Hello Again.

 

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I would like just a little recognition for the fact that while it has been FOREVER since my last post on here, I did manage to come back within the same year.

Why am I back? Oh, just because I have a minute here on this NFL Sunday - CBS, if you want my fullest attention, I need the Steelers game, not Washington. I understand I live in the Washington market, but some courtesy please.

I've also decided to resuscitate Sunday Brunch because fall is in the air, while only a little, and I am feeling inspired. Who knew lighting a pumpkin candle and buying new sweater at H&M could fill a girl with such adrenaline?

Anyway, I am back willing to try and make an effort. Will you take me back?

I hope you will understand. It's been quite a jumping summer for me. I don't think there have been many weekends that I've actually spent at home. I've been back to Pittsburgh several times, visited Michigan to celebrate my college roommate's wedding, fangirled over the Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas (I could talk about this experience forever), spent Labor Day in NYC, and the travels aren't even over yet!

I've still got another trip to Pittsburgh in the next couple of weeks and my friends and I are still kicking around the possibility of scurrying up to Boston/Salem for a Halloween trip. Sounds like I'm successfully saving money, huh?

But even with these upcoming trips, I can feel myself slowing down and I'm not complaining. With cooler mornings and earlier evenings, I totally embrace taking a minute and taking a breath - I need to before the holidays hit!

- Ashley

Are you feeling the effects of fall already?

PA to DC

Okay technically PA to MD...the budget of the average 23-year-old communications grad doesn't really allow for a move right into D.C.

We are rapidly approaching the one-year anniversary of my first big move after college. I moved in with my uncle in MD after I accepted my job, which actually IS in the District. In fact it's right down the street from the Washington Monument. #views

Moving to a new city right after the bubble that is college can be a real challenge. I find it difficult to open up and make friends right away. It was a real blessing to have family in the area when I was starting out. I had the opportunity to save up my money to move out and had someone that I knew to show me the area. Just a few months ago, I finally flew the family circle and moved in with some young ladies (and I couple of cats) still in MD, but a bit closer to the city.

Luckily, I love my roommates. It's nice to have people to watch The Bachelor and eat Hawaiian pizza with. It's also super convenient that this house is 75% Steelers fans. :) We need to do something about the one from Patriots country. ;P

But the move also hit its hard parts. I don't know what moving to other states is like, but I would not wish moving to Maryland to my enemies. I don't want to feed into conspiracy, but I'm convinced initial state auto inspections will fail all vehicles so that they can make a cool $1000 off of you. Am I bitter? You bet I am. Many more hundreds of dollars later, I have a state approved car with new plates and a new license. It feels eerily like my PA-proud identity has been stripped from me. But I digress...

Since the nearly a year ago that I moved down here, I have done my fair share of exploring (mostly happy hours if we are being honest!) I look forward to exploring the city further and sharing some of my favorite D.C. finds with you. Stay tuned Friday for one such adventure!

<3 Ashley

What was your first year on your own like? Also, any D.C.-based bloggers have any suggestions of places to go and people to see in the city?

Movie Night

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What goes better with movie magic than a little candy and buttered popcorn? Honestly ... nothing. Nothing goes better. All eyes on my movie theater that thinks they can be out here pushing frozen pizza and subpar hot dogs. Stick to what you know, theater!

At-home movies are just as magical as going out to the theater ... and substantially less expensive, amirite? Of course, having gone through a childhood of going to the movies and getting snacks, I associate film with food and must have something to accompany.

Setting up a movie at home allows for preparing some heathier snacks. No buckets of butter here. One thing I like to reach for is sweet potato chips. I should probably stop reaching for them too because the bag disappears; or the pan if I've made them myself.

I also like to occasionally take a time machine back to childhood and cut up an apple or banana and slather it with peanut butter. That's a snack that is both health and timeless.

My rule for movie snacks is that there can't be any effort. I can't be focusing on cutting something up and viewing. When I'm watching a movie I need to be able to mindlessly snack only coming to 20 minutes in (because I'm aggressive and lack real self-control) to find that I've already finished the snack!

I'm also a fan of reaching for the classic movie snack - popcorn! When we were growing up, my mother would set us up with a movie and disappear to come back a few minutes later with two plates of popcorn, one each for my brother and me. It doesn't take long to microwave pop that quintessential film snack. Or perhaps you've purchased a few bags of pre-popped kernels. I love to grab a few bags of SkinnyPop, which is not slathered in yellow butter (so it's healthier!) and has several flavor options of their classic popcorn. My personal favorite is pepper jack — then again, I do love anything pepper jack.

- Ashley

What's your favorite movie night health snack?

Money Matters in 2018

 

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As I talked about in my last post, 2018 is going to be a year dedicated to really taking care of and bettering myself. A big part of that self-care is being smart about how I save and spend my money.

Looking at my bank account is often a very nerve-wracking task, but it can be especially painful immediately after the holidays. I know I can't be the only one out here, right?

One of the things that has really bothered me in the time between graduating college and starting my first job is the depletion of the savings account that I had be saving essentially since birth. The big reason for that was not having a solid job before my student loans repayments kicked in. But having been in my new position for about a year and moving into my new place and developing and understanding of my budget month-to-month, I feel more comfortable putting away money from each paycheck into a savings account to build that back up.

I also want to improve my budgeting to ensure that moving that bit of money over to my savings is not as painful as it would have been when I initially started out. I rely on apps like Mint to let me know when I am spending too much in a certain area, like entertainment or eating out (which I need to cut back substantially on!) I'm also looking at certain products I can spend less on.

Pro tip: TJ Maxx has a great selection of products like shampoo/conditioner in large salon pump bottles that will take you a bit further than the products in the drug stores. Plus, it's just so much fun to browse through the unique brands and products that they carry each time I walk into the store.

I have doubled down on making my coffee at home each morning before I leave for work. I use a French press, so it's an actual process to make it, but the end product is just so much better than anything I get at Starbs.

As I mentioned before, eating lunch out is a huge weakness of mine. It's hard to find soup or a salad appetizing after sitting through a two hour long meeting that ends right in the neighborhood of lunchtime. But the sandwiches from the conveniently located Mediterranean restaurant downstairs are no more (or at least they will be significantly reduced!) I've started making large pots of soup to take for lunch during the week. And if I do say so myself, I've produced some very yummy dishes!

I've also started using more budget-friendly products, like Harry's razors, which can be found at Target. They are less price-y than many women's razors (that pink tax, amirite?) and tbh provides a better shave. For the first time in a long time, buying razor refills doesn't stress me out because the refill pack I usually get is less than $10!

Cutting down on spending doesn't mean you are cutting out the enjoyable, luxurious things. You can find luxury without dropping a good portion of your paycheck in one shopping trip. Look around and find those things that work wonders for you. You might be surprised at how much it DOESN'T cost you.

-Ashley

How will you make a point of saving in 2018?

Happy New Year

 

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The east coast is currently experiencing some Canada-like cold temps this weekend after getting visited by the "bomb cyclone." Welcome to 2018.

D.C. didn't really see too much snow – mostly just wind and generally feeling like a tundra. I will not be leaving the house at all this weekend. But sending good vibes to comrades in New England who got slammed with the snow. I also saw an alert as I was leaving the office the other day that said every state in the country was essentially freezing or near freezing. Crazy, right?

But hopefully this year comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.

When I was with my friends Sunday night to ring in the new year, someone brought up resolutions and I realized that I totally forgot to even think about mine.

I always end up doing the typical: work out more, drink more water, eat healthier.

Since those are the go-to they become pretty mundane for me around March (I'm being generous here!) So, this year I decided to actually not get specific. I'm keeping my resolution broad this time around as an experiment: will I keep at it better than I do when I lay out specific goals?

For 2018, I'm just aiming for general betterment of my life. I know the 2017 baseline that I'm coming from. When I make food, fitness, financial, professional, even social moves this year, I want the voice in my head to say "Okay, but is this better or is it keeping me at the baseline?"

All those little goals end up pointing to that big, overarching goal anyway, right?

<3 Ashley

What is your 2018 promise?

New Digs: A Work in Progress

 

I was very happy to close a weekend of moving with not moving in my bed :)

Hello, hello!

I come to you live from a new chapter in my life. I have moved out of my family's place that I've been staying at for the past few months as I get used to being an adult with a job, and have found a lovely group of roommates in one of the cutest little brick houses in the DMV.

Words cannot describe the excitement of making the big push into being more independent. Of course, I'm sure that excitement will fade after the first electric bill comes through my mailbox – what is this new tenant deposit and why is it so much?

This weekend was the big move and my body is still feeling it. That's how you know you need to hit the gym right? When arms scream in agony and you vow to hire movers for every move in the future?

As of now, the master bedroom I inhabit is very sparse on furniture and very abundant in space. It makes me nervous to see so much open space. I would make a bad minimalist. I like a room to be full, home-y, and cozy. I like it to look like someone lives there. Give me a few weeks ... there will be more than just a bed and a dresser in there.

I am thrilled to be back in a larger kitchen and even more thrilled to see a cleaning schedule on the wall next to the stove. Context: Roommate chores in college were annoying to coordinate and I cleaned the kitchen more than 1 of 4 roommates should.

Additionally, this is the first time I am living with cats. I consider this to be a huge adventure as an AVID dog person. But these are very sweet cats who just want love and to sit on my bed. If it wasn't for the white bedding I might allow it ;P

- Ashley

What did you do this weekend?

Mix and Bite

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With summer entering into its end phase — sorry kids, time to start thinking about school — this is the time I really enjoy time outside. July is always so hot and unbearable, but August and early September are so pleasant, particularly the evenings. 

Question: Is there anything better than spending a summer night on the porch or an impromptu picnic with your friends absentmindedly biting at yummy snacks and sipping on delicious mixed drinks? Answer: No. There is nothing better. Throw in some music in the background and thrilling conversation, you've got a pretty solid setting. 

Please note that I am not talk about hardcore chowing down. While I am totally behind al fresco dining, I am talking about some proper midday-late night adult snacking. Easy access snacks like pretzels and popcorn are honestly the best, and they aren't LOADED with calories so you can snack guilt-free. Though, I always snack guilt-free ... Own your snacking!

But snacking is only truly great when it's paired with the best beverage, and summer offers such a great menu of cocktails. SkinnyPop has sportingly provided a handy guide for your snacking/drinking needs. Just the thought of indulging in a blueberry mojito with some salt and pepper popcorn has me wanting to call off work to initiate an early happy hour.

Honestly, as my week stands, nothing sounds better than a margarita (make it a size large!) and a bowl of pepper jack popcorn.

 - Ashley

What is your perfect summer snack/drink pairing? 

I Woke Up Like This

 

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You know those articles that pop up all over the web? Those articles that make you feel like a lazy slug because of your morning routine? I know you have seen them...they are everywhere.

Now, I don't want to totally tear them apart. I understand and appreciate what they are trying to convey. We have to work hard to maintain healthy and balanced lifestyles, I get it. However, can we please acknowledge reality for a second?

Are these kinds of morning schedules truly attainable? Not for all of us.

I applaud the women who find the strength within them to wake up with enough time before work to get in a workout, eat the healthiest breakfast you've ever heard of, do some light reading, catching up on the news, and finishing their first cup of coffee (whaaaat?)

I'm gonna be real. I do not wake up energized. I wake up tired. I wish I could be one of those people who just wakes up a morning person; one of my roommates in college was that person. Unfortunately, my timing still isn't great on matching up my alarm with my REM cycle, but I'm working on it. Note: that's sarcasm. I'm not working on it. I have other things to do.

I would love to get in a morning run. It's nice and cool in the morning, a great time to clear my head and begin the day. However, that would mean getting up at 5 am — considering I would need time for a quick shower. Also, I can't say I would feel totally safe running before the sun is up. But I do try and get a morning run in when I am working from home or on the weekends.

But I do try to make my morning a good one, because I do believe that it does set the precedent for the day. I can't have a long leisurely morning and stroll out calmly for work; I would get lazy. So I wake up, giving myself between 1-1.5 hours before I have to walk out to catch the train.

The night before I will have thought about making my lunch, but I will not have made my lunch, so I will throw a salad together while the kettle boils for my coffee. In the four minutes that it takes the coffee to do it's thing in the press, I put together my breakfast: yogurt and berries, Cheerios (always the OG) and berries, or a breakfast sandwich.

I allow myself to catch up on my late night show clips and any breaking news from the night since I do my reading on the train (great way to get through the 45 minute commute!)

Compared to the morning routines in these articles, mine certainly probably seems a bit lazy, but IRL it works for me. I don't feel sluggish during the day. Sure, I get kinda tired around 2 pm, but then I get up and take a walk down to the riverfront to breathe in the fresh air for 15 minutes before I head back to finish the day.

Morning routines aren't one-size-fits-all. Never let one person's productive morning make you feel like you aren't doing enough...it's quite possible you are.

- Ashley

How do you spend your morning?

Travel Far, Travel Wide, Travel Smart

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It seems that once I graduated and got my job, everyone wanted me to come visit them or wanted to organize trips. I've booked two flights and one hotel for three separate adventures in the past two months! For context, I have flown a grand total of once in my life and it was with parental guidance. 

Don't get me wrong, I am very much looking forward to the trips I have set up. I'm excited to see the mountains of Colorado for the first time visiting family there. I can't wait to fly up to NYC for a weekend to hang out with some friends from college. And of course, I couldn't be more amped to take a trip back to Pittsburgh with my mother for a weekend of college football and Steel City fun!

While I can pride myself on finding cheap plane tickets and reasonably priced rooms downtown for a holiday weekend, the actual air travel part is new to me. Like I said before, last time I had responsible people with me, and now I have to find my own way between gates and understanding flight etiquette.

But a few things stick out in my mind as the go-to tips that I definitely think are applicable to all forms of travel (just call me the queen of roadtrips!)

Keep it to a carry on. As a young person with very little to her name at this point, I am not a fan of spending money where I don't have to. For a four day trip you can expect me to cram MY LIFE into a carry on and my personal bag. It helps that my only suitcase currently is a small rolling bag that definitely falls in the carry on category. I have perfected the art of tightly rolling pieces that can be worked into at least three different outfits and sliding shoes along the edges. It is both an art and a science.

Travel comfy. I've book flights on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. My trip to Colorado will be long with tedious layovers — who needs to spend three hours waiting in Atlanta?! — while NYC is thankfully a single, straight shot from D.C. Either way you can expect to find me in leggings, a loose t-shirt, with a light sweater since being a comfortable temperature is not a luxury I can expect in any space I enter into.

Have all the entertainment. Books, mags, music; I've got it all. If you don't have a window seat you need to keep occupied, and people watching gets creepy after awhile. #lessonslearned

Stay organized. You probably know this. This note is mostly for me, when it's travel day and I go to look back on this post. For the love of all that is holy keep all tickets, passports, essential travel docs in one accessible pocket of your bag and avoid the, "Hold on, I swear I have it right here...nope..." moment in front of everyone who is already pissed they're waiting in line.

Look at me pretending like I'm a guru because I managed to book seats. :) I guess I could have worse reactions to performing adult tasks.

- Ashley

What are your biggest travel tips?

Hello from the Other Side

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I don't know what it is, but I am very excited about everything right now.


So excited that I've managed to find the motivation to resuscitate the blog that hasn't been updated since June 23 — sorry 'bout that!


There's a lot I'm excited about: the brief bout of comfortable weather, my really trendy outfit today, the fact that my Netflix calendar seems doable, I've found a farmers market near work that has decent produce (rant post about quality of grocery store produce south of PA to come at a later date.)


I finally feel at peace with my job. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has found the first month(s) of a job difficult to adjust to. But I finally feel like I am overcoming the MOUNTAIN of mistakes I found myself making constantly.


So since I feel real life balanced, I think it's time that I can put my mind to focus on this blog again. There is so much to talk about in this world that isn't politics — Buzzfeed covers that forest fire better than I ever would!


There is so much that I have learned about myself and how I operate independently in the last few months after getting my first job and moving away from home, and so much that I know I want to experience. I look forward to discussing all of that here again.


While I do intend on improving the look, unlike the last time I disappeared from the blogosphere, I won't be changing up the entire branding of the blog — RIP All That Glitters, Long Live Sunday Brunch — as Sunday brunch is still an activity I enjoy in this new chapter of life and still produces the best conversations...but so does Happy Hour. Note: Since I'm now in D.C. I look forward to sharing all the best brunch spots with you; though I am skeptical given that I'm a slave to my college PGH brunch spots. :P


- Ashley


How have you been since the last time we chatted? ;)

A Home Away from Home

 

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Remember like four months ago when I told y'all that I had finally gotten a job and was finally moving up and out? In case you missed it ... that happened. I moved to D.C.; or rather the D.C. area-ish. I'm currently living with family in Maryland with a fun (read: long) commute into the city every morning. But actually, I won't complain. I'm #blessed to have family here to help me save up money before I venture out on my own. Speaking of which ... I have officially started the search for a new place. That's right! I'm on the hunt for a room with off-street parking—fun fact, I am very much afraid of street parking. :)

Anyway, since I really wasn't sure how long I would be staying with family, I was very unsure of how much of my stuff to bring. I'm not someone who likes to roll in with everything they own in tow ... that seems a bit presumptuous, right?

But at the same time, I did want to feel at home. I was going to be coming back to this bedroom every night after work and needed it to be a place for me to unwind from the stresses of the day. Even though I was told I didn't need to, I brought my own bedding with the encouragement of my mother. There is just something about the Room Essentials brand microfiber sheets from Target that I absolutely love. They are so comfortable!

I brought a bunch of books. Books I haven't read yet, but have had for approximately 1,000 years. Cookbooks since I knew I needed to find new things to keep my appetite up through the week.

After a few months, I went home to visit my parents and came back with my record player, and a few of my favorite records. The room has my scent now; I have candles and sprays everywhere.

I got comfortable buying things for the room that I wanted and knew I would use down the road in future rooms. I bought a cute retro style fan from TJ Maxx, since it is so so hot south of the Mason-Dixon line.

In my next place, I hope to feel a bit stronger a sense of permanence, though I know it won't be permanent. But the kind of permanence where you feel comfortable sticking a few nails in the wall and hanging up fancy wall art like the adult that you are. Of course, I will have to become a collector of such art first.

I do have a ton of photos of family and friends, though! However, I do feel slightly uncomfortable hanging too many pictures of them and having their eyes follow me room to room as I make my daily questionable decisions. Since most of these photos are stored in a digital space (very millennial, I know) and printing them seems a little excessive, I am a fan of placing the files in a digital frame and having it slide photo to photo. Check out these frames from Aura! How cute are they? You better believe the ivory and rose gold colored frame is all up in my shopping cart. And when you think about it, this is a way simpler idea than dealing with hanging frames on the wall and stepping back to see that one is like three inches lower than the rest, and you don't run the risk of people pointing out the aggressive number of picture frames crammed on bookshelves—I obviously have some opinions. Haha!

<3 Ashley

How do you make your space feel like "home?"

Looking for a Little Inspiration

 

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Every once in awhile I hit a roadblock and am in desperate need for a little inspiration. Now ... because I'm a casual mess of a human, I look for inspiration in multiple areas. Perhaps we will explore all of them down the road. For now, I am focused on just one: food. With the change in the weather and the seasons, so does change my cravings. This makes sense. The seasons change and so too do the foods that are in abundance. For example: strawberries are the only fruit on my mind, and spinach is the base for all of my salads.

But beyond that I feel stuck. Having to plan lunches for the week doesn't make the situation less annoying ... ya feel?

I mean I do little things like buy Greek olives on a whim, or dabble in artichokes. However, every time I cook the result is a pasta/rice dish, eggs, or a flatbread. I essentially take the same salad to work every day interchanging shrimp and chicken as the protein. I would love to switch things up every now and then to keep my diet more exciting—and keep myself from wandering into a restaurant for a $10 salad. Message to the city of D.C.: salads don't need to be $10.

I have amassed quite a collection of cookbooks for a 20-something who only cooks for herself on any given night and does approximately zero entertaining. So I have resolved to flipping through one or two to at least get a list of ingredients for the week that will maybe inspire several dishes. Does anyone else get into a food funk with the season change?

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite dishes to make in the summer?

So How About That Weather

 Just another artsy shot taken outside of a Starbucks

Ya'll ... what is this weather lately? We are now living in a world where 90 degree days happen and then the world bounces back to a casual 70 degrees.

This would be the way I start a blog post after so much silence, right? Talking about the weather.  I'm sorry that I am the actual embodiment of "the worst."

But real talk: since it's been so hot, I decided to lift the ban on spending outside of gas and groceries and bought a few dresses that I can wear to work. Let me tell you, the District was hot and humid those 90 degree days last week. So I bought these super cute dresses and I was feeling super great about it. Then I saw the forecast for the week and I will probably wear these dress zero times this week.

Am I the only one who gets super bummed when I can't debut an outfit to the world immediately? Am I the only psycho here?

Then I went and bought myself some new flats and sandals because walking around D.C. the excessive amount I do has made my shoes so gross! So I guess the good news here is my wardrobe has gotten a little refresh before we reach the depths of these warm months.

As an update while I'm here: I am so happy right now. My job is great, and I am loving the chance to get to know this city outside of what I got to know as a tourist growing up. I also find myself staring longingly into expensive bars and restaurants cuz I'm not quite cool enough to walk in and fit in - something about me still screams "rural Pennsylvania!" So, my D.C. alter-ego is still a work in progress. ;)

<3 Ashley

Adventures of a First Time Adult

 

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As of yesterday I have considered myself an adult for about two months. For me, obtaining a full time, salaried job makes me a grown-up. It wasn't graduating college. I wasn't the first bill for my student loan repayment adventures—check-in with me in 20 years!—it was the day I walked into the office in my "trying too hard" professional outfit and faux confident smile. Granted, that first day turned into the most hectic and awkward day, which set the tone for my time in this position. Yesterday marked two full years as a working adult.

During those two months I navigated my way through selecting all the insurances, dedicated myself to packing healthy lunches everyday, committing to continuing my fitness regime, thinking about my bank account constantly, and making sure that I speak with my parents at least once a week...I seem to have developed the habit of calling my mother every night.  She misses me right? ;P

College was like adulthood-lite. Of course, in college we are responsible for getting ourselves up and to class. It was up to us to maintain motivation to do well and get to the finish line. But there was the familiar safety net: my parents handled the hard stuff. Now I'm getting my car inspected and setting appointments to make adjustments so I can keep it running for another year. I am planning my meals through the week so that I buy just what I need at the store and don't shop without a plan. I am incredibly restrained and no longer make whim purchases. I think about the dentist more than I would like.

Here I am now. Getting my thoughts together before heading into a very busy week, drinking a glass of white, watching a special on Princess Diana, avoiding the basket of laundry that is looking at me expecting me to act responsibly and against my own habits; I have a tendency to let the clothes just sit in the basket until the next laundry day. This is real. This is me. (This is me quoting Camp Rock.)

Thank you for reading the latest installment of "Late Night Thoughts with a Young Woman Who Really Should Go to Bed Now."

- Ashley

Are you finding "adulting" to be an amiable experience?

Life Lately

Was fortunate to get a few hours off work to wander and hang out at my favorite monument

So it's been a minute, right? Let me tell you, a lot has happened in that minute.

It should please everyone who has had the misfortune of being around me the last 10 months, I finally got a job! Yes-sir-ee! I've packed my bags and hustled on down to D.C. to finally start my bid for greatness. Maybe not greatness...but you get the idea.

Falling into routine has been kind of a pain in the behind since I started. While I work in D.C., I certainly don't live in the city—I have to save money somehow, right? No, I actually live a nice 30-minute metro ride away. Plus the additional 20-minute walk from the station to the office. But I will spare you the complaints. Such is life for someone just starting out, I guess.

I am starting to adjust to my surroundings and am very excited about what the next year (at least) holds for me. It's so amazing to not have the stress of job hunting weighing down on me anymore. Now I get to plow forward and take advantage of the amazing opportunities and location that I have in front of me.

<3 Ashley

How's your life lately?

The Weekend The Sun Shone

The South Central Steam at Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. was too good

We are just entering the last stretch of February, and this weekend Mother Nature gave us a small preview of what spring holds for us. Seriously, ya'll...it was in the 60s ALL WEEKEND! I don't think I've ever spent so much time outside consistently.

Saturday saw me consuming some very yummy fish tacos—does anyone else eat just a little bit lighter when it's warm out?—before taking a warm jaunt through probably the largest park in the area. Lesson learned: when you're walking an extended period in 65 degree weather, shorts are acceptable; I was burning up a bit in my leggings! Sunday was even more full of exploration in Downtown Carlisle. This time around, instead of passing by the Molly Pitcher Brewing Co. (as I usually do!) we stepped inside for a glass and were pleasantly surprised by how nice the setup was. Next time, I will be sure to also order a plate of, I'm thinking, the pulled pork nachos? Yeah that sounds good!

Looking ahead, this week doesn't look so bad either. Don't get me wrong: I do love this weather since it motivates me to get out more and be active. However, it's not even the end of February. Does this seem ominous to anyone else? Does this mean we are going to get destroyed by snow and cold temps in March?

I guess time will tell!

<3 Ashley

How did you spend this gorgeous weekend?

Making College the Best for You

I'm clearly not on the same page as everyone else!

I'm still fresh off the heels of graduating college and am still in the transition period between graduate and adult—or so I feel I am. While I am certainly very much just kicking off a wonderful, lengthy life with many years to go, college will go down as some of the best four. I will never regret the decision I made to attend a four year college despite the fact that I will be paying for it for the foreseeable future.

While the education was quite pricey, the experiences that I had outside of the classroom were priceless and made the time so much better. I was blessed with amazing people and got to fall in love with the amazing city that is Pittsburgh. Side note: peek this HarpersBazaar article listing PGH as one of the top 10 places to visit in 2017!

If I were to give some kind of advice to those just entering college (like the old wise person I am!) it would be, simply put, to go to class and also go places outside of class. In more specific terms:

Take advantage of what your school offers. Pitt was wonderful place to explore. Our student IDs could be used on public transportation throughout the Pittsburgh area. Anytime we needed or wanted to get to a different neighborhood or spend a day downtown, there was nothing keeping us from doing so. Our IDs also granted us access at most of the museums around the city. Let me tell you, it didn't suck to spend a rainy day wandering around the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, which was right across the street from our campus.

Benefit from the free stuff on campus. I loved the plethora of free stuff that was available around campus throughout the year. On campus concerts, wellness classes and events, and alumni events were frequently on the calendar to ensure that we were never totally bored. I was also a huge fan of Pitt Arts, which provided the opportunity for students to attend film screenings and performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet, and the Opera with discussion and food included. I may or may not have appreciated the fabulous desserts and rich conversation at the Orchestra (and the beautiful architecture at Heinz Hall!)

Stay on top of your mental and physical health. Another benefit that I was very much grateful for was the 24-hour fitness centers around campus. Each residence hall included a private gym just for those students living in that particular hall. There were all two other fitness centers in the basketball arena and in the student union if you had time to set aside to sweat between classes! Mental health is also important. "Walk away" was a frequent text from my mom late at night when I was clearly burning out from information/work overload. Warning: those moments can be frequent in college; learn to identify the stress early and learn how to best handle it. I would close my laptop and devote at least one night during the weekend totally to my friends and good times. Maybe hit up karaoke night?

Make some money. Of course you can't commit yourself to working too many hours when you're already devoting so many to your studies; however, you can definitely fit in 10-12 hours a week to make some money for groceries! I got a job my junior year when I went off the campus meal plan since we had a kitchen in our apartment-style dorm. I was able to support my appetite (an accomplishment) and start squirreling away some cash for senior year when we would be moving totally off-campus. Additional financial tip: shop for things only as you need them. You may find yourself in the store more than once a week, but if you know what you need and you stick to that list it should be no problem.

Plan ahead. Understanding how you are going to pay for your education before you get into it is important. You need to know before you get started where you are getting your money from. I familiarized myself with the repayment packages before graduated so that I could prioritize my spending. I went strictly federal on my loans—I feel like pursuing other private loans might have stressed me out a bit more. There are also many services out there, like Earnest, that give you the opportunity to refinance and rework your loans to fit a model that you are more comfortable paying off and possibly paying off faster. And that's the goal isn't it? To pay it all off as fast as possible.

<3 Ashley

What are your college survival tips? Or if you're going to be attending, what are your concerns?

Holiday Sweets

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The holidays are over, but there are still some aspects that linger. Example: the bags of cookies, containers of fudge, and my brother's birthday cake. I imagine that my blood sugar is so far past the roof at this point. Tell me I'm not the only one with this struggle. We all want to start the year off right and get those veggies and treadmill miles logged, but how can we do that we the temptations of the season still hanging around?

My solution? Shove it off on others. I've been harping on my family to help themselves and even offered to bring along bags of sweets to meet-ups with friends (they said no because "2017 is the year I take control") THIS IS NO TIME FOR DISCIPLINE!

I truly do not feel I can commit myself to my new year health kick until the sweets have left my fridge. Plus, half of the cookies and all of the fudge were made by me—and there is no way I am throwing out all of my hard work. I will hit the pavement running again and will certainly work on making healthy meals (with the new cookbooks I got for Christmas!) but I will still be snacking and working on getting those holiday sweets outta here!

<3 Ashley

Are you still being haunted by the ghost of Christmas sweets?

On A New Year

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Hello, and welcome to 2017! 

I for one am incredibly excited to see the turnover in years and celebrated accordingly; my friends and I traveled to NYC to attend a very fun and fabulous Great Gatsby party. You better believe that I went full flapper in my outfit.

The final 10-second countdown to midnight at the party was so full of excitement and relief. I think that we can all agree that overall 2016 has been the not-so-good, very bad year. This year has been marked with international conflict, personal issues (myself included), and far too many Hollywood deaths for a girl to handle. Seriously, who will entertain me now?

While I certainly will not look back at this past year fondly, I will remember everything it taught me. It taught me to be strong in the face of incredibly difficult moments; it taught me how to lean on my friends when I need to; and it taught me how friends come and many times they go. This has certainly been a year that has forced me to grow up in a lot of ways.

I do not know what 2017 will hold for me—hopefully a full time job? But I do have just a few small things that I would like to get out of this year:

• I want to read a lot more. Much of my attention in 2016, especially the second half, was on the computer screen. I received a number of fantastic reads for Christmas that I would love to devote my free time to this year.
• Organize my thoughts and my life better. 2016 was a very forgetful year for me. I frequently found myself in a panic trying to get things done that really should have been done maybe a week earlier. I will see you daily, agenda.
• Multi-task less. Let's face it. We all claim to be great multi-taskers, but at what point can we admit that the products of this multi-tasking are not as great as if we had focused all of our attention on them. I aim to focus my time better so that I am able to do my absolute best.
• Take a breath and think before I speak. Maybe it was just the climate of this last election, but 2016 saw me spouting off at the mouth frequently without much thought or consideration.

Let's see if I can actually stick to this plan and make at least two of these hopes reality.

<3 Ashley

What are some of things you want to accomplish in 2017? 

Fall So Hard

#tbt to last fall and adventures apple picking in Wexford!

Did anyone else wake up this morning aggressively craving a pumpkin spice latte and a jaunt through an apple orchard? Just me? Great.

Fall is finally here. This is Christmas for my people (read: those with Pinterest accounts and a love of layering and booties.) For several reasons all unrelated to each other my summer has been hands down the worst on of my life. Seriously summer 2016, thanks for all the stress. But fall? Mmm...I can smell it on the crisp morning breeze; it's about to get good.

With the changing of the season I always find that my attitude changes. Call me crazy, but summer might actually be my least favorite season. For some reason I do not enjoy being hot, sweaty, and physically uncomfortable all the time.

This month I'm going to try super super hard (honestly!) to blog a lot more often. This summer just felt like one big creative slump. Seriously, my brain felt drained. But as things start to look up and I commit to being a lot more positive I think that the creative juices can start flowing again and you can expect to see a lot more fun content on Sunday Brunch!

<3 Ashley

Are you excited for fall? How do you experience and celebrate the physical and symbolic transitions that the change in seasons provide?