Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you've had a great day. 

What does a single gal like myself do on such a day?

Oh, I'm so glad you asked...

I worked a double shift at the cupcake shop. Yes, not only did I work from 3-9:30 on Saturday, I then went home to bed and woke up at 6:30 to be back at work for just before 8am. Left around 11am, only to return at 5:30 and work until 9:30 again. It wasn't so horrible, as my boss owed me an apology to which I  received. Now after being so exhausted from my "weekend" it's either time for ice cream or bed. I'll let you guess which one I chose.  

 Here's to 2016's Valentine's Day :)

SNOW DAY

Happy Snow Day!!


I know I was happy as a child when we would have Snow days, but I truly believe Teachers are happier about Snow days than students or children. Getting to sleep in past the alarm, not having to drive through slick roads, and of course not having moody preschoolers to deal with. Tis the dream.


It's also super nice to have a three day weekend! Though it'd be even better if I didn't have to work at the cupcake store.

What to choose, What to choose

I keep a "Note" on my phone full of ideas or stories for me to write up later and usually never complete. Then tonight I thought "Oh, I'll blog and organize what I already have". Then it came time to post one.... BUT WHICH ONE!?!?! I made up about 20 or so write ups, topics, and titles. I'm really proud of that, though now I don't want to post the ones pre-made. So instead I wrote this and hoped it could pass.



I did see a good movie preview on Facebook and I've watched it a whole 4 times in probably 30mins. It makes me feel all sappy and lovey-dovey, so I might be going to see that romantic movie when it comes out.

Resolutions

While I wrote about completing and not completing last year's list of New Year's resolutions, I realized I should probably make some for this year. DUH! So here goes...



#1: Send more physical mail. I truly believe it's a lost art. I miss getting hand written cards in the mail. I should still send my holiday cards that I got for FREE off Shutterfly (Thank you Shutterfly). I really do love them.  I should write to my Niece, Grandmother(s) - maybe, and who knows who else.


#2: Be kind, more often. I found myself getting frustrated towards then end of the year and I should stop that. My frustration only turns into sass or rudeness and that's not my intent. I need to find another outlet or a way to convey myself better when I'm reaching that grouchy point because let's be honest, NO ONE benefits when I'm getting upset and unclear of what I want or need.


#3: Display more patience and understanding towards my classroom and the children. It's similar to my second resolution, but I guess I really want to change for the better. Becoming unable to help myself helps no one else at the same time. Bettering myself will allow me to be there more for my co-teachers and children.


#4: Become a better, more aware, and cautious driver. Drivers in Mass are plain crazy, irrational, unpredictable, reckless, impulsive, the list is really endless. Therefore, I need to drive more carefully because others here are clearly not going too.


#5: Cross another Bucket List task off :)


#6: As always, become a better blogger. One can dream.

Oh back to school...

Vacation's over. It's time to gather all my crap up and bring my bum back down to work.


It's been an enjoyable time at home with lots of laziness and family time. While it's really been great to have practically nothing to do, I am looking forward to a more normal schedule. Yea the whole staying up until 12 or later and then sleeping till 10am or so has been feeling fantastic, it can make you feel like a bum too.


I'm determined to cook healthier meals than what I have been; hey, I've been on break! I also want to get into a better exercise routine. Now that it's snowed I'm not as motivated to run outside, but I do need to keep up with something. I'm also going to bring down a bunch of craft and scrapbooking things to use my free time more wisely :).

2016

While somethings changed in 2015, others stayed the same. Looking back over my goals I set for myself last January, I can honestly say I put in a lot of effort to make some of my admirations come true! Let's review;


Goal #1:

Move! I seriously want to move out of my parents house. Move out of my city I grew up in (even though I do love it most of the time). Move out of the state even! It's been a thought for a while, but more recent proposals have come up to make this intriguing idea a reality. 

I DID IT!! In May I officially accepted a teaching position in Massachusetts and moved just outside of Boston. At first the living circumstances were less then stellar, so I moved in with another coworker and had a much more enjoyable life. September I moved in with two other women and have been there since. I love the apartment we have and the location most of all! It is such a rewarding feeling to be living on my own, while being able to pay for all the living costs and still being able to go out or enjoy an event from time to time. Yea for adulting! 

Goal #2:

Travel more! I LOVE traveling and wish I could more and more. Katie is in London until next December, so that's really intriguing. 

So because I chose to move, I sadly was unable to visit Katie over in London. Extremely sad, but I did move. So again adult mode. I guess I have somewhat done this because I am living on my own I HAVE to travel more and by myself. Both for the better and worst I guess, but at least I'm getting out and about. I drove to the Cape to meet up with family this summer, attended a wedding, and just generally traveled around the Boston area by self. 

Goal #3:

Get healthier! Whether I become better with my eating habits and or exercising more frequently, this needs to happen. Hopefully being able to move out will help aid this goal. 

I am still working on this, but it's more of a life long change rather than a quick fix. I lost a good 12lbs this summer!! :) I am beyond excited that I was running almost everyday after work and have since changed so much about my eating habits. Although, now that it is winter and I need to workout indoors I need to be more consistent about my workouts. Or just be extra cautious about what I am eating... and that's no fun! Ugh, must find a balance. 

Goal #4:

Be just a little bit more social! I have a bad habit of being outgoing and then a hermit crab very easily. I want to try and be more outgoing and better experiences with a pricey price tag attached, especially if I want to travel. 

Well, I'm not blogging because I'm out at the club. This goal still needs work so I'll try to focus on that more this year. I so desire to be a more outgoing person and meet more people. I just also love laying in my bed and doing nothing but watching Netflix or dvd's and sipping on tea. I know, it's an exciting life I tend to live. But again, I really am trying to branch out more often. 

Goal #5:

Be a better blogger! I've done alright the last months, but I can definitely do better. 

Well this one definitely didn't happen, but there is always time to improve. It helps that I am a little more active on my own and can take a little more time to create more blog posts. Even if they end up being short because let's be honest some viewers might enjoy shorter stories about my amazing single life :) 

Happy New Year to all and happy blogging! 

~A

New AND Improved!

My crazy awesome idea to completely change up my look to start a new year :).

My Hair Stylist, whom I ABSOLUTELY ADORE! (Who can guess the movie this quote is from?!?!) insisted on taking before and after pictures :) Which obviously made me feel even better about chopping my hair off.  

A little montage of the haircutting process. I was smart enough to bring a friend with me so I had someone to document the event and boy was I glad I did!

Starting the process!! EEeeeekkk 

Chopped off! and wrapped up so nicely for me to send out!

I decided to donate my locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, mostly because recently there was an article I read that clarified where hair donations actually go and who they benefit. After reading said article, I then went to all the websites that were mentioned and looked specifically who my hair would go to and how the organization really worked. I was really happy to do this kind of research :)

My final look and if I may compliment myself a little Taylor Swift esque 

After my hair cut, my friend Sarah and I had to return her Mom's car and pick up her boyfriend. We all headed back up to Portland because Sarah and I had planned to have my nose pierce, her monroe pierced, and we both wanted our second hole in our ears. Yep we had a plan! Below is the finished result after Hair cut, Nose pierced, and Second holes in place. Sarah called me Queen of Snapchat  and I will not lie, I was slightly excited to show off the nose ring and fresh cut! It's just so nice to get so much chopped off at once, scary, but nice.

Pretty sure this was to a friend so she could see all the changes I made in just one day :)

*Oh and I may have asked Sarah's boyfriend if a nose piercing made one's nose look thinner, haha it's ok though Sarah has one too so I was bound to get the correct response*