Five Blondes » lauren

Winter Thoughts

Lauren — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:15:12 +0000

Christmas and New Years just snuck up on me, and now that second semester is here, it feels like it should still be October, when school was just starting, Hailey was still under a year old, Mic was still pregnant, and winter hadn’t even started yet. It’s not that Hails and Casey growing up isn’t an awesomely cute thing, and that the new year starting isn’t a good thing, it’s just that I feel like I’m not ready for 2011 yet. For me, 2011 means growing up, and moving, and that when people ask what I want to do when I’m done school, I should have a legitimate answer. I feel like even now, when people ask me that and I have no answer they look at me like I’m crazy, but it’s true! I can’t help but get frustrated and closed up when people bring that question up, and it’s definitely what I dread most when meeting adults and at dinners with adults/people related to me, and believe me, it always comes up. Anyways, in true Lauren fashion, this post is filled with random thoughts that I’ve thought of during class this morning, and am filling my hour break with writing.
First off, here’s a song. I just downloaded it, and I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. Yes, the video is extremely boring, but it was either this or a blurry picture of Lee Brice playing the guitar. So here it is, Beautiful You, by Lee Brice.

I mentioned that I have an hour break today. Well, this semester I have a super weird schedule. Mondays I have four classes- 9:30-10:30, 11:30-2:25, 2:30-4:30, then 6:05-8:55, Tuesdays I have one class- 2:35-5:25, and then my next class isn’t until Thursday from 6:05-8:55. So I have a lot of free time if you’re not counting Mondays. This week was especially boring. I know I could take all this time and be studying and doing my labs and such, but because of Scotiabank’s annoying holding cheques rule (more on that later), I couldn’t buy my textbooks yet, so spent most of my time reading my syllabus for each class, watching movies, creeping facebook, and hanging out with friends. The fact that my Thursday class was cancelled last week because my prof was sick didn’t help either. That would have given me a lot of statistics work to be confused over. So Scotiabank- their slogan is “You’re richer than you think”. I agree with that, because I have money in my account, but because they are holding my cheque and can’t buy textbooks or anything yet, so I think they’re taking that a bit too seriously. So right now I’m feeling poor and hungry, but tomorrow when they hand over the money (a week and a day after I deposited the cheque), I’ll finally be able to eat at school and buy my textbooks.
I was at my friends house a couple of nights ago watching a Sex and The City marathon on COSMO, and we realized something. Life is not at ALL like Sex and The City. Well, I guess we knew that already, but we really started talking about it during 2 episodes. In the first one, Samantha got picked up by a guy walking by her on the sidewalk. In the next one, she got picked up sitting alone at a bar. Of course the whole “that would never happen to me!” conversation commenced. Earlier in the week I was discussing this with another friend, who then challenged me to talk to as many guys as I could by the end of the week. Well, by the end of the week I had talked to 5 guys. 3 were on my cheerleading team, 1 was gay, and the last was my friends ex-boyfriend who stopped by to pick up their dog for a walk. I decided that I failed that challenge. It seems so easy for some people though. I have never had a boyfriend in my 21.5 years of life, but some of my friends have had 5-10 boyfriends, and gone on countless dates. A few, even a couple of days after they had broken up with their long term boyfriend. Personally, I just don’t get it, but maybe that’s just me.
Last thoughts: a blog and a picture from a new years party!
This adorable couple is expecting their first baby any day now! I love reading this blog and looking at the pictures. Enjoy!

Sorry about the red eye ladies, but you know that if I tried to fix it I would wreck the whole picture. The blonde, brunette and redhead best friends!

Lauren

Lau is Loving: Leggings

Lauren — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:40:30 +0000

As inspired by Design Crush, themed posts each week:

-Lauren Messiah-

The Leggings/Jeggings Debate

Lauren — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:36:01 +0000

As of right now, the only jeans I own (that fit me..) are skinny jeans/jeggings that just happened to be on sale. This morning I wasn’t feeling very well, so I didn’t want to wear jeans, and my lulus were in the laundry basket, so I wore leggings. These aren’t “stylish” leggings at all. In fact I think they might be old maternity leggings that I found in our house and adopted. Either way, they are super comfy. I know some people use the rule that it is okay to wear leggings as long as you wear a shirt that covers your lady parts/bum, but I’m not sure that I’m even following that rule today:

It’s a longish shirt, and a long sweater in the back, but mostly when I’m sitting cross legged at school on a comfy bench it doesn’t come down all the way.

I do have an issue with people dissing ‘leggings-as-pants’, but who are okay with jeggings/skinny jeans, or vise versa. When I was home for Thanksgiving weekend I brought 2 pairs of jeans, and my leggings. I guess one of the pairs of jeans would be considered jeggings. We go to church with my dad’s side of the family, and live next door to our Oma, so we were going to spend Sunday afternoon with them as well. Sunday morning I wore leggings with a long shirt to church. These are the same tights as the picture above. Before dinner I changed into my jeggings. I think I got about 3 comments about how tight my jeans were. I really don’t understand this. I was wearing tights earlier, which are just as tight, if not tighter than my jeans, so how is this different?

What are some fashion “rules” that you live/dress by?

Have you ever been criticized for what you were wearing?

Catching Some Zzzzz's

Lauren — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:26:17 +0000

Last night I got home from cheerleading practice at about 11:40. For 20 minutes I got ready for bed, cleaned my room and such, then at 12:00 I had to force myself to take a shower. After that 10 minute shower, I watched How I Met Your Mother for about half an hour. That brings us to 12:40. I then tried to sleep for about 20 minutes, decided it was useless, and went back to the computer for about an hour and a half (watching Gossip Girl). At 2:30am I decided to try the sleep thing again. Lately though, while my body is totally zonked out, my mind is just racing, and I can’t get to sleep, no matter how much I try to lay there and shut it down. My mind totally wanders when I am trying to sleep, and I find myself making up these elaborate stories in my head, only to finish the story and realize “HELLO?! It’s 20 minutes later and you’re STILL awake!”. Last night I remember seeing the clock at 3:45am. I think it may have been about 4ish when I finally got to sleep, thus sleeping through my alarm (well, turning off the THREE I have to set for myself), and missing my first class of the year. Boourns to me. I woke up at 9:54am, and my class starts at 10:05am. Not happening. Luckily a friend of mine is in this class. I never take naps during the day, so I should be tired, but my mind is totally rebellious.

Does anyone have any advice for me about how to fall asleep better/easier?

Ps. Check out this song. New favourite. The Finish Line -Train

Calgary Stampede

Lauren — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:20:47 +0000

I flew out to Calgary for a week as a birthday present from my parents for the Stampede and to see Leah and Tim this week! I arrived Saturday morning at 9am. So far we have gone to the Stampede to see the chuck wagon races and the grandstand show, and yesterday we visited some relatives in Red Deer, where we went surfing in the middle of the prairies (embarrassing pictures to follow). Leah took the week off work and today we’re heading to do some serious shopping!

We’ll keep you updated with our shenanigans as the week goes on!

It's the baby's birthday!

Leah — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:10:56 +0000

It’s June 9th, do you know what that means? Our baby is one year older! We sure do love our Lauren. Laurence, laureenni fetuccini, laulau, laur, whatever we call her.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to tell you all what we love about our baby.

I love Lauren’s creativity and beauty. Lauren will show up at a party wearing an amazing skirt, or a gorgeous tank top, and upon asking her where she got it, she will respond “Oh, I made it” like it is no big deal. She is such a talented designer and creator – I hope we will be seeing some of her creations on this blog soon!

Lauren is also an incredibly beautiful girl. She has this gorgeous long blonde hair, and her eyes are so blue they are almost silver, and practically see-through. She is a pretty young woman (And I hope she comes to visit me over Stampede )

Lauren may be ‘the baby’ in terms of age, but you’d better believe the rest of us would have a hard time keeping up with her when it comes to her athletic ability. She’s been a ski racing champ, hard-core cheerleader, and just this past Sunday she ran a 5 km race…which I don’t think she trained for. She can play a decent game of golf with ease…heck, any sport really!

Dear Lowen,
I always wish you were with me when I am shopping because I always feel like I could use your advice! I love that photo of us from my wedding, it might be my favourite wedding photo (don’t tell Kent!) I love that I always know where to find you on weekend afternoons (laying on the couch watching some movie that we haven’t seen since we were kids.) And lastly, I love that you are the sister with the sense of humour closest to mine, meaning that you always know how to make me laugh.

Have a happy JUNE 9!

Love,

Micaela

5 Days

Lauren — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:19:05 +0000

I have never really thought about what it must be like to be homeless. Sure, like everyone when the cold weather comes around I think “Wow it would suck to have to stay out here”, but I, of course, am bundled up in my huge winter coat, warm boots and mittens, with a roof over my head while I think this. Being a poor university student when I see the people asking for money/food at Rideau I walk right past them, not thinking about getting them food or giving them money, just wishing I could get to my car/the bus faster to get home to my warm bed.

For 5 days, Business students across Canada are finding out what it’s like to be homeless to raise money for a local charity, while still having to go about their day to day activities such as classes, meetings, practices, and for the Dean of the Sprott School of Business at Carleton, work. Yep, for one day/night the Dean was homeless. The Business schools around Canada are spending 5 days homeless on their own campus. For 5 days they can’t shower, they have no income, their only food can be by donation from students/faculty, they have to sleep outside under a tent that they made, they can’t use any social networking sites, and they still have to go to their classes and such. The charities chosen by the students were Operation Come Home, and Rideau Street Youth Enterprises, both which cater to at risk and homeless youth in Ottawa.

I hadn’t heard about this fundraiser before last Monday morning when I walked past the tent and sign outside of the University Centre here at Carleton. I really wish I knew more about it now that I have seen it first hand. To do something like this would change the way I see the homeless people around Ottawa and London. They write in a blog (I don’t know how it works with the no networking sites…), as do the other students across Canada, so check it out! 5 days

Have you ever seen something like this, or had the opportunity to do something like this?

25 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Sunday

Lauren — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:52:34 +0000

I stumbled upon this blog post last week that really got me thinking. As many of you might know from my tweets I’ve had a fairly confusing couple of weeks, sometimes in the “this is okay” sense and sometimes in the “what the eff am I doing here” sense. While reading Leah’s blog post about our award I looked to the right under the Blogher ad, and saw “25 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Sunday”. This post by genpink will get anyone thinking, and is a good way to reflect over your past week to make your next one even more productive, which is definitely what I’m needing lately.

So here is is folks, 25 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Sunday. These are from genpink’s source, Marc and Angel Hack Life and they have little explanations about each question:

What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you should learn something new every week.
What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment. It’s also an effective way to track your progress.
Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals, or simple pastimes worth revisiting.
What’s the #1 thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary, and should be treated as such. Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.
What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.
What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.
What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future. Setup physical barriers against distractions if you have to.
Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.
What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done. For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.
What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.
Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to? – Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.
Is there anyone that deserves a big ‘Thank You’? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you. Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.
How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.
What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t setup realistic goals for yourself.
Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.
What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.
What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation. If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.
What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them. It’s all about taking baby steps.
What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective, and something you should never lose sight of.
If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short. Spend more time with the people you care about.

Genpink added five of her own:

Who can I inspire this week?
Did I tell the people in my life how much they mean to me?
Did I make a difference with someone?
Did I learn something?
Have I done something creative this week?

So tell me folks, do you have any questions that you ask yourself to take inventory of your life/week?

Home from Nationals!

Lauren — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:52:13 +0000

Heyy everyone!

Hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did! Cheerleading Nationals were this weekend in Brampton, and pretty much the whole fam jam came. 4/5 blondes were there, 3 aunts, 1 Dave, 1 brother in law, 1 oma, and 1 mom! I always have the biggest entourage there and I love it!

We came 4th! Our awesome coaches Anson and Meagan are in the front.

Karlene, Ashley and Me at awards.

Me and Ashley at the Afterparty! Which was innnnsanee.

More pictures will be coming, this is just all I have right now!

Because I love my new…

Lauren — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:53:56 +0000

Scarf! Obviously I would write about a scarf right after that awesome post yesterday about our “hate mail”. My roommate is from Woodstock, and he swears he didn’t write it! Well I’m also writing about a scarf because it’s Wednesday, and I have no classes, and nothing to do but go pick up cheer shoes at 2:30 with my coach/friend. Anyways, last week I was picking up a couple things at the grocery store, and as always, I took a peek through Joe Fresh. Don’t you feel weird shopping through the clothing section of Loblaws with a shopping cart full of bread, meat, fruits and veggies? Because that’s what comes before the Joe fresh section in most Loblaws, and it’s just weird. I had 2 winter scarves, one Erica made for me last Christmas that is white, short, and so adorable, and one made by Oma that is long and red, both which I love! But I had been wanting a circle scarf for a while. I contemplated getting an American Apparel one, but I just can’t justify $30-$50 on a scarf that doesn’t even look warm, and kinda looks like just a piece of material sewed into a circle. Even if it can double as a skirt. So I found my warm, smells like wool circle scarf at Joe Fresh for $17, and it has kept me nice and toasty. So far I’ve just worn it doubled up, like in the first picture, because I can see it getting in the way and being bulky under my jacket as I walk to school.

Give me a break, I just woke up! Doubled up ^

Long^

As a shawl..thinger^ Oh gosh, why do I even put these pictures up? haha (Kate, see the artwork?)

Next time I post I’ll have come back from Nationals in Brampton/getting to see my family, so get ready for a cheerleading post! (only if I can find my camera battery charger though, I swear I JUST had it last week.)

EDIT*

It also makes a great cat carrier