Steph Drahozal

5 Books to Read in December

2017-12-05T07:09:00.005-08:00

It’s December, it’s starting to get cold, and it’s the perfect time to snuggle up in front of a fireplace and read a good book.

I’ve got a whole list of books I want to read, but here are 5 I’ve heard good things about (and are all under $13!) if you guys are looking for your next read! Does anyone have any to add to this list?

1. “In a dark, dark wood” by Ruth Ware, $8.99

What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods.

2. "Leaving Time" by Jodi Picoult, $12.33

For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest: Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons, only to later doubt her gifts, and Virgil Stanhope, the jaded private detective who’d originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.

3. The Secret Life of CeeCe Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain, $9.78

In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.

CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she knows what happened to her missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies.

4. "Pretty Girls" by Karen Slaughter, $12.79

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

5. "Luckiest Girl Alive" by Jessica Knoll, $10.50

As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

10 Charities Matching Donations this #GivingTuesday

2017-11-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hot on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday where we were shopping for deals, Christmas gifts, and maybe picking up a few things for ourselves along the way... we have #GivingTuesday. It's a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration that takes place every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It kicks off the year-end charitable season and encourages people to make donations with many different campaigns. Matching gifts are my favorite, because your impact is DOUBLED. If you donate $50, you will essentially be donating $100!

Want to make an impact and give back this #GivingTuesday? Here are 10 of my favorite charities that are matching donations until midnight:

World Food Program USA: WFP works to end global hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Their #GivingTuesday goal is to raise $288,000 to cover an entire day of airdrops in South Sudan. Children there who have somehow survived a brutal civil war, are also dying of starvation. People in South Sudan often walk for a day or more to reach the WFP food distribution points. They travel long distances for a reason. Help is on the way - emergency airdrops of lifesaving food. Each airdrop conducted by WFP can feed approximated 2,000 people for a month.

International Rescue Committee: IRC responds to the world's most humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Recently, their focus has been on all the refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Right at this very moment, we are witnessing innocent refugees fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh at a rate not seen since the Rwandan genocide. Your donations (that are being matched 3X) can provide refugees with emergency medical care, psychological support, protection for women and girls, and other vital services.

EarthJustice: EarthJustice is the largest nonprofit environmental law organization that leverages their expertise and commitment to fight for justice and advance the promise of a healthy world for all. EarthJustice attorneys are currently fighting to keep wildland from being sold to the coal industry, to keep our ocean habitat free of oil rigs, and to make sure our national treasures are not turned into uranium mines.

Best Friends Animal Society: For over 30 years, Best Friends Animal Society has been running the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and building effective programs that reduce the number of animals entering shelters.

Project HOPE: Project HOPE delivers essential medicines and supplies, volunteers and medical training to prevent disease, promote wellness, respond to disaster and save lives around the globe. With all the recent natural disasters, there couldn't be a better time to give to this organization, especially because they are matching your gift 5X today!

GlobalGiving: GlobalGiving is the largest global crowdfunding community connecting nonprofits, donors, and companies in nearly every country. They help nonprofits access the tools, training, and support they need to be more effective and make our world a better place. For #GivingTuesday, they are raising money for victims of Hurricane Harvey. You can donate to help with long-term recovery, psychological support for victims, to the local food bank, etc. The choice is up to you, and all your gifts will be matched. (It's supporting charities such as World Vision, the Humane Society, Houston Food Bank, Texas Diaper Bank, and more).

Action Against Hunger: Action Against Hunger is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger. This year for #GivingTuesday they are running a campaign to crowdfund a nutrition center in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, South Sudan.

So Others Might Eat: SOME is a local charity that exists to help the poor and homeless people of our nation's capital. They serve with food, clothing, and health care. They offer services such as affordable housing, job training, treatment addiction, and counseling.

Special Olympics: Special Olympics transforms lives through the joy of sport. They are the world's largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities: with more than 4.9 million athletes in 172 counties and over a million volunteers.

American Cancer Society: Obviously a cause near and dear to my heart. Donations to the American Cancer Society help fund cancer research, detection and prevention, patient support, and more.

Please consider making a donation (or two) and helping others less fortunate. They need our help!

Things to do in NOVA: November 2017 Edition

2017-11-09T13:20:00.001-08:00

The weather is getting chilly, the leaves are changing colors, people are stretching their stomachs getting ready for Thanksgiving - you know what that means - it’s officially Fall!

Looking for some fun activities in the NOVA/DC area this month? I’ve got you covered, check out these 6 things going on:

1. Emporiyum DC: Happening THIS weekend! Join me (no really, I’ll be there) for a one-of-a-kind food marketplace featuring the tastiest treats from around the country. Discover delicious foods and purchase thoughtful gifts and top-quality products from a lineup of artisans you won’t find anywhere else. There’ll be tunes from a DJ, plus sips and samples.

Date: November 10-12
Location: Union Market, DC

2. City of Fairfax Holiday Craft Show: The 32nd annual Holiday Craft Show will feature artisans from all over the US, including many local artists, and will showcase some wonderful holiday gift choices for everyone.

Date: November 18-19
Location: Fairfax High School, VA

3. Chick’s Picks Holiday Gift Pop Up Boutique: Another great place to get some unique holiday gifts, however this one is a little more tailored to women. A 3,000 square foot Holiday Boutique with over 70 designer's treasures.

Date: November 16-19
Location: Maison Warehouse in Sterling, VA.

4. 59th Annual Holiday Shops: Shopping for a Cause: A great way to holiday shop AND give back! Funds raised at the event support the Junior League of Washington’s ongoing efforts to improve the Washington, DC community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers and by awarding annual grants to local nonprofits.

Date: November 18-19
Location: Union Market, DC

5. Sunset Hills Anniversary Weekend: Celebrating 9 years as an Authentic Virginia winery, Sunset Hills is hosting a full weekend of award-winning wine, live music, food, events, and more.

Date: November 18-19.
Location: Sunset Hills Winery.

6. Gretchen, stop trying to make “Fetch” happen. Check out Mean Girls’s World Premiere Prior To Broadway.

Date: Now through December 3rd
Location: National Theatre DC

Let me know if you end up going to any of these events! Would love to hear about them.

Hurricane Harvey: How You Can Help

2017-08-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Harvey has already dropped 49 inches of rain in Houston, TX and has broken the all-time Texas rainfall record from a tropical storm or hurricane. It's only 3 inches from the all-time U.S. rainfall record from a tropical cyclone, which was 52 inches from Hurricane Hiki in Hawaii in 1950. Last I heard today, the death toll has risen to 14 people. The people of Texas desperately need our help. Are you feeling helpless sitting at your desk while all these people are suffering and losing their homes?

The good news is that you can help. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, the Salvation Army, Heart to Heart International and more have set out to help the people of Texas.

Here are some ways you can contribute:

You can help by sending a simple text "HARVEY" to 90999 or make a donation through iTunes to the Red Cross.

You can schedule a Green Drop pickup to donate your clothing, shoes and household goods that will be converted into funds for the Red Cross. All you have to do is bag up the clothes you don't want, schedule a pickup, leave them on your front porch and Green Drop takes care of the rest!

Donate to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to support recovery and relief efforts. Initially, the fund will help first responders meet survivors' immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relief work is complete, the fund will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted organizations in the Gulf Coast.

Make a donation or sign up to volunteer through Samaritan's Purse.

Donate to the Salvation Army, and then to see how your donations are being put to use in the field, the organization provides disaster updates as well.

Concert Critique: Wrabel

2017-02-17T12:43:00.006-08:00

Concert Critique: Wrabel

On Monday night (Feb 13th), I got to get up close and personal to the man that belts out “11 Blocks.” I had the pleasure of seeing Wrabel at Jammin Java! Boy do I love this venue. I love the intimate setting, how close you are to the performer, the quick access to food and drink, the convenient location, and the cheap tickets.

This was Wrabel’s first stop on his first ever headlining tour. It’s a short tour, only really lasting a couple of months. With it being his first show, he was very honest and open with us about how slightly unprepared he was (lol). It was just him and his guitar, not one lick of background music or any other instruments. He was witty, raw, and had real conversations with us. It was a pretty small crowd, even for Jammin Java, but it gave us the opportunity to really get to know him on a personal level. He told us stories about himself, his love life, his good times and his heartbreaks, the meaning behind his songs, and more. When he was talking with us (which he did a lot), he really opened up to us like a bunch of friends. But after he was done talking, he was able to flip a switch and turn into one of the most passionate singers with one of the best voices I have ever heard. After each song, he had a huge smile on his face and was so humbled and surprised that we either knew his song or liked it. It was so surprising, you’d think someone with such an amazing voice would know it!

He also had a great opening act, Jesse Ruben. He played with just one other guy and their two guitars. He was also hilarious, constantly poking fun at himself and making the crowd laugh out loud. The evening was filled with both music and comedy. A great way to spend a Monday night!

2016 in a Nutshell

2017-01-06T07:24:00.005-08:00

2016 was quite a year! I started a new job, went snow tubing for the first time, got food poisoning for not only the first but also the second time, watched my Hokie football team win twice in person, went to several Caps games, loved and lost beautiful people, celebrated my Aunt Shelly's MAR Presidential Installation, went to my second Cvent Holiday Party, ran in two 5Ks, got my first flat tire, saw many concerts (including Adele, Justin Bieber, and Florida Georgia Line), had many wine nights, tried lots of new restaurants, hiked with my girl Taylor during her Appalachian Trail thru-hike, went to my first Renaissance Festival, saw Adam Sandler live, attended some beautiful weddings, celebrated some wonderful engagements, filmed two mannequin challenges, went to many wineries and breweries, kayaked on the Potomac River, saw a Broadway musical in DC, went skydiving (again!), and traveled to some awesome places including Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Lake Anna (many times), Ocean City (several times), Pennsylvania (twice), and Colorado (twice).

Skydiving for the second time

Claire's Bachelorette Party in Nashville

Drinking wine on the Lincoln Memorial steps

Snow tubing at Wintergreen

VT Homecoming

Belk Bowl in Charlotte

One of many wine nights

Hiking the AT with Taylor

Andrew and Meagan Goldin's wedding

Ridiculous Obstacle Course 5K

Colorado; January 2016

Ben and Mary Hamrick's wedding

Megan and Joe Reeder's wedding

Cvent Holiday Party 2016

Colorado; November 2016

Shelly's Installation in Ocean City

I’m looking forward to 2017! I have a feeling it’s going to be a good year! Happy New Year to all! Hope it's a happy and healthy one xoxo

Christmas Activities in DC 2016

2016-12-05T12:20:00.001-08:00

Looking for something fun to do around DC to celebrate Christmas? I’ve got some ideas! Check out these fun places to holiday shop, see Christmas lights, and eat delicious food:

Dec. 9 & 10

Rosslyn Holiday Market + Bonfire

Check out the Rosslyn holiday market showcasing over 25 local and renowned vendors who will be offering a full variety of unique and high quality gifts. Along with the market there is also a Great Chocolate Race, Gingerbread Houses Workshop, and more!

December 17; 11 am

The Ugly Sweater Run at RFK Stadium

Rummage up the Ugliest Sweater you can find and celebrate the holidays by participating in the Merriest 5K of the year. This is a perfect way to burn some calories, have some fun and immediately replace those calories with a warm hot chocolate, and a Kahlúa cocktail. $30 to register.

December 17 - December 31
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at The National Theatre

One of my family's Christmas traditions is to watch The Grinch, and now we have the opportunity to see it live! Discover the magic of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas,” The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Tickets are $48-108.

November 18, 2016 - January 8, 2017

Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Garden

Bring the family to enjoy the magical Winter Walk of lights at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. The garden is transformed into a half-mile, animated walk of lights. After your walk, feel free to hang around and roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate by the fire. Tickets are $12 per adult.

Thanksgiving - Just after New Year's Day

Bull Run Festival of Lights

Want to see some Christmas lights but don’t want to get out of your car and walk around? You can experience the Bull Run Festival of Lights in the comfort and warmth of your car. Enjoy 2.5 miles of illuminated holiday light displays. Cost is $15-20 per car.

November 24 - January 2

Season’s Greenings: National Parks and Historic Places at the Botanic Gardens
Throughout the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, they will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, including displaying one of the largest indoor trees decked out with ornaments from national parks. In this year's model train show, the trains will chug around through and above plant-based recreations of more than 50 iconic national parks and historic places. This event is FREE!

Black Friday - New Year's Eve
The Christmas Pop-Up Bar, Miracle on 7th Street
Dig into the Christmas spirit at the DC Christmas Bar! Hang out and sip on a “Gretchen, Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen” cocktail and munching on a Thanksgiving Sandwich and some “Schweddy Balls.” The bar and drinks are decked out in holiday decor. Cocktails are all about $13.

Christmas Day

Tired of cooking a big meal on Christmas day and want to let someone else do the work? Try out these special Christmas day meals in DC:

Teddy and the Bully Bar - Indulge in an unlimited carving station with turkey, ham, salmon, prime rib + sides for $60 a person.

America Eats Tavern - Head in for brunch from 7am-2:30pm to enjoy foods such as pig jambalaya, cranberry glazed Brussels sprouts, and shrimp and grits. $65 per adult and $25 per child.

Blue Duck Tavern - Enjoy a three-course feast from 11:30am-8:30pm with foods including apple cider-glazed ham with maple bourbon jus and wood oven-roasted duck breast with spiced farm honey. $110 per adult.

Muze - Love family style dinners? Head to Muze from noon-7pm to enjoy a family style meal that includes roast rib eye, cauliflower gratin, roasted root vegetables, Yule log cake, and Christmas cookies. $65 per adult, $35 per child.

Juniper - Juniper will offer their regular breakfast on Christmas morning, as well as a four-course dinner with an optional wine pairing. Dinner features carrot ginger soup, roast pumpkin and burrata, prime rib, and cranberry almond cake. $75 per person, and an additional $45 for a wine pairing.

My favorite holiday!

2016-11-30T09:08:00.002-08:00

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. We always host at my Dad’s house in Herndon, so it’s nice to not have to travel too far. It’s a holiday filled with family, friends, food, drinks, and games - what more could you ask for?

We’ve added a few traditions over the past few years, one of them being a morning Turkey Trot. We run in the Ashburn Farm 10K/5K which benefits the continued education for Ugandan children who live in poverty. The first year we all ran the 10K, and then realized that was a bit aggressive. This year we all took it down a notch and ran the 5K, but hey it still made me feel a lot better about all the carbs I was about to consume. Melissa and Tom and the boys were able to join us before they headed to Melissa’s dad for Thanksgiving (bummed not to have them with us for the dinner portion for the first time in years!), and we got to run alongside the adorable boys in their jogger.

After the run, we made ham and egg bagel thin sandwiches with mimosas before we got ready for the rest of our family to join us. Once my aunt, uncle and grandma came, out came the snacks and the rest of the drinks. While snacking, we prepared the rest of the Thanksgiving meal. This year it consisted of: turkey and stuffing made by Pops, cranberry sauce and bacon mac and cheese made by Swiss Chris, mashed potatoes made by Shelly & Ken, deviled eggs made by Mor Mor, green bean casserole and brussels sprouts made by Yours Truly. Everyone has their classic dishes that they make every year, so they have all been truly perfected.

Shelly & Ken's Mashed Potatoes!

Cranberry Sauce!

Left to right:
Crescent rolls, green bean casserole, stuffing, brussels sprouts, bacon mac and cheese, turkey

My plate :)

During dinner is wine, and after dinner we break out the real drinks. I started a new tradition last year of making a Thanksgiving sangria, so I made my second annual Thanksgiving Apple Cider Sangria this year. I only planned on making two batches but it was enjoyed so much that I ended up making four!

And of course you add in the fruit to each individual glass, I just got too eager to take a picture...

After dinner is lay down and let your stomach rest for about 20 minutes time, until the rest of the fun continues when the neighbors join. This year the Goldins, Karims, and Capsalis’s joined. We may have had a little bit of dessert to follow… Anna made some banging desserts! She made a pecan pie cheesecake, a brownie peanut butter pie, and a pumpkin crunch. We also had a pumpkin loaf and pumpkin, apple, pecan, cherry, and chocolate mousse pies (thanks everyone for the contributions!). People asked if we had a baking competition LOL no we just really like dessert…

The rest of the evening consisted of a mannequin challenge, Justin Bieber serenading, Chardonnay-nay-ing, the stanky leg, dance competitions, cheer and step routines, Heads Up playing, and singing songs from our good ole Dranesville Dragon days in addition to some very patriotic ballots. Let’s just say things got a little out of control, as they do most Thanksgivings. Thanks to all that came and made this Thanksgiving a BLAST! We missed those of you who couldn’t make it, mark your calendars now for next year! :)

The Election is over - What can you do now?

2016-11-16T12:09:00.002-08:00

On November 9, 2016, Donald Trump was elected as the next President of the United States.

On that Wednesday, the feeling that overwhelmed me was shock. I was confident that Hillary would win. I thought it was going to be a close race, but I thought she was going to pull it off. And so did most of America.

Commuting into DC that morning, the metro was quiet. The city was solemn. We were ready to celebrate the first female President. We were ready to see that glass ceiling shattered.

My heart immediately went out to those with disabilities, the LGBTQ community, minorities and women. I couldn't stop thinking about the disappointment and fear they must be feeling.

That morning my colleagues and I gathered in our office kitchen to watch Hillary give her concession speech. I was surrounded by people in disbelief, distress, and tears.

A lot has been said about this election, and especially over this past week. With that being said, I don’t feel the need to talk too much more about my feelings on the president-elect, but I would like to share one reminder and two quotes that really stuck out to me.

The reminder is: Not all Republicans are the same. Not all Democrats are the same. Not everyone classifies themselves as a Republican or Democrat, or believes in every value of these parties. Not all Trump or Clinton supporters are the same. No two people are the same. Let's remember this, not discriminate, and be kind to each other.

“Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We're not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country.” - President Barack Obama

"Never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it." - Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.

We are #BetterTogether. I do believe that love trumps hate. I do believe that we need to stick together as Americans.

I also believe that we shouldn’t stop fighting for what we believe in. Just because who I voted for didn’t win, doesn’t mean I’m going to stop fighting for the causes that I believe in.

So, my main point of this post is to say that just because the election is over, and the next president has been chosen, does not mean that we are helpless and should stop fighting. We live in America, we are never hopeless. We can always do our part to make a change. Look for ways to get involved, whether it is volunteering locally or donating to your favorite causes.

In honor of the election, I donated to the following charities that I feel passionate about:

Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Earth Justice

Special Olympics Virginia

Herndon Young Life

Ronald McDonald House DC

Now get out there and do your part! Stand up for what you believe in and never let anyone get in your way.

Concert Critique: Adele

2016-10-13T07:41:00.002-07:00

Let’s start off with a fun fact: 25 sold more albums in one week than Taylor Swift's 1989 sold in one year.

Basically, her album crushed records and had the single largest sales week in the history of Nielsen Music, which began tracking point-of-sale figures in 1991. That means Adele overpowered Eminem, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys at the height of their popularity.

With this being one of the most popular albums ever, this concert was a historic event.

And let’s just say, Adele did not disappoint. First off, we all know she has the voice of an angel, but she is also a doll. I really feel like I got to know her better after Tuesday night (yes we are now BFFs), but actually I think we would be great friends. She seems so chill and down to earth and like she doesn’t care what other people think. She was talking about how she was going to burp up her Nando’s Peri Peri during one of her songs and how her ass is so big when she twerks it hits her in the back of her head (LOL). She had us all howling. She could be half singer and half comedian! It’s crazy she says she has stage fright - she doesn’t seem it at all. I love someone who can be happy and also be able to poke at themselves. She is such a (seemingly) confident woman, and rightfully so.

I loved getting to know her a little better and learn more background on her songs. It gives a whole new meaning to songs when you know more about why/when/how they were written. Now I want to just sit and listen to all the words of every song and get that feeling… I’d definitely be crying within five minutes.

But we weren’t really there to see her comedy show (even though that was definitely a bonus), we were there to listen to one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. Her voice is just effortlessly beautiful. It seems to come so natural to her, and it takes every being of me to try to hit the notes she does, which I still do unsuccessfully. Some of her songs - they are so fun to belt out! But let’s just say I felt sorry for the people sitting next to me… One of them may or may not have plugged their ear at one point…

Overall, Adele put on a great concert. She had some cool stage effects, but really it was all about the music. She never changed outfits, there wasn’t much dancing besides her swaying to the songs, it was just pure music. And it was beautiful. She was a passionate performer and the songs were raw. It was everything you’d expect from a live Adele performance. Her sounding even better than she does on her CDs.

Mother's Day

2016-05-09T08:16:00.002-07:00

There’s something special about a mother’s bond with her child.

Every relationship is different, no two are the same. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a good (or any) relationship with their mom. I’m lucky to see so many great mother/child relationships amongst my family, friends, colleagues, and more. Mother’s Day is a great day to appreciate your moms and everything they do for you. I’m so glad so many people consider their mothers their best friends, and I know I did.

I’m grateful for all the women in my life who are moms, and so glad I got to celebrate a few of the moms in my family on Sunday. After watching Melissa raise Rhys & Knox since day one, I now have an even greater appreciation for moms :). I’m also thankful for all the women in my life who act as mother figures to me - and a special shout out to Lisa Karim who was been extra amazing to me over these past few years. Thank you for constantly checking in on me and for our much-needed girls nights! Also special shout out to my dad - so lucky to have you in my life.

With all that said, Mother’s Day is definitely one of the tougher days. I wish I could tell my mom in person how much I appreciated my 21 years with her, and how I wish we could have many more. When scrolling through social media, I love seeing everyone’s posts about their moms and how much they love them. In addition to all the “I love you's, I appreciate you's, you’re the best mom in the world's” I saw, one of the lines I saw several times really got me - “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You only get one mom; one mother/daughter relationship that is like none other. Without your mom, you don’t have that go-to person when you want to go shopping, get your nails done, go to happy hour, or have a wine and movie night. You don’t have that person to vent to, to get advice from, hear an honest opinion, or share a dumb story with that no one else would appreciate or probably even listen to. You don’t have that person who knows immediately when you’re upset and knows exactly what to say to cheer you up. You don’t have that person who knows you inside and out, sometimes seemingly better than you know yourself.

Mother’s Day is tough, but really it’s all the little things in life that make me miss her the most. Think of everything your mom does for you on a daily basis, how she’s been with you through thick and thin, and how you can always count on her. Never take any of that for granted, and appreciate her not only on Mother’s Day but every moment you share together.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins

2016-02-08T11:51:00.002-08:00

I recently made these chocolate banana muffins and let me say - they are delicious! And the best part- you don't have to feel guilty when you're eating them. These muffins are made without oil, sugar, or flour, and I replaced these ingredients with a couple superfood scoops of Shakeology. They are the perfect muffin for breakfast, a snack, or a healthy chocolatey dessert.

Total prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 18 minutes
Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
--3 ripe bananas
--2 eggs
--2 scoops chocolate Shakeology
--3/4 cup rolled oats
--2 tablespoons honey
--1/2 tsp cinnamon
--1 tsp baking powder
--1 tsp baking soda
--1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray or use liners.
2. Place all ingredients (except chocolate chips) into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Once mixture is smooth, mix in chocolate chips. I also save some to throw on top of the muffins.

4. Divide mixture evenly among 12 muffins. Bake for about 18-20 minutes (depending on your oven), or until toothpick comes out clean.

And if you're looking for more recipes or are interested in trying Shakeology, shoot me an email at stephdraz@beachbodycoach.com.

Recap of 2015

2016-01-07T19:36:00.001-08:00

2015 - another successful year in the books! What happened? Let's see...

First of all, I moved out! Of course I miss living with my family and roomie (Dad), but am really loving the Arlington life. And I got so lucky to live with three amazing gals!

Second, I traveled. A lot. And loved it.

I spent a couple weekends at my Aunt Shelly and Uncle Ken's condo in Ocean City, MD - thank you both so much for your hospitality and generosity!

I visited my Aunt Suzy and cousin Taylor in Colorado!

I went to Phoenix, AZ for the first time for a work trip. It was HOT.

I got to go back to Austin, TX!

I visited my family in PA twice!

And visited my family in New Jersey for the first time in way too long!

I visited Claire and Adam down in Delray Beach! And at the end of 2015, Claire and Adam got engaged!! So happy for the lovely couple - It's been a long time coming! :)

I went on a girls trip with Anna and Melissa to New Orleans! Crazy but fun city!

Annie and I took a spontaneous road trip to Raleigh, NC because we could!

I took a couple trips to Virginia Tech! It was a little weird visiting as an alumna, but always a good time.

I spent many beautiful weekends at Lake Anna!

I explored Annapolis and Baltimore-

I went to several Caps games!

And Nationals games!

And a Redskins game!

I went to a just a few concerts.....

My favorite of all time so far... Taylor Swift!

Taylor Swift

Train, The Fray, & Matt Nathanson

Trevor Hall

Mumford & Sons

Shania Twain & Gavin DeGraw

Needtobreathe & Switchfoot

Darius Rucker and Cassadee Pope

Toby Keith

Not pictured: Back to the 90s concert, Dan+Shay and Kelsea Ballerini.
If you can't tell, I love live music.

I hit up some beautiful wineries:

Bluemont Vineyards

Stone Tower Winery

Bull Run Winery

Two beautiful people - Daniel Shull and Allie Shull got married! I'm so glad we were able to help them celebrate their special day.

We welcomed a new member in to our family! Knox Michael Foley was born in July! I'm so happy for my cousins Melissa and Tom Foley and the now big brother, Rhys Foley!

Anna opened her own Target Express in Rosslyn! Such an awesome accomplishment - so proud of her!

I got to see some of my favorite people graduate. Congrats to these two and all the other grads!

Thank you to everyone who made 2015 a great year! Obviously there were many more good times (and some not so great times), but can't write them all in one post. And now I'm excited to see what 2016 holds! Bring on the new year.

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

2015-11-24T09:17:00.001-08:00

I'm not a huge cook, but I am pretty good with crockpots. Since it's almost Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share a crockpot chicken and stuffing recipe with you.

Disclaimer: This recipe is not as good as your homemade turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving (but it's still really gooood). This is better for a Friendsgiving when you're on a budget and want to make something easy and TASTY.

Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 box stuffing mix
Nonstick cooking spray
Crockpot

Instructions:

1. Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray

2. Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of your crockpot

3. Pour the dry stuffing mix on top of the chicken

4. Mix together the greek yogurt and cream of chicken soup in a separate bowl, then layer it on top of the stuffing.

5. Add anywhere from 1/2 - 1 cup of water to the mixture, depending on how moist (shudder) you like your stuffing.

6. Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for 7-8.

And that's it! So easy and delicious.

Tip: Fluff the stuffing about half way through to mix the ingredients together. And feel free to add any green beans, onion, celery, etc. if you want to get creative and add a little crunch! (Also this isn't the best picture of it - it tastes better than it looks! ha)

What is the 21 Day Fix and how do you plan for it?

2015-08-20T10:59:00.001-07:00

So what is the 21 Day Fix? And how does one go about it?

The 21 Day Fix is not another one of those diet fads, it’s a healthy eating and exercise plan that actually lets you eat! Only in just the right portions, so you don’t feel miserable and deprived, but actually CAN lose weight.

Foods are not off limits, it’s just all about portion control and easy 30 minute workout DVDs. The 21 Day Essential Kit comes with 7 color-coded containers for a different category of food to help you measure out just exactly how much you should be eating. You’ll never have to “eyeball” your portions again - if it fits in the container, you can eat it!

Combine the portion controlled eating with the 30 minute workouts, and that’s it! Only 30 minutes a day, and you’re done. And if you stick to this plan, you WILL see results.

So you’ve purchased the 21 Day Fix and are ready to get started. Now what?

I started by going through the booklet and highlighting all the foods under each container that I like the most, which was a great way to get started on my grocery list.

Once I did this, I combined them all into a long grocery list, and brought it to the store and chose the items from my list that were on sale to save myself some money!

Then, it’s all about meal prep! If you spend just an hour prepping on Sunday, you’ll have your meals ready to grab and go during the week and will have less of a chance of slipping up! Need some meal prep ideas? Check out my Pinterest board with tons of 21 Day Fix approved recipes: https://www.pinterest.com/stephdraz/21-day-fix-recipes/

Next step, create an eating plan for the day. With the eating plan, you’ll figure out how many calories you should eat a day and how many of each container. Once you know that, write out your containers for the day and how many are in each of your meals. Then you’ll know what you’re going to eat for the whole day and it’s so easy to follow and not slip up!

For example, you can see I planned out the containers and what I was going to eat for each meal, and I was still able to have Shakeology for breakfast, a turkey sandwich and veggies for lunch, fruit for a snack, and a salad with avocado and chicken for dinner. It was the perfect amount of food!

And it's perfect because Shakeology fits perfectly into the plan. It counts as only one red, and will help aid in your weight loss and give you all your daily nutrients. It also helps give you energy, keep you full, curb your cravings, the list goes on.

Lastly, make sure to schedule in time for your workouts. Luckily, they are only 30 minutes long and you don’t have to go to a gym so you don’t have to worry about the travel time. Schedule in your workouts like an appointment or meeting so that you plan your schedule around them.

As I said before, stick to this plan and you could lose 10 pounds in just 21 days! And it isn't weight that you will just gain back right away. This is a lifestyle change and you WILL see results. Feel free to send me an email at stephdraz@beachbodycoach.com if you're interested in trying this program or have any questions!

Concert Critique: Taylor Swift 1989 Tour

2015-08-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last month I attended the Taylor Swift concert at Nationals Park. How was it? Hands down one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to, if not the best. I think this was the first concert I’ve attended that wasn’t just about the music (which I LOVE), but also an entertaining show.

As we walked in to the stadium, we were handed glow wristbands. They didn’t glow at all until Taylor’s show started, then they would light up with the music. The crowd looked AWESOME with the lights all in sync. Definitely added another dimension to the experience.

Clare and I were so privileged to have amazing floor/field seats so we had an awesome view of Taylor and the surrounding crowd behind/around us.

She had three warm up bands (really making us wait…) – Shawn Mendez (who Clare and I had already seen at Jingle Ball and didn’t feel the need to see again), and Vance Joy who is adorable! He is so cute and was smiling the whole time. I could feel the joy radiating through him, and I also enjoyed his music. Lastly was Haim. Haim is a girl rock band made up of three sisters who all play guitar, drums, etc. and really get into their performance. One of the sisters even scared the sh** out of Clare and me with her freaky facial expressions.

Once Taylor came on stage, of course the crowd went wild. She is an amazing singer and performer and I have loved her music since she started. But now her now pop music on 1989 is amazing - so catchy as all of you know (and have heard her songs three billion times on the radio). She has an amazing voice, and sounds the same live as on her CDs, as well as mixing it up live to give it some variety. She created a few mashups throughout the show, including an Enchanted/Wildest Dreams mash up which are two of my favorite songs of hers put together - awesome! She is also talented with instruments including the guitar and piano – I love artists who can do it all.

Taylor was very interactive with the crowd – and she is hilarious. She was constantly giggling and making jokes, and even stayed positive when the crane-thing she was on broke and she thought she was going to be stuck up there for who knows how long. Finally when they fixed it she was like “Thank God they fixed it, I was pretending like I had a back-up plan for you all but really I didn’t at all.” She was very conversational with the crowd, and talked about herself and her personal life as well as giving fans encouragement and advice about life.

She has been having a special guest at all of her big concerts – she’s had Rachel Platten, her model friends (Gigi Hadid and Martha Hunt), the women’s soccer team (right after they won the World Cup!), and many others. For our show, she performed a duet of Royals with Lorde. It was pretty cool to see Lorde since she is a Grammy winning artist, and thankfully that’s the one song of hers I like, but I’m not her biggest fan so that wasn’t the best draw for me – but as I said it was still cool to see her perform.

Along with Taylor being cute and giggly, she was also SEXY. I was surprised with how hot she looked and her racy dance moves. I was thinking about how everyone used to make fun of her for not being able to dance, and you can tell she has definitely been taking some dance classes because she was killin’ it!

I also loved her backup dancers. For most of her songs it was just about a dozen hot men with bangin bodies and mooooves. They were really entertaining and fun to watch.

She played all the songs we wanted, most of them were from her 1989 album, but she also played Never Ever Getting Back Together and a rock version of Love Song. I would have loved to hear all of her old songs too but we obviously didn’t have time for that, she has way too many hits. But I was pleased that she played for a little over two hours. The show didn’t end until 11:45 pm!

In conclusion – Taylor Swift was full of energy and passion and gave the show every ounce of what she had. She’s filled with so many emotions, and they beamed through her for each of her different songs. She put on an AMAZING concert, and if you have the option to see her in concert – DO IT!

I'm a Beachbody Coach!

2015-07-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to quickly let you all know about something new I’ve started in my life. I am now a Beachbody health and fitness coach! I have always worked out and been active, but in recent years as I’m getting older and my metabolism is slowing down (sigh…), and I started and drinking and eating a little more than I should… and I needed to get my health and fitness back on track.
That’s when I discovered Beachbody.

I started with T25 workouts and then added in Shakeology. T25 is a set of workouts that are very similar to Insanity, but for only 25 minutes! I used to do Insanity, and those hour long workouts were, well, insane. These 25 workouts are the perfect amount of time and still such a tough workout. Shakeology is your daily dose of dense nutrition. It's a superfood-packed nutrition shake that tastes like dessert.

I have seen a huge change in my body, mind, energy level, and overall happiness. So I thought, if I’ve had such great success, why not share these *secrets* with my friends and family? Beachbody has tons of products ranging from T25 to Insantity to P90X to Shakeology and more, and there's something for everyone.

Beachbody has helped me lose weight and get to a happier place, while still maintaining the fun lifestyle I’ve always lived. If you’re interested in learning any more about Beachbody or the products, please reach out! I’d love to give you more info and help you get your healthy and happy lifestyle. And I'll be here to coach you through it every step of the way!

In the meantime, feel free to browse my site: www.beachbodycoach.com/stephdraz or send me an email at stephdraz@beachbodycoach.com

Happy healthy living!

Concert Critique: Train, The Fray, and Matt Nathanson

2015-07-07T12:59:00.003-07:00

As many of you have probably noticed, I love going to concerts. I love listening to live music, the energy from the crowd, the food and drink that accompany them.

After my most recent concert, I got in the car and started chatting about the show when my brother told me that I sound like a concert critic. Then I realized, why not critique the concerts? I go to so many; I have a lot to compare to. So I’ve decided to add Concert Critiques to my blog.

The most recent concert I attended was Sunday night (6/28) at Jiffy Lube Live. My brother and I bought my dad concert tickets for Father’s Day. We saw Matt Nathanson, The Fray, and Train (in that order)!

What did I think of the concert? It was amazing! All three artists were so good. I probably would have gone to see any of these three individually, so when I found out they were touring together it was a no brainer!

Matt Nathanson is definitely an entertainer. He not only has a great voice, but also throws in some dance moves and jokes. He likes to chat with the crowd and get them engaged with him by clapping, singing, etc. This was my second time seeing Matt (I also saw him at Wolftrap with Gavin DeGraw), and I find him hilarious.

The Fray was also great. I just love Isaac Slade’s voice. It’s so unique and powerful. I also love that he (as well as the other members of the group) played the piano and other instruments while singing. These people are real musicians.

Lastly, Train… Amazing. I forgot how many hits they have and how much I love their music. They admitted that after 21 years it’s hard to come up with a set list, and I can’t even imagine. With that being said, they did a great job of playing their top hits and a few others as well. I think I knew every single song but maybe one. They also had an awesome light show during their performance, which made it really appealing. Patrick Monahan not only has some PIPES on him, but also had a great drum performance at one point. They were just full of light and energy.

All three of these artists have amazing vocals and sounded just like they do on their CDs. All of them interacted with the crowd throughout, and even came out into the stands to give high fives and take selfies. I heard all of the songs I wanted to hear from all of them and wasn’t disappointed a bit.

I was also super thrilled with the experience at Jiffy Lube. This was our first time paying for premiere parking and I HIGHLY recommend it. We paid $35 in cash when we got there (normally you should buy them in advance but by the time we learned about the option advanced selling was over), and got primetime tailgating. We didn’t wait in any line and were in the parking lot and out of our car within five minutes. We were able to back up into a grassy area with a picnic table and use that for our tailgate. But the biggest advantage of this premiere parking was after the concert. We were able to stay for every song including the encore (usually I’d leave before/during the encore to beat the rush of people) and then head to the premiere lot which is closest to the entrance/exit. We had our own special exit with only the other premiere cars, so we were out in about 5 minutes. YEP I said it. Out of Jiffy Lube Live in about 5 minutes. I’ve sat in that parking lot for hours trying to leave before. What a different experience.

Also, I’m pretty sure this was my first time sitting in actual seats at Jiffy Lube. I figured since it was a gift for my dad we’d splurge a little bit more, and I’m so glad we did. First off, the lawn was muddy from all the rain the few nights before, so that wouldn’t have been fun to sit on. Also, the view was so much better from the seats, and we had the ability to sit whenever we wanted (and not kill our butts/backs in the process). It was also perfect since there were only three of us; it was easy to still talk with each other. I know that I will definitely venture back out to the lawn sometime soon, when it involves a bigger group and a little more drinking, but for this occasion seats were perfect.

Overall – amazing show and experience!

World Cancer Day 2015

2015-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Today, February 4, is World Cancer Day.

Cancer can force you to have chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. It causes stress, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

Cancer can cause death. It is responsible for 1 in every 7 deaths worldwide.

This year about 564,8000 Americans are expected to die of cancer - more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. One of every four deaths in the US is from cancer.

Let’s all take a moment to pray for strength for those who are battling this terrible disease every day. And let’s take a moment to remember those who fought hard.

Love to all - keep fighting your daily battles!

I read now... Who am I?

2015-02-03T13:28:00.001-08:00

So now that I've graduated, I've discovered something crazy… I actually have some time to read! In college, I never had a second of free time to just read for pleasure. I was either busy with life or reading for school (kind of…). I probably could have read a couple of those nights instead of watching Netflix… but after sitting in class all day who wants to do that? So now after work in the evenings, I still do like my fair share of Netflix, but to mix it up I sometimes like to read!

Finding some good books to read makes all the difference, so I figured I’d share the names of some books I’ve been reading for anyone else out there who struggles to find books they enjoy.

I’m not really into the mushy romance books, so I had to find a different genre that interested me. I’ve realized I really like mystery and crime-related books. So the first few on this list fall similar to these categories.

I started with The Cellar, a fictional book about a girl who gets kidnapped and is stuck in her kidnapper’s basement with several other girls. I thought it was interesting because it gave the perspective of the girl that was kidnapped, the boyfriend that was looking for her, and the kidnapper himself. I like getting inside people’s heads to find out what they’re thinking, feeling, and why they do what they do. This book is definitely for younger adults, but overall it kept me wanting to read more.

Once I realized I like reading about kidnapping (sick, I know), I decided to read the book The Room. This is another fictional book about a woman who is kidnapped and has a son due to her kidnapper, and how her and her son survive living in just a small room. It started off pretty slow for me, and was a little harder for me to get into because it is written from the perspective of the little 5-year-old boy, who obviously talks/writes like a little boy - so the language took some getting used to. I thought this book was interesting though, and it did a good job portraying what it would be like to grow up in a tiny room, not knowing what the outside world is like, or that it even exists, and the unconditional love between a mother and child.

After I finished those two, I decided to switch from the kidnapping books to the mystery books. I bought my dad the book Invisible as a gift, and after he was done with it, he told me I should give it a shot. I loved this book. It was right up my alley with mystery, and a little bit of romance in the background. The book is about a girl named Emmy who had a sister that was killed in a house fire and deemed accidental, but Emmy is convinced she was murdered. Emmy thinks that there is a serial killer that is just so good at covering up his crimes that no one has discovered him yet. No one else believes Emmy; except the reader. It is awesomely frustrating being "in the know" while none of the other characters are. One chapter you are reading about Emmy trying to convince everyone and catch this killer, and the next chapter you are reading what is going on inside the killer’s mind (which as I mentioned before, I love!). The chapters are super short, so it’s so easy to just fly through. If you like murder mysteries, and FBI crime solving books, I would highly recommend this one.

Next, I read the book Gone Girl. When I started this book, I didn’t even know there was a movie coming out about it. What a gripping book. It’s got twists and turns throughout it, and ones that you don't see coming. It’s about a woman, Amy, who goes missing on her and her husband’s five-year anniversary, and all fingers point to her husband, Nick. Did her husband kill her? Was Amy kidnapped by one of her many stalkers? You get really interesting insights on two very complicated characters, Amy and Nick. This book’s got it all – love, deceit, suspense, and more. This is one of a few books that I’ve read that I think people of both genders would really enjoy. As for the movie - there are definitely more details and better explanations in the book, but this was one of the few movies that I think did a good job not butchering the book. I would recommend both reading the book and seeing the movie!

Now I’ve finally taken a break from the mystery/kidnapping books, and am reading my first Nicholas Sparks book, The Best of Me. It’s a romance novel about a rich popular girl and a poor boy from a broken family who are forced to end their relationship because their small town didn’t approve, and then they meet again 20 years later. The book revolves mostly around romance, but also has its fair share of drama and excitement. As I mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of romance books, but so far I’m liking this one. And I did it again – I started reading this book before realizing that they just released the movie back in October! Guess I will have to watch it once I finish the book, and then report back on if it was a good portrayal.

Another year come and gone...

2015-01-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

I have to say, 2014 was definitely a better year than 2013. There are ups and downs in every year, but I was really blessed in 2014. Figured I’d highlight some of the awesome things that happened before we get into the new year.

First off, I graduated Magna Cum Lauda from Virginia Tech! I graduated with a degree in Communication and minors in Marketing, Psychology, and Travel and Tourism Management. Thank you so much to my friends and family who made this possible, and a huge shout out to those of you who came to VT to celebrate with me!

I also graduated with a full-time job already in place, which was awesome. I started as the Marketing Coordinator at Salsa Labs on June 2nd.

The morning after my graduation (rough), my amazing neighbor and godmother got married! What a beautiful wedding it was.

Just a few weeks later, I was privileged enough to be a bridesmaid in Kelsey’s wedding to her now husband, Emile. What a fun wedding! So glad I could be a part of it along with all the other wedding festivities.

Two weeks after that, for a graduation gift/just for fun - we did a family jump! My dad, brother, Anna, Melissa, Tom, and I all jumped out of a plane 13,000 feet up in Winchester, VA. What a rush! So much fun. We are already thinking about our next jump.

Before

During

After

And back to weddings… the girl in my life that I have literally known since I was born… Kelly got married! I was so fortunate to be her maid of honor and plan her bachelorette party and bridal shower. We had so much fun getting ready for the wedding, and Kelly put so much together by hand that it was exactly what she wanted it to be. I was so happy to see that.

Again while on the topics of weddings… two of my other very best friends got engaged this year! I am so excited for Taylor and her fiance Javi, and Daniel and his fiance Allie. Congratulations, guys!

Another go-to event for me over the summer was concerts. I think I ended up going to like 7? (Timeflies, Jingle Ball, Gavin Degraw & Matt Nathansan, Dave Matthews, and Rascal Flatts pictured below)

I also went on quite a few awesome trips. The first was to visit my family in Colorado. I had an amazing time with my Aunt Suzy and cousins Nathan and Taylor. They were amazing hosts! I can’t wait to go back soon.

The second trip was our annual family trip to Myrtle Beach. We basically spent a week laying on the beach, eating, and drinking. Does life get better than that?

I took a weekend trip to Virginia Tech for homecoming. It was really fun to be back in Blacksburg and to be reunited with all my college friends.

Another was to LA to visit Kevin! I had never been to LA before so it was super cool to see it and see where Kevin lives out there.

About a week and a half later I went back out to California, this time for a business trip. I ran my first one-day conference in San Francisco, and it went well (which is always a bonus)! After the conference was over, I stayed the weekend in San Francisco with my dad’s college roommate’s family in Burlingame. So fun to spend time with them and get to explore their hometown. I loved the area!

I also spent two weekends visiting Sarah in Wilmington for Memorial Day and her graduation in December. She’s now a college grad, too! Woo!

Some other fun times in 2014 - Nats games, Wizards games, Caps games, Redskins games, a Manchester United/Inter Milan soccer game, a VT bowl game, a Red Cross Gala, a 5K, a 10K, several lake weekends, and much more.

To end on one sad event of this year… I did lose my baby boy, Duke. Duke was about 14 ½ years old, and literally the best dog you could have asked for. Anyone will attest to that. He was my everything and is dearly missed. I know my mom is thrilled to see him, though.

Comparing this blog post to the one I wrote last year, I would definitely say 2014 was an improvement. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it! Looking forward to an even better 2015.

Preparing Yourself to Lose Someone

2014-10-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

After my mom died, people said things to me along the lines of, “at least you knew it was coming so you had time to prepare.” I look back on this statement, because now, close to a year and a half later, I don’t feel like I was ever really prepared.

I agree that it was better to know my mom was sick and to be able to say my goodbyes to her, rather than her dying abruptly and unexpectedly. And technically I did have time to “prepare” myself. I started “preparing” myself the day I was with my mom at the doctor's office my junior year of high school when they told us they found a tumor.

However, I keep writing “prepare” in quotation marks because I don’t think there is ever really a way to prepare yourself for the loss of a loved one. I knew it was coming, and I knew soon I would have a life without her, but it is so hard to imagine while she is still there with you.

I am no dummy. I understand science, facts, and statistics. I knew my mom’s odds were not good at all. I knew she would leave us before we would like her to. In my head, I knew all of that. But I was still not totally convinced. God had already performed so many miracles on my mom, and she had overcome so many obstacles that doctors said she would not. In my heart, I thought she was going to be the miracle. I thought she was going to be the survivor. I didn’t realize she was going to leave us when I was only 21 years old and hadn’t even graduated college yet. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know when.

The crazy thing about cancer and illness is how quickly it can progress. As I said, I knew she was going to pass, but we were not a statistics family so we wouldn’t let the doctors give us a number of “how many years she had left” etc. because we knew she would beat those odds (which she did many times). So you can prepare yourself and say she is going to die young, but when she does so well for many years, you start to think you can just live with that the rest of your life, that it’ll just be a constant battle. You don’t realize that those years that you are fighting with her and getting used to the new normal, you are also “preparing” for the sudden death.

Yes, my mom had cancer for four years and I had four years to “prepare” for her death, but she was only really "dying" for a few weeks. During those four years, my mom was a fighter, and was still herself. She may have been a little more tired and had a chemo port implanted in her, but she was still living. It was in a matter of days that the doctors told us they couldn’t treat her anymore, and her being immobile in bed. It was in a matter of days that she wasn’t her living self anymore, but just her body struggling to fight, and then ultimately letting go. It was in a matter of days that I really lost my mom.

No matter how much time you have, whether it be four years, ten years, or three days—I don’t think there is really ever a way to prepare yourself for such a loss. Until they aren’t there with you, you can’t actually imagine what it’ll be like. You try to think of scenarios where you will miss her when she’s gone (to “prepare” yourself), but then once she is actually gone you encounter 100x as many scenarios as you ever imagined. You forgot about the simple laughs you’d have after work, the outfit you want to ask her if it looks good, or the shoulder to cry on when no one else is there. You won’t fathom what the loss will be like until you actually experience it. There's never a way to ever fully prepare yourself.

Post-Grad Life

2014-08-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Okay so I wrote this one back in June as well, just publishing a bit late...

Graduation was very bittersweet. I was obviously sad to graduate and leave Virginia Tech, my home for the last four years, and all the friends I made there. I am going to miss not starting my days until 10 am (or so…), the $2 beers, the day drinking, the football games, the Law & Order: SVU marathons with my roommates…

Graduation was also tough for me for another reason. I remember sitting in Lane Stadium in 2012 watching my brother walk out onto the field in his cap and gown. I was sitting right next to my mom and remember her telling me how happy she was to be at Chris’s graduation and all the wanted was to see me graduate, too. I told her not to worry about it, of course she would see me graduate. At the time, I really didn’t think that was going to be an issue- I thought for sure she would live that long, she was doing so well! Unfortunately, my mom was not physically there to see me graduate, but I do know she had the best seat in the house and was there in spirit.

While there were things to be sad about when it came to graduating, I was also optimistic about my future. I was fortunate enough to lock down a job at the end of March so after months of job hunting knew I was secure in that department. I was excited to have a steady paycheck and to move on to the next chapter of my life and see what the future has in store of me.

When I was getting ready to graduate, the amount of times people said to me “Enjoy your last few weeks, it only goes downhill from here…” or “Man enjoy it while you can, college is the best years of your life…” or something along that nature… Not gonna lie, it kinda pissed me off. That’s like me going up to someone and being like enjoy the day today, because every other day in your life is going to suck… that’s kind of depressing.

Yes, I can understand where people are coming from. College was awesome. I'm going to miss it like crazy. You can skip classes and not get kicked out of school (to an extent). You don’t have as many responsibilities. You can party any day during the week. I loved college.

BUT that doesn’t mean I am depressed since I’ve graduated. I still have a life even though I’m working 8-5. I can’t skip work without getting fired, but sometimes my boss will be flexible with me. I can still party during the week, I just might feel it a little more when 7 am rolls around.

I’ve been keeping myself busy and have had so many fun things going on since I’ve graduated. I started with Maribeth and John’s beautiful wedding, then had a crazy Memorial Day weekend down at Lake Anna, then visited my aunt and cousins in Colorado, went to a couple Nationals games, threw Kelsey a bachelorette party, went to Kelsey & Emile’s awesome wedding, went SKYDIVING, and had all of my mom’s side of the family plus neighbors come over for a grad party! And all of this in just a little over a month… And now I’m getting ready to go to Myrtle Beach in a couple weeks, and come back to concerts galore.

And who again told me that post-grad life sucked?

Moral of this story: Yes, college is awesome. Yes, it will probably be some of the best years of our lives. BUT, life doesn’t end after college. There is still so much ahead of us, and we CAN still have fun. Use that money you’re making in the “real world” and do something awesome this weekend!

Another check off the bucket list… Skydiving!

2014-08-11T11:52:00.003-07:00

Another check off the bucket list… Skydiving!

So I wrote this post right after I went skydiving and was just too lazy to publish it until now...

My family is all about fun and trying new things. We had casually talked about skydiving a few times, but never made any concrete plans to do so. Last August, my cousin Melissa bought her husband a skydiving voucher for his birthday. We were all jealous until every time he tried to go it got rescheduled due to weather. Once it kept getting pushed back and pushed back, we had a brilliant idea- hey, why don’t we join him? We can do it after Steph graduates and make it a sort of graduation thing too! Graduate from college, jump out a plane 13,000 feet in the sky… Sounds about right. So we did it.

Dad bought us all vouchers for Christmas (thanks, Dad!). Dad, Chris, Anna, Melissa, Tom and I all looked at our schedules and picked a weekend that we could all jump. It was actually finally happening! We hyped ourselves up (luckily not psyching ourselves out), and constantly discussed the jumping order. Who was going to go first? Who was going to go last and get to watch everyone else jump? Would Anna still jump if Chris went before her and wasn’t there to push her off? So many questions floating around.

Turns out, those didn’t really matter. We ask our instructors if it’s okay that we have an order we’d like to jump in (finally decided on what we wanted). He said maybe, but you have to distribute the weight evenly throughout the plane. Shortly after, we all start piling in the plane with our tandem flying partners, and I realize that I am getting in last and sitting on the floor of the plane right next to the door. All of a sudden it hits me and I turn and ask, “This means I’m going first, doesn’t it?” Yup. All that planning for nothing! I was going first.

Surprisingly (you can believe me if you want), I actually wasn’t that scared—just excited! It was so cool looking out the windows and just seeing the plane climb higher and higher. And then getting excited when you see how crazy high we are and think you’re about to jump, but no you’re only half way up and he is just opening the door for some “air conditioning.”

Finally, once we reached somewhere between 10 and 13,000 feet, the guy who’s lap I was sitting on (we all got to know our instructors pretty well), tapped me and told me to put my glasses on. It was time. I couldn’t believe it! I just had to keep reminding myself that it was actually happening. I turn to face the rest of my family, wave goodbye to them, and just lean my left shoulder out the door until I’m flying in the sky.

What a rush! Falling at 120 mph with cold air smashing against your face, making any loose part on your face jiggle like jello. I’m a screamer when it comes to drops on roller coasters, so you can bet I was screaming the whole way down. I was loving it! After about 30 or so seconds of free fall, we pulled the parachute and were jerked back into a relaxing parachute ride… Except I told my instructor that I wanted to go fast and make it fun… so four incredibly fast spins later, I had to say through a smile “Okay, getting a little dizzy...” before something worse happened.

I landed safely on the grass and was able to turn and watch my other family members land with huge smiles on their faces. Everyone landed safely, had a great time, and no one even puked/pooped their pants/passed out, so I would say it was successful! I’ve heard that sky diving was addicting, and after going once I think I might have to agree… Planning for jump #2 starts now.

Things To Live By

2014-02-05T14:24:00.001-08:00

A list of 16 things that I remind myself to live by and get me through...

1. Celebrate life
Life is beautiful, you are alive. It is a gift, not a privilege. Enjoy every second of it.

2. Live life with less worry
Worrying does you no good, it only stresses you out. Don't stress the small stuff and don't worry about the things you can't change.

3. Make the best out of every situation
Complaining about how miserable something is will not change the situation, find the good in everything and enjoy it.

4. Don't compare yourself/your life to someone else's
You/your life is special! You don't know every aspect of another person's life so you can't compare.

5. Count your blessings!
You have so many things to be grateful for. Be thankful for each and every one of them.

6. Believe
Everything happens for a reason.

7. Have faith
There is a God who loves you.

8. Live in the present.
Forget the past and the future, enjoy right now.

9. YOLO
Luckily, we have Heaven to look forward to, but we do only live this life once.

10. Take chances!
What do you have to lose?

11. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Don't hold back. Don't lose your chance.

12. Stay true to yourself.
Don't let other people change you.

13. Do what makes you happy.
Make sure to make time for things that make your soul happy.

14. Give your problems to God.
Let him deal with them.

15. Forgive
God forgives us, forgive others. Everyone makes mistakes and you don't want anger riding on your conscious.

16. YOU are someone's reason to smile.
You are someone's sunshine.