"My name is Meghan and I like movies" said me, on the first day of lacrosse practice in sixth grade. We had to go around and say our first name and something that we liked that started with the first letter of our first name. Naturally, I thought movies and my friends have laughed about it ever since. But it's true! I remember being in kindergarten and loved going to Blockbuster every Friday to pick out a movie with my mom. Growing up I used to ask for DVD's as presents because I loved being able to watch my favorite movies over and over again. Like with reading, I just loved being immersed into stories and their characters. Because of my love of movies (and of celebrities and of glamorous dresses) I grew to love watching the Academy Awards too. Most years I have seen just some of the movies that are up for best picture or have a star nominated for best actor or actress. This year, however, I plan to watch all of the best picture nominees and this weekend, I was able to cross three off of the list. Let's talk about them!

I just want to say that I hate surprise spoilers and I just want to tell you that you will not be reading any major plot spoilers here. As fas as plot summaries go, there are vague ones that give away less than what you would get in a movie trailer! 

The Big Short //

I literally had no clue what this movie was about when I hit play in the beginning. All I knew was that it had been nominated for a ton of awards and that Steve Carell was in it, so I figured there would be a pretty good chance I would enjoy it. It was ultimately about a few random groups of people who had predicted the 2008 financial crisis. What I liked most about this movie was how it simplified what actually happened that allowed the crisis to occur. I'm sure that what actually happened is so much more complicated than the movie made it seem (at least I hope anyway) but it helped me to understand something that I, honestly, didn't think I had interest in understanding before. I know that watching a movie about the banking industry doesn't sound promising, but I can assure you that it is eye opening and completely entertaining at the same time. If that doesn't catch you, then I'll tell you that Ryan Gosling is in it, and maybe that will?

Mad Max: Fury Road //
Unlike The Big Short, I knew what Mad Max was about before watching it and I was NOT interested whatsoever. If it wasn't for telling myself that I would watch all of the best picture nominees, then I would have never in a million years picked this movie for myself to watch. Post apocalyptic action movies are just not my thing. After I got the eye-rolls out of my system and saying "I just can't believe a movie with this sort of plot would even be considered for a best picture" about a hundred times, I attempted to put my attitude aside and start the movie with an open mind. Although I'm stubborn and don't like to admit when I am wrong, I am surprisingly pleased to tell you that this was actually an interesting movie. Yes, there is a lot of action and fighting and driving scenes, but the whole movie in general felt more like an arthouse film, rather than a generic "I'm only here to please audiences and make millions" action flick. So if you ever get suckered into watching it, know that its not bad and you might surprisingly enjoy it! 

Brooklyn //
I don't even know where to start with this movie. I just loved it so much and I don't know how to put it eloquently! First, this movie had all of the elements that make a movie great in my eyes...historical fiction, romance, and an independent and sassy main character. After finishing the movie, the only thing that I wished would have been different was that I wish I could have somehow watched it before going off to college four and a half years ago. I don't want to give too much away, but it just has so many good quotes and lessons about leaving home and growing up. This is the only movie of the three that I watched without John and I'm sure he would have had no interest in watching it with me...although he will probably have to watch it some time because I'm pretty sure it easily falls into my top ten favorite movies ever.

Now I know that these are just three out of the eight movies that are nominated for best picture, but picking from just these ones, I think that The Big Short would win. I know I just went on and on about how good Brooklyn was, but The Big Short has broader appeal and is just more unique as it takes a boring and complicated topic, like the 2008 financial crisis, and boils it down to something entertaining and digestible. Although Brooklyn wins in my heart, its just not something I see winning overall. And, well, Mad Max is cool looking and I think probably has a shot at winning best visual effects and/or cinematography, but I don't think its a top contender for best picture overall.

Have you seen any of these? Let me know what you think if you have!

2016 Blog Goals

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is doing well with this first week after the holidays...we are halfway to the weekend! This week has made me hangry due to my post-holiday detox diet (why did you have to eat so many Christmas cookies, Meghan?!) and stressed because of studying for the NCLEX. I know it takes a few days for the body to stop those sugar cravings, so hopefully by the end of the week I will have stopped staring lustfully at the candy jar on the living room table...

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If you recall Monday's post, I talked about my personal goals for 2016 and today I will be talking about my goals for this blog. I am super excited to get these down in writing, because they are things that I have been thinking of for a while now. I don't know if it was noticed, but starting in mind-October, I really tried to amp up this blog. While I know there is a lot I still need to work on, I am proud that I have really stuck to my plan over the past few months and I want to bring the momentum I have gained into the new year. 

But before I can continue on with my goals for this year, I would like to reflect back on my blog goals from 2015. I want to share what I did accomplish and also what I didn't...

// Learn how to make a blog button. 

// Reach 60 Bloglovin' followers by the one year anniversary of Me as Meghan.

// Go on adventures/try new things in order to gain experiences that I can turn into interesting and thoughtful posts  This one!

// Post at least three times a week Although it took me until October to get the MWF posting down consistently, this is something that I am really happy with! 

// Sponsor another blog 

// Host a giveaway

// Tell my friends about this blog I told my best friend who has been more than supportive! While I know I should tell more people, I think I have a better plan for this for 2016...

// Have a better blog schedule, where I plan out my posts a few weeks in advance I have post ideas and blog plans written down in my planner, it has made blogging so much easier! 

By the end of 2016, I hope to accomplish... 

// At least three fashion posts

// Sponsoring another blog (I have already started to research what blog would be best!) 

// Host a giveaway

// Reach 250 Bloglovin' follwers

// Blog everyday for one month 

// Share my blog on Twitter and Instagram 

// Make a lot of layout updates...especially my About Me page!

// Buy my own domain name 

I hope that this time next year, I will be crossing all of these things off in a post about my blogging goals for 2017! What are some of your blog goals for 2016?

Linking up here today! 

New Year, Better Me.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope the last few days of 2015 and first few days of 2016 were fantastic! Did you stay up until midnight or were you like me and asleep at 11:30? I am not usually one that is unable to stay up late, but I guess 2015 was just exhausting and I was ready for it to be over. There is also a part of me that likes not seeing midnight, and just waking up in the New Year. Its kind of weird, I know.

With 2016 now upon us, I have been thinking a lot about what I want my goals to be for this year to be. Now, I am saying goals because they are specific things that I want to achieve, while a resolution is a broad promise to ourselves....according to my quick internet research. I work best with a to-do list and a specific action plan to get me to the places where I want to go, so a list of goals are more likely to help me succeed than overarching resolutions. You guys do know I love my to-do lists!

After determining my goals, I figured out would spread them out over two posts...one for personal goals and one for blog ones. I am sharing my personal ones today!

Personal Goals for 2016

// Figure out a Routine // I have been craving a sense of normalcy during the past few days. I know that the holiday season seems to have a knack for knocking routines aside, and now that I am not in college anymore, I have no clue what my routine is supposed to look like now that the holidays are over. Between the holidays and graduating and moving home, I feel like my life is chaos...good chaos, but chaos nonetheless. I know that once I start my new job, I still won't have a solid routine because with nursing, I will be working either 3 or 4 12 hour shifts a week...which leaves either 3 or 4 days off. During the summer on my days off, when I worked this schedule as a tech, I would hang out with friends or John or go to the beach or the pool and basically just wait to go back to school. Now that I am no longer waiting to leave, I need to invest in a life here and figure out how best I want to spend my time. I am not quite sure exactly how to accomplish this goal, but a part of me just believes that a routine will establish itself. I am just impatient!

// Less Clutter, More Cleanliness // I got this book but have yet it read it. I am hoping to read it in the next few weeks though so that I can work out some of the clutter in my room. I have hoarder-like tendencies and I am just so sentimental about some things. I am hoping that the book will help to me let go of some of those feelings. I know that minimalism is all the rage right now, and while I know that I could never be super successful with it, I think it is a good point in my life to pick up some minimalistic habits!

// Exercise // I think this has been a goal of mine for the past few years, and I think 2015 was an okay year for Meghan versus exercising. It could have definitely been improved though, and thats why I am including it with these goals. What I really want is to genuinely want to exercise. I want this to be the year that I exercise, not to improve how I look, but to improve how I feel.

// Read More // I am so excited about this one! I am making it my goal to read two books a month for 2016. I have always been a bookworm ever since I can remember, but once I got to college, I really slowed down with reading. It was just too hard to sit there and read for fun when I spent so much time already reading for my classes. Now, I have so much more time I can dedicate to fun reading...after I pass the NCLEX of course!

I really want to make sure that I follow through with these goals, so I think I might do either a 6 month check in or even quarterly check ins to write about my progress. I am hoping there will be a lot to talk about!

Are you making any goals or resolutions this year?

*This post contains affiliate links* 

Thoughts on the 2015 Emmy Awards

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Who watched the Emmy's last night? I am a huge fan of award shows... and as a self proclaimed movie and TV buff, I especially love the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. It would be my dream to get all dressed up and walk into a room that holds the most powerful and influential actors, directors, writers, and editors of the year. Lets not forget that the after-parties would be pretty sweet too (hello, haven't you seen pictures of the swag bags they give out?!)

Favorite Moments of the Emmys:

~Jane Lynch coming out on stage as the shaming nun from Game of Thrones. SHAME *bell rings*

~Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler presenting an award together.

~Jeffery Tambour dedicating his Emmy win to the transgender community.

~"I love funny women. I love powerful, funny women." - Julie-Louis Dreyfuss during her acceptance speech #YASSSS.

~"Its a fishing community off the coast of Europe"- James Corden referring to England.

~"Time as we know it could cease to exist, and Alex Trebrek would still be scolding librarians from  Ames, Iowa and passive aggressively insulting their hobbies." -John Oliver presenting the award for Limited Series or Movie Directing.

~Andy Samberg's singing in the "Emmys Can Kill" PSA.

~Frances McDormand ultra short acceptance speech...mostly because I cringe when the winners get the music played over their speeches to kick them off the stage.

~The Halloween Oreos I snacked on during the show...

~"This show fights for what we believe in"  + "This girl who gave me this sort of smoky eye" - My two favorite lines from Amy Schumer's acceptance speech of Best Variety Sketch Series

~HBD George RR Martin (why aren't you at home writing...I'm anxious awaiting whats happening next in GoT)

~Uzo Aduba's second consecutive win. So cool that last year she won in the comedy division, but this year's win was in the drama division...for the same character! "You let me be me!" (Not going to lie, I cried a little during her acceptance speech!)

~"These are just some of the characters...that I made up backstage"- Tina Fey, presenting the award for Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

~ Tracy Morgan presenting an award!

~Game of Thrones winning best Drama Series. It has a total of 83 Emmy nominations and I believe they deserve every single one of them. Does that make me sound like a nerd? P.S. Is Jon Snow alive?


Bummer Moments

~Bill Murray wasn't there to accept his award...I would have loved to hear his acceptance speech

~When they played clips of the season finales of the many shows that ended this year...Thank goodness I finished Sons of Anarchy last week because they played the most important clip of the show. Also, they did gave away what I am assuming is the ending of Mad Men. You'd think they wouldn't give away such big spoilers!

~Getting Oreo crumbs in my keyboard

~Jon Hamm's cryptic acceptance speech (anyone else think so?!)


I am now swayed into watching shows that I didn't know were so highly rated. Veep and Olive Kitteridge won so many awards and I am officially adding them to my "must watch" list. But they are both HBO shows, so I should have known that they were well-made! I also like how acceptance speeches are transforming into bringing more awareness about current issues, instead of just the winner spewing first names out with such pressure that I am sure the microphone is wet with spit after they are done. Overall, it was a good show, but just stressed me out because there is so much more TV that I need to watch...

What were your thoughts on the show if you watch? Also, leave a comment below if you know how to get the job of the girl who holds the award onstage...because I need that job.

Quick Question about Labor Day Weekend...

Tubing last weekend on the Shenandoah River! 

I've just been wondering...

Why do we call Labor Day weekend the "last weekend of the summer" when really, the last day of summer isn't until September 22nd? That gives us two more weekends of summer, which I plan on taking advantage of! I mean, I know for students school starting back up signals the end of summer...but what about all the people that aren't in school or don't have kids starting back into the school mode? If you don't have kids and aren't in school, do you still have two weeks of summer or is Labor Day Weekend the end of your summer? So many questions!

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend nonetheless, and please share whether or not your summer ends with this weekend! 

Long Time, No Talk.

HI THERE! Its been way too long and I apologize for the silence over here. As you could probably tell by the lack of posts this summer, I really had trouble with this blog. In the beginning of the summer, work picked up quickly and on my days off, I felt no motivation to sit at my computer and write. Then, after a few days of not writing, I would get frustrated with myself for not posting and this frustration dulled my motivation to write even more. This cycle continued for a few more weeks, and even though I thought about my blog a lot, I felt like I just couldn't bring myself to write. 

Then about halfway through the summer, one of my cats got sick and I spent a lot of time and energy focused on taking care of/worrying about him (thankfully, he is all better now.) This however started to get me feeling down in general. All I found myself doing was either working or sitting at home unoccupied. Since I worked in a hospital that had 12 hour shifts, I only worked 3 shifts a week (sometimes 4, if they needed extra help.) But most weeks, I had four days off. I would have dinners with John after he got out of work if I had the day off, and some days that I would be the only thing I really did. My brothers had a few baseball tournaments for a couple weeks this summer that kept them and my parents away so I was alone around my house a lot. During this time, I was lazy and didn't channel my energy into being productive and happy. Instead, I just let myself grow into this negative attitude that I just couldn't shake. I spent a lot of time feeling jealous that others were having a better summer than me and feeling guilty for not writing blog posts. I would read other blogs and scroll through Twitter and Instagram accounts and just be so jealous that I wasn't as funny/clever/photogenic/creative/outgoing as other people are. 

As we got further and further into summer, I told myself that I would just take a hiatus from my blog and let myself recharge and give myself a break from feeling guilty for not writing. I spent a lot of time thinking about blogging and I wondered if I should even come back to it. Just recently I have been able to shake the bad attitude and pick myself up from this slump and realize that this writing this blog does make me a happier person and I know that I feel better if I channel more of my energy into making this blog something that I can be really proud of. 

When I decided to continue, I told myself that I would start back here on this date because it is also the first day of the fall semester. Although I am sad to see the summer go, I am excited (and very ready!) for the new beginning that fall will bring. I read once that humans are actually happiest when they are busy, and as someone who has a tendency to be lazy, I need to work on making sure that I fill my time with plans and activities. Now don't get me totally wrong, I didn't stay inside my house all summer... I did see my friends, I had a few beach days and John and I had some really great dates. But I just felt like I could have done so much more. I should have been more ambitious and more of a go-getter. With this new season descending upon us quickly, I want to be on top of my game. I want to ace this final semester of college. I want to churn out some kick-ass content on this blog. Most of all, I just want to be happier and carry a more positive attitude with me! 

If you have stuck through this post, THANK YOU. I know it was a little all over the place, and it probably makes more sense to me than it does to you. Thats okay, though. Just know that you have helped me immensely by just being there, and for that, I am incredibly thankful. I feel lighter and happier knowing that these words have left my head. So lets all raise our glasses and cheers to new beginnings and being happy! 

Because you know my alter ego is Liz Lemon. 

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Shut Up and Dance! (And Read This Post)

What a slow week! I always underestimate how slow the week goes by when you have fun plans for the weekend. Does anyone else notice this? It drives me crazy! Anyway, for this five on Friday, I am sharing five links to videos, articles and such that I loved and/or found interesting this week! 

1. Lilly for Target

The new Lilly Pulitzer for Target look book came out this week and I had been so curious about what they were going to feature in this collection, and also, I was curious about prices! I poked around the website this week and unfortunately...I want everything. The collection screams the beach, the sun, whimsy and all the other good things about summer. The gorgeous dresses and jumpsuits are around $40, which is a pretty reasonable price. The bathing suits are all around $24 for separates, so $48 together. I am surprised that a bathing suit would be more than a dress! I marked my calendar and I'm counting the days until April 19th!

2. How To Get the Perfect Winged Liner // But First, Coffee

As some who has been struggling with winged linger for a long time, I learned so much from this video! But First, Coffee is a beauty channel and blog, and it is one of my favorites to watch/read. All of Kallie's tips, reviews and tutorials are so helpful and to top it off, she is so funny and sweet! 

3. Dance Scenes in Movies Compilation

I am a sucker for a good dance scene in a movie. All of my favorite movies have at least one in them! This video had me dancing along with it, and I swear, whether you are having a good day or not, this video will brighten it! Plus, its set to my favorite song of the moment, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon. Its so catchy and I love that it sounds like an 80s pop song...it will most definitely make you shut up and dance too! (also, you win if you can guess how many times I listened to this song while writing this post)

4. The Myth of High-Protein Diets // New York Times

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with opinions on diets and what is good/bad for us to be eating. Anyone else?? I just found this article to be interesting because of the statistics that were given relating premature deaths and the high consumption of animal proteins. What confused me was that leaner animal proteins were never really mentioned specifically in the article. I do try to stay away from red meat, indulging in a burger or steak every once in a while, so a major source of my protein intake comes from lean chicken and turkey. I am curious if these animal proteins also cause such bad effects on the body, like red meat does? 

5. Photos of 11 Women Who Are Redefining Beauty // Cosmo
I loved this slideshow! I am all for changing beauty standards and these women are beautiful examples of this redefinition!

What links are you loving this week?

Linking up today!  

Do you ever feel...?

Unsure if your feelings about something are justified? You find yourself asking "Do I have a right to feel sad/mad/upset/hurt about this or am I just being crazy?" 

A flip in your stomach that moment when you hear the opening notes of your favorite song and you know that the next 2.5 minutes will be awesome no matter what?

So frustrated with the technical side of your blog (especially when there is a problem with it) and you don't even know where to begin to fix it so you just avoid your blog for a week?

That you should have been a cat so it would be acceptable for you to just eat/sleep/play all day and have people call you cute for it?

Mad at someone for a fight that you had with them in your own head just because you already know how they would react to you confronting them?

Overwhelmed with all the changes that can happen in your life in just one day? Or even one hour? 

That it is okay to eat a few extra pieces of chocolate in order to get rid of it and not have it sitting in your kitchen for the next few weeks?

Satisfied when your day doesn't go the way you planned, but actually goes better? 

Like writing a post inspired by Katy Perry?

As if 100 pounds are lifted off your chest the moment you get your feelings out of your head and onto paper (or in this case, a blog post?) 

 I apologize for this slightly emotional post, but I have been feeling overwhelmed with life lately (positive and negative things!) I have been having all the feels and I am thinking maybe this is what a senior in college is supposed to be feeling? Lately, when I open my planner, I have only been looking at what lies ahead for the next day because planning for the future (both near and far) has becoming daunting. So cheers to taking things one day at a time! 

I wish you all the best week and I am looking forward to catching up on all of your blog posts this week!

Am I Feeling 22?

So I turned 22 on Saturday! 

I am actually a little sad to be writing this post because I feel like the weekend went by so fast! In typical fashion, I forgot to take pictures of the weekend (don't worry, they would have been awkwardly posed and/or of me in my pajamas, so you aren't missing anything good).

I lied, I found one picture from the weekend on my phone...donuts buried under M&Ms, Oreos and frosting from Saturday brunch! 

Some years I have felt like my birthday fell behind in the excitement of Valentine's Day with my friends having dates or boyfriends that they want to see or restaurants being overcrowded with couples or people incessantly complaining about how much they hate Valentine's Day. This year, however, I truly felt satisfied with how my big day played out. I had a nice brunch and dinner with John (he came to visit!), and I got to do some much needed relaxing. Aside from fighting our way down icy roads trying to get home from dinner, the day was serene. Although it sounds simple, I cherished this lazy time because of how much rushing around I do during the week. I feel well rested and ready to tackle this crazy week ahead of me! 

I don't have much more to share about this weekend, except that I ate way too much candy and that I am touched by the outpouring of love I received from my friends and family. I received some really thoughtful gifts and cards that surprised me because of how my friends pick up on my little quirks. For example, I friend I study with noticed how I bring rice cakes and a jar of peanut butter for a study snack, so she got me a pack of peanut butter "to-go" cups so I don't have to carry around the whole jar. I laughed so hard and thought it was so funny that she thought to include that in a gift. I always forget the sense of overwhelming joy that I experience on my birthday and I am so thankful for my friends and family who provide me with that joy. With every text and call I received, my eyes got a little teary because of the sweet messages that people had. They were the best presents of all!

I am sending you all some of my cheer (and candy...I wish!) to get you through this week. For those of us on the east coast, I am seeing that we are supposed to get hit with some more snow this so lets cross our fingers that the weathermen are wrong. For those of you not on the east coast, please answer your doors when you hear a knock in the middle of the night because it's me running away from this arctic blast here in Virginia! 

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day, and have an even better week! 

Don't read this post because I talk about the Patriots AND Twilight.

Happy Monday!

Cloudy view from my window this snowy morning! 

I hope your weekend was filled with much needed rest and relaxation, as I know mine was. I know this is still a Monday in January, and for the past three Mondays I have talked about my resolutions, but I think I have my plate full of goals and resolutions for the year...As it is the beginning of a new week, there are many things on my mind and I thought I would share a few. 

Haircut // I woke up Sunday morning with one thought, "I need a haircut". My ends are split and I would love a new style, preferably something trendy and not just the long layers I usually go for. I spent the better part of the morning searching Pinterest for inspiration, which eventually led to YouTube for styling tips for short/medium hairstyles. The search on YouTube eventually led to DIY haircuts, and I had myself convinced I could cut my own hair...Fortunately, I snapped out of thinking I was a hair stylist and I plan to go Tuesday to someone who actually knows what they are doing. 

 Superbowl // If you didn't know, I am a huge Patriots fan and I am so looking forward to watch them kick Seattle's butt on Sunday. I will be sitting front and center on the couch to cheer on my boyfriend, Julian Edelman (I wish), with buffalo chicken dip and a crowd pleasing veggie platter (don't shake your head, everyone secretly loves the veggie platter). My roommates birthday is coming up, so the Superbowl party we are throwing is also her birthday party, and as she is a bigger Pats fan than me, she is more than okay with it! 

True Blood // Started the series this past weekend, and so far I love it. The first few episodes seem to remind me of Twilight, and I am totally not ashamed to say that it makes me like the show even more. I am attempting to minimize how much I watch it on week days though, and just watch it on the weekends so homework and blogging time will not be interrupted!

Workout Clothing // Since I have been exercising almost everyday, I have noticed that my workout gear is subpar. I actually have enough workout pants, but realized the hard way that most of my sports bras have lost their elasticity and my workout top collection is simply nonexistent. I was thinking of looking at Target and TJMaxx for workout gear, so I could keep things on the cheaper side!

What are you thinking about this week?

New Year's Resolution #3: Become Blog-tastic

Although I still think of my blog as new, it is four months shy of a year. In the beginning, I thought I would have my blog-stuff together by now, and be a writing whiz, along with having super cool picture-taking skills. It has not turned out quite like that, to say the least. Now don't get me wrong, I am pretty proud of the work I have done so far, because it took a lot of courage for me to put my thoughts and ideas out on to the internet, which is far from the safe and nonjudgmental place that is my mind. However, I am someone that believes that there can always be room for improvement and so this year I am setting a few goals for this blog! 

1. Learn how to make a blog button.

2. Reach 60 Bloglovin' followers by the one year anniversary of Me as Meghan.

3. Go on adventures/try new things in order to gain experiences that I can turn into interesting and thoughtful posts 

4. Post at least three times a week

5. Sponsor another blog

6. Host a giveaway

7. Tell my friends about this blog

8. Have a better blog schedule, where I plan out my posts a few weeks in advance

I hope these resolution posts aren't getting old to read, because I really love sharing my goals on here. Knowing that I have shared my goals with others is great motivation for pushing myself to work towards these resolutions. As an example, I wrote last week about how I wanted to get into better shape and feed myself well, among other things. This past week I have worked out 6 out of 7 days and I feel amazing (but sore)! I feel a whole new sense of inspiration growing in me and I am starting to feel like I can conquer anything this year. It is a feeling that I wish I could bottle up and share with you all, but we have yet to discover how to capture and send emotion in bottles, so I will just have to stick to sharing it with you through words! 

Happy Monday, and I hope you all have a great week! 

What are some of your blogging goals for 2015?

New Year's Resolution #1: Saying Yes

Happy New Year! 

To kick off blogging in 2015, I thought I would do a little Monday series on resolutions for the month of January. I know that making grand resolutions might be a typical blogger thing, but I haven't really made resolutions in the past for fear of letting myself down when I inevitably don't succeed. I know that sounds harsh and I hate that I never gave myself more credit before. However, 2014 really changed my perspective and my self-esteem. I accomplished a year of nursing school, I learned a ton at my summer job in a hospital, and I started this blog, just to name a few things that I didn't fail at. 2014 allowed a new confidence to blossom within me and taught me that failure is not always inevitable. I hadn't a single expectation for 2014, and I am surprised to have seen where I have been in the past year. I want to continue this path in 2015, but with expectations and goals so I can remain driven and focused. 

Along these lines, I want saying yes to be my first resolution shared. I have a bad tendency to shy away from new opportunities as I am worried about failing or even of what others might think of me. I don't know why this fear has always lived inside of me, but I think it is time for it to be squashed. I have realized that I don't like saying no all the time and I want to see/do more, and to do that, I need to say yes more. Now I am not planning on pulling a Jim Carrey in Yes Man by saying yes to every single thing that comes my way, but you get the picture.
Not only do I want to say yes to the opportunities that come my way, but I want to take it a step further and create those opportunities for myself. This is going to be a big year for me as I will graduate in December, and it will come with many massive life changes and transitions and I need to be well-prepared to handle those. I need to study hard and eventually job seek, while cherishing time with friends who I won't see all the time after graduation. I resolve to making more time to go on that coffee date with that friend and to enjoy the college time that I have left. I resolve to balance that time with preparing for the future and what ever it may bring to me.

I resolve to YES.

Are you making any resolutions this year? 

Best Movies of 2014

Do you hear that noise? Its the sweet sound of being done with finals. No more studying. No more quizzing myself. No more rewarding myself for a good study session with chocolate chips.  I always seem to forget how bad finals week is, between the lack of sleep and the stress of reviewing a whole semester's worth of information in just a few weeks. Fortunately, it is over and I did well! To make things even better, I am home and well-rested (and well fed)! It took a couple days to get it back, but I am anxious to put my blog mojo to good use! I have so much catching up to do...I am sad about how much I have missed the past two weeks in the blogging world! I am dedicating tomorrow to catching up on all the posts I've missed (and maybe wrapping some presents!)  

In my last post, I mentioned that I am a lover of all things related to TV/movies, so I thought I would continue on with that subject in this post. I love going to the movies, so I compiled a few of my favorites that came out this year! 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

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I am not sure if I have mentioned this before on the blog, but I love superhero movies...especially Marvel ones! When I saw first heard about Guardians of the Galaxy was coming out, not only was I excited for a new superhero, but also for Chris Pratt, duh. I loved that his character formed a team of mismatched heroes and they totally left the ending opening up for a sequel! 

2. Neighbors

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When I saw the commercial for this movie, I laughed and thought that I had just seen all the funny parts in the movie. My school offered a free showing of this movie so I thought I would go, just to see if maybe there was more to it. I think I only saw 50% of the movie because I was laughing too hard to pay attention. I am a big Seth Rogen fan, and it was funny for him to play a "dad" character. 

3. Tammy

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So I saw this in theaters in the spring when it first came out and if I had been asked afterwards what I thought, I think I would have said "ehh". I really didn't appreciate the movie until I saw it again in the fall. Some parts are kind of cheesy and other parts make you feel painfully awkward for Melissa McCarthy's character, but overall its funny and heartwarming. I love movies that make you feel a whole range of emotion, and this definitely does that! 

4. 22 Jump Street

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Ugh, is this embarassing? Movies that make me laugh out will always rank near the top of my list! What I liked about this movie is that there was a lot of dialogue poking fun at the fact that is was a sequel and who doesn't love seeing Channing Tatum running around as an undercover cop?!

5. Gone Girl

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This is the only drama movie on the list, and I know that there should be more, but I like comedy okay?? I liked this movie so much because it stayed true to the book (probably because the author also wrote the screenplay). If any of you have not read the book, I would suggest reading it before seeing the movie! Actually, is there anyone who wouldn't suggest reading the book before seeing the movie when it comes to movies made from books?!

I know my list is cheesy and if you don't like comedies, then you probably rolled your eyes a lot during this post. But its okay, because I know I have a weird taste in movies! Let me know some of your favorite movies of 2014!

Here I am, not Black Friday shopping.

Every year, I have an internal debate with myself about Black Friday shopping. Here's how it usually goes: 

Do I go? 

Should I stay home? 

Jeez, some of the sales seem really good.

You would have to get up so early. Or even worse, not even go to sleep.

Maybe you could invite friends to go with you and make it fun! 

Ugh, but the crowds.

*Commercials* OMG, there is a massive TV on sale for $25!
I don't need a TV. In fact, theres nothing that I need to get.

Actually, thats not true, I need to get presents for *lists out x amount of people*

Maybe I should go, that way I can get all the presents at once and I won't have to worry about it for the rest of the month!

Okay, so if I am going to do this, I need to plan out where I am going to go, and what I are going to get for everyone. 

*Tries to plan for a few minutes*

F this, I am just shopping on Cyber Monday. 

Black Friday really brings out some of my worst qualities. I am a procrastinator by pushing off buying presents. I am lazy because I really just want to lay around and eat leftovers. I am a perfectionist because it would bother me to go shopping without any sort of plan (and if I am going to make a plan, its going to be a damn near perfect one and thats too stressful). 

For those of you that go Black Friday shopping, I hope you scored awesome deals and that you didn't get run over by a crazed shopper. Or more so, I hope that you weren't the crazed shopper who ran over others.

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For those of you that chose not to go shopping on Black Friday, thank you for not making me the only one and I hope you enjoy some cheesy holiday television (exactly what I will be doing)!

What I am thankful for this Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! 

My backyard this morning!

I was tagged last week to list out a few things I am thankful for, by Nancy over at Sincerely and Sarcastically, who's posts never fail to make me laugh hysterically (which can present a problem when I am in public). I have been saving my list for today so I could have a thankful themed Thanksgiving post!

1. My loved ones

I am saying loved ones because I wanted to group my family, friends, and John into one as they are all so special to me and I am most thankful to have all of them in my life. They love me unconditionally, even when I am micromanaging control freak or when I can't stop (won't stop) sings Frozen songs. 

2. Opportunities 

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I am thankful that I have been given so many opportunities in my life. Although I gripe about it, I really know that college is something that some people out there can only dream about. I love learning and expanding my horizons, and moving away from home to college allowed me to do that!

3. Knowledge

This might not make sense once its out of my head and onto this post, and I am not trying to say I am thankful for being smart, but I am trying to say that I am thankful for knowing myself. I know this is coming out wrong but this relates to majoring in nursing. Many nurses that I have talked to, either at clinical or my instructors or even nurses in my yearly check-ups, have said that nursing was their second career, and they only discovered that they wanted to do it after training for a completely different job/career/major. On the flip side, I have known that nursing was for me since my junior year in high school, and fall more in love with it in every clinical rotation that I go through. I am thankful for this knowledge that I have made the right choice. 

4.  Coffee

I had to have one silly thing that I am thankful for and I picked coffee because without fail it is the one thing that is a constant in my morning. Whether its 6am and I am up before the sun to study for class on a Tuesday or its 10am and I am just getting out of bed on a lazy Saturday, making (or buying!) coffee is the first task of the day! I love how it makes me ready to tackle whatever lies ahead in my day and I am thankful for whoever discovered that running hot water over finely crushed up coffee beans tastes pretty dang good. 

5. YOU

I am thankful that you all as fellow bloggers have invited us into your life and let us laugh (and occasionally cry) with you. Also, its makes it a whole lot more encouraging to work on a post when I have gotten so much good feedback from you all, so I am thankful for that! I have learned so much from all of you and I can't wait to continue to learn more! 

I hope you all have a fantastic day that is filled with loved ones, food and pants with stretchy waistlines. 

Will I turn into an icicle this weekend?

Why is it that the last few Fridays have been so long? You'd think that I would be happy because (hello!) Friday, but lately they have been the days that keep me going from my alarm at 6:30am to bedtime, which is usually after midnight... It's a mix of school things and fun things though so I can't complain too much!

1. Gas prices

Can we talk about how cheap they are? Combined with gas points that I get through grocery shopping, I paid $2.45 a gallon last week. I am ready to drive everywhere now! That's why I really don't feel bad about driving to go see John this weekend...the gas station is basically paying me to go, right?

2. Speaking of John..

It's homecoming at his college in PA this weekend so I'm headed up there to participate in some of the festivities. I'm excited because there is just so much school spirit during homecoming and no matter if it's my school or not, the excitement is contagious! We have a homecoming ball tonight (he is nominated for the homecoming court!), and a parade tomorrow. I don't know how I feel about watching a parade, when it's suppose to be 40 degrees out so we will see how long I actually last...

I am a little nervous this is how I am going to look Saturday... via

3. One week until Thanksgiving break!

Time seems to get slower when breaks are near, and I am especially feeling it now! I need to get home to my animals (and my family), don't my professors understand? Also, its getting really cold here in VA and all my warm winter jackets are at home. All the more reason for break to get here now! 

4. I read a book! 

I know this sounds silly (and slightly pathetic), but I honestly can't tell you the last time I was able to read a book for fun and not for class, during the school year. I always have my nose in a book in the summer and on breaks, but once school picks up I find myself reading out of textbooks/flooded with so much work that I feel too guilty reading for pleasure. Somehow I don't feel guilty about Netflix though...

5. POLL: Coke or pepsi? Diet or regular?

I recently had a conversation with someone who was adamant that Pepsi was the best soda, and as a Diet Coke fiend, I wouldn't listen. My school just switched form Coke products to Pepsi products this year, and I just hate it. I guess it has been a positive change though, as it has forced me to just have water! 

I have been seeing so many five on Friday/Friday favorites posts, and I wanted to try it! Luckily I found April's awesome blog because of it! Hope you like the post...I sure did so I might do them more often! 

Last Minute Weekend

Does anyone feel overwhlemed when they open their bloglovin account after a few days of not reading posts, and you have 145 posts to read? Thats like reading a novel! Good thing I am through the hardest test of the semester and now I have a bit of a reprieve before having to immerse myself in studies again. Thank goodness my test was last week and not this week because I was away this weekend!
My mom called me Tuesday night and after conferring about the weekend, we made a last minute decision to meet in northern Virginia on Friday so we could attend a memorial wheelchair basketball tournament that was held in honor of my mom's best friend's son, who passed away last December. My mom and her friend have known each other for 20 years (almost my whole life), and have seen each other go through the best of times and the absolute worst of times whether they have been near or far from each other. Their friendship is inspiring and I was so happy that my mom and I were able to support her and her family this weekend.
The whole tournament was incredible, and if you have never seen a wheelchair basketball game, I suggest you pull up YouTube right now and watch a clip. The coordination and athleticism needed to play is incredible. While I was watching the championship game, I couldn't believe how fast the ball moved up and down the court! Some of the players had such a competitive drive (the drive I most definitely lacked in high school swimming) and some of the players were in it for the fun (they were the ones with big smiles on their faces while playing!).

Tee shirt from the tournament!

It was nice to spend some quality time with my mom as well. I usually only get to see her for Parents Weekend and school breaks...so it was a treat to see her on a random weekend! Since we spent most of the weekend at the community center where the tournament was being held, I don't have much else to write. I know I am not giving this weekend the justice that it deserves but I don't know how to write that I spent the whole car ride back to JMU crying about the strength and love in my mom's best friend's family and how much of an impact they have on me every time I see them. I am so thankful to know them and to learn from them.

Sorry for the sap, but this weekend really meant a lot to me and I wanted to share a piece of it! I hope you are all having and great week!

CODE RED CODE RED

Guys I'm think #Blogtober14 has made me addicted to blogging. I think about it all the time. I probably would talk about it all the time but then my friends might ask to see my blog...

I think I wrote most of this post in my head during my clinical applications class because learning about heart failure today was not as interesting as thinking of how I attract embarrassment and also what the heck I am going to post about after #Blogtober14 is over. Probably i'll end up writing about how much I love November and December...I am so ready to wrap up this semester and head home for the holiday break (44 days until finals are finished and I am on the road home). 

Have I made you forgot why your here yet? Hopefully. I was trying. Did it work? I really really didn't want to write this post but then I felt guilty and said "Aw Meghan, its the last week of October so you have to!" I tried to think of other embarrassing moments in my life but this one is really the only one that I can actually write out. You guys really don't want to know my most embarrassing moment. You guys don't want know that in the 7th grade I walked around with my monthly, weeklong visitor on my pants for the whole day...oops. 

You might think, "Jeez, Meghan..this isn't really a big deal, I am sure it has happened to most girls when their lady flu is still a newish thing!" The embarrassing thing is not that it happened, but how I handled it. I discovered I was surfing the crimson tide during the mid-morning (no, it wasn't my first time getting it either), and it had gone all the way through to the outside of my jeans. *CRINGE* One might think the easy thing would be to call my mom at home and ask her to bring me a new pair of pants. But that would have required me explaining to my male teacher why I needed to call home for a new pair of pants... What would you have done as a 12 year old?! So there I went from class to class, walking with my hands behind my back thinking that this would hide the fact the I probably resembled Carrie at prom from the back.

Sorry for the gore but point proven, right? via

The only "right" thing I did all day was skip lacrosse practice to go home and cry in shame. If some of the logic of my ways in this post doesn't make sense, middle school doesn't make sense. But hey, my take-away lesson from this is clear...I will be sending my daughter (if I have one) to middle school with an extra pair of pants to keep in her locker. 

Excuse me while I go cry about my awkward pre-teen years now. Oh and please still like me, even after reading this.

Are you crying from second-hand embarrassment yet?

Dear younger Meghan,

I wonder if this letter will be read by 12 year old Meghan, who is awkward and doesn't have a lot of self-confidence or by 16 year old Meghan who wore jeans with sneakers to school on the reg and had no clue it wasn't okay. Or maybe 13 year old Meghan who thought she looked weird in ponytails so she only wore her hair down and straight.

8th grade graduation...I had finally broken the straight hair streak!

No matter what age you are, I want to tell you to have more confidence in yourself! You have your own style and thats okay! You look fine with your hair pulled back, and it doesn't have to be perfectly straight. You are smart and you should let your guard down so more people can see how funny you are (relatively speaking). Don't be afraid of being a little more outgoing and get over the horrendous shy quality of yours. Although, you did play that mysterious card well (actually more like the weird card). 

Start your blog sooner! You have literally wanted your own website since you were 10 years old, so I don't know why it will take you until you are 21 to actually hit publish. Also, stop telling yourself/others that you aren't creative. Creativity isn't just like painting and drawing, but it is things like makeup and this blog! Embrace your love of makeup, and don't be afraid to experiment a little more with it!

Me at my 16th birthday dinner..see the cherry cola red hair?

Also, a few more things. Don't dye your hair red for the swim team for states. Eat yogurt. Try to like more fruit. Get in the habit of painting your nails...it just makes you look so much more polished (get it??). Most of all, just BE YOURSELF! 

Love

 Older and a little bit wiser Meghan

What would you tell your younger self?

P.S. I took the weekend off from my computer...hence the reason why I slacked on posts! Back on track now for the last few days of #Blogtober14! Also don't laugh too hard at these pictures!