No, this post is not going to be about surviving a blizzard in the North, but it is going to be about how a summer kind of girl like me survives a cold, NC winter! I hate the cold. Hate it. Give me a a chilly Thanksgiving and Christmas, a few snow days and then bring on the Sunny & 75 degree weather! (Thank you Joe Nichols for creating a song that describes my life perfectly!) This year I noticed I found some things that seemed to make the winter months easier to get through so I decided to share! 

Fashion – When I am cold looking cute isn’t on the top of my list. These winter items made it a little easier!

• Bean Boots – These were going to be on my Christmas list this year but L.L. Bean was running a 10% off sale on them so my Daddy surprised me. 🙂 Bean Boots have definitely been my favorite shoes this winter. They are so cute, comfortable, warm and can be worn with pretty much anything. They worked great in the rain, snow and even when the temperatures plummeted below freezing. Definitely a must have! 
• Wool Socks – These go along with my first “must have.” I love socks that are both fashionable and warm. Wool socks not only keep my feet warm, but look cute peeping out of the top of my favorite boots!
• Puffer Vests – Vests are a great way to look cute and still stay warm. You can wear them with a t-shirt, sweater or a cute blouse. They’re a great way to add a pop of color to an outfit. My favorite puffer vest is my Lilly Pulitzer Lauren vest! It is such a pretty, bright blue color on the outside with the “In the Beginning” print in the inside! Having a little Lilly in winter always makes me feel warm inside! 🙂
• Leggings – I know, every college girl is obsessed with leggings but they are seriously a life saver. They are so easy to put a pair of socks over and tuck into boots. Being a dance major, 99% of the time I am in leggings, yoga pants or sweats. My favorite leggings are my pair by Under Armour! They are so warm, comfy and not see through which is definitely a huge plus!

Food – When I’m stuck inside hiding from the cold all I want to do is eat! Here are some of my favorite things to eat and sip on while I have cabin fever.

• Coffee, Hot Chocolate & Apple Cider – Santa Claus was very generous this year when he delivered a purple Mini Keurig to my house on Christmas Eve! It looks so cute on top of the fridge in my dorm and makes my favorite winter beverages! For my 9AM’s coffee is a must have on cold days! Hot chocolate and Apple Cider are some more hot drinks I turn to during late night study sessions when I need a little boost! Don’t forget the French Vanilla creamer and marshmallows!
• Chili & Soup – When I went home on some weekends my parent’s homemade chili and my great grandma’s homemade vegetable soup were my favorite winter meals! Sitting at the table with a nice bowl of hot chili was something I looked forward to this winter! Comfort foods make the uncomfortable cold a little bit more bearable. 

Entertainment – Since being outside isn’t something I enjoy, keeping myself entertained in the winter was tough at times. I found that these things helped me stay occupied while I was trying to stay warm in the cold dorm room!

• Pandora – I have always loved music and Pandora Radio is one of the best inventions yet. I love creating stations with my favorite artists. Hearing Luke Bryan’s “Suntan City” or similar songs always reminds me that summer is only a few months away! It makes me look forward to laying on the beach with my headphones workin’ on my (much needed) tan!
• Netflix – Movie nights with my girls are my favorite! Netflix makes it easy to watch multiple movies or start a new TV series you’ve always been interested in but missed the first few seasons. Just make sure you get your assignments done first because it can become addicting! 
• Pinterest – Another one of my addictions! Cuddling in my bed with my quilt my great grandma made me, pinning my life away seems to be a normal activity this winter. I always found myself pinning cute summer outfits and beach pictures just wishing I could jump through my computer screen and be on the beach in a new sundress.

I know some of these things seem silly and unnecessary but I had to find some way to keep the winter blues out of my life! I have been so thankful for the beautiful weather this past week. Taking walks with my roommate along the Greenway in Raleigh and down Hillsborough Street have really been a blessing. Let’s hope I find the strength to make it through the next couple of weeks until it is officially spring! I’ll just keep relying on these winter “must haves” and tell myself that whatever the season I am always in a summer state of mind! 

Don’t get me wrong, I am totally a summer kind of girl but within the past month we have had two pretty decent snow days. The first was not only the first “real” (more than a few flurries & actually sticking to the ground) snow but also my first snow as a student at Meredith. I was a little bummed about being away from my family at first but it turned out great. It started out with an impromptu Waffle House trip then my roommate and I ventured out in the snow with tupperware totes, clothes baskets & curtain rods as sleds. Let’s just say the tupperware tote is no longer useful in our dorm. 🙂 After some of our friends in our small group saw our videos from earlier sledding attempts, we all bundled up once more for some sledding fun. This time with trash bags. Yes, we borrowed trash bags from the kitchen in our dorm. Never would I have thought that tying a trash bag to your bottom would be so much fun. I have tons of memories and bruises to prove it! It was honestly one of the best nights I have had so far at Meredith. The next day classes were canceled so we spent the morning sledding & the afternoon catching up on homework and watching movies!

The second snow day was kind of a scare at first. When I got a call from my Mom telling me that there was a possibility I would lose power, I may have had a mini panic attack. Thankfully I have a very loving Daddy who rescued me on his way home from work so I could wait out the blizzard with the fam. After the worry of getting stuck in a gridlock and the horrendous thought of having to walk home, we made it. A drive that normally takes around 25 min – depending on the idiotic drivers and whether or not you make it through the Western Blvd light in one cycle – took 2 hours to accomplish. Even though it took forever for a decision to be made, Meredith canceled class on Thursday and Friday allowing me to spend a 5 day weekend at home complete with power, eating homemade chili and some sledding! 

Even though I would love another reason for my professors to postpone exams and assignment due dates, this girl is beyond ready for warmer weather. I’m thankful for this years wintery NC weather and had SNOW much fun with both my Meredith girls and my wonderful family during our snow days! 

Well it looks like I finally bit the bullet and decided to start a blog. It’s something I have always thought was a neat idea but always told myself “you have nothing to blog about.” I think starting a blog would be a cool way to allow my friends and family know what’s going on in my life while I’m in college besides the fact that in four years it may be pretty interesting to look back on. While contemplating whether or not I was actually going to go through with this I asked myself what blogs were really for. I came up with this. Facebook has it right when it asks “What’s on your mind?” before you post a status. What else are you writing a status about? That’s when I decided that I actually have a lot to blog about. Being a college freshmen there is always so much on my mind. Whether it be assignments, choreography, how I am managing 18 credit hours, the lovely (not so much) dining hall food here at Meredith or who I think will win Juan Pablo’s heart on The Bachelor, my mind is constantly going in a million directions. So, this is where I will start. What’s been on my mind the past few weeks.

Goals –

The past couple of weeks I have noticed how important goals are in life. Whether it be a goal as simple as making your bed every morning or as complex as making good grades so you can get into graduate school, they are all equally important. Goals give us a purpose for pushing through the hard times and something to work toward in our lives. I have made a goal (hehe) to make weekly and monthly goals to stay focused on school and life in general. It always feels great accomplishing something. It makes me feel like I’m going place. Sorta like how I feel as though I have my life together if I make my bed before going to class in the mornings. Why go through life without a purpose or an outcome you would like to achieve?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun –

That’s all we want right? Everyone says life isn’t just about fun and games, which is true. I do have to disagree a little. Do not get me wrong, I am a very motivated person when it comes to doing well in school and staying out of trouble. I feel as though sometimes I have to step back for a minute and say to myself, “Brittany, it’s okay to have fun.” I have been given the amazing opportunity to attend the college of my dreams so I need to take full advantage of that both academically AND socially. Whenever I get stressed out with school, my social life is usually the first thing I put on hold. Although it seems like constantly being “on the go” is a great way to live, I have learned lately that it’s okay to relax and let loose every now and then. It’s okay to take a three-hour nap on Sunday after church or spend fifteen minutes on Pinterest as a study break. After a much-needed girls weekend I realized I need to take advantage of my time here at Meredith in more ways than academically. In four years I’m not going to remember staying up late studying for an Economics test. I’ll remember the nights spent crafting, prank calling, watching movies, eating junk food and staying up until three in the morning with some of the most amazing ladies I have met these past six months. So, from now until May 2017 (woah, that’s weird to think about!) I plan on not letting college life slip away from me. I’m going to make sure I have the proper balance of studying and socializing. I only get to experience college once!

Don’t Take Little Moments For Granted –

I have always been a “homebody” since I can remember. I have been blessed with the most amazing family in the world. Thinking back on my  nineteen years of life there are so many moments that I wish I could re-live. Growing up is tough, but one of the things I am most thankful for learning is to cherish every moment. Taylor Swift hits it right on the dot when she sings “Oh, darlin’ don’t you ever grow up. It could stay this simple.”  Recently I have been reminiscing on moments in my life that flew right by me that I never once thought I would miss. Moments like riding in the middle seat in my Daddy’s old Chevy with him and my mom before my little sister was born. Speaking of her, as much as it annoyed me when I was little, I truly miss her following me around the house calling “Duh Duh” (she couldn’t pronounce sister) and wanting to be involved in every thing I was involved in. Honestly, I even miss her coming into my room asking if she could wear something in my closet to school once we started wearing similar sizes. I miss staying up late laughing at ridiculous TV shows or judging the brides awful choice in a gown on Say Yes to the Dress with my mom. I miss practically living at a dance studio and preparing for competition season.What I would do to be able to compete a solo just one more time. I would give anything to be able to go back in time and tell myself to cherish EVERY moment. It seems like just yesterday I was a freshmen in high school and now im 79 days away from being a sophomore in college. So, here’s to living every moment like it’s my last and appreciating every little moment that happens in my life.

God Is In Control –

Being the perfectionist and planner that I am, I constantly struggle with worrying over exactly what my future holds. Between my small group in my dorm, church services & how random moments in life have panned out, I really feel like the Lord has been speaking to me. Since I can remember, I have worried about everything.  For me to feel like I have my life in control I need things planned out to the “T”. I am constantly making To Do lists and finding ways to stay organized. Last week I found myself stressed out over how easily stressed out I am. That’s when it hit me. I have the best planner in the world. Although I am in love with my monogrammed, Lilly Pulitzer agenda, that’s not the planner I am talking about. Christ knows exactly how my life will pan out and as much as I would love for him to go ahead and tell me how it happens, it’s great knowing I have a Savior who I can trust with my future. In a way it’s sorta like he has a To Do list for our lives. Every time we go through a situation, it molds us into the person we are becoming. It’s like putting a check next to something on our To Do list. So, one of my new goals is to stop worry and give God FULL control over my future. Eventually questions such as who will I marry, whether or not I will accomplish my dream of owning a dance studio and if the food in BDH ever be good will be answered. But, they will be answered in His timing not mine, and I’m okay with that.