bloompop

^^^ meet my newest little plant friend! ^^^

i must admit, when it comes to plants, 

gardening or any sort of nature-related activity, i fail. 

i never mange to keep plants alive;

i either water too often, or not enough.

my mom has a green thumb, but unfortunately, 

it is not a gift i possess. 

i was recently contacted by bloompop

to receive a free surprise box! 

upon arriving, i was greatly impressed by how beautifully 

the box was presented;

even better, however, was what came inside the box! 

two different types of seeds to plant, a coupon for a later

purchase using bloompop, and the most adorable little plant

(pictured above) were sent to me. 

bloompop, founded in 2013, is an online marketplace.

here, you can buy gorgeous flowers, plants

and other arrangements directly from local florists.

they offer same day shipping, as well as simple, but competitive pricing.

i am pleased to say that after two+ weeks, 

my littlest plant is alive and well. 

i cannot wait to plant the seeds i received 

and look forward to placing a future order with bloompop.

xoxo.

**this is not a sponsored post. i received my bloompop box free of charge, 

but all opinions are my own!

thoughts from the rambler

source

"we just want you to be happy, megan."

this is something i hear quite often;

for as long as i can remember, my parents have

shared with me and emphasized the importance of being happy. 

or rather, of making myself happy.

i have to admit, 

after graduating from college, and even towards the end 

of my college career, i was not happy.

i was sad, disappointed with myself, and constantly anxious. 

anxious about my future.

unsure of myself as a person.

nervous about the decisions i was preparing to make.

with a great deal of support, however, 

i pushed through those years. 

i contemplated going back to school (numerous times),

tried working a variety of jobs.

created new friendships, and said goodbye to some, too.

dated several people.

and experienced what felt like an emotional pendulum - 

swinging back and forth, back and forth. 

i am not sure what changed exactly.

i cannot pinpoint a particular moment in time,

choice that was made,

or experience that took place.

perhaps it is a culmination of things -

but something changed for the better.

i finally feel content.

i feel happy with where i am in my life right now.

i can confidently say i am proud of myself. that is big. 

proud of my accomplishments.

proud of the person i am becoming 

(though that will likely continue to change (ever so slightly)).

proud of the decisions i have made. 

mom and dad, i can wholeheartedly say, "i am happy."

i know i will to have good days and bad days, too.

i will surely call you crying 

and continue to need your support, faith in me, and reassurance.

you will have to remind me to strive for happiness. 

when i get lost (which i will), 

and when i make a mistake (and i will make many),

please remind me that i can find that stability, 

and that happiness again. 

that's all.

xoxo.

a happy list

i am thankful for the sunshine.

source

i am grateful to have seen and spent time

with my extended family last weekend.

i am thankful for clean sheets before i crawl into bed.

source

i am ever so thankful for coffee.

source

i am thankful to have found a new book that i simply

cannot put down ("still alice" by lisa genova).

source

i am thankful for the three new babies 

in our classroom. they're adorable!

now that it is time to head to work,

i am especially grateful i have a job to go to each day.

silliness and a happy list

oh hey there!

let me scrunch up my nose and make the most ridiculous face ever,

while trying on sweaters at the loft.

but really, i wanted this sweater.

not for fifty dollars though... sadly. 

a few things that make me happy as of late:

1. this song

2. iced coffee (even though it is winter)

3. my adorable little pup

4. moccasins. despite the rain, i love wearing you. what would i do without you?

5. the girlfriends. i love them. dearly.

6. the epic baking i am planning to do this week

i promise to take pictures. please come share my treats so 

i don't eat them all as per usual

7. my family

their unwavering support means the world to me

8. a new little buddy to mentor. cannot wait to become friends with this sweet girl

9. bits of sunshine that peak through the rain and clouds

10. the babies at school // work

my favorite thing is when they crawl or meander over to give me a hug or to be held

their laughs are pretty amazing, too

a hawaiian tradition // the luau

 romp romp rompin' around at the luau

we went with our dear family friends to a luau last night. 

we enjoyed hawaiian music, hula dancing, and delicious food.

we even watched the pig (pictured above (in the ground)) as it was removed from the

"earth oven." everyone loved it.

i tried it, too... as odd as it smelled, and as gross as it looked being removed from said oven.

i suppose it is better not to think about such things...?

the best part of the luau? (aside from the hula dancers)

the gorgeous sunset! 

please excuse me while i return to my food coma.

good night!

xoxo.

girlfriends

i spent last night with the girlfriends -

i love them, 

and could not be more grateful to have them in my life :)

such a fun night.

due to lack of sleep this weekend,

i will be spending the rest of the day in my bathrobe and fleece leopard pants.

happy sunday!

xoxo.

*image found on google

nanny tales

when you quit your job to become a nanny,

there are a lot of things you do not think about.

the aforementioned puke and snot.

the teeth you will try to brush.

the babes you will cart around.

the constant energy you will exert.

the music you will now listen to.

the bums you will wipe.

the strange meals (one half peanut butter, and no, it cannot touch the jelly;

no, i do not want my sandwich cut;

no, i will not use that plate;

no, i do not like that juice;

no, i told you to mix the two cereals), etc.

but...

while taking care of someone else's beloved children,

you will not stop laughing.

you will not believe the hysterical comments children make.

you will not believe how intelligent and loving tiny humans can be.

you will not believe how quickly you grow to love these children, too.

you will not mind that you have listened to the little mermaid soundtrack 9823 times this week. 

because at the end of the day, 

it is completely worth it. 

my favorite quote today:

"megan, i just swallowed my puke!"

(does she know i do this daily because of my acid reflux?)

breakfast :)

a home-made scarf + the munchkin showed me how to properly tie her scar

(lots of over and under the arms)

hope you had a fabulous day, too.

xoxo, this nanny.

being more positive

i sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) have a hard time remembering to think positively.

i question myself.

i worry.

i wonder, "what if _____ happens?"

my goal for this week is to be more positive :)

i love this.

top: vera for kohl's, pants: lc for kohl's, flats: target, bracelet: f21


how do you remind yourself to think positively? 
i am in need of inspiration :)
xoxo.

{ similar finds }
top
pants
flats


*image found on google

so happy!

oh my goodness, oh my goodness! today i get to see two of my very best girlfriends! they are in town for the holidays :) both k (skinny mini) and h (heavier) live in new orleans. they are doing incredible work building houses, teaching, volunteering, and inspiring others with their admirable work ethic. i wish, more than anything, that i could be there with them. since graduating, we have only been able to see each other once a year; this is utterly insufficient considering we previously lived in the same building at school and were only few doors down from one another :(

this is the three of us exactly one year ago! 

skinny mini, me & heavier

(pardon my crummy cell phone picture)

coffee run this morning with m

he is so handsome! 

shirt & moccasins: nordstrom, jeans: american eagle

i am ready to be back in my apartment where i have a full length mirror (not the best outfit combination today hehe), my jewelry, and do not have to dig through wrinkled items in my trunk (my trunk = my closet currently). 

on a slightly different note, last night was crazy! i went to dinner at m's mom's house. we were doing the dishes and starting a movie when the power suddenly went out. it was extremely windy, so m assumed a tree had fallen down. sure enough, at the very top of his mom's driveway, a giant tree was down. we stayed until the fire department came and he was tired of my begging for frozen yogurt :)

cake batter + dulce de leche + pistachio = random, but delicious!