Friday, August 31, 2012

UPDATE!

For those of you who read my post about donating to the Big Brothers/Big Sister's Organization, I figured I'd give you an update on the turn out. I was AMAZED at the amount of school supplies that were donated!

Here's the trunk of goodies before dropping them off at BBBS!


Thank you again to all my friends and family that took just a LITTLE time out of their day to make a child smile so BIG! You all are FABULOUS!

I figured I'd share that hroughout this process I decided to become a mentor for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization! They are currently in the process of finding me a match and I absolutely can not wait to meet my little sister! I was a part of a mentoring program a couple years ago called Be Hope USA and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Believe me, it would be yours too! These children need a positive influence in their life as well as a lot of LOVE. We all have a little extra love and attention to give, right? All it takes is one hour out of the week! If you think mentoring is something you'd enjoy then please please please do it! BBBS is welcoming people (both men and women) to come forward and mentor! Here is a couple ways to contact BBBS.

Website: http://www.bbbstristate.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigbrothers.bigsisters.37
Phone: 304-522-2191


"One thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. "~ Albert Schweitzer

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Avoiding the Freshman 15

So this was the first week back to school and holy cow is there a LOT of freshman on campus. I couldn't help but reminisce on my freshman year. I remember how excited I was: Freedom. New faces. Food everywhere. Awesome Rec Center. With that said, I think we've all heard about the "Freshman 15". Between the new schedule and late nights in the library, snacking on the wrong things become a habit- a very bad habit. Believe me freshies, it's easy to gain but so much HARDER to get it off. Here's a couple tips so that the "Freshman 15" won't apply to you!

1. WORK IT OUT.

http://www.marshallcampusrec.com/

I know how hard it can be adjusting to a new schedule but it's so important not to forget the most important part of your day. Between eating late and the stress of school, it only makes sense to MAKE this a part of your day. Plus, this Rec center is pretty awesome. They have everything between rock climbing, swimming, yoga, spinning, etc so there's really NO reason why you shouldn't take full advantage!

2. AVOID CAFETERIA FOOD

This use to be a struggle for me but I believe I've finally mastered saying NO to the food on campus. Most of it is expensive, fattening, and.. did I say EXPENSIVE? It's almost $3.00 for a cup of grapes. Holy Cow. This leads to my next tip...

3. PACK YOUR LUNCH

Some of my friends giggle at the fact that not only do I pack my lunch, but I have a lunch box that matches my bag. (Nerd Alert!) But seriously, it's cheaper and healthier. I often hear, "I don't have time". Welllllll guess what!? Yes you do. Wake up just a tad bit earlier each morning or just pack it at night. Takes a whole bit of 5 minutes!

4. COFFEE

Coffee will be your BEST FRIEND. Never in a million years did I think I would drink it,  let alone become an ADDICT. Studies have shown that coffee does have its perks when it comes to health factors. Here's where the specialty coffees come in. The sugar. The whip cream. The chocolate. Bad news is.. well these are just BAD news all together. Good news? There are ways around it!  You can ask for sugar free and no whip and this cuts the calories in half! Anything from Starbucks with the word "Skinny" in front of it, is always a better choice. One of my favorite drinks they serve is a skinny vanilla latte. They use steamed nonfat milk and sugar free syrup. 0 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and ONLY 60 calories! Yeeeeeeeehaw to that!

Hope these small tips help you avoid the extra 15! Enjoy your first year of college and remember: 
WORK.... IT.... OUT!


Sunday, August 26, 2012

Vinson Pride/Audios Summertime!

Most don't understand why I'm completely content with where I'm from. Traveling and getting to see bigger cities is always a huge wake up call that there's more to life outside of what I know. However, what I know is what I want. In those big cities, you can't find the communities you have here. There's something about a small area that brings everyone closer together. You are forever attached to that one place that completely molded you as an individual. I grew up here in Westmoreland and was once/still am a Vinson Tiger (proud of it ;) ) and I want nothing more than to TEACH in the county that made my childhood/adolescent years a memorable one. Some people can't be content living here. I on the other hand can. 

Nothing says it more than when over 300 men and their families come from all over the nation to gather and celebrate THEIR Tiger pride.  No matter where life took them, this night brought them all back together again. It was ALL for Gary Norris and Coach Smith, as the gym and floor were named after them! What a legacy for these coaches and the Vinson community! 

I think it says something special when this many players show up to honor their coach! What an amazing night!



It's been one heck of a summer and it's always sad to see it go BUT I believe I'm ready for fall! Football games, Holidays, Family Time, and Coffee- I believe it's my favorite season! The only thing I'm not ready for is classes to start. This is the first semester where I am desperately trying to find my mojo (as my mom would say- ha!). This will be my last semester of classes and I'll finish up with student teaching in the spring. Thank you sweet Jesus! I've had fun blogging about my summer but I see a lot of teaching/project posts (the real reason for this blog)in the near future! So long sweet summer!


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Summer Bucket List

Has summer flown by or what? Geez!! I was lucky enough to go to some concerts, go to the beach with the Ham fam, Tennessee with my girlfriends, and travel to Georgia to see one of my best friends. I love traveling anywhere and everywhere as much as I can. However, I think it's so easy to get caught up in the excitement of going somewhere new that I forget about the smallest things here at home that make me so happy. So with that said, I made a summer bucket list of things I wanted to do!  I've managed to get most of the items checked off so far!


See an outdoor play (Legally Blonde- It was so good!): Check!
 


Make a homemade Iced Mocha Frappe: Check!
 

 
Picnic in the park: Check!
 
Sarah was my sidekick and a wonderful one at that. We ended up laying on the blankets/chit chatting for 3 hours. Time well wasted!
 
 
 
 
 
Shooting and fishing: Check!
(Sarah was also my sidekick for this!)
 
 
Talk about a stress reliever. Boooom!
 
 
Tie Dye: Check!
Go Braves!
 
Blast in a glass right there! Enjoying the simple things and staying a kid at heart is so important and most importantly, makes everything FUN! :) Did any of you viewers out there make a summer bucket list? If so, I want to hear!


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Perfect Getaway

This post is WAY overdue but as summer is wrapping up I've been one busy bee doing this and that trying to complete my endless to do lists. This week I've managed to catch an AWESOME summer cold. Go me!

Anywho, as you all know I flew to Georgia to visit one of my very best friends, miss Katey! I had never been to Augusta before so I was excited to see what all was in store for me! I shopped till I dropped, ate till I couldn't eat anymore, met some wonderful people, and the highlight of my trip was.....meeting BEAUTIFUL baby Savannah!

I was a newbie to A LOT of things this trip! Of course we went to the mall and shopped at the stores we usually always do, for instance: FOREVER 21 (I'm obsessed). What I became even more obsessed with is a store in Augusta called Uptown Cheapstake. You can buy, sell, or trade clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry you name it! The prices made my jaw drop to the floor. I found my mom a White House Black Market winter sweater, brand new for $3.00.  For those of you who aren't familiar with black house black market, you can't find anything under $50 in that store. I was escatiic. Let's just say I ended up going back later in the week for round two!

I also tried out a fast food restaurant called, Zaxbys. Talk about the BEST chicken, sauces, and SWEET TEA (I couldn't get enough).  I also couldn't get enough of a local restaurant called Yosko (it's almost exactly like our local Hibachi/Taste of Asia) but MUCH much cheaper! Thank God Augusta is 8 hours away. If I lived there it wouldn't be pretty. Amazing food.

Katey is a nanny for a wonderful family and I'm so jealous of her job. She gets to spend her days with a beautiful young baby that I absolutely fell in love with. 

Meet Baby Savannah. Is she not perfect?



And here is my sweet Kate before our dinner at Yosko! 


It was a wonderful, much needed week spent with great people. I have a feeling I'll be visiting Augusta much more often! Nothing sweeter than the south!