaining. If you are familiar with Aziz Ansari, there's a good chance you can hear his voice reading to you as you read through the pages**. This is a quick read, so it would be great to take along with you on a trip or bring with you in your bag to pass the time when you're waiting for things. I would totally recommend it if you're looking for something fun!

If you've read this book, let me know what you think in the comments! 

I would love to hear your thoughts.

*Total side note: I wanted to point out that my computer is giving me a red-squiggly under the word "millenials" but is not giving me a red-squiggly under the word "squiggly". Get with the times, computer! "Millenials" is a real word!

**I actually hear the audiobook version of this is incredible. I would recommend that version if you're not familiar with Aziz - you'll get a better understanding of his humor!

Elephant Awareness Month | The Elephant Pants Unboxing & Review

Two weeks ago I mentioned The Elephant Pants in my Favorite Elephant Saving Organizations post, and shortly after I made my very first purchase! As I mentioned, this company gives a portion of the profits from your order to various wildlife conservation organizations, mostly to those that focus on the conservation of elephants. Basically, they're awesome. I thought that I'd do a little unboxing and review for you all to show you what I bought!

Classic Prints 

I ordered 3 items outright - two pairs of pants ($18 each) and a pair of shorts ($16 each), all in classic prints (TEP donates $1 per item for classic prints). The cool thing about each design is that each is named after a famous elephant in history. When I first discovered this website I spent a solid half hour just clicking onto each design and reading the story of so many elephants. Not every story is easy to read, but it does help you remember why it's important to make an effort - no matter how small - to save these animals from harm. I wanted to share with you the stories of the elephants behind the prints that I bought.

Left to Right: Tyke pants, Billie shorts, and Black Diamond pants

"Tyke was a circus elephant who on August 20, 1994 in Honolulu, Hawaii, killed her trainerAllen Campbell and gored her groom Dallas Beckwith, causing severe injuries during a Circus International performance before hundreds of horrified spectators. Tyke then bolted from the arena and ran through downtown streets of Kakaako for more than 30 minutes. Police fired 86 shots at Tyke, who eventually collapsed from the wounds and died." 

"Billie was a circus elephant who was known for rebelling against trainers and their abuse. She was rescued along with fifteen other elephants by the USDA from a barn where she had been retired to after attacking a trainer. Her life is documented in the book 'Last Chain On Billie'." 

"Black Diamond was an Indian elephant with Al G. Barnes Circus."

Mystery Box 

As I was shopping around the site, I noticed that they had Mystery Boxes available. These tend to sell out quickly, so I knew I had to scoop one up. For $25 (promting a $1 donation), you receive a pair of classic pants as well as two mystery gifts (one that usually is in the $10/$15 range and one that is a bit smaller) - not too shabby! I was very eager to receive this mystery box to see what kind of items were coming my way, and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

I received a beautiful pink and maroon pair of pants (which I later found out were the Ruby pants), a canvas tote, and a TEP Sharpie! (I can only assume that the Sharpie is intended to fill in the blank on the tote design!) I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved the design of the pants I received. I don't think I would have ever picked out the Ruby design for myself (for whatever reason I tend to go for cooler colors when I shop for clothes) and I'm so happy that these were the ones I received. I was also PUMPED about the canvas tote! I was really considering buying the "This Bag Helped Save and Elephant" canvas tote and ultimately decided to wait 'til next time, so when I saw the tote in my Mystery Box I was VERY excited! (Oh, and who doesn't love a good Sharpie?!)

"Ruby was an elephant artist, resided at the Phoenix Zoo; at least one painting was sold for $100,000."

And since this is a haul post of sorts, I figured I'd also try on the items I bought for you, to show you how they look. (Please forget the lighting and the down angles that are inevitable when taking a mirror selfie of your legs!) For reference, my pant size can range between 7-10 depending on the pair of pants (amirite ladies?), and the elastic waist accommodates shapes between 0 and 12! My runner butt and thighs fit super comfortably in each pair of bottoms, and each item is super light, airy, and COMFY AF. I'm SUPER excited to start creating some outfits with these beauties!

Clockwise from top left: Billie shorts, Ruby pants, Tyke pants, Black Diamond Pants

I spent a total of $77 dollars and got a decent amount of gear that I know I'll be wearing regularly. The shipping is free after $75 and my order got to me relatively fast (I ordered late on a Tuesday Night and I received my package on Monday). The pants themselves are made in Thailand (information on how the pants are made and how the employees that make these pants are treated is available on their website, if that is an area of concern of yours) but they ship from NYC, so if you're in the US I'm assuming you'd have a similar shipping timeline (though I live in MA - not far from NY - so maybe it will take longer). 

I am thrilled with this company and the products I bought and I'm so excited to be sharing this awesome company with you all. I would strongly encourage you to consider making a purchase at The Elephant Pants, and if the pants aren't your style, consider donating to one of the organizations that this company supports!

If you would like to see my unboxing & review video, check it out below!

25 Before 25: Wrapping Up

So it's official. I'm 25 and my time frame to complete my 25 Before 25 list is OVER. I by no means completed all of the items on my list (grad school had the tendency to get in the way of pretty much everything in my life!), but I had a great time doing the things that I did cross off! This list really motivated me to try new things, forced me to step outside of my comfort zone, and reminded me to make time to enjoy life when things were hectic. I feel like with every item I checked off my list a grew a bit more as a person which makes me very happy. I highly recommend trying out a challenge such as this, and I hope to attempt another in the near future!

Here's my final list:

1. Get my boating license (I've lived on a lake for virtually my entire life, and I somehow still haven't gotten my license.)
2. Conquer a Spartan Race (Louie has been trying to get me to do one with him. I think now is the time!)
3. Visit a new city (I need to travel!) Completed 3/30/2014
4. Play in a lacrosse game again (I miss my sport.) Completed 3/1/2014
5. Take another art class (There are so many out there - it will be great to brush [ha] up on my skills!) Completed 12/23/15
6. Volunteer (I always make the excuse of not having enough time. I need to stop doing that and give back!) Completed 4/6/2014
7. Attend a friend's special event (birthday party, graduation, wedding, etc.) (Same as the above goal. I want to support my friends more and be there for their special moments in life!) Completed 12/21/2014
8. Finish 25 books-for-pleasure (I have a goal to read 10 this year, so that will be helpful!)
9. Go on another road trip somewhere (Even if it's just a trip to the state's only Sonic) Completed 7/20/2014
10. Have coffee or drinks with a previous mentor (This is currently in the works... just need to somehow find a common time!) Completed 3/28/2014
11. Hit triple digits for my YouTube subscribers (This may happen sooner rather than later - I'm currently at 90!) Completed 3/1/2014
12. Purchase myself a GoPro (Possible birthday present to myself?) Completed 12/25/14
13. Accomplish a multi-distance race series (Looking into the Twin Lobster or Triple Threat this year, or the Fool's Duel next spring.) Completed 8/3/2014
14. Climb another mountain (It's been a while since I've been hiking. I miss it.)
15. Purge my closet, donate things to charity, & buy some more "grown up" clothes (I feel like I need a closet re-vamp, and there are some things I just don't wear anymore!)
16. Finish a painting (Not including any paintings I might create during #5.) Completed 11/17/2014
17. Go to King Richard's Faire (This looks like it would be so silly and fun!)
18. Write a letter to myself to be opened in 10 years (Hopefully I don't lose it between the time I write it and the time I intend to open it! I would...) Completed 2/18/15
19. Visit a farmer's market (There's one right down the street from me during the summer. I have no excuse.)
20. Read 3 books from The World Library 100 that I haven't read before (I've read a few for past English & Literature classes. These can count toward my 25 books for #8!)
21. Watch 5 films from AFI's Top 100 that I haven't seen before (Seen a handful of these throughout my life. Want to see more!)
22. Be able to lay my hands flat on the floor when I try to touch my toes (Seriously, I am so inflexible. I need to make regular stretching a thing.)
23. Do three pull-ups without assistance (Upper-body strength is also something that I want to work on.)
24. Go to a shooting range (Seriously always wanted to do this!) Completed 12/24/14
25. Graduate with my Master's degree (This may actually happen a couple days after my 25th birthday, but my coursework should be done by then!) Completed 5/13/15 (Coursework completed 5/11/15 - on my 25th birthday!)

14/25 goals completed

Have you ever attempted a goal challenge like this?

How did it go?

Let me know in the comments! 

Most Memorable Moments of 2014

I seriously can't believe that we're going to be saying goodbye to 2014 tomorrow night. It seems like we were just ringing in 2014 a few weeks ago. Where did the time go?! Today Brett and I are venturing down to New Jersey to spend New Year's with my good friends Jeff and Noble. We haven't seen them since August 2013, so we thought it was definitely time for a visit, and what better time to visit loved ones than the holidays! But, before we pack up the car and go, I thought I'd reflect on this past year.

Last December I wrapped up the year by reflecting on what I considered to be the most memorable moments of 2013. This year, I'm going to bid adieu to 2014 in the same fashion!

As I explained last year, the moments I'm reflecting upon aren't necessarily things that I'll look back on and smile, but they are definitely things that I will remember in the years to come. Here are the things I'm definitely going to remember, month by month, about 2014!

January
Brett starts his new job/Getting back into vlogging
Related posts: Blogging vs. Vlogging

Also picked up my new glasses the day Brett started his new job!

The beginning of the year came with a new job for Brett, and because it was relatively far away from where we lived, meant he had to move out of my apartment. This definitely caused a bit of adapting in our relationship, and it was pretty hard at first, but we have certainly grown much more because of it. Nearly a year later, I'm about to end my time of needing to stay in south eastern Massachusetts, and we will be looking into moving back in together as soon as possible!

I also allowed myself to get back into my vlogging hobby at the beginning of 2014. Vlogging is something that can be hard to do, as it's really putting yourself out there. It's one thing to sit and type behind the protection of a keyboard, but when you're vlogging you're putting you face to your opinions which can be pretty scary. However, I've really been enjoying myself this year, and Brett has even warmed up to having the camera around!

February
Valentine's Day with Brett/NACA Nationals
Related posts: Boyfriend/Girlfriend Tag!

Conference Starter Kit: Name badge, guide book, coffee.

Brett and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day together, consisting of pizza, Cadbury Cream Eggs, and movies. Our favorite date night is one where we get to be lazy, as we don't get to do that too often in our daily lives.

I also had the chance to attend the NACA National Convention in Boston with a handful of students for a few days. That was my very first national convention, and while it had thousands of people in attendance, it actually wasn't that bad! (I'm not a huge fan of crowds for those who weren't aware.) I think it was the perfect introduction to national conventions, as I would be attending another one the very next month!

March
Flying to Indianapolis for ACPA National Convention
Related posts: Reinvent: ACPA National Convention 2014

#Selfie with Indy!

At the end of March, Janine, Brittany, and I all flew to the great state of Indiana to attend the ACPA National Convention! I had never been to Indy before, so it was really cool to explore a new city as well as experience my first conference that encompasses the whole field of student affairs instead of just one functional area like NACA. We had a blast and I hope to attend another ACPA soon!

April
BSU Springfest
Related posts: Personal Life Black Hole

After our final Springfest event!

Basically the entire spring semester is dedicated to prepping for BSU's campus wide event known as Springfest. It's one of the biggest events PC puts on throughout the year, and in April, it all came together and went off without a hitch! It was so cool to see the event that everyone had been talking about all year, and really made me feel like a part of the BSU culture. I'm excited to see it all happen again this upcoming spring!

May
Completing my first year of graduate school/Turning 24/Adopting Cosmo/Quadcopter fun
Related posts: 50% | Twenty-Four | Don Draper, Quadcopters, and Bonfires

Midnight birthday cake surprise!

With May came the end of my first full year of graduate school! My birthday tends to line up with the end of the school year in higher ed. land, so it's always a great way to celebrate the end of the year as well. We had lots of friends over for a birthday party, playing Heads Up and other fun games, and ending with a surprise birthday cake from Brett when the clock struck midnight on May 11th!

Brett and I also ventured up to New Hampshire for Memorial Day weekend, a much needed escape from real life before the craziness of Orientation began in June. We watched Mad Men, ate more birthday cake, and flew my dad's Quadcopter, which inevitably wound up with us (me) roofing it. We also brought our new fish buddy Cosmo along for the ride, one of many throughout the summer!

June
BSU Orientation
Related posts: 'Twas the Night before Orientation... | I Survived Orientation 2014!

End-of-sessions banquet!

My whole life was Orientation at BSU during the month of June, and while it might usually stink having to work the entire first month of summer, I LOVED working for this Orientation program! I had a wonderful time with the Professional Staff and made some deeper connections with them, bonded with students that I wouldn't typically work with in my daily role as a GA in OSIL, and laughed so much each and every day, despite how tired I was. (Being exhausted would alo explain why I was laughing so much...) Going through this program reminded me why I loved Orientation so much as an OL, and gives me another option professionally when I'm searching for jobs this spring. I'm extremely jealous of the grad interns that get to be a part of this program for years to come!

July
Bringing Danny to NH/Brett's Spider Bite/Cape Cod
Related posts: Weekends in July | Lobster. Traffic. Must be the Cape.

Uncle/nephew bonding!

I had about 3 weeks in July that I was actually off from work, so Brett and I did a lot of travelling! We took his nephew, Danny, up to my parents' house, which was a blast for everyone! We took him tubing, to the town fair, and we even cooked some s'mores! We also got to go up to Ossipee to Brett's family camp site, and hung out on the lake there as well. The only downside of this weekend is when Brett got a large spider bite on his leg. It actually caused Brett to get pretty sick and we eventually took him to the Doctor to get it checked out. He got put on antibiotics and it all cleared up, but it was scary for a second!

We also were invited out to a friend's Cape house for a few days in July as well. It was so much fun just relaxing, eating tons of delicious meals, and hitting the beach. We're definitely going to make an effort to get out there again next summer!

August
Creativity in Counseling/Family trip to Maine/Watching football practices
Related posts: Hectic August

Fireside chats with the fam.

On August 1st I finished up my summer course, Creativity in Counseling. Though it was just an elective, I really feel like I got the most out of this class in comparison to every other counseling course I've taken so far in my program. The professor who taught this class did so in such an impactful way that I still remember exact words that she used when explaining counseling technique, and I really believe I will remember it in the years to come.I'm really happy I took the leap and signed up for this course!

My sister also came home to NH that weekend, which meant a family trip to Maine! We went up to my Aunt and Uncle's camp site on Cold Stream Lake and spent the weekend tubing, chatting by the fire, and playing with the 9 dogs that were in attendance.

With August came the beginning of football camp for Brett, so when I visited him this month I spent a lot of time in the bleachers watching him coach his players. I don't think I ever have truly seen him in his professional element like that, so it was really awesome to see him do what he's best at!

September
Starting at Clark/Getting wisdom teeth removed
Related posts: And just like that... | See ya later, Wisdom Teeth! | Recovery Struggles...

Arriving to Clark on my first day!

The beginning of the fall semester kicked off with the beginning of my graduate internship at Clark University! It's always a bit difficult to adapt to a new environment at first, but the people in the office have been so supportive and helpful that the transition was quite easy. I never thought I'd be working at three very different institutions at once, but it's been a very cool experience!

I also FINALLY got my wisdom teeth removed in September. It was an interesting recovery process for me. It seemed like I was totally fine the few days after the surgery, but as the week progressed, I was in more and more pain, to the point where one night we were seriously considering going to the emergency room. Thankfully, that didn't have to happen, but it was scary. Props to Brett and my parents for being there for me during the worst pain I've experienced... hopefully that never happens again!

October
Finishing my second marathon/Reverse Trick-or-Treat/NACA Regionals
Related posts: New Hampshire Marathon FINISHER! | Happy Halloween #BestHoliday | Mixing It Up: NACA Northeast 2014

With the Bears at the closing dinner at NACA Northeast!

In October I completed the New Hampshire Marathon - my second full marathon! My parents were there to cheer me on at the finish line which was awesome, and so nice of them because I do not run that distance very fast whatsoever. I'm definitely looking forward to my next marathon, whenever that may be!

Some of the ResLife staff did this awesome program known as Reverse Trick-or-Treat, where we knocked on the doors of our residents and gave THEM candy. It's something that I've always wanted to do and I was so happy we were able to do it as a staff. Such a fun way to celebrate my favorite holiday of the year!

October also brought the NACA Northeast Regional Conference. It was great to have the opportunity to attend this conference again, as last year I didn't really know what to expect our how to make the best out of what was offered to me. This year I presented an educational session, participated on an awards committee, all while supervising our delegation of 11 students. I also felt much closer to my students this year than I did last year (last year I was still getting to know everyone!) so that made for tons more fun with them!

November
Deep Fried Everything/Silly String 5K
Related posts: The Non-Work Side of my Life | A Snowy Thanksgiving

Pups getting to play on Thanksgiving!

In November I put on my favorite program that I've ever done - DEEP FRIED EVERYTHING. I did this program in early 2013 as well and it was a big hit, so I decided to do it again. My residents loved it and I had such a fun time with my CAs that helped me out with it. Awesome staff and resident bonding night! I will definitely be doing this again... multiple times!

This year I was able to participate in the 5K that my family "hosts" at my Grammy's house on Thanksgiving - the Silly String 5K! It was fun to see my whole family participating in something that I really enjoy, including my youngest cousin who often gets left out of things because he's a few years younger than everyone else! I also got to run with Kiwi, and make a new friend, which is always a bonus!

December
Two-year anniversary/Christmas
Related posts: Two Years! | Merry Christmas!

Brett's anniversary gift to me!

As usual, December has been the perfect end to a great year! Brett and I celebrated two years together, I finished up my third semester of graduate school, and I got to spend the Christmas holiday with both my family, Brett's family, and even Brett - something we had yet to do in the three Christmases we've been together! This month has been full of smiles and time with the people I care about, and I'm really looking forward to sending the year off with Brett and two of my really great friends!

2014 has been another wonderful year in the books. 2015 is going to bring a lot of new, exciting, and sometimes scary changes to my life, but I can't wait to see where I'm going to be this time next year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Share some of your favorite moments of the year
or link me to your 2014 wrap-up post in the comments below!