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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 Mashup

Every year DJ Earworm comes out with a mash up of the hit songs specific to that year.  I always enjoy hearing the mash up.  I really enjoyed this year's! Check it out here.

Below are the songs featured:


Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
Capital Cities - Safe & Sound
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky
Eminem feat. Rihanna - The Monster
Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly - Cruise
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
Imagine Dragons - Demons
Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail
Justin Timberlake - Mirrors
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z - Suit & Tie
Katy Perry - Roar
Lady Gaga - Applause
Lorde - Royals
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz - Thrift Shop
Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop
OneRepublic - Counting Stars
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess - Just Give Me A Reason
Rihanna - Stay
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. - Blurred Lines
Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble
Will.I.Am feat. Britney Spears - Scream And Shout

Enjoy!
xoxo
-mQs-

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Year of Change

In 2013 I…

Moved back home.
Joined Alpha Delta Pi.
Became a blogger.
Celebrated three years with tDn.
Became a field hockey coach.
Realized who my real friends were.
Volunteered over 120 hours.
Changed Majors
Finally got a house key for the house I've lived in for sixteen years.

It's so cliche, but I really have no idea where 2013 went. This past year has been a year full of changes for me, on so many different levels.  

Spring semester, last year, was pretty much spent figuring out where I would be in Fall of 2013. I knew the school I was at was not the best for my major and my intended career path, so I was forced to make a decision in a rather brief amount of time. This decision making process pretty much consumed me. 

I am a sorority woman.  This still sounds so weird to me.  I am learning to embrace it completely.  Joining ADPi has been such a great decision for me. I have became so close with some wonderful women in such a short amount of time, and it is so odd to think that six months ago I had no idea who they were. 

This year I feel like I have grown up a lot.  I worked all summer as a Nanny.  I know this isn't  really a "grown up job", but the fact that I worked in the Summer is a huge step for me.  I also made the switch from a field hockey player to a coach, and I LOVE it.  By no means was this easy but it was definitely something I do not regret.  Coaching is one of the most rewarding experiences.  I also received my first house key ever! No, I did not move. My parents just started keeping the doors locked to our house, so I needed to be able to get into the place where I have lived for sixteen years.  The other thing that I think shows how I have matured, is the way I spent my 19th birthday.  I went to the Hope Lodge in Baltimore and cooked dinner for cancer patients and their families. 

Living at home this past semester has been such a great thing for me. I have been less stressed about school.  I no longer have to eat cafeteria food.  Most importantly I get to see my family a lot more.  I am really close with my family, my brother is one of my closest friends.


One of my favorite things about 2013 is that I became a blogger, and I did so by creating The Shore Life According to M.  Blogging has been such a great experience. I am definitely not a professional, and for now this is just a baby blog.  But I have loved every aspect of blogging this far: the people I have met, the tricks I have learned, designing a blog, becoming a better writing, and trying new things. 

This year I feel like I have truly learned who my real friends are.  I have learned many things about friendships in 2013. People definitely are not always who you think they are.  This is very disappointing.  I was hit with this realization twice in 2013.  The first being people who I thought were close to me my freshman year of college.  They turned out to not be as loyal as I thought they were. 

The second time I learned a lesson about friendships was right before the start of this past Fall semester.  Sometimes friendships from high school just aren't made to last.  When people go to college at different places friendships change.  Adding distance between people becomes a test of which friendships are built to last and which ones are meant to fade.  Suddenly you realize the possibility that maybe you were only close with certain people because they lived near you.

On the other hand, there are those people you were close with but your friendship had the potential to go either way, but you wind up becoming more connected with them, even though you are further apart in miles. For me these were the people who had faded in and out of my life for many years. 

There are also those people who you have only known for a short amount of time, but somehow it feels like you have known them for your entire life.  I have encountered several of these over the course of the past year. No complaints on this one.

And then there are those people who who you have been close with for quite some time and your relationship with this person just becomes even stronger.  You don't necessarily have to see or talk to these people everyday, but they would do anything for you on a moments notice.   It is these people who you truly know you will be friends with for a lifetime.  

I like to have a positive outlook on things, so I say everything happens for a reason.  There is always the chance that people who aren't really in my life will come back and things can be fixed, but as for right now that doesn't seem to be happening.  At this point in my life and with the experiences I have had, I am okay with having a smaller amount of close friends rather than a larger number of friends who I can't trust.

2013 has been filled with many ups and downs.  From every experience, this year, I have learned a valuable lesson, and every lesson has helped shaped me into the strong young woman I becoming.  I am thankful for the opportunities I have had this year and  the wonderful people who are in my life.

Here's to a new year!
xoxo
mQs

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Christmas

The holidays should be a time to enjoy family and friends who mean something to you, and that is exactly what my family does each year.  We always host Christmas, but the people who come tends to vary.  We usually hold an open house with food and drinks all day, so our friends and family are welcome to come and go as they please. 


Everybody has some sort of a Christmas tradition.  Ever since I can remember we have always had Christmas brunch.  It is my favorite tradition that my family has. After we open gifts, we indulge on egg & sausage casserole and french toast casserole.  Both of them are family recipes and are to die for.  This was the first year in quite some time that it was just my immediate family.  It was different but it was kind of nice just to spend some time as the four of us.  

This year was the latest we have ever opened gifts. I don't think we all got out of bed to come downstairs until close to ten.  I guess this is what happens when the youngest member of the house is a sixteen year old who loves his sleep.  No complaints from this girl, though.  I was able to wake up, get a quick workout in, shower, and get dressed for the day before anyone was ready to open presents.  Young or old, everyone enjoys opening gifts.  No, this is not what Christmas is all about but it is something that we all enjoy doing on Christmas.

These are a few of the gifts I received this year from Santa.


tDn gave me this Anchor Alex & Ani bracelet
 It looks so cute next to my Alpha Delta Pi bracelet that my mom got me after bid day. 


 I ended my Christmas day cuddled up by the fire watching a movie with my best friend, brother, mom, dad, and my dog.  It was the perfect ending to a great day.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!
xoxo
-mQs-






Sunday, December 22, 2013

Semester Reflection

If you asked me this time last year where I would be, I wouldn't say living at home commuting to a state school, thirty minutes from home.  I posted several times (Post 1 & Post 2) about transferring to a new college awhile back.  The decision to transfer was not a choice I took very lightly.  It took me a lot of pros and cons lists, talking to my parents, some tears, and lots of thinking before I decided to transfer to a college back in PA.  I knew it was going to be much different than where I came from, but I wasn't sure how exactly it would differ.

Some things that I found were different:
Manners: I had just assumed that it was normal for people to be friendly and have manners, apparently I was wrong.  When somebody sneezes, you say bless you.  Nope, I was in a lecture with 80 people when I sneezed and not a single person, not even the professor, said bless you.  Another place I noticed people were slacking with their manners, was holding the door open for others.  I can't tell you how many times the people in front of me would just open the door walk in and not even consider looking to see if somebody was behind them.  By the end of the semester, I found myself being surprised when somebody would hold the door open or say bless you when myself or anybody else sneezed. 

Academics:  I never realized how academically challenging my previous college was until I transferred. The type of thinking that is required between the two schools differs drastically.  The way they evaluate was quite different. School #1 evaluated more through broader thinking, so essays and exams with open ended questions.  Wheres at school #2 evaluated largely through multiple choice exams.  This difference took me awhile to get used to.  Initially, I was getting all the points possible on open ended questions but I would struggle with multiple choice.  By the end of the semester, I adapted my studying and saw great improvements.  My grades were the best they have been yet.  I didn't make dean's list, but it allows me room for improvement. 

Communication: school #1 was great with informing students and parents with what events were going on each week, when drop/add dates were, when your tuition was due, etc.  With school #2 I have found that I have to be much more resourceful and find the answers to any questions by myself. This was very frustrating to me, and I am still struggling with this.  I do have to say, school #2 is great about taking commuters into consideration when deciding whether to hold school or not when there is inclement weather, so kudos to them for doing that. 


 Needless to say this semester was full of changes for me. Some changes were positive and others took some time to get used to. This semester I became a field hockey coach, a commuter, and an Alpha Delta Pi.  All of these things have been great.  

Joining a sorority helped me feel like I now have a place to call home at my new school.  It has allowed me meet some wonderful women, and I am so excited for the opportunities it will present me with.  In ten weeks I made some great friends, and I have already experienced the value that joining a sorority has.  

Coaching field hockey has always been something that I have wanted to do.  I just never thought I would become a coach this young.  It is something that I intend to do for the rest of my life.  I love seeing the growth of my players, both as an athlete and as young women.  The other great thing about coaching, are the women who I coach with.  They are my two former coaches from high school.  These women are such great role models, they give the best advice and are so fun to be around.   

I surprisingly enjoy commuting. I really like being able to come home and not bring the stress of school with me, most of the time.  There is just something about not living on campus that makes things less stressful to me. Plus, I get home cooked meals by my mom, which is a huge bonus!  I am a huge family person, so getting to see my parents and brother all the time is something I really enjoy. 

Here are some pictures that highlight some of this semester:

Raising awareness for suicide prevention with the team I coached.

Celebrating three years with tDn.

Spending a weekend visiting my best friend. 
This was my first weekend I spent at somebody else's school.  
We went to a football game and tailgated with my dad and some of his friends. 
 It was so fun to experience what college life somewhere else was like.

Being elected as Membership Education Vice President. 
I can't wait to serve on executive committee with these wonderful sisters of mine.

Becoming a founding sister of the Theta Sigma chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. 
This was our installation where our international officers recognized us as an official chapter.



I definitely learned a lot about myself this semester. I am excited to see what next semester will bring. I am thrilled to finally have a break and to take some time to re group.  Reflecting has definitely helped me realize how lucky I truly am. 

Xoxo
mQs

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Brain Break

This week has been more chaotic than I was expecting it to be.  Classes were cancelled yesterday and exams today were cancelled both due to snow.  This is great more time for studying. NO- it just makes this week more complex than it needs to be.  My class that I was supposed to have yesterday is now Friday and my exam that I was supposed to have today is now Saturday afternoon.  Anyways, the whole point of me telling you this is that the posts I have scheduled for this week are not written yet so I am changing things up!

I thought everyone could use a little brain break.   This video is hysterical!  Take five minutes and enjoy a little humor! If the video doesn't work click here.

Xoxo
mQs

Monday, December 9, 2013

Coffee


Some people become coffee lovers at a young age.  Some people discover it in high school, and others find their love for it while pulling all nighters at college.  I can say I'm not really any of those people.  I honestly am not a coffee lover.  The caffeine doesn't really do much for me, and I cannot stand the after taste of it.  With all this said, I do enjoy coffee, but I can proudly say I am not a coffee addict.  

I started drinking coffee about a year or two ago thanks to my boyfriend, tDn.  He loves his daily cup(s) of coffee.  Especially when someone else makes it for him!  Anyways, one day he had me try his coffee, and this is when I discovered I actually liked it!

I absolutely love the smell of coffee.  Some of my favorite candle scents are coffee.  When it comes to drinking coffee I like cream and sugar, lots of it!  Rarely do I sip on hot coffee, I prefer it iced.  My favorite is Dunkin Doughnuts' Iced Caramel Latte without whipped cream.  I also like to make my own iced coffee at wawa using their hot french vanilla blend.  

At this point in the semester you can find most college students with a cup of coffee in their hands.  Everyone is cramming for finals and putting the finishing touches on their last few papers, projects, and presentations. 

How do you like your coffee?

xoxo
mQs

Friday, December 6, 2013

Blogging Tips

Every new blogger is always looking for new tips and tricks on how to make their blog better.  I've been blogging for eleven months now, and I am definitely still trying to make my blog much better than it currently is.  I love reading the tips that fellow bloggers provide. 

Recently a friend of mine reached out to me about wanting to start a blog, and how I started The Shore Life According to M. Here are a few tips I gave to her:

one: Follow blogs for awhile to see what bloggers you do and do not enjoy following
two: Identify what you like about your favorite blogs.
three: Think of a name that has a strong meaning to you.
four: Reach out to more experienced bloggers.  I still email some of my favorite, established, bloggers for help.
five: When writing posts, be original.  Write about things that mean something to you. Don't just write a post because you think people will enjoy reading it.
Six: It is not about the money.  You should blog because it is something you enjoy.
Seven: Don't compare your blog to others who have been established for a long time. Blogging is like learning to ride a bike.  You are not going to be perfect right from the start.
Eight: Once you have created your blog, create social media for your blog (or incorporate it into the social media you already have).  Promoting your blog will help it become more successful.
Nine: Realize that blogging is time consuming.  You will have to spend a large amount of time in order to get your blog up and running.
Ten: Be sure to do blog link ups, contests, guest posts, etc. with other bloggers.

These are some great links for blogging tips:

Where do you get your blogging advice from?
Xoxo
mQs






Thursday, December 5, 2013

How Pinteresting

Blogmas Day 4!


Pinterest can be quite dangerous.  If you have never been on it, I'm warning you it might consume you for hours.  This website has everything from fashion and food to crafting and home decor.  I can spend hours on here.  Pinterest keeps me from never being bored.  It supplies me with crafting inspiration, organization tips, new apps, fashion, new recipes, and so much more!  I am always looking for new boards to follow, so I'm sure you are too.

Here are some boards that I enjoy following.
Preppy:  Of course I follow tons of preppy fashion boards. I just love to see what other people wear.  Plus, it gives me some inspiration on new outfits to create.  


Mich: This is a board that my mom has just for me. Anything she thinks I might like she pins here.  I frequently look at this board.  Like me, my mom is also a huge pinterest fan.  It is fun to have somebody who knows you so well pick things out for you.  This just changes things up a little bit.  I highly recommend you try this with somebody who knows you well! 

Productivity & Organization: This board from Levo League has tons of tips and pictures on staying organized.  They also have a ton of other neat boards.  I always find useful things here. 
 College : This board is actually one of sorority sister's.  She has tons of tips for writing papers, decorating the dorm room, college snack, crafts, and much more pinned.  These are all incredibly useful.  I love following college boards, I always seem to find good study tips and some dorm inspiration here. 

Words: Quotes are always a good idea.  For me they can turn a bad day into a good one.  It's amazing what positive words can do for you.  This is one of the many quote boards I follow.

Be sure to check out some of my boards too!
Xoxo
mQs

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wednesday Words of Wisdom

Day Three of Blogmas!

A few words of wisdom to get you through the week. 


Beauty can be defined in so many different ways.  How people view your appearance.  The way your body appears.  What makeup you are wearing.  How kind you are to others.  What you have accomplished.  The confidence you have.  The smile you let everyone see.  How intelligent you are.  How you treat those who are around you.  The way you live your life.  How you live with your flaws.  The list could go on.

In today's society it is easy to get wrapped up in the misunderstanding that beauty originates from how others view you, what you wear, what your body looks like, who you are friends with, etc. However, there is so much more to true beauty than all of this. Tt is important to remember that beauty starts from within oneself and then moves outward for others to see.  You need to be comfortable and confident in who you are as a person.  This will then be evident in your behaviors for others to see your real beauty.  It is important to respect yourself and remember that others comments do not matter because as long as you feel good about yourself, then you really are beautiful.  


xoxo
mQs

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Study Tips: Surviving Finals Edition

Day 2 of Blogmas!

Yesterday I wrote a post about the end of the semester.  Well going off of that, I thought I would share with you some of my study tips and tools. In this post I have included some do and do nots, fun apps, and other study tools.

Do:

  • Use Note cards! They are extremely helpful when it comes to studying for exams.  I go through a significant amount of flash cards each semester.  These help with memorizing information.
  • Study in groups.  This is incredibly helpful.  If you are able to teach somebody else what you know this shows that you actually know what you are talking about.  Teaching others can also help you pin point aspects that you need to spend a little more time studying.  Also, your peers might be able to teach you their study tricks to remember difficult concepts.
  • Start studying now for your exams that are a week or two from now! The more time you spend with the material the better off you will be.
  • Attend review sessions and/or complete study guides if your professors offer them.
  • Re write your notes.  This also helps with memorization.  I like to re write my notes to organize them and color code them in a manner that makes sense to me.  Sometimes during lectures, professors bounce around with topics.  Also, this helps you remember parts of lectures that you tuned out.  
  • Use high lighters.  Color coding information  helps you associate related items together, making memorization that much easier. 

Don't:

  • Study for five hours straight.  Take brain breaks.  Study for an hour and take twenty minutes to do something like browse pinterest, workout, or watch an episode in your favorite TV series.
  • Don't multi task by texting, watching TV, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and studying at the same time.  This is not beneficial to you actually retaining the information you are reviewing. When you are studying, focus all of your attention on studying.
  • Don't just read over your notes.  Be sure to quiz yourself, this helps you identify what topics you need to spend more time studying.
  • Don't pull all nighters.  These will make you more tired for your exam.  If you make it through your exam, chances are you will crash later on when you should be preparing for your next exam.


Do you find yourself easily distracted by all of your social media, music, online shopping, pinterest, etc. when you are trying to study or write a paper.  Well, I have the solution to your problem!  I stumbled across this last semester, and it has helped me complete a significant amount of assignments much more time efficiently.   It is called the self control app.  This app allows you to block websites for however long you need to study or write a paper fo.  This app prevents you from being distracted.  To download it click here. It is free and definitely worth downloading!


These are some of the things that help me out when studying.  What works best for you?

xoxo
mQs

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Final Countdown

Welcome to the last two weeks of the semester.  Most college students are currently being loaded down with tons of work.  The last two weeks of the semester are the most stressful for the average college student.  This is because of the high volume of papers due, exams, and presentations that are being crammed in before the conclusion of each course.  No matter how organized one may be, everyone has at least one mini freak out point during this time period.  

Right now I am swamped with exams, projects, papers, Alpha Delta Pi initiation, Diamond Days, Pollyanna exchanges, and squeezing Christmas shopping in. So how do I stay organized?
 …Lists, lists, my Lilly agenda, and more lists.  I am a list maker!  


The first thing I do to keep myself sane is to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and my syllabus for each class. I write down every due date for assignments, papers, and projects and exam dates for each of my classes from now until the end of the semester. 

 I then go to my agenda that has all of my sorority and personal life dates in it, and I then add these to my long list of dates.  
From here I figure out when I should start each project, when to write and edit my papers, and when to start studying. 

 I then take all this and create a master list.   I then break things down on a daily basis and write reminders in my agenda on post it notes. 


 And finally this is the agenda that has my life in it.  I could not live without this planner.  It helps me keeps everything straight on what is due when, when and where I need to be, what my daily blog posts are, etc.

The biggest thing to staying sane when you have a million and one things going on simultaneously is just to stay organized and remember to take at least 30 minutes out of your day to do something that makes you happy. For me this is exercise, blogging, talking to a friend on the phone, or a quick Starbucks trip.

Also, today is my first Blogmas post. Remember to checkout Lindsey's posts too!

I hope you all have a relatively stress free conclusion to your semester!
xoxo
mQs

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Blogmas

Happy December everyone!

I'm participating in Linsey's,  from Lindsey's Thoughts, Blogmas link up.  You're probably thinking what is Blogmas? Well, it is blogging everyday from now until Christmas! Lindsey has a series of topics to blog about, if you are interested in participating.  The topics are optional, you can definitely participate and blog about your own topics too! If you have any questions email her at lmartthoughts@gmail.com 

Be sure to save the button above, place it in your blog,  check out Lindsey's Blog for more details.

Xoxo
mQs

November's Daily Inspiration

Last month, I started "Daily Inspiration". If you have not read October's inspiration, be sure go back and check it out. My positive spin on social media has seemed to have a great impact on people.  People have told me how it has made their day.  I even received a shout out at one of my chapter meetings last month for the positive impact that I have been making through social media.

November 4:
"Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it."
-Bill Cosby

November 5:
"Be curious not judgmental."

November 6:
"When you are a beautiful person on the inside, there is nothing in the world that can change that about you."

November 7:
"Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can."

November 8:
"You are not what has happened to you, but you are what you have chosen to become."

November 9:
"In order to move on with our future, we must forgive those who have wronged us in the past."
-Gossip Girl

November 10:
"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right and forget the one's who don't."

November 11:

November 12:
"No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart."

November 13:
"Start each day with a grateful heart."

November 14:
"If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that."

November 15:
"It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy."

November 16:
"You have to decide what's more important to you; keeping your pride and getting nothing, or taking a risk and maybe having everything."
- Daniel Humphrey-

November 18:
"Running away from your problems is a race you will never win."

November 19:
"What's meant to be will always find its way."

November 20:
"The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day."

November 24:
"Stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start focusing on what could go right."

November 25:
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimistic individual sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

November 29:
"Seek respect not attention, it lasts longer."

November 30:
"Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud."
-Maya Angelou-

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow me on twitter for some daily inspiration!
xoxo
mQs