Training has begun!

Hii! How are ya?!
I am in SUCH a good mood today!!  

The sun is shining, it’s the perfect temperature out – super warm with a nice breeze, and I have the day off! I couldn’t ask for more right now. Especially since it has been raining for over a month! Seriously, a couple days ago I read that it had rained 35 out of the past 40 days here in Hali. So to finally have a nice day AND be off to enjoy it is amazing!

So far my day has been pretty great. I woke up without an alarm, made some toast for breakfast and watched last nights Bachelorette episode.

Speaking of which – how the heck is Bentley allowed to stay?! Judging by the “on the next” preview he seems to be leaving, but on his own accord! Shouldn’t the producers have done something first? I know it makes for more dramatic episodes but that’s just not right. Oh, and mask boy needs to stop being so creepy! *When there are this many people I can’t keep all of their names straight.. so random nicknames will be made up

During the rose ceremony I decided to start getting ready to go outside for a walk… then this happened:

Don’t worry. I still ended up wearing sunscreen, I just got distracted that’s all! Even with the sunscreen I am still a little red in my face.. I’m thinking I’m going to have to bump up my SPF 30 to 50 or something along those lines. And buy some hats.. big pretty floppy hats. Actually that’s probably not going to happen. I look like a complete tool in hats. I’ve tried.. but I just look silly so I have basically given up. Oh well!

I went for a 3 mile (5k) walk on a beautiful trail that is super close to my apartment. I haven’t gone on the trail in a while and I forgot how much I loved it! Its got some crazy steep hills too so it was a little challenging too. I was a hot and sweaty mess when I got home and couldn’t have been happier.

Today’s walk was actually day 2 of my 6 week program to run a 5k! I still want to run in the Valley Harvest Marathon and have convinced my mom to join me so I have to get my butt in gear for training! I have a friend from work who is actually going to be doing it too! I’m still trying to convince Brandon to do it.. we’ll see about that! I was trying to figure out a way to show you the plan on here, but it won’t work so here’s the link. I made it into a spreadsheet so it is easier to follow and will be printing it off and putting it on my fridge to keep track! I might also buy stickers to mark off the days as I complete them – who doesn’t love little gold stars?!

For the rest of the day I am planning on getting busy in the kitchen. I am going to make some blondies, maybe some marinara sauce I have been meaning to make, and prepping for tonights BBQ! I am making my first homemade burgers so I will let you know how they go!

xoxo

Grad, Dad, and an Interview!

Hey!!!

I’m backkkkk! My internet is finally fixed and life has calmed down a bit for now so I can finally get back to normal!

So what’s new? Well first of all…

I am officially a University grad! The ceremony was ridiculously long, but so worth it. I am happy to report I did not trip! But I didn’t pause long enough for my picture to be taken so I had to awkwardly back track a bit. I was just so focused on getting across that stage! I was so happy that all of my family was there as well. I had quite the entourage – they took up a whole row! The Chancellor actually told me “I can tell which row is yours!”

My Dad and Step-mom flew in from BC for my graduation. It was such an amazing visit. My dad finally got to meet my niece in person (they have only talked over skype until now), and meet my sisters boyfriend fiance for the first time as well!

We made sure to do/eat as many quintessential East Coast things as possible while they were here – there are some things we just do better out here!

We had donairs, went to the Lower Deck and the Old Triangle, and on the last night of our visit we had lobster (or spiders as my niece wanted to call them ) for supper – oh and mussels too!

(My Step-mom, sister and me!)

Oh and you can’t forget the wine – Nova Scotian as well! It was from Jost but I can’t remember the name of it.

We also got to use my graduation gift while my Dad was here:

I don’t have any pictures of when we actually used it while he was here, but I just needed to show you anyway!

I really wasn’t expecting a grad gift, because honestly I know flying across the country isn’t exactly cheap so to me that was a gift itself, but I am so excited I finally have a BBQ! And this one is SO much better than the cheapo one I was planning on buying from Wal-Mart!
I basically plan on BBQing every meal I possibly can now especially now that it is finally starting to get hot out!

So remember that phone interview I mentioned last week? Apparently I rocked it because on Tuesday I got a call asking me to come in for an actual interview on Thursday!

I think the interview went well – I made sure to prepare as much as I possibly could. I researched the company, practiced answers and googled as many possible questions as I could. And since this all happened so quick – I seriously didn’t think I would get a call that fast – I had to run out and buy a suit! I really didn’t have anything I thought was good for an interview so a last minute shopping trick was in order!

This is what I ended up with :

I felt so professional!  

Now it’s just a matter of waiting. They have my references and said they would be making a decision by the end of this week so I have all my fingers crossed until then. It would be so amazing if I could get this job. I’m trying not to get my hopes up because I know they were interviewing other people as well but I can’t help but daydream about how AWESOME it would be to get it!

Plus – they are right next door to a Goodlife! Which means I would have ZERO excuse not to go after work most days!

So that’s what was going on with me when I disappeared! It was a great and crazy week and I loved every second of it.

xox

Friday Fill Ins

Apparently my modem has decided it hates me and will only give me little 5 minute windows of internet connection whenever it feels like it. It won’t be fixed until tomorrow morning so I am just posting a quick Friday Fill Ins while it is working for the next few minutes. I don’t have the patience to try and post anything longer!

And...here I go!

1. This week I was crazy busy! My dad was here and then I had an interview!

2. I can’t wait until June when my Dad returns.
3. It's all about ME! .

4. I love laying in the sun. (with SPF of course! I burn so fast!)

5. I demand ….nothing? That seems a little rude! Maybe that the rain finally stops so we can have some sun!

6. Life’s path, it's filled with bumps and twists and turns, but they are there for a reason and will only make you stronger and smarter because of them!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out dancing with one of my besties and some friends from work, tomorrow my plans include work and a movie night with Brandon (he hasn’t seen the Hangover yet and we want to go see the Hangover 2!) and Sunday, I want to head to the gym, bake and relax!

xo

I'm Still Here!

Hiiii!!!!

Just a quick post to let you know that I am still here!

I have had an amazing and super busy past week and a half and haven't had the chance to blog but I have been dying too! And of course on the one day I get a chance to catch up on my reader (which is at like 145!) and put up a post myself my internet craps out! I am squeezing this in one of the little 5 minute windows that my internet decides it wants to work. Hopefully tomorrow morning I will be able to put up a normal post!

xoxox

I'm So Excited...

And I just can't hide it!  (Sorry. It's been stuck in my head all day and I couldn't help myself)

Have you ever been so excited you could just burst?!

I have - and I am right now! I'm pretty sure nothing could ruin my day right now.. *hopefully I'm not jinxing myself....* Seriously though, I am busting out into random happy dances like it's my job and can't focus for the life of me.

What's got me so excited you wonder? Well since you asked...

#1. My dad arrives tomorrow. Considering that I see him once a year in person (if I'm lucky), this is kind of a big deal.

#2. I graduate on Friday!!! I went to pick up my gown and got my pictures done today so it has finally sunk in.

#3. I.....HAVE.....AN......INTERVIEW! For an actual accounting position. I know I haven't actually got the job yet.. heck I haven't even been interviewed yet... but I didn't think I was even going to get a call! It's only a phone interview, but if I do well on that then I will get an in person interview...and then maybe the job! I have been printing off phone interview tips all day and trying to practice some answers because I am not sure when they are going to call but it might be as soon as tomorrow!

I can't really focus long enough to write much else, but I really wanted to share that!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a side note.. I know I haven't been posting much lately and I really have no excuses. I have been slacking on working out and with getting ready for this week I haven't been eating as well as I should have and didn't want to admit it so I avoided the blog.  At least I can admit it, and I know better. I have found a training program I want to follow for 5k (maybe 10k if I am feeling ambitious :P ) in the fall and I am going to try my hardest to stick to it. Whats the saying... it takes 3 weeks to make something a habit?

xox

(Unlucky) Friday Fill-Ins

Hiiiii!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Are you superstitious? I'm not really, today is just another day for me but I know some people who if they had the choice wouldn't get out of bed all day just to avoid it!

Here are my Unlucky Friday Fill-ins!

1. I know that today really isn't that bad.

2. Treat yourself this weekend if at all possible.

3. This weather has been great for ducks.

4. Deciding what shoes to wear to graduation is proving to be a problem.

5. I'm really happy I have the ability to skype with my dad on a regular basis.
(Seriously, I love whoever invented it...I get to see my dad who lives on the other side of the country and he got to "meet" my niece without having to travel!)

6. We are making snickerdoodles tonight, or something to that effect.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a sleepover with my adorable niece, tomorrow my plans include going to the park with my niece, going to the gym, and squeezing in some extra hours at work, and Sunday, I want to sleep in!

Hope you are having a great Friday!

P.S – I have been considering switching to Wordpress for a while now, and Blogger going down was enough to make me really consider doing it this weekend. Any tips for making the switch?

xoxo

Counting down

For as long as I can remember I have always been counting down to something. Usually it’s a birthday or a holiday - just something I was excited for at the time. These were not little countdown’s either. Sometimes I would start counting down to my birthday in February or March...and my birthday is in June. I also would remind my family and friends on a weekly basis at bare minimum how long they had until that date.

(Growing up I considered my birthday to be on par with a national holiday :P)

My mom would always tell me to stop “wishing my life away”. Up until recently I ignored her advice. I thought there was nothing wrong with simply being excited for something. But over the past few years I have actually begun taking her advice, and I hadn’t even noticed until recently. My countdowns have almost diminished. As much as I still love my birthday I have no desire to countdown or hurry it along.

Now if I am counting down to something, it has to be BIG.

For example...

I only have 9 days left until Graduation!

Which also means there are 8 days left until my dad flies into town!!!

I have been waiting for these two events for what feels like forever. I took an extra year to complete my degree, so instead of graduating in the normal four years I did five. Which I know isn’t that uncommon and lots of people take longer to do their degree for many reasons, but it really killed me to not being able to do it in the “normal” amount of time. There were times during my degree that this day seemed so far away, so for it to be *thisclose* to being here is crazy exciting and almost surreal feeling. Something I have been talking about and working towards for what feels like forever is finally almost here!

I do have a slight fear though for when I do walk across the stage:

You’d think Meaghan wouldn’t be that hard to pronounce, but I can’t count how many professors and TA’s have called me “Meee-gan”. Fingers are crossed they pronounce it right!

I also have one other completely unrelated but but also exciting countdown right now:

151 days until ….

The Valley Harvest Marathon!

Well, I want to do the 10k...mayyyybe 5k... but regardless it’s a race! I found out about it on Twitter the other day and decided it's the perfect goal I need right now to help motivate me to start running more!
I haven’t registered yet, but that is only because I want to see how well I do training wise. I am still a novice when it comes to running so 10k may be aiming a little high. Luckily “Early Bird” registration goes until August so I am going to see where I am training wise before registering.

In my mind though I am at least registered for a 5k, which given the amount of time should be totally do-able! After work I am heading to the gym because training starts today!

Any tips for a new runner??

Friday Fill-Ins

I've decided to try something new on the blog today! I have seen it around before and it seems like a good idea for a friday post so I thought I would give it a shot.

So here it is....

And...here we go!

1. Funny Face is my favorite TV show (or movie) because I'm a hopeless romantic who loves Audrey Hepburn. (I watch way too many tv shows to pick just one favorite!)

2. Go to page 45 of the book you're reading or of the book closest to you; go to the 6th paragraph and make a sentence out of 7 words from it: "I beg your pardon?" I say. (Water for Elephants - the 6th paragraph on that page is actually only that line!)

3. I am hungry and waiting for my lunch break.

4. I'm so happy it's finally nice enough outside to go for long walks.

5. Take some time to call or visit your momma this weekend .

6. My supper needs a bit of cheese, but it's still pretty good without.

 

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making pizza after work with B, tomorrow my plans include working and then meeting up with some lovely ladies and Sunday, I want to visit my beautiful momma but will be stuck at work!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope everyone is having a great Friday!

**I'm not on my computer, and can I just say how much I hate writing this on the Blogger website! I have been spoiled by Windows Live Writer. So sorry if it looks funny, I always have trouble formatting posts when I use this.

Weekend recap!

I haven’t had a weekend off in almost 8 months since I could really only work weekends while I was still in school. I worked every single Friday, Saturday, Sunday since September up until now (and yet somehow Brandon never seemed to remember what I worked each week )

So when I found out I had this weekend off, I filled it with as much as I possibly could!

Started out with a much needed hair appointment (September may or may not have been the last time for that too).  Got my highlights touched up and a much needed trim. I got like 3 or 4 inches cut off, and it’s still crazy long!

I went from this:

To this:

Except I need to play with it a bit myself, whenever I get my hair done they always straighten it a little too much and it always just falls flat. I like more “oomph!” to my hair.

Best part of the appointment though? Getting my hair washed! You know what I mean, the little head massages they do when washing you hair? AH-MAZ-ING. If I could hire someone to just wash my hair for me everyday, I so would.

Hey, a girl can dream right?

After my hair appointment I headed downtown to the WagJag Halifax Block Party. For those of you wondering what the heck WagJag is, it is a group buying website similar to Teambuy or Groupon. They are new to Halifax and have been trying to get their name out there so they threw a huge party at the Paragon. It was a blast! There was sushi, pizza, fish and chips, a candy bar, cupcakes and WagJag Cocktails (yum!).

I went with these lovely ladies

The entertainment was local singer Jen Grant:

Haha those kids were adorable! They were tearing up the dance floor!

After the party it was time to go home and get ready for party number two. Brandon and I haven’t had a chance to have anyone over yet to the new apartment so we decided since we both had the weekend off it was about time.

I made blondies using a recipe I found over on Gracie's blog for the party. This is the second time I have made them, and they are so good! Apparently everybody else thought so too because they disappeared crazy fast.

They are so easy:

• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup skor bits
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan
2. Mix your melted butter with the brown sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg and then vanilla.
3. Add a pinch of salt and stir in flour. Mix in 1/2 cup skor bits and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.
4. Pour the mixture into your greased pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, until set in the middle.

(Adapted from Eating for England’s recipe)

Haha even the batter was tempting. But don’t worry, it all went in the pan And I only had one – that took some serious self control.

I didn’t really take any pictures from the party. I really meant to but I guess I was just having so much fun I forgot!

Today was spent sleeping in and going to my sister’s baby shower. 

She’s having another girl! She finally chose a name – Julianne Catherine.

She’s due June 27 and I am hoping she’s a little early. My birthday is June 13 and think it would be the best birthday present if my new niece was born then! Her first was two weeks early so you never know, it could happen.

Overall I’d say it was a great weekend. I had a blast and am feeling refreshed and recharged for this week.

So tell me, how was your weekend?