Say My Name (and a Nashville update)

Hi friends, well I made it to Nashville! The network meetings begin this morning, and I am so excited to hear ideas to help improve my programs, get more participants, and just be an overall better advocate for youth development. Before I tell you about my first day here, I just want to thank those of you who congratulated me on my new position over the past few days. I love the support of the blogger network so much and even though (as you'll read further down) I started this blog purely for myself, almost as a time capsule of sorts, it's evolved into such amazing friendships. 

I apologize if this post looks a bit different than normal, I am attempting to use the iPads blogger app, and boy does it stink! 

Well, yesterday was pretty much just spent at the hotel. We arrived around noon, checked in, and ventured all around. This place is HUGE. 2,800 guest rooms, tons of gardens, pools, spas, restaurants, you name it! I don't think we need to leave for the full five days haha! If you want to get an idea of the magnitude, here is the website. Also, (since I can't really upload photos via the app) follow me on twitter (@megd_11) or Instagram (@megatronnn27) if you would like! 

Alright, now for the important part: my name. "Borrowed Heaven," anyone ever been able to guess the reference?? Well, it's a lyric from a song by The Corrs. This blog started exactly one month before I ended college in April 2011. I never intended to make it public, it was a "photo a day" memory book for me. A lot of things were changing in my life: ending college, starting a new job, moving, etc, and I wanted to remember every minute of it. So, I started taking photos, you can go back and look if you want, but I promise it's really boring haha. I didn't even tell Mike about it for probably a few months. I finally made it public by joining "20 Something Bloggers" in the spring of 2012 where I found a few cute blog hops, and I have been making friends ever since! :)
Okay, back to The Corrs. The song is called "Summer Sunshine" and my favorite line is, "to sweet beginnings and bitter endings, in coffee city we borrowed heaven." And that's how I felt at the time I started this blog, I was so sad to see college end, but so happy to be moving in with Mike and starting this new chapter in my life! Here is a link to the only version of the song I could listen to on mobile, but you should find the original and listen to that, it's so much better! 
So there you have it! Oh, one last thing, you might notice my domain is actually "myborrowedheaven," well, simply "borrowedheaven" was taken but I still liked it better for the title. 

Products I'm Loving

Like I mentioned in my weekend update, on Friday, I got a fantastic email that I was officially approved as an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program Director!  Basically, I am doing the exact same job as before, but we will be creating more "Girls Only" projects/events for our female participants [which now are only about 28%, but we hope to get up to 50% soon!].

Well, I was VERY excited, so on my lunch break, I went to Target and bought myself a couple of things I've been looking at/for.  And bonus, I have a Target RedCard, so I get 5% off everything [woot woot!]. 

Everything kind of fit into two categories: beauty & food.

First the beauty products: OPI 'Are We There Yet" [and it was 50% off!!], Vaseline Spray & Go, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control, Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer

It's been less than a week, but so far, the nail polish is lovely, the Vaseline spray lotion isn't greasy and smells fresh, the face wash seems to really clean my skin, [remember that time I thought that great minty skin wash would work for my skin frustrations? well, I was wrong, but this one seems good and more thorough], and I actually bought the right concealer shade for my face - yay!

Food products: Mega Stuf Oreos, Freeze Dried Strawberry Slices, Milky Way Simply Caramel Bunnies, and a napkin holder [on clearance!!]

OH MY GOSH, THE OREOS ARE THE GREATEST THING EVER - the perfect amount of cookie and cream, you can see more about the strawberries here - which are amazing, I love caramel so they bunnies are delicious, and the napkin holder is a little short, but it was cheap!

the OPI polish and Oreo :)

Yummmmm

Speaking of things I'm loving, I thought I would throw in a couple of other things I've been loving - mostly videos: 
- Michelle Obama's Awesome Mom Dance with Jimmy Fallon
- The Real Models Behind the Archer Characters
- "We Saw Your Boobs" - Seth MacFarland at the Oscars, 
- I Want To Be Jennifer Lawrence's Best Friend and with Jack Nicholson!
- The Les Mis Cast Performance at the Oscars [I downloaded the soundtrack for my trip tomorrow!!]

Alright, I am off to Nashville!  I hope to update y'all with my travels when I get down there, but if not, I will talk to you next week!

Weekend Update

This weekend was great!  I hope you all had a wonderful couple of days too :)

Friday was a crazy long, 14-hour day with half of it spent in an elementary school teaching golf and the other half spent prepping/running a Girls Night Out like we had a few weeks back.  I am SO EXCITED to announce that my office/site has officially been recognized as an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf facility and I'm the new program director.  If you search around on their websites under sites in Connecticut, you'll see my info!

Little models!

 

Yummmm

Saturday, Mike and I went to RI to visit my parents and sister!  We enjoyed way too much RI food - much of which I can't wait to share on the first "Hometown Hop" in a week or so and visited my kitties.  My mom also made a cake for Mike's upcoming birthday!  We drove back early in the evening [because there was supposed to be snow] and finished watching season 3 of 24. 

with Robbie and Stan

Yes, that is my childhood bedroom... with the same brass bed I've had all my life haha

On Sunday, Mike took me out on a brunch date.  We went to Panera and then to see Identity Thief.  It was such a good movie!  [I already loved Michael Bluth and Sookie St. James ;) ] When we got back, we cuddled, played iPad games, watched the Matchplay World Golf Championship - congrats, Matt Kuchar - and the Oscars! 

via

flannel, Phase 10, and Roxy kind of afternoon

Linking up with these great parties!  

And how did I remember to link up this week, you ask?? Well, I might just be working on a post with my favorite link ups for every day of the week so you can stay on top of things [like I never am]! 

Look for that post tomorrow :)

Sunday Social [Middle/High School]

I actually don't think I've done Sunday Social before! I see it all over other friends' blogs, and I love reading them, but I really love Scavenger Hunt Sunday, so I just haven't had time to do both.  However, this week the Hunt seemed more baby/kids oriented AND I loved the questions for Sunday Social, so I decided to link up.  Coincidentally, before I even knew about the Social questions, I made a "high school yearbook vlog," so, if these questions aren't enough for you about my embarrassing years, you should check that out!

1. What was your biggest middle school fashion mistake?
Definitely the tail end of Limited Too clothes I should have left in elementary school.

2. Who were your best friends in high school? Pics?

Well, Katie was my best friend through ALL of growing up, but other than that, I would have to say everyone in this photo from prom.  I'm still great friends with about half of them!

Me and Katie: Halloween in 3rd grade and high school graduation

[I'm the one in the front in the white dress]

3. What was a typical weekend like for you in high school?

I would have to say at least one day was either occupied by a swim meet or golf tournament, and my free time was spent hanging out with my friends at the beach or Tim Horton's [no, I'm not from Canada].

I'm the angry one in the light blue cap who was probably about to swim butterfly.

Before the golf team's senior night.

Me and my beautiful sister - at Tim Horton's and the beach, respectively.

4. Did you have any boyfriends/girlfriends? Tell us about that.

Well, I had my first boyfriend in 6th grade and a few through middle and high school.  The guy next to me in the prom photo [in the pink Vera Bradley tie] was my boyfriend through most of high school and into college.

5. Did you have any secret codes with your friends? Spill your secrets!

I can honestly say, I don't really remember.  I do remember a lot of email correspondence in technology and computer classes when we were supposed to be "working" on "projects."  Oh, and of course AIM.  If you are on Twitter, you NEED to follow @YourAwayMessage.  Seriously, it is like middle/high school all over again.

6. If you could relive one day/moment/experience from middle school or high school, what would it be?

I think there are two: middle school teen nights at the YMCA or our 10th grade trip class trip to DC.  Too bad there aren't photos from Teen Night, but I did find a few photos from the DC trip when I was home this weekend.  Along with the ones Christine sent me recently, I can guarantee not a single 10th grader took a photo ANY monument/museum/anything of importance.  But of course, there are tons of photos on the bus, in our rooms, and of ticket stubs.  For some real photos of DC, check out our visit last weekend.

Leah, Gianna, Christine with me in front [in red]

Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, I went on a "Pinterest"-ing spree recently and pinned far too many desserts.  [Follow me there!]  They all looked SO GOOD but A. I didn't have all of the ingredients for any of the recipes B. I didn't feel like going grocery shopping [aka spending $40 when I would intend on only buying one thing - does anyone else do that when they go to the store??], and C. I hadn't made my own recipe creation in a LONG time.

Many of you already know my love of chocolate chip cookies, but here is a new one to add to the list!

This recipe was the one on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse morsels bag with a few modifications.

1. I used my lactose-free recipe, replacing the butter with butter-flavored Crisco and water.  If you have never tried this Crisco, you should - it makes everything so much buttery-er [yeah, I made that a word].

2. Instead of the flour, add 2 1/4 cups of your favorite yellow cake mix.

3. Cut the baking soda and salt in half.

4. Use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

5. Add 1/2 cup sprinkles.

6. Refrigerate the dough before scooping into heaving tablespoons on the ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees. [They will look slightly uncooked - they're still done!]

Don't forget to add the water with the butter Crisco!

 The top is what they look like when you take them out and the bottom is how they sink after 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, out of the oven. 

After 3 batches, I got them right - on the right!

Insta-Friday [cats, golf, and pretty things]

It's been a great week in Connecticut!  [But if you aren't into any of the three things in the subtitle, this post might bore you - I'm sorry!]  There has been a lot of kitty-loving, golf on tv [the match play is probably my favorite tournament of the year], and some left over Valentine's Day pretty-ness!

If you are still reading, there's a 1 in 3 chance you stuck around for the kitties.  If that's the case, you should read my guest post on Rima's blog today!

Our backyard last night - I love our stream and all the little animals out there

[except for when they're skunks...]

pretty nails [after I repainted them, of course] and making my picks for the match play on my day off!

National Love Your Pet Day!

It was a rainy/windy/bitter afternoon - perfect for some pretty IKEA candles.

Loving my roommate's family's new kitten!

My boy Charles Howell III beat Tiger Woods last night in the match play!!  This was my #tbt this week - a wrinkled photo and glove I've kept in a plastic bag in my golf bag since it was taken in 2002 on Hilton Head Island.

Cat Antics [Part 4]

I just looked back and it's been a while since I posted funny photos of Roxy.  In fact,  I haven't done it since Merp moved in this past summer.  Even though Merp has a good 6 or 7 pounds on Roxy, she is definitely the dominant cat and starts the play fights all the time haha.

Here's what she's been up to lately:

She needs more darts!

We made Merp a fort, and she took it for herself.

She loves to cuddle under the covers with me. 

And play iPad games.

Balancing on the toilet?

Oh, and don't think Merp hasn't been doing some crazy stuff too.  A few months back, I started a YouTube series, "Merp loves..." for my roommate,  and so far, here is what I have caught on camera: Merp Loves Food, Merp Loves His Tail, Merp Loves Milk, Merp Loves Plastic Bags, and Merp Loves His Blanket.  

And with regard to the last video, after an hour of tugging around in the blanket, he ends up like this:

I swear, we are not awful cat parents that let them do whatever they want.  Our house is not overtaken by our animals and as soon as we take these photos/videos, we make them stop.  Parents, you know you laugh at your kids before you discipline them sometimes, right???