advice
Adventure is Out There: San Diego Edition
Friday, October 27 • adventure, advice, california, hiking, quick guide, round up, san diego, san diego blogger, travel
About six months ago, my husband and I moved to San Diego and have been exploring something new whenever we have the chance! So, in today’s post I want to share a few tourist things I have done recently that have been a lot of fun.
One of the best things about moving around is all the new experiences and adventures you get to go on. I can’t stress enough how you need to get out of your comfort zone and explore the world around you. It will definitely give you a new perspective and change your life. Moving to San Diego was quite a drastic change from our little town of Milton, FL and it was really hard to adapt to the change at first. We didn’t know what to do on the weekends or where to get our groceries, and we were definitely not used to the “Cali lifestyle.” So, we got out and we explored! We have already made so many new memories and are determined to leave here saying "wow, San Diego was great!"
So without further adu, here are 4 things to do while visiting San Diego:
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| Enjoying Disneyland with my amazing friends Katie and Jill while they visited from Washington. |
Disneyland – Okay, so I know this one isn’t in San Diego but its my favorite place on Earth! It is about an hour and a half drive up to Anaheim from San Diego so it isn’t too bad for a day trip. Usually I try to get there 30 min before the park opens and stay to watch World of Color or the fireworks and then head home. It does make for a long day but it is 100% worth it.
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| Biking riding and getting smoothies with Ryan, Hannah and Daniel while Ryan and Hannah were visiting over Spring Break. |
Bike Riding on Coronado Island – This is an activity that I have actually done three times now because I love it so much. My favorite place to rent bikes is Kruiser King in downtown Coronado. Their beach bike rental is $7 per hour or $20 per day. I really love renting bikes because you can ride them down to the Hotel Del Coronado and then along the beach, or you can ride through the neighborhoods and see the beautiful houses. As some of you know, I’m obsessed with HGTV so riding around and looking at houses is the highlight of my day!
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| Enjoyed a delicious meal at Cafe Gratitude with my Military Spouse friends. |
Eat – There are soooooo many good places to eat here! I could make a whole post on my favorite places to eat here but I’ll try to keep it to my top 3 (that I have tried so far). In no particular order, I have loved eating at: Buon Appetito in Little Italy, Café Gratitude in Little Italy and Havana Grill in Clairemont. Each restaurant is quite different so it really depends on the type of food you're looking for; but they are all delicious!
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| Hanging out on Potato Chip Rock with my friend Rachel when she was visiting from Pensacola. |
Hike - San Diego has some great trails to hike! There are trails for everything from a nice walk along the cliffs to a 7 mile trek up the mountains. For beginners, Torrey Pines is great! It offers beautiful views while not being too challenging of a hike. On the other hand, Potato Chip Rock is pretty tough. If you do the backside of the hike you gain about 2,000 ft in elevation in just 2-3 miles (it was killer on the legs)! My personal favorite hike is Cowles Mountain. It is a good workout while not being too strenuous; and offers beautiful views of the entire city at the top. I think no matter what trail you do, you won't be disappointed by hiking in San Diego!
I’m know there are more places that I haven’t explored yet, so I’ll keep you all updated as I explore more! Next on my list to do here is Balboa Park, the Zoo, skiing and camping!
5 Steps to Land Your Dream Job
Monday, June 19 • advice, college, how to, milso, quick guide, student, tips
1.
Be prepared: Before you even apply for your next
job, you need to be prepared. A lot of professionals have given me advice to
dress for my next job in my current position. This may sound silly but it can
put you in the mindset of your next position. If you are looking to become a
manager then dress like one!
Also, be strategic in your job hunt. Search
through Linked In and connect with professionals who are currently working for
the company you want to work for or have the title you are striving to get. Some
companies even let you job shadow (if you’re applying within the company) so
you can get a feel for what your workload would be. It is really important that
you take these opportunities and ask as many questions as you can.
Once you find your dream job, then it is
time to apply, apply, apply! I had to apply a few times to get into the
position I am now, and I’m beyond grateful that I kept reaching for my goals. It
is easy to get discouraged when you get turned down, but just remember what
motivated you to apply in the first place and keep pushing forward!
2.
Job description: A job description is the
position roadmap. It will outline what you will be doing and the
minimum requirements to be considered for the position. One technique that I
have been taught is to print out the job description before you create your
resume. Once you print it, highlight everything you do in your current position
under responsibilities and everything you can do under the qualifications. You
can also underline key words such as “analyze, assist, research, provide, etc.”
The job description is the best way to know what the hiring manager is looking
for so make sure you know it very well.
3. Resume: Resumes are a tricky art so I’m going to
try and keep this section to a few key points.
First off, you will want to create a master
resume. This is a document where you will be able to maintain your skills,
qualifications, accomplishments and everything you have done; but never
actually submit to any managers. You want to make sure and update this
periodically so it current.
Once you find the job you’re wanting to
apply for, and have highlighted all the important info, you’re ready to start
creating your specific resume. It is important to have a specific resume for each job you are applying for instead of a general one that you submit to multiple jobs. Your specific resume is going to be portions of
your master resume that are specific to the job you are applying for. To tailor
your resume, it is good to include a key qualification section that will hook
the hiring manager and spotlight what makes you the best fit. Also, tie in some
keywords from the job description if you can.
Finally, format and design play a large role
in building a great resume. A few tips I have learned while talking to hiring
managers are: do not exceed two pages, balance the white space vs text, don’t
have a fancy template that is hard to follow, and use a basic font around 12pt.
Also, your resume must be consistent. Don’t use a period after a sentence on
one bullet point and no period on the next bullet point. Make sure you are
bolding and italicizing consistently throughout; instead of having random bold
words. And finally, remove clutter from your resume. Don’t write “references on
request” because if a manager wants references, they will automatically request
it. Don’t put irrelevant hobbies or clubs that you participated in and do try
to convey your thoughts in the shortest way possible.
4. The interview: Woo, you made it to the interview!
This part can be extremely nerve racking but the biggest tip I can give you is
be confident. A manager’s goal is to get to know who you are, not who your
nervous self is.
The best way to gain confidence is to be
prepared. Ask your friends or family to do mock interviews with you and become
familiar with articulating your answers. Get a good night’s sleep the night
before your interview and set out your professional outfit before you go to
bed. When it comes to interview attire, it is always better to be overdressed
than underdressed. Your attire should be all business, even down to the
notebook and pen you bring with you to the interview (yes, you should bring a
notebook and take notes).
When you get into the interview room, shake
hands and make eye contact with each person. Make sure you engage each
individual in the room if you have a panel interview.
To conclude the interview, the hiring
manager will probably ask you “do you have any questions for me.” You
absolutely have to have questions to ask them! It is a good idea to come up
with three to five questions to have ready for the interviewer before
you even step foot in the room.
There are a lot of do’s and don’ts to
interviewing but the best thing to do is be authentic and show the interviewer
why you deserve to be in the position.
5.
Follow up: After the interview, follow up by
sending the manager a thank you note (handwritten is best but an email works
too) no more than 24 hrs after the interview. If you get the job, congrats! If
you don’t, get feedback on how you can improve your next interview and keep
pushing forward.
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Finding a job and developing your career are very
challenging. However, if you put your heart into it and are motivated to reach
your goals then it is 100% possible! Good luck to everyone out there!
HGTV Dreams Come True
Wednesday, May 24 • advice, diy, how to, interior decor, question and answer, quick guide, room tour
About a month ago, my husband painted a wall in our house and I posted this photo on my social media pages. I received so many sweet comments and had quite a few questions about it! So, I wanted to do a little FAQ on how we painted our walls...
1. What color is that?
The current color on our wall is the color "Anonymous" by Behr (can be purchased at The Home Depot). We also tried "Flannel" by Behr but it was a little too light for us. Flannel is between white and anonymous, which works well if you don't have a lot of natural light in the room. We also tried Georgian Bay by Sherwin Williams but we hated the color. Originally we thought blue would look good but it was definitely not our style!
2. How did you tape off the wall?
We originally used Frog Tape but found that it does not work well with textured walls AT ALL. So, we went back to Home Depot and picked up 3m blue tape. The blue tape worked a little better but it was still not creating crisp lines like it should. Finally, we went back to Home Depot and picked up an angled brush. My hubby ended up painting all of the lines by hand! It took him quite awhile but it was so worth it when we ended up with perfectly straight lines.
3. Where did you get your couches?
We actually purchased our couches from a sample sale so they are not yet on the market. However, they are the brand Michael Nicolas and Mor Furniture should be selling them in the near future!
4. Where did you get your "adventure awaits" sign?
We got our sign as a wedding gift! I'm not totally sure where it came from but I have seen some similar signs on Etsy and in Hobby Lobby.
5. How many coats of paint did you use?
We did two coats. The paint we purchased was the Behr Marquee so it was only supposed to be one coat coverage, but we preferred the look of two coats.
6. Can you paint even though you're renting?
Yes!! We can paint any wall we would like as long as we paint it back when we move out. Our landlord will either give us their paint color or we can have them to paint it back. *Make sure you check with your landlord before you paint a wall because some places have a list of approved colors that you can actually leave on your wall when you move out.*
7. Any tips?
Use a 3/4in nap foam roller when you paint. Also, buy a plastic paint tray because they are easier to clean. Have patience (or a husband who has patience)!
Let me know if you have any further questions, or have redecorated your house recently, in the comments below!
Let me know if you have any further questions, or have redecorated your house recently, in the comments below!
Happy Holidays
Saturday, December 17 • advice
Happy Holidays! I wanted to write a quick post to wish y’all a wonderful holiday season. I hope it’s your best one yet. :)
I will be taking a small break from social media for the holidays. Next week my husband and I will be driving to Illinois to visit his family. On the way, we will stop in Nashville overnight and then in Louisville another night. It will be a fun adventure.
I encourage you to be present for your loved ones as well as yourself. Make a point of expressing your love for them. I always took the holidays for granted in college because I didn't realize that someday I wouldn't be spending some major holidays with family. Since I didn’t see them at Thanksgiving and won’t see them this Christmas as well, I especially miss them. My parents, brother and I are very close and we’ve never spent a holiday apart so it’s definitely an adjustment. However, there are several relatives of my husband’s whom I have yet to meet and I’m excited to get to know and spend time with them. This holiday season is going to be a lot of fun and, coming from Florida, I’m excited to have a "white Christmas."
I will be taking my break next week so I'll see you around. I wish you a great holiday filled with love and laughter! Until next year...
xoxo
-Megan
Name Change After the Wedding
Sunday, October 2 • advice, engaged, how to, milso, photography, quick guide, review, round up, wedding
Social security: Do this first thing because it will take awhile. Bring marriage license, old social security card and birth certificate or passport.
DMV: Be sure to update your license and voter registration. Bring your marriage license and old drivers license.
*Military only* Dependent ID Card: This is huge! Make sure you go into the base ID office and get your ID card as soon as possible. This will get you enrolled in DEERS. Bring your marriage license, birth certificate and drivers license or passport.
Auto Licensing: Update both your registration and title. If a bank owns your title make sure you contact them to get it updated. You will need your original registration, marriage license and drivers license.
IRS: Make sure you update all of your information at work to match your new name. Update the pay system and your tax exemption status to make sure you have no issues when tax season comes. Your company will notify the IRS of the change. Supply them with your new social security card.
Passport: This will need to be done at your local post office or through the mail. You need a photo, birth certificate, marriage license and either a license or current passport.
Loans - student, car, mortgage: I'm not totally sure how to change your car loan or mortgage name but I know for student loans you need to mail in a copy of your marriage license and new social security card.
Bank Accounts: It is much easier to do this in a branch. Just take your marriage license in, show your new ID and get a new debit card.
Other: These are other things you need to change your name on but I'm still in the process so I don't know exactly what is needed. For insurance we ended up changing companies so I just needed my new license number. Bills, subscriptions, airline frequent flier miles, reward cards and social media should just need your license and possibly marriage license.
Well, if you are reading this because you just got married then congratulations!! If you're reading this for fun, I hope you enjoyed it. If anyone has any questions, shoot me an email and I'll try to help you to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading y'all!
How to Survive and Thrive in a Long Distance Relationship
Friday, January 29 • advice, long distance relationship, milso,
It has been over a year now since Daniel moved across the country, making us an official "long distance relationship couple." Before he moved, we lived a little over 100 miles away from each other for a year; so we have been apart for over 2 years now. One of the biggest things I have learned is that you definitely need a gallon of chocolate ice cream in the freezer at all times! Some days it is really really difficult because you miss your significant other (SO) like no other. What I have experienced is if you keep yourself busy with school/work/friends then it is a little easier. Also, distance definitely does make love stronger and that kiss sweeter! I'm not an expert with long distance relationships but I feel like our relationship has grown so much over these past two years and I wanted to share a few tips that I have learned...
To do:
1. Communication: Make sure you communicate a lot! It can be really challenging to explain yourself and really make sure the other person knows what you are trying to say. Daniel and I text a lot so it can be really difficult to understand the whole picture. Whenever we don't get what the other person is saying, we just ask "what do you mean" or "can you explain it better?" If texting isn't working, we will call each other to get things figured out.
2. Trust: This is the #1 thing in long distance relationships! You need to fully trust the other person or else it just isn't going to work out. I'm not going to lie, the hardest thing I have done is say goodbye to Daniel at the airport. However, I know that I trust him and know that he will be faithful to me and not do anything that would put our relationship on the rocks. I will talk about honesty later but you need to be honest and tell your significant other everything so that they can trust you even more.
3. Create a memory box: Daniel and I started our memory box a few years ago (before he left). I cherish our box so much because it contains pieces of our life. I recommend making one of these and putting little mementos into it that remind you of your SO. Then, when you are especially sad/missing them, you can open the box and reminisce on all the fun you have had. I also would make a bucket list of all the things you want to do together. These can be little things like cook dinner together to big things like go to London together (this is on our bucket list currently). The box and list will give you memories from the past as well as things to look forward to in the future.
4. Make time for each other: We always take a few min (or hours) out of our busy lives to talk to each other. Whether it is a quick "goodnight, I love you" phone call or a 2 hour face time call, we get the chance to hear the other's voice. I know that hearing his voice makes me so much happier. I can seriously be in the worst mood ever and when he calls me to say he loves me, I'm instantly happier! Face Time is also the greatest thing ever invented. This gives you and your SO the chance to see each other's face. You can see their eyes light up, their smile spread across their face and you can pretend for a min that they are there with you again. I think it is extremely important to take just a moment to talk with you SO over something other than texts because it builds a stronger relationship.
5. Establish practical expectations for each other when you are apart: It is easy to say "don't hangout with the opposite sex" "don't go out drinking" "don't do this or that.." However, you cannot do that. You need to set up practical expectations. If you don't want your SO going out partying just let them know what you expect from them and come to an agreement. You don't want to seem controlling but at the same time I think it is good to know what you expect from each other. By establishing expectations, you avoid arguments down the road.
6. Always be honest: This goes along with my earlier point of trust. You have to be honest with your SO so that you can gain mutual trust. One important thing is knowing that you have to tell the whole truth even if you know it will upset the other. Don't leave out parts of the story or make slight alterations. If it is something they will get upset about, you probably shouldn't have done it in the first place, but it happened so there is no point in dancing around the topic. When it is all on the table, it is easier to talk through issues and make your relationship grow stronger.
7. Plan trips to see your significant other: This is a big part of what keeps me going! I always have a countdown to when I get to see Daniel next. It really helps me when I'm having a bad day because I look and see that I'm going to see him in 44 days (this is the current count as I'm writing this) which makes me happy. I know it isn't always easy to see each other because traveling can be very difficult and expensive but I think it is very important to save up so you can take that trip. Daniel and I went 4 months and 18 days without seeing each other so when I got to see him at the airport it was one of the best days of my life.
8. Write letters: When Daniel was at Officer Candidate School (12 weeks), I wrote him a letter every single day. While he only got to write me a few times, those letters were the absolute best! I cannot emphasize how much a hand written letter means. In this day of age, everyone texts/emails and it just doesn't feel as personal as a letter. Don't get me wrong, I love waking up to long texts from him but there is just something about seeing his handwriting that makes it so much more meaningful.
Do Not:
1. Assume: You know what they say when you assume... you make and ass out of you and me. This is a very true statement! If you assume it almost always will lead to an argument; so just avoid it. It will make being in a long distance relationship so much easier if you don't assume things.
2. Get upset if they don't respond right away: We have definitely fallen for this one because it can be difficult to realize the other might actually be doing something. I think the worst thing I do is call him over and over after about an hour or two of him not answering because I get worried haha. So basically, don't get upset if they don't respond to a text or have to call you back a little later. Life is busy and while all you want to do is talk to the other person, it is difficult.
3. Be controlling: Please don't tell your significant other what they can and cannot do. I have seen relationships like this and it is so unhealthy. You should establish expectations like I mentioned earlier, but don't control them.
Well thats about all I have for now! Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for long distance relationships. Also, feel free to contact me (in the contact tab) if you ever need someone to talk to. I know that being in a long distance relationship can get extremely difficult (especially when the Military is involved) so I'm always here to chat.
Thanks for reading my blog!
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