To my VMI ladies

Hey y'all!

Another school year is steadily approaching so I wanted to take some time to write post dedicated to the women of this group who have decided to go forth and spend the next four/three/two/one years of their life with a boyfriend/fiancé at VMI. I started this blog awhile ago and while I have't posted in awhile, I felt like this was a topic that I wanted to share with anyone in this group who wanted a long read about surviving the 4 grueling years at VMI. Well mostly grueling for the boys and more fun for us ladies! My VMI journey did not start until my cadet's third class year, although I did know him during his rat/fourth class year. I visited once and my immediate thoughts were that VMI looked like Hogwarts and that my boyfriend was basically being trained to fight dementors (totally kidding). In all seriousness though, VMI is one heck of a ride and if you choose to take that path less traveled, I promise you that it is all worth it.

So, shall we get started?

Like I said, since I did not accompany my boyfriend during rat year I cannot say for sure what it feels like to go through the ratline but being apart of this group for the past 3 and a half years I can say that I have met a lot of girls who have talked to me about rat year and told me stories of their personal endurance which was quite inspiring. First off, you. will. make. it. No, it will not be easy. There will quite possibly be days when you do not talk to your cadet (hello FTX). You won't be able to Skype (unless you have a tender hearted dyke. My boyfriend unfortunately did not.) you will not be able to call/text, and sometimes he is going to be too exhausted to email you back. But guess what? It's okay. This is not the end of the world and it gives you a chance to do things for yourself. I've been told and learned first hand that there is an importance in living your own life away from VMI. Many of you will be in college, some high school but I cannot stress the importance of having time for yourself. The moment you stop stressing about your boyfriend is the moment that you find yourself enjoying your own interests. Join a club, study more, go to the beach, go workout, hang out with your girlfriends, etc… Life does not stop because he is at VMI nor will all your school work so find time to things for yourself. One of the most monumental moments in your cadets life will be breakout, I have learned from other relationships that it is so important to be supportive and be there for him through it all. He may not say it out loud but you will play a major role in his life through this process and even simple "I am so proud of you" email will help him through.

After the ratline, things may seem to get "easier" but your cadet will have to always abide by the rules set forth by VMI. Some may seem extremely silly but they are rules for a reason (like not wearing flip flops on the stoop…. really?) But there are others that will shape your cadet into a man and prepare him for the challenges that will occur in life. Graduating from the Institute is an honor and a privilege. A school that has a foundation built on the honor system and not many colleges will not put such an emphasis on no stealing, cheating, and lying.

One thing that I definitely want to emphasize is the dances - I have said it 100x over but you are a reflection of your cadet. If you decide to wear a hoochie dress then what is that saying about your cadet? While I have never personally seen someone have to leave because of their dress, I do believe that dressing appropriately is important. No, we are not in amish country but think classy! I have found dresses at Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, H&M, mall department stores, local boutiques that all have dresses out around the same time as VMI due to most high school homecomings occurring around that time. Short dresses are mostly reserved for homecoming while longer dresses for MWF. No one will judge you if you decide to wear a long dress at homecoming and vice versa. Just remember that VMI is a prestigious college and you do not want General Peay seeing parts of you that shouldn't be seen! As for ring figure BE PREPARED - get a dress in advance so if you need to make alterations or if something goes poorly you will be ready! My dress zipper broke two days before the dance and while I had it somewhat fixed I was still sewn into my dress by my cadet's sister in the bathroom at VMI! Wear a dress you will be comfortable in because you will be standing in line to place the ring on your cadet for a little bit and afterwards you will be dancing. You have to wear a white dress and there is nothing wrong with wearing off-white, ivory or any of the 1000 shades of white but I prefer just regular white because it matches the cadet's ducks (aka white pants). It will be one of the best nights of your life so soak it up as much as you can!!! As for the tent party, it takes place outside and you will be cold. Wear something comfortable and something you don't mind having beer spilled on. I wore a pair of boots that I shouldn't have and boy did I pay for it.

While the ratline may seem to drag on, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st years will go by in the blink of an eye. I remember by first trip to VMI like it was yesterday and it seems like after that time went by too quickly. Enjoy the time you spend there and make new relationships. From this group, I have met so many phenomenal girls. They continue to be my best friends today even though some of their relationships did not make it out of VMI. I even plan on having some of the girls I met through this group as my bridesmaids one day and it is such a wonderful feeling knowing you can talk to someone about the hardships of VMI. No one will quite understand what is like to go through VMI unless you are the cadets enduring but it is nice to have someone to vent to about distance and not being able to see your boyfriend for a month straight.

I pray that all of you enjoy your experiences and that you will build many relationships. I have met so many amazing parents, girlfriends, cadets, and staff and I cherish each one of those friendships. Enjoy the ride because not many people can say that their boyfriend graduated from Virginia Military Institute.

If you took the time to read this, I appreciate it! Any feedback is welcome (especially from the "seasoned" girlfriends!)

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go...

I know by this point everyone is sick of me posting about Florida but I promise this will be my last post about it!! I was once again blessed with the opportunity to go with Christian, his family, and his brother rats from VMI (plus his rat... :) This was a graduation present from Christian's parents, a "congratulations" for surviving military school for the past four years. I was just lucky enough to snag a spot on the trip! But before I start with all that, let's rewind to about three and a half years ago when Christian invited me on my first trip down to Florida with his family. When he first mentioned it, I thought it was a joke (I had barely known him at this point) but of course- I was not about to turn down the offer. I was excited and it was honestly more than I ever expected it to be. I instantly fell in love with the blue water, yellow sand, and endless sunshine. On my last day of the trip, I swore that I would move down there one day and to this day I am going to keep that promise! I just gotta figure out all the logistics first ;) Well, fast forward 3 years and 4 Florida trips later, I am still in love with every part of it. It's seriously summertime year round... Who wouldn't love that?! On the way out of the keys, C and I were listening to the radio and the announcer said, "it's going to be about 70 today... A bit chilly, so make sure you grab a sweater!" my initial reaction? ARE YOU KIDDING?! Here I am in Virginia with 30 degree weather and 70 is "chilly?!" Needless to say, that is the life for me. All in due time though, I suppose. Can't have the rainbow without a little rain and I have a lot of rain I have to get through first ;)

Anyway, I got to try a lot of new things over this spring break. For one, I got to try paddle boarding. Not as hard as it looks and actually a good source of exercise! If paddle boards weren't so dang expensive I would definitely buy one. I finally got my seafood!! Christian hates seafood (weird, right?!) and so I was excited when we FINALLY got to go to a seafood restaurant. Luckily, they had ribs so Christian was happy and that was some mighty fine shrimp if you ask me. We went to the beach for the first time... So, this is going to sound kind of crazy but in the four times I have visited Key West this is the first time that we have gone to the beach. Maybe because we usually spend our beach time in West Palm but needless to say it was beautiful. There is no better sound to fall asleep to than the waves of the ocean... I am a pro at taking naps on the beach. I also got to try key lime pie dipped with chocolate on a stick. Super yummy but it was so sweet that I got a stomach ache... Or maybe it was because I ate it so quickly? Either way, it was a fun experience.

Anyway, you know how they say "all good things come to an end" well unfortunately my spring break was nearing an end so we had the make the 18 hour trip back to Virginia (my least favorite part). I feel very blessed to be able to say that I have had the opportunities to go to Florida and I have enjoyed every moment of it. :)

 2011 

 2012

 2013

2014

Thanks for reading!

Love always,

Meg :) 

P.S. I had to keep this post short & sweet. I can already tell that this 8 week class I am in is going to be a challenge so back to the books!! 

Confessions of a Shopaholic

First blog of March! I think it's almost been three weeks since my last post but I have been so busy lately that I haven't made the time to do one (oops!). So, here we go...

February was a blur to say the least... I finished my my last clinical on Saturday. I got a taste of what a "real" nursing schedule would be like and had three clinicals in one week. I was able to go to Park View Elementary School and work with the school nurse for 8-hours - a regular school day. It was not what I am used to because at the hospital I am always so busy but the school was a little bit more relaxed. A teaching experience to say the least! Needless to say I was exhausted at the end of the week. I have my final for this 8-week class on Thursday (eeek! Which I know I should be studying for instead of writing this but I am taking a break!) and a mid-term in my Social Ethics class. However, I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel which is Florida for 5 days for spring break! But before all that I will get to what I wanted to blog about today.

Many of you know that today is Fat Tuesday and tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the day when we make our commitments to give something up that we love for 40 days. While I am not Catholic,  I like to participate in lent because I think it is a good opportunity to take something away that I like to do because I know that I can give it up if I really try. Two years ago I gave up Facebook, I cannot remember last year but I am sure it was something like "clean eating" or "no fast food" lol. This year, I have decided to give up something that is dear to me (I know it is going to sound silly) but I am giving up shopping. I think that it has become an addiction to be honest, something out of habit that I do but don't NEED to do. Every month, I like to go on my bank account and I write down my spending into different categories: food, shopping, and bills. I am not going to post how much I spent on shopping alone last year because every time I look at it, I realize that this problem is a bit out of control. I will get done from class or work and drive by a store and think, "hmmm maybe I could just pop in for a second!" or I will pass a target and only need two things and come out with twenty - a $5 trip just went to $45.

(or boyfriend ;)

These are great representations of how some of my shopping trips go!

I do however, have one stipulation. I have friend's birthdays, weddings, etc coming up so this is shopping for ME, not other people. (I know Christian is going to get on my case about this so for clarification I am allowed to buy a birthday gift lol). This is shopping for myself- all those unecessary hair ties (which I have a million of but still buy more), the number of notebooks I have is ridiculous, and I have more than enough clothing. I hope to teach myself how to be more responsible with my money and appreciate what I have. 

I've heard that it takes 21-days to break a habit, so if I get 40 down then I'm good as gold, right?!

I am going to take this time to reflect and rely on God to help me. I am nothing without his strength, guidance, and love. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power" Ephesians 6:10. I know this will be hard for me but I feel confident in my abilities to overcome it! 

Thanks for reading! 

Love always,

Meg! :)

P.S. What are you giving up for lent?!

Save the last dance for me... :)

This past weekend was a whirlwind of excitement, fun, and a little bit of sadness. It was very bittersweet for me because it was the last dance that I will attend with my cadet at VMI. I feel very blessed to have been able to go to seven of the nine dances. I remember my first trip to VMI during Christian's fourth class year like it was yesterday! It was my first time in Lexington, I had NO idea where I was going, it was pouring rain, the streets were flooding, my friend and I actually drove on a one way street (twice lol). Luckily since the population of Lexington is mostly college students and elderly folks so no one was on the road. It was foggy on the mountains and we were lost going in a circle for about 15 minutes. As frustrating it was getting there, the look on C's face when I surprised him was priceless, his first words "What!?! What are you doing here?" lol. Fast forward to his third class year and that is when I attended my first dance. VMI hosts two dances a year homecoming and mid-winter formal (and ring figure for the second class men.) Homecoming has always been one of my favorites, it's fun and laid back. They past three dances have been SO much fun and I wouldn't trade any of those memories for the world! Looking back at the pictures, it's amazing by how much time has passed when it doesn't feel like it at all!

Having to spend a decent amount of money on gas, hotel rooms, food, etc... I am so happy that I never spent more than $30 on each dress!  The first one I found at H&M for $29.95, the second one was at Target on clearance for $7 (I was so excited haha), and the last dress was at a Ross in Richmond for $30! The top dresses I have actually worn to several other events so I look at it like I definitely got my money's worth! :) 

Since I saved money from those dresses I was able to splurge a little on my ring figure dress! This is one of the events at VMI that I will NEVER forget! It was SO fun and you seriously to get feel like a princess (plus I had to get a mini tiara to seal the deal ;) 

Christian even got me a mini replica of his ring! 

(Taken by Bella Photography in West Palm Beach) 

The last dance of the year takes place in February... This past weekend we got to celebrate our last dance, -early- Valentines Day, and our 30 month anniversary (I know, gag ;) Mid-Winter Formal is a bit classier than homecoming. Homecoming the girls wear shorter, fun dresses as opposed to Mid-Winter wear you wear a longer, gown type dress.

From saying "yes" to the dress to saying goodbye after a phenomenal weekend, each dance has been one for the books! 

I have learned so much from each of these experiences and lessons that I will take with me for wherever I go. For example,

• BE ON TIME! (I'm still working on this one!)

• Stuff happens, go with the flow and don't get too frustrated when it occurs! Two days before ring figure my dress zipper broke and I was sewn into my dress in the VMI ladies restroom (shout out to Chelsea for doing this for me!) 

• Take lots of pictures! No matter what you are doing. I want to remember this stuff for the rest of my life, plus I want to be able to show my future children (don't worry, future son when you go to VMI you will take plenty of pictures too ;) 

• Involve yourself with activities and events. Not only have I met some of the most wonderful people through these events but I have learned to put myself out there to do more - not just with VMI but with other events too! 

• Don't wait until the last minute to do something... I had to get my purple dress altered for MWF and I waited until 1 week beforehand to do so... Luckily it was finished the day before I left!

• Finally, enjoy every moment of your life. There will be hard times, good times, discouraging times, and the most exciting times so learn to take some things with a grain of salt and move on & bring a camera with you! 

I wouldn't trade these moments for the world. I appreciate the fact that even though Christian has NO rhythm whatsoever, he still got on the dance floor with me and tried his best. 

Thanks for reading! 

Love always,

Meg :) 

P.S. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

February!

Wow, I cannot believe that it is already February! January passed by so quickly which has it's pros and cons. Pros: spring break is that much closer. Cons: I still have another month of school before spring break ;)

February is one of my favorite months. It's not AS cold as January, Mid-Winter formal weekend starts on the 7th and finally either the most hated or most loved holiday... VALENTINES DAY!!! I for one, love it! Little kids get to make cards to bring to school (I for one remember enjoying all the cards with the heart shaped lollipops... That was my favorite!), couples send each other flowers, cards, chocolate, etc... and those who are single get to enjoy extra bottles of something to drown their sorrows (totally kidding lol). Plus, you get to see all the funny pictures/ecards/cards that people make!

I was in Target the other day (huge surprise there ;) and I was looking in the "seasonal section" and let me tell you, people are starting to step up their creativity game! 

Y'all can probably guess which one I am giving to Christian, naturally the Duck Dynasty one. :)

For those who know how I am, I love to do DIY projects, crafts, etc... Care packages are probably the number one item that I love to make. Yesterday, Christian's rats broke out of the ratline at VMI so I wanted to put something together for them. So, naturally I went to Target... I'm sure everyone knows about "The Dollar Spot" as soon as you walk in and they almost always have holiday themed items for sale ranging from $1-$3. It's cute and inexpensive... What's not to love?! My idea for their packages was inspired when I was at Kroger the other day and they had a table with all of their valentines day stuff set up, there was one particular item that caught my eye. It was a vase with a bouquet of candy instead of flowers! However, it was like $20 and so I thought to myself, I could make that for half the price! I found all of my supplies at Target and started putting it together. 

The containers were perfect! VMI colors are red, white, and yellow so the red/white worked well plus it was only $1 for each! Next I picked out some foam for the bottom to hold the wooden dowels. 

Next I just took my hot glue gun and glued the candy to the dowels and made bows with yellow ribbon.   

I picked out some candy/fruit snacks, granola bars, and gum (this is a privilege after you break out to be able to chew gum!) and some pencils, pens, and a highlighter for the upcoming semester. 

For a more personalized touch, I already had these stickers at my house so I just spelled out their last name on each of the containers! 

Lastly, I just put them together and it worked out nicely! 

Overall, I spent less than $25 on everything to make two and had some extras left over so I made one for Christian too! 

It was a lot of fun putting them together! I hope everyone has a fun and blessed February! I am certainly looking forward to what it holds for me. 

Love always,

Meg :)

P.S. Y'all are probably sick of all the fitness posts... 

(If y'all couldn't tell I am totally into e-cards!!)

But Planet Fitness just opened up a new location near my house and they put in a lot new equipment in it. One was the stair master cardio machine. If you have access to using one, I highly recommend it! The first time I climbed it, I seriously thought I was dying haha. About half way through I almost puked (TMI???) but I guess that's a sign a of a good workout?! Anyway, it's a really great calorie burner for those who are interested! I posted a video of me using it on my IG account! (cause I have to let all of my social media know that I'm working out ;) 

http://instagram.com/p/jsnoVGNeTA/

Have a happy Monday tomorrow!!! :) 

True Life: I'm addicted to Pinterest

If I was told that I could only use one website for the rest of my existence I would have to say that  Pinterest would be a top contender because lets be honest that website has some of the most amazing ideas on it! Literally everything from recipes to DIY to planning your wedding to the T (or the wedding-that-I-will-never-be-able-to-afford as I call it)! If I'm not using the app on my phone then I am on my laptop searching new and fun ideas. Whenever I need something I go right to it and look it up. It really came in handy with my christmas party too with my reindeer cookies. I thought they were the cutest and simplest recipe! 

All you had to do was make sugar cookies, use M&Ms to make the face and pretzels for the antlers. (Also- This wasn't apart of the recipe but I found that if I added icing to the bottom of the pretzels it would act as "glue" to help them stick to the cookie because without it they were falling off)

Another great thing about the website is that there are TONS of fun work-out routines. I think part of the reason people (including myself) give up on their fitness goals is because they stop going to the gym due to lack of excitement. Walking on the treadmill gets veryyyy boring veryyyy quickly so after doing some research I tried out HIIT (high intensity interval training) for the first time. It makes cardio go by SO much quicker!!! (If you wanna read more about it - http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit). When I went to the gym on Thursday I decided to try a routine out and I loved it. This was just for the treadmill but you could use it for any of the machines like the arc trainer - increasing/decreasing the resistance or the bike - increasing/decreasing the speed. 

The routine that I did was: 

It was actually a lot of fun and it had me sweating!!! (Side-note: I modified two of the minutes because of my first time trying it out. Next time I will probably increase my speed on some of them)

The website also provides great gift ideas! Although, I thought of part of it myself, I saw on Pinterest a "gag birthday gift" as a joke for people who are "over the hill" which included items like adult diapers, foot cream, a cane, etc... So, for Christian's 23rd birthday (I know he is actually quite young but since he's a little bit older than me I joke around saying he's "really getting up there in age"). I found all these cheap 88 cent items at Walmart and made him a very special care package! 

He didn't think it was funny as I did ;) 

I think that one of the best parts about the website is that a lot of the time you can click the picture and it will link you to the spot where you can find the actual item. 

There are lots of fun and creative things on Pinterest and I hope that eventually I will have time to do more than just a couple of the projects! (Maybe after I am done with school... Whenever that is!) 

Although this post was a little out of the ordinary (I mean who blogs about other websites haha) but I just wanted to share my enthusiasm with everyone! My hat is off to the person who was brilliant enough to make such a fun but addicting website! 

Love always,

Meg :) 

P.S. 

Have a great night! 

Motivation Monday!

So, I really tried to blog yesterday (really keeping up with my resolution if you couldn’t tell ;) but I got overwhelmed with everything that I had to do to prepare for the start of the new semester and it completely slipped my mind!

I wanted to dedicate this post to a resolution that I would love to keep up with which is going to the gym and eating healthier. I was blessed with a yearlong membership to Planet Fitness for christmas (thanks Christian!) but so far I have lacked the motivation to go… I really really wanted to go yesterday but time was not in my favor! Also, stepping in the gym alone is kind of an overwhelming feeling to me. I have gone time and time again by myself BUT I feel very unmotivated and I usually just end up doing cardio… As fun as watching “Say Yes to the Dress” is on TLC while walking on the treadmill I realized that I really need to start incorporating more weights into my routine. So, I went onto one of my favorite fitness websites “bodybuilding.com” and did some research. There are tons of articles, weight lifting techniques, videos with proper form, etc… It is amazing! So, I had an idea of making index cards and putting different routines on each for the different day. This way, I can easily pick my day and walk up to the weights looking clueless and actually have a plan. Also, about a year ago, I made a “motivation wall” however! It became more of a spot for me to hang up my sunglasses and hair pieces (picture below) so tonight I decided to completely re-do it so I can hopefully rekindle the motivation I had for it a year ago.

Before -

After -

I kept the general idea of the one before but i felt like it needed to be more organized and not used as coat rack for my glasses and head phones.

I wanted to keep all of my race bibs because I never thought I would ever enter into a race and it helps me realize that I accomplished six 5ks in one year! I swear one day I will do more than a 5k but unfortunately I get bored after mile 5 so it is hard for me to want to keep going. I re-did all of my fitness quotes because the old ones were just not doing it anymore… Plus a friend of mine decided to draw on them so I needed something new and fresh so I went onto one of my other favorite websites Pinterest and searched “fitness quotes” and found lots of ones that I liked! Some of my favorites were: “if you’re tired of starting over then stop giving up” “today is the day” and the “four simple rules” for fitness. Beside the quotes I listed Monday – Sunday on put the index card with the workout routine underneath. Hopefully, if I can keep up with everything I will start to switch up the exercises and try some new routines so I won’t get bored. My last idea was to cut pieces of paper into strips and write 1-15 on them to symbolize the number of pounds I hope to lose! When I lose it I will take down the number until eventually they are gone! I am really excited after doing the “motivational wall” over. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with it!!

Lastly, after reading several articles directed towards accomplishing your goals for getting fit I made my own list of my ways to help me stick with my plan.

 - Set realistic goals for myself – I need to drink more water and less sweet tea! After I stopped drinking soda I used sweet tea as my crutch. I will never ever give up tea but limited my consumption is probably a good idea. I also need to conquer my fear of lifting weights with the big boys. I might feel silly lifting only 10 pounds but I know eventually I can turn it into 25 (God willing).

 - Allow a cheat meal – I think that I lose hope in myself quickly because I set these rigorous “rules” for myself like cutting out junk food completely and lets be honest there is no way I can ever give my favorite red flavored Sour Patch Kids and pizza! Allowing myself special treats every once and a while will help me realize that it is okay to treat myself without having to cut everything out!

 - Patience is a virtue and one I need to learn to master – I get discouraged easily because I expect results quicker. I need to realize that it takes more than a day to put it on so it will definitely take more than a day to take it off!!

 - Plan ahead!! “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” this can include my meals, packing a gym bag specifically for the car, etc...

 - Lastly, I need to stop buying so many work out shirts and actually use the ones I have at the gym!!! 

Spring break and summer are just around the corner so I hope that I am able to keep the will power up enough to get off my butt and work out! I plan to use this blog partially as a way to keep myself accountable to make better decisions in the way I eat and to remind me to work out even when I feel sluggish and unmotivated.

Thanks for reading!!

Love always,

Meg